Daily Challenge 8-17-11

DECORATED SOLDIER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN - PG. 2 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

THE NATION’S ONLY BLACK DAILY 35 Cents

Final

MAJORITY DISSATISFIED WITH CONGRESS

An overwhelming majority of Americans believe agency said the results were the most lopsided it Congress is doing a bad job, according to results of has recorded relating to the public’s opinion of Cona Gallup poll released yesterday. The polling gress.

SEE PAGE 3.

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DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

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N EW S BR IE F S FOREST CITY RATNER OFFERS FREE GARBAGE CANS DUE TO ATLANTIC YARDS RAT PROBLEM After months of complaints from neighbors about an increased rat population around the Atlantic Yards construction site, the developer is now working to fix the problem.

Forest City Ratner is handing out free garbage cans that are harder for rodents to get into.

The developer claims the rat increase is not because of construction garbage but because people are not disposing of their own garbage properly.

“At night it really becomes sort of daunting, because they’re running back and forth, jumping in and out.

They jump in and out of the garbage cans,” said one resident.

NEW YORK LAWMAKERS CALL FOR END TO SECURE COMMUNITIES PROGRAM Some New York lawmakers are calling on President Barack Obama to end the controversial Secure Communities program.

The immigration enforcement program requires local law enforcement to turn over records of all those arrested to federal officials.

Jurisdictions had been allowed to choose whether or not to participate, and Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered the state out of the program earlier this year.

However, federal officials said last week that states no longer have the option to remove themselves.

Critics say the law encourages profiling and often leads to deportation of people who are never convicted of a crime.

“This bill, what it seeks to do is to really limit the information that is shared with ICE. It’s not to say we’re ending the collaboration, we’re just being more specific,” said City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito.

“Most of these individuals are people who haven’t committed a crime, who have clear records, basically been stopped for minor infractions,” said State Assemblyman Francisco Moya.

Supporters of the program say it effectively identifies undocumented immigrants who are a danger to the community.

MTA TO CURTAIL NOISE RELATED TO SECOND AVENUE CONSTRUCTION Some much needed relief is coming for Upper East Side residents as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will quiet noise related to the Second Avenue subway construction project.

MTA officials say all underground blasting connected with the project will stop after 7:00 p.m. from now on.

The agency originally had authorization to blast as late as midnight on the first part of the new subway line, leading to disturbing noise levels for many residents.

Officials say they made the decision to curb the noise after meeting with the community.

Decorated soldier killed in Afghanistan A 26-year-old soldier from Yonkers, was killed in Afghanistan last week when a bomb detonated near a vehicle he and his unit were in.

Sgt. Edward J. Frank II died last Thursday in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan from the bomb-related injuries, according to the Department of Defense. Four other soldiers from his unit died in the same explosion.

Frank, an infantryman, had previously deployed twice to Iraq. He served there from August 2006 through November 2007, and again from December 2008 through November 2009, according to the Department of Defense.

This was his first deployment to Afghanistan. He deployed with his unit in March 2011.

Frank joined the Army in August 2005, and trained at Fort Benning, Ga., before serving in Germany from December 2005 through July 2010, when he arrived at Fort Drum, according to the Department of Defense.

Frank’s awards and decorations

include two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, two Army Good Conduct Medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the NATO Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Combat Infantryman

Badge.

Frank is survived by his wife, three children, father and mother.

The four other soldiers who died in the explosion were identified as: Spc. Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore; Spc. Patrick L. Lay, 21, of Fletcher, N.C.; Spc. Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Okla.; and Pfc. Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, Calif.

Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network to lead march for jobs and justice in Washington, DC Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network (NAN), along with partners in labor, education, civil rights, and clergy from across the country, will hold a mass march for jobs and justice on Saturday, August 27, 2011-the weekend of the historic unveiling of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall.

The rally and march will be held by thousands of members of the civil rights community and all those who continue to push for equality across the board.

The event is being co-chaired by Rev. Dr. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor of Grace Baptist Church and Chairman of National Action Network, Lee A. Saunders, Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME), and Randi Weingarten, President of American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

The National Director of the March is Pastor Willie F. Wilson from Union Temple Baptist Church. The march co-host is Tom Joyner from The Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Among the speakers is the eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Martin Luther King III. A rally preceding the march will begin at noon at Constitution Ave NW and 17th Street NW. The march will begin at 1:30 p.m. to the King Memorial site on Ohio Drive, SW and West Basin Drive, SW. It is NAN’s goal to emphasize what it was that gave Dr. King such an exalted place in American history. It was his work for civil rights and labor rights that made him the historic figure he has become. It was near the grounds of his monument that he was planning a tent city for

poor people when he was killed.

NAN will use the occasion of August 27th to raise this unfinished business and challenge those whoseek to undo what Dr. King tried to do for working people and labor in this country.

According to Rev. Sharpton: “There are relatively few moments in our lives that make history; The weekend of August 27th and 28th will be one for the history books as we not only commemorate the 48th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream Speech’, but also when the world bears witness to the unveiling of the national King Memorial. We are living in perhaps one of the most unpredictable and capricious times in our nation’s history and while people of color and the traditionally marginalized are making enormous strides with access to places never even imaginable before, the working class and poor are still under attack in extra-

ordinary and systematic ways. When the disenfranchised are further removed from the mainstream, the class divide between the haves and have not’s naturally increases. For those who may be quick to forget the legacy of Dr. King, let us remember that he died while fighting for worker’s rights and the basic human dignity of all.”

National Action Network’s August 27th march will call attention to key issues that have not been remedied in this country. As working Americans struggle to gain employment and livable wages, there are rampant foreclosures and fluctuating markets most heavily impacting those that are already suffering under tumultuous financial times. NAN, and its partners in labor, education, civil rights and the church, calls on every man, woman and child who understands the urgency of social justice on all levels to join them in Washington, D.C. this August.

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

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Huge majority dissatisfied with Congress PRINCETON, N.J. — An overwhelming majority of Americans believe Congress is doing a bad job, according to results of a Gallup poll released yesterday. The polling agency said the results were the most lopsided it has recorded relating to the public’s opinion of Congress.

A resounding 84 percent of Americans said they disapprove of the job Congress is doing, while just 13 percent said they approve, tying the alltime low approval of Congress measured in December, Gallup said.

Gallup said the results were based on a poll taken since the government reached agreement on a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling and lower the underlying debt and deficit after pro-

tracted and contentious negotiations between President Obama and congressional leaders.

When Gallup measured Congress’ job approval rating in early July, 18 percent approved of the job congressional members were doing and 77 percent disapproved.

In recent years, Americans have been become increasingly less kind when rating Congress’ job performance, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said. The average approval rating was 19 percent in 2008, 2010 and so far in 2011.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 1,008 adults conducted Thursday through Sunday. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

NY court reinstates lawsuit by New Haven fireman

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Reviving a lawsuit brought by a Black firefighter, a federal appeals court decision on Monday raised new questions about the impact of a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the reverse-discrimination lawsuit brought by 17 white firefighters and one Hispanic firefighter seeking promotions in a Connecticut city where white candidates outperformed minority candidates on an examination.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said the lawsuit by New Haven, Conn., firefighter Michael Briscoe (right) was too hastily tossed out by a lower court judge who referred to the Supreme Court decision in Ricci v. DeStefano, a case brought in 2004.

The Supreme Court ordered New Haven to enforce the results of a 2003 exam that led to the promotion of the white and Hispanic firefighters and rejection of Briscoe’s promotion quest. The Supreme Court said local governments can nullify the outcome of such tests only if they can prove there is a “strong basis in evidence” that the tests were discriminatory.

The 2nd Circuit called the Supreme Court decision a “limited

holding” and said its restoration of Briscoe’s case was consistent with the Supreme Court’s intent not to substantially change discrimination law with the Ricci case.

In 2003, New Haven had refused to certify the results because it said the exams were unfair to minority firefighters and it feared the outcome would lead to liability if the fairness of the results was challenged in court. The three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit said it was unusual that the Supreme Court did not return the New Haven case to the lower court so the city could see if it had the evidence to prove there was a “strong basis” to show the tests were discriminatory.

Briscoe’s lawsuit maintained he would have been promoted to lieutenant if the exam followed the industry norm and calculated the results with 30 percent based on answers to written questions and 70 percent based on oral answers, rather than the 60 percent written and 40 percent oral test that New Haven used. His lawyer, David Rosen, said the 39-year-old Briscoe scored the highest among 70 firefighters on the oral portion of the test but did not do well on the written exam.

Rosen predicted that the restoration of Briscoe’s lawsuit clarifies that the long term impact of the Supreme

Court ruling in Ricci v. DeStefano is limited.

“Some people feared and others hoped that the Ricci case meant that no matter how arbitrary a test was, it couldn’t be challenged in court on discrimination grounds. This case helps confirm that tests that arbitrarily exclude any group be it based on sex, race, national origin or other categories is illegal,” Rosen said.

“The only reason he wasn’t promoted

SCLC names MLK nephew as its new president

By ARIT ESSIEN Isaac Newton Farris Jr., the 48year-old nephew of SCLC founder Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was appointed as the new SCLC president during the SCLC national convention Monday at the Atlanta-Airport Crown Plaza.

Succeeding former President Dr. Howard W. Creecy, who died unexpectedly from head trauma eight months into office, Farris will now lead the civil rights organization originally founded in 1957.

SCLC communication director Maynard Eaton described Farris’s election as a “natural selection,” not-

ing Creecy’s confidence in his leadership.

“When Howard selected Isaac as a vice-president, he said that he was the smartest King other than Martin Luther King. Isaac has the skills, passion, and family tradition -and now he has the position. He represents the thrust of young new leadership.”

Farris who related to the new role as “feeling like being back in the family business,” also said that his election signifies SCLC’s directive towards youth leadership..

“It feels very good to be following in the footsteps of my uncle and the organization that he started. I’ll be helping to preserve SCLC, the greatest human rights organization in American history, with more accomplishments than any other of its type. It is so very flattering to be in this position and to head an organization of this magnitude. Our mission will never change; we’ll always be the voice of the voiceless, but the method of how we carry out our business will have to,” he said.

was that the city arbitrarily decided that the written test should count for more than the oral test,” he said.

Victor A. Bolden, corporation counsel for the city of New Haven, said the Supreme Court ruling left no room for Briscoe’s lawsuit.

“An examination is either valid or invalid. Either it is a legitimate tool for promotion to a position or it is not a legitimate tool to determine who should be promoted. It, however, cannot be both. The Supreme Court ordered the city to promote consistent with the examination’s results. These court-sanctioned promotions are lawful and the exam results used in making them must be considered legitimate as well.”

Rosen said his client is not looking to replace any firefighters who were already promoted.

The appeals court said New Haven could have prevented Briscoe’s lawsuit if it had added all test takers to the Ricci lawsuit before a lower court judge ruled in the case. The 2nd Circuit noted that the Ricci lawsuit was settled on July 27 and that Briscoe had repeatedly asserted that he wants an outcome consistent with the Supreme Court’s findings. It also said the Briscoe lawsuit could still be dismissed on various grounds, including if the statutes of limitations had passed.

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DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

JOURNAL OF THE PEOPLE’S PASTOR ‘WRITING THE HISTORY I’VE LIVED, LIVING THE HISTORY I WRITE!’

How many ways do we die?

THOMAS H. WATKINS

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By REV. DR. HERBERT DAUGHTRY Part One What a weekend! When I try to describe it, I think of agony and ecstasy, and despair and hope. It started on Friday, August 5, 2011. In the afternoon, I attended the funeral of Mr. Deron Kittrell, 28, in Jersey

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tuary of standing room only and to the weeping family seated in the front row, and then to the open casket. Mr. Kittrell was a handsome brother. He had full cheeks with a slight beard. His bulging chest and arms pushed his white, maroon trimmed polo shirt to its limit.

