The Weekly Press Week of January 5, 2012 by Derek Payne

baton

THURSDAY, January 5, 2011

rouge,

louisiana

Vol. 36 • No. 33

a people’s publication

Obama Ends War In Iraq

Fire Marshal Calls 2011 Deadliest Christmas In Decades BATON ROUGE, - Investigators with the Office of the Louisiana State Fire Marshal reported nine people across the state have died in house fires in the month of December. State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said it has been one of the deadliest Christmas seasons he’s seen in decades. “People need to act now,” Browning said. “We are in a society today where when there is a fire, within a matter of seconds, precious lives are taken away and people’s property is lost.” A Covington man was killed after investigators said a space heater caused his home to catch fire. Browning said space heaters are the common bond between many of December’s deadly fires. Barry Mounce with the Baton Rouge Fire Department walked through an area home

President Barack Obama has welcomed home some of the last US troops from Iraq, marking a symbolic end to the nearly nine-year war that strained America’s armed forces and inflicted lasting damage to its standing worldwide.

“Our strong presence in the Middle East endures. And the United States will never waver in the defense of our allies, our partners and our interests,”

By Pat Hendricks Munson Corresponding Writer Special to the NNPA from the Los Angeles Sentinel “Please come home for Christmas. If not for Christmas by New Year’s night” - blues singer Charles Brown Family and friends who’ve sat around listening to and singing this Christmas classic are now breathing a sigh of relief as they welcome home that

special someone who served so gallantly on Iraq’s hot and dangerous battlefields. It took a long time coming but after nearly nine years of fighting, 4,400 American military deaths, 32,000 injured and billions of dollars spent one of the most expensive wars, dollar for dollar, in American history, President Barack Obama has fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war in Iraq. The war is over! The last

remaining troops rolled across the border out of Iraq and into the history books on Sunday, Dec. 18. “Our strong presence in the Middle East endures. And the United States will never waver in the defense of our allies, our partners and our interests,” the Associated Press quoted Obama as saying in announcing the war’s end. Obama also See war, on page 2

BP Oil Spill Payments to Resume After Fee Wrinkle

NEW ORLEANS - Payments to those damaged by BP’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico resumed Wednesday, a day after administrators of the $20 billion fund stopped the flow of money, saying they were unclear on how to assess a 6 U.S. District Judge percent fee for Carl Barbier lawyers handling claims. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said payments made after Dec. 30 would have to include a 6 percent fee for trial lawyers affiliated with a steering committee helping plaintiffs with oil spill litigation against BP PLC. The Gulf Coast Claims Facility said it froze payments on See payments, on page 2

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning

Tuesday to check on safety measures. He demonstrated how to properly work a space heater. “Always plug it directly into the wall,” Mounce said. “Make sure you keep everySee decades, on page 3

Dr. Brown Named Executive Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Research BATON ROUGE - Adell Brown, Jr., Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, SU Ag Center, has been named Executive Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Research at Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Dr. Adell Brown will replace Dr. Kirkland E. Mellad who retired from the position of Vice Chancellor for Research on December 31, 2011. Additionally, Chancellor Leodrey Williams formally appointed Brown to be the

Adell Brown, Jr.,

official designated person in charge in his absence.

Tulane Gets $5 Million for Disaster Training

Under an unprecedented agreement, BP has provided $1 billion toward restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the largest agreement of its kind ever reached. These projects has begun to address impacts to natural resources caused by the Deepwater BP oil spill.

Special Tribute

local & state news

Business NEWS

NEW ORLEANS — The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given Tulane University a $5 million grant to help universities in disaster-prone regions in Africa and Asia establish programs in disaster resilience and leadership. Ky Luu, executive director of Tulane’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, says the grant is designed to create leaders

Health news

with expertise in disaster planning, response and reduction. In addition to offering short courses and postgraduate courses, the project will create postgraduate degree programs to ensure a future supply of leaders. Luu says it will also set up a worldwide network in which community leaders and teachers can collaborate and share their experiences.

religion

The Promised Land Baptist Church hosted their Annual new toy and new clothing giveaway. Six Hundred and Ninety Seven (697) children were blessed by way of this event. ..See Page 6

INDEX

AKA Officers Installation Every year for the last nine years the Odell S. Williams Now And Then Museum of African-American History has celebrated their Annual Veterans Day Celebration...See Page 3

Gamma Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. inducted its officers. The induction ceremony was led by Past Chapter President, Doveal Essex....See Page 2

Schwann’s Closes Treatment as Prevention La Operations A longtime Baton Rouge business closed its doors Friday. Schwann’s will no longer operate its food delivery service in Louisiana. For more than 30 years, Schwann’s operated a homedelivery food service in Louisiana. That ended Friday...See Page 5

The finding that HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can actually prevent transmission of the virus from an infected person to his or her uninfected partner has been named “Breakthrough of the Year”....See Page 7

Local & State............................2 Commentary.............................4 Business....................................5 Religion....................................6 Health.......................................7 Sports.......................................8

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Weekly Press • Thursday, January 5, 2012

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Gamma Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc Officers Installation

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Gamma Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. inducted its officers on December 12, 2011. The induction ceremony was led by Past Chapter President, Doveal Essex. Officers include, (standing from L-R), Chaplain Janet St.Cyr Moore, Hostess Chairperson Cornelia Barnes Bros-

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sette, Graduate Advisor Linda West, Corresponding Secretary Manya Louis, Ivy Leaf Reporter Sancerie O’Rourke-Allen. Seated from L-R are Recording Secretary Mary Beals, Vice-President Deborah Paul, President Katina Semien, and Treasurer Jessica Guinn.

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aid members of the military sahould be proud of their service and sacrifice and can withdraw from Iraq “with honor and their heads held high.” Obama and his supporters can also stand a bit taller with pride knowing that the monumental task has been accomplished. When then-Senator Barack Obama made the promise to end the war, many thought it

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simply campaign rhetoric and par for the course of a good presidential candidate. At nearly five years into a war started by George W. Bush under what many considered controversial and misleading circumstances, Obama has his work cut out for him. Despite the circumstances and battles with political opponents in dealing with America’s pressing issues such as a failing economy, high unemployment, the housing crises and such, the war is now over. There is probably no better time to end a war than right at Christmas giving families hope for the coming year. Active military, veterans and civilians are singing Obama’s praises for ending this war. “The idea that (Obama) said he was going to bring them (the troops) home and he has…but, that he will not just abandon them. He has proposed tax credits to any employers who hire vets returning from Iraq and he has proposed monies as well if the employers hire disabled vet-

erans,” said Los Angeles resident and small business owner Wanda E. Green, a tax professional and astute political observer. Green thinks the fulfilling of a campaign promise speaks volumes about the President and his wife, who has worked tirelessly in support of military, veterans, their spouses and children. “It tells us that he and Mrs. Obama listened to the troops and their families. President Obama is a visionary and a problem solver… and that is exactly what a leader is,” said Green. Chief Warrant Officer Howard David Warren II, a network management technician, presently stationed with the Active Guard Reserve in West L.A. Warren, who served a tour of duty in Iraq from 2007-2008, trained Iraqi civilians in Ramada, west of Fallujah. Warren is happy the war is finally over and said just the promise of an end date was comforting to him back. “That helped me to relax just knowing there was a deadline and it forced the Iraqi civilians we were training to become more focused and serious about the training. “It also took a lot of pressure See War, on page 3

