Stephanie Tubbs Jones in critical condition

From Congressional Quarterly Politics:

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones died Wednesday in an Ohio hospital after suffering an aneurysm a day earlier, according to a senior House Democratic aide.

Tubbs Jones, a Democrat who has represented Ohio’s 11th District since 1999 and was chairwoman of the House’s ethics committee, suffered the aneurysm Tuesday night while driving near her hometown of Cleveland.

Tubbs Jones, who would have turned 60 on Sept. 10, was scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention next week as a superdelegate.

“Tuesday’s condition followed a full day of activity, including planning for an upcoming forum on electoral reform, scheduled for September 4, 2008 at Cleveland State University,” according to a statement released earlier Wednesday from her office. She was admitted to Huron Hospital.

Tubbs Jones was among the five black members who claimed committee chairmanships when the Democrats ascended to the majority in 2007.

A dyed-in-the-wool Clintonista, Tubbs Jones was one of the most influential black Democrats in Congress. Update: People must really want this woman gone, because there are several conflicting reports out there. But apparently, she's in critical condition and not expected to recover. Now CQ is saying:

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was in critical condition Wednesday in an Ohio hospital, her doctors said, amid conflicting reports that she had died.

Jones suffered an aneurysm late Tuesday while driving, which caused a brain hemorrhage and left her with “very limited brain function,” according to a spokesman for Huron Hospital in East Cleveland, Ohio.

Sources, including congressional aides, had said earlier that Tubbs Jones had died.

Update #2: She died last night around 6 p.m. My sincere condolences to her family, constituents, and sisters in Delta Sigma Theta.

Leroi Moore, 1961-2008

I was a huge DMB fan in high school and college. I own all of their studio albums up to American Baby, and several live albums. My favorite is Live at Red Rocks, but the best one was Live in Chicago (and that's how you know your stan-dom, when you know your personal fave isn't necessarily the best). I used to regularly stalk the website, and can rattle off the names of the five original members in a single breath. Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, and Leroi Moore. Dave did the strummy-la-la and the unintelligible singing, Boyd killed it on the violin, Carter held down the drums, Stefan did his cool bass thing, and Leroi brought the jazz. Leroi brought the jazz. The saxophonist was the quietest member of the band, rarely giving interviews, and generally content to let the other members speak. I'm sad to see him go.

Cyd Charisse, 1922-2008

I love musicals. West Side Story, Hello Dolly, Jesus Christ Superstar, White Christmas, Gigi, My Fair Lady, Meet Me in St. Louis, School Daze, the musical episode of Buffy, "Once More With Feeling" ... give me a movie with synchronized singing and dancing and I will watch it. My all-time favorite, one of the last big-budget musicals, is Singin' in the Rain. Part of my appreciation of the film had to do with my indomitable crush on the great Gene Kelly. But most of it was this scene. Cyd Charisse. Kelly is doing his thing, dancing joyfully, and then he slides across the floor and encounters a single, perfect, silk-stockinged, green-high-heeled leg. I used to practice this scene in my room. She's perfect in it. Slinky, unrelentingly sexy, and incredibly proficient. (Note: she spends a lot of this scene with her legs slightly bent, because she's actually taller than Kelly.) Setting aside the fact that her small role in the film is as a fictional character who is motivated by what men can give her, I love it. Charisse died yesterday at the age of 86. Her dancing was a joy to watch. RIP.

Tim Russert, 1950-2008

From MSNBC.com:

WASHINGTON - Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died Friday after collapsing in the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58.

Russert was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” program when he collapsed, the network said. No details were immediately available.

Russert, the recipient of 48 honorary doctorates, took over the helm of “Meet the Press” in December 1991. Now in its 60th year, “Meet the Press” is the longest-running program in the history of television.

In 2008, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Timothy John Russert Jr. was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 7, 1950. He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.

Heath Ledger, April 4, 1979 – January 22, 2008

Heath Ledger was one of those actors who was slightly older than me and my generation, and so much cooler. He's a member of a group I watched when I was a pre-teen: young, eager, stars of pop-film. He's one of the few who transcended teen movie obscurity, displayed his chops, and won. Career-wise, at least. I'm sad because it's almost like losing one of the cool kids you didn't really know, but always looked up to. RIP.