Kabbalah Pulling Wool Over Madonna's Eyes; Tornado Death Toll Climbs To 35

By Rosie Gray Sun., Apr. 17 2011 at 9:08 AM

Categories: Adorable Animals in Trouble, Caffeine Nation, Cults, Link Dump, Rosie Gray, Russia, Tornado

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The Daily reports that Kabbalah has been using Madonna's charity donations for real estate deals instead of putting them towards their promised school-building ends. The debacle of Madge's Raising Malawi project -- which lost $3.8 million -- isn't the first time a Kabbalah-backed school has failed. Previous projects that got a little bit (a lot) off track include a "Kabbalist Grammar School For Children" in New York, the building for which was eventually sold and turned into a hotel. A source told The Daily, "They get [Madonna] to give by creating meaningful 'projects' that have specific budgets, and they ask for her support, and concurrently they work on her conscience, meaning they prepare her, and all students, to share and share big." [The Daily]

At least 35 people in six states have been killed so far by the tornados sweeping the South. [CNN, AP/NYT]

Two Russian men got into an argument about Mike Tyson's boxing prowess. Only one made it out alive. [AFP/Fox]

An off-duty cop got into a "Wild West-style shootout" with four men trying to rob an auto-body shop in Brooklyn. He shot two of the attempted thieves, taking a bullet in the shoulder himself. [NYP]

Six horses traveling from Florida to Belmont Park for training died when a cigarette flicked out of a car on the highway got in their trailer, setting their hay on fire. [Gothamist via NYDN]

There is now such a thing as portable brain tumor treatment. [Gizmodo]

Reese Witherspoon was disgusted by a sex scene she did with Robert Pattinson. [Hollywood Gossip]

[rgray@villagevoice.com] [@_rosiegray]

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