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HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2012 marge's

Chit Chat

May you find ability to make every happiness in every day special. direction your paths May you have take you e n ou g h ma t e r i a l May you never wealth to meet your lose your sense of needs, while never wonder, and may you forgetting the real hold on to the sense treasures of life are the of humor you use to loved ones and friends brighten the lives of who are invaluable to Marge everyone who knows the end. Lawrence you. May you search May you go befor serenity, and disyond the ordinary steps and dis- cover it was within you all cover extraordinary results. along. May you keep on trying to May you be strong enough reach for your stars. to keep your hopes and dreams May you never forget how alive. wonderful you are. May you always be gentle May you always be patient enough to understand. with the problems of life, and May you know that you now that any clouds will eventu- hold tomorrow within your ally give way to the sunlight of hands, and that the way there your most hoped-for days. will be shared with the makings May you be rewarded with of what will be your most wonfriendships that get better and derful memories. better, and with love that blesses And may you always reyour life forever. member, each step along the May you meet every chal- way… lenge you are faced with, recYou are loved more than ognize every golden opportu- words can ever begin to say. nity, and be blessed with the Love, knowledge that you have the Marge

Payments

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Tuesday in response to the Dec. 28 ruling that said disbursements made on and after Nov. 7, 2011, should include the fee. Barbier’s clarification on Wednesday spared the facility the prospect of asking 9,000 people compensated in November and December to pay for attorneys’ fees. About $260 million had been paid to claimants between Nov. 7 and the end of December, the facility said. Nov. 7 was the date when plaintiffs’ attorneys first asked the court to establish a fund to cover fees. The oil spill began after the April 20, 2010, explosion aboard the BP-leased drilling rig Deepwater Horizon off the southeastern Louisiana coast. The explosion and fire that burned for two days killed 11 workers aboard the rig that sank after two days. More than 200 million gallons of oil flowed from the well a mile below the Gulf surface before it was capped in July, soiling coastal habitat, fouling fishing grounds and causing a near-panic for Gulf Coast businesses reliant on tourism. BP set up the $20 billion fund to compensate victims. So far about $5.8 billion in damages has been paid. The issue of attorneys’ fees remains contentious. The Louisiana attorney general and lawyers not affiliated with the steering committee say they plan to appeal Barbier’s ruling. Under it, 4 percent of payments to Louisiana will have to be set aside to cover attorneys’ fees. The state opposes that. Mike Stag, a lawyer not

with the steering committee, questioned why his clients hundreds of whom are settling their claims outside of federal court - should have to pay into the attorneys’ fund. Stag said he represents about 1,000 people and businesses across the Gulf Coast. He said his law firm went to great lengths to prove his clients’ cases without any help from the steering committee. He said Barbier’s ruling left many questions open about how to pay fees. “We are concerned about fairness and about delay,” he said. “We don’t think it’s beneficial to the clients” Steve Herman, a lead attorney on the steering committee, said any move to overturn Barbier’s ruling was an “effort to refight an issue that has already been decided by the court.” The steering committee and its associates are made up of about 340 lawyers from 90 firms who are working on the sprawling legal case against BP on behalf of more than 120,000 claimants. In court filings, the lawyers say that they have spent 230,000 hours and $11.5 million on the case, and that an escrow account should be set up to pay them for their work. Lawyers not affiliated with the steering committee said Barbier’s order unfairly compensates those lawyers who are part of it. Louisiana lawyer Daniel Becnel questioned how much work the steering committee attorneys have actually done. He said much of the legal work against BP was accomplished See payments, on page 7

Thursday, January 5, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 3

A Special Tribute to Men and Women, Their Families Who are Serving in the Armed Force

Sgt. Major William Jones (Retired) at the podium during the VA Memorial celebration at the Odell S. Williams Now And Then Museum of African-American History.

Every year for the last nine years the Odell S. Williams Now And Then Museum of AfricanAmerican History has celebrated their Annual Veterans Day Celebration. As always, they celebrated their Veterans celebration and this year the guest speaker was Lt. Colonel James L. Clark. Curator Sadie Roberts-Joseph of the Odell S. Williams Now And Then Museum of AfricanAmerican History was instrumental in bringing this celebration together. Others in attendance were the EBR Police, SUBR Cadets, Minister J ohn Mosely, Sr., Judge Lisa Woodruff White, the McKinley Magnet High School Band, and Latoy Traveler just to name Speaker Lt. Colonel James L. Clark.

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everything but, bringing an end to the war in Iraq is a major accomplishment that should be celebrated.” Aaron Giles, a Marine Corps veteran and Los Angeles resident can also appreciate the end of war. “I feel like he brought the military home in a timely manner. They’ve accomplished their mission and now it’s time to come hone. I remember when President Obama made that promise during his campaign and I knew

he would do it. I didn’t know it would take this long. I thought it would come sooner but it came when it came and I’m very happy about that,” Giles said. Many are happy and can celebrate this holiday season knowing that a very important promise has been fulfilled. Republican or Democrat, Black or white, it’s hard to argue with the facts. The proof is in the pudding. Senator Obama said he would. President Obama did it. The war in Iraq ended just before Christmas giving so many military as well as civilians an unforgettable gift to carry into the New Year.

Harris, 65, died while trying to escape. “If you try to hook up an extension cord to them, they can overheat, especially if you try to cover that extension cord with a rug,” Mounce added. The home in Ponchatoula did not have any working smoke detectors. Experts recommend testing your detector once a month and changing its batter-

ies twice a year, even if they are working. “Having a working smoke detector will more than double your chances of surviving a fire,” Mounce explained. Some other tips from Mounce: • Have an escape plan • Establish a meeting place for members of the family • Call 911 outside of the home • Change smoke detector batteries twice a year

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off the home front because families had some assurance that the ward would end,” said Warren who has 20 plus years of service under his belt. Rev. Maurice L. Street, a Korean War veteran is overjoyed that this war has come to an end. “Being a vet I think Obama is doing a great job as President and fulfilling this promise is a major victory especially with so much bias and prejudice against him,” Street said. “In four years you can’t expect the man to do

Decades

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thing at least three feet away from it and never leave it unattended, especially near children or pets.” Mounce said though they may look small, space heaters pack a big punch and could kill you. A space heater was also to blame for a fire that ripped through a home in Ponchatoula early Monday morning. Herbert

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The Southern University Baton Rouge Cadets.

a few who were in attendance. One local community leader was in attendance this time, Sgt. Major William Jones. Sgt. Major Jones is a local columnist for The Baton Rouge Weekly Press newspaper. In addition, local song legend Mr. Earl T. Taylor singed the National Anthem. At the same time this was going on the Families of people who serves in the military are going through things and they are in need of help themselves. The Baton Rouge Weekly Press newspaper and society as a whole are thankful to the people in the Armed Force and their families for the sacrifice they make each and everyday.