After shaking hands and embracing the weeping family as they exited, I walked out into the bright sun, and drove back to Brooklyn, New York. Why does it happen often that the people we pay to protect us are those we need to be protected from? The people who work for us often work on us.

In the evening, there was the opening of the Youth Café at my church, The House of the Lord Church. It was a concept which entails creating a secure and protected place for young people to develop and showcase their talents, and network among themselves, producers, talent scouts, record executives, etc. It was an idea that had been in my head for a long time. With the killing of a Continued on page 5

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City, New Jersey. He was killed on the morning of Saturday, July 30, 2011 between Communipaw Avenue and Brinkerhoff Street in Jersey City.

The details are murky. The police said that Mr. Kittrell had a gun. The police always claim the victim has something — a shiny object, a wallet, or keys. Remember when the police officers fired over 50 bullets into the vestibule of Amadou Diallo as he was attempting to enter his house?

Or, they claim that the victims were turning a certain way.

Remember Phillip Pannell, a sixteen-year-old Black youth killed by police in Teaneck, New Jersey? The officer claimed that as Phillip turned, it looked like he was going for a gun. Of course, no weapon was ever found.

As I drove up Ocean Avenue to Linden Street to Mount Calvary Baptist Church, where the funeral was held, crowds had jammed the streets and the corners around the church. Long waiting lines formed outside of the church. I made my way to the pulpit. I looked across the sanc-

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DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

Pass the Urban Jobs Act now

By MARC H. MORIAL “This program would give the tools organizations resources they need to help youth prepare for future jobs, employment opportunities, reach their full potential.”

city and our find and

— Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Despite all the attention paid in recent months to spending cuts, there are some Members of Congress who agree with the National Urban League that the nation’s number one priority must be job creation and putting America back to work.

Months ago, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and New York Representative Edolphus Towns introduced the Urban Jobs Act that would provide much-needed federal funding to non-profit organizations engaged in preparing at-risk youth, ages 18-24, for the world of work.

On Tuesday of this week, Gillibrand, Towns and I participated in a press conference at the New York Urban League in Harlem to generate

greater Congressional and public support for this important legislation. We were joined by New York Congressman Charles Rangel, N.Y. Assemblyman Keith Wright, and New York Urban League President, Arva Rice. All of us agree: the nation’s recovery cannot be complete until we bring jobs and hope back to hard pressed urban communities.

More than one-third of the nation’s minority youth are unemployed. But, even with 14 million Americans out of work, at least 2 million jobs remain unfilled because employers can’t find workers with the needed skills. The Urban Jobs Act would help close that gap by targeting federal funding to assist urban youth, many of whom have dropped out of school or are in need of a second chance, in obtaining the education and skills necessary for success in the labor market. This would help reduce youth unemployment, provide workers for open jobs and strengthen the economy.

The average unemployment rate for minority youths in urban communities in July was approximately 39 percent for African Americans

How many ways do we die?

Continued from page 4 model eighteen-year-old Black youth, Brent Duncan, I felt compelled to hasten the implementation of the concept.

It was a successful opening.

Youngsters came forward to rap, recite poetry, sing, and dance. There was also adult participation. It was a great opening. I was excited about what was happening and the potential for the future. The Youth Café was emceed by my grandson, Lorenzo Daughtry-Chambers, a recent graduate of Franklin & Marshall College and a promising drummer, and Tylibah Washington, a budding rap star.

The most moving presentation was only a few lines. It was given by a young lady named, Ms. Samantha Eltenberg. After recounting her experience of being heckled and ridiculed because of her name when she was only six years old, she recited, “Who am I / Am I Black or am I white / Does it really matter / Doesn’t my name just count / Or because of my color do I have to shout / Isn’t my blood red, yours is too / So what’s the problem of difference between me and you.”

Ms. Eltenberg spoke for countless youths harassed by other youths. I remember my early childhood when I came from Georgia to Brooklyn. I was ridiculed because of my accent and colorful apparel. I remember funeralizing a teenager who had committed suicide because of peer harassment.

There are many other suicidal victims of the cruelty of other youths. Ms. Samantha was only six years old when she wrote the poem.

The Youth Café was sponsored by

the Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (DBNA), a 501(c)(3) Incorporation, which was organized to negotiate with Forest City Ratner Companies (FCRC) around the Atlantic Yards Project. Other sponsors included The House of the Lord Church, the Randolph Evans Memorial Scholarship, and the Brent Duncan Youth Committee.

I thought it was important to have both the Randolph Evans Memorial Scholarship and the Brent Duncan Youth Committee as co-sponsors. Both were killed in their youth. Randolph, 15, was killed by the police; and, Brent, 18, was killed by a member in the community. Their deaths and that of other youths were the major reasons for organizing the Youth Café.

On the early morning of Saturday, August 6, 2011, I got ready for my monthly visit to Sullivan Correctional Facility for the Protestant Fellowship Tenth Annual Christian Family Event.

It is a time when family and friends can have contact with loved ones in an open yard. (Due to the threat of rain, it was held inside in the gym.) The gym was crowded. Inmates walked around with sweethearts or spouses, arm-in-arm or hand-in-hand. Some sat embracing each other. Their children, as they always do, found things to play with and enjoy themselves. There was a marriage proposal from one of the inmates — on his knees.

I spoke briefly on the subject, “You Are More Than What You Think You Are.” I wanted the men to believe that they were sons of God. Nobody could take that from them — no jail, no jailkeeper, nobody, but themselves.

At 9am on Saturday, July 30, 2011,

and 36 percent for Latinos. In New York, these minority youth are twice as likely to drop out of school and make up 80 percent of the city’s detention centers. Clearly, we must make targeted, effective investments now to spur urban job growth and prevent the loss of an entire generation. That is the real potential of the Urban Jobs Act. The Act would create an Urban Jobs Program that would award competitive grants to national nonprofit organizations, in partnership with local affiliates, to prepare youth ages 18 through 24 for entry into the job market. A national organization that received a grant would provide a comprehensive set of services that includes: Case management services to help participants effectively utilize the services offered by the program; Educational programming, including skills assessment, reading and math remediation, educational enrichment, GED preparation, and post-secondary education; Employment and job readiness there was a funeral in Coney Island, Brooklyn. A young man named Shamar Watts, 25, was killed as bullets flew into the crowd. What is ironic about this killing is that the community had gathered to have a “Unity Day.” Because of my commitment to Sullivan Correctional Facility, I asked one of my assistants, Minister Kelvin Dove, and a church member, Mrs. Rajia Thomas, to represent me at the funeral. I had spoken with the mother earlier that day. To add to the sadness of this incident, the father, who was in jail for murder, was not allowed to visit his son because he did not bear his name. (Deron Kittrell’s father died from drug usage.) … to be continued. ** Join Reverend Daughtry in Jersey City for the weekly Thursday Evening Educational, Cultural, and Empowerment Forum from 6pm-8pm for an evening of information, inspi-

activities, including mentoring, placement in community service opportunities, internships, on-thejob training, occupational skills training, job placement in unsubsidized jobs, and personal development; and Support services, including health and nutrition referral, housing assistance, training in interpersonal and basic living skills, transportation, child care, clothing, and other assistance as needed.

The Act would increase the capacity of organizations like the Urban League of New York which operates two city employment centers and has helped prepare many young adults for full-time employment.

Our message to Congress is clear: The time for debate and delay is over. Pass the Urban Jobs Bill now.

Click here to sign a letter of support: http://iamempowered.com/article/2011/05/26/urban-jobs-act-2011s-922-letter-support.

— Marc H. Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League. ration, and challenge at 315 Forrest Street (Ground Floor), corner of MLK, Jr. Drive. For more info, contact The National Community Action Alliance at (201) 716-1585. ** Listen to Reverend Daughtry on the weekly radio program which airs Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. on New York City’s WWRL-AM, dial 1600. ** NEED QUALITY CHILD CARE? Call the Alonzo A. Daughtry Memorial Daycare Center located at: 460 Atlantic Avenue (corner of Atlantic and Nevins) 718 596 1993 333 Second Street (between 4th & 5th Avenues) in Park Slope (718) 4992066 Immediate openings are available in a state-of-the-art center. ** Visit The House of the Lord Church’s website at holc.org. Or, contact us at 415@holc.org

6

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

Obama healthcare law: Two justices may decide fate

By JAMES VICINI WASHINGTON — The legal fate of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law will likely come down to two Republican appointees on the U.S. Supreme Court — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy.

That would be a familiar role for Kennedy, a moderate conservative who often has cast the decisive vote on the most contentious issues before the nine-member high court divided between conservative and liberal factions.

A Supreme Court ruling on the healthcare law, adopted by a Democratic-controlled Congress after a bruising political battle, could be a defining moment for Roberts, who was named chief justice in 2005 by Republican President George W. Bush.

“Given the deep ideological divisions over the case and the lack of precedent clearly on point, the court could easily rule either way,” Ilya

Somin, associate law professor at George Mason University, wrote in a recent blog post.

U.S. appeals courts have issued conflicting rulings on whether Congress exceeded its power under the Constitution when, in adopting the healthcare law in 2010, it required that Americans buy insurance or face a penalty.

The latest decision, handed down on Friday from an Atlanta-based appeals court, struck down that individual mandate provision, making it more likely the Supreme Court will get involved.

University of Richmond assistant law professor Kevin Walsh said the Supreme Court seemed virtually certain to decide the issue by the end of June next year. That would mean a ruling before the U.S. elections in November 2012, with the law seen as a major political issue.

Obama has championed the individual mandate as a major accomplishment of his presidency and as a way to try to slow the soaring costs of healthcare while expanding cover-

age to more than 30 million Americans without it.

“If the Supreme Court follows existing precedent, existing law, it should be upheld without a problem,” Obama said in Minnesota during a town hall discussion. “If the Supreme Court does not follow existing law and precedent, then we’ll have to manage that when it happens.”

Republican presidential candidates have strongly criticized the law as costly and evidence of intrusive government power.

Legal experts said the court’s four liberals, all appointees of Democratic presidents, were likely to uphold the individual mandate. Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were appointed by President Bill Clinton while Obama named Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

The experts said Justice Clarence Thomas was expected to vote to strike down the mandate, based on his past opinions, and could be joined by fellow conservatives, Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito. All three were named by Republican

presidents.

That would leave Roberts, a conservative who on occasion has refused to join far-right positions taken by Scalia and Thomas, and Kennedy to control the outcome.

Kevin Russell, a Washington lawyer who argues before the Supreme Court and who has followed the healthcare law, said Kennedy has been one of the justices most protective of state power against federal government encroachment.

“If he views the mandate as invading an area of traditional state authority, I think he may be one of the least likely justices to vote to uphold it,” Russell said.

Orin Kerr, a George Washington University law professor, predicted Roberts and Kennedy both would likely end up voting to uphold the individual insurance mandate.

He cited an opinion by Kennedy in 1995 and the expansive view that Roberts recently supported of the power of Congress under the Constitution to adopt laws necessary and proper.

Judge shuts down firms accused of homeowner scams

By JESSICA DYE A Long Island judge ordered the temporary shutdown on Monday of New York-based companies accused of using “fast-talking salespeople and masterfully deceptive websites” to defraud more than a thousand homeowners in a multimillion dollar mortgage loan modification scam.

The preliminary injunction granted by Nassau County Supreme Court Justice John Galasso freezes the operations of Homesafe America Inc and its successor, United Legal Solutions, and prevents the companies’ co-founders, Guy Samuel and Scott Schreiber, from taking part in any mortgage-assistance relief services while the case against them unfolds.

