• 9-year-old killed by water born amoeba - Riverside County health officials are urging swimmers to use caution after a 9-year-old boy contracted the deadly Naegleria fowleri amoeba. He had gone swimming in Lake Elsinore several times this summer. The parasite lives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers and poorly maintained swimming pools, experts say. It enters the brain through the nose, where it can cause a severe and nearly always fatal infection. There were 33 reported cases of infection in the U.S. from 1998 to 2007. The amoeba can kill in three days, and symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and a stiff neck.
• Man gets life in prison for murdering wife and step son - A man who fled California for nearly a decade after killing his estranged wife and stepson has been sentenced to life in prison. Fu Lin Wang, 61, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. He could have faced the death penalty if the case had gone to trial. He has no chance for parole. Prosecutors say Wang shot his wife, Carole Lee, and her 18-year-old son Michael Chu in December of 1998 at her Alhambra home.

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• Two people critically burned in car accident - Two people are hospitalized with critical burn injuries after their rental truck overturned and caught fire. The accident shut down the 5 South and 10 East connector as rescue crews pulled them from the burning truck. Both have been taken to USC Medical Center and their condition is unknown.
• Husband/Wife murder suicide reported - Police say a 67-year-old man and his wife were both found dead in their Perris home Monday victims of an apparent murder-suicide. Beverly Lorraine Jakubowicz, also 67, and her husband, Stanley R. Jakubowicz, were found dead at their home at 21856 Lake Matthews Drive about 4:45 a.m., according to the Riverside County Coroner’s office. Franchville said Stanley Jakubowicz called a dispatcher and said “that his wife needed medical attention and when we got there, they were both dead.”

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I’m fresh from Comic Con and ready to tackle news that’s geeky in a different but related way:

• An article in the LA Times explores the burgeoning economy of web-based entertainment in the form of little girls with dirty mouths and French Maids with light sabers. The actors don’t have contracts, the writers don’t have agents, I don’t have the attention span to read this feature. But check out the pictures
• The Dark Knight cast a looming shadow over the box office again this weekend - although The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor won the battle overseas. As if we needed further proof that Americans had better taste than the rest of the world
• With Dark Knight, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk all making bank this summer, Sony has decided to continue forward with a Spider Man spinoff centered around the villain Venom, who was played by Topher Grace in the Spider Man 3. After the wholly disappointing third installment of that franchise, I’m not really sure it’s a great idea. But they didn’t ask me.

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Yes, it’s true, folks. You can see the chosen ones for a mere 4 bucks or however much a People Magazine costs these days. Yep, the kiddos are just 3 weeks old, but twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline are already sure to sell more magazines than Mary Kate and Ashley combined. Oh the excitement! These are no blurry shots of a baby in the back of a car with a blanket over its face. There are 19 pages of family photos to fulfill all of your sick voyeuristic needs.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sat down exclusively with People magazine to talk about their two new babies, life at Château Miraval in Provence, France and how the rest of the crew is coping. “It is chaos, but we are managing it and having a wonderful time,” Jolie told the magazine. “[Shiloh] and Z pick out [the twins'] clothes and help change and hold them,” she says. “It’s sweet – they are little mommies.” Pitt says the household is “still a cuckoo’s nest.”

The couple were reportedly paid $14 million for the exclusive photos, which they will donate to a foundation created by Pitt and Jolie that largely focuses on helping children around the world. The issue hit newsstands today. Better get a move on!

*photo courtesy people.

• Dawn Weiner is engaged to a chic. Weinerdog, also known as Heather Matarazzo, (the break out star of 1995’s “Welcome to the Dollhouse) is engaged to her girlfriend of a year, Carolyn Murphy. Apparantly they proposed to each other. Weiner’s PR person said, “It was really cute. First Heather proposed to Carolyn, then Carolyn proposed to her.” She probably just asked her if she wanted to join the Special People’s Club! Awwww!  Weinerdog, congratulations!
• Sharon Osbourne disses Paris for a lack of talent. “She has no talent!” Mrs. Ozzie told Parade.com. “I’m sure Paris would tell you that herself.” I seriously doubt Paris would cop to that herself. She totally thinks she’s got talent. Why else would she have made that sex tape?

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• Shannen Doherty went unrecognized in a Malibu police station over the weekend. She rushed into the station to complain about all the paparazzi following her but the police officers had no clue who she was. The dude at the front desk allegedly told Shannen he didn’t recognize her, to which she retorted, “Why are you pulling my Dick, Heather?” No, I’m kidding. She only said that in my dreams. She really said, “I’m on TV.” Um, who are these people that are supposedly protecting us? I would feel a lot safer if they had seen the great film Heathers, or at least an episode of 90210. Come on! Charmed? Anyone? Shannen supposedly left in a huff, and rightfully so. Don’t worry, Shannen, the spin-off’s a comin’.
• Kate and Lance are ca-put. Yep, The New York Post’s Page Six reports that the two lovebirds have officially split. I know you are shocked but let’s keep things in perspective. Yes, Kate and Lance are no more but no one was hurt in the earthquake yesterday. Now do you feel better? I know, me neither. Oh well, I hope they both have better luck next time with whomever is left out there that they haven’t dated.