Ms. Sadie Roberts-Joseph the curator of the Odell S. Williams Now And Then Museum of African-American History speaking at the VA Memorial celebration.

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Commentary Thursday, January 5, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 4

Economic Inequality An Issue For 2012 Campaign

Fighting to win over unhappy American voters, President Barack Obama and his Republican challengers are seizing on one of the most potent issues this election season: the struggling middle class and the widening gap between rich and poor. Highlighted by the Occupy movement and fanned by record profits on Wall Street at a time of stubborn unemployment, economic inequality is now taking center stage in the 2012 presidential campaign, emphasized by Obama and offering opportunities and risks for him and his GOP opponents as both sides battle for the allegiance of the angst-ridden electorate. For Obama, who calls boosting middle-class opportunity “the defining issue of our time,” the question is whether he can bring voters along — while parrying GOP accusations of class warfare — even though he’s failed to solve the country’s economic woes during his first term in office. For Republicans, Obama’s potential vulnerability gives them an opening, but they also must battle perceptions that their policies favor the wealthy at a time when voters support Obama’s call to raise taxes on the very rich. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt

Romney has already made clear he’ll resist Obama’s attempts to capitalize on the issue, adopting the language of Occupy Wall Street in an interview with the Washington Post this month where he called the president “a member of the 1 percent.” For both sides, the question is how to find political advantage in light of a weak economy with unemployment above 8 percent. Since Obama is expected to run for re-election with higher unemployment than any recent president even if the economy continues to show signs of improvement, he must aim to set the terms of the debate in a way that helps him and hurts the GOP — while Republicans will be working just as hard to deny him any advantage. The president won a yearend victory Friday with the passage of a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut that had bipartisan support in the Senate. The measure will keep in place a 2 percentage point cut in the Social Security payroll tax — worth about $20 a week for a typical worker making $50,000 a year — and prevent almost 2 million unemployed people from losing jobless benefits averaging $300 a week.

Education or Indoctrination The schools and calendars in America still teach that Columbus discovered this land where people of color already lived. This reveals today’s schools are still teaching that nothing officially matters until white people define and/or control the matter. I once heard Minister Louis Farrakhan say, “If your slave master is your teacher, no wonder you act like a slave.” Although I do not agree with Mr. Farrakhan’s religion, I can agree that since schools became integrated, those like Professor Willie Lynch have taught black on black hatred to the point that black families have been reduced to mostly single mothers complaining that their baby daddy’s ain’t s..t. Ironically, if you ever listen to Minister Farrakhan preach, you’ll probably hear him quote the King James Bible far more often than the Quran. Why? Because the Quran does not contain prophecies like Amos 3:15, which says the Lord will put an end to

the ivory/white houses. Nor does the Arab’s Quran admit that the people of God are as children of the Ethiopians (Amos 9:7). So why is Mr. Farrakhan a Muslim? These revelations prove that students who seek the truth on any subject must learn to stop embracing doctrines just because their teacher is/was famous or has a degree certifying that he was indoctrinated by ‘different’ slave masters. But learn to confirm what teachers or preachers say (1st Timothy 1:7). The truth is the difference between education and indoctrination. But be aware that just because you do not believe I have not proved my case against devilish teachers do not mean they are not guilty. After all, if the world did not enjoy being deceived- magicians would be out of business! Vince Carthane, author of Aimed At America See Vince Carthane on YouTube

To Be Equal

Broadband Access for All: Connect Today, Change Your Tomorrow By Marc Morial NNPA Columnist “Whether we’re talking about jobs, education, or health care…Broadband is now a basic requirement to participate in the 21st century economy.” Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Somewhere in the United States today, a student is unable to finish his homework, a father will not be able to find a job and a mother will not be able to seek proper medical treatment. Today, broadband is a basic need and provides information that is vital to the quality of life and economic stability. Unfortunately one third of Americans remain unconnected and they are overwhelmingly people of color. The paradox of the Digital Age is that while technology has the capacity to bring people together and connect people to information, it simultaneously presents the threat of deepening the divide between society’s information “haves” and “have nots”, often referred to as the digital divide. This dilemma was highlighted in a recent Commerce Department report which found that “Broadband adoption rates

varied substantially between different racial and ethnic groups, with 81% of Asian and 72% of White households having broadband Internet access, compared to only 55% and 57% of Black and Hispanic households.” Major reasons for these disparities include lack of knowledge, the high cost of getting online, and the lack of an adequate computer. With so much of modern life tied to Internet access, these are barriers that must be overcome. As FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski recently put it, “Closing the digital divide is about achieving the basic American promise of opportunity for all.” The National Urban League has stepped up to meet this challenge in a big way. In 2010, we joined forces with the One Economy Corporation as part of a Broadband Opportunity Coalition (BBOC) focused on breaking down the barriers to people getting online and getting the information they need to improve their lives. The BBOC is comprised of other leading civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, National Council of La Raza, Asian American Justice Center, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Joint See TOMORROW, on page 5

Surge in Polls Helps Obama’s Re-election Prospects By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist After winning the showdown with House Republicans shortly before Christmas over extending unemployment insurance and receiving an uptick in his job-approval ratings, President Obama is now in a better position to win re-election, despite a sluggish economy. With the Iowa caucus over and New Hampshire as the next GOP battleground, Obama is expecting to face former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the general election next November. Former Speaker of House Newt Gingrich, like other candidates before him, briefly assumed the front-runner mantle before his poor performance in Iowa. The good news for Obama is that his populist themes and his willingness to call out Republicans are winning over voters.A story in the Washington Post observed: “A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that Americans are still broadly disapproving of Obama’s handling of the economy and jobs, the top issues, but that views of his overall performance have recovered among key groups, including independents, young adults and seniors.” It noted, “Obama’s job-approval rating is now its highest since March, excluding a temporary bump after the killing of Osama bin Laden: Forty-nine

percent approve and 47 percent disapprove.” The poll, taken Dec. 15-18, found Republican Congressional support has fallen to 20 percent. Both parties have actively courted middle-class voters. And Obama seems to be winning that matchup as well, according to the Washington Post-ABC News poll. When asked about protecting the middle class, 50 percent of respondents said they trusted Obama over Republicans, who were favored by only 35 percent. This does not mean that Obama is guaranteed re-election. While Democrats enjoyed watching Republican candidates form a circular firing squad in Iowa, aided by unprecedented spending by outside groups called super PACs, they realize that once the GOP selects a nominee, all that negative campaigning will be aimed at Obama. A large segment of the GOP hates Mitt Romney, but they hate Obama more. This will be the first presidential election since a pair of 2010 Supreme Court decision cleared the way for unlimited corporate and individual donations to support independent political organizations. It is estimated that such contributions to candidates seeking federal office could reach $6 billion to $7 billion this year.