Fifteen homeowners filed suit in June against the companies, their chief officers and nearly two dozen employees, accusing them of fraud, deceptive practices and false advertising, among other claims.

The complaint alleged the defendants falsely promised to modify the mortgages of lower- and middleclass homeowners for an upfront payment of several thousand dollars.

But once the companies got their money, they offered little, if any, assistance to their customers, according to the complaint. Using a network of websites, Homesafe took in more than $2 million in 2010 alone and, as of February, had accepted money from about 1,000 families across the country, the plaintiffs said.

The lawsuit is one of several recently filed against mortgage-modification companies on behalf of homeowners by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and attorneys from the law firm

Davis Polk & Wardwell.

The homeowners’ attorneys said they are currently sifting through more than 70,000 pages of customer files turned over by the defendants to determine the full scope of the companies’ operations.

The homeowners seek $1.5 million in damages from Homesafe and its successor. They are also asking the court for a permanent order shutting former Homesafe employees out of mortgage-related businesses.

Elliott Martin, the attorney representing Schreiber, Homesafe, and United Legal, said his clients would not comment on the ruling.

But in a July 25 court filing, Martin argued the plaintiffs were trying to “overwhelm” the defendants by demanding thousands of documents in a short time frame.

Schreiber is also attempting to point the finger at his former partner. In a sworn affidavit, Schreiber said Samuel took $180,000 from

Homesafe in December, leaving it in “dire financial straits” and unable to recover. Schreiber said he did his best to refund customers’ money, but the company’s customer accounts were frozen in early 2011.

An attorney listed for Samuel did not return a call seeking comment.

The dispute over the money transfer is the subject of ongoing litigation in Nassau County.

A trial date in the mortgage modification suit has not been set.

Army suicides at a record high last month

By LARRY SHAUGHNESSY The U.S. Army reported 32 suicides and potential suicides in the month of July, the highest total since the service began publicly releasing such statistics 2 1⁄2 years ago. And the problem is even worse than the Pentagon’s news releases would indicate.

Each month the Army sends out a press report saying how many soldiers have committed suicide.

According to those news releases, as of July 31 of this year 151 soldiers had apparently taken their own lives.

But a document obtained by CNN shows that the Army has actually counted 163 suicides this year.

The Army counts them in terms of confirmed suicides and “potential” suicides, which are deaths that are suspected of being suicide but the official investigation has not been completed. Most of the time, potential suicides are confirmed as actual suicides.

As for why 12 of the suicides were not included in the news releases, Lt. Col. Laurel Devine explained that sometimes, long after the news releases go out, investigators realize a soldier’s death is at least a “potential” suicide.

The problem may also come from the fact that of the four branches of service, the Army is the most transparent about the issue of suicide.

The Army is the only branch that sends out a monthly news release, while the other services will release the suicide information only when asked.

“Every suicide represents a tragic loss to our Army and the Nation.

While the high number of potential suicides in July is discouraging, we are confident our efforts aimed at increasing individuals’ resiliency, while reducing incidence of at-risk and high-risk behavior across the Force, are having a positive impact,” Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff and its point man on the issue of suicide, said in a statement. “We absolutely recognize there is much work to be done and

remain committed to ensuring our people are cared for and have ready access to the best possible programs and services.”

Chiarelli spends much of his time dealing with the suicide issue and looking for answers, in part because the problem appears to be much worse for the Army than the other branches.

So far in 2011, the Air Force has had 28 suicides, the Marines 21 and the Navy 33. Even though those three services have a combined total force equal to the Army’s, their number of suicides are about half the Army’s 163.

No one knows why it’s worse among the Army other than the fact that it’s the biggest branch of service.

“Any act of suicide is a tragedy,” said Bryan Whitman, a spokesman for the Pentagon. “It’s often very difficult to have any sort of causal relationship to these trends. Each one of them is an individual set of circumstances that range from broken relationship to stress from deployments.”

DAILY D CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

7

Protest March in Harlem Thousands of people took part in the “Millions March” in Harlem last Saturday to protest U.S. actions in Africa and the shortage of jobs and housing for African Americans in the city.

The protestors, lead by the December 12th Movement, demanded that the U.S. and the United Nations cease the bombing of Libya and ease sanctions against Zimbabwe.

“The embattled leaders, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe have set an extraordinary example of political and economic self determination for African people,” said a December 12th spokesman.

“They are now under brutal attack with bombs and severe economic sanctions.”

Speakers at the march included Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam; former president of the UN General Assembly and former Foreign Minister of Nicaragua Dr. Molefi Asante of Afrocentricity International; Viola Plummer of the December 12th Movement and Nation of Islam Minister Akbar Muhammad.

The march came ahead of a similar protest that will take place Sept. 20 at the United Nations when the General Assembly is in session.

-All Photos By Lem Peterkin

Imamu Amiri Baraka

Minister Louis Farrakhan

Bob Law and Viola Plummer Co Host Assembly Member Inez Barron and Councilman Charles Barron

John Watue Branch

Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney

Nation of Islam Minister Akbar Muhammad

Dr. James McIntosh

Maliki Zulu Shabazz

Protesters show their discontent with U.S. wars

AFRICAN SCENE

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DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

AFRICAN SCENE

Organizers call off Malawi anti-gov’t protests

By RAPHAEL THANI Bankf robbers bomb northern Nigeria police station BAUCHI, Nigeria - Authorities say gunmen attacked a microfinance bank in northern Nigeria, carting away bags of cash and bombing a police station when making their escape.

The attack late Monday night saw eight men flee in two cars they stole from the bank in Gamawa, a city in Nigeria’s far north. The robbers tried to attack another bank, but couldn’t get past its bulletproof front doors.

A witness, who requested anonymity out of fear of the robbers returning, said paramilitary police shot at the gunmen, leaving two bystanders wounded. The robbers also threw explosives into a police station while escaping.

Police said they were investigating the attack.

Nigeria, home to 150 million people, suffers from a weak police force more focused on collecting bribes than law enforcement in the oil-rich nation.

Zimbabwe’s Gen. Mujuru dies, army chief says HARARE, Zimbabwe - Former military chief Gen. Solomon Mujuru, one of Zimbabwe’s main political power brokers and the husband of the vice president, has died in a fire at one of his homes, the nation’s army commander said yesterday. Mujuru was 62.

His death is likely to intensify turmoil in President Robert Mugabe’s party over the question of who will succeed the 87-year-old president.

Mujuru’s wife, Joice Mujuru, leads a powerful faction in Mugabe’s party and counted on the support of her husband, who still commanded loyalty in the military after heading it for more than a decade after independence in 1980.

The general retired to take up business and acquired an empire of farms, properties, mines and other interests that made him one of wealthiest and most influential political figures in the top echelons of Mugabe’s party and its policymaking politburo.

The vice president and her supporters in the party are chief rivals to Defense Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and his followers, who have been vying for supremacy in the party should the ailing president die or retire.

Gen. Constantine Chiwenga, the current military chief, told state radio he visited a farm some 35 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Harare where Mujuru died during the night when the farmhouse caught fire.

Family members and friends said earlier that an electrical fault may have ignited the blaze.

“The way he has gone is difficult to comprehend. He was such a fine fighter,” Chiwenga said of the former guerrilla leader who helped sweep Mugabe into power at independence in 1980.

State radio said Mujuru’s wife also visited the farm where its reporter saw the building razed to the ground and police said Mujuru’s body was “burned beyond recognition.”

- ANGUS SHAW

TEN-

LILONGWE, Malawi Organizers in Malawi yesterday canceled plans to hold anti-government protests, weeks after security forces met demonstrations with deadly force and the president vowed to quash any attempt at regime change.

Anti-government demonstrations across Malawi last month came amid worsening economic conditions and complaints about President Bingu wa Mutharika’s increasingly autocratic style. At least 19 people were killed by police when the demonstrations degenerated into looting.

Rodgers Newa, a spokesman for the activists who organized protests in July, said at a press conference yesterday that organizers made the decision because of a court injunction and because of mediation efforts by a U.N. delegation.

No new date was set.

Activists had vowed to hold more demonstrations starting today unless the president addressed their grievances before yesterday. Activists have called for a resolution of persistent fuel and foreign exchange shortages, audits of the finances of

Mutharika and his Cabinet ministers, and an end to public threats against those with dissenting views.

In an address broadcast live on state media Sunday, Mutharika urged Malawians not to go back to the streets, and said he had had too little time to address a 20point petition activists presented July 20.

“Do they seriously think all those issues would have been resolved within three weeks?”

Mutharika said. “Would they, if they were sitting in my position, have brought in foreign exchange, fuel, electricity supply within three weeks?”

He said his government was working to address concerns, but that “measures cannot come to fruition all at once.”

Mutharika has vowed to “go after” opponents in the wake of the protests. In his speech Sunday, he accused unnamed foreign governments of paying demonstrators “to force unconstitutional regime change.”

Luther Mambala, president of the Malawi Congress for Trade Unions, one of the main organizers of the demonstrations, called Mutharika’s accusations of outside influence “laughable.”

Undule Mwakasungula, chairman of the Human Rights Consultative Committee, which also organized protests, said the aim of the demonstrations was

never regime change, so it was not necessary to seek outside support.

“We’re not politicians,” he said.

“We just want our president to address challenges besetting the country.”

The U.S. government froze a $350 million aid program for Malawi because of the protests.

Even before the demonstrations, Britain had suspended aid to Malawi, citing concerns about economic management and a crackdown on human rights.

Germany also decreased aid to Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, following its failure to repeal laws that criminalize homosexuality and its enactment of laws seen as restricting media freedom.

In a report released Monday, the state-funded Malawi Human Rights Commission accused police of a “gross violation” of human rights for using live bullets when looting broke out during the demonstrations. The commission also accused Mutharika, his party and the state-run Malawi Broadcasting Corporation of using inflammatory language and taking other steps ahead of the demonstrations that might have fanned the violence.

Police spokesman Willie Mwaluka said Monday police were awaiting the results of another inquiry ordered by Mutharika.

Somalia famine aid stolen; UN investigating MOGADISHU, Somalia Thousands of sacks of food aid meant for Somalia’s famine victims have been stolen and are being sold at markets in the same neighborhoods where skeletal children in filthy refugee camps can’t find enough to eat, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The U.N.’s World Food Program for the first time acknowledged it has been investigating food theft in Somalia for two months. The WFP said that the “scale and intensity” of the famine crisis does not allow for

a suspension of assistance, saying that doing so would lead to “many unnecessary deaths.”

And the aid is not even safe once it has been distributed to families huddled in the makeshift camps popping up around the capital. Families at the large, government-run Badbado camp, where several aid groups have been distributing food, said they were often forced to hand back aid after journalists had taken photos of them with it.

Ali Said Nur said he received two sacks of maize twice, but each time was forced to give one to the camp leader.

“You don’t have a choice. You have to sim-

ply give without an argument to be able to stay here,” he said.

The U.N. says more than 3.2 million Somalis - nearly half the population - need food aid after a severe drought that has been complicated by Somalia’s long-running war. More than 450,000 Somalis live in famine zones controlled by alQaida-linked militants, where aid is difficult to deliver. The U.S. says 29,000 Somali children under the age of 5 already have died.

International officials have long expected some of the food aid pouring into Somalia to go missing. But the sheer scale of the theft taking place calls into question aid groups’

ability to reach the starving. It also raises concerns about the willingness of aid agencies and the Somali government to fight corruption, and whether diverted aid is fueling Somalia’s 20-year-civil war.

“While helping starving people, you are also feeding the power groups that make a business out of the disaster,” said Joakim Gundel, who heads Katuni Consult, a Nairobi-based company often asked to evaluate international aid efforts in Somalia. “You’re saving people’s lives today so they can die tomorrow.”

