OBAMA SEEKS TO REASSUREAMERICANS ABOUT LIBYA

NY BOMB PLOT FOUR ASK JUDGE TO DISMISS CHARGES - PG. 2 JERSEY CITY, HOBOKEN, BAYONNE, NEwARK, RuTHERfORd, pATERSON, pASSAIC

NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

THE NATION’S ONLY BLACK DAILY Reporting and Recording Black History

35 Cents

VOL. 18 NO. 20 MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

Final

OBAMA SEEKS TO REASSURE AMERICANS ABOUT LIBYA

President Barack Obama sought to reassure Ameri- the mission is limited and the United States will not cans about U.S. military involvement in Libya, saying intervene everywhere there is a crisis. SEE PAGE 3.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

2

NEWS BRIEFS NYC tops U.S. in private jobs, commercial property PATERSON GETS GUEST HOSTING GIG ON WFAN Former Governor David Paterson has landed a job as a guest host on the sports radio network WFAN. His program will air for three hours Monday night, beginning at 10 p.m.

Paterson’s already guest-hosted once on an afternoon show in December, and the station says this latest attempt amounts to a tryout for a more permanent job.

The former governor has shown interest in media work in the past.

Paterson will be lecturing at NYU this semester and will teach his own classes there starting next school year.

SOME CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS SUE CITY OVER NEW LAW A network of crisis pregnancy centers have filed a lawsuit against the city over a recently-passed law mandating clients be informed of what types of services the centers offer.

The suit claims the ordinance violates First and 14th Amendment rights, and will lead to an increase in abortions.

The group wants to temporarily block the law while the case is pending.

Proponents of the law say the centers can be misleading since they are not licensed, and the advice patients receive may not be coming from a licensed medical professional.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said the centers bully and harass women, and she said if the centers are proud of the services they provide, they should not hide what they are.

“These centers know that when women are provided with a full array of options, they make their own decisions. The individuals who run these centers don’t want women to make informed decisions,” said Quinn. “They want them to act under stress and deception and they’re prepared to go to every length, any length, to try to take that power away from women.”

The group filing the suit says it will defend its right to tell women about abortion alternatives.

MAN CHARGED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF DISGRACED EMT FOUND DEAD IN BROOKLYN A man charged in the shooting of a disgraced emergency medical technician has himself been shot dead.

Sources say Julio Locarno was shot to death in Prospect Park earlier this week.

Lorcano had been charged with manslaughter in the death of EMT Jason Green.

Green made headlines in 2009 when he and his EMT girlfriend, Melissa Jackson, allegedly refused to help a pregnant woman who collapsed and later died.

Jackson was arrested last month on petty larceny charges for allegedly stealing cosmetics from a Long Island Walmart.

By JOAN GRALLA New York City leads the nation in at least two areas: private-sector job growth and the commercial property market’s revival, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report released on Friday.

Private employers have hired about 73,400 workers since November 2009, replacing about half of the jobs they cut in the recession, according to DiNapoli’s report.

Still, the state’s Democratic comptroller cautioned that the public sector is cutting jobs and the city’s overall real estate market is clouded by a recent drop in home values.

“New York City already has the strongest commercial real estate market in the nation,” he said, “and future prospects are encouraging, given job gains and increased business activity; however, residential home values remain at risk.”

Like many cities around the nation, New York City gets most of its tax revenue from property taxes, and the city did not escape the harrowing national drop in real estate markets, which drove up foreclosures while freezing credit and construction.

A separate report issued on Friday by the Fiscal Policy Institute, a liberal think tank, showed that New York state outperformed most of the nation in two other categories.

Last year, state residents enjoyed the second-fastest growth in personal income — 4.2 percent — and the second- swiftest growth in net earnings — 4.1 percent, it said.

“In fact, New York accounted for 12.9 percent of the national growth in net earnings last year - a disproportionate amount, compared to our 7.7 percent share of personal income,” the Fiscal Policy Institute said. It added that a soon-to-expire personal income tax surcharge did

not prevent this upswing.

Only Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver wants to extend the tax surcharge; it is opposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent, Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

The recession’s legacy in New York City — as in many other parts of the country — includes higher spending on social services and a huge deficit — which Bloomberg’s $65 billion budget plan for fiscal 2012 closes mostly with cuts.

The number of New York City dwellers on welfare rose 3.6 percent to 351,807 in January 2011 from January 2009, DiNapoli said. The price tag will rise around $72 million from 2009 to $561 million in the 2011 fiscal year that ends on June 30.

Fiscal stress can also be seen in the rising numbers of homeless people and those whose health care is paid for by Medicaid, which covers the elderly, disabled and impoverished.

“Last year, the annual number of people seeking shelter in the City reached 113,553 — the highest num-

ber since fiscal 2002,” DiNapoli’s report said. In January 2011, 2.9 million residents got Medicaid — up 14 percent from January 2008.

Other extra expenses that could hit the city include the spiraling cost of repaying debt; it could hit 13.7 percent of city fund revenue by fiscal 2015 from 11.1 percent this year, DiNapoli estimated. Debt outstanding may rise to $106 billion by fiscal 2015 from $87.1 billion in fiscal 2010.

And the city expects to pay an extra 50 basis points when it issues long-term debt in the first half of fiscal 2012.

New York City’s $1 billion reserve to pay for expected changes in how it funds its pension contributions might prove too small, DiNapoli said.

In fiscal 2010, the city’s pension funds were only 70.9 percent funded — down from 107.9 percent in 2001.

Still, the city’s mayors traditionally underestimate tax collections to curb the City Council’s spending.

DiNapoli said Bloomberg’s forecasts for property-tax collections from apartment complexes and buildings might be too low.

NY bomb plot four ask judge to dismiss charges

By BASIL KATZ When four men planted what they thought were bombs outside two New York City synagogues were they predisposed to committing the crime? Or had they been encouraged

by FBI promises of money and martyrdom?

Those were the arguments heard by a federal judge in U.S. District court in Manhattan on Thursday as the four appealed their conviction for the crime committed in May 2009.

They face life in prison and are due to be sentenced April 8.

“The issue that I’m struggling with is ... the fact that they actually committed the crime is not proof of predisposition when entrapment is raised as a defense,” Judge Colleen McMahon told the court on Thursday.

But success from using entrapment as a defense was extremely rare in federal terrorism cases, according to data from New York University’s Center on Law and Security.

Since 2009, the FBI has arrested

41 people on terrorism charges through sting operations — where law enforcement posed as extremist militants — the Center said. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, 10 suspects in six trials have formally used entrapment as a defense and none were successful.

James Cromitie, 45, David Williams, 30, Onta Williams, 34, and Laguerre Payen, 29, were convicted by a jury in October last year of placing explosives in two cars parked outside synagogues in New York City’s Bronx borough.

Their defense said on Thursday that the verdict should be thrown out because the men were not predisposed to commit the crime. Instead, the men, who had never previously expressed radical sentiments, were enticed by extravagant promises from an FBI informant, the defense said.

“It is the most elaborate sting operation, or manufacture of a phony plot, that certainly I’ve ever seen,” said defense attorney Vincent Briccetti, who represents Cromitie.

Prosecutor Jason Halperin defended the FBI’s duty to thoroughly

James Cromitie investigate all cases, saying: “This was an elaborate sting operation, but it was lawful.”

U.S. prosecutors said the lack of hesitation by the men showed they were ready and willing from the start.

“It is how they committed the crime that proves their predisposition,” assistant U.S. Attorney David Raskin said, “They did this because that’s what they wanted to do.”

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

3

Obama seeks to reassure Americans about Libya

By PATRICIA ZENGERLE and STEVE HOLLAND WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama sought to reassure Americans about U.S. military involvement in Libya on Saturday, saying the mission is limited and the United States will not intervene everywhere there is a crisis.

Obama, accused by many U.S. lawmakers of failing to explain U.S. objectives in Libya, used his weekly radio and Web address to speak about his Libyan policy and plans a Monday night address to the American people to explain it further.

So far, polls show Americans back the president for using U.S. air power and cruise missiles to attack Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s air defenses and other targets aimed at supporting Libyan rebels and protecting civilians from government forces.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll in recent days said 60 percent of Americans back him on Libya, although only 17 percent saw him as a strong and decisive leader. A Gallup poll put American support for his Libyan move at 47 percent, with 37 percent disapproving.

“We’re succeeding in our mission,” Obama said. “Because we acted quickly, a humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided and the lives of countless civilians — innocent men, women and children — have been saved.”

Easing some pressure on Obama,

NATO is expected to take over command and control of the week-old allied military operation this weekend from the United States.

“Our military has provided unique capabilities at the beginning, but this is now a broad, international effort,” he said, noting that Arab partners like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have committed aircraft.

Obama was cautious on the potential for U.S. intervention elsewhere, as Americans now see news reports of unrest convulsing Syria and Yemen.

11 bus drivers arrested in NY crackdown on phony licenses

By NINA RAJA Police arrested 11 bus drivers around the New York area suspected of using phony aliases to get fraudulent driver licenses, officials said.

The crackdown comes on the heels of a horrific bus accident that left 15 passengers dead.

Authorities suspended the license of bus driver Ophadell Williams — who has not been charged with a crime — after police say his driver’s license application was found to contain false statements.

A joint investigation by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles and police uncovered similar incidents.

“New York will use every tool at its disposal ... to end fraudulent practices in obtaining driver licenses,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. “People should have confidence in the system, and my administration will continue to crack down on potentially dangerous drivers and buses.”

Among those arrested were Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees and commercial drivers, the statement said.

All 11 drivers are charged with falsifying business records and offering a false instrument for filing.

“This investigation is ongoing and our investigators will continue to identify and arrest all those who have submitted false identities,” said DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner J. David Sampson.

The Transportation Authority has suspended the suspects’ driving privileges pending the outcome of criminal hearings.

“We are working with the DMV and law enforcement, and are grateful they have the technology in place to detect this willful evasion of the extensive background checks performed on all MTA employees,” said authority chairman Jay H. Walder.

Last week, two survivors of the March 12 bus accident filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits against the bus company and driver Williams.

Yuke Chue Lo and Erold Jean Marie are both suing World Wide Tours and driver Williams for $20 million and $200 million, respectively.

Both passengers’ court papers allege negligence on the part of the bus operating company for allowing Williams behind the wheel. They also allege that Williams was speeding and fell asleep while driving.

Williams’ lawyer, Sean H. Rooney, denied that his client had fallen asleep.

“As commander in chief, I face no greater decision than sending our military men and women into harm’s way. And the United States should not — and cannot — intervene every time there’s a crisis somewhere in the world,” he said.

Analyst Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political science professor, said Obama was late in explaining what is at stake in Libya to Americans weary of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The long and short of it is he’s getting around now to what he should’ve done before military action began,” he said.

Sabato said Obama, who plans to seek re-election in 2012, faces potentially troublesome outcomes in Libya.

“We’ve been lucky there have been no American or allied casualties. But that could change. The cost could mount, and this could turn into a stalemate,” he said.

Ipsos pollster Julia Clark the cost of the war could become an issue if it rises.

“Americans still prioritize the economy as the biggest issue right now,” she said. “Foreign aid is among the least popular expenditures for taxpayer dollars.”

Obama said the role of U.S. forces has been clear and focused and limited in what he described as a “broad, international effort.” He stressed again that no U.S. ground forces would go into Libya.

Members of Congress — from both the left and right — have criticized Obama for failing to communicate thoroughly the goals of the military operation. Some have assailed him for failing to seek congressional approval for the action, others for embarking on another military mission in a Muslim country when the United States is already embroiled in the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Obama reiterated that Gaddafi must stop attacking civilians, pull back his forces and allow humanitarian assistance to reach those who need it. He said Gaddafi has lost the confidence of the Libyan people and the legitimacy to rule, but did not call directly for Gaddafi’s removal, which Washington has said repeatedly is not the purpose of the military mission.

U.S. Blacks moved South, reversing trend WASHINGTON — Blacks make up a greater portion of the population in the South than at any time in five decades, U.S. Census figures indicate.

The vast majority of Blacks who moved South are young and educated who left declining Northeastern and Midwestern cities for better opportunities, the figures suggest.

Michigan and Illinois, states with big cities with rich Black cultural traditions, showed an overall loss of Blacks for the first time, Brookings Institution chief demographer William Frey told The New York Times.

Atlanta replaced Chicago, for the first time, as the metropolitan area with the largest number of African Americans after New York.

New York state lost more Blacks to the South than any other state, accounting for about 17 percent of Blacks who moved South in the past decade, the census data cited by the Times show.

The percentage of Black Americans living in the South is far lower than before the Great Migration of 1910 to 1930, when 2 million Blacks

moved out of the South to the Midwest, Northeast and West to escape racism and to seek jobs in industrial cities.

Back then the share of Blacks living in the South was 90 percent of the overall U.S. Black population.

Today it is 57 percent, the highest since 1960, the census figures suggest.

The five counties with the largest Black populations in 2000 — Cook in Illinois, Los Angeles, Wayne in Michigan, Kings in New York and Philadelphia — all lost Black population in the last decade, the Times said.

Two percent of the Black population growth in the past decade occurred in counties traditionally considered Black population centers, while 20 percent took place in counties where only a tiny fraction of the population had been Black, the figures indicate.

Of the Blacks who moved to the South, 40 percent were adults ages 21 to 40. One in four newcomers had a four-year college degree, compared to one in six of the Black adults who had already lived in the South.

4

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

FORUM fROm T HE pu B l I SH ER ’ S dESK

When the federal government embraces a gangster corporation THOMAS H. WATKINS

By HARRY C. ALFORD

Blackonomics

By JAMES CLINGMAN War! What is it good for?

That question was posed in a song by Edwin Starr during an earlier generation, and we are asking that same question now. Well, it’s good for raising the price of oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel, isn’t it?

It’s good for hypocritical politicians to rail against the same actions they refused to challenge when their guy was spending a billion dollars per week in Iraq – 5000 Americans dead because of a big lie.

So, now we ask what good is this latest war. The answer: “Absolutely nothing,” just like Edwin Starr refrained back in 1969, that is, unless you are a war profiteer.

Yes, here we go again with this never-ending charade of managing the world, dethroning dictators we don’t like, interfering in another country’s internal affairs, getting in the middle of a civil war, and the resulting benefit of that old stand-by: price gouging. Tax payers are paying for the wars and the result of wars. We are suffering through one of the worse depressions in history while our heads of state are slashing budgets in an effort to balance them on the backs of the poor and so-called middle class. And, we believe Libyans have it bad?

Remember when fuel prices were sky high a few years ago? We blamed George W. Bush, suggesting he could make a few calls to his Saudi buddies and get those prices down to a reasonable level.

Who are we to call upon now? Oh yes, that’s right, Barack Obama. Funny, I haven’t heard him speak out about the high price of gas lately. He should have paid Hugo Chavez a visit during his trip to South America to make a deal on some Venezuelan fuel.

How about those vaunted reserves we keep hearing about. Economists say that all we need to do is hint we will use them and the price of gas will fall precipitously. Here’s an even better question.

Why didn’t the folks who run this country buy a couple of billion dollars’ worth of oil when it was $40.00 per barrel and add it to our reserves. Isn’t oil a futures commodity? Such puzzling issues to wrestle with these days, all while we are slowly but surely going down the proverbial tubes.

The real kicker is the fact that Libya’s share of the world’s oil market is a mere 2%. How can prices at the pump rise by 75 cents in such a short period of time simply because the people in Libya rebelled against their leader? Could it be manipulation, or maybe just greed? In case you haven’t noticed, we are being played like a saxophone in the hands of Charlie Parker. I wonder how long we

The Construction Industry has a bad reputation. That reputation is well earned as we are constantly being informed of fraud, cost overruns, and safety violations related to big and small construction projects at a relentless and never ending rate. So, it was apropos when the federal government along with the State of New York decided to come up with a crime busting taskforce aimed at the construction activity within the region. They knew they were going after the five Mafia families but they also ended up with a big catch outside the typical organized crime membership. They took the “scalp” of the gigantic firm

known as Tutor Perini.