On another front, the Washington Post reported Sunday that Republican officials have created a video catalogue of every word Obama has uttered since launching his 2008 presidential campaign. The story said, “The GOP playbook is designed to take one of Obama’s greatest assets – the power of his oratory – and turn it into a liability.” One attack on Obama will feature a 2009 clip from the “Today” show in which he said that if he could not fix the economy in three years, “then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.” Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told the Post, “That’s a clip the American people will hear and see over and over and over again…The nice thing about Barack Obama is that he’s given us plenty of material. The one thing he loves to do is give speeches.” Obama plans to use even more speeches to argue that he is a stronger advocate for the middle-class and unemployed workers than Republicans. He hopes to depict the GOP as concerned only about the plight of superrich and keeping tax loopholes for large corporations. Like Harry Truman, who campaigned against a do-nothing Congress, Obama is drawing a sharp contrast between his administration and Republicans.

However, Obama can’t totally disassociate himself from Congress if he wants any additional legislative victories. One of his first tests in 2012 will be to obtain a one-year extension of unemployment benefits, which is set to expire in less than two months. Obama’s team also must do a better job communicating his message if he is to win a second term. Many polls show that although Obama’s personal approval ratings are low, many of the policies he has proposed – including using a combination of higher taxes on the wealthy and spending cuts to lower the deficit – resonate with most voters, including many Republicans. Both Democrats and Republicans are disappointed that the economy remains sluggish. When asked on the CBS program “60 Minutes” why he should be re-elected, Obama replied, “Not only saving this country from a Great Depression. Not only saving the auto industry. But putting in place a system in which we’re going to start lowering health care costs and you’re never going to go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick. Making sure that we have reformed the financial system, so we never again have taxpayerfunded bailouts and the system is more stable and secure. See PROSPECTS, on page 7

Black American Income Inequality By Dr. Benjamin Chavis NNPA Columnist As we begin 2012, the issue of “income inequality” is a matter of high importance for millions of Black Americans and others who struggle to improve their overall quality of life. The fact is that the contradiction of economic injustice for decades has had a devastating impact on Black people across America. Inequality and systematic racial discrimination in education, economics, and the environment have been so pervasive and institutionalized that too many of us have come to falsely believe that this situation is permanent without recourse to challenge and change it. This is again why the growing Occupy Wall Street movement should be of particular interests to African Americans and Latino Americans who are the two groups that are most affected quantitatively by income inequality in America. Black church leaders, in particular, are now moving to the forefront once again to raise the level of consciousness and social action of millions of

Black people around this issue through the rise of Occupy the Dream that is revitalizing and reapplying the therapeutic and uplifting dream and legacy of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our situation can and will change to the extent to which we organize and mobilize around our defined economic and political interests. More than ever before, Black Americans will have a larger role in shaping the future of America. But we must be focused on what the priority issues are while standing tall and bold in support of an inclusive movement for social change. What is income inequality? It is the measurement of the distribution of income that highlights the gap between individuals or households making the most of the income in a given country and those making the least for a period of time. In the United States, overall income inequality has steadily increased during last 30 years between the super wealthy and the super poor. When you add race as a distinguishing characteristic, the widening gap of income inequality between

Blacks and Whites in the U.S. exposes the lingering impact of years of targeted discrimination and economic injustice imposed on vast majority of Black Americans. Income inequality is the extent of disparity between high income and low income households. The “Gini coefficient” measures income inequality by calculating the extent to which the distribution of income among individuals within a country deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. During the last ten years the United States had the highest Gini ranking of income inequality at coefficient number of “46” of all leading industrialized nations in the world. The Gini coefficient (named after an Italian statistician named Corrado Gini) is the most commonly used measure of income inequality. A Gini coefficient of 0 represents perfect equality (that is, every person in the society has the same amount of income); a Gini coefficient of 100 represents perfect inequality (that is, one person has all the income and the rest of the society has none). In the U.S., 1% of the people overwhelm-

ingly and increasingly control the wealth of the nation at the economic hardship of 99% of the people. To put this inequality into a global context, the Credit Suisse Research Institute just released a report that documents that the richest .5% of global adults hold well over a third of the entire wealth of the world. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau, in 20102011, the poverty rate in the U.S. reached its highest level since 1933 while the Forbes 400, an annual listing of America’s richest individuals inflation-adjusted net worth, cited that the wealth of the Forbes 400 rose from $507 billion in 1995 to over $2 trillion in 2011. Black Americans of all groups listed in national annual poverty analysis have the highest and increasing annual poverty rates in America going into 2012. I do not have to list the litany of all the problems that we face from double unemployment, foreclosures, loss of health care, incarceration, school drop outs, and other real See INEQUALITY on page 7

The views expressed in the editiorial columns are not necessarily the veiws of The Weekly Press or its staff. Address all opinions and comments to: Letters to the Editior, P.O. Box 74485 Baton Rouge, La. 70874 or E-mail them to: theweeklypress@yahoo.com

Thursday, January 5, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 5

business

Unemployment Insurance Claims Report Shows a Decline the Last Week of the Year Schwann’s Closes Down Louisiana Operations BATON ROUGE - Initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ending Dec. 24, 2011, decreased to 3,270 from the previous week’s total of 3,966. Initial claims were below the comparable week ending Dec. 25, 2010, figure of 3,411. The four-week moving average of initial claims increased to 4,032 from the previous week’s average of 3,968. Continued unemployment insurance weeks claimed for the week ending Dec. 24, 2011, increased to 43,080 from the previous week’s total of 42,443. Continued weeks claimed were below the comparable

week ending Dec. 25, 2010, figure of 50,373. The four-week moving average of continued weeks claimed increased to 42,851 from the previous week’s average of 42,088. For more detailed information on occupational groups of unemployment insurance claimants, visit the Louisiana Workforce Commission’s website at www.laworks.net and select Labor Market Information. Then select LOIS and use the menu under Historic Data Analysis. Scroll over Employment and Wage Data, Labor Force Data, and select Unemployment Insurance Claimants.