- KATHARINE HOURELD

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

Chavez foes reject military’s political meddling

By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER CARACAS, Venezuela - Opponents of President Hugo Chavez on Monday accused Venezuelan military commanders of abandoning democratic ideals by publicly denigrating government foes and backing the socialist leader.

Opposition lawmaker Tomas Guanipa said recent statements by military leaders aimed at discrediting Chavez’s adversaries ignore constitutional norms designed to guarantee the military’s democratic and apolitical character.

He urged middlelevel officers and rankand-file soldiers to ignore political commentary voiced by their

superiors.

“We call on the military, if its members believe in democracy and the constitution, to understand these messages from the high command do not represent the feelings of the vast majority of the national armed forces,” Guanipa said at a news conference.

Guanipa was responding to statements made by Gen.

Trinidad government thanks police for not abandoning duties PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — The government of Trinidad and Tobago has commended the members of the protective services for their “expressed and demonstrated commitment to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and to maintaining their commitment to protect and serve with pride.”

The government noted that Monday’s call for a day of “rest and reflection” by a very few dispassionate personnel, was met with very little response and has, in fact, bolstered the image of the dedicated members of the Police Service as men and women who continue to rank amongst the nation’s finest.

The government said it continues to acknowledge and appreciate the Trinidad and Tobago Police Services’ sworn loyalty to their country and its citizenry, and expressed, on behalf of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, genuine gratitude for not abandoning their duties.

Eleven convicted murderers freed in Bahamas following resentencing

By ARTESIA DAVIS NASSAU, Bahamas — Eleven murder convicts who had been condemned to death have been freed as a consequence of the Privy Council’s landmark decision in 2006 that declared the mandatory death penalty unconstitutional, the Nassau Guardian has revealed.

Before the decision, murder convicts were automatically condemned to death regardless if there were any extenuating circumstances in the crime.

The killers, whose convictions were upheld on appeal, had to be resentenced after the Privy Council ruling invalidated their death sentences.

In the absence of any statutory guidelines, sentencing judges considered the circumstances of the offence and the progress the offender had made while in custody in determining an appropriate sentence.

Major Euclides Campos Aponte to soldiers on Saturday that ridiculed the opposition and accused it of trying to divide the military.

Campos Aponte said the discourse on the military by anti-Chavez politicians “is one from those who see themselves as beaten, that the possibility of winning the presidency through the vote is almost null.”

“They don’t have leadership,” he said of Chavez’s critics while speaking to a crowd of uniformed soldiers.

Chavez quickly congratulated the general.

“What an extraordinary speech Gen. Major Euclides Campos

Aponte has given!

Bravo!” Chavez commented in a Tweet posted shortly after the general’s address.

Polemical statements made by military commanders have irked Chavez’s opponents in the past, but the most recent statements have raised fresh concerns as Venezuela’s political rivals prepare for the 2012 election.

Last year, army Gen. Henry Rangel Silva said in a newspaper interview that neither the military nor the public would accept an opposition victory in the 2012 election. He also said officers are loyal to Chavez’s Bolivarina Revolution,

St Vincent trade minister doesn’t mind ‘selling out to St. Lucia’ KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — St. Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Trade, Senator Douglas Slater, does not mind “selling out to St. Lucia” — in the interest of regional integration.

Slater, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, made the point in Parliament last week.

He was responding to questions from the opposition regarding free movement of Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) nationals within the sub-region.

The opposition wanted to know how travel procedures among OECS countries changed for OECS nationals when free movement began on August 1 The opposition also asked what checks and balances are in place to ensure security.

Slater detailed the procedure at the point of entry. OECS nationals, he said, should queue up in the line for OECS and Caribbean Community nationals.

They are to present immigration officials a valid passport, or photo identification that bears the holder’s nationality, along with a completed entry and departure form.

The immigration official, having been satisfied that all security and other reasonable precautions have been taken, shall grant entry for an indefinite period.

This differs from the previous arrangement, when entry was given for a definite period, Slater said.

He said free movement within the OECS is a one of the steps towards regional integration.

His Unity Labour Party administration supports regional integration while some people pay lip service to it, Slater said.

St. Lucian company Consolidated Foods Ltd recently bought the two Aunt Jobe’s in Kingstown, bringing to three the number of supermarkets it own in St. Vincent.

The company recently leased the building formerly housing Food City.

- KENTON X. CHANCE

a political movement named after 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar.

The president further angered opposition politicians by promoting the general to general-in-chief after the pro-Chavez comments.

Chavez appears to be using the issue to try to capitalize on tensions between his political opponents and allies within the military.

“The squalid ones are going crazy: They have an obsession with the military, with us soldiers,” Chavez said Sunday.

Chavez, who is being treated for cancer, has accused his political

adversaries of conspiring to spur a military uprising with help from officials in Washington.

Government adversaries deny seeking a military rebellion. They say they are dedicated to ousting Chavez at the ballot box.

Political analyst Ricardo Sucre said he thinks Chavez’s influence over the armed forces is limited.

“I don’t think his strategy has been completely successful,” Sucre told the Globovision television channel Monday. “It does not permeate the entire institution.”

Despite increased food production, Cuban imports still too high HAVANA, Cuba — Although agricultural production has increased this year, Cuba will spend an additional $300 million to import foodstuffs in 2011, according to an article published on Monday by Juventud Rebelde newspaper.

The daily said that during the first half of the year, the country’s agricultural sector reported 6.1 percent growth in comparison to same period of 2010. But the production growth did not reflect in a proportionally direct impact on the markets. Sales at farmer markets decreased 5.7 percent, while average prices increased 7.8 percent.

The Cuban government implemented changes in the agricultural sector in 2008, marked by an opening to the private sector with the objective of increasing food production and lower food imports, which reached some $2 billion that year.

But this did not happen. Now Cuba has to dedicate over $300 million over the allocated amounts to import those products in 2011.

Crews hoist ferry off rocky reef in USVI CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands - Salvage crews have unlodged a passenger ferry that ran aground on a rocky reef in the U.S. Virgin Islands last month.

The Royal Miss Belmar ferry struck a reef off the northeastern tip of Great St. James Island on the night of July 4, injuring five people. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued all 98 passengers and four crew members aboard.

Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad said Sunday that a tug boat and a 400-ton barge crane were finally able to hoist and remove the ferry.

The Coast Guard is helping investigate what caused the ferry to go aground.

D CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011 DAILY

NEW JERSEY

11

State orders Trenton Community Charter School to release records

By CARMEN CUSIDO TRENTON As Trenton Community Charter School fights a state order to shut down, school officials have refused to transfer student records to the regular school district, snarling the enrollment process less than a month before fall classes begin.

The state of Department Education has filed an order in Superior Court to force the K-8 charter school to comply with a court order to begin the dissolution process and to release records for its 540 students, the agency said.

DOE spokesman Justin Barra said the Trenton district has begun the paperwork to transfer the students into other schools, “but without the transcripts, IEPs, immunization records and other information contained in the student records, the ... district cannot ensure that all students will be ready to enroll on day 1 of the school year.”

Edwin Lloyd, chairman of the TCCS board

of trustees, said the board’s attorney has advised them that the charter is not required to give student records to the district, though individual records may be provided to parents.

“If a parent visits the school and their child wants to transfer to another school, we would do whatever the law requires,” Lloyd said.

Barra said schools are legally required to give parents access to their child’s records.

In June, the DOE announced it would not renew Trenton Community’s charter, citing the school’s failure to boost student achievement levels. The school petitioned the agency and then the courts for a stay that would allow it to stay open while it appealed the closure order.

Both requests were denied, Barra said, and the charter has appealed to the state Supreme Court. The court has not said when it will rule.

In an effort to circumvent the charter’s refusal to release the records, the district

letters to mailed Trenton Community parents to let them know they could individually request their child’s records, interim Superintendent Raymond Broach said.

The records include information on students’ developmental and grade status and whether they have repeated a grade, which helps the district properly place them, Broach said.

In the worst case, students whose files have not transferred over will start school late or they will have to be registered without the information from their records, he said.

School begins Sept. 8.

Remona Williams said Trenton Community’s action complicated her effort to transfer her daughter Kiara to another charter, Paul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities, though she was able to obtain a transfer card that allowed the process to move forward.

“They need to hurry up and get it together,” she said. “(Paul Robeson is) not stop-

Students spill out of the Trenton Community Charter School on West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey at dismissal time around 3pm. The school's charter closed its doors on June 30. ping her from coming, but it’s in my best interest to see what I could do to get the record. I guess we’re just waiting right now.”

Williams said she also ran into another problem when she went to the Trenton district’s central office to get officials to sign off on the transfer. There, she saw fliers saying the district was not transferring students from TCCS to other schools.

Broach said the fly-

Lt. Gov. Guadagno won’t certify Carl Lewis as N.J. Senate candidate

By MATT FRIEDMAN TRENTON - Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno has refused to certify former Olympic track and field star Carl Lewis as a candidate for state Senate.

In a memo yesterday to the three county clerks whose counties form part of Lewis’s district, Guadagno, in her dual role as secretary of state, said an order from a federal appeals court that Lewis should be on the ballot only applied to the June primary - not the November general election.

“Although the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ordered Mr. Lewis (sic) name to appear on the primary ballot, that order was carefully circumscribed and limited only to the primary ballot - the sole issue before the Third Circuit at the time of its order.”

It’s the latest development in legal wrangling over whether Lewis, 50, meets the state’s fouryear residency requirement for state Senate candidates.

Lewis attorney William Tambussi called Guadagno’s let-

ers were posted because of a “minor and temporary confusion in the beginning about what our legal responsibility was,” since the charter was appealing its closure.

Barbara Gaeta, who heads Paul Robeson Charter School, said she is receiving about 10 students from Trenton Community Charter.

While she has not received their records, she said that is not uncommon given that

school officials are often on vacation during the summer.

The transfer card records which school a student is legally registered to attend. To transfer, a student needs their current principal to sign the transfer card, which a parent would take to the district to get signed over to the new school.

“That’s where the bottleneck comes from,” Gaeta said.

Hightstown creates the post of police director

By JOSHUA ROSENAU HIGHTSTOWN - After much debate, the borough council has approved an ordinance to create a police director position by a vote of 3-2.

Carl Lewis listens to Jean Soult outside her home as he went door-to-door meeting residents in Mount Holly last week while campaigning for state Senate. He is still running, despite a federal judge holding his campaign's fate in his hands. ter “brazen” and is asked a fed- interesting because she didn’t eral judge to tell Guadagno to notify Carl Lewis or the make sure Lewis is put on the Democrats in the district, ballot. because Carl Lewis won the pri“It just disregards everything mary last time I checked. She that’s gone before her and hasn’t declared a vacancy.” before the voters,” said Lewis was unopposed in the Tambussi. “She’s saying Carl primary. He hopes to challenge Lewis’s name should not be on state Sen. Dawn Marie Addiego the ballot. Which is kind of (R-Burlington).

Borough officials said the new position would save an estimated $100,000 a year in salary and benefits costs. Up until now, the town has been paying $175,000 for a department chief, whose position expires Sept. 1.

Council members Isabel McGinty, Lawrence Quattrone and Council President J. Michael Vanderbeck voted in favor. Councilwomen Lynne Woods and Skye Gilmartin voted against the measure.

Councilwoman Selena Bibens was absent, but during the meeting a statement from her was read indicating she was not against the police director position but that she thought the council was rushing the decision.

The new director, who has yet to be hired, would oversee a department of 10 officers. Last night, council members talked about the possibility of hiring an additional officer to fill the position lost by phasing out the chief.

“With the police chief, we’re basically going down a one way street, with no turnoffs. I think we should have adopted an ordinance like this 10 years ago,” said Vanderbeck.

