Vol 18, No 108 Monday August 1st, 2011

SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE LEADER DIES - PG. 2 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

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Final

MONTFORD MARINES: FEW, PROUD AND BLACK

The history-making Marines never received the same recognition as the famed Tuskegee Airmen, African American pilots who fought in World War II.

But the few Montford Marines who are still alive reunite each year at their convention and hope to spread the word about the path they paved. SEE PAGE 3.

STATUE FOR ROCK AND ROLL’S CHUCK BERRY

Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry gave his approval dedicating an eight-foot bronze statue of himself before a cheering crowd of about 500 people in the Delmar Loop entertainment district of St. Louis.

SEE PAGE 2.

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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NEWS BRIEFS Southern Christian Leadership Conference leader dies MALCOLM X’S DAUGHTER GETS PROBATION FOR IDENTITY THEFT The youngest daughter of civil rights leader Malcolm X was sentenced to five years probation on Thursday for stealing the identity of a longtime family friend and using it to make more than $55,000 in illegal credit card purchases.

Malikah Shabazz, 46, pleaded guilty in June to identity theft in state Supreme Court in Queens.

At her sentencing on Thursday she was ordered to pay a total of $55,884 in restitution to the credit card companies.

Shabazz, wearing a black Tshirt and thick glasses similar to those her father often wore, left the courthouse immediately after the proceedings and declined to comment.

Shabazz, a North Carolina resident, was charged in March with opening several credit card accounts in the name of Queens resident Khaula Bakr, the widow of a bodyguard who was with Malcolm X when he was assassinated in Harlem in 1965.

According to authorities, Shabazz told Makr she needed her personal information for paperwork involving a child care matter and then used it to open the accounts.

“The defendant, who preyed upon the trusting nature of a once close family friend, has admitted her guilt in committing a serious felony offense and will be ordered to make her victims financially whole,” District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

— Bernd Debusmann Jr. AUDIT: MTA LOST MORE THAN $10M FROM WEEKEND SUBWAY DIVERSIONS In a recent audit of weekend subway re-routings due to construction by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the city and state comptrollers have found that the agency has lost more than $10 million due to shortened work hours at those construction sites.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and City Comptroller John Liu say of the 29 diversions audited from January of 2009 until June 2011, work started late on nearly all of them and stopped early more than half the time.

On 12 maintenance contracts that required riders to be diverted, the study found the MTA was over-budget by 47 percent.

The report also says the MTA does not adequately alert riders to service changes and that shuttle bus service was based off of old ridership figures.

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By DAVID BEASLEY ATLANTA — The president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization whose founders included the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., died of an apparent heart attack early on Thursday.

Howard W. Creecy Jr., a 57-yearold Baptist minister, had been president of the SCLC for only six months and worked to rebuild it after a series of internal disputes over leadership.

He died at his home in Atlanta.

Creecy took over the presidency in January after King’s daughter, Bernice King, declined to accept the position, citing differences with the board of directors.

Creecy revitalized the SCLC, spokesman Maynard Eaton told Reuters.

“He saved this organization,” Eaton said. “It was on the brink of disaster. He became this organization’s lifeline with his charisma and his preacher passion.”

Creecy continued as pastor of a

church while serving as president, Eaton said.

“In hindsight, he may have worked himself to death,” Eaton said. “He wanted to make sure the SCLC he grew up with regained its luster and its mission.”

Isaac Newton Farris Jr., a nephew of Martin Luther King, will serve as the interim president of the SCLC. “We will work to continue on the path that (Creecy) and leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. laid before us,” Farris said in a statement.

Statue for rock and roll’s Chuck Berry erected in St. Louis

By BRUCE OLSON ST. LOUIS — Rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry, spry and smiling at 84 years old, gave a wave of approval dedicating an eight-foot bronze statue of himself on Friday before a cheering crowd of about 500 people.

The statue was erected in the Delmar Loop entertainment district of St. Louis despite opponents who objected to the monument, citing Berry’s legal troubles during his long career.

“I won’t keep you long,” Berry, wearing his trademark boating cap, told a crowd that gathered despite heat surpassing 90 degrees. “I don’t know how to speak, I just sing a little bit. I’m going to say thank you again, and I love you all.”

Berry’s rapid fire lyrics and revolutionary guitar riffs landed him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and earned the lifelong St. Louis resident a Presidential medal of honor.

He is listed by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the five top all-time rock acts along the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley.

Berry, who first played in 1941, still performs every month at Blueberry Hill, across the street from the statue.

Among those sending greetings to

Berry was Elvis Costello, who said he was glad to see a Berry statue “in St. Louis where it belongs” and from fellow rock pioneer Little Richard who called Berry “the greatest entertainer in the world.”

Berry was joined at the podium by his wife, children and grandchildren who joined his fans in singing “Johnny B. Goode,” his signature 1957 hit, as the rock icon made his way through the crowd at the end of the ceremony.

A plaza near the statue features illuminated walls with laser-engraved musical notes of “Johnny B. Goode”.

Concrete strips in the sidewalk are etched with the lyrics of Berry songs.

Opposition to the statue came earli-

er this summer when a former city council member gathered 100 signatures aimed at delaying the installation. The opposition centered on felony convictions in Berry’s early career, including a 1962 conviction for transporting a woman across state lines for immoral purposes.

Berry spent three years in prison, where he penned several songs, including “No Particular Place to Go.” Berry collapsed during a show in Chicago last New Year’s Day but recovered in time to play his next show in St. Louis and showed no signs of ill effects at the dedication ceremony.

His next Blueberry Hill show is scheduled for August 17.

Obama, Bush to attend Sept. 11 ceremony Mayor Michael Bloomberg says Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will be part of a ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11.

Bloomberg, in a CNN report, said efforts have been taken to make sure the event doesn’t become a political platform for the small group of politicians invited to participate in the ceremony in New York.

In his weekly radio address Friday, Bloomberg said the names of all the victims would be read aloud at

the ceremony and there would be “no speeches whatsoever.”

Also invited and expected to attend are New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former New York Gov. George Pataki, who was in office when the attacks were launched, and Rudy Giuliani, who was mayor of New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

“There’s an awful lot of people who would like to participate, and you can’t do that,” Bloomberg said.

Each speaker will read a passage

or recite a poem and the readings will be timed to mark each of the day’s tragedies, including the moment the planes hit each tower of the World Trade Center and when the buildings collapsed, Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg said the event would be the most “solemn” of all the Sept. 11 ceremonies announced to date.

“We’re going to read all the names for the first time, including those people who died in Washington and in Pennsylvania,” Bloomberg said.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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Montford Marines: Few, proud and Black

By MONI BASU Edwin J. Fizer got off the train to report for training at Montford Point, North Carolina in the summer of 1942. He, like all proud Marines, had to prove his mettle.

Except, Fizer had another tough hurdle. He was Black, and until then, the U.S. Marine Corps had been all white.

But in June, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an order that began to erase discrimination in the armed forces. The Marines were the last to open up and the next year, Fizer was among 18,000 young Black men who trained — not at Parris Island — but at a segregated facility in Montford Point, North Carolina.

“It was one of the worst times of my life,” said Fizer, in Atlanta Saturday for the annual gathering of the Montford Point Marines. “I was fighting the war on racism and Jim Crow and at the same time getting ready to fight a war overseas.”

The history-making Marines never received the same recognition as the famed Tuskegee Airmen, African American pilots who fought in World War II. But the few Montford Marines who are still alive reunite each year at their convention and hope to spread the word about the path they paved.

This year, they are focusing on preserving their legacy with a monument at Montford Point and supporting a bill that would grant Congressional Gold Medals for the first Black Marines. On Saturday, Commandant Gen. James Amos will meet

with the Montford Point survivors and begin a month-long effort to pay tribute to them.

But almost always, their conversations begin with memories and sheer marvel at how times have changed.

For Fizer, it’s important to be among others who can understand the sting of discrimination while serving the nation.

“They treated us poorly. We heard the ‘n’ word a lot,” he said.

It was an experiment of sorts to see whether Black men had enough steeliness to fight as a Marine, Fizer said. Their weapons and equipment were inferior but the tests of physical fitness twice as difficult.

If a drill called for a 10-mile run, the Black recruits were ordered to run 20.

At times, the humiliation was tough to endure.

Fizer remembers being off-loaded from the train to make room for Ger-

man prisoners of war. They were the enemy but they could go places Fizer was not allowed. They were treated with more respect than the Black Marines, Fizer said.

“I’ve often talked to young white people who say, “If I were in your shoes, I would be very angry,’” Fizer said. “I tell them that it takes strength.”

The ill treatment from his white superiors hardened Fizer’s resolve.

Even under the circumstances, he said, the Montford Point Marines broke records. They were determined to serve their nation, even if it did not see them as equals.

Ted Britton, another Montford Point Marine, said the African Americans supported each other like family.

“We wanted to fight,” Britton said.

“As long as we were together, there was a lot of camaraderie. We trained together and suffered together.”

Fizer’s platoon fought a grueling war in the Pacific. He returned to carve out a life in New Orleans. In 1965, he and the other Montford Point Marines formed their association, lest they be forgotten in the pages of history.

Two years later, a New York Times story — “Negro ex-Marines open rally here” — said the Black Marines were “dedicated to unqualified support to our democratic, constitutional form of government.”

By then, the armed services were integrated and civil rights legislation was starting to open new doors for African Americans.

James Averhart, born shortly after that convention, grew up to join the Marine Corps in 1987. He did not have to report to a separate training camp for Blacks. He did not have to bear racial slurs from his white drill sergeants.

Averhart served in the first Persian Gulf War and eventually took the helm as president of the Montford Point Marine Association. He didn’t want the courage of his predecessors to go unnoticed.

“If they had not done what they did, I would not be able to do what I do,” Averhart said. “That’s why I have an obligation.”

With most of the Montford Point Marines in their 80s or 90s, the obituaries go up online all too frequently.

Richard Henry Cornick died in May; Herman S. Hamilton in April; Lloyed E. Privott in February.

They are names that represent not just Black history or Marine Corps history, Averhart said. They are American history.

Weather disasters seen costly sign of things to come

By MOLLY O’TOOLE WASHINGTON — The United States is on a pace in 2011 to set a record for the cost of weather-related disasters and the trend is expected to worsen as climate change continues, officials and scientists said on Thursday.

“The economic impact of severe weather events is only projected to grow,” Senator Dick Durbin said at a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Financial Services and Government, which he chairs. “We are not prepared. Our weather events are getting worse, catastrophic in fact.”

Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, held a hearing on the role of government in mitigating the economic impact of weather disasters as Republicans in the House of Representatives were considering an appropriations bill with a number of riders designed to curtail environmental regulation.

As of June, the United States has seen eight weather disasters exceeding $1 billion each in damage, and the annual hurricane season has hardly begun, said Kathryn Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction and NOAA’s Deputy Administrator.

The record is nine in a single year,

2008. But April alone saw separate tornado, wildfire, flood and drought disasters.

“Any one such a event in a year would be considered quite notable, and we had four in totally different hazard categories in the space of a month,” Sullivan told Reuters.

The costs of weather-disaster damages have climbed past $32 billion for 2011, according to NOAA estimates.

The agency also projects that water flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from record flooding will create the largest-ever “dead zone” from pollutants led by run-off from agricultural chemicals, threatening marine life and threatening the $2.8 billion annual commercial and recreational fisheries.

“Every weather event that happens nowadays takes place in the context of the changes in the background climate system,” University of Illinois scientist Donald Wuebbles, who worked on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, told the panel.

“So nothing is entirely ‘natural’ anymore,” he said.

Since roughly 1980, the United States has seen a total of 107 weather-related disasters of over $1 billion each in damage, with total losses exceeding $750 billion.

Almost 90 percent of all Presidentially declared disasters are weatherrelated, and vulnerability to the impacts is also increasing with population, Sullivan testified.

“The scientific and analytical consensus is ... that patterns and frequencies of weather events are changing,” said Sullivan. “That alone says past is no longer prologue.”

Durbin flagged the trend of rising weather disasters as a major budget issue for Congress. Over the next 75 years, he said, cumulative exposure of the U.S. government budget to weather-disaster damages could reach $7 trillion.

Durbin said federal funding for disaster relief has been typically provided only as needed, rather than as regular budget projections. So weather disasters have been a budget disaster too, he said.

“In years with catastrophic events, we are left scrambling to fund relief programs,” he said. “If we hope to put this country on a sustainable fiscal path, we need to be prepared to manage this increase in natural catastrophes.”

Congress has asked the Government Accountability Office to determine how federal, state and local authorities are adapting to climate change. But David Trimble, Director

A section of a trailer park is seen submerged in flood waters in Minot, North Dakota. for Natural Resources and Environment at the GAO, told Reuters that environmental regulations addressing climate change have fallen victim to political pressure in the current budget debate.

“I think it’s more your sort of pressing needs today versus tomorrow, the ‘my roof’s not raining now’ idea,” he said.

“This is a difficult, complex issue that involves pretty much every aspect of the government,” he said.

“To tackle it we need greater clarity about where the money we are spending on climate change is going, and on our national priorities.”

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

FORUM

Power of Black consciousness in 2011

THOMAS H. WATKINS

By DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR.

Republicans have a memory deficit .

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Whatever is on your mind or in your spirit and soul, it is an expression of your consciousness.

Your state of mind should be governed about how you feel about yourself, family, community, race, tradition, history, humanity, values and principles, and the overall quality of your life in the context of your quantitative ability and capacity to provide for yourself and love ones. Fifty years ago, back in the 1960’s, in particular for Black Americans, there was an emerging, self-determined Black consciousness movement that first affirmed the humanity of Black people in America,

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slavery, colonization and oppression of African people throughout the world. Any study of the history of Black literature, our writings and spoken words over the last six centuries shows the central theme of the love and passion of Black people for liberation, freedom and justice universally not only for all people of African descent, but also for all people in the diversity of God’s creation.

The purpose and focus of this column is simple: Black Americans cannot afford to be idle spectators while others in America have a clear agenda for power, money, prosperity and empowerment, both politically and economically. In other Continued on page 5

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Africa, the Caribbean and throughout the Pan African world. It is timely, I believe, to ask the question today: “What is the state of Black consciousness of African Americans in 2011?”