IRS Extends Filing Deadline for Over 900 Louisiana Non-Profits NEW ORLEANS, LA — Tax-exempt organizations with January and February filing due dates will have until March 30, 2012 to file their annual returns, the Internal Revenue Service announced last week. In Louisiana, over 900 organizations can take advantage of the extended filing deadline. The IRS is granting this extension of time to file because the part of the e-file system that processes electronically filed returns of tax-exempt organizations will be off-line during January and February. The agency stressed that the rest of the e-file system will continue to operate normally and urged all individuals and businesses to choose the accuracy, speed and convenience of electronic filing. In general, the extension applies to tax-exempt organizations whose normal filing deadline is either Jan. 17 or Feb. 15, 2012. Ordinarily, these deadlines would apply to organizations with a fiscal year that ended on Aug. 31 or Sept. 30, 2011, respectively. The extension also applies to organizations that already obtained an initial three-month filing extension

Tomorrow

and now have an extended filing deadline that falls on Jan. 17 or Feb. 15, 2012. The majority of tax-exempt organizations will be unaffected by this extension because they operate on a calendar-year basis and have a May 15 filing deadline. The extension applies to affected organizations filing Forms 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, or 1120-POL. Form 990-N filers will not be affected. No form needs to be filed to get the March 30 extension. In order to avoid receiving a late filing penalty notice, a reasonable cause statement should be attached to the tax return. If organizations receive late-filing penalty notices, they should contact the IRS so that these penalties can be abated. The IRS encouraged these organizations to consider either e-filing early—before the end of December—or waiting until March to file electronically. Further details are in Notice 2012-4, posted on IRS. gov. Contact Dee H. Stepter at 504-558-3081, by e-mail at deirdre.h.stepter@irs.gov. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/ DeeHS_IRS and facebook.com/ dee.h.stepter.

For more than 30 years, Schwann’s operated a homedelivery food service in Louisiana. That ended Friday.

B ATO N R O U G E - A longtime Baton Rouge business closed its doors Friday. Schwann’s will no longer operate its food delivery service in Louisiana. For more than 30 years, Schwann’s operated a homedelivery food service in Louisiana. That ended Friday. “The Louisiana project is pretty much being shut down at Schwann’s at this point,” said General Manager Randy Oliveri. “There won’t be any depots open after today.” Employees on their last day

did inventory on the foods left over. Offices all over the state are shutting down. “Been out of a work before, took me nine months to find a job the last time,” said Jimmy Thurston. “Hopefully it won’t take me that long this time.” Richard Whiteoak has been on the delivery route for the past nine years. He says his customers were more than just an address. “I’m a little sad to go,” said Whiteoak. “When I started my route nine years ago, like other route managers, customers got

to be like friends and family, so instead of a customer you get to go see a friend.” The company itself has been around for 55 years. It’s based in Minnesota - a long way from Louisiana - which appears to be a big part of the closure. “I think the economy versus shipping the product this far down, being the corporate office is in Marshall, Minnesota,” said Oliveri. The yellow trucks of Schwann’s won’t be rolling on Louisiana roads any more.

Forbes Ranks LSU Football 4th Most Valuable in Nation

income housing developments, promote digital literacy to 20 million people and offer digital mentoring for more than 235,000 at-risk youth. The National Urban League has also made the expansion of minority participation in the Information and Communications Technology Industry one of the pillars of our 12-point Jobs Rebuild America plan. In his 2011 State of the Union Address, President Obama set the goal of enabling businesses to provide high-speed wireless services to at least 98 percent of all Americans within five years. We support that goal. Broadband access for all is essential to expanding opportunity, creating jobs, reducing our deficit and winning the future. Marc H. Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League

BATON ROUGE — Two stories this week on Forbes Magazine’s online site have rated LSU among the nation’s best in rankings of the business of college football. LSU is the only school in the country ranked on both Forbes’ lists of “most valuable teams” and “best teams for the money.” In a story titled “College Football’s Most Valuable Teams,” LSU is ranked atop the Southeastern Conference and No. 4 in the country in a study that evaluates the financial impact of football programs in four distinct areas. The survey puts primary emphasis on a team’s academic value — the revenue

directed toward university programs and spending (including football scholarships) — and its athletic value — football revenue used to support other athletic programs. Also considered are the distribution of bowl game revenue among conference teams and the economic impact of visiting fans for each teams’ home games. NBA Hornets: The Hornets signed forward Gustavo Ayon on Friday, beefing up the team’s interior three days before the regular season begins. Coach Monty Williams, however, isn’t sure exactly what the 6-foot-10, 245-pound

BATON ROUGE—East Baton Rouge Parish has more than $1 million to allocate to residents who need help paying their utility bills. The Advocate reports the city-parish received the money from a federal grant through the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency. Officials say the parish will allocate $108,126 for people who already have had utilities disconnected or have received disconnect notices. The rest will help residents who are late paying or expect to be unable to pay because of a job loss. Eligible households could receive up to $400 based on the bill amount, income and the number of people in the household. People 60 and older, disabled or with children 5 years or younger can get an extra $100 benefit. Applicants must apply through the city-parish’s Office of Social Services.

Oil Price Stays Around $103 Per Barrel

player from Mexico will bring from his time playing in Spain’s top division. Ayon, 26, will become only the third Mexican-born player in NBA history, but because he speaks very little English, Williams said it might take awhile to acclimate to league’s language. Nets: With the prospect of a trade for Dwight Howard fading and the season opener less than a week away, New Jersey Nets coach Avery Johnson was getting a feel for his team. That all changed Thursday when center Brook Lopez broke his right foot, an injury that left Johnson shaking his head and

NEW YORK — Oil prices were little changed Wednesday as traders booked profits after a 4 percent surge at the start of the year. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 26 cents to finish at $103.22 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price foreign oil that’s imported by U.S. refineries, rose $1.57 to end the day at $113.70 per barrel in London. Prices jumped Tuesday on concerns that Iran might try to close off the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, if the U.S. and other nations impose further economic sanctions because of Iran’s nuclear program. One-sixth of the world’s oil exports move through the strait. Rumors that the European Union has agreed to embargo Iranian oil sent prices higher at midday on Wednesday, but they retreated in the afternoon. Independent trader and analyst Jim Ritterbusch said the rumors were unconfirmed and contained only vague details about when an embargo would begin. “We still feel that a definitive indication will await a planned meeting by EU foreign ministers at the end of this month,” Ritterbusch said. Even then, Ritterbusch said, an embargo could take months to have an effect. Traders say they’re waiting to see if the situation heats up following Iran’s military exercises over the weekend. “It’ll take something big” in Iran to drive prices much higher, analyst and trader Stephen Schork said. “You’re going to need to see mines being laid or bullets flying or something.” Military and economic experts say it’s unlikely that Iran