New American

The

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One Thought - One Humanity

Tia and Tamera get real with new TV series

For the conclusions of these stories check out the August 4th - August 10th, 2011 issue of The New American, which hits newsstands every Thursday Congratulations may be in order for Janet Jackson who reportedly has let billionaire boyfriend Wissam Al-Mana put a 15carat ring on it!!!

According to reports: The singer’s boyfriend, bil lionaire Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana, recently popped the question, and now the happy couple is planning an end-of-theyear marriage ceremony. “Janet is head over heels in love with Wissam,” said a close source. “He’s showered her with love, expensive presents and boosted her self-esteem by helping her lose weight and shape up.” Wissam, 36, first brought up a walk down the aisle last fall, when he reportedly presented the Jackson clan beauty with a magnificent 15-carat diamond ring.

But Janet, 45, wasn’t ready because she wanted to focus on preparations for her current concert tour, which runs into September. “Now Janet’s telling friends that an official engage ment announcement will come by summer’s end, and that she and Wissam will marry in late 2011 – and they’re shopping for an even bigger diamond ring to celebrate their official engagement.” The two are anxious to start a family as soon as possible. Janet would love to have a baby the natural way, but at 45, she’s also looking into adoption possibilities, according to the source.

The-Dream will make his dedicated fans very happy this month. The producersinger-songwriter will release a free 10-track LP, entitled ‘Terius Nash Est. 1977,’ prior to dropping his fourth studio album ‘The Love, IV: Diary of a Madman’ later this year. According to The-Dream, ‘Terius Nash Est. 1977’

will be released to the public free on August 31. “LP4 is Underway I THE-DREAM have decided to go forward with Diary Of A Madman LP it almost didn’t happen. So ill be in my Def Jam uniform for at least one More Season!” he tweeted. “Also a free 10 song Internet album will be released by Aug 31st. LP 4 because of the Contract negotiations does not have a date but it will be released 4th quarter but I will give a 10 song Internet LP while you guys wait!!!! LOVE YOU.” Chante Moore made an announcement that she and her hubby of nine years Kenny Lattimore are officially a wrap. The singer posted the following “private announcement” on her Facebook page. In the meantime Chante’ has her hands full as the host of an upcoming Sporty Girl Fitness 90 Day Transformation reality show. Michael Jai White, Vivica Fox and Tamyra Gray are also involved with the project.

“Can’t Be Friends” producer Mario Winans is finalizing his new album with plans to release the project by the end of the year. Winans’ third album, entitled ‘My Purpose,’ is a follow-up to his 2004 platinum effort ‘Hurt No More.’

During his hiatus from releasing solo material, Winans told YKIGS “I produced some stuff for the Diddy and Dirty Money [album] and with different artists like Rick Ross and all the Bad Boy artists.”

With urge to continue his solo career, he was inspired to record new material: “I had been living a little differently than what my purpose is, and that is really just to humbly serve others to pray for others and to really be a good person and live

the way I believe. From that, I was inspired to title my album that because those changes were going on in my life while I was working on the album.” In addition to his forthcoming album, Winans is grooming Hip Hop artist Superstar Piper, who is credited for producing Carl Thomas’ new single “It Ain’t Fair.”

Beyonce’s publicist told Today.com that Beyonce has no plans for a cookbook. “This is untrue,” she said.

Rumors started that Beyonce Knowles planned to publish a soul food cookbook, a “source” told the Daily Mirror. The singer was allegedly inspired by her mother, who prepares a spread of collard greens, cornbread, macaroni and cheese and fried chicken no matter where in the world they were. The only problem is that Beyonce has previously admitted that she isn’t such a great cook, and that she doesn’t really enjoy it. In fact, Beyonce says she’s a disaster in the kitchen.

Will.i.am has signed up to perform a special concert in China to encourage American students to study abroad and expand their cultural boundaries. The Black Eyed Peas star met with officials at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. and agreed to headline a gig for the 100,000 Strong Initiative, a motion made by President Barack Obama to match the rising number of Chinese students who travel to America to learn. The singer’s show will benefit Americans Promoting Study Abroad, a non-profit organization which provides financial support to low-income students partaking in exchange programs in the Asian country.

with the pressures of their personal relationships and responsibilities.

During the series, viewers get to see The twin sisters best known for Tia preparing for the birth of her their hit ‘90s sitcom Sister, Sister first child and Tamera planning the are back again. Tia Mowry Hardrict wedding of her dreams. and Tamera Mowry-Housley have In an interview, Tia and Tamera teamed up with the Style Network opened up about their new show, for a behind the scenes look into obstacles of parenting, balancing their major life transformations. their relationships and careers, and Their new docu-series Tia & Tamera, how they were able to break the teen premieres Monday, August 8 at star curse.

9:00pm ET/PT. What made you want to do this Last summer Tia and Tamera show? aired a successful preview to their Tia: This is the time... the timing series on The Style Network, and is right. Tamera and I have such this summer they are giving a more loyal fans that have stuck with us in-depth look into their lives as sis- throughout the years and we ters and friends. Throughout the thought it would be nice to open series they learn how to balance them to our world and let them their successful acting careers along know who we really are.

- Full Story In This Week’s New American Newspaper -

By CHRIS WITHERSPOON

Subscribe Today!

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DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

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15 minutes of exercise a day can extend life by three years

By TAN EE LYN HONG KONG — Doing just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day may add three years to your life, a large study in Taiwan has found.

Most people struggle to stick to the standard guideline of 30 minutes a day of exercise, five days a week, and experts hope that by identifying a lower dose, more people will be motivated to get off the couch.

Lead researcher Chi Pang Wen of Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes said dedicating 15 minutes a day to a moderate form of exercise, like brisk walking, would benefit anyone.

“It’s for men, women, the young and old, smokers, healthy and unhealthy people. Doctors, when they see any type of patient, this is a one-size-fits-all type of advice,” Wen told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Wen and colleagues, who published their findings in medical journal The Lancet yesterday, tracked

over 416,000 participants for 13 years, analysing their health records and reported levels of physical activity each year.

After taking into account differ-

ences in age, weight, sex and a range of health-related indicators, they found that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day increased life expectancy by three years compared

to those who remained inactive.

“The first 15 minutes ... the benefits are enormous,” Wen said.

Daily exercise was also linked to a lower incidence of cancer, and appeared to reduce cancer-related deaths in one person in ten.

“Sooner or later, you are going to die. But compared to the inactive group, the low exercise group has a reduction of 10 percent in cancer mortality,” Wen said.

Wen said the Taiwan findings were consistent with similar studies in the past using Caucasian participants, but his team was the first to come up with the minimum level of exercise necessary.

“None of the other papers were able to conclude ... what specific amount of exercise would be enough.

Ours is the first one to say that 15 minutes would be enough,” he said.

“We hope this will make it more attractive for inactive people, that they can allocate 15 minutes a day, rather than 30, which is more difficult.”

Music therapy may ease anxiety in cancer patients

By GENEVRA PITTMAN Music therapy might help lower anxiety and improve mood in people with cancer, say researchers who analyzed past studies.

It’s not entirely clear from those studies what kind of music-related treatment — going to sessions with a music therapist, or listening to prerecorded CDs during hospital visits — might help patients most.

But music therapist Debra Burns, from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said therapists especially can help patients relax during stressful treatments and think through their tension.

“We can use the different music interventions to target the in-themoment symptoms — pain, anxiety.

But we can also look at longer-term interventions,” such as improving communication with family members, said Burns, who was not involved in the review.

For the analysis, creative arts therapist Joke Bradt from Drexel University in Philadelphia and her colleagues reviewed data from 30 past studies that looked at the effect of music therapy or music listening in close to 2,000 cancer patients.

Compared to patients who only received standard cancer treatment, the combined data from the studies suggested that patients who also had music treatment rated their anxiety and pain lower and had higher mood scores. In addition, their heart rates were lower by about four beats per minute, on average.

There was no effect, however, on how patients rated their depression or fatigue.

That’s probably because most of the studies only tested the effect of listening to music in the hospital for

a single session, and didn’t give patients much choice about what type of music they listened to, Bradt said.

“If someone’s really depressed, one music listening session is not going to reverse that,” she told Reuters Health.

While there wasn’t enough data to determine if going to a music therapist helped patients more than listening to CDs, Bradt said she suspects that’s the case. With a music therapist, patients are usually involved in making music by singing or playing instruments, she explained, and therapists can design a treatment program for each particular patient.

“The patient can become an active participant,” she said. “It can be really empowering, and can help

patients feel more in control over the situation.”

Burns agreed. Therapists can adapt treatment “as they need to depending on the patient’s needs. It gives you some flexibility and a wider breath of tools,” she said.

“We cannot forget that making music is a lot of fun as well,” Bradt added.

It can be hard to objectively compare anxiety and depression in patients getting music therapy and those not getting any extra treatment, the authors explained in the new review, published in the Cochrane Library. That’s because researchers can’t keep music therapy a secret from patients — so if patients think music therapy will help them, they could feel better just

because of that extra optimism and expectation, rather than the because of the therapy itself.

But Bradt said despite that limitation, the potential positive effects of music treatment — especially with a trained music therapist — should be taken seriously, and that it’s not “just about listening to some music.”

“Certainly it’s not for everybody,” said Burns, who’s on the staff of Indiana University’s Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.

“Somebody at least has to be open to the experience,” she told Reuters Health.

Burns concluded that research should continue to look at what type of music therapy might help different patients at different stages of their cancer treatment.

FDA, industry reach generic drug fee agreement WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators and generic drugmakers have reached a compromise agreement for a user-fee program that would require the companies to pay some $299 million in the first year to accelerate drug approvals.

The Food and Drug Administration has been in negotiations with the generic drug industry since February to establish a user-fee program similar to one in place for brand-name drugs and medical devices.

Through the program, companies would pay fees to give the FDA extra money to hire more staff and improve support systems in its drug review process. Some of the fees would pay for bulking up FDA inspection of U.S. and foreign manufacturing facilities.

The FDA and several industry groups met three times in July,

according to meeting notes posted on the FDA’s website, and agreed that the industry would fund the user-fee program in full starting in year one.

That would amount to $299 million a year or more, if adjusted for inflation, with some of the firstyear money coming from a onetime payment by those companies whose drugs are pending review in FDA’s application backlog.

More than two-thirds of all U.S. prescriptions are filled with generic drugs. They have become a formidable rival to brand-name drugs that are facing expiring patents.

With bigger revenues, the generic drug industry is becoming more willing to pay for faster approval of its products. It is also eager for the FDA to improve its inspections to avoid such scandals as the 2008 recall of blood thinning drug

heparin after at least 149 people died from tainted ingredients tracked to China.

Similar to the other user-fee programs, Congress would have to give its approval before generic drug user fees are enacted.

The FDA-industry agreements reached in July continue to assume that congressional budget appropriations funding the generics review would remain relatively stable.

Industry representatives in the negotiations included the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, the European Fine Chemicals Group and the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates Inc’s Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force. They represent such companies as Watson Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Mylan Labs.

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Dave Chappelle didn’t want ‘reverse Kramer’ situation

By JOHN SELLERS Dave Chappelle appeared on a San Francisco area radio program Friday morning to promote a weekend concert, but spent much of the interview explaining his sometimes contentious stage presence, especially his demeanor during a July 22 charity performance at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida.

The reclusive “Chappelle’s Show” star said that he didn’t even get a chance to begin his routine that night because attendees in the front row began heckling immediately and that he was worried that it would become a “reverse Kramer” situation — a reference to the bigoted tirade “Seinfeld” alum Michael Richards launched into at a comedy club in 2006. Instead, he stayed on stage for 46 mostly silent moments.