Another fundamental purpose of the evolution of the Black consciousness movement was to expose the falsehood, myth and destructive stereotypes of white supremacy, both in its historical and contemporary institutionalized forms. Of course, the Black consciousness movement in the 1960’s also had its antecedents in the Pan African movements for Black solidarity, liberation, self-determination, freedom, justice, and equality during the previous 500 years of the systematic

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

America’s racial wealth gap grows to the largest on record

By CHARLENE CROWELL In the 25 years since the federal government began publishing demographic data on wealth, the worst disparities emerged for 2009. A newlyreleased analysis by the Pew Research Center found that the median wealth of white households is 20 times that of Blacks, and 18 times that of Latinos – a gap that nearly doubled in size for these same three racial groups more than 20 years ago.

Further, when Pew compared wealth gaps for 2005 to those of 2009, the clear conclusion was that the combination of the housing market bubble and the subsequent recession were the underlying causes for these record disparities. In 2005, just before the housing bubble burst,

white median net worth was $134,992. Comparable figures for Latinos and Blacks were respectively $18, 359 and $12,124.

By 2009, all three groups lost wealth; but Black median net worth was less than half of that recorded for 2005: $5,677; Latinos families were only slightly better at $6,325. Yet for white households, the median net worth decreased to $113,149.

According to Pew, household wealth is determined by subtracting all debts owed from the accumulated sum of all assets, including real estate, cars, savings and checking accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, etc.

Since the report was released, much of the extensive news coverage has omitted a key finding. From 2005 to 2009 the number of families with either zero or negative worth grew dramatically as well. For Black

families, the percentage grew from 29 percent to 35 percent; for Latino families, the negative wealth grew from 23 percent to 31 percent. Yet for white families, negative wealth went from 11 percent to15 percent.

More plainly stated, African Americans are becoming poorer at a faster rate than any other race or ethnic group in the country. Our forefathers may have worn the shackles of slavery. But this generation is wearing shackles of a different kind: poverty and debt.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), America’s Black unemployment level is double that of white America. After comparing unemployment data to that of Core Logic, a private research firm, among the nation’s top states for underwater mortgages – states with homeowners owing more than their house is now worth – the top five of those states

Black consciousness in 2011 Continued from page 4 words, we need to be re-awaken to the importance of having a Black consciousness and perspective about all that we do and desire. The truth is we should not be upset with other ethnic and racial groups when they express and organize around their own self interests. The problem is when we as a people appear to be hesitant or reluctant to state clearly and strategically an agenda for the empowerment of the Black community. Each generation of Black people in America and throughout the world must rise to the occasion unapologetically to state our priorities, issues and interests.

The first place to reject the persistent poverty that continues to engulf millions of African Americans is in our own consciousness. Yes, that’s right, we have to reject and combat the poverty mentality that exists is too many of our own minds. The fact that poverty persists in the African American community even amidst the current economic recovery across the nation is problematic. But we should not be narrowly convinced by the forces of our oppression that our situation is hopeless and beyond redemption. Our situation can and will change for the better, but it will require much more to raise the consciousness of African Americans with a stronger spiritual fortitude together with an irrepressible sense of self-determination and Black consciousness.

I remember well, and we should never forget Steve Biko and the BCM (Black Consciousness Movement) in

South Africa. The youth of South Africa, first through the ranks of the young activists of the ANC (African National Congress), and secondly the youth who joined Biko and the BCM all worked together to raise the level of consciousness among the masses of Black people in South Africa to the point that the weakness of the apartheid was exposed and dismantled. These young people and others had made up their minds that they were not going to tolerate that brutal form of racism any longer. Nothing is more powerful than a mind that is made up. That’s the power potential of Black consciousness. Before Steve Biko was beaten to death by officials of the apartheid regime, he wrote a truth that warrants repeating now: “The greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”

Today the Tea Party and other right wing elements are determined to confuse and to destabilize the mind set of Black people. Currently in many states there are acts of voter suppression in an attempt to prevent a large African American voter turnout in the 2012 national elections. Continuous negative campaigning tactics and media advertising are also aimed at dulling the sensibilities of African Americans to sustain a nonproductive syndrome of hopelessness and apathy. Just at the time when we should all be mobilizing and organizing around the core issues that impact the quality of life of Black people and all others that remained oppressed, we appear too splintered, divided and immobilized.

This is due partly to the low level of

overall Black consciousness among millions of African Americans in 2011. At the end of the day, however, through the use of the Black Press and other progressive media outlets, we can begin to increase once again the level of Black consciousness.

During a recent broadcast of Fareed Zakaria, the scholar David McCullough, who has written extensively on the effectiveness of various Presidents of the United States, was interviewed. Zakaria asked McCullough how President Barack Obama was doing in comparison to other U.S. presidents? McCullough, as a noted historian, said the President Obama was doing an outstanding job thus far given what he inherited from President George Bush in 2009.

But what caught my attention more was McCullough’s assessment about how presidents and other leaders are

5

also have the nation’s highest unemployment: Nevada (12.4 percent), California (11.8 percent), Florida (10.6 percent), and Michigan (10.5 percent).

If these trends are allowed to continue, America’s ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ will move even further towards the two separate Americas first warned by the Kerner Commission Report in the 1960s. Named for thenIllinois’ Governor Otto Kerner, the report told a tale of two Americas were emerging– one Black and the other white. In 2011, the divide is not just about race but wealth as well.

All of America should feel uncomfortable about the growing concentration of poverty in Black and brown communities, who together represent 28 percent of the nation’s population.

It is time for leaders – public and private – to stand up and insist that our nation create new and sustainable jobs with incomes that lift this country’s poor into self-sufficiency and hopefully one day – sustainable prosperity.

— Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lending’s communications manager for state policy and outreach. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org. to be ultimately evaluated in the eyes of history. MuCullough said, “It is in the power of the spoken and written word.” Let’s check out where we are today in terms of the quality of the content of our culture in language, art, politics, economics and spirituality? What are our youth speaking about? What’s on the mind of our elders? Articulation of the word is a function of knowledge, experience, education, faith and wisdom. Yet, how we speak and write is also a function of one’s consciousness.

Thus, the power of Black consciousness in 2011 and into the future will be measured by how effective Black people and leaders will stay focused and active on the agenda to rid the world of poverty, misery and oppression in the pursuit of liberation, freedom, justice, equality, prosperity and empowerment for all.

— Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is Senior Advisor to the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and President of Education Online Services Corporation.

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

Michigan appeals striking of affirmative action law

By MARY WISNIEWSKI CHICAGO — Michigan’s attorney general on Friday appealed a federal appeals court decision that struck down a law banning affirmative action in college admissions.

The 6th U.S. Circuit of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision July 1, found that an amendment to the Michigan constitution impermissibly bur-

dens racial minorities.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette Friday requested that all 16 judges on the 6th Circuit court rehear the case. The law, known as the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, will stay in effect pending a final decision by the court.

“It’s absurd to conclude that banning racial discrimination somehow perpetuates racial discrimination,” said Schuette, in a statement. “It simply defies common sense.”

George Washington, a Detroit attorney who represented a civil rights group opposing the law, has said Michigan universities already give special consideration in admissions to certain groups of students, including those from rural backgrounds, those with lower incomes, and veterans.

What the law does is prohibit racial and ethnic minorities from asking for the same consideration in admissions as other groups, Washington said. He expects

the case to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Schuette said the 6th Circuit ruling conflicts with earlier rulings of the same court, and is in conflict with rulings by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court, which upheld a nearly identical California ban on racial and gender preferences.

The fight over affirmative action policies at Michigan’s public colleges and universities began in the 1960s and 1970s, when African Ameri-

can and other minority students first successfully lobbied for the policies’ adoption.

The U.S. Supreme Court held in 2003 that universities cannot establish quotas for members of certain racial groups, but may consider race or ethnicity as a “plus” factor along with others.

The Michigan law was approved by voters in 2002 and upheld by a separate three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit in 2006, according to Schuette.

Montana defends Detroit school teachers to take 10 percent wage cut curbs on prison inmate mail

By DEEPA SEETHARAMAN

By LAURA ZUCKERMAN SALMON, Idaho — Attorneys for Montana’s prison system on Friday asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union claiming the state illegally imposed an “English-only” policy on inmates’ mail.

In a complaint filed June 30 in U.S. District Court in Helena, Montana, the ACLU said the state Corrections Department violated constitutional rights to free expression and equal protection under the law by confiscating letters in Spanish to a foreign-born inmate.

The case centers on William Diaz-Wassmer, 26, a Guatemalan national sentenced in 2007 to life in state prison after being convicted of murder, robbery and arson in the 2006 shooting death of an elderly woman, according to legal documents and corrections records.

In May 2010, Montana corrections officers stopped delivering letters to DiazWassmer from family members who wrote in Spanish, citing security concerns.

They argued that restrictions on inmate correspondence prohibit letters written in “code or foreign language not understood” by corrections staff who monitor prison mail, court filings show.

In years past a Montana prison worker has voluntarily translated correspondence

— “written partly in English and partly in Spanish” — to Diaz-Wassmer, but that service ended when the worker left, state attorneys said in court papers.

Ira Eakin, staff attorney for the Corrections Department, said budget constraints have prevented the state from hiring another interpreter, and that requiring the state to provide translation services would pose a financial hardship.

“While it is true that prisoners do not lose all of their constitutional rights upon incarceration, some rights retained by free citizens are lost or necessarily diminished by imprisonment,” Eakin said in legal documents filed in federal court on Friday.

Eakin said the single, nondiscriminatory aim of Montana was to ensure that inmate mail be understood by authorities so it could be screened for a “potential security threat.”

He said research by Montana officials proved the inadequacy of computer software to automate translation.

Although Montana penal codes do not explicitly restrict correspondence to English only, the effect of the mail restrictions is the same, and that is discriminatory, ACLU Montana legal director Betsy Griffing said.

“If anything written in anything other than English or in code is held, that is the equivalent of an Englishonly policy,” she said.

DETROIT — Detroit public school teachers will take a 10 percent wage cut and pay more for health care in what the school system’s manager on Friday said were “extreme measures” needed to address a financial emergency.

The measures are designed to save nearly $82 million as part of the Detroit Public Schools’ effort to address a $327 million deficit.

“These wage concessions and health care cost-sharing plans are being implemented

because we are in an extremely difficult financial period for Detroit Public Schools,” Roy Roberts, the emergency manager for the school system, said in a statement.

The changes overwrite the previous union contract.

Keith Johnson, head of the teachers’ union, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The wage concessions became effective on Friday, and teachers will see the effect of this change in their paycheck starting August 23.

Teachers will also have to pay 20 percent of their health

care benefits, starting September 1. The school district will also suspend payments for sick days that remain unused after an employee’s retirement, among other changes.

The school district has already made cost cuts as part of the 2011-2012 budget, in part by cutting 796 staff positions and closing schools.

Other school systems across the country have made similar concessions.

Last month, the Chicago Board of Education, the nation’s third-largest school system. voted to rescind a 4 percent raise for its teachers.

One-of-a-kind transparent ‘Ghost Car’ sold at auction CHICAGO — Some car enthusiasts prefer black some red. But a buyer at a Michigan auction Saturday got a truly one-of-akind color — transparent.

The 1939 Pontiac Deluxe Six “Ghost Car,” first displayed at the New York World’s Fair and later at the Smithsonian Institution, was sold Saturday for $308,000.

Originally built for $25,000, the car with a Plexiglas body was the first transparent car built in America. Another was built the following year, but its whereabouts are unknown.

“This is the only one known to exist,” said Alain Squindo, a car specialist for RM Auctions, which held the auction for the “Ghost Car” and other specialty vehicles in Plymouth, Mich. “It’s a very original car.”

The Ghost Car was first displayed at the 1939/1940

New York World’s Fair, Squindo said. It toured a number of dealerships, and then was at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. for a number of years.

It has been owned by the same family since the 1980s.

“They were rather sad to see their beloved car go,” Squindo said. He could not disclose the name of the buyer.

The car had less than 100 miles on it, picked up by being driven in and out of dealerships for displays. It

was a collaboration between GM and Rohm & Haas chemical company, which made the Plexiglas. Structural metal underneath was given a copper wash and all hardware, including the dashboard was chrome-plated.

Squindo said the top price paid at the auction was for a 1932 Packard convertible sedan once owned by singer Al Jolson, which sold for $1.1 million.

— Mary Wisniewski

DAILY D CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

INTERNATIONAL

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Norway mourns, buries dead, a week after massacre By MOHAMMED ABBAS & WALTER GIBBS OSLO - Norwegians united in mourning on Friday as the first funerals were held a week after anti-Islam extremist Anders Behring Breivik massacred at least 77 people in attacks that traumatized the nation.

Flanked by an imam and a bishop from Norway’s Lutheran state church, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg attended a ceremony in Oslo’s main mosque at 1330 GMT — the time Breivik detonated a homemade car bomb in central Oslo on July 22.

“We were victims of an attack on the heart of democracy,” Stoltenberg said of the worst attacks in the Nordic nation’s peacetime history, targeting Stoltenberg’s ruling Labour Party. “The result was a strengthened democracy. A tighter unity.”

“We want to be one community.

Across faith, ethnicity, gender

and rank,” Stoltenberg said of a backlash against the attacks by 32-year-old Breivik, a radical Christian whose name the premier has not once uttered in public.

On Friday evening, police raised the death toll at a Labour Party summer youth camp on Utoeya island 45 km (28 miles) from Oslo to 69 from 68, many of the victims were teenagers.

The shooting followed a bomb that killed 8 in Oslo.

“All the dead after the terrorist acts ... have been identified,” the police said, although they stopped short of declaring 77 the final toll.

Flags around the nation flew at half mast.

Norway suspended import tolls on roses since Norwegian producers are unable to meet demand for the flowers that have become the symbol of remembrance — a red rose is the Labour Party emblem.

In Nesodden, south of Oslo, the first of the funerals was held, for Bano Rashid, an 18year-old woman who

came to Norway in 1996 with her family fleeing Kurdistan in northern Iraq. She was shot dead at the summer camp.

Rashid was the first to be buried in a newly consecrated Muslim section of the cemetery by the picturesque stone-and-wood church, built in 1175. Several hundred mourners followed her casket to the grave, led by a Lutheran priest and an imam.