The taskforce was comprised of members from Department of Justice, IRS, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of State Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Labor and New York City of Transportation. According to the New York U.S. Attorney’s office: “Following a four-week trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn yesterday (March 9, 2011) found Zohrab B. Marashlian, the former president of Perini Corp.’s Civil Division, an international construction services corporation, guilty of fraud and conspiracy to launder money. The charges arose out of Marashlian’s false representation to New York government agencies that Disadvantaged Business Entities (DBE’s) were performing work in connection

will take it. I wonder how high the price has get before we take some kind of collective action against our local gasoline outlets.

I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of the convenient wars, the lies, the hypocrisy, the billions spent (or stolen), and most of all, the lives lost or destroyed because of oil. Now, we find ourselves in Libya, “liberating” the people from a guy who has been in charge for 42 years, a guy who lately had become our “friend,” a guy who has been doing the same thing the same way for four decades, and now we are insisting he leave because he is mistreating his people. I wonder why we haven’t insisted he leave years ago. This country is a real piece of work.

They say Gaddafi is killing his own people, so we have to go in and stop that. Yet, we stood by and watched Rwanda and the Sudan. We watched North Korea and Iran. And, now we are watching Yemen and Bahrain do the same things. What’s the difference?

Our sanctimonious approach to other countries where internal violence occurs is something to behold. Our memory is very short however. Kent State, Fred Hampton, Amadou Diallo, Kenneth Walker, and Roger Owensby, just to name a few.

And, if you go back to the 1920’s, what about the hundreds of Black folks killed by government supported White citizens in Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District, better known as Black Wall Street?

Yes, the hypocrisy abounds without shame. The money keeps rolling in and the ignorant consumers keep falling for the same three-card Monte trick that fills the pockets of the affluent and keeps those less fortunate wondering how to pay for a fill-up. It used to cost me about $11.00 to fill my gas tank back in

Continued on page 5

1997 or so. Today that same amount of gas for that same car requires more than $50.00 to fill ‘er up.

Yes, I still have that same car (375,700 miles and counting).

The bad news is that forecasters say we are definitely looking at $5.00 per gallon gas next year.

We know the politicians will not stop the senseless wars, so what are YOU prepared to do about this economic crisis? I still say that until consumers change our behavior the rip-offs will continue.

Until we start shutting down some gas stations on a local level by refusing to buy from them, thereby, gaining the leverage to negotiate with other stations for a lower “collective” price for our affinity groups, gas prices will drive us to the poor house.

One-day national demonstrations are cute but ineffective. Let’s get real; our action has to be on a local level. Organize a critical mass of consumers and start talking to a local gasoline chain about cutting your members a deal, and only support those who support you. Start your own gasoline war, and you’ll know what it’s good for.

— James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati’s African American Studies department, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. He hosts the cable television program, ‘’Blackonomics,’’ and has written several books, including his latest, Black Empowerment with an Attitude - You got a problem with that? To book Clingman for a speaking engagement or purchase his books, call 513 489 4132 or go to his Website, www.blackonomics.com.

MAIL SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Main Office

BROOkLYN 1195 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216 Tel: (718) 636-9500 Satellite Offices PATERSON/PASSAIC JERSEY CITY 303 Elmwynd Drive Orange, NJ 07050-3112 Tel: (973) 676-8837 2388 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.

New York, NY 10030 Tel: (646) 285-3239 USPS 469-910 THOMAS H. WATkINS, JR. Publisher

with major public works contracts, when, in reality, Marashlian had non-disadvantaged businesses favored by Perini Corp. do the work.”

Tutor Perini paid Marashlian $14 million in salary while all this was going on. Two days before Marashlian was to receive a multi-year prison sentence he committed suicide. A fellow employee is currently doing a long prison term for the same case.

Perini has been caught doing such things over and over again. They are absolutely ridiculous in California projects. It is like DBE fronting is a part of its business model.

Overall, fraud appears to be a part of that model also.

According to the Seattle News,

1 YR. $150.00 (ISSN: 0746-8865) Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays & Legal Holidays

By THE DAILY CHALLENGE (USPS 469-910) POSTMASTER, Send changes of address to: Daily Challenge, 1195 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn New York 11216

The Daily Challenge assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Photographs and manuscripts become property of The Daily Challenge.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT BROOKLYN, NY ©2010.

DAILY CHALLENGE, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The views expressed on the Forum page are the OPINIONS of its authors and may not reflect the views of the Daily Challenge.

5

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

fORum

What does the state symbol say about Utah?

By TONYAA WEATHERSBEE Looks like Utah didn’t get the memo.

It’s been more than two months since Jared Loughner, an Army reject whose mind was addled by a mess of incoherencies, picked up a gun and unloaded his angst into a crowd in Tuscon, Ariz. The shooting left a 9-year-old girl, a federal judge and four others dead. It also left U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others wounded.

You’d think that since someone as unstable as Loughner was able to walk into a store and buy a gun, now would be the time to downplay firearms, not exalt them.

You’d think that now would be the time to put common sense over ideology and sloganeering; to understand that protecting the right to bear arms shouldn’t come at the expense of not protecting the rights of innocent people to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without having to look over their shoulder to see if a madman might be about to shoot them in the head.

President Barack Obama apparently thought the same thing.

In a recent op-ed piece in The Ari-

zona Daily Star, he called for reasonable background checks and other measures to prevent guns from landing in the hands of lunatics and criminals.

So what does Utah go and do?

It blows off the tragedy that just occurred in its neighboring state. It blows off Obama. And it goes and makes a gun one of its state symbols.

That’s right.

In Utah, the M1911 semi-automatic pistol now represents that state in the same way that the official tree, the blue spruce, and the official insect, the honeybee, does. But there’s one big difference: Trees and honeybees help perpetuate life, while pistols are instruments of death.

A pistol, in fact, generally isn’t used to shoot game to feed people.

It’s used to shoot humans.

A gangster corporation Continued from page 4 some of the Perini headlines read: “In February, Tutor-Saliba and Perini agreed to pay $19 million to settle racketeering and fraud allegations in a San Francisco airport project.”

“In 2004, Perini agreed to pay the federal government $998,500 to settle fraud claims in the construction of an embassy building in Venezuela.” “The companies are embroiled in an 11 year legal battle over $16 million in extra costs on a Los Angeles subway job.” “Perini sued for more than $170 million in cost overruns on three New York City projects during the 1990s before settling for about $22 million.”

Any Black-owned firm doing any of the above would be permanently banned from doing anymore federal contracting. But Perini? Oh no, it has actually grown exponentially in the government contracting field.

How can this be? Well, the principal owner of Tutor Perini is Richard Blum, the husband of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D – CA) who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees the U.S. Department of Defense. Since joining the U.S. Senate, Senator Feinstein and her husband have enjoyed billions of dollars in defense contracts.

She voted for the Afghanistan War and their company is rolling in contracts directly related to the war right now. She voted

for the Iraq war and their company has been rolling in Iraqi contracts ever since. American soldiers die and the Senator and her husband prosper handsomely and with reckless abandon. It got so ridiculous that when she became the Chair of the Armed Services Committee even her counterparts said that’s enough!

It is bad enough that all this is apparent but do you have to be “Chair” while all this is going on?

So, she stepped down from her Chair seat, but is still on the committee and the dollars continue to roll in at an ever growing pace.

She voted for the Stimulus Bill and Perini was showered with more federally funded contracts. President Obama even participated in this one. He kicked off the highway contracts from his Stimulus Bill with a press conference at a highway construction site in Virginia. There he was showing the world what the Stimulus money was doing in kicking off this major highway project.

The contractor he put on display was Cherry Hill Construction.

Who owns Cherry Hill Construction?

Tutor Perini! There is just no shame.

Wait, it gets worse. The Minority Business Development Agency (U.S. Department of Commerce) has organized a public relations program that touts “MBDA Unveils First U.S. Global Construction Program for Minority-Owned Firms”.

That sounds incredibly good. Incredible

Of course, lawmakers there don’t see it that way. One of them, GOP state Rep. Carl Wimmer, a former SWAT team commander, told CNN that he viewed the pistol as an implement of freedom, not an instrument of death.

But he’s wrong – because what buoys freedom and liberty anywhere is the strength of the ideas behind it.

Killing people to defend those ideas only comes as a last resort, and in the end, people ought to be celebrating the triumph of the ideas, not a tool that glorifies death.

But then again, this pattern of nuttiness – especially from red state lawmakers and tea partiers – has been growing since the nation’s first Black president was elected.

After November 2008, gun dealers reported record sales. Many said customers believed that Obama was going to take away their gun rights, so they wanted to stock up.

That would make sense if Obama had talked incessantly about imposing new gun control measures. But he hadn’t.

All of which tells me that this obsession with firearms has never been about people protecting themselves against the possibility of having their guns snatched away, but to fend off, at least symbolically, a

browner and Blacker future that will take this nation further from the idealized, frontier past that so many Tea Party types long to go back to.

Witness how Sharron Angle, the Nevada GOP Senate hopeful who Harry Reid trounced during last November’s midterm elections on the strength of the Latino vote, openly talked about “Second Amendment remedies,” to counteract Obama’s policies.

And think about how, just the other day, Kansas state Rep. Virgil Peck joked about shooting illegal immigrants from helicopters in the same way that they shoot down feral pigs.

They’ve lost their minds.

It’s sad that Utah lawmakers, especially in the aftermath of the Jan. 8 carnage in its neighboring state, aren’t embarrassed by glorifying a gun as its state symbol at a time when guns need to be downplayed.

But what’s also sad is that if tea partiers and GOPers continue to obsess over and exalt guns, pretty soon Americans won’t be able to brag about being the land of the free and the home of the brave.

That’s because it’ll be the land of the irrational and the home of the insecure.

is the correct term as the instructor of the program is none other than Tutor Perini. Can you believe it!

Sending minority firms for instruction by Tutor Perini is like sending maidens to a brothel – something real bad is going to happen.

The above is certainly our business as every penny of the abuse and

waste is our tax money. We need to clean this up.

— Mr. Alford is the co-founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®.

Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: halford@nationalbcc.org www.twitter.com/nationalbcc.

Subscribe Today!

Make Checks and Money Orders Payable to: The Daily Challenge 1195 Atlantic Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11216

GAS PRICES FINALLY NOTCH DOWN - PG. 3 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION

THE NATION’S ONLY BLACK DAILY 35 Cents

Final

CONYERS CRITICIZES OBAMA Senior Democrat John Conyers of Michigan criticized Barack Obama, hoping, Conyers said, to “make him a better president.”

SEE PAGE 3.

NEW YORK MOSQUE PROJECT SITE FACES LEGAL CHALLENGE A New York building set to be demolished for an Islamic cultural center and mosque should be preserved as a monument of the September 11 al Qaeda attacks, opponents of the mosque project said in court.

SEE PAGE 2.

YES! Please enter a 6 month ($85) or one year subscription ($150) for: Name: Address: City: State: Zip: (Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of your first issue)

The views expressed on the Forum page are the OPINIONS of its authors and may not reflect the views of the Daily Challenge.

6

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

‘

NATIONAl

Cash-strapped states struggle to hang up prison cell phones

By ALEX DOBUZINSKIS LOS ANGELES — Prison inmates are letting their fingers do the walking by orchestrating crimes with contraband cell phones, as states scramble for ways to fight back despite budget woes that limit their options.

Until now, authorities had focused on nabbing smuggled cell phones, but in recent months Mississippi, Texas and California have experimented with disrupting inmates’ wireless calls.

The states are steering clear of violating Federal Communications Commission rules which ban jamming cell signals. But some officials complain alternative technology costs millions more, and that they cannot afford it.

Officials say inmates with smuggled cell phones have coordinated drug deals and ordered hits on prison guards and witnesses. As a result, Mississippi tacks on another three to 15 years to sentences of inmates caught using the cells.

But in California, a budget

crisis compounded by overcrowded prisons has hampered efforts to punish inmates with smuggled cells — even mass murderer Charles Manson.

The 1960s leader of the Manson Family cult was caught in January for the second time with a phone, but as punishment he only lost 30 days of good behavior credit. That is because California does not criminalize contraband cells.

“When Charles Manson is caught with a cell phone, you know the problem is out of control,” said state Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat.

On Tuesday, a Senate committee approved Padilla’s bill to make it a misdemeanor crime punishable by up to six months in jail to smuggle a cell to an inmate.

It would also stiffen penalties for inmates, but that has been the obstacle that blocked past versions of the bill, Padilla said. Lawmakers oppose anything that leads to inmates serving more time, because of a bloated prison population.

California has 162,000 inmates, which is over-capacity by some 70,000 bodies,

according to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The most populous U.S. state also has a budget crisis, and on Thursday Governor Jerry Brown signed cuts and other measures to slice about $11 billion from a $27 billion deficit.

Padilla said despite the potential cost of holding inmates longer or implementing technology to stop their wireless calls, the state must deal with the problem.

“I think this rises above the level of common sense, and we need to make an exception,” Padilla said. His bill should make it to Brown’s desk sometime this year, he added.

Last year, a Mississippi prison became the first in the nation to permanently install technology that blocks inmates’ calls on contraband cells, said Ken North, director of the state’s corrections investigations division.

At the rural institution known as Parchman Farm, a company called Tecore Networks built a cell tower that only transmits calls from preapproved cell phone numbers, leaving contraband ones

inoperable.

The system costs up to $3 million per prison, North said.

But Mississippi got the technology at no cost to taxpayers because Global Tel*Link, the company that manages inmates’ legal landline calls, folded it into their service in exchange for an extension of their contract, he said.

So far, the “managed access” technology at Parchman has stopped over 1 million cell phone transmissions. That’s a lot of calls for 3,200 inmates, and it is because many with contraband cells still dial several times a day. Some try to call from the floor, thinking it will help.

“They’re inmates, they’ve got 24 hours a day to try to think of ways to beat the system,” North said.

Because the technology does not jam all phone calls, only the unauthorized ones, it avoids running afoul of the FCC and federal law that bans jamming signals.

Texas this month began experimenting with managed access technology at one of its prison units, where an

inmate recently escaped and hooked up with a woman he met in an online chat room using a contraband phone.

But John Moriarty, inspector general for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said installing a managed access system costs $2.5 million, compared to $500,000 to simply jam all calls.

“You’re talking a fifth of the cost, and so for a place like Texas where you have 114 facilities, that’s an awful lot of money for the taxpayer,” he said.

Padilla said California is also experimenting with stopping contraband signals, and is working with the FCC. The FCC contends jamming technology can block cell signals of residents near a prison.

“We understand the concerns of state and local corrections officials and we’re working with them as well as industry to identify solutions,” said FCC spokesman Robert Kenny.

“Our biggest concern is it could interfere with 911 or emergency communications as well as commercial service.”

First Lady West Point Man who killed Conn. football commencement speaker player gets 18 years in prison WASHINGTON — First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver commencement addresses at several U.S. colleges and high schools, including West Point, her office said.

Obama is scheduled to speak at University of Northern Iowa, Spelman College, the U.S. Military Academy and Quantico Middle High School — institutions that share a commitment to service and have students actively involved in improving the world around them, Obama’s office said in a release.

“From students who are volunteering in underserved communities to dedicated military families and troops who are preparing to protect our nation, these graduates represent the spirit of service that defines America,” her office said.

Obama’s schedule is: — May 7, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls,

Iowa.

— May 15, Spelman College, Atlanta.