“Someone said I melted down or I

had a nervous breakdown,” said Chappelle. “I wasn’t nervous at all.

The thing is, it was an Indian casino and I felt that they were trying to get a reverse Kramer shot of me. In other words, I came out on stage and the YouTube extravaganza began — everyone’s pulling their camera phones out. And that’s cool for the first couple of minutes. And then the whole front row starts heckling me and apparently the whole front row was the Seminole Indians, whose casino it was, so security didn’t want to tell them to be quiet.

“Now, this obviously wasn’t the whole audience — there were thousands of people there. But in the front, I can see and hear everything.

I was, like, okay, whatever. But at a certain point, you can’t possibly expect me (to continue). There’s got to be a little bit of cooperation.”

The following night he apologized profusely for the incident, calling it a “wild night.”

Fox’s ‘Crockett’ premieres soft as CBS wins ratings night

By TIM KENNEALLY LOS ANGELES — Fox’s “In the Flow With Affion Crockett” premiered soft, the “CMA Music Festival” on ABC dipped slightly from last year’s broadcast, and CBS took the night overall with its reliable ratings earner “Big Brother,” according to preliminary numbers.

“CMA,” on ABC from 8 to 11 p.m., drew a 1.6 rating/5 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, a 6 percent drop compared to last year’s telecast on September 1, and 6.9 million total viewers.

The network began the night with the will.i.am special “I.am.First: Science is Rock and Roll” at 7, which got a 0.5/2 in the demographic and 2.1 million total viewers.

CBS’ primetime roster began with overrun from the PGA Championship, which from 7 to 8:05 p.m. drew a 1.7/6 in the demographic and 9.2 million total viewers. “60 Minutes” followed at 8:05, scoring a 2.0/6 and 7.9 million total viewers.

“Big Brother” at 9, though down 14 percent versus last week, snagged the top ratings slot of the evening with a 2.5/6 and 7.1 million total viewers, propelling CBS to an overall win for the evening among the 18-49 demographic — the network averaged a 1.9/5.

The network finished out its night with the new reality series “Same Name,” which was down 6 percent compared to last week, with a 1.5/4 and 4.8 million total viewers.

Fox ran repeats throughout the evening, with the exception of a spe-

cial airing of the sketch-comedy series “In the Flow With Affion Crockett,” at 9 p.m., which drew a 1.3/3 and 2.6 million total viewers, followed by the actual premiere of the series at 9:30 p.m., which dipped from the special airing with a 1.0/3 and 2.2 million total viewers.

NBC started the night with a “Dateline” repeat at 7 p.m., followed by a special airing of “Minute to Win It” at 8 p.m., which garnered a 0.9/3 and 3.4 million total viewers. The network wrapped up its evening with back-toback airings of “The Marriage Ref,” with a special broadcast of the Jerry Seinfeld reality series at 9 grabbing a 0.9/2 and 2.6 million total viewers; and a regularly scheduled broadcast of the show at 10 dropping 10 percent compared to last week with a 0.9/2 and 2.6 million total viewers.

Erykah Badu slams rekindle rumors with ex-lover D.O.C. Erykah Badu did not rekindle with D.O.C. as reported. The soul diva slammed the reports via her publicist, insisting they are merely co-parenting their child, seven-yearold daughter, Puma.

The rumors began swirling last week after D.O.C. gave an interview to The Dallas Observer implying he had reunited romantically with Badu, allegedly claiming he is living with the “Window Seat” hitmaker and wants to film their family for a reality show.

On the contrary, Badu issued a statement via her spokesperson, insisting she has no interest in getting back with her ex.

“Erykah Badu and The D.O.C. share parental responsibilities for

their daughter and their relationship as it regards that aim is very good.

Erykah has no plans to marry or have any sort of courtship with the D.O.C.,” says Paul Levatino, spokesperson for Badu’s company Badu World.

“Ms. Badu has no plans to allow a reality show to be filmed in her private Dallas residence or to include any of her children in the filming.

Ms. Badu has no concrete plans further than a guest appearance in his reality show. The D.O.C.’s comments were either taken out of context, improperly interpreted, or reflective of his now, not-so-secret desires.

Whatever the case, Erykah wishes D.O.C. well both spiritually and professionally.”

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‘The Help’ gets help from Academy audience

By STEVE POND LOS ANGELES — “The Help” enjoyed a strong box-office debut over the weekend — but it also got what could be a big boost from a screening that didn’t add a nickel to its $25.5 million gross.

The ensemble film, which was adapted from Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel set in civil rights-era Mississippi, had its free screening for Academy members at AMPAS’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Saturday afternoon. According to a member with no stake in the success of the film, it drew an audience that arrived early and filled the 1,000-seat theater to as much as 90 percent capacity, an extremely good showing for a 4 p.m. matinee.

Another member said the theater probably wasn’t 90 percent full, but that attendance was definitely larger than usual.

Members in attendance “absolutely loved” the film, according to one voter, with substantial applause and no walkouts during the near two-anda-half hour running time. Another

Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson and Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark in Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Help.” reported that applause was particularly heavy for actresses Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain, but not for director Tate Taylor.

That second member thought the film would be divisive “the way all other white guilt films are” come

awards time. But the member who estimated the crowd at 90 percent (and who loved the film) called it a “shoo-in” for a Best Picture nomination, based on the reaction at the Goldwyn.

It’s worth noting, though, that an

extremely positive Goldwyn screening is not always a guarantee of Oscar success: “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” for one, had a famously successful Academy screening but didn’t land any nominations.

Disney, meanwhile, now has to figure out how to position the film’s large (and largely female) cast - particularly Davis, who could conceivably be campaigned as either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress.

The ultimate decision rests with the Academy’s actors branch, whose voters are instructed to slot performers into whichever category they see fit regardless of “for your consideration” ads.

But Disney can certainly nudge and for the moment most signs point toward the company nudging Davis toward the Best Actress category, where she’ll be competing against her castmate Emma Stone (who has a far smaller chance of a nomination). If they go for the alternative and push her as a Best Supporting Actress nominee, she’ll be up against co-star Spencer and maybe a handful of others as well, including Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Naturi Naughton to join new X-Men film, ‘The Wolverine’ Thandie Newton Life just keeps getting sweeter for former 3LW member Naturi Naughton. According to reports, the singer-actress has been tapped to join The Wolverine, the sequel to XMen Origins: Wolverine, which will be directed by James Mangold and will star Hugh Jackman and Kelly Hu. Shadow and Act reports that Naughton will play Cecilia Reyes, who is a “doctor and former X-men member. She is able to generate a force field that is tied to her life

force.”

Production for The Wolverine begins this October and will hit theaters summer 2012.

Naughton has witnessed a huge career boost since leaving the now defunct platinum-selling group 3LW. With big roles in films like Notorious, Fame, Lottery Ticket and the upcoming Highland Park, there seems to be no signs of stopping for the entertainer. She’s also currently starring in NBC’s controversial “Playboy Club.”

Kenny Lattimore readies new album following divorce Following his divorce from a 9 year marriage with songstress Chante Moore, R&B crooner Kenny Lattimore will head back to music, prepping the new album, ‘Back to Cool,’ for early 2012.

The set will be produced by J.R. Hudson, who penned the album teaser “Built to Last,” which Lattimore will perform on August 25th in Washington, D.C., during a week of events formally dedicating the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial at Constitution Hall.

“It’s a classic Kenny Lattimore song,” Lattimore said. “It’s got lovely lyrics. It’s a love song about the ups and downs of being in a relationship. It’s a great song.”

Lattimore continues: “I’m really honored. And I’m excited about the song. I’ve never sung this type of song before. It’s a big power ballad.

It’s perfect for that celebration.”

Lattimore has released four solo efforts and two duet albums with exwife Chante Moore. For the forthcoming CD, he plans to take things slow, replicating songstress Jill Scott by building his own team.

“I didn’t sign to a label,” said Lattimore, who’s spent most of his career with major labels and is considering his options. “I wanted to define the music before I went to a record label.”

not worried about her safety after London riots Thandie Newton says she has no fear living in her London neighborhood following the riots that engulfed the English capital.

The unrest earlier this month began in London before spreading to other parts of England, and were prompted by the death of a 29-year-old father-of-four, Mark Duggan, who was shot by police.

The actress says she still feels safe walking the streets of the city and is adamant her local community is pulling together in the wake of the riots.

“I feel very safe here. Everyone in my area looks out for everyone else.

There’s no need for neighborhood watch, or anything, I’ve got my dog, Maggie, to protect me,” she told WENN.

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Wal-Mart profit up, U.S. same-store sales fall

By JESSICA WOHL CHICAGO — Sales at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s U.S. discount stores open at least a year fell 0.9 percent during its second quarter, marking the ninth straight quarterly decline as it tries to lure back bargain hunters.

Still, profit beat analyst expectations as international sales, sales at the company’s Sam’s Club unit and a push to rein in expenses helped offset U.S. same-store sales that came in below analysts’ forecasts.

Wal-Mart shares rose 3.6 percent in premarket trading yesterday.

The world’s largest retailer stressed its commitment to low prices and widening its price

gap versus competitors, analyst following reports in recent weeks that suggested those gaps have narrowed in areas such as food.

“You can tell by their commentary, their commitment to everyday low price, it seems like they’re going to get more aggressive with pricing actions coming

up,” said ITG Investment Research analyst John Tomlinson.

Wal-Mart is also increasingly using everyday low pricing in international markets.

In countries such as Brazil, it is introducing the practice of having low prices all the time rather than focusing on limited time discounts.

Housing starts fall less than expected in July WASHINGTON — Housing starts fell less than expected in July as builders broke ground on new multifamily units likely to meet demand for rental apartments, while permits for future construction dropped.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday housing starts slipped 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 604,000 units, but above economists expectations for a 600,000-unit pace.

The report painted a picture of a housing market that continues to bounce along the bottom, swamped by an oversupply of unsold homes. Compared to July last year, residential construction was up 9.8 percent.

“The market is continuing to adjust to a reduction in the national home ownership rate at the same time the supply of existing single-family homes remain excessive,” said Peter Boockvar, equity strategist at Miller Tabak & Co. in New York.

U.S. financial markets were little moved

by the report as investors focused on weak euro zone growth data, which heightened fears the global economy might be slowing down much faster then previously thought.

U.S. data so far for the third quarter have painted a mixed picture of the economy which barely grew in the first half of the year. While there has been a moderation in the pace of layoffs in July and early August, the slowdown in manufacturing appears to be deepening.

A bloated inventory of unsold homes and a weak economy are weighing down on the housing market, whose collapse was the main catalyst of the 2007-09 recession. A large foreclosure pipeline also is not helping, leaving builders with little incentive to break ground on new projects.

Sentiment among home builders was steady at low levels in August, a survey showed on Monday, but they were pessimistic about sales over the next six months.

But demand for rentals, as Americans shun homeownership because of plummeting home prices and a 9.1 percent jobless rate, is stemming further declines in home construction.

Last month, housing starts for multi-family homes rose 7.8 percent to a 179,000-unit rate, and groundbreaking for projects with five or more units was the highest since January.

Single-family home construction — which accounts for a large portion of the market — dropped 4.9 percent to a 425,000-unit pace.

New building permits fell 3.2 percent to a 597,000-unit pace last month. Economists had expected overall building permits in July to fall to a 605,000-unit pace.

Permits were dragged down by a 10.2 percent drop in the multi-family segment.

Permits to build singlefamily homes rose 0.5 percent.

New home completions increased 11.8 percent to 636,000 units in July, the highest since June 2010.

But the United States is by far its biggest market, and many of Walmart’s U.S. customers are struggling, Chief Executive Mike Duke said during a recorded call.