“We have many Muslims living here now, so she will not be alone there for long,” the Islamic cleric, Senaid Kobilica of Bosnia, said of the new area of the cemetery.

“Seeing the imam and the priest walking together from the church was a mighty image — the strongest message that can be sent to counter the forces we have been witness to,” Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said.

On Utoeya island Rashid had lent a pair of rubber boots to former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who spoke to the youths before departing on a

boat before the shooting.

In a second funeral, Ismail Haji Ahmed, 19, was buried near Hamar, north of Oslo. Ahmed, a dancer who appeared in a television talent show this year, was one of three in his family who were at Utoeya, parliamentarian Thomas Breen said.

“We have lost one of our most beautiful roses,” he told Reuters.

The two other family members survived.

Police interrogated Breivik on Friday, for the second time since he was arrested, and said he was “strikingly calm.” He could face a lifetime in jail.

Muslims welcomed Stoltenberg’s calls for unity.

“It was very good, very open, very inclusive for the Muslim community,” said Ahmed Ali, an Iraqiborn immigrant, aged 23.

Earlier, the Labour party held a somber memorial in a hall in central Oslo with calls for more democracy and tolerance.

Delegates held aloft red roses.

SUMMER CAMPS “We have taken our country back... we will take Utoeya back,” said Eskil Pedersen, head of the Labour youth movement which plans to hold more summer camps on the island.

Police believe Breivik acted alone even though he said in a 1,500-page manifesto that he was the member of a wider network of Knights Templar, bent on what he saw as a crusade to end “cultural Marxism” and save Europe.

“No others have been arrested. Everything points toward one (person),” police lawyer Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said.

An opinion poll indicated that support for Labour had leapt about 10 percentage points in the days after the attacks, and Stoltenberg has won praise for his calm handling of the crisis.

The poll, for newspaper Sunnmoersposten, found that Labour support jumped to 38.7 percent immediately after the attacks from 28.1 percent just before, in a two-part poll each covering about 500 people

in the days around July 22.

At the same time, support for the populist right-wing Progress Party, of which Breivik was once a member, fell along with backing for opposition the Conservative party.

The Progress Party became the second biggest in parliament after a 2009 election on an anti-tax and antiimmigration platform, but says Breivik was not an active member.

A court has appointed two psychiatrists to try to discover why Breivik staged his attacks, with a mandate to report back by November 1. His lawyer has said he is probably insane.

Norway plans to set up an independent “July 22 Commission” to examine the attacks, including investigating whether police reacted too slowly to the shootings at Utoeya island, when Breivik was able to kill for more than an hour.

Police have said officers drove to Utoeya from Oslo because they had no helicopter available.

Spain PM calls early election, conservatives ahead

By CARLOS RUANO & ELISABETH O’LEARY MADRID Spain’s prime minister called early elections on Friday, gambling that a summer jobs boom may allow his Socialists to snatch an upset victory despite economic stagnation that has contributed to the euro zone’s debt crisis.

Opinion polls suggest the opposition Popular Party will easily win the November 20 vote, called four months early, but Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s Socialists, in power since 2004, hope they can at least

deprive the conservative PP of a majority.

PP leader Mariano Rajoy has pledged to implement tougher austerity if his party wins, slashing public administration spending and making it cheaper to hire and fire.

“The PP will lead the necessary political change in Spain. For us change means economic recovery,” Rajoy told reporters.

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday there were still downside risks to Spain’s economy and the country’s policy agenda remains challenging and urgent.

“Unwinding imbalances (in the Spanish economy) accumulated during the long boom and reallocating resources across sectors will take years and

will require determined policy action,” the IMF said in a report on Spain.

With the electorate squarely focused on Europe’s highest unemployment rate, 20.9 percent, the Socialists may struggle to claw back votes they lost in a May regional election rout, when many left-wing voters stayed home in disgust.

“The PP has a very big lead, and it won’t be easy for the Socialists to catch up. But cutting that lead is certainly a possibility,” said Julian Santamaria, politics professor at Madrid’s C o m p l u t e n s e University.

An inconclusive result that produced a hung parliament, as in Britain or Belgium, would spook markets hoping for a clear mandate to implement

tough and unpopular measures to restore the euro zone’s fourth largest economy to health.

“The aim is to create political and economic certainty in the coming months,” Zapatero told a news conference, explaining why he was bringing forward the vote. The deeply unpopular premier said in April he would not run again.

His announcement came on the day credit rating agency Moody’s put Spain’s sovereign rating on negative outlook for a downgrade, citing weak growth and fears of overspending by its autonomous regions.

Steadfast fiscal adjustment is key for Spain, the IMF said on Friday, calling on all levels of the Spanish government to deliver

on their fiscal commitment.

The Socialists are seven points behind in a leading state opinion poll. The PP had a 10 point lead in April.

Most economists expect employment figures to improve during the tourism season, a key driver of the economy, which could help the Socialists narrow the gap. Third quarter unemployment data are due on October 28, less than a month before polling day.

A minority government of either big party would be dependent on support from regional nationalist groupings to pass its budget and other key reforms.

The weaker its mandate, the greater the risk of social unrest and therefore the harder it would be to pass painful public spending

cuts, one of Spain’s biggest fund managers said.

HEMORRHAGE The Socialists haemorrhaged support after being forced to impose a range of austerity measures to rescue public finances and fight a rearguard action from investors over its debt, which fed into the broader euro zone crisis.

They cut public sector pay and pensions, raised the retirement age and made it less expensive to lay off workers, angering their own core electorate.

The bearded Rajoy is basing his campaign on a serious image — in contrast to Zapatero’s image as a lightweight — and the perception that the PP would be a better economic manager.

AFRICAN SCENE

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

Nurse struggles to save starving Somali children

A unidentified child reacts as a nurse weighs him at the International Rescue Committee, IRC, clinic. intravenous needles ing Somalis refugees in By into tiny hands. Amin, Dadaab camp.

KATHARINE walking about the ward Most of the children HOURELD in his yellow T-shirt, are also suffering from knows them all. pneumonia and other DADAAB, Kenya “Most come in here diseases after hunger Nurse Serat Amin very sick. Mihag was weakened their works in the world’s unconscious when he immune systems. largest refugee camp came,” said Amin, That’s particularly treating the stream of speaking of a tiny 7- painful for Amin: his starving children com- month-old the same size own cousin lost his eyeing into Kenya from as an infant. “But today sight after suffering famine-struck Somalia, he is picking up a bit.” from malnutrition and and although he has The child, which measles. It’s what led painful memories of the weighed as much as a him into nutritional children who have died, newborn when he medicine in the first watching the weak get arrived, has put on 3.5 place. stronger gives him the ounces (100 grams) in Now the wards are courage to carry on. the past few days. The full of hungry babies “You can see if a wailing babies are with medical complicachild is getting better weighed in a wicker tions. On Friday, there just from the face of the basket suspended from were eight more parent,” he said. the ceiling. patients than beds, so “Making a difference is The U.N. says parts women had to share what keeps me here.” of Somalia held by overnight.

Amin works at a sta- Islamist rebels are suf“I’ve asked UNICEF bilization ward at the fering from famine, and to come with some tents International Rescue a total of 11.3 million so we can set them up Committee hospital in people in the Horn of outside and start treatthe Dadaab refugee Africa need aid. Amin ing more people,” said camp, where dozens of said the situation is the Amin. tiny children with worst he’s seen it The children come in stick-thin limbs and they’ve had up to 42 with two types of maloversize heads loll on babies in his ward for nutrition: marasmus, plastic mattresses. malnourished babies at or straightforward Mothers use their a time, a sevenfold starvation where the fringed shawls to flap increase at the hospital child is so thin its skin the humid aid around since the beginning of stands up in folds when their babies’ faces while the year. The hospital is pinched, and kwashiorpatient nurses poke just one of three treat- kor, where the child

Nurse Serat Amin speaks with a woman at the International Rescue Committee, IRC, clinic in the town of Dadaab, Kenya. has had food but no go home next week if people have sought protein or nutrients. he can get extra food refuge.

Habiba Dubow’s son every day. His parents Among them was a Abdirahman is one year are rail-thin them- couple who arrived at old and weighs nearly selves.

Amin’s ward with 10 pounds (4.5 kiloThe weakest children twins. One had taken grams). He should can’t even hold onto sick on the journey and weigh 22 pounds (10 their mothers’ breasts was barely clinging to kilograms). He is so to get milk and are fed life. He slipped away in thin his tiny ribs are through tubes in their just a few hours. Amin clear through his skin noses. The U.N. says it said it made him want and they barely lift with is the worst emergency to cry for all day. From his breathing. When his in Somalia since the time to time he sees the mother takes his shirt famine in the early 90s parents, and he always off, his limbs flop back that triggered an inter- makes a point of going onto the bed and his national intervention to speak with them. eyes roll back in his that ended after two “The situation goes head until only the U.S. Blackhawk heli- with you when you go whites are showing. He copters were shot down. home,” he said. “I think is too weak to cry.

“This influx of severe that for every life we “We walked here for cases we have not seen save in this hospital, 20 days after we lost all before,” Abdi said. there are so many more our cattle,” she said.

Most have recently behind them we can’t “He got sick on the arrived in Kenya from reach.” way.”

Somalia, a war-ravaged The U.N. has warned The kwashiorkor nation which has not that routes out of children often have had a stable central Somalia are turning peeling skin or sores, government for more into ‘roads of death’ swelling of the limbs or than 20 years. The after parents were stomach and reddish refugees arrive on foot, forced to leave dead hair, like Hamud or packed into dented children along the Mohamed Abdi. The 2- minivans, praying that roadside. The ones who year-old also weighs gunmen won’t rob them make it to Kenya but only half what he or rape their daughters are too hungry, too sick should for his age, but before they arrive at the or too weak to survive doctors say he is overflowing camp, are buried in a small improving and might where nearly 400,000 sandy graveyards near

At least 50 dead in DR.Congo boat collision At least 50 people drowned and some 35 are reported missing after a boat accident on a river in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Equateur province government said Friday.

The vessel, which was wrecked late Tuesday, was carrying at least 200 passengers

and “up to yesterday (Thursday) we counted 115 survivors and 50 bodies fished from the water with difficulty,” the government spokeswoman told AFP. “The others are certainly lost or were dragged down by the water.”

The large motorised barge, which was also carrying goods, collided

during the night with another boat, which was empty, on the Tshuapa river, 115 kilometres (70 miles) east of the provincial capital Mbandaka, spokeswoman Rebecca Ebale Nguma said.

“The boat’s manifesto indicated that 200 people were on board, but some of the survivors

say there were about 350 people,” Nguma added.

The doomed vessel had left Mbandaka for a market near the town of Boende, almost 300 kilometres (180 miles) from the provincial capital. The shipwreck took place six kilometres (four miles) from the town of Ingende.

Nguma was unable to say precisely when the boat left Mbandaka, but she reckoned that the journey to Boende takes about a day.

“Often they leave at night because the traders want to avoid paying taxes and they don’t want to be troubled” by the services running the ports, the

spokeswoman added.

Overloading boats is a common practice in the DR Congo, and is also one of the main causes of the many shipwrecks in the vast central African country, which is studded with lakes and rivers. The mighty Congo river itself is one of the main transport routes.

D CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011 DAILY

AFRICAN SCENE

9

Guinea lifts media ban on president attack

AU forces gain ground against Somali militants

By JASON STRAZIUSO

Alpha Conde of the ban which affected all media, private and public, regarding the attack on the residence of the head of state in consultation with press representatives,” CNC president Martine Conde told AFP late Thursday.

According to Conde, the ban was lifted “in the framework of the call for peace issued by “I ordered the lifting the head of state” short-

Guinea’s National Council on Communication (CNC) has lifted a media ban on reports concerning a rocket attack on the residence of President Alpha Conde in Conakry, the body’s chief said.

Two die from mystery toxin in Angola schools

Guinean Republican guards patrol on a street in the capital Conakry's Kipe district on July 19 following an attack. ly after the attack on Martine Conde Foreign ministry July 19. President denied that the CNC lift- spokesman Bernard Conde was unhurt in ed the ban as a response Valero said, “This ban the attack by armed to external pressure, is a serious breach of men in military uni- describing it as a “sov- freedom of expression. form, but a presidential ereign decision. We We ask President Conde guard was killed and wanted to avoid excess- to reconsider this decitwo wounded. es, because many peo- sion in his role as The CNC on July 25 ple complained to us.” guardian of freedom in decided on a “tempoThe ban had been Guinea.” rary suspension of any denounced by Guinean Since the attack, 25 broadcast or article press associations, who soldiers and 13 civilrelating to the attempt issued a statement call- ians have been arrested, on the life of the head of ing it a “flagrant viola- according to the minstate,” including on tion of the constitution, istry of justice. Legal media in French. which upholds the free- proceedings have been France is the former dom of the press among opened by the Conakry colonial power in the basic liberties.” prosecutor on charges troubled west African On Thursday, France including “an attempt country, which has urged the Guinean to assassinate the head seen several coup bids. leader to repeal the ban. of state.”

Egypt Islamists lead Cairo ‘unity’ rally Two Angolan health workers leave the isolated ward of a hospital in Luanda.

Two children have died from a wave of mysterious poisonings over the last two days in Angolan schools, but police have yet to identify the toxin that has sown panic in the country, officials said Friday.

About 300 students from both public and private schools have been hit by symptoms that include vomiting, headaches, sore throats and sometimes suffocation, said Renato Paulo, director of the hospital in Luanda’s Cacuaco district.

Two children have died of the poisoning, he added.

Across Angola, nearly 570 cases have been recorded.

National police chief Elisabeth Rank Frank said on national radio that the poisonings were being taken extremely seriously.

“The police are aware of the situation. So far, they have no explanation for the phenomenon.

We should take the time needed to conduct an investigation,” she said.

Thousands of people packed Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday, with Islamist groups dominating the protest meant to show unity during a fragile transition from ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

The rally was officially to start after the Muslim noon prayer but thousands had already made their way to the square overnight and by morning chants calling for an “Islamic state” rang across Tahrir.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, in coordination with other fundamentalist Muslim groups, had called for the demonstration, sparking fears of tensions with secular groups already camped out in Tahrir Square since July 8.

But after two days of meetings, secular and Islamist groups agreed to put their differences aside and focus on the common goals in order to save the revolution that toppled Mubarak in February, organisers said.