— May 20, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. — June 3, Quantico Middle High School, Quantico, Va.

The man who killed a University of Connecticut football player in 2009 was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison for manslaughter in the first degree, said Rockland County Deputy Clerk Tammy Fluet.

John Lomax III, 22, stabbed Jasper Howard in the abdomen during a fight outside a campus dance on October 18, 2009. The UConn cornerback died later at a hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.

More than 300 people at the dance left the building and spilled out into the street. A fight broke out between two groups, and Howard and another person were stabbed, police said after the incident.

The second victim, who was treated and released, was Brian Parker, then 19, another player on the UConn football squad, according to CNN affiliate WTNH. Maj. Ron Blicher of the UConn Police Department said in 2009 that more than 40 investigators from his department and the Con-

John Lomax III, 22, stabbed Jasper Howard in the abdomen during a fight outside a campus dance on October 18, 2009. necticut State Police conductThe university set up the ed more than 200 interviews Jasper T. Howard Endowed during the course of the Scholarship to honor the investigation. slain student athlete.

DAILY DAILYCHALLENGE CHALLENGEMONDAY, MONDAY,MARCH MARCH28, 28,2011 2011

AFRICAN SCENE

Zimbabwe energy minister arrested again

By GODFREY MARAWANYIKA

HARARE - Zimbabwe’s energy minister was arrested Friday for the second time this month, drawing accusations of a plot to whittle away at Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s majority in parliament.

Elton Mangoma was arrested on his way to work Friday and taken to court, where he was accused of irregularities in the decision to cancel a contract to buy electrical equipment.

Mangoma was last arrested on March 10 and charged with abuse of office over a fuel purchase from a South Africa company. He had been released on a $5,000 bail.

His lawyer Selby Hwacha said he was preparing a new bail application for next week, but accused police chief Augustine Chihuri of staging the arrest to prevent Mangoma from participating in a key parliamentary vote next week.

“This is the result of the direct interference by the police commissioner,” Hwacha said.

“It’s meant to defeat the minister’s participation in the parliamentary processes which will take place anytime from next week.”

Parliament is expected to vote next week on a new speaker,

after the Supreme Court invalidated the election of Lovemore Moyo, a top ally to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

MDC secretary general Tendai Biti said his party feared nine Members of Parliament would be arrested.

“There are nine people who are MPs they (police) want to arrest... these are desperate actions of the dying regime,” Biti told journalist.

He said there was “a certain new cabal in ZANU-PF,” who thought they could push for an early election collapse the unity government.

“The reality is that democracy is under siege in Zimbabwe. The arrests are a move to reduce the number of MDC MP who can vote in parliament next week to elect the new speaker of parliament,” Biti said.

Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change won a parliamentary majority in 2008 elections, the first time that President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF didn’t control the legislature.

Tsvangirai won the firstround presidential vote in 2008 but pulled out of a run-off amid deadly attacks on his supporters.

The two-year-old unity government was meant to ease tensions, but with new elections expected later this year, the political climate is heating up again.

Theresa Makone, the MDC

lawmaker who shares the post of home affairs ministry with a ZANU-PF counterpart, told AFP she has gone into hiding for fear of arrest.

“I have received credible information that I may be arrested. In Zimbabwe you don’t take chances once you have received such information,” she said.

“This is a well calculated move to reduce the MDC numbers in parliament ahead of the vote for the speaker’s post,” she said.

Mangoma’s earlier arrest drew an angry reaction from Tsvangirai, who called for new elections and said it was time for a “divorce” in the unity government.

Mangoma’s arrest is the latest in a series of cases against lawmakers and activists who support Tsvangirai’s MDC amid rising political violence, especially in the countryside.

Mugabe has indicated that polls could be held this year. But this week officials said a referendum on a new constitution, meant to pave the way for the elections, would not be held before September.

Tsvangirai has called on the Southern African Development Community, which brokered the unity accord, to lay out a “roadmap” to fresh elections.

The 15-nation bloc’s security organ is set to meet Thursday in Zambia to discuss the tensions in Zimbabwe.

Morocco: website gives new twist to ‘arranged’ marriages

By OMAR BROUKSY CASABLANCA, Morocco - Marriage in Morocco has an increasingly changing face these days as young men and women in search of lifetime partners head for the souk, in this case a “cyber” marriage souk.

In a country where many marriages are still arranged, a click of a computer mouse will take the Internaut to Soukzouaj, a free site where thousands of

lonely hearted young Moroccans look for their soul mates “This marriage site was created in June 2010,” Yasser Nejjar, founder of soukzouaj.ma, told AFP. “So it’s recent but but it has a real success because it’s free and it’s near.”

Every day almost 2,600 prospective partners visit the site, two thirds of them women.

Its shows a map of Morocco divided into 16 sections, and the user can click on the part of the country they choose to start their search.

“Today, for example, there are 1,670 posts

from women as against 870 from men. To my mind that means women are more daring than men,” Nejjar observed.

“Most of the posts show there is a great desire for commitment and ‘seriousness’, in what they call ‘halal’, that is to say legal, which is in line with religious norms. In short, marriage.”

Observers of Moroccan society regard matrimonial sites as a new phenomenon, linked to new forms of communication, even if there are many familyarranged marriages in a country where Islam is

the state religion.

“Today girls make demands,” said sociologist Soumaya Naamane Guessous.

“They want husbands who love them, who respect them, men not smothered by their mother, who allow them to live far from their inlaws.”

She says that the success of soukzouaj, quite apart from the fact that it is free, in a country where arranged marriages are common, is due to the fact “that young girls no longer accept the first suitor who knocks at their family’s door, or whom the family suggests.”

77

AFRICAN SCENE

Priceless Egypt artefacts still missing CAIRO - Egyptian officials said on Friday that 800 priceless artefacts were still missing after armed robbers raided a warehouse near the canal city of Ismailiya in the unrest following a popular revolt.

“An inventory of the East Qantara warehouse which houses antiquities from the provinces on the Suez Canal and Sinai has revealed the theft and damage of a large number of artefacts,” said Mohamed Abdel Maqsood, an official with Supreme Council of Antiquities for north east Egypt.

“We found that 800 antiquities— which go back to the Pharaonic, Roman and Islamic periods— are still missing from the warehouse after 293 items were recovered,” he said.

Abdel Maqsood said the survey also revealed that “several” artefacts unearthed by French, American and Polish archaeological teams had also been stolen.

Robbers raided several warehouses around the country, including the one in Cairo’s world renowned Egyptian Museum, after an uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak gave way to looting and insecurity.

On Tuesday, the United Nations cultural body UNESCO voiced growing concern for Egypt’s archaeological sites and museums.

South Africa euthanizes well-known baboon CAPE TOWN, South Africa - South African officials say the country’s most famous baboon, who was well-known for raiding cars and frightening tourists, has been euthanized.

Cape Town’s baboon management group said Friday that the baboon known as Fred was becoming increasingly aggressive to tourists driving along the scenic route to the Cape of Good Hope.

Fred was known as a ringleader of baboons in the area and was infamous for his ability to open closed car doors.

The group says Fred attacked and injured three people in 2010.

More than 400 baboons roam Cape Town’s outskirts, particularly the popular scenic sites along the coast. Baboons are a protected species under South African legislation but their aggressive pursuits of food have led to conflicts with residents.

Congo releases group accused of gold smuggling KINSHASA, Congo - Congolese authorities say they’ve released a group that was accused of smuggling gold from rebel territories in the nation’s volatile east.

Congo’s public prosecutor said Friday they were releasing seven people including four foreigners.

Among them: a Nigerian-born Houston oil tycoon and his brother, a Houston diamond merchant and a French suspect.

Prosecutor Kabange Numbi says they paid a fine and that their seized airplane will also be released.

The group was detained Feb. 3, when their jet was seized before leaving the airport in the city of Goma. Congolese officials said the plane was loaded with about $20 million in gold and several million dollars in cash.

DAILY DAILYCHALLENGE CHALLENGEMONDAY, MONDAY,MARCH MARCH28, 28,2011 2011

AFRICAN SCENE

88

Allies hit Kadhafi forces amid diplomatic endgames

By IMED LAMLOUM TRIPOLI Coalition forces launched a seventh day of air strikes against the regime of Libya’s Moamer Kadhafi on Friday but France and Britain insisted a diplomatic solution to the crisis could be reached.

After France’s military chief had predicted the NATO-led campaign would last only “weeks”, President Nicolas Sarkozy said France and Britain were preparing a “political and diplomatic” solution.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague also said he expected NATO to take full command of military operations in Libya “within a matter of days”, after the alliance agreed to enforce a nofly zone.

He denied the international community was divided over the UNsanctioned zone and ceasefire, aimed at protecting civilians from Kadhafi’s forces, and said a meeting in London next week would make that clear.

Referring to the London talks next Tuesday, Sarkozy said: “There will certainly be a Franco-British initiative to clearly show the solution is not only military but also political and

In this image taken during an organized trip by the Libyan authorities, men gather at a mass funeral for people killed in Coalition bombings, officials said, in Tripoli. diplomatic.” ground forces. in rebel hands, said NATO agreed to The news came as France’s defence chief patrol the no-fly zone as anti-aircraft fire raked Admiral Edouard British and French war- the Libyan skies Guillaud, noting the planes targeted overnight, with at least allied operation would Kadhafi’s ground forces three explosions shak- not drag on for months. in the strategic eastern ing the capital and its “I doubt that it will be town of Ajdabiya. eastern suburb of (over) in days, I think it “We are taking action Tajura, AFP journalists will be weeks, and I hope as part of a broad inter- reported. it won’t be in months,” national effort to protect At least one blast was he told France Info radio civilians against the heard from the centre of station on Friday.

Kadhafi regime,” said the city, while others Rebels fighting to NATO Secretary General came from Tajura, home retake Ajdabiya, which Anders Fogh to military bases, an sits at a junction on Rasmussen.

AFP journalist reported. roads leading from rebel He underlined that Britain’s Defence strongholds Benghazi NATO’s role was limited Secretary Liam Fox said and Tobruk, were being to enforcing the no-fly Friday that Tornado jets held off by loyalist zone, but a senior US launched missiles armoured vehicles at the official, speaking on con- overnight at Libyan gates of the town. dition of anonymity in armoured vehicles in On Thursday, a Washington, said the Ajdabiya, 860 kilome- Kadhafi fighter plane 28-member alliance tres (530 miles) from that had dared to flout reached a “political Tripoli. the no-fly zone was agreement” to command A French fighter jet swiftly punished all other operations also destroyed an Thursday when a aimed at protecting civil- artillery battery French fighter ians — meaning strikes overnight outside destroyed the jet after it against Kadhafi’s Ajdabiya, which was still landed in Misrata, some

214 kilometres (132 miles) east of Tripoli.

Libyan state television said “civilian and military sites in Tripoli and Tajura” had come under fire from “long-range missiles.”

Fighting also raged in rebel-held Misrata. A doctor treating the wounded at a hospital said attacks by Kadhafi forces since March 18 “have killed 109 people and wounded 1,300 others, 81 of whom are in serious condition.”

Coalition air strikes since Saturday have been targeting air defences in a bid to protect civilians under the terms of a UN resolution.

The strikes also provide cover for a rag-tag band of rebels seeking to oust Kadhafi after more than four decades in power, but who are disorganised and outgunned by pro-regime forces.

The Pentagon said 12 countries were now taking part in the coalition seeking to enforce the no-fly zone — including two Arab nations, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which announced it would contribute 12 aircraft in the coming days.

Allied diplomats spent the day negotiating how to coordinate the campaign against Kadhafi.

“We have agreed, along with our NATO allies, to transition command and control for the no-fly zone over Libya to NATO,” Secretary of

State Hillary Clinton said after meeting with President Barack Obama and the US national security team.

“All 28 allies have also now authorised military authorities to develop an operations plan for NATO to take on the broader civilian protection mission under Resolution 1973.”

Clinton said “significant progress” had been made in just five days, but that the “danger is far from over,” and Kadhafi’s forces “remain a serious threat to the safety of the people.”

She also underscored “crucial” Arab support for the operation, and praised Qatar and the Emirates for joining the coalition.

A high-level delegation sent by the embattled Libyan leader joined African Union talks on the Libya crisis in Addis Ababa, which also included EU, UN, Arab League and Islamic Conference representatives.

The five-member team from Tripoli turned up for the talks following an invitation from AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping, but an invitation to the Libyan opposition to attend had not been taken up by early afternoon.

“The aim is to foster an exchange of views in order to take action on the situation in Libya and to seek the ways and means towards a swift solution to the crisis,” Ping said.

Kimberley Process to allow Zimbabwe diamond sale

HARARE - The chairman of the Kimberley Process has agreed to allow Zimbabwe to sell diamonds from its disputed Marange fields, deputy mines minister Gift Chimanikire said on Friday.

The Kimberley Process, created to prevent the trade in “blood” diamonds that fuel armed conflicts, normally takes such decisions by consensus at its regular meetings.

But the current chairman, Mathieu Yamba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, appears to have taken the decision unilaterally, raising questions among industry groups and watchdogs about the validity of the decision.

“Permission for sale was issued by the KP c h a i r m a n , ” Chimanikire told AFP. “But I do not know when the actual sale would take place.”

He said the decision was apparently taken in February, when

Zimbabwe Mines Minister Obert Mpofu travelled to the DRC to meet with Yamba.

Kinshasa holds the rotating chair of the Kimberley Process, and has close ties to President Robert Mugabe.

The Marange fields, touted as Africa’s richest diamond find of the decade, have been at the centre of a years-long controversy over mining rights and abuses by the military.

The military seized control of the fields near the Mozambican

border in late 2008, violently evicting tens of thousands of small miners and then beating and raping civilians to force them to mine the gems.

Human rights groups say about 200 people were killed, and Kimberley investigators later documented “unacceptable and horrific violence against civilians by authorities”, prompting a ban on exports of the gems.

Kimberley allowed two special sales of diamonds last year, but no agreement has been

reached on whether to allow general exports of the gems.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Elly Harrowell, diamond campaigner with Global Witness, a watchdog that is party of the Kimberley Process.

“All decisions made in the KP are made on the basis of 100 percent consensus between all members,” she said.

“For the chair to unilaterally declare that this decision has been made against the will of numerous members... it’s very worrying.”

The World Diamond Council, a global industry group, has warned its members not to trade in the gems because the United States, Canada, Israel and the European Union have indicated that the diamond sales should not yet be permitted.

The council “advises members of the international diamond industry to refrain from trading in and exporting goods from the region until the situation and the status of these goods becomes clearer.”

DAILY CHALLENGEMONDAY, MONDAY,MARCH MARCH28, 28,2011 2011 DAILYCHALLENGE

99

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

Judge Dismisses Charges In Pace University Case

Pace University students are seen after the judge dismissed the charges in Mount Pleasant, NY. Photo: Catherine Cioffi

VALHALLA, NY - A judge dropped all charges Thursday against four college football players who were arrested after a teammate was killed by a police officer outside a bar.

The four Pace University students were arrested Oct. 17 in the chaos that followed the shooting of 20year-old Danroy Henry in Thornwood, N.Y. The players’ attorney, Bonita Zelman, called it “a great victory.”

She said they planned to sue for “brutality, false arrest, malicious prosecution and violations of their civil, constitutional and human rights.”

Last month, a grand jury

declined to indict the officer who shot Henry. Two weeks ago, prosecutors moved to dismiss various charges of disorderly conduct, obstruction and criminal mischief against the teammates.

“I feel relieved. I feel free,” said Joseph Garcia, of Floral Park, N.Y., who graduated in December and had been charged with obstruction.

“I don’t have to worry about a criminal record.”

Zelman spoke with 1010 WINS on Thursday and said her legal team has a videotape “that shows police running around brandishing guns at innocent students.” She said the video also shows there was no unruly crowd as police have claimed.