See lsu, on page 7

See oil price, on page 7

from page 4

Center for Political and Economic Studies, and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council. This effort is the outgrowth of efforts already underway by the non-profit One Economy Corporation. Since 2000, One Economy, under the leadership of Chairman Rey Ramsey, has been committed to ensuring that every person, regardless of income and location, can maximize the power of technology to improve the quality of his or her life and enter the economic mainstream. In April of last year, One Economy and the BBOC were awarded $28.5 million in federal stimulus funds to support that goal. We are supplementing the stimulus award with private sector matching support valued at $23 million for a total of $51.5 million. This effort will bring broadband connections to 27,000 low

East Baton Rouge Gets $1M for Energy Bills

Classified YRC is hiring Combination Driver/ Dock workers! Excellent Wages, Benefits, Pension! Full time! Home nightly! Baton Rouge location. CDL-A w/Combo and Hazmat, 1yr T/T exp, 21yoa req. EOEM/F/D/V APPLY at: www.yrcw.com/careers

Drivers: Good Pay, Benefits incl.. Free Health Ins & BonusesRegional Work! CDL-A with X-End, 1yr T/T Exp. Req. 1-888-567-4973 Shop Supervisor: Able to Supervise, Organize and Motivate,Exp. w/Mack Trucks and Tankers preferred.Good Pay w/ Benefits. 1-888-567-4973

Help Wanted/Drivers Drivers: Regional. Home Every Weekend 38-44 CPM. $2K Sign-On Bonus. 24yoa w/CDL-A. Load Securement training available. 1-800-992-7863 x185

Computer Programmer Program and maintain database apps & comp vision algorithms, do app dev, workflow charts & diagrams, programming, client tech support. Masters Degree req’d. Mail resume: Providence Engineering and Environment Group LLC, 1201 Main Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

Environmental Health Scientist Coordinator: Will coordinate environmental health science projects/ studies such as: inspections, investigations, quality assurance, quality control, & environmental health risk assessment by collecting, analyzing & interpreting chemical, physical, biological, demographic, & other data about toxic environmental contamination, hazardous substance emergency events or environmental regulatory standards; responsible for determining eligibility of reported hazardous substance emergency events in LA to include in Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance/ National Toxic Substances Incidents Program (HSEES/NTSIP) online system based on criteria set forth by CDC/ ATSDR; verifying & validating data entry & developing & maintaining national database. MS in Environmental Science, Public Health or closely related field; knowledge of GIS, ALOHA, SPSS, SAS, working knowledge of MS Office Suite. Job location: Baton Rouge, LA. Send resume to Clay Trachtman, LA Department of Health & Hospitals, 628 N. 4th St., P.O. Box 4489,Bin 10, Box 18, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4489. Must refer to Job #11208.

Help Wanted (Booth Rental) Licensed Cosmetologist and Barbers If Interested Contact Gera Dixon Bradford at (225) 803-9812

Page 6 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, January 5, 2012

Promised Land Baptist Church Annual Toys and Clothing Giveaway

Included in the picture from left to right are Ryan Gorman, Carolyn Gee and Camilo Godoy.

BATON ROUGE, LA - The Promised Land Baptist Church hosted their Annual new toy and new clothing giveaway on December 17, 2011. Six Hundred and Ninety Seven (697) children were blessed by way of this event. On hand helping out were two Southern University Freshman Baseball Players Mr. Ryan Gorman and Mr. Camilo Godoy.

Some people have been known to give the shirt of their back, but these two players gave the hats of their heads to a young boy in attendance that adored their hat. Many thanks to everyone who came out and made these events successful. If additional information is needed, please feel free to call Carolyn Gee at 225-229-0762.

We are just a click away! Visit Us Online @

www.theweeklypress.com

Religion

Love Vs. Lust: Part I In A Series  On Marriage And Relationships By Donald Lee

With national statistics showing that roughly 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, it is my prayer that this series — with today’s message being the first installment — serves as a tool through which God brings restoration into marriages that are on the brink of separation or divorce. Also, I pray that this serves to be further confirmation to married couples who are already working the Word and enjoying the fruits of their labor, living a life of bliss together, a result of making Jesus Christ the foundation on which their marriage was built. Moreover, I pray that this serves as a blessing to those who are single (or divorced) but need guidance on how to discern when they’re in a God-ordained relationship or one that the Lord has absolutely nothing to do with. And to those persons who have no intentions on getting married or remarried, the principles shared in this series — if adhered to — should help enhance your ability to communicate in other relationships, such as those with your family members, colleagues, neighbors and anyone else you come in contact with. Now, ladies and gentlemen, a Word from God: In a message he preached on Dec. 13, 2009, “The Sleeping Giant Awakes,” Bishop T.D. Jakes, senior pastor at The Potter’s House in Dallas, said something so profound that it begs for the attention of every married individual as well as singles who aspire to be married (or married again). “Love seeks not its own, it’s not puffed up, it’s not about you, it’s not about what you need, it’s not about how you’re being

The Baton Rouge Weekly Press Church Directory is a great place to let the community know about your church!

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neglected, it’s not about the attention you’re not getting,” Bishop Jakes said. “Love seeks to serve somebody else, (it says) ‘How can I make things better for you?’ ‘How can I do things for you?’ ‘How can I use what I have to make your life better?’” Bishop Jakes said. “Love is not about you,” he said. “Lust is about you. Love is about somebody else. Lust is about ‘What can you give me? Give it to me now.’ Love is about ‘What can I give you? How can I serve you?’ “And when somebody loves you, it’s a ministry,” Bishop

Jakes said. “They don’t even have to say anything … if you get in the presence of somebody who loves you, it is a ministry. Love is a ministry. “It’s not the chicken soup that made you well,” Bishop Jakes said. “It was the loving hands that prepared it.” Pastor Bre Eaton, my 4 a.m. prayer partner who also is an associate pastor at God’s Guiding Light Christian Center in southeast Houston, said Bishop Jakes’ comments are on point, adding that if people are going to be in meaningful, loving marriages or relationships, there needs to be a clear understanding of the dif-

ference between love and lust — selflessness and selfishness. “A lot of times, when we look at love we only see the surface, like characteristics and traits, instead of actually loving the person,” Pastor Bre said. “For example, you can have a person who is a take-charge type of person. And you could look at that (characteristic or trait) and be attracted to that, but the inside (that person’s inner spirit), upon getting to know them better, could actually reveal self-centeredness, selfishness, that person’s true character. “Love goes deep. If you look at it, it actually goes from dethroning yourself and it actually elevates the person that you say you love,” Pastor Bre said. “You’re putting yourself to the side and your attention is focused on the needs of that other person. For example, it says, ‘How can I put myself in position to be a blessing to you?’ Also, too, when you think of love, it’s the largest investment you’ll ever make in your life next to stocks and bonds on Wall Street. “When you compare it to 1st Corinthians 13, the biggest investment God ever made in us was love, according to 1st Corinthians 13 and John 3:16,” Pastor Bre said, referring to scriptures dealing with the depths of God’s love. “God not only invested His time, but He invested His Spirit, a part of Him. When you think about that, He poured everything into us through love. God’s trusted love is the only thing that’s fully reliable and dependable. In other words, we have the guarantee that His love never fails.” Don’t be deceived, people. Any marriage in which one person is making far more (emotional or love) withdrawals than deposits See relationships, on page 7

burdens to him.