At least 15 parties and political movements are participating in Friday’s protest.

Among the key demands are the end to military trials of civilians, the prosecution of former regime members found guilty of abuse, and the redistribution of wealth.

Since July 8, mainly secular protesters have been camped out in Tahrir Square — the epicentre of protests that toppled Mubarak— to denounce the ruling military council over the slow pace of reform.

The military has also come under fire for alleged rights abuses and for using Mubarakera tactics to stifle dissent.

But Islamist groups had for the most part stayed away from the sit-in.

Last week, Islamist groups held their own demonstration and accused the Tahrir protesters of going against what they say is the country’s “Islamic identity.”

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) — which took power when Mubarak stepped down— has recently accused Tahrir protesters of “sowing instability” and “driving a wedge between the army and the people,” singling out the secular April 6 movement as the main culprit.

MOGADISHU, Somalia - African Union and Somali forces traded barrages of fire at a new front line in Mogadishu on Friday, as the AU troops gained new territory against insurgents who may try to disrupt food distributions to famine victims.

A battlefield commander, Col. Paul Lokech, told The Associated Press on a trip near the front line that a Pakistani fighter was commanding the al-Shabab troops that AU forces were battling nearby, and that the militants were “active.”

Al-Shabab counts hundreds of foreign fighters among its ranks.

Speaking of the Pakistani, Lockech said: “Don’t worry, I’ll get him.”

Mortar fire and guns rang out nearby, as the militants put up more resistance than the AU forces had expected.

“They’re worried about the ground they’ve lost,” Lokech said.

The African Union and Somali troops have been fighting a concerted offensive against al-Shabab all year, and have gained a large swath of new territory in Mogadishu.

But the fight took on a new importance in recent days as tens of thousands of famine refugees began squatting in squalid, hunger-filled refugee camps here.

The drought and the famine it’s caused in Somalia have affected more than 11 million people, including 2.2 million Somalis who live in al-Shabab controlled territory in south-central Somalia where aid groups can’t deliver food.

1 10

CARIBBEAN NEWS DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

Government stalemate hinders aid to Haiti AU PORT PRINCE, Haiti — A Nations United advisory group on Haiti on Thursday reported improvements in the earthquake-torn country but said aid coordination remains a challenge, and a stalemate in the formation of the government is delaying aid.

The Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti, reporting on the results of a four-day visit to the Caribbean nation in June, said: “The first finding of the group is that the situation on the ground has improved since its visit at the same time in the previous year.”

“The progress made in clearing and reconstruction work in Portau-Prince and neighbouring towns is visible and shows that Haitian

society is mobilized and that the aid provided by the international community has been useful,” said the 13-member group.

The group cited in accomplishments recovery from the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010, which resulted in more than 220,000 deaths and delivered a severe blow to country’s already shaky infrastructure. It singled out successes in debris removal, resettlement of displaced persons, and the fight against cholera.

However, the group’s 19-page report added that “aid coordination is a major challenge on which the group has been focusing for several years.”

“It has become particularly urgent in view of the greater number of development partners providing aid to Haiti and the resources committed to the reconstruction process,” it

said. “Almost all of the interlocutors of the group held the view that aid is still not sufficiently coordinated, which creates duplication and reduces the effectiveness of interventions.”

Nigel Fisher, the deputy special representative of the secretary-general in Haiti, told ECOSOC that the implementation of the government’s priorities was “significantly delayed” because of an ongoing stalemate in a struggle between President Michel Martelly and Parliament over the confirmation of a new prime minister.

Ambassador Keith Morrill of Canada, which led the group, said “the inability of political actors to find a rapid solution to this stalemate is having detrimental consequences on international assistance, on Haiti’s prospects for development, and most impor-

Clearing and reconstruction work in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. tantly, on its people.”

The advisory group recommended a continued, strong UN presence on the ground but also suggested the international body should “pool the resources of United Nations entities on the ground, including in

the provinces, and encourage all development partners to increase their share of the number of staff posted outside of Portau-Prince, thereby increasing local capacities and supporting decentralization efforts.”

They also recommended that the Haitian government improve agriculture productivity, create jobs through government, business and union cooperation, and integrate disaster preparedness into its capacitybuilding.

Wage increases must be addressed at the bargaining table, says Trinidad finance minister PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran says the Trinidad and Tobago government is concerned about the present industrial climate and threats to shut down the country.

However he maintains the issue must be addressed at the bargaining table.

Speaking at Thursday’s post cabinet press conference, the minister said, “We are concerned, but we must address them on the table and do so in the context of the ability of our own country to move forward and not increase the risk we are likely to face...it is not simple idle talk.”

Dookeran also pointed out that it was ironic that the debate of a compensation package had turned into a five percent debate. He said it was “rather strange” that the five percent which is one component of the package was being used “as a rally-

ing call to shut down the country”.

He said while the Moody’s Report has said Trinidad and Tobago’s economy was stable and expressed confidence with the financial and economic management of the country, it didn’t mean “we put it at risk and take steps to undo the gains made over the last year”.

The minister said the risks might emerge as a

result of fiscal excesses and increasing the debt ratios. He said the government was concerned about keeping the levels of interest rate down.

The minister said choices between entitlement and taxation and borrowing was always a decision countries had to make and in the present context, “we are searching for the right equilibrium to maintain stability of finances and redirect expenditure to

reignite growth”.

He pointed to the current issue in the United States of America with the prospect of a debt default. Dookeran said the world was looking anxiously at the situation to see if the decisions taken would have a ripple effect.

He said certainly if the US economy goes into “default mode...then that is likely to have ripple effects

globally on two counts.

It would facilitate a return of recessionary times as the world tries to adjust and second, it could lead eventually to a rising interest rate environment”.

He said the effects may not be immediate but Trinidad and Tobago will be affected, as the cost of borrowing both for the private and public sector will rise.

He said currently this country was bene-

fiting from low interest rates.

He reminded the country of the major hurdles the government had to overcome to get to a stable economy — payments to contractors; payments to depositors claim for equity; the bankers claims to honour commitments of the past and taxpayers claims to pay on time tax returns.

CARICOM wants stronger UN presence in region GEORGETOWN, Guyana — The C a r i b b e a n Community has expressed its concern over the decrease in United Nations (UN) representation in the region, and has called for favourable consideration of a stronger UN presence here.

Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, CARICOM acting secretarygeneral raised the concern on Thursday in her address to the opening ceremony of the sixth general meeting of the Caribbean Community and the United Nations at the CARICOM Secretariat.

Applewhaite called attention to the closure of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in

Barbados “even while it was simultaneously being acknowledged that crime posed one of the biggest threats to our region”; and the closure of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Office in Portof-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

She also pointed out that the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC)

S u b - R e g i o n a l Headquarters in Portof-Spain had been without a director since Neil Pierre demitted office early last year.

“We in CARICOM are of the firm belief, that while we enjoy very good working relations with our counterparts at the head office in New York, much more can be achieved by having a stronger UN presence in the region, with the appropriate

level of representation.

We trust that this is a matter which the UN will take into favourable consideration and we look forward to positive feedback in the near future, regarding the re-opening of these critical agencies and the relevant appointments, which, we are confident, will enhance an already strong partnership,” Applewhaite said.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

12

Inside Jay-Z and Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’

Whitney Houston looked radiant and healthy at a recent birthday bash for Prince Azim in the UK last week. The ‘I Look To You’ singer, who is currently an outpatient at a drug and alcohol rehab facility, joined celebs like Mariah Carey, Usher and Eva Longoria at the Stapleton Park event. Whitney voluntarily entered the program to support her long-standing recovery process. We’re glad to see Whitney sticking to her rehab efforts.

Bruno Mars is asking fans for their cures after doctors diagnosed him with a sinus infection. The “Grenade” hitmaker began feeling sick and feared he was coming down with a severe cold - but his symptoms got worse and he was forced to visit the doctor. In a series of posts on his Twitter.com blog, the desperate star has been asking fans for their help and advice: “How am I supposed to sing today with all this Mucus!?!?! HELP! “Its (sic) an official Sinus infection guys. what am I gonna do??” Mars is not currently on the road, so there’s no risk of him canceling announced concerts.

He’s scheduled to start a European tour in London next month.

It’s one thing to be admired by millions of fans, but it’s certainly another to be complimented by one of the most legendary divas on the planet. Patti LaBelle called Ledisi “one of the best” singers. “I love you so much,” Patti told Ledisi on an Urban Daily video interview. “You are one of those people that will have a long, long, long career.

You’re one of the best singers I’ve ever heard.” She further commented about the singer’s humility and

sense of appreciation.

“You’re on your way to accomplishing [longevity] because you’re nice to people.

I’ve watched you so many times and you’re kind.” Ledisi reveled in the praise and also shared why Patti is her idol. “I watched you,” Ledisi shared about following in Patti’s footsteps. “You’re beautiful and you’re honest. You can feel your heart when you sing.”

Chris Brown has announced the release of his upcoming rap mixtape Boy in Detention. Taking to his Twitter account to break the news, Breezy explained that his latest offering will be Hip Hop-oriented and that “I’m a singer so if this mixtape doesn’t reach your quote for HipHop! Simply don’t listen.” The announcement comes in the wake of several new tracks released to the Internet, including “Real Hip Hop Shit #3” and “Real Hip Hop Shit #4” featuring Kevin McCall. Both of the songs were produced by 9th Wonder. Brown and Justin Bieber were also spotted heading into a recording studio together. The singers worked together on Chris’ “Next 2 You” single from the F.A.M.E. album and it looks like they are working on something new now.

With her Louboutins now firmly under the US X Factor judges’ desk, Nicole Scherzinger, 33, has certainly charmed her colleagues, including the notoriously feisty Paula Abdul.

But Nicole is still pinching herself after landing one of TV’s biggest jobs, sitting next to Simon Cowell, Antonio LA Reid and new BFF Paula. ‘I’m truly honoured to be part of it,’ Nicole tells us.’I really am.

Robin Thicke is about ready to do a follow-up to his 2009 “Sex Therapy” CD and he’s teaming with Billionaire Boy for the project.

The new CD is due out in late 2011 or early 2012. Other possible just collaborations might include Pharrell Williams. “It’s coming great. I think you get to that point where you hate it and then you love it. It’s like any important relationship in your life,” he said.

“Just myself, written and produced, like the first few albums.” He confirmed the two talked about linking for the project at Williams’ launch for Qream, a new liqueur.

“Yeah, we were just actually talking about it maybe while he’s here in the next week or two, we might get together and do something. Because he’s heard the album so he wants to get something on there.”

Erica Campbell (of gospel group Mary Mary) has announced that she and her husband songwriter/ producer Warryn Campbell are expecting their third child. With Mary Mary riding high on the charts off the released of their sixth studio album Something Big, Erica and Warryn released a statement saying, “We’re grateful for all of our blessings, but this is the biggest of all. We have two incredible children and can’t wait to see what our newest bundle of joy will be like!”

Jason Derulo switches it up on the second single off of his forthcoming album ‘Future History,’ describing the video for “It Girl” to be far more “personal” than his first single “Don’t Wanna Go Home” was. “For the video, I wanted it to be an open book,” Derülo said.

By CHUCK CREEKMUR The release date for what is likely one of the most highly-anticipated albums of the year: Watch the Throne, the joint effort of rap supernovas Jay-Zand Kanye West. The album went on presale July 4 and will arrive this month. The digital version hits Aug. 1, while the physical CD won’t hit stores until Aug. 5.

On July 8, 2011, Jay-Z hosted an intimate listening session for the looming, game changing, genre bending Hip-Hop opus Watch The Throne. Roughly 20 people were invited to the exclusive event, which interestingly enough included the two teenage New Yorkers that purchased the first two copies of the album on Amazon.com’s preorder.

They were there along with their parents, who were gracious enough to tolerate a long evening for the sake of their kids. Where to begin?

There was so much to absorb of the evening so I’ll write this similar to the way Watch The Throne was crafted...free-flowing and without rules.

There were some ground rules for the session though. 1) No live tweeting. We could say we were there and that’s about it. One journo from The Fader was kicked out with the swift-

ness for tweeting specifics. 2) No quoting exact lyrics in write ups.

Why? Because, although we heard a lot, Watch The Throne is not finished. Lyrics may change. 3) No specific song titles. They aren’t set either.

So, here is the song-by-song rundown of Watch The Throne.

Song # 1 In the first song, Beyonce completely blasts off to a beat laced with heavy synths. Kanye bursts onto the track, weaving in and out of autotune and various vocal distortions.

Very off beat, but in a good way.

Jay-Z follows up flowing to very short or truncated verses. Clearly, Beyonce is the ancho to a song that ebbs and flows until it blasts off in a spaceship counting down. (This was actually the second song, but the first seemed to be a partial record that got hacked off.)

Song # 2 Bouncy is the first word that comes to mind with Song # 3. The track almost sounds like a traditional southern Hip-Hop record. Jay’s flowing much faster, sort of in the vein of “Big Pimpin’.” Jay’s rapping double time and then yields to ‘Ye, who raps at a slower pace. The song concludes with the crash of a slowed down menacing beat, reminscent of 80s instrumentalists Art of Noise.

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

14

HOUSE CALLS

BY GERALD W. DEAS, M.D.

Often, when anybody experienced a headache, muscular aches, backache, arthritis, the common cold, toothaches, menstrual cramps or fever, they may reach for a common over the counter drug known as Tylenol to relieve the symptoms.

Tylenol is chemically known as acetaminophen. Often you will be able to find this drug on drugstore shelves. There are at least 30 preparations containing Tylenol and at least 100 drugs that contain acetaminophen which is the trade name for Tylenol.

Acetaminophen is a drug that has many side effects and can cause adverse effects in the body that one should consider in taking this drug.

That ain’t all, about Tylenol (Acetaminophen) In fact, there is not one drug that does not have side effects. It is therefore important for patients taking medications to read the label that is an insert in the package with warnings.

Recently, Tylenol (Acetaminophen), has been shown to have many side effects and can interact with other drugs that you may be taking for different medical conditions. In medical school, there are many courses that are taken that concern drug uses for many medical conditions. These drugs are numerous and often the physician will have to utilize a large volume, namely, a Physicians Desk Reference (PDR).