Rash Of Burglaries Has Yonkers Neighborhood On Edge YONKERS, N.Y. - A quiet section of Yonkers was more than a bit nervous on Thursday because someone has been breaking into homes while people are sleeping.

You see groups of neighbors everywhere in the Bryn Mawr section of Yonkers. CBS 2’s Pablo Guzman met some that were talking about the five homes burglarized since March 17. It happened to Joseph Pasqualoni’s next-door neighbor.

Pasqualoni said he got very concerned when he saw a lot of cops one morning.

“I said what’s the problem? He said he was burglarized. They broke into the house while they were sleeping,” Pasqualoni said.

Police said the person they’re looking for has burglarized the homes at night while people are home. It happened to one man’s family. He drove from another state to be with them.

“They said someone came in through a win-

dow that was open and whatnot. They stepped up on an air conditioner. That’s how they got in the house. They are bold, actually. It’s getting crazy,” the man said.

Resident Marilyn Lynch told Guzman she knew one woman it happened to.

“One was a widow on Wicks Avenue. And the man came through the kitchen window and also went right to wear she was sleeping she gave him $100,” Lynch said.

JOB MASHARIKI President/ CEO Founder

Job is a Founder and President/CEO of BVSJ. He has guided the organization through 31 years of service to veterans and their families, as well as the community at large.

He is also a father and husband, former businessman and a community activist. He has been guided by a basic principle of both sacrificing and sharing a considerable amount of time and resources to help liberate our people. Born in Bedford Stuyvesant in 1943, he earned his associate degree from NY Technical College, Bachelors Degree in Sociology and Masters from the City University of New York. He is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Business Executive Program.

Job has been cited extensively for his dedication, organization and innovative approaches to service delivery.

His commitment, leadership and vision of community development as well as providing services to veterans and their families continues to be reflected through BVSJ’s extensive programs today and will continue to be well into the future. He has received many awards for his accomplish-

ments including those from Congressmen’s Ed Towns, Major and Charles Rangel, Owens Assemblyman Roger Green and the Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust Community Development Award.

Through his leadership and guidance, BVSJ will continue to fight for veteran’s issues as well as others homelessness, HIV/AIDS, poverty, discrimination, lack of education, unemployment and racism.

He presently serves on the Boards of: • Fort Greene Senior Citizens Council, Inc. NYC Coalition for • Veterans in Pain and Distress, President • Bedford Stuyvesant Legal Services Corporation • National Coalition of Homeless Veterans • Coalition for the Improvement of Bedford Stuyvesant • Black Agency Executives, Vice President • National Association of Black Veterans, Regional Director • Human Services Council of New York City

March 15, 2011

BLACK VETERANS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND BOYS HIGH GUYS AND FRIENDS PRESENT

“A BLACK TIE AFFAIR” SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2011 AT THE BEAUTIFUL FLORAL TERRACE, 250 JERICHO TURNPIKE, FLORAL PARK, NEW YORK.

The climax of this auspicious gala occasion is the honoring of Job

Mashariki, Founder and Former CEO/President of Black Veterans for Social Justice, Inc., on his retirement after 32 years of committed, dedicated service to Veterans, their families and the community.

Highlights of the evening include our Master of Ceremony, Mr. Deric Angelettie, Music Executive and Entrepreneur; Musical tribute from renowned Jazz Pianist Randy Weston.

Special invited guests include, Congressman Ed Towns, Dr. Regent Adelaide L. Stanford, Rev. Herbert Daughtry, and

YOU! Coupled with this, the room will be filled with our Community Partners, Public Officials, Our Veteran Community, Family and Friends. It will be a night you won’t want to miss.

For further information and tickets purchases, contact Wendy McClinton at Black Veterans for Social Justice, Inc., 718 852-6004 ext. 253.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 2011 CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28,28, 2011 DAILY

10 10

CARIBBEAN BRIEFS ONE FAMILY.

Whether West Indian, African or African American.

One God, One Aim, One Destiny.

Cayman Islands caps medical negligence claims GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — As part of an agreement with renowned Indian heart surgeon Dr Devi Shetti to build a 2,000-bed health care city to target American patients and insurers searching for discounted medical care, the Cayman Islands passed legislation last week to cap medical negligence claims at US$500,000.

BBC Caribbean reported that the British territory is under pressure from the UK to diversify its economy and move away from its tax haven image.

The proposed Shetti health care facility will reportedly cost about $2 billion, and will include a hospital, medical university, and assisted living facility.

Corruption at ‘systemic’ levels in Jamaica, says contractor general KINGSTON, Jamaica — J a m a i c a ’ s Contractor General Greg Christie has called for the creation of a special agency to fight corruption, asserting official graft has reached “systemic” levels.

The Jamaica Observer newspaper reported that Christie said there is credible evidence Jamaica’s law enforcement and anticorruption institutions have been ineffective in

netting the “big fish” involved in practices that corrode the island’s society.

“For years, and despite having on paper what some might regard to be a relatively comprehensive anti-corruption institutional framework, corruption in Jamaica, particularly that is perceived to be taking place in high places, has enjoyed a field day,” Christie said at the close of a two day regional anti-corruption conference.

The contractor general said that it is crucial the government recognise that efforts in combating graft have fallen short.

He added that Jamaican leaders must show the political will to battle corruption effectively.

Trinidad government pays out $33 million to CLICO policyholders PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Two years after the CLICO insurance company collapse and rescue by the Trinidad and Tobago government, policyholders have finally started getting back some of the money they invested in the country’s largest insurer.

After several promises to repay policyholders by Christmas and then Carnival, the government has since paid approximately $33 million (US$5.2 million) to CLICO policyholders who invested in highinterest bearing Executive Flexible Premium Annuity financial instruments offered by the company.

The Trinidad Express reported that the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday that the government had to date made $33 million in payments to EFPA owners with contracts valued at $75,000 or less.

CARIBBEAN NEWS

Protest action closes Turks and Caicos airport again

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — A “sick-out” by the stand-by fire fighting team at the Providenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands has resulted in another shutdown of flight operations.

Reports from Providenciales (Provo) on Thursday morning indicated that baggage handlers were unloading luggage and returning it to tourists and islanders who were waiting to leave.

All outgoing and incoming flights were therefore halted during the peak of the tourist season.

Sources have indicated that the relevant regulations prohibit airport safety personnel from striking but it is unclear how a “sick-out” situation will be addressed.

John Smith, who heads the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), appeared on television this week, preaching that safety is the number one priority in aviation. He was addressing concerns about proximity of the new airport runway to the Five Cays Highway.

The concerns now are that, with the airport shut down, any flights needing to access the Provo airport in event of an over-flight emergency will have to be diverted to another location, thereby increasing the emergency level.

It is unknown at this time if the TCIAA has in place the necessary reserves to replace the fire fighter positions.

The Civil Service Association, headed by Dr Rufus Ewing, has been threatening a strike in recent days.

Ewing was seen at the recent airport road protest, which also caused safety concerns and resulted in the cancellation of three American Airlines flights Ewing’s presence at the demonstration was recorded in a photograph, apparently speaking with Delano Gardiner, one of the participants in that protest, which also featured disgraced former Premier Michael Misick lying on the airport road blocking traffic, and other sympathisers of the Progressive National Party (PNP) chained to their vehicles.

Former PNP government cabinet ministers and current

Civil Serivice Association president Dr Rufus Ewing (R), pictured here at the scene of the earlier demonstration in Providenciales, has been threatening strike action by civil servants in protest over proposed civil service pension reforms and cost cutting within the public sector. leader Clayton Greene were also Grand Turk customs operations part of this protest that after were open and only the finance five days lost support and the ministry, while remaining open, was short on staff. road was reopened by police.

It appears that the civil servEwing is the Director of Health Services in the TCI as ice middle management, which embedded by the well as heading the newly was reformed Civil Service Progressive National Party, had Association, which only this issued orders to shut down govweek rejected all changes being ernment functions. This caused imposed by the Interim confusion among workers who normally had no intention of Government.

In the capital island of Grand joining a strike but must follow Turk, where the majority of orders from higher authority.

In the meantime, high placed civil servants reside and work, all government functions were management at the British up and running, as they were Foreign and Commonwealth on some of the other islands Office (FCO) have indicated they where long term civil servants are aware of the sabotage of refused to participate. A uni- government functions ongoing formed airport fireman was since direct rule came to the TCI seen at his post in Grand Turk. in August 2009.

One Providenciales pastor, However, a number of civil servants around the islands left speaking on local radio, contheir jobs because they were demned the strike and its relatreportedly told to do so by ed damage to the reputation of the TCI. supervisors.

A Provo businessman said, In Providenciales, tourists were returned to their hotels. A “The British have taken too long local long term resident sched- and are not the best managers uled to leave to visit an ailing either but they did not cause the relative was very angry and problem but are trying to solve confused as to how an airport the problem. At the end of the could be shut down without day the country will survive and prosper; all this does is delay recourse for back up.

It was unclear what would the process.”

A local print media manager happen if a medical emergency required an air ambulance to said the British have used up their goodwill they came in with use the airport.

In one school, someone in the and special prosecutor Helen ministry of education reported- Garlick needed to act and must ly told the principal to close the act now. “This mess is destroyschool and when doing so ing our economy just when advise the teachers the school JetBlue and Continental are was closing and they could go bringing in more tourists.

Something has to occur soon to home.

However, all schools in Grand put those behind this mess in Turk appeared to be open. The jail.”

DAILY CHALLENGEMONDAY, MONDAY,MARCH MARCH28, 28,2011 2011 DAILYCHALLENGE

INTERNATIONAL

11 11

High radiation levels at Japanese plant raise new

By YOKO KUBOTA TOKYO - Highly radioactive water has been found at a second reactor at a crippled nuclear power station in Japan, the plant’s operator said, as fears of contamination escalated two weeks after a huge earthquake and tsunami battered the complex.

Underscoring growing international concern about nuclear power raised by the accident in northeast Japan, U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said in a statement it was time to reassess the international nuclear safety regime.

Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, making his first public statement on the crisis in a week, said the situation at the Fukushima nuclear complex, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, was “nowhere near” being resolved.

“We are making efforts to prevent it from getting worse, but I feel we cannot become complacent,” Kan told reporters. “We must continue to be on our guard.”

The comments reflected a spike of unease in Japan after

several days of slow but steady progress in containing the nuclear accident, which was triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

The 9.0 magnitude quake and giant waves it triggered left more than 10,000 people dead and 17,500 missing.

Despite such a shocking toll, much attention since the disaster has been on the possibility of a catastrophic meltdown at Fukushima.

Two of the plant’s six reactors are now seen as safe but the other four are volatile, occasionally emitting steam and smoke.

More than 700 engineers have been working in shifts to stabilize the plant and work has been advancing to restart water pumps to cool their fuel rods.

But fresh fears were raised on Thursday when three workers trying to cool the most critical reactor were exposed to radiation levels 10,000 times higher than normally found in a reactor. Two of them suffered radiation burns when contaminated water seeped over their shoes.

The high level of contamination raised the possibility of a leak of

radioactive material through a crack in the core’s container which would mean a serious reversal following slow progress in getting the plant under control.

The reactor, the No. 3 unit, is the only one to use plutonium in its fuel mix which is more toxic than the uranium used in the other reactors.

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), and the state nuclear safety agency said late on Friday similarly contaminated water had been found at the turbine building of the No. 1 reactor.

“We do not know the cause,” a TEPCO official told a news conference.

The new find had delayed work again, another official said.

Senior nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama said earlier the high level of radiation meant there was a possibility of damage to the reactor.

But later he told reporters: “It could be from venting operations and there could be some water leakage from pipes or from valves, but there is no data suggesting a crack.”

U.N. nuclear watch-

dog IAEA said a total of 17 workers had received elevated levels of radiation since the operation began.

“LESSONS LEARNED” Authorities have been using seawater to cool the rectors but it is corrosive and leaves salt deposits that constrict the amount of water that can cool fuel rods.

TEPCO said it had started injecting freshwater into the pressure vessels of reactors No.1 and No.3 and expected to start injecting freshwater into No. 2 soon.

At U.N. Headquarters in New York, Ban called a high-level meeting to “take stock of the international response to the latest developments” in Japan. He said he was encouraging countries “to consider lessons learned” and to strengthen nuclear safety.

Meanwhile, the Japanese government has prodded tens of thousands of people living in a 20 km-30 km (12-18 mile) zone beyond the stricken complex to leave, but insisted it was not widening a 20 km evacuation zone.

“Given how prolonged the situation has become, we think it

would be desirable for people to voluntarily evacuate,” said chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano said.

Authorities have already cleared about 70,000 people from a 20-km (12-mile) zone around the plant.

Edano has maintained there was no need to expand the evacuation zone, but an official at the Science Ministry confirmed that daily radiation levels in an area 30 km (18 miles) northwest of the plant had exceeded the annual limit.

Vegetable and milk shipments from near the stricken plant have been stopped, and Tokyo’s 13 million residents were told this week not to give tap water to babies after contamination from rain put radiation at twice the safety level.

It dropped back to safe levels the next day, and the city governor cheerily drank tap water in front of cameras.

Experts say radiation from the plant is still generally below levels of exposure from flights or medical Xrays.

Nevertheless, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, the United States and

Hong Kong are restricting food and milk imports from the zone. nations are Other screening Japanese food, and German shipping lines are simply avoiding the country.

In Japan’s north, more than a quarter of a million people are in shelters.

Exhausted rescuers are still sifting through the wreckage of towns and villages, retrieving bodies.

Amid the suffering, though, there was a sense the corner was being turned. Aid is flowing and phone, electricity, postal and bank services have resumed, though they can still be patchy.

Owners of small businesses have begun cleaning up.

“Everybody on this block has the firm belief that they are going to bring this thing back again,” said Maro Kariya in the town of Kamaishi, as he cleared debris from a family coffee shop.

The estimated $300 billion damage makes it the world’s costliest natural disaster. Global financial market jitters over the crisis have calmed, though supply disruptions are affecting the automobile and technology sectors.

P r otests spr ead aga in st Assad r ule in Syria

By KHALED YACOUB OWEIS & SULEIMAN ALKHALIDI D A M A S CUS/DERAA, Syria (Reuters) - Protests spread across Syria Friday, challenging the rule of the Assad family after their forces killed dozens of demonstrators in the south.

In the southern city of Deraa, which has been in revolt for a week, gunfire and tear gas scattered a crowd of thousands after people lit a fire under a statue

of late president Hafez al-Assad, whose son Bashar has ruled since his death in 2000.

Al Jazeera aired comments by a man who said security forces had killed 20 people Friday in the nearby town of Sanamein.

In Hama, in the center of the country, where the elder Assad put down an Islamist revolt in 1982 at a cost of many thousands of lives, residents said people streamed through the streets after weekly prayers chanting “Freedom is ringing out!” — a slogan heard in uprisings sweeping the rest of the Arab world.

The same chant had earlier marked funeral

processions in Deraa for some of the at least 37 people killed Wednesday, when security agents attacked pro-democracy groups at a mosque. In all, 44 deaths have been reported in the past week in Deraa.

Security men, on alert across the country during weekly prayers at mosques, quickly stifled a small demonstration in the capital Damascus. They hauled away dozens among a crowd of some 200 who chanted their support for people of Deraa.

In Tel, near Damascus, about 1,000 people rallied and chanted slogans calling relatives of Assad “thieves.”

DERAA VIOLENCE In Deraa itself, a bastion of the Sunni majority which resents the power and wealth amassed by the Alawite elite around Assad, a Reuters correspondent saw thousands rally unchallenged until the sound of heavy gunfire sent them running for cover.