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• K-Fed is said to be releasing a fitness dvd. Oh thank the angels. According to FOX news, he said, “I plan to get back to looking ripped and sexy again - I know I have let it all go but watch me fly this year.” I rely on FOX news for all my K-Fed news because they are so hard hitting. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled while watching infomercials because Federline’s on the loose.
• Family Guy’s Seth MacFarland (35) is said to be dating Amanda Bynes (22). Say huh? I, um, don’t know what to say. She did a voice on the show and the two have been spotted out together a couple of times on different gossip websites. I hope it’s untrue and he’s just her big brother in that, you know, Hollywood Big Brother Mentor program they have out there somewhere, um….who am I kidding? He’s probably doing her and I’m officially grossed out. She just seems a young 22, you know? It’s like thinking of Ricky Gervais dating Miley Cyrus or something. Ick.

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• Staph infection kills high school student -Noah Armendariz, 17, a high school wrestler died Sunday at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, from complications of a drug-resistant staph infection and a teammate was being treated for the illness. Armendariz suffered from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which is resistant but can be treated and often is not deadly. “The medication was doing its job but the infection was too aggressive,” said his grandfather, Frank Magana. Armendariz, of Downey, developed a rash and flu-like symptoms, then became progressively sicker, until he contracted pneumonia and had holes in his lungs. His teammate tested positive for staph a week after Armendariz became ill but his condition is not serious.
• Deputy fatally shots alleged drug dealer - An LA County deputy shot and killed an alleged drug dealer in the unincorporated Lennox area when he thought the man was about to produce a weapon. The shooting in the 11000 block of Dalerose Avenue near West 111th Street took place around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday. Christian Portillo, 35, died at the scene. No deputies were hurt. No weapon was found on the victim.

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Why can’t West Nile just mind it’s own business? Why does it have to come and miss with LA? Three men and one male child were tested positive for West Nile in Los Angeles County. These are the first three human cases of West Nile virus to be found in LA County. Two of the patients were diagnosed earlier this month for meningitis and the third was diagnosed after he donated blood. All three patients are recovering and appear to be doing just fine.

West Nile is spread by mosquitoes and breed in places with still water. Such as lakes, ponds, and even puddles. CBS2 reports:

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• Man found dead in car after it was ticketed -A passerby noticed the man in the driver’s seat of the Lincoln Town Car near Peck and Rooks roads about 7:50 p.m. and notified employees at a nearby truck shop. Police found an elderly man, probably in his 70’s, dead inside. The parked car has a ticket on it from about 11a.m that day. The car was parked in front of a store and workers at the shop called for help after knocking on the window of the locked car and getting no response. Authorities were not immediately able to say whether the man was in his car at the time the ticket was issued or if he had returned to it later.
• Teen rapes child with toy light saber - A Santa Ana 16-year-old boy has been arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall for allegedly raping a 9-year-old boy with a toy light saber. The Department of Social Services notified the Police Department on Monday that the youngster was sexually assaulted at the teen’s home on July 16. Investigators say the teen and younger boy are believed to be acquaintances. There is no information about the alleged victim’s condition. There is no information about the alleged victim’s condition.
• 18-year-old arrested for boy shot in head -Alcus Mallory, a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the head nearly a week ago has died, and his alleged killer was being held on $1 million bail, police said.  Elijah Larkin, 18, was arrested the day after the shooting and booked on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter. “The suspect … pulled out a handgun and began to play with it,” police said in a statement. “He fired one shot and struck Mallory in the head.”

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• Sherri Shepherd said she has had “more abortions than I would like to count.” Yup, she really said that, and to a black Christian women’s magazine called Precious Times (not to be confused with High Times) no less. How high do you think this gal can count? Wow. I am fascinated by the hiring policy for “The View.” I wonder if Barbara Walters is hiring co-hosts specifically to drive Elizabeth Hasselbeck crazy. If so, I applaud you, Barbara. I bet Elizabeth won’t even be in the make-up chair next to Sherri now. She’s probably afraid she’ll go to hell if they breathe the same air.
• Britney has a new song, y’all. The single, called ‘ATM’ has some enticing lyrics that are as follows: “Hey Mama, I know it’s my cash you seek. You know they treat me like an ATM, but y’all know that I’m too good for ‘em.” What do you guys think? To me, this reeks of Shaq. I’m sure that he’s the genius behind these rhymes. Another song is reportedly called ‘Already Bad’ and is rumored to be about Justin Timberlake. Timely. These lyrics go, “I know you thought you were the first, but I had already quenched my thirst, I was already bad.” Touche, Brit.

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• K-Fed gets to keep sole custody of the kids. “The case has been settled,” Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told PEOPLE. “This is the end of a two-year journey.” Britney will get more visitation rights. Spears’s attorney, Laura Wasser, said, “Britney’s doing great. She’s very pleased [with the settlement]. This is so not over. You know something will happen one way or the other. Maybe Brit Brit will get her ducks in a row and get K-Fed up. Oh, swell. I made a little joke.
• Khloe Kardashian spent 173 minutes in jail. I wonder if she got a tattoo? That would be my only jail-goal, to get a tat. So, Khloe was released early due to overcrowding. She did way more time than Nicole (82) and Lindsey (84). That’s the number of minutes of jail-time Nicole Richie did people, not her weight. Here’s the official statement by attorney Shawn Chapman Holley : “Khloe was prepared to serve her entire sentence if that is what the Sheriff’s Department had ordered. Having said that, she is, of course, happy to have been released and she is looking forward to fulfilling all the conditions of her probation.” Word.

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