The time allotted in medical school for the study of the pharmacology of the many drugs is not sufficient and therefore the physician may often want to consult with a pharmacist about the interaction of the prescribed drug and other medications that the patient may be taking. The course work of the pharmacist takes

approximately 5 years for them to attain much knowledge concerning drugs and their chemistry. I have often had to call a pharmacist to make sure that the drug I was prescribing would not interact with a patients other prescriptions. At the end of a pharmacist studies, he has also obtained a PhD in pharmacology.

The side effects of Tylenol are many and the following information should be taken seriously by those who are buying this drug off the shelf.

Don’t take Tylenol if you are taking any alcoholic beverage. It has been reported that this combination can cause liver damage.

Do not take Tylenol for muscle pains for more than seven days or for a fever for more than three days unless directed by a doctor.

Do not take this drug if you have breathing problems such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, glaucoma or enlargement of the prostate

gland.

Do not use Tylenol if you are taking sedatives or tranquilizers without first consulting with a doctor, Tylenol should not be taken along with drugs used for depression, psychiatric or emotional conditions and Parkinson’s disease.

If nervousness, dizziness or sleeplessness occur, discontinue the drug.

If you are pregnant or nursing a baby, seek the advice of your doctor before using this product.

Do not exceed the recommended doses that are plainly written on the bottle.

It is evident from the above discussion that one should use caution when taking over the counter products such as Tylenol or any product that contains acetaminophen.

Always consult with yur physician or pharmacist.

For great health tips and access to an online community of physicians and other healthcare professionals visit DrDeas.com.

Can vitamins help boost your memory?

By GENEVRA PITTMAN Adults who took vitamin and mineral supplements for almost a decade performed better on one type of memory test than those who didn’t take the supplements, according to a new study from France.

The researchers say the findings suggest that getting enough nutrients could aid thinking and memory skills as people get older. But further studies are needed to confirm the results, they add.

The effect was “nothing wild that you’d say, ‘Everybody should take these,’” said Geraldine McNeill, a nutritionist at the University of Aberdeen in the UK. But McNeill, who wasn’t involved in the new study, said some people — especially those who are deficient in vitamins and minerals — might get a memory benefit from boosting the nutrients in their diet.

Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot of the University of Paris XIII in France and colleagues write that the link between a higher intake of some nutrients and thinking and memory skills has been shown before in socalled observational studies. But those studies can’t get at a causeand-effect relationship.

“The question is, does the cognitive performance depend on the diet, or does the diet depend on the cognitive performance?” McNeill told Reuters Health. It’s possible that people who have better thinking and memory skills might pay closer attention to what they’re eating, she explained.

To try to get a clearer picture of the association, Kesse-Guyot and her colleagues conducted a study of close to 4,500 French men and women.

In 1994, when the study partici-

pants were 45 to 60 years old, researchers split them randomly into two groups. Half of them took a daily supplement that included vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc, and betacarotene for eight years. The others took a nutrient-free placebo pill each day.

None of the participants knew whether they were taking the vitamin or the sham pills.

When the eight years were up, researchers stopped giving participants their assigned pills, and they could choose on their own whether or not to take vitamin supplements.

Six years after that, the investigators brought them back to the lab for a round of memory tests.

The tests included word and number problems to measure different types of memory and “mental flexibility.”

While the supplement and placebo groups performed similarly on most

tests, the nutrient-boosted participants beat their peers on one test of long-term memory in which participants had to recall words in different categories.

“Our results have to be considered carefully,” the authors wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Because they did several tests, it’s more likely that the one difference they found was due to chance.

Still, they added, the “findings support a beneficial effect of a wellbalanced intake of antioxidant nutrients at nutritional doses for maintaining cognitive performance, especially verbal memory.”

McNeill said that most people could probably get the vitamin and nutrient doses used in the study through tweaks in their diet — for example, drinking fruit juice to get Vitamin C and using plant oil, which is a good source of Vitamin E. “Taking supplements for me is a

last resort,” she said.

Barbara Shukitt-Hale, a nutrition researcher at Tufts University in Boston, said it’s important for people to know that boosting brainpower requires more than just taking a vitamin pill every day.

“Vitamins and minerals are important for memory, but they’re not the only thing that’s important,” she told Reuters Health. “The most important thing is eating a healthy diet, being active, and keeping your brain sharp.”

Painful gout afflicting more Americans Over the past two decades, the number of American adults with the painful joint disease gout has soared to 8.3 million, a new study finds.

The study’s authors blame the rise in gout — an inflammatory form of arthritis triggered by a buildup of uric acid in the joints — on rising rates of obesity and high blood pressure. They note that better prevention of these risk factors might help reduce the number of people developing the painful condition.

Gout now affects 4 percent of adults in the United States, according to the study. Hyperuricemia — a “pre-gout” condition associated with high levels of uric acid in the blood —

affects 43.3 million U.S. adults, or 21 percent of the population, the researchers said.

Researchers analyzed U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data on nearly 6,000 adults from 2007 and 2008, and compared it to data from 1988 through 1994.

The study, published online July 28 in Arthritis & Rheumatism, found the diseases have become more prevalent over the past two decades. Cases of gout rose 1 percent, while incidents of hyperuricemia increased by 3 percent.

Previous research has suggested that gout is linked to “metabolic syndrome,” a group of health conditions

involving obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol that can also lead to diabetes and heart disease.

About 6 percent of men had gout, compared to 2 percent of women.

“We found that the prevalences of gout and hyperuricemia continue to be substantial in the U.S. adult population. Improvements in managing modifiable risk factors, such as obesity and hypertension, could help prevent further escalation of gout and hyperuricemia among Americans,” the study’s senior investigator, Dr. Hyon Choi, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a journal news release.

DAILY D CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

NEW JERSEY Trenton school board keeps 128 working after union agrees to pay concessions

Trenton woman gets 5 years for luring robberies

By LISA CORYELL TRENTON - A 25year-old exotic dancer who lured two men to be robbed and beaten last year apologized in court yesterday before being sentenced to five years in prison.

Hetepheres Ali, of Greenwood Avenue, said she was sorry for “all the pain” she caused the victims and her own family.

“She realizes it was a ridiculously stupid thing to do,” said Jeffrey Broderick, Ali’s attorney. “It was not a good plan. Unfortunately, it was a first-degree crime.”

In the first incident, on May 29, 2010, Ali lured a man into a city apartment complex where he was met by two men and a woman wearing masks, according to police.

One of the men ordered the victim to the floor at gunpoint and the robbers duct taped the unnamed 53-yearold’s feet, hands and mouth, police said.

They took the victim’s wallet and keys, getting $266 in cash, police said. During the four hours they held the man hostage in the apartment, the suspects demanded more money as they burned his left arm with a cigarette and his left leg with a curling iron, police said.

The second incident occurred the next day. Ali accompanied another man home and while there sneaked off to open the front door for three men. The trio allegedly headed upstairs to the bedroom and duct taped the victim’s legs, hands, mouth and eyes, beat him

and forced him at gunpoint to give up his ATM PIN code.

Ali was charged with kidnapping, robbery, criminal restraint and weapons offenses.

In a deal cut with prosecutors, Ali pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and was sentenced as a seconddegree offender. She must serve 85 percent of her time before becoming eligible for parole.

Broderick said Ali knew both victims from Stevie Teez, the Ewing strip club where she worked as a dancer.

“The scheme could never have worked,” he said. “They knew her name, they knew where she worked.”

Ali tried to back out of the plan but was threatened and forced to go through with it by the men involved in the plot, he said.

Christie’s weight faces scrutiny after N.J. governor is hospitalized TRENTON - During Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign for governor, his weight was fodder for political attacks.

His Democratic opponents filled television advertisements with unflattering photos and slow-motion footage and, in a barely veiled accusation, said he “threw his weight around” to get out of traffic tickets.

But Christie’s heft is also a serious health issue, one he has struggled with for years

despite his good-natured jokes about it. And Christie’s hospitalization for breathing problems Thursday refocused attention on his weight, an issue he acknowledges is a concern.

“The weight exacerbates everything,” he said when leaving the hospital. “I’ve been pretty candid about that, right from the start of my public career.”

And, just like most everything else, Christie addressed

it with characteristic bluntness during a half-hour press conference delving into his personal health.

“I weigh too much because I eat too much,” he said. “And I eat some bad things too.”

Christie, one of the hottest voices in the national Republican Party, said he’s generally healthy but will continue pushing to lose weight.

“I don’t want to press my luck,” he said.

TRENTON - After a week of searching for ways to keep them working, the city’s board of education has voted to spare the jobs of its 128 in-house custodians. The move was part of a supplemental $10 million spending plan the board approved last night.

Last week, the board tabled a measure that would have saved the jobs of only 27 head custodians. The remaining staff would have been laid off as of Aug. 31.

Since then, the board has been working with the custodians’ union and the district’s leadership team to find enough money to keep the entire staff. They agreed last night to keep all the custodians on the payroll for the 2011-2012 school year, at a cost of $4.26 million, thanks to a series of concessions by the union.

The decision to save custodial jobs is expected to receive the endorsement of the state, which has oversight over Trenton school spending, and brings to an end a long period of uncertainty, during which the workers feared either the loss of their jobs or deep cuts in income and benefits if their positions were privatized.

Speaking after last night’s vote, the Rev. Toby Sanders, the board president, said the givebacks included salary cuts and an agreement to allow the district to hire part-time workers to supplement existing staff, which has been reduced from about 200 custodians since 2009.

Sanders praised the union for agreeing to concessions.

“These people are heroes because the sacrifices that they were willing to make helped us to keep our investment in children,” he said.

“The sacrifices that the union made were sacrifices that help us continue to try and improve the quality of education in our district.”

Members of the Trenton School Custodians Association read a prepared statement during the meeting thanking the board for its willingness to work with them.

“The (union) greatly appreciates the continued support of the Trenton Board of Education in trying to preserve the positions of the custodians,” it read.

The 128 custodians were among 181 employees, including 29 transportation workers, 22 paraprofession-

15

als and two secretaries, who were slated for termination as of June 30.

Their jobs remained in limbo as the district awaited word on how much additional aid money it would receive from the state. The additional money was to come as a result of a New Jersey Supreme Court decision earlier this year that ordered the Legislature to restore $500 million in funding the state’s poorest school systems.

As a result of the court decision, Trenton received a $10 million outlay earlier this month.

The custodian budget last year was $8.5 million. For the 2011-2012 budget year, which began this month, the board earmarked just $4.1 million for custodial services, proposing to save money by privatizing the jobs.

Later, however, the district moved to keep all of the custodians on the job through the end of August, adding $1.7 million to the $4.1 million appropriation.

Keeping the 27 head custodians as proposed last week would have cost an additional $2.5 million.

Adding all these costs together, the district stood to save only about $200,000 from what it spent last year on custodial expenses, leading the board and critics to wonder if they couldn’t reach an agreement to keep all the custodians on the job.

Sanders said last night that he expected Mark Cowell, a state fiscal monitor who has veto power over all board decisions, to abide by the board’s decision. Cowell had overturned a decision by the board in the spring to keep all the workers on the payroll.

“Mr. Cowell has agreed in principle about what we’ve voted to affirm. His agreement in principle is a gesture of cooperation from the state that we don’t always get,” he said, adding that Cowell participated in the negotiations.

Fifty-four other workers included in the district’s original layoff plan, were not spared last night. They have been laid off since June 30 in accordance with Cowell’s decision last spring. In addition, since March, 17 custodial workers have opted to retire, some of them preferring to lock in their benefits than face the uncertainty of the board’s deliberations over their employment.

- MATT FAIR

16

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

Kenan Thompson: TeenNick’s ‘‘90s Are All That’ frenzy is ‘crazy’

By JOCELYN VENA The world was feeling nostalgic this week when a block of ‘90s Nickelodeon series debuted on TeenNick. “All That,” “Clarissa Explains It All,” “Kenan & Kel” and “Doug” hit the airwaves Monday night at midnight, and for two hours, everyone was transported back to a wackier time in TV history during the aptly titled “The ‘90s Are All That.”

Former “All That” and “Kenan & Kel” star Kenan Thompson told MTV News the incredible public response is “very exciting.”

Of his initial reaction to the

news that his old shows would find a new home on the air, he said, “I thought it was crazy. It was very complimentary and felt really nice of them to do that, and it’s all fan requested and then that made it even better.”

The shows are getting the late-night treatment, and Thompson said it’s the perfect time for 20-something’s to feel nostalgic. “We’re all at that age now where we’re night owls; everybody’s up anyway,” he said. “It’s a good idea for a spot. It’s crazy that it’s working because it’s like 10-year-old material that’s holding up against these shows.”

The shows might be a fun

trip back in time for adults now, but the “Saturday Night Live” actor said that back then, the content was all about “kids rule.” “That’s always made kids feel good watching it,” he said. “We were doing relatable material, and it wasn’t so forced. We just happened to be kids doing stuff.”

The airing of the four shows, which all pre-date social networking, became such an overnight sensation that it caused an uproar on Twitter with various memes related to the shows (such as character names) all becoming Twitter trends. The ratings have also held their own against staple late-night talk

shows. The idea is a hit, and Thompson is grateful for all the love.

It’s a feeling he also had back in the day when he was busy working on both “All That” and “Kenan & Kel.” “Me, personally, I was just happy to be there. I wanted to be an actor from a very young age, and it was just an awesome time,” he explained.

“It was my first TV gig. It was like a very, very cherished moment in life.

“I have tons [of memories].

It’s funny to see everyone all grown up now,” he added.

“It’s crazy. It’s funny to watch life progress and then to be thrown back into the mid-’90s, it’s cool.”

50 Cent, Kanye West collaboration delayed by ‘Watch The Throne’

By ROB MARKMAN Will he or won’t he? After taking to Twitter to say he will not release another album, 50 Cent has many wondering about the fate of his upcoming, untitled fifth LP. One thing is for sure, if 50’s album is ever released, Kanye West probably won’t be a part of it.

“Yeah we talked about it, both of us; and Kanye went on the radio and talked about us collaborating soon,” 50 told MTV News on Tuesday while on the set of Hot Rod’s “Hot Girl” video. “I don’t know if it will actually happen during this period,

because of how much they got going on with Watch the Throne, with him and Jay doing that. I don’t know.”