Unrest in Deraa came to a head this week after police detained more than a dozen schoolchildren for writing graffiti against the government. In Damascus, a couple of protests by a few dozen people shouting slogans were broken up last week.

Among the targets of the crowd’s anger Friday was Maher al-

Assad, a brother of the president and head of the Republican Guard, a special security force, and Rami Makhlouf, a cousin who runs big businesses and is accused by Washington of corruption.

Allied with Shi’ite, non-Arab Iran against the Western powers and neighboring Israel, Assad’s Syria sits at the heart of a complex web of conflict in the Middle East.

His anti-Israel stance has protected him against some of the criticism aimed, for example, at Egypt’s deposed leader Hosni Mubarak, who defended a peace treaty with the Jewish state.

Demonstrators in

Deraa turned that hostility to Israel against the government Friday, highlighting the use of force against them and the failure of the Assads to take back the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in a 1967 war.

“Maher, you coward!” they chanted.

“Send your troops to liberate the Golan!”

In Deraa, before the Friday midday prayers which are the high point of social interaction in much of the Arab world, a procession of cars coursed through the streets honking horns and raising pictures of the president. There were also pro-Assad congregations in other parts of the city.

New American

The

12 14

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH MARCH 28, 2011 28, 2011

One Thought - One Humanity

For the conclusions of these stories check out the March 24th - March 30th, 2011 issue of The New American, which hits newsstands every Thursday TV Land has given a series order to comedy series “The Exes” (working title) starring “Scrubs” veteran Donald Faison, and “Happily Divorced,” which features “Martin” alum Tichina Arnold. According to Hollywood the Reporter, “The Exes” centers on three divorced men who live together in an apartment across the hall from their divorce attorney.

Wayne Knight, David Alan Basche and Kristen Johnston also star in the project. “Happily Divorced” stars Fran Drescher in her first TV vehicle since the “The Nanny.” It’s based on her real life and centers on L.A. florist Fran (Drescher) as she deals with dating after finding out her realtor husband of 18 years (John Michael Higgins) is gay. Tichina Arnold is joined by Rita Moreno in the supporting cast.

Slim Thug is facing legal action from a man who claims the rapper assaulted him during a business meeting.

Clarence Evans is suing the Hip-Hop star and his affiliate Raymond Thomas II over allegations he was “suddenly and without warning” struck in the face with a pistol, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Texas. Evans alleges the I Run hit-maker, real name Stayve Jerome Thomas, then ordered his associates to take his money. The lawsuit states: “Defendants participated in the attack and directed the other attendees of the business meeting to attack Plaintiff and steal any money Plaintiff had in his pockets at the time. As a result of the intentional and reckless acts and/or omissions of Defendants, Plaintiff suffered severe injuries and damages.” Evans is

seeking an undisclosed amount for medical charges, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical disability and disfigurement Rihanna covers Vogue’s April ‘Shape Issue’ with her fiery red ‘do, and inside the fashion prominent glossy the 23-year-old opens up about her career, body, father and her sprawling new 12-bedroom house in the Hollywood Hills.

The Bajan songstress revealed that she had been eyeing the pad since April 2010, but took the time to shop around before coming to a final decision. “I looked steady for two years, and it is way above the price I was looking for, but I loved it,” she told Vogue, before detailing the house’s interior. “It is all white,” she said.

“There is a gun chandelier in the middle of the living room. In one room, I have this huge black-and-white painting of Bob Marley, and the wallpaper is green, yellow, and red, the African-flag colors.”

Rihanna’s Loud tour is struggling to make some noise in the U.S. the singer has reportedly been urged to axe concerts due to poor ticket sales.

The Umbrella hit-maker was forced to scrap a string of dates on her Last Girl On Earth Tour last year following disappointing sales figures.

B.o.B. appeared in his first Adidas commercial back in July 2010, to the backdrop of his single ‘Magic, a track from his debut album ‘B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray.’ Now the ATL rapper has resurfaced in the sneaker giant’s latest international campaign. The new Adidas “All In” commercial features a series of sport clips,

spliced with footage of the pop star taking the stage in front of a live crowd. But this time, instead of B.o.B.’s music, the ad is set to ‘Civilization,’ the new single from French electro group Justice.

The song will debut on their forthcoming album, due in April.

Kelly Price may have made a gospel album in the past but the soulful songstress is returning to her R&B roots with a new album. The New York native is gearing up for the release of ‘Kelly,’ an effort set to feature production from the likes of Warryn Campbell, Shep Crawford, Jazz Nixon and Lawrence Waddell.

The forthcoming LP, Kelly’s sixth to date, has already spawned two singles: the emotional ballad ‘Tired’ and the Stokley Williams’assisted ‘Not My Daddy.’ Price’s work with the Mint Condition member on the latter track was a natural one.

Author, curator and legendary publicist Bill Adler recently revealed that several items from his vast collection of Hip Hop artifacts are on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. Barbara London’s “Looking At Music” series, presently dedicated to 1980s music culture in the city, includes artifacts and visual references to Public Enemy, Afrika Bambaataa and RunDMC. According to his blog on MoMA’s website, the items came from Adler’s personal collection. Throughout the ‘00s, Bill owned and operated the Eyejammie Gallery in Midtown Manhattan. He has also written an authorized biography on RunDMC, Tougher Than Leather.

‘An Evening with Women of Excellence in the Arts’ to recognize five exceptional women In conjunction with Women’s History Month, The Riverside Theatre is hosting five exceptional women for Women of Excellence in the Arts, an evening of conversation sharing the beauty and power of women in the arts as experienced through the unique artistic journeys of Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Carol Maillard, Ntozake Shange, Tamara Tunie and Glory Van Scott. The event takes place on Monday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. at the Theatre, located in the historic Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave. (bet. 120th & 122nd St.), Morningside Heights.

“Each of these women have made great strides in their respective areas of performance, whether it be music, stage or screen,” said Jewel Kinch, Executive Director of The Riverside Theatre. “Women’s History Month is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on these exceptional women and present their incredible journeys. I know audiences will enjoy hearing about their experiences first hand.”

Hosted by award winning journalist, author, playwright and radio host Esther Armah, “An Evening with Women of Excellence in the Arts” brings together Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (dancer and choreographer), Carol Maillard (actress and vocalist), Ntozake Shange (playwright, novelist and poet), Tamara Tunie (actress and director), and Dr. Glory Van Scott (producer/director, actress and dancer), for an intimate conversation about their journeys in the performing arts. The event will be followed by a brief reception.

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is an award winning choreographer and founder of Urban Bush Women. She is a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for choreography as well as a United States Artists Wynn fellow. Jawole was also selected by the Kennedy Center as a Master of African Amer-

ican Choreography. She was featured as a leading influential dancer/choreographer on FLY: The Five First Ladies of Dance alongside last year’s Woman of Excellence participant, Carmen deLavallade.

Carol Maillard is a founding member of the vocal ensemble SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK. She is an accomplished actress and has performed in film, television and on stage, including appearances in the feature films Beloved and Thirty Years to Life. Her theater credits encompass a wide range of styles from musical comedy and revues to drama and experimental, with performances both on- and off-Broadway.

Best known for her roles on As the World Turns and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Tamara Tunie (above) made her Broadway debut alongside Lena Horne in Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. In addition to being twice nominated for the Soap Opera Digest Awards, Tunie was honored with two nominations for the NAACP Image Awards. In 2007, she received a Tony Award as co-producer for the musical Spring Awakening.

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

Subscribe Today!

Make Checks and Money Orders Payable to:

New American Newspaper P.O.Box 1668 Brooklyn, NY 11247 YES! Please enter a one year subscription ($55) for: Name: Address: City: State: Zip: (Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery of your first issue)

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

13

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

-+: ./9 )'9+ 8+ +>'3/4+* '/4+ ,/4'22? ='21+* 5;: 5, 68/954 '4* /4:5 :.+ 9;49./4+ 2'9: #.;89*'? ',:+8 358+ :.'4 :=5 *+)'*+9 5, /4)'8)+8':/54 0;*-+ .'* 58*+8+* ./9 8+2+'9+ ' *'? +'82/+8 :.+ 9'3+ *'? :.+ ,583+8 652/)+ )533'4*+8 '/4+ '));9+* 5, :.8+':+4/4- ./3 =/:. ' -;4 8+658:+* :5 ' ,+*+8'2 68/954 ,58 2?/4- '(5;: :.+ :58:;8+ 5, 9;96+):9 B +: 3+ (8+':.+ :.+ '/8 A 0;9: ='4: :5 +405? :./9 353+4: 8/-.: 45= C '/4+ 9'/* ',:+8 9:8522/4- 5;: 5, +4'8* 588+):/54'2 +4:+8 :.+ 3'>/3;3 9+);8/:?

25)1;6 4+'8 :.+ /99/99/66/ !/<+8 '(5;: 3/2+9 95;:.+'9: 5, ": 5;/9

(! "-&& 0! * $++-! )(&0 !&$.!*! ,) 0)-* ))* ! # ( !.!*0 /!!% )* ')*! $(")*' ,$)( &&

&+'8/40+'49 ' 3;2:/)5258+* 9:8/6+* 9./8: '4* 9.5+9 685</*+* (? ./9 '::584+? '/4+ (85;-.: 5;: =/:. ./3 =.': 2/::2+ .+ .'* A ' /(2+ '4* ,'3/2?

6/):;8+9 + 9'/* .+ )8'<+* 5>:'/2 9:+= .56+9 :5 ,/4* ' 05( 9:'8: ' 3/4/9:8? '4* 3'88? -/82,8/+4* "'8' ;9. =.53 .+ 3+: =./2+ .+8 -8'4*954 ='9 *5/4- :/3+ ': +4'8* B#./9 /9 :.+ ,/89: *'? 5, :.+ 8+9: 5, 3? 2/,+ C '/4+ )2;:)./4- ;9.D9 .'4* :52* 8+658:+89 ')8599 :.+ 85'* ,853 :.+ 68/954 ;9: :.+ 68+</5;9 4/-.: .+ ='9 =':)./4- #% '4* .+'8* ' 4+=9)'9:+8 3+4:/54 ./9 4'3+ :.+4 953+:./4- '(5;: (+/4- 8+2+'9+* '/4+ -5: )54,/83':/54 ',:+8 .+ 8+658:+* :5 ./9 '99/-4+* *+:'/2 /4 :.+ 68/954D9 2'= 2/(8'8? '/4+ 9'/* .+ /94D: (/::+8 '(5;: ./9 /4)'8)+8':/54 :.5;-. .+ 62'49 :5 9++1 8+)5;89+ 5<+8 ./9 :/3+ 96+4: (+./4* ('89 B : =/22 45: 3'1+ 3+

=.52+ 42? :.+ -8')+ 5, 5* =/22 *5 :.': C .+ 9'/* B ;: =/22 :+22 ?5; )'445: *+9)8/(+ :.+ '4-;/9. :.': .'<+ (++4 9;,,+8/4- ,853 :.85;-.5;: :.+ ?+'89 9++/4+<+8?(5*? -+::/4- 0;9:/)+ '4* 3+ (+/4- ,58-5::+4 ,+2: +>:8+3+2? */9)'8*+* '9 /, */*4D: 3'::+8 C 53+4:9 2':+8 '/4+ ='9 .'</4- ./9 ,/89: 3+'2 '9 ' ,8++ 3'4 )./)1+4 (')54 3+2: =/:. 54/54 8/4-9 ': ' */4+8 /4 .+9:+8 '/4+D9 )54</):/54 )'3+ 2'8-+2? 54 :.+ ('9/9 5, ./9 )54,+99/54 '4* 9:':+3+4:9 3'*+ *;8/4652/)+ 7;+9:/54/4- 5:. .+ '4* ./9 )5 *+,+4*'4: '854 '::+8954 )2'/3+* :.+4 ./)'-5 652/)+ : 54 ;8-+ '4* ./9 B /*4/-.: 8+=C 5, *+:+):/<+9 )5+8)+* :.+3 /4:5 /362/)':/4- :.+39+2<+9 /4 :.+ 1/22/4-9 5, :.+ )5;62+ ,5;4* 9:'((+* :/3+9 '/4+ 9'?9 :.': ;8-+ ='21+* /4:5 :.+ 652/)+ 9:':/54 8553 =.+8+ .+ ='9 (+/4.+2* 6;: ' -;4 54 :.+ :'(2+

'4* :52* ./3 .+D* (+ =589+ 5,, /, .+ */*4D: )54,+99 #.+4 54+ 5, :.+ *+:+):/<+9 );66+* ./9 .'4* '4* ./: '/4+ 95 .'8* 54 :.+ 9/*+ 5, :.+ .+'* :.': .+ 8;6:;8+* ./9 +'8*8;3 2+'*/4- ./3 :5 -/<+ ' ,'29+ 9:':+3+4: =./2+ B(2/4*+* (?

6'/4 C ./9 '::584+? !;99+22 /49=58:. 9'/* :./9 =++1 /49=58:. 9'/* :.+8+ ='9 45 5:.+8 +</*+4)+ 5, '/4+D9 -;/2: /4)2;*/4- ,/4-+868/4:9 58 : :.+ :/3+ 5, :.+ 92'?/4- '/4+ :+9:/,/+* .+ ='9 ': ./9 ';4:D9 (/8:.*'?

6'8:? ,:+8 '22+-':/549 9;8,')+* :.': ;8-+ '4* ./9 *+:+):/<+9 =+8+ )5+8)/42')1 9;96+):9 /4:5 )54,+99/4- :5 )8/3+9 6859+);:589 (+-'4 8+</+=/4- 6'9: )54</):/549 /4<52</4- ;8-+D9 97;'* '::+8954 =.5 .'* (++4 9+4:+4)+* :5 *+':. ='9 6'8*54+* '254- =/:. :.8++ 5:.+8 3+4 54 :.+ 9:':+D9 *+':. 85= /4 (? :.+4 5< +58-+ !?'4 ',:+8 :.+ !+6;(2/)'4 9'/* .+ .'* )54)2;*+* '::+8954D9

)54,+99/54 ='9 )5+8)+* 22 ,5;8 /43':+9 3'*+ 9/3/2'8 :58:;8+ )2'/39 '4* ?+'89 ',:+8 (+/4- 6'8*54+* 8+').+* ' 3/22/54 9+::2+3+4: =/:. :.+ )/:? '/4+ 9'/* .+ )'3+ =/:./4 54+ <5:+ 5, (+/49+4:+4)+* :5 *+':. (? ' 0;8? ,:+8 9++/4- :.': *+':. 85= )'9+9 *8+= -2'8/4- 3+*/' '4* 652/:/)'2 '::+4:/54 5<+8 )54)+849 '(5;: =854-,;2 )54</):/549 .+ 9'/* .+ =/9.+* .+ .'* (++4 )54*+34+* '9 =+22 A +96+)/'22? ',:+8 '::+8954 -5: ,8++* B , =5;2* .'<+ (++4 54 *+':. 85= =5;2* .'<+ (++4 5;: ' 254- :/3+ C .+ 9'/* 551 5;4:? ;*-+ &/22/'3 5519 8;2+* /4 '4;'8? :.': '/4+ ='9 +4:/:2+* :5 ' 659: )54</):/54 .+'8/4- ('9+* 54 ./9 '22+-':/549 5, :58:;8+ '4* 6859+);:589 *+)/*+* :5 *856 :.+ )'9+ 8':.+8 :.'4 685)++* 9'/* ":;'8: ;*+23'4 ' ,583+8 0;*-+ '):/4- '9 :.+ 96+)/'2 6859+);:58 /4 '/4+D9 )'9+

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

3+3(+89 9'/* 9.+ ='9 /4 6558 .+'2:. '4* ='9 45: ;6 :5 :8'<+2/4- :5 ((+</22+ 58 96+'1/4- =/:. 8+658:+89 ;: .+8 ?+'8 52* (85:.+8 !5(+8: 58(/:: =.5 9:/22 2/<+9 /4 :5=4 ='9 ,854: '4* )+4:+8 '4* 9'/* .+ =5;2* 8+2'? :.+ '6525-? :5 ./9 9/9:+8 B&.': .'66+4+* :5 3?