ChildRen from page 4 Iering nequality from page 4 all children. the citizens of the nation must

the CDF Action Council, build- demand that our leaders free our painful problems as a result of overcame great in the ing on the best practices in states children from the hurdles false ideological the inequities and past, let us pray, work, struggle, andeconomic lessons learned about children and political tugs of war among injustices that Black Americans organize, mobilize, unifyahead and falling through the bureaucratic those who put excess profits face. The of build a futurelives. for our children cracks of systemic Medicaidproblem and SChiP, of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income is a serious communities. stronglyinequality urged Congress to enact andhow well did Congress protect issue that we must address Joininthe movement. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the All healthy Children Act, children 2007? Not well enough: forthrightly. we should not stand up to income inequalS. 1564/h.r.But 1688, introduced 276 Members of Congress had become cynical or hopeless. To ity. 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Donald Lee, a or callimusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Xulondecline Press publishing Neither nor ingraham from and fall? of pastor and free-lanceby journaltoll-free 909-2665. has been reprimanded their re- atcourse not,(866) because it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take spective employers even though imus too terribly long to get a the Fox News personality did offer new gig. a half-hearted apology. our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media outlets from page 5 At least ingraham didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drop should not provide a platform for the l-word but her suggestion that racialhostility and hateful speech halting thekind salesof considering options. Sharpton, a his former presidential future now orgames, in the future. What process while he consider an Lopez, the Netsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; leading candidate and respected member of messageare we sending to our chilappeal by Fox Sports. Judge scorer, had surgery Friday for the African-American community dren, our nation and our world? 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LSU

strengthen their cognitive health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for your heart is good for your brain,â&#x20AC;? says Jennifer Manly, Ph.D., Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association spokesperson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;every healthy heartbeat pumps about one-fifth of your blood to your brain to carry on the daily processes of thinking, problem solving and remembering.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;By the year 2030, the number of African Americans age 65 or older is expected to more than double to 6.9 million,â&#x20AC;? said emil Matarese, M.D., American heart Association spokesperson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is not part of normal aging, age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. So it is important that African Americans take steps now to decrease their risk of heart disease, which research has shown could also decrease the risk of cognitive decline.â&#x20AC;?

the risk for Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Manage Your Risks

â&#x20AC;˘ Watch numbers. remember Thursday, January 5, 2012 â&#x20AC;˘ Thethe Weekly Press â&#x20AC;˘ Page 7

that desirable blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmhg. Keep your body weight in the recommended range and make sure that the total cholesterol is less than 200mg/dL. â&#x20AC;˘ healthy lifestyle choices include staying mentally and physically active, staying socially involved, reducing your intake of fat and cholesterol and not smoking. Visit www.alz.org/heartbrain or call the American Stroke Association, a division of the American heart Association, at (888) 478-7653 or the Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association at (800) 272-3900 and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll receive a broResearch shows a link between heart and brain health, which means impaired chure with heart and brain health information and a free pedometer, heart function could lead to impaired brain function. while supplies last. made imaginations race about the what-ifs like never before, spotlighting the scientifically probable rather than the possible.â&#x20AC;? Since their release, the ness of diabetes, particularly when increased physical activity can help able in english Spanish callstudy resultsand have beenby reverit is left undiagnosed and untreated. delay or prevent the onset of type 2 ing the ADA at 1-800-DiABeteS berating throughout the policy the day is held on the fourth tuesday diabetes. (1-800-342-2383) or online at www. community. U.S. and internaof every March. Among the primary risk factors diabetes.org/alert. tional organizations such as the on that day, people are encour- for type 2 diabetes are being over- World though the Alert is a one-day Health Organization, the aged to take the Diabetes risk test, weight, sedentary, over the age of call to action, Emergency awareness about Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Plantype for either with paper and pencil or online. 45 and having a family history of 2AIDS diabetes is important of the Relief, and theanytime Joint United the risk test requires users to answer diabetes. African Americans, Latinos, year, so freeProgramme Diabetes riskon tests are Nations HIV/ seven simple questions about online and by calling the flagship publication of age, the Native study.Americans, Asians and Pacific available AIDS, have incorporated orADA soon weight, lifestyle and family are atand an increased risk, as all year long. American Academy for history-the Ad- islanders Cohen his research will incorporate â&#x20AC;&#x153;treatment as all potential risk factors for diabetes. are women who have babies weighing A free Diabetes risk test isproved availvancement of Science, said in team thought it was time to try preventionâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201C;the strategy Peopleannouncement scoring 10 points orthat moreâ&#x20AC;&#x153;In are more than 9 it. pounds at birth. nearly able all year long to determine the risk their and prove Eventually by HPTN 052â&#x20AC;&#x201C;into their policy at a high risk forwith type 2other diabetes and 2000 thecouples Diabetesatrisk test isinavaildeveloping 2 diabetes. combination prom13 sites nine for guidelines fortype battling the AIDS are encouraged to talk with health countries joined HPTN 052. ising clinical trials, the aresults epidemic. care professional. have galvanized efforts to end In May of this year, four â&#x20AC;&#x153;While I am obviously estimated 54 million AmeritheAn worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AIDS epidemic in a years before the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sched- thrilled to have this research cans have pre-diabetes. those with uled completion, an outside recognized as the Science breakway that would been inconceivpre-diabetes have blood glucose lev- monitoring board requested through of the year,â&#x20AC;? Dr. Cohen able even a year ago. els higher than normal but not high The HPTN 052 study is that the results be released im- said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;witnessing the translation enoughofto abeconcept diagnosed withthan type mediately, because they were so of this scientific discovery on proof more 2 diabetes. 20 years in the making. overwhelmingly positive. a global scale truly is the best early intervention viathe lifestyle â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the time first â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prevention of HIV-1 Infec- reward.â&#x20AC;? changesdrugs such as weight loss and tion with Early Antiretroviral AIDS were developed The HPTN 052 study was in the mid-1990s, researchers Therapyâ&#x20AC;? was published in Au- funded by the U.S. National appointment requiredInstitutes for mostof screenings. have been working on the idea gust ofNo 2011 in the New England Health. The comthat antiretrovirals might make Journal of Medicine. plete list of top 10 scientific IfJon you do not havefor a doctor and have notofbeen people less contagious,â&#x20AC;? said Cohen, a writer Sci- breakthroughs the year are the about last 12 these cancer Dr. Myron Cohen, who led the ence,screened said in an in article themonths, published online at news.scibreakthrough, 052 has toencemag.org screeningsâ&#x20AC;&#x153;HPTN are available you for free.