“They’re trading down to stretch their budgets, buying a lowerpriced brand of detergent, moving from branded canned goods to private label and purchasing half gallons of milk instead of gallons,” Duke said.

Also, more shoppers are relying on government aid to help them pay for food and other necessities, Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said on the call.

The world’s largest retailer earned $1.09 per share from continuing operations, up from 97 cents a year earlier and

near the high end of its forecast of $1.05 to $1.10.

Excluding a decline in the market value of currency derivatives, acquisition costs and other items, earnings were $1.12, compared with the average analyst estimate of $1.08, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Sales at U.S. Walmart stores open at least a year excluding fuel fell 0.9 percent, near the low end of the company’s forecast of down 1 percent to up 1 percent.

Analysts on average were expecting a decline of 0.6 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Wal-Mart said U.S. same-store sales improved each month during the quarter.

Fewer customers visited

Walmart U.S. stores, but those who shopped spent more on average, the company said.

The U.S. Walmart business accounted for $260.3 billion, or 62.1 percent of sales, in fiscal 2011. Customers there have moved to even lower-priced dollar stores as unemployment remains high and inflation cuts into people’s spending power.

For the year, WalMart expects a profit of $4.41 to $4.51 a share, compared with its previous forecast of $4.35 to $4.50. The company forecast a profit of 95 cents to $1 for the third quarter.

The goal is still for same-store sales in that unit to turn positive by the end of the year, said Simon.

For the third quarter, same-store sales in that unit should be down 1 percent to up 1 percent, he said.

IATA: Airlines seen flying into economic turbulence

By TOM MILES GENEVA — A revival in global air travel may be about to slow sharply as economic headwinds discourage premium travel, industry body IATA said.

Its data for June showed a slight dip in premium and economy travel growth rates from May, although the number of passengers in both classes was higher than in June last year.

Premium travel numbers rose 6.4 percent and economy grew by 4.8 percent. Premium revenue is rising at an annual pace in the low teens, the IATA estimated.

However, it said two leading indicators for premium air travel — business confidence in major industrial economies and international trade in developed countries — pointed to slower growth in coming months.

“With world trade expanding, although at a slower rate, and business confidence still

(just) in positive territory, premium passenger markets are expected to show further growth in the months ahead, but growth rates are likely to run at a slower pace,” the IATA said in its monthly report.

Growth in premium air travel lags business confidence — which deteriorated in July — by three to six months, it said.

“Business confidence of this level is more consistent with annual premium traffic growth in the low single (percentage) figures,” it said.

That could hit the world’s biggest air travel market, between Europe and North America, which accounts for 19 percent of traffic and 30 percent of revenue.

Premium traffic was 11.1 percent higher in the first half than in year-ago period, but growth in June was off the pace, up 6.4 percent from the same month last year.

The second-biggest market, between Europe and the Far

East, saw a similar slowdown in June, the 7.9 percent growth well below the 12.1 percent for the first half.

The report did not give any definite forecast for economy class passenger numbers, which it said were 4 percent higher than their peak before the global financial crisis.

Still, there could be some consolation for airlines in that passengers may have adjusted to high fuel prices.

“The absence of a sharp downward movement in June following recent rises increases the likelihood that economy passenger numbers are now less affected by the impact of high fuel prices,” it said.

The NYSE Arca Airline Index has slumped by almost a quarter since the start of July, nearly double the decline in the Thomson Reuters Global Airline Index over the same period.

Both indexes have suffered despite a slide in the price of crude oil, which should improve airline profitability.

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

19

Businesses complain of .xxx shakedown

By TERRY BAYNES In preparation for a new triple-x Internet domain that will launch in December, lawyers for the most storied brands in the United States are scrambling to prevent an x-rated ripoff of an invaluable asset: corporate Web addresses.

The domain operator administering the .xxx domain is accepting early applications from brand owners who want control over their names. ICM Registry says it has received over 900,000 “expressions of interest” from companies that want to preregister their trademarks or block others from snapping them up to create, say, a Barbie.xxx or Coke.xxx.

While some adultcontent providers are paying the approximately $200 fee because they want to use the domain, other non-porn brands ranging from MTV Networks and Budget Travel to the Red Cross are preregistering to avoid future legal battles with cybersquatters who register trademarks with the intention of reselling them.

Porn and mainstream businesses alike complain they are being forced to buy domain names they don’t want, don’t need and won’t use — and compare the process to a hold-up.

“Many feel they’re being blackmailed to protect their brands,” said Kristina Rosette, a trademark lawyer at the law firm Covington & Burling. She added that requiring preregistration fees to protect

trademarks is not uncommon among domain registries, which then include the expected revenue in their business plans and projections.

ICM Registry, the private company that is introducing .xxx, was founded by Stuart Lawley, a British tech investor. He and his partners first proposed the .xxx domain in 2000 to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international governing body that oversees top-level domains and reviews new applications. Yet because of fierce opposition from religious and conservative groups on moral grounds, and the Internet pornography industry, which feared censorship, it took ICM until this past March to win a final approval from ICANN’s board and a 10-year contract to manage the .xxx domain.

Now that Lawley is finally in the home stretch and preparing to launch ICM in December, he dismisses charges that he is shaking down registrants.

“We’re doing it on a cost-recovery basis. We don’t make a dime out of it,” he said, adding that the fees would serve to cover the cost of verifying the applicant’s identity and trademark ownership.

ICM is the latest company to stake out territory in the fast-growing registry landscape. The most established player

in the field is Verisign, which operates both the .com and .net domains.

Another outfit, Afilias, owns .info and .mobi for sites designed for mobile devices. The number of registry com-

panies is expected to explode next year, when ICANN will allow any company to apply for its own domain extension, like .apple or .facebook.

Most big companies own tens of thousands of domain names, according to Frederick Felman, the chief marketing officer of MarkMonitor which helps companies protect their brands online. Warner Brothers, for example, owns not only warnerbros.com but also batm a n . c o m , harrypotter.com and looneytunes.com among many others.

Each new domain brings a new round of cybersquatters, who register well-known trademarks to increase Web traffic or later sell them at an inflated price. Close behind are typosquatters, who register famous names with slight typographic errors, like Peppsi instead of Pepsi. The threat of rampant brand

hijacking has alarmed companies who worry about the costs of defensive registrations with the launch of new domains.

A trademark owner that falls victim to cybersquatting or typosquatting must take legal action against the domain name holder, invoking ICANN’s dispute resolution policy to wrestle back the address. The process can take months and several thousand dollars in legal fees.

When ICANN opens the gates to new domains starting in January 2012, the cost of brand protection is going to skyrocket.

“Multiply .xxx times several hundred, and that’s the scale of the problem,” said Felman.

The businesses most affected by the launch of the .xxx domain are big name adult entertainment companies, such as Canadian-based Manwin and U.S.-based Hustler, which own dozens of domain names. They are not only refusing to pay, but also demanding that ICM block their domains free of charge.

Manwin, one of the world’s largest online porn companies, owns domains including Brazzers.com, Xtube.com and YouPorn.com. In June, its lawyers sent a letter to Lawley, listing 57 of its pre-existing domain names and warning ICM to protect those names or risk the consequences.

Manwin “has placed ICM on notice that registration of its domain names without its consent will constitute a violation of Manwin’s

Taiwan’s HTC sues Apple over patents Smartphone maker HTC Corp. sued Apple Inc., claiming infringement of three patents through Apple’s sale of Macintosh computers, iPads, iPods, iPhones and other devices.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware seeks to halt Apple’s importation

and sale of infringing products in the United States. It also seeks compensatory damages, triple damages for willful infringement and other remedies.

Yesterday’s complaint escalates the legal battle between the companies. Apple has accused HTC of patent

infringement through its smartphones, and filed several patent lawsuits against the Taiwan-based company in Delaware in the last two years.

Neither company was immediately available for comment.

HTC filed its lawsuit one day after Google Inc agreed to pay

$12.5 billion in cash for Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc to gain access to thousands of patents and help protect its fast-growing Android mobile operating system.

That merger, if completed, could put pressure on HTC and other Android licensees, which face the risk of

8++ ,+3'2+ '4* 3'2+ &581/+ 6;6 ;22? <+: ).+)1+* =583+* '4* <'))/4':+* 8/+4* 2? '4* );:+ $5;2* 3'1+ ' -8+': )536'4 /54 )54:'): 4'4)?3'8:/49 '52 )53 rights,” the company said in a statement.

Hustler, which owns domains including Hustlertv.com, Hustlerclothing.com and Hustlerstore.com, has sent a similar letter.

ICM responded to the legal threats with a seven-page report in July, claiming that a registry cannot be sued for trademark infringement.

The letters, though, have placed ICM on notice, which increases the potential for liability if ICM sells the trademarked names, said Rosette.

Eighty percent of registrants so far have been from outside the pornography industry, according to Easyspace, a British registrar which has been taking preorders on behalf of businesses that want to protect their brands before the official registration period opens in September.

MTV Networks was among the early brands to sign up to protect names such as VH1 and Comedy Central. “This is a unique launch,” said MTV spokesman Mark Jafar in an emailed statement.

While the company will not operate a website at spongebob.xxx, it will “be preventing others from owning it,” Jafar said, noting that MTV is registering more brands with .xxx than it normally would for a new domain.

Budget Travel cited similar concerns about a potential budgettravel.xxx. If people are Googling “budget travel” while planning a promoting a direct rival.

Google last year developed the Nexus phone with HTC, but sales proved disappointing.

According to its complaint, HTC obtained the patents that it believes Apple is infringing in 2008 and 2010.

HTC is based in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, and Apple in Cupertino, California.

vacation, “We don’t want them coming across something inappropriate,” said Lisa Schneider, the digital general manager for the travel site Budget Travel.

Not all registrants have to pay the $200 to $300 fee. Under ICANN’s rules, certain nonprofits including the Red Cross and the International Olympic Committee receive special protection in new domains because of their international status. At ICM’s request, Red Cross has submitted a list of its brand names, along with their Spanish and French translations, which will be blocked from .xxx free of charge, according to a Red Cross spokeswoman.

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20

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011 ! !

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DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

21

22

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

SPORTS BRIEFS Crayton happy in San Diego

SAN DIEGO - The moment Patrick Crayton was asked about Dallas, a big smile appeared on his face.

“I’m definitely ready,” the Chargers receiver said. “I can’t wait until Wednesday.”

Crayton played six years for the Cowboys and still lives near Dallas, where he grew up. Despite asking for his release twice in 2010, he has fond memories of his time with the Cowboys, an 82game stint, before being traded to San Diego 10 days before the opener last year.

He’ll get a chance to face them this weekend.

The Chargers fly today to the Dallas area, where they’ll practice with the Cowboys before playing them Sunday night.

Spears prepped for possibility of leaving Cowboys ARLINGTON, Texas - Marcus Spears was prepared to accept the real possibility that he might have played his last game for the Dallas Cowboys.

Spears missed the second half of last season because of a calf injury. Plus, the Cowboys had salary cap issues and were hoping to retain Stephen Bowen, the defensive end who had replaced Spears in the starting lineup after he got hurt.

But Spears got to stay, suddenly getting a new five-year contract from the Cowboys only after Bowen took a five-year deal from Washington.

That came once the NFL lockout was settled just in time for training camp to start.

“I might not have been the first guy they wanted to bring back, but it worked out that way,” Spears said. “The day I agreed to terms, everybody was excited about it and we just moved on. I understand that it’s a business aspect to this. And then it’s this part, it’s football.”

During training camp Monday at Cowboys Stadium, the defensive front seven was going through some alignment drills with new coordinator Rob Ryan at one end of the field. Lined up to the right of Spears was linebacker DeMarcus Ware, the 11th overall pick by the Cowboys in 2005, nine spots before they got Spears out of LSU in the same draft.