9/9:+8 ='? (')1 :.+4 )5;2*4D: .'66+4 :5*'? C .+

9'/* B 5? =.': ' 3+99 :.+?

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

9'? :.': /: */*4D: .'66+4 C + 9'/* :.+ 9:':+3+4:9 ,853 :.+ 3'?58 '4* :.+ 685(':+ 0;*-+ .+26 :5 '99;8+ '8+' 8+9/*+4:9 :.': B:.': +8' =54D: 8+:;84 :5 ;9 C + '295 9'/* .+ /9 =581/4- 54 ' 8+952;:/54 '91/4- :.+ 9:':+ :5 '6525-/@+ :5 #'?258 #'?258D9 9:58? '254- =/:. :.59+ 5, 5:.+8 (2')1 =53+4 '::')1+* (? =./:+ 3+4 *;8/4- :.+ )/</2 8/-.:9 +8' /9 :52* /4 B : :.+ '81 4* 5, :.+ ":8++: C ' (551 (?

'4/+22+ ) ;/8+ 8+2+'9+* 2'9: ?+'8 ) ;/8+ 9'/* 54*'?

9.+ =5;2* +<+4:;'22? 2/1+ :5 9++ 358+ ,583'2 '6525-/+9 ,853 :.+ 9:':+ )/:? '4* )5;4:? (;: </+=9 :.+ 9:':+3+4:9 ,853 5,,/)/'29

68536:+* (? 6;(2/)/:? '(5;: .+8 (551 '9 ' -55* ,/89: 9:+6 B#.+ ,'): :.': :.+? '8+ ')145=2+*-/4- :.': :./9 .'66+4+* /9 /3658:'4: C 9'/* ) ;/8+ ' ./9:58? 685,+9958 ': &'?4+ ":':+ $4/<+89/:? /4 +:85/: #.+ )'9+ -5: :.+ '::+4:/54 5, '):/</9: !59' '819 /4 :.+ 9 ' *+)'*+ (+,58+ 9.+ (+)'3+ '4 /)54 (? 8+,;9/4- :5 -/<+ ;6 .+8 9+': 54 ' 54:-53+8? )/:? (;9 '819 /4:+8</+=+* #'?258 /4 '4* 2':+8 8+)8;/:+* 5:.+8 '):/</9:9 :5 )8+':+ :.+ B 2'('3' 533/::++ ,58 7;'2 ;9:/)+ ,58 89 !+)? #'?258 C #.59+ +,,58:9 =+8+ 2':+8 5<+89.'*5=+* (? 5:.+8 )/</2 8/-.:9 ('::2+9

+! +%!$%01 !/.+.')7% &.0 (!-$+)-' .&

+! 0)-* *! $,

* )* ' $& 0)-* #! % )* ')(!0 )* !* ,)

(!++%-'% 0.3/ 3"1#0)/2).- %/!02,%-2 .5 0..*+6-

)1!

!0$

!12%0 5/)0!2).-

.

!0$

.

!2%

)'-!230% ( 0)-* (!/++, ( )* +- + *$ ! ,) 0

0!/%

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

14

HEAlTH fORum

Study: Fewer fill ‘dispense as written’ prescriptions

By GENEVRA PITTMAN Patients are less likely to fill prescriptions when their doctors specify that brand name drugs can’t be substituted with generics, according to a new study. with leaving Along patients without their medications, the practice could be costing the health system almost $8 billion a year, the authors of the study in the American Journal of Medicine calculated.

Despite evidence that generic drugs work just as well and are just as safe as brand name drugs, “there’s a small population of doctors that still express concern about generics,” Dr. William Shrank, the lead author of the study from Harvard Medical School in Boston told Reuters Health.

And, Shrank added, “it’s really hard for either patients or doctors to anticipate the cost of the medication when the patient goes to the pharmacy.”

During the health care reform debate, policymakers

have been pushing for widespread use of generic drugs, which in some cases may be available for as little as onethird of the price of brand name drugs.

However, doctors are able to prevent pharmacies from giving patients generic drugs by writing “dispense as written” on a prescription.

Patients can also request brand name drugs themselves.

In the study, Shrank and his colleagues analyzed all

prescriptions that were filled

by CVS Caremark at CVS stores and online over the course of 1 month.

In total, 5.6 million prescriptions were filled by 2 million patients. CVS Caremark funded the study.

Almost 3 percent of prescriptions were labeled “dispense as written” by doctors, and another 2 percent were marked by patients who wanted brand name drugs.

But even when patients were the ones who had

requested a brand name drug, they were less likely to fill the prescription when they couldn’t substitute generics.

When there was no “dispense as written” label on a new prescription for patients with chronic disease, about 8 percent went unfilled. That compared to close to 12 percent when patients themselves said they didn’t want a generic.

Older patients and doctors were both more likely to require that a prescription be filled with brand name drugs.

When the authors scaled the results to the 3.6 billion prescriptions that are filled annually in the United States, Shrank and his colleagues found that patients could save $1.2 billion if doctors did away with “dispense as written” — and the health system could save $7.7 billion.

The findings show that “it’s important that physicians think very carefully about whether or not the patient needs that particular brand of medication,” Dr. Alex Federman, of the

U.S. asks if food dyes make kids hyperactive

By LISA RICHWINE WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators are weighing a question parents have asked since the 1970s: do artificial food dyes make children hyperactive?

A consumer group has petitioned the government to ban blue, green, orange, red and yellow food colorings.

The synthetic dyes are common in food and drinks ranging from PepsiCo’s Gatorade, Cheetos and Doritos to Kellogg’s Eggo waffles and Kraft’s Jell-O desserts.

Manufacturers say reviews by regulators around the world confirm the dyes are safe. The Center for Science in the Public Interest argues, however, there is plenty of data showing the dyes trigger hyperactivity in kids who are predisposed to it.

“There is convincing evidence that food dyes impair the behavior of some children,” said Michael Jacobson, head of the consumer group famous for exposing the fat and calories in movie-theater popcorn and fast food.

Jacobson and others will testify next week before a

Food and Drug Administration advisory committee that will consider the question on Wednesday and Thursday.

The FDA will hear the advisers’ views before deciding whether to take any action, which could take months or years.

FDA reviewers, in documents prepared for the advisory panel, said scientific research so far suggested some children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be affected by food coloring. The disorder affects up to 5 percent of U.S. children, according to government statistics.

“For certain susceptible children with ADHD and other problem behaviors, the data suggest their condition may be exacerbated” by substances in food including artificial colors, the FDA staff wrote in a preliminary analysis.

For the general population, the FDA “concludes that a causal relationship” between the dyes and hyperactivity “has not been established,” the agency staff said.

At the panel meeting next week, the FDA will ask outside experts if they agree with the agency’s conclusions or if

they think more studies are needed.

Concerns about food dyes erupted in the 1970s when a pediatrician, Dr. Ben Feingold, claimed the colors were linked to hyperactive behavior and proposed a diet eliminating them.

Questions flared again after a 2007 British study of kids who drank fruit drinks with food colorings and preservatives.

The scientists concluded the colorings worsened hyperactive behavior and also

affected kids not previously diagnosed with ADHD. Other researchers said the study had limitations. A 2009 review by European authorities concluded all data available at the time did not support a link between food colorings and hyperactivity.

The 2008 petition from CSPI asked the FDA to ban all but one of the dyes, calling them “dangerous and unnecessary.” The exception, Citrus Red No. 2, is used only on orange skins. Companies could substitute natural col-

Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, told Reuters Health.

“And, they’ve got to keep working that message about generics as being a perfectly cost-effective substitute for brand name medications,” said Federman, who has studied how people use generics but was not involved in the report.

Shrank said that while some doctors and patients may like the idea of prescribing and taking brand name drugs, patients might not realize how much extra those drugs will cost them.

He and his colleagues found that patients in the study paid an average of about $18 for a generic prescription and $44.50 for brand name drugs that had a generic alternative.

Knowing that beforehand might help both doctors and patients make more educated decisions, Shrank said.

“There has to be more open discussion between doctors and patients about medication costs (because) cost ends up being an important barrier for many patients,” he said. ors, fruit or fruit juices, CSPI said.

The group also asked the FDA to require a warning on products containing dyes until a ban takes effect.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents food producers and packagers, said “extensive review” by the FDA and European authorities showed the dyes were safe.

“All of the major safety bodies globally have reviewed the available science and have determined that there is no demonstrable link between artificial colors and hyperactivity among children,” the group said in a statement.

Blood test detects more heart attacks EDINBURGH, Scotland — A blood test detected heart attacks in one-third more patients admitted to a hospital with chest pain than previous tests, researchers in Scotland.

Dr. Nicholas Mills of the British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science at the University of Edinburgh says the test identifies heart muscle damage in more patients and, as a result of the more sensitive test results, more patients were more likely to

see a specialist and receive better heart treatment.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found after the test was introduced at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh the risk of being readmitted to the hospital, or dying from another heart attack within the following year, was cut in half.

“Unfortunately, the use of outdated diagnostic thresholds for troponin — when patients have chest

pain a blood test measures the protein troponin which is released when heart cells are damaged during a heart attack — continues to be widespread,” Mills said in a statement. “We provide compelling evidence that adopting a more sensitive test and lowering the threshold for detection of heart muscle damage is appropriate and will substantially improve the outcome of patients with chest pain and suspected heart attack.”

DAILY DAILYCHALLENGE CHALLENGEMONDAY, MONDAY,MARCH MARCH28, 28,2011 2011

15 15

NEW JERSEY

Christie says if N.J. gives more funding to Meadowlands Xanadu, changing exterior is a priority

By MEGAN DEMARCO NUTLEY - Gov. Chris Christie is occasionally critical at his town hall meetings. The teacher’s union is often a target.

The commissioners of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority have been the object of barrage. verbal Sometimes he rails against the Legislature.

On Thursday, the governor didn’t take aim at a person or a union. His target was an inanimate object: Xanadu.

“It’s by far the ugliest damn building in New Jersey and maybe America,” Christie said, eliciting applause from a receptive audience in Nutley. “I can’t take it anymore.”

The governor disclosed that if any more state money goes into the stalled project at the Meadowlands, the state must have some ownership of the project, a $2 billion entertainment and retail mall along-

side the New Jersey Turnpike.

And he stressed one of the priorities must be to change Xanadu’s exterior, a design checkered with green, and orange blue squares that critics say makes it look like something built with Lego blocks.

Christie said the state will reach an agreement with the developer, Triple Five, within months, and that it may mirror the agreement with Revel Casino in Atlantic City.

Christie announced last month the state would be a 20 percent partner in the casino, in return for a $261 million boost.

“If they want state investment, we have to get a piece of the action,” Christie said of Xanadu.

A spokesman for Triple Five would not comment on partial state ownership of the project, but said the developer agrees with Christie that the exterior of the building needs

to change.

The town hall meeting also featured a sobering exchange between Christie and a former educator, who started off his question by praising the governor.

But John remarks DeFilippis’ took a different turn when he brought up the $174 million cut to higher education in Christie’s budget last year.

“We’re broke, I get it,” said DeFilippis, former director of academic affairs at New Jersey City University. “Still, I want you to know, those cuts cost me my job.”

DeFilippis has lived in New Jersey his entire life, but has been unemployed since the cuts.

“For the first time in my life I’m facing the grim reality that I might have to leave the state that I have always called home,” he said.

Christie said he felt badly De Filippis lost his job, but the cuts were the result of “decades of irresponsi-

bility.”

“This is the tough medicine that we have to take down,” Christie said. “If we don’t there’s going to be scores more people just like you who are going to face the reality of leaving our state.”

When more prosperous times come, “We’re going to make reinvest-

ments,” he said.

Christie also renewed his call for pension, benefit and tenure changes. In response to a question, he said he is waiting for lawmakers to act on legislation that would ban those who still hold dual offices, and employees who have two public salaries.

“Even in New Jersey, one public salary should be enough,” he said. “We wonder why our taxes are so high.

We have more government per capita than any state in America and we have people who have two, three jobs within the government.”

N.J. corrections officer is indicted in inmate beating

By SALVADOR RIZZO TRENTON - A state corrections officer allegedly caught on tape beating an inmate was indicted along with five other officers who failed to report the incident, state officials said today.

Kevin McEady, a senior corrections officer at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, repeatedly kicked an inmate’s head on Oct. 26 while transferring the inmate to a medical facility inside the prison, prosecutors said. The inmate was not named.

Officials said McEady, 48, of Camden, failed to men-

tion the beating in a report, and the inmate didn’t speak up.

Instead, the Department of Corrections began to investigate after a routine review of a video showing the inmate’s transfer.

The indictment, signed Feb. 4, also says Sgt. Kevin Newsom, 46, approved misleading reports by McEady and senior corrections officers Damian Albanese, 33; Derrick Smith, 44; and Efrain Gonzalez, 29. One other officer, Sgt. Lorenzo Foster, 46, was charged with failing to give an accurate report. All were suspended without pay on Feb. 9, except Newsom, who was suspended in November pending charges from a separate indictment.

Casey DeBlasio, a

spokeswoman for the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, said she didn’t know whether the officers agreed to whitewash their reports.

“But none of them mentioned the force that was used,” she said. No date has been set for the officers’ arraignment, she added.

On Oct. 29, three days after McEady allegedly used excessive force on the inmate, Newsom was indicted on charges of aggravated assault and official misconduct after a separate incident on July 13. The 23-year veteran officer struck a handcuffed inmate’s head several times with a metal baton and then ordered subordinates to leave the beating out of their reports, according

to that indictment.

The Department of Corrections said in November it was moving to fire Newsom, though a spokeswoman said today that they were waiting for the charges to be resolved first.

“We did what we needed to do,” said Deirdre Fedkenheuer, spokeswoman for the department. “He was put in no-pay status on separate charges in November.”

Jim McGonigal, president of the New Jersey Law Enforcement S u p e r v i s o r s Association, which represents corrections sergeants, said he wasn’t worried about the new indictment for Newsom.

“I’m confident once the case goes to trial that he’ll be cleared of

View of the exterior of New Jersey State Prison in Trenton in this 2009 file photo.

Photo/Tony Kurdzuk all charges,” he said.

“The prisons are very violent, dangerous and dynamic places, and things happen.”

McGonigal said he hasn’t spoken to Foster, the other sergeant represented by the union.

DeBlasio said she knew of no attorney representing McEady and

Gonzalez. Attorneys for Albanese and Smith could not be reached for comment late today.

The defendants face five to 10 years in prison for each of the charges, which include official misconduct for all of them and aggravated assault for McEady.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

16

ENTERTAINmENT

Nate Dogg bade farewell by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Warren G

By RAHMAN DUKES LONG BEACH, California — On a dark and damp Saturday morning (March 26), thousands of family, friends and fans turned out for one last show from their hero, rap legend Nate Dogg, who was laid to rest in his hometown of Long Beach.

Inside the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, lights shined down on the wooden coffin adorned with red and white flowers. Two jumbo screens on opposite sides of his casket flashed six different photos of the singer from a childhood boy, when he was known to family as “Buddy,” to the platinum singer known to the world as Nate Dogg.

West Coast rap artists including Dr. Dre, Game, DJ Quik, Mack-10 and WC, DJ Pooh, Battlecat and others were on hand to pay their respects to the singer with platinum vocal chords.

“1986, Poly High School, that’s where we connected for the first time,” an emotionally distraught Snoop reflected on his friend. “We

didn’t know each other, but the music connected us. We built a brotherhood, a friendship.”

