Mark Cuban, who made his money talking Yahoo into buy Broadcast.com for $6 billion, just had charges filed against him for insider trading by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). The WSJ reports:

The SEC alleges in a civil action that Mr. Cuban sold his entire 6% ownership stake on June 28, 2004, after learning that Mamma.com was raising money through a private investment in a public entity, or PIPE. The next day, on June 29, the company announced the PIPE financing and shares of the company dropped by more than 10%. By selling his stake, the SEC alleges, Mr. Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses.

In a PIPE transaction new shares are issued at a discount to the current trading price. An announcement of a PIPE transaction is often followed by a drop in the stock price as shareholders anticipate their stake will be diluted.

Sounds exactly like Martha Stewart. Mark is known these days for spending time in strip bars, being the owner of the Dallas mavericks, owning Landmark Theaters, a large national chain dedicated to independent films, and the HDNet cable television channel. and appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Mark’s net worth was estimated at $2.3 billion as of March 2007. Cuban also runs a Web site called Sharesleuth.com, which bills itself as providing "independent Web-based reporting aimed at exposing securities fraud and corporate chicanery."

The SEC wants Mark to pay back the $750,000, plus pay a fine over $2 million.

Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard, made a video during a charity flag football game. In the video, shot at an Allen Iverson event, shows Howard, as the national anthem is being sung, saying:

"The Star-Spangled Banner is going on. I don’t celebrate this sh!t. I’m black."

Howard also makes a hard-to-hear reference about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and both Howard and his friends are heard using the word "nigger" too many times to count.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, according to The Dallas Morning News, that the team dealt with Howard at the time of the incident. He added that the team has a plan in place to address the issue at training camp. Cuban also added:

"That said, we will be going through some advanced communication skill sessions together this training camp. I have explained to him that cell phone cameras are not your friend, and that what you think you said on camera is never what people will hear when it shows up on YouTube or TV."

In July, Howard was arrested and charged with speeding (94 mph in a 55 mph zone), careless and reckless driving, and speed competition in North Carolina. He was released from jail on a written promise to appear in court September 23.

In that incident, police said an officer saw a black Lexus and a silver Volkswagen speeding along U.S. 421. The officer stopped the Lexus, and Howard was identified as the driver.

Howard was criticized last season for saying in a radio interview during a first-round playoff series against New Orleans that he occasionally smokes marijuana. Later that same series, he angered coach Avery Johnson by throwing himself a birthday bash after a Game 4 loss to the Hornets.

In 2006, Howard opted out of playing for the U.S. Olympic team program, reportedly because he said it conflicted with his summer training camps.

Howard has a lot of growing up to do, and he needs to learn a lot more about the America that has given him the opportunities he has. Howard needs to learn some R-E-S-P-E-C-T!