In 2007, ‘Ye and the GUnit boss squared off in a famous sales battle between West’s Graduation and 50’s Curtis (if you don’t recall, Kanye won). While the competition was hyped up at the time, it doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore, and 50 is still open to the idea of working with the rapper/producer.

But even without that collaboration, 50 said he has amassed quite a few songs already. “I have a lot of good ideas for it, and I just put ‘em on the side and said, ‘We’ll see what happens,’ and I kept doing other things,” he said.

“I have too many records right now. I recorded to the point that I have 40 songs for a CD that will have 13, maybe 14 cuts.”

That is if the CD ever sees the light of day. On Wednesday morning, 50 tweeted: “Man I’m not releasing a album. I can’t believe Interscope is this f—-ed up right now. I apologize to my fans.”

Shortly after, Fif also threatened to leak Dr. Dre’s new single “Psycho” in retaliation for the foul treatment he felt he has received from the label. He later recanted. “I wouldn’t leak dre’s record he has done nothing but help me in my career,” 50 tweeted.

“Jimmy [Iovine] has always been supportive of me.”

T-Pain sues auto-tune Brandy on new album: ‘I really firm For using his feel like this is my last chance’ mug to sell products T-Pain has filed suit against an auto-tune effect firm over allegations they illegally used his image and likeness to sell their products.

The artist has used the pitch correction software extensively throughout his career and previously teamed up with Antares to promote its auto-tune items.

But that deal ended in June and, as previously reported, T-Pain went on to form a new collaboration with rival firm Izotope to create his own range of sound effects,

called The T-Pain Effect.

T-Pain claims Antares executives have continued to illegally use his fame to boost sales of its products – and he’s demanding at least $1 million in damages, according to AllHipHop.com.

He is also asking a California judge to issue an injunction preventing Antares from using anything that could connect TPain to the company’s autotune devices, claiming it could substantially damage sales of his new Izotope products.

After dealing with a mountain of personal and professional setbacks, including lawsuits, an album failure and a tough break-up, singer/actress Brandy is working diligently to keep the past in the past. Now gearing up for her new album, the follow-up to 2008’s ‘Human,’ Brandy says she will open up about the many trials and tribulations she has faced.

“I’ve gone through some things I haven’t yet sang about, from the struggles since the accident, the breakup from my ex-fiancé and then ‘Human’ not perform-

ing well at all and then to be cheated out of Dancing With The Stars...it’s like failure after failure after failure,” says Brandy in the below video.

She adds: “This is my last opportunity...I’m bringing everything I have to this project. I honestly feel like and I’m not trying to get emotional; I really feel like this is my last chance.”

For the forthcoming effort, Brandy plans to take it back to where it all started, back to the music that first gave her national fame and notoriety.

“With this album, I just

wanna go back to my roots, my core of who I am,” she says. “I’m R&B and I just wanna give my fans what they deserve.”

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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Jill Scott still in shock over No. 1 ‘Light of the Sun’

By SABRINA FORD Six weeks have passed since R&B singer Jill Scott hit No. 1 on album charts with “The Light of the Sun,” and she still finds herself in shock.

That may sound odd from the Philadelphia native whose debut album, “Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1” was released 11 years ago. Since then, she has recorded more music and become a well-respected actress with roles in films such as “Hounddog” and “Why Did I Get Married,” as well as starring in HBO television series “Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency.”

But for “Light of the Sun,” Scott took a new path in her singing career. She veered into hip hop, and the road that heretofore was less chosen, proved to be a good direction. Scott kicked off her 18-city Summer Block Party tour this week in Boston and stopped in New York on Thursday night.

“I (still) don’t believe it...I have a copy (of the Billboard

album chart), but I still don’t believe it,” Scott told Reuters about her success with “Light of the Sun.” “Somebody sent me a text message, ‘Congratulations on the No. 1 album,’ and I thought they were talking about the R&B chart. I was really happy about that.

Then I found out it was the No.1 album in the country.

It’s overwhelming,” said Scott.

“Light of the Sun” marks other significant milestones for Scott. The record was her first project since a split from Hidden Beach Recordings last year, and it is the inaugural project for her Blues Babe imprint in collaboration with Warner Bros.

Records.

On the new album, the classic rap songs she listened to growing up and the current hits she keeps in rotation today heavily influenced Scott, she said, whose musical style has typically been a fusion of soul, jazz and R&B. One of her personal favorites on the new album, “All Cried Out Redux” features Doug E. Fresh, who was a pioneer in rap music

and among Scott’s early favorites in the genre.

“As a child of hip-hop, having recording anything with Doug E. Fresh is just surreal,” said Scott.

Houston rapper Paul Wall, whom Scott calls one of the “nicest guys in hip-hop,” joins her on “So Gone (What My Mind Says)” representing the voice of a mesmerizing, but less than chivalrous, lover she can’t seem to shake.

How did the transforma-

Alicia Keys’ dream comes true with Broadway job

By CONNIE TANG Growing up in Manhattan next to Broadway, Alicia Keys has always dreamed of one day partaking in those bright lights that she saw through her apartment window. The songstress will finally get her chance this summer, as she’s been signed on to produce ‘Stick Fly.’ Written by Lydia R. Diamon, the story focuses on an African American family at their vacation home in Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. And according to Keys, this “piece of art” has touched her creative soul and helped open her eyes.

In a blog post on her official website, she explains her love and passion for the play, and how she has fallen in love with it.

“Sometimes you come across that rare piece of art that gets to you— that takes you to a different place, and

opens your eyes and your heart to a new horizon. For me, Stick Fly is that piece of art,” Keys writes.

“Stick Fly is an incredible, moving and HILARIOUS play, that I’m so honored and excited to help bring to Broadway this winter. These profound characters bring you deep into the life of a family that is just like yours or mine— capturing everything that goes with that: the outrageous, the funny and the secrets tucked away inside the family closet.”

She also talks about how her love and passion for theatre was originally inspired by her mother, Teresa Augello.

“My mother’s greatest passion is the theatre and she introduced it to me very early in my life. I grew up right next to Broadway—I could see the glittering lights from our apartment,” the singer recalls. “To produce a play like this is a dream come true for me. And to have the chance to share

tion to hip hop come about?

Last year, Scott was on a neosoul tour opening for singer Maxwell, singing the songs with which her fans were familiar, such as “Lyzel in E Flat” and “The Way.” But Scott said her head, and heart, were in hip-hop.

“I started thinking about what kind of music I needed to hear before I went on stage. I think that was the catalyst. I need to hear Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross and Mobb Deep,” she said.

Hip-hop not only influenced the sound of this album but also Scott’s recording style, approaching the music from the position of wanting to freestyle the beats, rhythms and lyrics.

“I went in and had fun. I didn’t really write much.

Some of the songs were recorded in one take. I freestyled pretty much the entire record,” Scott said, echoing respected lyricists such as Jay-Z, who famously does not write down his lyrics.

“So Gone,” for instance, was almost entirely improvised, Scott said.

In keeping with the old school theme of her album, Scott’s Block Party tour is deejayed by acclaimed producer, master of turntables and fellow Philadelphian, DJ Jazzy Jeff.

The tour also reunites Scott with Doug E. Fresh.

Vocalist Anthony Hamilton and R&B band Mint Condition open the show.

The tour next visits Detroit and has further stops in Chicago and Cleveland before ending on August 28 in Houston.

Lucasfilm’s ‘Red Tails’ in theaters next January

Nate Parker, Kevin Phillips, David Oyelowo and Elijah Kelley portray some of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen in a scene from Lucasfilms “Red Tails.” this play with an audience, night after night, in a beautiful theater, on the streets that I walked everyday as a kid with only ‘a pocket full of dreams’… can only be described as modern-day magic.”

The play will hit Broadway this winter in NYC, and Alicia Keys hopes “you’ll have the chance to experience Stick Fly, and that it moves you as much as did [her].”

By BRENT LANG LOS ANGELES — Lucasfilm’s “Red Tails” have their mission data.

The true-life story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all African American aerial unit, lands in theaters on January 20, 2012, the company announced on Friday.

It will be released by Twentieth Century Fox, which shepherded Lucas’

“Star Wars” films to the big screen.

Directed by Anthony Hemingway (“Treme,” “The Wire”), the drama stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard and Bryan Cranston.

Up-and-comers Nate Parker (“The Secret Life of Bees”), David Oyelowo (“The Last King of Scotland”) Cliff Smith aka Method Man (“The Wire”) and Kevin Phillips (“Pride”), co-star.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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Merck to slash jobs in cost-savings drive

By RANSDELL PIERSON Merck & Co. Inc. plans to cut another 12,000 to 13,000 jobs by late 2015 to wring out additional annual cost savings of up to $1.5 billion that can be plowed back into research and deal making.

The No. 2 U.S. drugmaker eliminated 12,465 positions last year, offset by almost 6,500 new hires, reducing its workforce to 91,000 employees as of June 30.

The company, which also reported quarterly earnings in line with forecasts, said on Friday it would cut its workforce by an additional 12 percent to 13 percent from the 100,000 employees it had at the end of 2009 after buying ScheringPlough Corp.

A company spokesman declined to peg the planned size of its workforce, saying the job cuts would be

substantially offset by new hires in strategic growth areas, such as emerging markets.

“The new phase of restructuring will create an additional $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion in annual cost savings,” company spokesman David Caouette said.

Job cuts will come largely from administrative positions, consolidation of offices and sale or closure of manufacturing sites.

Merck is streamlining operations following its $41 billion purchase of ScheringPlough.

“I think we’re going

to see other firms continue to expand their cost-reduction programs,” Morningstar analyst Damien Conover said, pointing to increasingly difficult reimbursement environments in Europe and the United States.

“We have to remember that 10 years ago these firms were extremely bloated and in an entirely different operating mold and it’s really shifted to one where you don’t need the gigantic sales forces that you once needed,” Conover said.

Many other big

drugmakers have slashed their workforces in recent years to ensure profit growth as they face patent expirations that will subject them to generic competition, the costs of healthcare reform and efforts by insurers to keep a lid on drug prices.

Eli Lilly , facing one of the industry’s biggest “patent cliffs,” said in late 2009 it would cut 5,500 employees, or 13 percent of its workforce, by the end of 2011 to create $1 billion in savings. But like Merck, its cuts have been largely offset by increased hiring in emerging markets.

Before Pfizer bought Wyeth in 2009, the world’s largest drugmaker said it would cut 15 percent of the combined workforce, or almost 20,000 jobs.

The company, whose Lipitor cholesterol fighter goes generic late this year, swung its ax again in February, saying it would

lay off more than 2,000 researchers to deliver on a 2012 profit forecast.

Merck, unlike many of its rivals, has vowed to maintain research and development spending at stable levels, rather than slash research costs to meet earnings targets. But the company on Friday shaved the high end of its 2011 research budget by $100 million, to between $8 billion and $8.3 billion.

The drugmaker said it halted development of a treatment for migraine headaches, called telcagepant, after unfavorable data from a late-stage trial.

The medicine had been linked to liver toxicity in earlier studies.

With the new job cuts, Merck’s restructuring program will yield annual savings of $4 billion to $4.6 billion by the end of 2015, compared with an earlier estimate of $2.7 billion to $3.1 billion by late 2012, Merck said.

The company report-

ed a second-quarter profit in line with Wall Street expectations, helped by big tax gains. But sales handily outpaced forecasts.

It earned $2.02 billion, or 65 cents per share, compared with $752 million, or 24 cents per share, in the year-earlier second quarter, when it took a big restructuring charge for the Schering Plough acquisition.

Excluding special items, Merck earned 95 cents per share, matching the average forecast among analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Global sales rose 7 percent to $12.15 billion, but would have risen only 3 percent if not for the weaker dollar. Sales exceeded Wall Street’s expectations by $370 million, helped by strong sales of newer obesity drugs Januvia and Janumet, arthritis treatment Remicade and vaccines.

The company, which slightly raised the low end of its 2011 profit forecast, now expects earnings of $3.68 billion to $3.76 billion, excluding special items.

HSBC heads for $11 billion profit as revamp takes shape

By STEVE SLATER LONDON — HSBC Holdings Plc. should unveil a half-year profit of near $11 billion, flat from a year earlier as weak investment bank trading and wobbly U.S. and European economies offset growth in Asia.

New HSBC CEO Stuart Gulliver is overhauling Europe’s biggest bank by slashing costs by up to $3.5 billion, selling its U.S. credit card arm and other assets, and retreating from countries where it is sub-scale.

The aim is to sharpen the focus on Asia and investors want to see progress made on that plan.

HSBC is the first of Britain’s big banks to report and should show a pretax profit for the six months to the end of June of $10.9 billion, compared with $11.1 billion a year earlier,

according to the average of forecasts from 12 banks and brokerages polled by Reuters.

Earnings will be hurt by a slump in fixed income trading in the second quarter, which has hit rivals including Credit Suisse particularly hard. Revenue from HSBC’s global banking and markets unit is likely to fall 8 percent on

the year to $10 billion, analysts at Citi forecast.

A stuttering U.S. economy could also slow the improvement in bad debts at HSBC’s U.S. consumer loans portfolio, which it is running down, analysts said.

Gulliver unveiled his far-reaching plan in May to slash costs and cut back in retail bank-

ing to revive flagging profits and returns.

Gulliver intends to sell HSBC’s U.S. credit card portfolio, which has more than $30 billion in assets, a move which would free up capital. Capital One Financial Corp. and Wells Fargo are among the bidders, sources have said.

Another suitor could

be Barclays.

HSBC is also looking to sell upstate New York branches as it shrinks its network of 475 U.S. branches. Altogether it is looking to sell, shut or slim down retail banking in 39 countries. So far, it has said it will exit Russia and Poland.

The bank is likely to axe thousands of jobs as

part of the overhaul, but it is probably too early to see an improvement in the cost line, analysts said.

Pretax profit will include a negative adjustment on the value of debt the bank carries, expected to be around $600 million. Underlying profit of $11.5 billion would be up almost a fifth from a year ago.

U.S. Gulf oil patch restores operations after Don

By ERWIN SEBA HOUSTON — Offshore oil and natural gas producers restaffed their production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, the day after Tropical Storm Don made landfall on the south Texas coast.

Don, the year’s first major Gulf of Mexico storm, was nearly dissipated by Saturday

morning after weakening to a tropical depression as it made landfall late on Friday near Baffin Bay, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm’s path took it well to the west of the largest concentration of offshore oil and natural gas platforms and onshore refineries along the Gulf Coast.