Snoop first met Nate along with his best friend Warren G at the school where they would go on to form the rap trio 213. Warren G spoke briefly, reminding mourners in attendance what a great man the music world has lost.

“It hurts me so much to see this,” Warren G said somberly while looking down at the casket. “We been through a whole lot and that was my dog. He stayed down with me from the bottom to the top. I didn’t ever think I would have to sit at a funeral for one of my dogs. All I can say is that was my friend, me him and Snoop was 213 from the balls to the walls. The music industry lost an incredible artist.”

Several of Nate’s closest friends, relatives and colleagues including Xzibit, Daz and Kurupt, Butch Cassidy, Los Angeles radio station personality Big Boy from Power 106, and producer FredWreck all shared memorable stories of their friend, who they said made

an important impact on their lives. Xzibit recalled a time during the Up in Smoke Tour when Nate was arrested, but hours later somehow magically appeared at the show’s next date. A tearyeyed Kurupt said Nate was the father figure who raised him.

Manager Rod McGrew acted as Nate’s manager throughout his professional music career and was with him up until his last days.

“He fought a hard fight,” McGrew said. He also thanked Dr. Dre and Eminem, in addition to Snoop, Warren G and Xzibit, for assisting the family in getting through the past several days. “The last three years were unbelievable. He didn’t give up. He just had a talk with God and gave up.

Two hours before that he was fine.”

McGrew said that with Nate’s passing, the singer’s three wishes will now be granted.

“He wanted to go to heaven and hang with his boys,” McGrew said. “He loved Tupac. He recorded with him. He wanted to hang with Biggie. But the most impor-

tant thing is that he can walk around heaven with his favorite artist of all time, Michael Jackson.”

With his deep, melodic voice and smooth soul rumble, Dogg was one of the key elements in the rise of the West Coast G-Funk sound pioneered by Death Row Records in the early 1990s.

Along with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Warren G, Nate was a critical participant in a number of major left-coast gangsta hits, including G’s “Regulate” and Dre’s iconic solo debut, 1992’s The Chronic.

The hip-hop singer passed away earlier this month after suffering multiple health setbacks in the past several years stemming from separate strokes.

The choir that sang during Nate’s home-going was handpicked by the singer himself. One of its members, Jacob Lusk, is currently a contestant on “American Idol.”

“He was a loving caring individual,” said Snoop. “If you listen to his music, he took church melodies and flipped it with hip-hop. I’m so honored, so happy that you

Rapper Warren G arrives at the memorial service for the late rapper Nate Dogg at the Queen Mary Dome in Long Beach, Calif. gave me the opportunity, God, to know Nate Dogg. I want to stand here and cry, but I have to have the strength for you Nate Dogg.

It’s 213, DPG for life.”

Live Nation: Rihanna Ne-Yo ‘spreads love through music’ in Japan tour not canceled

By ALVIN BLANCO

LOS ANGELES — Contrary to reports that dates from her “Loud” tour have been canceled due to poor ticket sales, several sources, including one at the concert promoter Live Nation, say reports that Rihanna’s North American tour is struggling with poor sales are inaccurate.

According to the source — who is in a position to know — 30 shows in North America are on pace for sellout business even though they won’t play until June and July.

Furthermore, not only are hip-hop/R&B shows historically known to be late-selling, the entire live business has trended more to a latebuying sales pattern during the economic downturn.

Earlier this week The New York Post’s Page Six reported that Rihanna’s Roc Nation manager, Jay Brown, advised her to cancel domestic dates of the tour. Still, Rihanna has already sold

out 56 arenas in Europe.

Roc Nation, a Live Nation affiliate, is the management company for Rihanna.

R&B singer Ne-Yo is doing his part to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on March 11. Despite other artists like Ke$ha postponing their dates in the country, the singer/songwriter — minus some backup dancers — decided to continue his performances and provided charitable aid in the process.

The Grammy Award-winning singer said that he didn’t even consider canceling his tour dates in Japan.

“After we heard about what went down, a lot of people was like, ‘I know you’re not going out there now with everything going on,’ “ NeYo said. “But our response to that was, ‘Of course we still going.’ They need the show more than ever. So that’s why we’re here.”

Ne-Yo said that he had not seen any of the devastation firsthand since the performances in Nagoya and Yokohama were not near the epicenter of the earthquake and coast. However, he has been inspired by how the people of

Japan, and specifically those at the shows, have dealt with the tragedy.

“It wouldn’t be possible to do a show from where everything really went down,” he said. “The main thing that we been seeing out here is people coming together, people making donations, helping out their fellow man. As far as the crowds coming to the shows, it’s unreal. If you didn’t know that anything was wrong, you would never know that anything was wrong. It’s just people coming to enjoy a concert, which to me kind of speaks to the spirit of the Japanese people.

They’re about keeping it

going and keeping their spirits high and their morale high, and I dig that.”

The “Champagne Life” singer also detailed what he and his Compound Entertainment company have been doing to personally help with relief efforts. “Since we been out here, we did these wristbands,” Ne-Yo said, holding the wristband up to the camera. “The wristband says ‘Our prayers are with Japan.’

We’ve been selling these at every show. Plus, we did Tshirts that say ‘Spread [With] Through Music,’ as well as posters. We’ve raised somewhere close to $100,000 just in merchandise. All of the proceeds of this stuff goes straight to the victims of the quake and tsunami.

Not to mention, a percentage of the proceeds of the shows themselves goes to the victims of the quake and tsunami. We’re definitely out here making a difference, more than just singing and dancing.”

Ne-Yo said his as-yet-untitled forthcoming album, the follow up to 2010’s Libra Scale, will be in stores sometime in September.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

17

ENTERTAINmENT

La Toya Jackson butters up ‘Apprentice’ boss Donald Trump

By ALEX DOBUZINSKIS LOS ANGELES — It never hurts to praise the boss, so when “The Celebrity Apprentice” contestant La Toya Jackson talks about the show, among the things she says is that Donald “You’re Fired” Trump is really “a wonderful person.”

“He’ll probably kill me for saying this, but I think he just likes to come off hard sometimes, because he really isn’t, not at all,” she said of Trump, the real estate mogul turned reality TV star.

The latest season of “Celebrity Apprentice,” in which performers compete in business-oriented games to see who will be an “apprentice” in Trump’s real estate empire, premiered earlier this month with Jackson assigned to a women’s team

called “A.S.A.P.” alongside music icon Dionne Warwick, television personality Star Jones and many others.

While she says, “I love that guy,” about Trump, she has some choice words about Jones.

“I’ve got to say Star is very difficult, very difficult and I’m going to tell you like it is,” Jackson said.

In the shows that have aired so far this season, Jones has clashed with fellow contestant, actress Lisa Rinna. And the tension between Jones and Jackson has been evident.

The singer and sister to the late Michael Jackson told Reuters this week that she enjoys being on reality shows such as “Apprentice,” because it has helped her overcome shyness.

So far this year, the contestants have had to run a New York City pizza joint,

write a children’s book and perform it as a play, and create a sales promotion for recreation vehicles and camping equipment. Contestants compete for charity, and a series winner is picked

at the end of each season.

So far, Jones for the women and actor Gary Busey among men have been put into the roles of villains.

Rinna and model Niki Taylor have earned the wrath of Trump and heard his infamous tag line, “You’re Fired.” But La Toya remains standing (a little praise for the boss never hurts).

When she is not competing, La Toya Jackson has been dealing with family issues following the June 2009 death of her brother from an overdose of the anesthetic protocol and other drugs.

She has been a constant presence at court hearings for Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the pop superstar’s death.

Jury questioning in Mur-

ray’s trial started this week.

La Toya repeated past assertions her brother’s death was a murder, even though Murray was charged with the lesser crime of manslaughter.

Murray maintains his innocence of the charge.

La Toya Jackson said her brother’s 14 year-old son Prince Michael has dreams of a show business career, just like his father and the other members of the Jackson family.

“He said auntie La Toya, I want to be an actor,” she said. “I said, ‘Oh really?’ He goes, ‘Oh yeah and I know who I’m going to get as my agent.’”

“He says, ‘I just want to dabble in it and start working right now and just see how things go,’” she said.

“And I said wow, that’s nice.

But you can’t help but support it.”

New Jill Scott album Snoop Dogg promotes controversial alcohol drink a dedication to home and Hip Hop Jill Scott is ready to release her brand new album later this year entitled “The Light of the Sun.” And she’s embracing her first love, Hip Hop. “I really want to get back to my original state,” she told CNN. “I love hip hop, and I was born to it. I needed to come back to it. It’s been awhile, and I’m in a new environment.”

Over the years, we’ve watched Jill grow from singing hooks with the Roots to starring on the big screen alongside Janet Jackson in Tyler Perry productions as well as her toplining the HBO series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.”

She’s sold over 4 million records so far and it’s not going to stop there.

We hear the music video for her first single “Shame” is a bit of a dedication to her hometown as it was filmed in Philadelphia. With her talent and industry pull, she helped save the city’s Cecil B. Moore recreation center.

“When I found out it was closing, it just hurt my feelings because kids like me

needed a place to go,” she said. “We just started to really take care of this facility because we don’t want it to shut down… You still have to come back. Where you come [from], you take care of that place. Everybody is supposed to be a part of their own community.”

Rapper Snoop Dogg is promoting a new, fruit-flavored alcoholic drink that has triggered calls for its ban even before it goes on sale next month.

The drink, called Blast by Colt 45, is manufactured by Pabst Brewing Company and scheduled for release on April 5. A promotional video features Snoop Dogg posing with scantily clad young women at a photo shoot.

The drink, in 23.5- or seven-ounce containers, has a 12 percent alcohol content and comes in grape, raspberry watermelon, strawberry lemonade and blueberry pomegranate flavors.

Critics say it is a hazard for young people because it can be confused with soft drinks.

“You look at this product, and you think it’s a fruit drink,” said John Challis, senior vice president of Daytop Treatment Services, aimed at rehabilitating substance abusers. “They (breweries) are creating a demand, and then offering the supply.”

New York City Councilman Robert Jackson recently called for Blast to be banned in New York.

“Blast, along with similar drinks, is specifically targeted to younger people,” said Jackson’s aide, Martin Collins.

“In the short term, a drink like this masks and shrouds

the effects of alcohol. That’s dangerous for our young people.”

In a statement, Jon Sayer, chief marketing officer of Pabst, said: “Blast is only meant to be consumed by those above legal drinking age and does not contain caffeine.”

Pabst encourages drinking responsibly, he added, saying Blast’s alcohol content is clearly marked on its packaging and suggesting consumers mix it with other beverages, pour it over ice or buy the smaller bottle.

A caffeinated alcoholic beverage, Four Loko, made headlines last October when nine college students were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning after drinking it and similar beverages.

A month later, the Food and Drug Administration warned that such caffeinated alcohol drinks were unsafe, and several states banned the sale of Four Loko.

Chicago-based Phusion Projects said it would no longer add caffeine to Four Loko and now sells a caffeine-free version.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

18

BuSINESS & TECHNOlOgY

AT&T vision of wireless competition is tough sell

By DIANE BARTZ WASHINGTON — AT&T faces a tough pitch convincing regulators that its $39 billion deal to buy Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile will not create a duopoly in the cell phone market.

The massive telecom company was clearly honing its pitch even as it came out of the gate.

When announcing the deal on Sunday, it said that in 18 of the 20 top U.S. local markets there are five or more local carriers, not so subtly telling regulators they should take a market-by-market look when assessing competitiveness.

AT&T chose not to focus on the fact that the deal would concentrate 80 percent of U.S. wireless contract customers in just two companies — itself and Verizon Wire-

less.

Susan Crawford, who teaches at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, waved away the AT&T argument.

“It’s a red herring to say there are five in major cities,” she said. “People buy mobile service for nationwide coverage. ... It’s already a duopoly.”

AT&T also stressed that it was making the deal to acquire spectrum, which is in high demand as technology becomes more mobile.

Unlike most companies announcing mergers that regulators question, AT&T did not argue that the deal would mean lower prices but said that the cell phone market was competitive, and would remain rough and tumble despite the proposed deal.

This is the argument that AT&T’s legal team is expected to take to the Justice

Department for its antitrust review. The Federal Communications Commission also must sign off on the transaction for it to go forward.

One person who agrees with AT&T is Jeff Eisenach, who teaches at George Mason University School of Law. “The wireless market is extremely competitive,” he said, arguing that the cell phone industry lent itself to monopoly to take advantage of economies of scale.

“You see prices are declining really rapidly. I have not noticed Verizon and AT&T acting like cozy monopolists lately,” he said, pointing in particular at the companies’ vigorous advertising campaigns.

But most antitrust experts interviewed said it will be tough to convince regulators that the deal will allow a competitive wireless marketplace to thrive, without significant

asset sales by AT&T. This is especially true since the government itself recently raised doubts about competition in the wireless industry, before the deal was announced.

The FCC in May 2010 issued an annual report that for the first time since 2002 did not describe the wireless industry as having “effective competition.”

The industry leader is Verizon Wireless with about 31.5 of the market and AT&T with 28.5, trailed by T-Mobile (12.1 percent) and struggling Sprint Nextel (17.9 percent), according to an FCC report issued last May. Verizon Wireless is owned

by Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc. While the four big companies have national reach, the smaller do not. These include MetroPCs (2 percent), US Cellular (2.3 percent) and Leap

(1.4 percent), which owns Cricket, and some antitrust experts dismiss them as not truly competitive with the big companies.

“It’s hobbled competition,” said one veteran of the Justice Department’s antitrust department.

Traditionally DOJ analyzes deals like this one by looking at local markets, said Bob Doyle, an antitrust expert with the law firm Doyle, Barlow and Mazard PLLC. “However this deal, given the size and significance of both players, the government might be inclined to take a bigger picture and examine this deal on a national basis in which case you have a problematic four-to-three merger,” he said.

“There could be several hundred localized markets where there could be divestitures in this case,” he said.

Japan corporate funding demand soars after disaster

By TAIGA URANAKA TOKYO — Japanese companies’ demand for funding has soared since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, with the country’s top three banks seeing a surge in new loan requests, lenders said.

Companies are rushing to secure extra financing to repair damage to their operations in the areas worst-hit by the disaster as well as fund their day-to-day operations following fall in revenue amid output disruptions, the banks said.

Japan’s top three banks, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Mizuho Corporate Bank and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ have received requests for new loans totaling 2.6 trillion yen ($32 billion) over two weeks, said the banks.

The total includes 1.4 trillion yen in emergency funds sought by Tokyo Electric Power Co. the operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant north of Tokyo. Even excluding that number, requests were running at about four times the usual levels, the banks said.

The top three banks and major trust banks are in talks to provide up to 2 trillion yen in emergency loans to TEPCO, sources said last week.

Sumitomo Mitsui is the core unit of Sumitomo Mitsui

Financial Group, Mizuho Corporate Bank is a unit of Mizuho Financial Group and BTMU is the core commercial banking unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

Commercial paper issues also jumped by more than 50 percent in the first week after the disaster, with new offers totaling about 1.1 trillion yen and rates for one- to twomonth paper rising above 0.2 percent from 0.11 percent before March 11, the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday.

In the weeks following the disaster, the Bank of Japan has been pumping record amounts of funds into the banking system to ensure that credit keeps flowing to affected businesses and it has also increased its purchases

of commercial paper.

Japanese banks had been suffering sluggish lending demand as households and businesses remained cautious on spending amid prolonged deflationary trend. Bank lending fell 1.8 percent in February, the 15th month of decline, the Bank of Japan data shows.

Awash with deposit money, the banks had been buying up Japanese government bonds to make up a fall in profit from lending.