health HIV â&#x20AC;&#x153;Treatment as Preventionâ&#x20AC;? Study Science Breakthrough of the Year

The finding that HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can actually prevent transmission of the virus from an infected person to his or her uninfected partner has been (NAPSi)-hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an alertofworth named â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakthrough the payingfor attention to: According to Yearâ&#x20AC;? 2011 by the journal the American Diabetes Association Science. (ADA), your risk for type Thelearning eye-opening HIV clini-2 diabetes could save your life. cal study, known as HPTN 052, Diabetes is a serious disease that demonstrated that early initiastrikes 21 million tion of nearly ARV therapy in children people and adults in the it is named infected with HIVU.S. reduces transthe â&#x20AC;&#x153;silent because one-third mission ofkillerâ&#x20AC;? the virus to their partof those the disease--more than 6 ners bywith 96 percent. The findings million--do not know debate they have it. end a longstanding over For many, diagnosis may come whether ARV treatment of HIVseven to 10 years after the onset of infected individuals can protype a2 double diabetes.benefit early by diagnosis is vide treating critical for successful treatment and the virus in individual patients can delay or prevent some of the while at the same time cutting complications such as according heart diseases, transmission rates, to blindness, kidney strokethat and the journal. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sdisease, now clear amputation. ARV treatment can also reduce thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one reason the ADA holds HIV transmission. the American Diabetes AlertÂŽ Day, The results were called â&#x20AC;&#x153;asa one-day wake-up call to inform the toundingâ&#x20AC;? by Anthony Fauci, the American public about the serioustop U.S. HIV researcher. Others have called them a â&#x20AC;&#x153;game changerâ&#x20AC;? because of the near 100 percent efficacy of the intervention. The editors at Science,

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Page 8 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, January 5, 2012

sports

Saints Relishing Chance To Stay Unbeaten At Home Tigers Rest Up Before METAIRIE, La. (AP) — After missing out on a first-round bye in the playoffs, the Saints got the next best thing — a night game at home to open the postseason. It’s a welcome reward after the first season in history in which New Orleans went undefeated at home during the regular season, including a 4-0 record at night, when they beat opponents by an average of 47-16. Saturday night, Detroit will get its second crack at the Saints this season. The first one was one of those big Saints wins — 31-17 in the Superdome on Dec. 4 on a Sunday night. After winning just 43 percent of their home games in the 39 seasons before Sean Payton was hired as coach, the Saints have won 66.7 percent since. And yet, there’s little anyone inside the Saints locker room could say was decidedly different from the past. “I don’t know exactly what it is,” New Orleans strong safety Roman Harper said. “The Saints play well at home and it’s a known fact about this league, just like Seattle plays well at home. Nobody knows exactly why, but maybe it’s a sense of confidence being at home, a different pattern throughout the week.” After winning just 43 percent of their home games in the 39 seasons before Payton was hired in 2006, the Saints have won two thirds since. “I’ve got a pool table at my

Heading To New Orleans

Tyrann Mathieu shown with a few of LSU football players

New Orleans Saints fullback Jed Collins (45) crosses the goal line for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers defensive end Thomas Keiser (98) pursues during the third quarter of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012.

house and you have to play with a short stick sometimes,” Harper said. “That’s the home-field advantage to me because I know how to play with it. Somebody on the outside may not know

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how to play with it. Maybe we have a couple of dead spots on the turf.” They’ve been even better in night games, going 15-6 overall and 10-4 in home games after dark during the regular season. In the playoffs, they’re 3-0 at night under Payton. “It’s always an advantage playing in a dome with the crowd that we have, the type of atmosphere they set for us,” cornerback Tracy Porter said. “It makes it easy to play, it makes it enjoyable to play, especially when we have success and those guys have the Dome rocking. You can’t ask for anything better.”

The Saints haven’t lost a home night game since Dec. 19, 2009, when Dallas stopped New Orleans’ 13-game win streak. The Saints now are on an eight-game win streak and linebacker Scott Shanle has an idea why they have been so good lately at home — they’re just playing good football. Since a Nov. 20 bye, New Orleans has outscored opponents 234-111, including four home games in which it has won by a combined 96 points. “It’s just been one of those things where we’ve just been on a roll,” Shanle said. “No matter where we played, I feel like we would have won.

2012

Ivory J. Payne

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BATON ROUGE - The topranked LSU Tigers spent their last night in Baton Rouge before the BCS national championship game next week. The team also enjoyed the day off Tuesday before a busy Wednesday, when they practice in the Capital City and then bus to the Crescent City. 9 Sports will be there waiting for Tyrann Mathieu and the rest of the Bayou Bengals when they arrive at the team headquarters for the next six days. At least one Alabama star said he’s tuning out some of the

pregame hype, even though most of the national experts seem to be picking the Crimson Tide to win, just as they did for the first game. “Last night, I was watching ESPN and they did a segment on the Honey Badger and I immediately changed the channel,” said Darius Hanks, Alabama Sr. WR. “Because, that stuff gets into your mind. I don’t want to think about that. I’ve got my mindset right, I feel, and I’m ready for the game.” Hanks had two catches for 38 yards in the first contest.

Jefferson Has 22 Points, Jazz Beat Hornets 94-90

SALT LAKE CITY - Al Jefferson scored 22 points and Devin Harris added 19 points, including a late 3-pointer and three free throws down the stretch as the Utah Jazz beat the New Orleans Hornets 94-90 on Monday night. The Jazz (2-3) have won two at home to offset three blowout losses on the road. Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 27 points for New Orleans (2-3), which dropped its third straight. Utah outscored New Or-

leans 50-32 in the paint. Josh Howard scored 13 points off the bench for the Jazz, including six straight in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 80. C.J. Miles added 11 and four rebounds. New Orleans continued to struggle from 3-point range, making just 3 of 10 shots. Utah trailed by as many as seven points early but had a 32-point second-quarter, with key contributions from rookies Enes Kanter and Alec Burks.

Southern Defeats Prairie View A&M 73-65 PRAIRIE VIEW, TEXAS Jameel Grace scored 21 points and Michael Celestin added 18 to lead Southern to a 73-65 victory against Prairie View A&M in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Tuesday night. Derick Beltran had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Jaguars (5-9, 1-0). Ronald Wright, with 14

points, was the only player to score in double figures for the Panthers (4-10, 0-1), who shot just 37.1 percent (23 of 62) from the floor. A 23-5 run over an 8:03 stretch of the second half gave Southern control. Celestin had 10 points and made two 3-pointers while Grace added seven points during the surge, which gave the Jaguars a 64-47 lead with 9:56 remaining.

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