Don passed 40 miles south of Corpus Christi, a major center for

refineries operated by Valero Energy Corp, Flint Hills Resources and Citgo Petroleum Corp. Officials at those refineries did not report any slowdowns on Saturday.

Big offshore oil and natural gas producers like BP Plc, Shell Oil Co and Anadarko Petroleum Corp returned staff to their offshore platforms, after evacuating some of them earlier in the week due to storm concerns.

Nearly 12 percent of U.S. Gulf of Mexico crude output remained shut on Friday, according to government data, but analysts believe the storm’s relative weakness and projected path made prolonged production outages or energy infrastructure damage unlikely.

The Gulf accounts for 30 percent of U.S. oil production and 12 percent of natural gas output, according to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean

Energy Management.

The Gulf Coast is home to about 40 percent of U.S. refining capacity and about 30 percent of U.S. natural gas processing plant capacity.

A westward-moving tropical wave 900 miles east of the Windward Islands has a 70 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next two days, the NHC said. That system will be named Emily if it strengthens into a storm or hurricane.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

Senator supports online sales tax reform WASHINGTON — Cash-strapped states seeking to collect billions in taxes from online transactions gained an ally in Washington on Friday when a senator introduced a bill for a federal solution to the problem.

Struggling with weak economies, states will lose an estimated $10 billion this year and $11.4 billion next year in sales taxes that go uncollected on online purchases, according to studies by three professors at the University of Tennessee.

Although the fate of the bill by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin

was uncertain given the anti-tax environment on Capitol Hill, his measure is backed by the National Governors Association and the National Retail Federation and even earned a pledge of cooperation from giant online retailer Amazon.

“It’s being brought to a head by actions at the state level,” said Indiana state Senator Luke Kenley, who heads the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board, a group of 24 states that has been lobbying Congress to enact a uniform sales tax for all retailers — online and bricks and mortar alike.

Also pushing the issue to the forefront has been the sheer size of the online retail market — $165 billion last year, according to Bernstein Research, which predicts 15 percent annual growth over the next decade.

“Online sales are growing exponentially and this loophole is creating winners and losers based on the tax code,” says Jason Brewer of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, a trade group in favor of federal rules.

Durbin argued his bill involved no new taxes and applied only to taxes already imposed by the states

that are not being collected. His goal is to provide states with the clear authority to require retailers to collect sales taxes already owed, treat all retailers equally regarding sales tax collection, and release consumers, currently expected to calculate and send in the taxes themselves, from that responsibility.

Amazon, the largest e-retailer, has been locked in a series of state-by-state battles over the non-collection of taxes.

Amazon declined comment on Durbin’s bill. But in a letter to Durbin, the company’s vice president for global public policy, Paul Misener, supported returning discussion of the interstate collection of sales tax to Congress and pledged to cooperate.

On a state level, Amazon has been less accommodating. It is backing a referendum

19

to end California’s new tax collection policy and has pushed for and gotten incentives in Tennessee and South Carolina tying sales tax holidays to putting Amazon facilities and jobs in those states. The company argues the current sales tax system is too complex for it to handle reasonably.

A recent study by analysts at William Blair & Co of more than 2,000 items for sale at 24 retailers found more than half the products were also available on Amazon.com at an average of 11 percent below store prices. If Amazon collected all state sales taxes, that price discount would

Yahoo gets short end of stick in Alibaba deal

By LIANA B. BAKER Yahoo Inc. got shortchanged — that’s the view of analysts picking apart the complex deal it announced on Friday with Alibaba Group and SoftBank Corp over Chinese e-payments unit Alipay.

The trio struck an agreement after months of wrangling over the lucrative asset, under which Alibaba gets up to $6 billion if the mobile payments firm goes public or gets sold.

But their solution bothered investors and reinforced perceptions on Wall Street that Yahoo has little control over Alibaba, the e-commerce company founded

by Jack Ma and which is 43 percent-owned by Yahoo.

The conflict between the Chinese Internet firm and its two major shareholders started after Alibaba transferred Alipay to a separate company controlled by Ma. Yahoo has said that went on without its knowledge.

Now, under the agreement, Alibaba would receive $2 billion to $6 billion of the proceeds of an Alipay IPO

or sale, based on 37.5 percent ownership of the mobile payments service.

That capped the potential amount that Alibaba — and hence Yahoo or SoftBank — could receive from the sale of a lucrative company of which it was once the sole owner. It may have represented a compromise over a matter in which Yahoo executives found they had little say.

“This deal just repairs a problem, but the value transfer that occurred gave Yahoo the short end of the stick,” said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis.

“The key thing here is that they got the deal done,” Gillis said. “But it doesn’t fix the issue of how Yahoo can take this paper holding in Alibaba Group and turn it into cash on its balance sheet.”

The agreement values Alipay between $5.3 billion and $16 billion, according to Jefferies Equity Research.

Shares of Yahoo initially jumped on the deal but reversed course to close about 3 percent lower at $13.10 on Friday, after analysts pressed Yahoo’s finance chief on a conference

call about its grip on its prized Asian assets.

The months-long fight put additional strain on an already troubled relationship between Alibaba and Yahoo after CEO Carol Bartz was brought in to try to rekindle growth at the once-dominant U.S. Internet player.

Yahoo’s relationship with Alibaba is on the top of investors’ minds because the U.S. company’s Asian investments are deemed its most valuable asset. Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordan Rohan said the deal “may have stirred up the emotions of an investor base that has taken a lot of body blows this year.”

The lack of details on how Yahoo could access funds from any eventual Alipay IPO or sale, highlighted how Ma and his team called all the shots, and will keep doing so.

“Some fears remain that this could happen again,” Rohan said. “The mechanism for Yahoo to extract value from those assets is as murky as it has ever been.”

During the public spat between the companies, the hedge fund Greenlight Capital, which is run by investor David Einhorn, dumped its sizable position in

Yahoo, and others followed suit.

It was telling that Bartz and Ma, the Chinabased CEO of Alibaba, were both absent from a conference call with analysts.

Apart from the Alibaba spat, Bartz is dealing with her own issues back home, with Yahoo trying to arrest a continued slide in revenue and reverse a stock decline of more than 21 percent in 2011 alone.

Under the agreement, Alipay will keep providing payment processing to Alibaba’s e-commerce platform, Taobao, on “preferential terms.”

Much of Alipay’s value lies in the payment systems it provides to Taobao, Alibaba’s most strategic asset. Alipay will also pay royalties and other fees to Alibaba — prior to a liquidity event, according to the deal.

Investors had also

drop into a “mid singledigit” range, the analysts said.

Amazon warned in a recent SEC filing that if states or foreign countries succeeded in forcing the company to start collecting taxes where it did not do so already, it “could result in substantial tax liabilities, including for past sales, as well as penalties and interest.”

Brick and mortar retailers have been waiting for federal action for nearly two decades since a Supreme Court decision encouraged Congress to come up with some kind of national framework for remote sales taxes. been hoping for Taobao to go public, which would unlock more value for Yahoo. But Alibaba finance chief Joe Tsai all but ruled that out.

“You should take the Taobao liquidity event assumption off the table,” Tsai told analysts on the call.

JP Morgan said the agreement over Alipay was “better than nothing, but not that great.”

Ultimately, Alibaba, which used to own all of Alipay, has effectively seen its stake reduced, which hurts Yahoo, the investment bank said.

Anonymous says hacked U.S. government cyber supplier WASHINGTON — Hackers with the looseknit group Anonymous said on Friday they had broken into the network of U.S. government contractor Mantech International Corp and posted some NATO-related correspondence online.

Anonymous, tweeting as AnonymousIRC, offered the correspondence between Mantech and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as proof of the breach. Two involve NATO contracting offices, and one dis-

cusses deploying staffers to an unnamed “NATO Theater of Operations” for what appears to be tech services.

Mantech, which claims the U.S. Defense, State and Justice Departments among its clients, declined to comment. It offers cyber security among its services.

Hackers associated with Lulz Security and Anonymous have claimed responsibility for cyber attacks on the

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Senate, Sony Corp websites and the website of Murdoch’s British newspaper group, News International, among others.

Authorities made some arrests in connection with the breaches, including a teenager detained at a house in the remote Shetland Islands, off Scotland’s northeast coast.

There have also been other arrests in Britain and in the United States.

20

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

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DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

FIBA: NBA stars can play overseas If NBA stars are serious about playing overseas, basketball’s governing body says they will be welcomed.

Just as long as they promise to leave once the lockout ends.

FIBA announced Friday it would clear NBA players under contract to play in its leagues during the work stoppage, provided the deals they sign come with opt-out clauses.

In a ruling that paves the way for players to earn a paycheck, FIBA agreed with NBA and players’ association officials that players are free to sign anywhere but do so at their own risk of injury.

“As the world governing body for basketball, we strongly hope that the labor dispute will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the NBA season is able to begin as scheduled,” secretary general Patrick Baumann said in a statement.

“In view of our role to promote basketball worldwide, we support any player wishing to play the game, wherever and whenever. We do so while obviously taking the interests, rights and obligations of all parties into account.”

Playing overseas has emerged as an option for NBA players during a work stoppage that threatens to last months and could even wipe out the entire season. Nets All-Star Deron

Williams has a deal with Turkish club Besiktas — which is also courting Kobe Bryant — and most top players said they would consider playing overseas.

Union executive director Billy Hunter has endorsed the idea, with players believing it will pressure owners at the bargaining table if they see their players have options elsewhere, and FIBA may have been faced with a legal challenge had it denied the players.

“Our players are gratified by today’s announcement by FIBA, although it comes as no surprise,” Hunter said in a statement. “We have consistently advised our members that in the event of a lockout they would have the right to be compensated for playing basketball irrespective of whether they were under contract to an NBA team or not. We have encouraged all of our players to pursue such opportunities and will continue to do so.”

If a player under NBA contract agrees to a deal in a FIBA-affiliated league, he first must be cleared to go by the NBA. The league will allow partial clearance, meaning it must be guaranteed the player returns to his NBA team once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. FIBA will then give its approval once the

player has signed a declaration stating he will do so.

The Lakers’ Derek Fisher, president of the players’ association, said Friday that he doesn’t think the players going abroad will hurt the union.

“We don’t view it as really weakening the union. We view it as a gentleman is being told that he can’t come to work at a particular place and he’s temporarily unemployed and he’s seeking employment elsewhere,” Fisher said. “That’s kind of the way we view it. Our elected members — myself, the executive committee, Billy Hunter, our staff, our legal counsel — that’s what we get elected to do is kind of carry that brunt and attend the meetings and be physically present.

“We fully expect and anticipate that our guys are going to want to find opportunities to do what they love to do, and that’s play the game.

We definitely don’t view it as weakening our stance or our position, we just view it as guys going out and doing what they want to do.”

There is still plenty of doubt that top players will head to Europe or Asia. All-Star-caliber players may not find enough money to make it worthwhile, and numerous players who have signed overseas have stories of missed or late payments from their teams there. Also, their NBA teams

21

could void their contracts if they are significantly injured playing in another league.

Still, scoring champion Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City said Thursday he was “about 50-50” on the idea, while Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul both said they would consider China during a promotional tour in Hong Kong this week.

FIBA also expressed its pleasure that so many players are willing to play this summer despite the risks.

Argentina Basketball Federation president German Vaccaro told FIBA.com that it had secured insurance Thursday, allowing Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola and its other top players to take part in the FIBA Americas tournament it is hosting.

France and Russia also have lined up arrangements to have their NBA players take part in Europe’s qualifying tournament for the 2012 Olympics.

“We are delighted to see that, in spite of widespread doubts related to the lockout, national teams competing in this summer’s Olympic qualifiers will be able to count on the participation of most of their NBA stars,” Baumann said.

Hunter, NBA commissioner David Stern and their top lieutenants have agreed to resume collective bargaining discussions today, sources told ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan. NBA owners imposed a lockout July 1, shutting down the league for the first time since summer 1998.

Bernard Hopkins’ fight in Staples Center

By DAN RAFAEL Light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has made history before at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and now he is going back to try to make some more in the first defense of his second 175-pound title reign.

Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com on Thursday that Hopkins’ Oct. 15 defense against former titleholder and mandatory challenger Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs), a fight that has been set for more than a month, is headed for the Staples Center.

“It does look like it will be at the Staples Center,” Schaefer said. “It’s probably 95 percent it will be there. I am just working with them to finalize our deal.”

In February 2005, Hopkins, the longtime middleweight champion before he moved up in weight, outpointed Howard Eastman at the Staples Center to record his divisionrecord 20th (and final) middleweight title defense.

“We had a great crowd when Bernard did his historic 20th title defense and now he will do his first defense of the historic title he won against (Jean) Pascal,” Schaefer said.

“I think Los Angeles boxing fans, Los

Angeles sports fans, the celebrities — I think they like these kind of meaningful events. Staples Center is very excited about it.”

Schaefer had been negotiating a deal to put the fight on at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. However, Schaefer said the deal went south when building officials insisted on the involvement of Main Events, which has a close relationship with the Prudential Center and has done several boxing events there. Schaefer declined to involve Main Events in the promotion. He said he had also looked into the Izod Center in the Meadowlands complex in East Rutherford, N.J. Both of those arenas are not far from Hopkins’ hometown of Philadelphia. However, Schaefer, whose office is walking distance from Staples Center, has a close relationship with Staples Center officials.

On May 21, Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) made boxing history again when he became, at 46, the oldest fighter ever to win a world championship, outpointing Pascal in a rematch of their December draw to win the light heavyweight title at the Bell Centre in Pascal’s hometown of Montreal.

The fight will headline an HBO PPV card. Schaefer and Gary Shaw, Dawson’s promoter, have been work-

ing on the undercard.

One of the supporting bouts has been agreed to, Schaefer said. Golden Boy fighter Jorge Linares will face Antonio DeMarco, who is promoted

by Shaw, for the lightweight title recently vacated by Humberto Soto (DeMarco’s cousin).

“Gary confirmed to me that his side is in and our side is in, so it looks like that will be one of the fights,” Schaefer said.

Linares (31-1, 20 KOs), 25, a native of Venezuela who fought for much of his career in Japan, is a former junior lightweight and featherweight titlist. He recently relocated to Los Angeles to train under Freddie Roach and strength coach Alex Ariza — the same team that trains poundfor-pound king Manny Pacquiao and unified junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan.