Dallas switched Ware from defensive end to linebacker in their 3-4 defense. He has since developed into one of the NFL’s top defensive players, a five-time Pro Bowler.

While Spears has been a solid starter at end throughout his career, his primary job often is to occupy offensive linemen so linebackers can make plays. That means he doesn’t pile up a bunch of big stats.

“I appreciate it, he’s one of the best at what he does and he just gets after it,” linebacker Bradie James said. “Spears, he’s great. He’s great in the locker room, he’s a great person and taking those blockers. Taking two guys is tough, but he does it, and he does it with grace and style.”

There were questions last season about whether Spears was still part of the Cowboys’ long-term plans. Consider that backup ends Bowen and Jason Hatcher were both paid more after Spears, then a restricted free agent, accepted a tender offer at an “original draft choice” rate of $1.2 million last year.

- STEPHEN HAWKINS

DAILY CHALLENGE

SPORTS

Horton pays his dues to become Arizona coordinator

By BOB BAUM FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Ray Horton has the credentials to prove what kind of man he is.

This is, after all, the guy who just before leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers’ coaching staff virtually gave his 1999 Mercedes convertible to a cafeteria worker.

Correct that. He sold the car for $20.

“I wasn’t going to give it to the guy,” Horton said before the team practiced on Monday. “I’m not crazy.”

He’s also not always Mr. Nice Guy in his new job as defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals.

“He’s a good guy until you mess up,” defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. “Don’t let that look fool you. He knows his stuff, man, and he don’t care what nobody says. He’s all about winning, getting to that ball and hitting somebody.”

The 51-year-old Horton is in a precarious job - the third defensive coordinator in coach Ken Whisenhunt’s five seasons in Arizona. But after 10 seasons as a player and 17 as an NFL assistant, Horton relishes the opportunity.

“I aspire to move up and up and up,” he said. “I love what I’m doing. It means everything. You wonder how good you can be,

and you get a shot at it.”

Horton played cornerback for Cincinnati and Dallas, appearing in a Super Bowl for each team.

He coached for Washington, Cincinnati and Detroit before joining the Pittsburgh staff in 2004. That put him on the same Steelers staff as Whisenhunt, who was offensive coordinator there when he took the Arizona job.

Horton was promoted from assistant defensive backs coach to defensive backs coach with the Steelers when Mike Tomlin took over as head coach in 2007.

Asked what would be different about Horton’s defense, Whisenhunt said, “Well, if we could stop somebody, that would be a good start.”

The Cardinals were 29th out of 32 teams in total defense, leading to the firing of coordinator Bill Davis, who had taken over from Clancy Pendergast two years earlier.

“The biggest issue that we had last year is that we weren’t on the same page as a defense and we weren’t playing together,” Whisenhunt said.

“Everybody wasn’t playing the same call, the same way.

Whatever you want to say about that, that’s basically what hurt us. Our goal this year is to play better team defense.”

While the Cardinals will remain basically a 3-4 team,

Horton is installing the Steelers’ defense, which means a complete turnover in terminology.

“The biggest thing is the calls, the adjustment and the language,” Dockett said. “I’ve been in this system for seven years so I’ve been used to one thing. I used to come to meetings and look at the board and be like ‘OK, I got it,’ and I don’t even have to pay attention no more. Now I have to go there just like I’m a rookie and write down everything. But change is good.”

Of particular concern is the pass rush.

“As I look at it, I can either just say ‘Wow, we’ve got great individual one-on-one players that can beat the guy across from him,” Horton said, “or I’ve got to help them with a scheme, with a blitz, with pressure. I think it will be a mix of that.”

And Horton is not above reminding his players of his former employer, and the defensive success he had there.

“I’ve never used the word Pittsburgh,” he said. “Whenever I talk about Pittsburgh, I say a team in western Pennsylvania, and it’s for a reason. I envision us becoming like that team in western Pennsylvania. ...

Somebody says Rome won’t be built in a day, but hopefully it can be built in a season.”

For now, SEC will stick with its 12 schools

By KURT VOIGT The Southeastern Conference is staying just as it is - for now.

However, the game of major college conference realignment appears far from finished.

University of Florida President Bernie Machen, the chairman of the Southeastern Conference’s presidents and chancellors committee, said the group met Sunday and “reaffirmed our satisfaction with the present 12 institutional

alignment.”

Machen said no action was taken regarding Texas A&M or any other schools. He didn’t, however, close the door on change.

“We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league,” Machen said in a statement. “We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion.”

The Aggies reportedly are looking to leave the Big 12. The Texas A&M System board of regents is to meet

Monday, and among the items on the agenda is conference alignment.

A&M President R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement Sunday there is “a considerable amount of misinformation” regarding the school and the SEC. Loftin said he didn’t participate in the meeting Sunday with the SEC, but would be authorized by the regents to “take all actions related to athletic conference alignment.”

If it leaves the Big 12, Texas A&M’s first destination preference appears to be the SEC.

Arkansas Chancellor Dave Gearhart said that much was made clear at the SEC meeting Sunday. “(Texas A&M) did approach the SEC, not the other way around,” Gearhart said. “I’m not really sure of all the reasons for that. I’m sure that there’s a lot of speculation on behalf of a lot of people that what caused them to do that.

The bottom line is they did approach the SEC.” Gearhart said the Aggies were among a number of topics discussed at the SEC meeting in Atlanta.

DAILY CHALLENGE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2011

DAILY CHALLENGE

23

SPORTS

Rondo, Jackson set Oct. 1 deadline for decision

By CHRIS DUNCAN BEAUMONT, Texas - Decision time is approaching for NBA players mulling moves overseas.

More than a month into the lockout that appears far from a resolution, Boston guard Rajon Rondo, Milwaukee forward Stephen Jackson and Oklahoma City stars Kevin Durant and James Harden mingled with kids Friday at a high school gym in southeast Texas, part of a camp hosted by Thunder forward Kendrick Perkins.

Training camps are due to open in the first week of October, and Rondo and Jackson have set an Oct. 1 deadline for deciding if they’ll play in Europe or elsewhere, or wait out the labor impasse that threatens to wipe out games and possibly, the entire 2011-12 season. Durant said last month that he was “about 50-50” on going overseas, but he and

Harden declined interview requests Friday.

The lockout began after the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30.

Owners want the current salary structure revamped after saying they lost $300 million in revenue last season. Players question that number, meanwhile, and are resisting the league’s push for a hard salary cap and reduction in salaries and maximum contract lengths.

Jackson says he’s “in tune” with preliminary conversations between the two sides and he’s trying to stay optimistic.

“I’m going to say that we’re going to be playing on Oct. 1,” he said, “but deep down inside, I’m not sure.”

Rondo, a two-time All-Star, says he’ll discuss options with his agent as the start of training camp draws closer.

“It just depends,” Rondo said. “My agent and I will sit down and we’ll talk about it, and discuss what’s best for

me.”

New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams didn’t hesitate, signing a deal to play for the Turkish team Besiktas, which also was reportedly negotiating with Kobe Bryant.

Jackson, an 11-year veteran who signed with Milwaukee in late June, says he’s talking to top-tier teams in France. He’s not worried about missing NBA paychecks, but wants to stay on top of his game.

“I don’t have money problems. I’m good,” Jackson said. “I will go to play overseas just to stay in shape, so when we do start, I’m ahead of guys, not behind. I’m going to wait until the season is officially not going to start before I make any decision.”

Rondo says he’s putting the lockout out of his mind for now, and working out in Kentucky as if the season will start on schedule.

“I’m just trying to focus on getting better, and ready for next season,” Rondo said.

Jackson says he’s been practicing with

Hawks forward Josh Smith in Atlanta. He’s frustrated that the lockout prohibits players from having any contact with their teams, including using their facilities and the athletic trainers on the staffs.

“If I had the Bucks trainer, I’d be doing everything that I’d be doing during the season, so once training camp comes, my body would already be tuned,” he said. “Now, I have to work out and try to do the things we do there. It’s impossible to know what the trainer actually wants us to do.”

The players didn’t seem too stressed about the lockout on Friday.

Durant and Harden casually shot 3-pointers, and Jackson watched young boys play a scrimmage.

Rondo signed autographs at a table outside the gym.

Proceeds from the camp go to Perkins’ foundation, aimed at helping children learn life skills and teach them drug awareness.

Perkins set up the Beaumont-based foun-

dation in 2009, and he plans to expand its reach to other cities.

Jackson, who grew up in nearby Port Arthur, says the players would be attending the camp, even if the lockout wasn’t in place.

“This is our routine.

We really don’t start toning things down until the middle of September,” he said.

“We’re on our regular schedule. Hopefully, we can stay on a regular schedule and start the season at the same time.”

Steelers C Pouncey makes quick rise to line leader LATROBE, Pa. With all the injuries, position battles and chaos of shuffling players around the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line, the team considers itself fortunate to have a stable Pro Bowl anchor in the middle.

Even if this pillar of stability is only three weeks removed from his 22nd birthday.

Taken with the 18th pick of last year’s draft, Maurkice Pouncey so impressed the Steelers early during training camp of his rookie year that he won the starting job at center. Almost immediately, Pouncey developed into one of the

best of the league at his position.

Forget the sophomore slump, his teammates say. Still the second-youngest of the 90 players in Pittsburgh’s camp, Pouncey has gone from 20-year-old draftee to respected, reliable team leader in a matter of 16 months.

“He’s the spark on our offensive line,” guard/center Doug Legursky said. “He’s going to lead us.”

He’s being depended on to do just that for a unit that will have different starters at three of the four other positions from last season’s Super Bowl team.

“There’s a lot of pressure on me this year,” Pouncey said, “so I’m

ready for it. We’ve got some older guys, but I definitely want to be part of the anchor of the offensive line and contribute my part.”

A three-year starter before leaving school after his junior year at Florida - his twin brother, Mike, was a firstround pick of the Dolphins this year Pouncey appears to be the next in the line of great Pittsburgh centers.

The Steelers had just four starting centers between 1964-2006.

Three were selected to multiple Pro Bowls, Mike Webster is already in the Hall of Fame and Dermonti Dawson has been a finalist for induction.

Yes, it’s only been one full season. But Pouncey is giving the Steelers reason to believe he can join that lineage after being the best lineman, at age 21, on a team that won the AFC championship. The only down note from last season, is that Pouncey did not play in the Super Bowl due to a high ankle sprain.

“He’s incredible,” said Rashard Mendenhall, who was fifth in the AFC in rushing yards and tied for second in rushing touchdowns running behind Pouncey last season.

“Maurkice is just a very smart player, very athletic, and he’s just a dog.

He’s not going to back down from anything.

You see that everyday when you watch film, you see it everyday in practice.”

Pouncey’s tenacity has helped endear him to his teammates, more than one of whom affectionately uses the word “nasty” to describe his demeanor on the field.

Already this preseason, the young center rushed to the defense of a teammate who was on the wrong end of some jawing by a Washington Redskin on Friday.

Two days later, during an afternoon practice at St. Vincent College, Pouncey stepped in between a scuffle involving Jonathan Scott and Cameron Heyward.

Such an attitude is in

stark contrast to the easy-going, quiet persona Pouncey has off the field. He might be developing into a fiery leader for a traditional powerhouse. But, in reality, he’s still a smiling, happy-go-lucky college-aged kid.

“You catch yourself sometimes looking at him going, ‘Wow, he’s 21,’” Pittsburgh offensive line coach Sean Kugler said. “When you’re talking football with Maurkice sometimes, it’s like he’s a 30year-old. And then when you start talking things off the football field, it’s then you realize, ‘Yeah, he’s 21.’

“A great kid, mature football-wise beyond what he is right now.”

DAILY CHALLENGE

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