Linares has won four fights in a row since a shocking first-round knockout loss to Juan Carlos Salgado in October 2009, when he lost his junior lightweight title.

“Jorge Linares has been touted as one of the emerging stars of the sport but he had a setback with the firstround knockout,” said Schaefer, who compared him to unified Khan, who also suffered a shocking first-round knockout loss at lightweight before roaring back to win two belts in a

heavier division.

“Amir had a similar hiccup and he lined up with Freddie and Alex, and we know what happened,” Schaefer said. “Now you have Jorge, who had a hiccup and followed up with some victories. Now he has relocated to Los Angeles and teamed up with Freddie and Alex, who he is living with. I really think that Jorge Linares teaming up with Freddie and Alex is going to make all the difference. On Oct. 15, not only will we have a new world champion within the Golden Boy stable, but somebody who will make a lot of noise in boxing.”

Mexico’s DeMarco (25-2-1, 18 KOs) has won two in a row since suffering a ninth-round TKO loss to the late Edwin Valero in a lightweight title bout in February 2010. Now, DeMarco has the opportunity to fight for the same sanctioning organization title again.

22

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

Ochocinco says he can change to Patriots’ way FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Chad Ochocinco promised to tone down his antics now that he’s in New England, where coach Bill Belichick likes his players to be seen and rarely heard.

That lasted all of five minutes.

After calling himself a chameleon who can “blend in and do it the Patriot way,” Ochocinco riffed on riding the wave and soaring with his angel wings. Then, by way of introduction to the crush of media attending his first availability in New England, he asked for a group hug.

“It is going to be a little quiet. You won’t get the same Chad you are used to, and I probably won’t be talking to the media much, probably not at all, really. I just want to play ball and ride the wave,” he said after practice on Saturday.

“I will always be me. It has been a part of my game to always be me, but there is a certain way the Patriots do it. It’s easy for me. I’ve always been a chameleon, so I am going to blend in and do it the Patriot way, which is win. We had our talk, and without him (Belichick) even having to saying anything — there is no need for some of the stuff I did before.

There’s no need for it.”

The Patriots were among the biggest newsmakers in the league coming out of the lockout, agreeing to trades

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (L) and wide receiver Chad Ochocinco watch the morning practice session of their NFL training camp in Foxborough, Massachusetts. for Ochocinco and Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth shortly after the NFL reopened for business.

What’s most unusual: Neither player is what’s thought of as the usual type for Belichick, who prefers the quiet and businesslike to the guys who make headlines off the field.

“I think every player on this team, every person on this team, has their own individual personality,” Belichick said. “None us are the same, so that’s probably a good thing.”

Ochocinco, who was originally Chad Johnson, has caught 751 passes for 10,783 yards and 66 touch-

downs in his 10-year career.

But he is perhaps better known for his touchdown celebrations, for changing his legal name to the Spanish words for 8 and 5 to match his uniform number, and for his prolific tweeting — almost 30,000 messages to more than 2.4 million Twitter followers.

Belichick is not among them.

“That’s not something I follow, as you know,” he said, cracking a smile. “I don’t Twitter, I don’t MyFace, I don’t do any of those things, so I’d probably be the last to know.”

So far, the biggest complication in Ochocinco’s arrival in New England had been

tight end Aaron Hernandez owning No. 85. Ochocinco said he didn’t have to pay him anything for the No. 85.

(Hernandez switched to No. 81.)

“This was Mr. Hernandez’s way of greeting me here. He gave me the number and I didn’t have to pay anything, I just shook his hand and I said, ‘Thank you,’” Ochocinco said. “I drive a Toyota Prius, so I was going to let him use my Prius on the weekends, and that’s about the best I can do right now. I have some left over McDonald’s coupons since I don’t eat there anymore.”

A two-time Pro Bowl selection in Tennessee, Haynesworth’s talent was completely overshadowed in Washington by his legal problems and his feud with coach Mike Shanahan that ended with Thursday’s trade to the Patriots for a 2013 fifth-round draft pick.

“They’ve both been very productive in the league, as we all know,” Belichick said.

“Look, there’s no formula.

All the trades we’ve been involved in through the years — the Ted Washingtons and the Corey Dillons and the Randy Mosses and all — each one is different.

There’re always different dynamics that go into it. In the end, you just try to do what’s best for your football team.”

Haynesworth, who repeatedly failed his conditioning

test in Washington, did not practice on Saturday morning. Belichick would not say why.

“There are things we still need to do with Albert for him to be able get on the practice field and when those things are done, he’ll be out there,” the coach said.

Asked whether he thought football was important to Haynesworth, Belichick said, “Of course, otherwise I don’t think he would be playing football.

But those are questions you can ask him. I don’t want to speak for him.”

Also Saturday, the Patriots announced they have resigned offensive lineman Logan Mankins, who had been designated as the franchise player, running backs Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris, defensive back Kyle Arrington and defensive lineman Steve Williams. The team later announced deals with defensive back Brandon McGowan and linebacker Tracy White.

The Patriots also released linebacker Anthony Leonard. On Friday, the team released six veterans, including defensive end Ty Warren, offensive tackle Nick Kaczur, tight end Alge Crumpler and linebacker Tully Banta-Cain.

“Those kinds of things are tough,” Belichick said.

“Unfortunately, that’s part of what we do. We just had to move on.”

Plaxico Burress meets with Steelers

By JAMES WALKER The Pittsburgh Steelers officially have entered the Plaxico Burress sweepstakes. General manager Kevin Colbert confirmed the team met with its 2000 firstround pick early Saturday morning, just one day after Burress met with the New York Giants, another former team.

According to Colbert, there have been no contract negotiations with the freeagent wide receiver, who was released from prison earlier this summer. But overall it was a productive visit.

“Drew [Rosenhaus], his

agent, is interested, and we’re certainly interested,” Colbert said. “So where it goes, we will find out.”

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Burress had breakfast with coach Mike Tomlin, Colbert and team president Art Rooney.

He then sat down with Roethlisberger and backup quarterback Byron Leftwich, Hines Ward and linebacker James Farrior.

Colbert was slated to meet with Tomlin later in the day to gauge his feelings and where Burress, 34, potentially could fit. The next step would be determining a price tag. The Steelers did not work out Burress Saturday.

“We’ve seen enough of

[Burress’] work. Of course, if we advance to a contract, we’d have to do a physical and see where he is physically,” Colbert said. “But from what I’ve seen he looks great from a conditioning standpoint. Of course, he’s missed two years of football. Until he gets back on the football field, nobody is going to know that.”

Burress was released from prison on June 6 after serving 20 months for a gun charge.

Tomlin called the sit-down “good” while the normally tight-lipped Colbert was decidedly open when talking about the nature of the discussion.

“Obviously he’s interest-

ed,” Colbert told The Associated Press. “Drew (Rosenhaus) his agent is interested and we’re certainly interested.”

Consider quarterback Ben Roethlisberger chief among those hoping to land the soon-to-be 34-year-old. He spoke to Burress several times following Burress’ release from prison in June after serving 20 months on a gun charge.

Though the defending AFC champions aren’t exactly hurting at wide receiver with Ward, budding star Mike Wallace and youngsters Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, Burress would give the passing game an added dimension. For all

their speed, Ward and company — all 6-feet and under — can’t look the 6-foot-5 Roethlisberger in the eye.

Burress, also 6-5, can.

“For this offense we’ve got a lot of weapons, a lot of tools (but) anytime you can just add something, say it’s a (fast) guy, a tall guy ... he Continued on page 23

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

23

It’s back to work for Tiger Woods

By DOUG FERGUSON JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tiger Woods returns to golf under a new set of circumstances.

He no longer has the caddie he employed for the last 12 years, having fired Steve Williams a month ago. He no longer is among the top 20 in the world, his lowest ranking since Allen Iverson was an NBA rookie. And he might not even be eligible to play on the PGA Tour after a couple of weeks.

After missing two majors during an 11-week break to make sure his left leg was fully healed, Woods announced Thursday evening on Twitter and on his website that he would return this week at the Bridgestone Invitational.

“Feeling fit and ready to tee it up at Firestone next week. Excited to get back out there!” he tweeted.

By missing three months — but only four tournaments he would typically play — Woods has gone from No. 81 to No. 133 in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 125 players qualify for the opening round of the playoffs at The Barclays, likely leaving him only the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship next week to make up ground. Otherwise, he would have at least five weeks off without being able to play on the PGA Tour.

This was the third-longest layoff of his career, and there is as much uncertainty as ever about his future.

He has gone more than 20 months without winning, and was last seen in golf shoes on May 12 at The Players Championship when he hobbled off the course after a 6-over 42 on the

front nine and withdrew.

He already has had four surgeries on his left knee, and the left Achilles’ gave him just as much trouble. He hurt both of them during the third round of the Masters, although the injuries were described as “minor” when he first mentioned the pain in May. Along with his health, there has been change off the golf course.

Woods left IMG when the contract of longtime agent Mark Steinberg was not renewed. The only endorsement deal for Woods since he returned from a devastating sex scandal was with a Japanese company to promote a heat rub.

Then came the firing of Williams, who caddied for Adam Scott at the U.S. Open, then angered his boss by working for the Australian again at the AT&T National without seeking permission.

The Golf Channel reported Thursday night that Bryon Bell, a childhood friend and president of Tiger Woods Design, would caddie for him at the Bridgestone Invitational. Bell has caddied for Woods three times — a win at the 1999 Buick Invitational, a tie for second at the Buick Invitational when Woods gave him a chance to help defend, and a tie for second in 2003 at the Disney Classic when Woods gave Williams the week off for a car race in New Zealand.

Steinberg declined to confirm Bell would be on the bag, saying in a text message that “no long term been discussed yet as he just decided tonight he was fit and ready to go next week.”

Bell would bring a level of familiarity to Woods, although Bell was implicated during Woods’ sex scan-

Suit vs. Floyd Mayweather dismissed LAS VEGAS — A Nevada judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a nightclub bouncer against Floyd Mayweather Jr. that alleged the champion boxer and his entourage became violent after they were carded at a Las Vegas hotspot.

Clark County District Judge Kenneth Cory dismissed the lawsuit without a hearing last week.

The lawsuit was filed in May by Clay Gerling, a bouncer for the Drai nightclub at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hill on the Las Vegas Strip. The suit claimed Mayweather’s bodyguard choked Gerling after he asked Mayweather and his entourage for their identification cards In January 2010.

Attorneys for Mayweather said in a court motion that the lawsuit should be dismissed because it was so vague.

Mayweather has a history of court dealings. The Las Vegas boxer is undefeated in 41 fights.

dal as allegedly arranging travel for one of his mistresses.

Woods has plunged to No. 21 in the world — his lowest ranking since Jan. 26, 1997 — and he could not get back to No. 1 even if he were to win his next three tournaments.

During his absence, Luke Donald rose to No. 1 in the ranking and 22year-old Rory McIlroy shattered his scoring record in the U.S. Open at Congressional. Woods had said in July, when he appeared at the AT&T National because it benefits his foundation, that he learned his lesson and would not play again until he was fully healed.

Swing coach Sean Foley said he has talked with Woods twice in the last few weeks, although he has not been with him on the practice range.

Woods said on his website that he only recently began practicing.

At least he is returning to a friendly course — Woods has won seven times at Firestone, matching the most he has won on any course as a pro. However, he was at his low point on the course in the Bridgestone Invitational last year when he finished 78th in an 80-man field with the worst 72-hole score of his career.

Before that, Woods had never finished out of the top five.

Woods missed the second half of the 2008 season following reconstructive knee surgery, then sat out

five months after crashing his car into a fire hydrant on Thanksgiving night in 2009, changing his career on and off the golf course. His image tarnished, he lost four major corporate endorsements and still has not found an endorsement for his bag.

He was divorced in August 2010 and shares custody of his two young children.

On the course, Woods has lost the aura he built while becoming the sport’s most dominant figure in the last 40 years. He remains stuck on 14 majors — the last one was in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines — and he nearly missed the cut the last time the PGA Championship was played at Atlanta Athletic Club in 2001.

Plaxico meets with Steelers Continued from page 22 can help the young guys and I think that’s good,” Roethlisberger said.

Burress was meeting late Saturday with the San Francisco 49ers, according to multiple media reports.

San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke would not discuss Burress or any free agents possibly visiting the team, according to the reports. But a source said the 49ers might emerge as the favorite, explaining “I think he will go for the dollars,” according to the New York Post.

A source close to Burress said Friday night that Burress has his eyes on the Philadelphia Eagles, who can deliver another monster blow to the Giants if they land Burress. The Eagles stunned many with their signing of top free-agent cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha Friday.

The New York Jets are also giving strong consideration to Burress, a league source told ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini. The Jets would like to bring Burress to their facility for a visit, but that meeting won’t happen Sunday, a source said.

The Jets are looking for a No. 2 wide receiver to play opposite Santo-

nio Holmes.

The Jets previously met with Burress back in 2009 in South Florida when he was awaiting trial, a person familiar with that meeting told Cimini.

According to the Post-Gazette, Burress has told some of his former Steelers teammates that the San Francisco 49ers and Jets were interested in his services, but the race for the wideout is believed to be down to the Steelers and Jets.

Burress spent about 90 minutes Friday evening meeting with Giants coach Tom Coughlin, general manager Jerry Reese, owner John Mara and several of his former teammates.

“I would say it was positive conversations all the way around,” Giants general manager Jerry Reese told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I thought we had a good visit. We will see what comes out of this. Again, we don’t bring people in for the fun of it. We bring people in to investigate if it’s a possibility for the New York Giants. We think it’s probably a possibility and we will see where it goes.”

However, sources told the PostGazette that Burress will not re-sign with the Giants.

MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011

O CH OC I N CO C AN CH A NG E TO PATRIOTS’ WAY

Chad Ochocinco promised to tone likes his players to be seen and down his antics now that he’s in New rarely heard.

England, where coach Bill Belichick SEE PAGE 22.

IT’S BACK TO WORK FOR TIGER WOODS After missing two majors during an 11-week break to make sure his left leg was fully healed, Woods announced that he would return this week at the Bridgestone Invitational.

SEE PAGE 23.