“We have been approached by companies which had not needed our loans up until now. We are very likely to accept pretty much all of these loan requests since most of these companies are those we wanted to have business with,” said a source at

one of the top banks, who declined to be named.

Including the emergency lending for TEPCO, BTMU said it has received request for about 700 billion yen in new loans, Mizuho said it has been asked to provide about 900 billion yen in total.

Officials of SMBC were not immediately available but a source said the bank had requests for about 1 trillion yen in new loans, including 600 billion for TEPCO. While the banks said they did not have comparative numbers, the loan requests even excluding that by TEPCO- marked a jump from regular years, at least four or five times larger in volume, though the increase was not as dramatic as in the aftermath of the collapse of

Lehman Brothers.

The total is equivalent to 3 percent of the overall outstanding loans to major corporations by these banks, said the Nikkei, which reported the surge in the lending request.

The total loan demand is likely to be bigger since the banks said their figures were from large corporate clients only and those from small and mid-sized businesses have not been counted.

Nikkei cited officials at companies considering extra funding, such as Renesas Electronics Corp., Taiheiyo Cement Corp., whose plants have been damaged by the disaster and All Nippon Airways Co., bracing for a drop in demand for its passenger and cargo services.

Google delays open access to new Android software

By ALEXEI ORESKOVIC SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc is delaying widespread access to the new version of its Android software, saying it has more work to do before the product is ready for certain types of devices.

Google unveiled Android 3.0, known as Honeycomb, earlier this year, billing it as the first version of its Android operating system designed from the ground

up for use in tablet PCs. Honeycomb software is already available on the Motorola Mobility Inc. Xoom tablet, which went on sale in February.

The software represents Google’s first dedicated effort to challenge the dominance of Apple Inc.’s iPad in the nascent tablet PC market.

But Google said it will not immediately make its Honeycomb software available as open source code, the company’s traditional practice with Android whereby any developers are free to modify the

software as they see fit. The reason for the delay, Google said, was because Honeycomb was not ready to be customized for use on smartphones.

“While we’re excited to offer these new features to Android tablets, we have more work to do before we can deliver them to other device types including phones,” a Google spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

“We’re committed to providing Android as an open platform across many device

types and will publish the source as soon as it’s ready,” the statement said.

The spokeswoman said there was no timeline at the moment for when Honeycomb would be available as open source software.

Previous versions of Google’s two-year-old Android software have primarily been used in smartphones. Google became the No. 1 smartphone operating system in the world in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to research firm Canalys.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

19

BuSINESS & TECHNOlOgY

Loss of faith in RIM deepens as PlayBook debut nears

By ALASTAIR SHARP TORONTO — Research In Motion is facing skeptical investors unsure the BlackBerry maker can pull off a difficult transition as it promises strong growth from a tablet and operating system few have seen.

Shares of the Canadian company plunged more than 10 percent on Friday, after it warned of weak profit and revenues in the short term as it ramps up for next month’s launch of the long-anticipated PlayBook tablet.

To cushion the blow, RIM took the unusual step of providing Wall Street with a forecast for full-year earnings that topped the expectations of all but the most optimistic pundit. The number supported RIM’s contention that the pain surrounding the PlayBook launch would set the stage for long-term gain.

By and large, investors and analysts were not buying that argument.

Even Deutsche Bank analyst Brian Modoff - the lone analyst with a forecast that was above RIM’s full-year figure - cut almost a full dollar off his earlier estimate on Friday. He also suggested clients sell their RIM shares.

Short-sellers - who profit on bets a stock will decline may cash their chips but are unlikely to lose interest in RIM. “It’s probably going to underperform for quite some

time until they can get some traction back,” said Brad Lamensdorf, who co-manages AdvisorShare’s Active Bear fund and had a roughly $500,000 short position in RIM ahead of the earnings.

“They’re giving you the bad news right now - they’re airing their dirty laundry,” he said.

RIM has spent heavily developing and marketing the PlayBook, designed to snatch some glory away from Apple’s iPad, which virtually invented the now-crowded tablet market.

Highlighting the challenge, Apple fans queued up worldwide on Friday to be the first to get their hands on the iPad 2.

One of reasons that Deutsche’s Modoff cut his rating was a loss of faith that RIM can reverse its fortunes with the introduction of the QNX operating system, which will make its debut on the PlayBook.

Modoff, among others, believes it’s imperative that RIM move quickly to put QNX on its touch-based BlackBerry smartphones due out this year, replacing an outdated platform that’s illequipped for today’s dataheavy applications.

But RIM on Thursday said QNX won’t appear on its phones until early next year.

“With no QNX on handsets until calendar 2012, we think RIM will likely continue to lose share to Android smartphones whose prices are rapidly falling,” Deutsche’s

Modoff said in a note. provides its Google Android software to Motorola Mobility, Samsung, HTC and other device makers.

Susquehanna Financial analyst Jeff Fidacaro said RIM desperately needs a high-end smartphone to woo back disgruntled users in North America. The Torch, launched in August with an improved browser, didn’t fill the void.

Adding to worries, RIM said the launch of the PlayBook would hit the company’s prized gross profit margins and they would likely not recover anytime soon.

Yet the PlayBook, loaded with impressive parts and priced at par with the equivalent iPad 2, is only part of the reason RIM’s margins are slipping.

“That is not 100 percent due to the PlayBook being put into the mix. There is some core degradation in the gross margin of their smartphone business,” Susquehanna’s Fidacaro said in an interview. “And I think that really surprised the bulls.”

RIM is leaning on sales of its cheaper devices outside the lucrative North American and Western European markets as Apple’s iPhone and Android-based devices steal thunder.

While those devices bring in decent income for the cost of production, sales volumes need to be high to keep revenue up.

When RIM finally brings out QNX-equipped smart-

A new Blackberry tablet, the PlayBook tablet computer, is displayed at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. phones — what it dubs Windows Phone.

“Any one company that ‘superphones’ — the big question is whether they will tries to do this by themselves impress when stacked will probably lose - including against the fast-moving com- Apple in the long run,” he said. petition.

RIM’s shares lost more More broadly, analysts are wondering if RIM should than $7, or 11 percent, to cling to its own platform and $56.89 on the Nasdaq and fight the Google software’s were 10.8 percent lower at scale coupled with rivals set- C$55.78 on the Toronto Stock ting a furious pace of hard- Exchange.

The shares had risen fairly ware innovation.

“We’ve got Google out steadily from a trough near there flipping OS by them- $42 since RIM first showed selves three times in a year the PlayBook back in late Sepand then all their hardware tember.

The sell-off is “creating a partner guys, beating their feet to the market as fast as buying opportunity over the they can with their latest and next week or so,” said greatest hardware,” said Ed Youssef Zohny, a fund manSnyder from Charter Equity ager at Van Arbor Asset Management, which holds about Research.

Nokia, a global leader $2.5 million of RIM stock. which for years poured “However that doesn’t necesmoney into its own software, sarily alleviate all the conlast month dumped its plat- cerns on potential future form in favor in Microsoft’s growth.”

GameStop sees better 2011 for games business

By LIANA B. BAKER GameStop Corp., the world’s largest retailer of video game products, forecast stronger 2011 profits that signaled a rebound in the traditional video game industry.

Shares of GameStop rose up more than 3 percent on Thursday after it reported a higher-than-expected profit and issued rosy profit forecasts for the current quarter and full year 2011.

The company said software video game sales would be flat to 3 percent higher in 2011, lifting sector shares such as Electronic Arts.

“That positive commentary from GameStop helped publishers today,” said Wed-

bush Securities analyst Michael Pachter.

GameStop executives cited strong demand for Nintendo Co Ltd’s new handheld games device, the 3DS, even before its launch this weekend.

Reservations for the product have been so strong that the retailer was running out of supplies, GameStop President Tony Bartel said.

“We’ve literally had to go back to Nintendo and get more product.”

The 3DS, which goes on sale in the United States on March 27, could help boost sales in the $60.4 billion global video game industry, which suffers from falling demand for hardware and physical games, analysts said.

GameStop forecast earnings per share of 53 cents to

55 cents in the first quarter of 2011, which was above the 51 cents average that analysts had been expecting.

“The outlook is stronger than the Street’s consensus and that’s what driving up shares,” said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia.

GameStop shares rose 3.2 percent to $21.78 on the New York Stock Exchange late Thursday afternoon.

The retailer, which has more than 6,000 stores worldwide, also revealed for the first time to investors its revenue from selling digital content — reporting a 60 percent rise to $290 million last year. One way this revenue is gained is from customers buying downloadable content in its stores.

Digital sales should keep growing at the same pace

this year, Chief Financial Officer Robert Lloyd said in an interview.

The numbers addressed concerns on Wall Street that GameStop could face the same challenges as video stores, which stopped making money as consumers increasingly bought content online and not in brick and mortar stores.

“This is a positive sign and if GameStop can get their share of the digital market, they can be relevant,” Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia said.

GameStop will invest $100 million in digital initiatives this year.

Pachter of Wedbush Securities said the company was overemphasizing the importance of digital sales: “It contributes but it’s not going to be their main dri-

ver.”

GameStop, which generates the bulk of its revenue during the holiday shopping season, said net income rose to $237.8 million, or $1.56 per share, from $215.9 million, or $1.29 cents per share, a year earlier. This was higher than the $1.55 per share forecast of analysts polled by ThomsonReuters I/B/E/S. Sales rose 5 percent to $3.69 billion in the fourth quarter ended January 29.

Analysts, on average, were expecting sales of $3.7 billion, according to ThomsonReuters I/B/E/S.

ADVERTISE IN THE DAILY CHALLENGE! (718) 636-9500

GAMESNUMBERS

20

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

and

451 789 123 558 441 220 115

687 555 452 645 657 782 369

MON

OLD WAY BROOkLYN

TUES

WED THURS

✔ 234 1

OLD WAY 2 HANDLE 1

✎ 6901

MON

TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

10x xxx

40x xxx

733 841

599 xxx

xxx xxx

xxx xxx

52x xxx

343 xxx

344 xxx

450 xxx

xxx xxx

08x xxx

818 369

6xx xxx

200 xxx

693 xxx

xxx xxx

16x xxx

97x xxx 09x xxx 462 xxx 377 544 65x xxx

xxx xxx

353 xxx

42x xxx 461 869

xxx 942 107

xxx xxx

1 OLD WAY 4 HANDLE 1 1 OLD WAY 4 HANDLE 1

✔ 515

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0

1 1

7 4

5 1

2 1

3 1

2 2

2 3

1 1

5 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

0

4 1

2 0

6 3

2 0

4 3

1 1

2 2

2 2

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2 2

7 2

2 1

0 1

1 2

2 3

2 1

5 3

3 3 0

4 1

PICK OF THE DAY

xxx

xxx 300 xxx 008 xxx xxx xxx

011 722

89x xxx

xxx

836 xxx

669 05x

5xx xxx 349 078

xxx xxx

8xx xxx

393

54x xxx

xxx xxx

xxx

483 416

xxx xxx

318 865

xxx

64x xxx

xxx xxx

0xx 049

682

5xx xxx

xxx xxx

9xx xxx

290

061 xxx

xxx xxx

xxx xxx

xxx xxx xxx

xxx

xxx xxx xxx

523

31x xxx

SUN

SUN

10x 40x 733 599 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx

✔ 993

534

FRI

540

xxx

3622

376

123 049 xxx

Your Horoscope ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) You will be in an overly generous mood today. Your creative ability will surface, giving you good ideas for ways of making money. Be honest in your communication and don't lose your cool if someone backs you into a corner.

can make personal changes that will enhance your appearance and bring about greater social activity. You will enjoy events that lean toward theater, art, or music today.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) Your emotions have been pulled out of shape and you need to do a little backtracking. Work quietly behind the scenes for best results. Losses are likely if you have left your financial affairs in other people's hands.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) You will be popular with acquaintances; however, loved ones could feel left out and insecure. Difficulties at an emotional level may be likely.

You are best to be accommodating for the time being. Sudden romantic infatuations won't be lasting.

GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Get together with friends for some competitive physical activities. Empty promises are evident. Disappointments are likely if your mate embarrasses you in front of friends.

CANCER (June 22-July 22) You can make money if you're willing to push your ideas on those in a position to support your efforts. Minor health problems will flare up if you don't take care of yourself. Sudden changes regarding your circle of friends could prove interesting and stimulating.

LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Your ability to do detailed work will dazzle those who are less creative. You can make headway if you share your intentions with someone you care about. You may enjoy doing something musical for entertainment.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Don't let your health suffer because of worry. Talk to someone you trust. You might find it difficult to control your emotions. You can make a difference if you take a position of leadership.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Call siblings or old friends to catch up on recent news. You

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Your ability to communicate with ease will win the hearts of those you are in touch with today. You can make a serious attempt at quitting those bad habits that you've picked up over the years. Try to spend more time with children and relatives.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Don't be too open or put your faith in unreliable coworkers. Take matters in hand when it comes to dealing with clients or colleagues.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Groups and organizations that indulge in social events to raise money will be conducive to meeting new and exciting lovers. If everyone wants to do their own thing, let them. Don't cause a scene, but when you get home let your partner know how you feel and why.

PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Things have been moving so quickly that you need to do something physical to release your tension. Romance will be on your mind, and chances for ideal connections are in the works. Use your innovative mind to surprise youngsters.

21

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

Daily Challenge

SPORTS UConn earns Final Four bid, edges Arizona 65-63

By GREG BEACHAM ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jim Calhoun could scarcely watch when the most improbable postseason run of his coaching life at Connecticut came down to an open 3point attempt by Arizona’s Jamelle Horne.

The shot clanged off the back rim. The clock hit zeros.

Nine victories in just 19 days. Calhoun has seen just about everything, but nothing like this — and now his Huskies will keep running all the way to Houston.

Kemba Walker scored 20 points, freshman Jeremy Lamb added 19 and UConn earned its second Final Four berth in three years, beating Arizona 65-63 Saturday to win the West regional.

After missing the NCAA tournament entirely last year, Calhoun’s tireless team is headed to the Huskies’ fourth Final Four, punctuated by an ebullient on-court celebration in a building packed with Arizona fans.

UConn simply hasn’t lost since a .500 Big East regular season, winning five games in five days at the conference tournament before this NCAA run. Walker claims he isn’t surprised by this sprint through the postseason,

while Lamb has nothing to compare it to, leaving Calhoun alone in his grateful disbelief.

“Never did I imagine a team winning nine games in tournament play in 19 days,” Calhoun said. “These brothers, these young guys, have just given me a thrill beyond compare. Our march in the past nine games, I haven’t experienced anything like this.”

UConn also made the Final Four in 1999, 2004 and 2009 — all three times out of the West. In sweet redemption for a program and a veteran coach tarred by scandals over the past year, the Huskies will face the winner of North Carolina’s East regional final against Kentucky next Saturday.

Derrick Williams and Horne missed go-ahead 3pointers in the final seconds for Arizona, allowing the third-seeded Huskies (30-9) to hang on after Lamb scored six key points down the stretch when Walker encouraged the Huskies to run plays for the fearless frosh.

“This is no time to be tired,” Walker said. “We’re trying to get as far as possible. We want to win this whole thing.”

Williams had 20 points while battling foul trouble for the fifth-seeded Wildcats (30-

8), who led with 6 minutes to play. After Lamb pushed the Huskies ahead and Walker hit a jumper with 1:13 left, Lamont Jones and Horne then hit late 3-pointers for Arizona, but the Wildcats couldn’t convert two good looks in the final seconds.

“The second one, I thought it was definitely going in,” Lamb said. “When he missed it, I looked at the clock and saw zero-zero, and I just went, ‘Whooooo.’ It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

The Huskies are the last team standing from the Big East’s 11 NCAA entrants.

After going 9-9 in regularseason conference play, they’ve done more than even Calhoun might have expected just three weeks ago.

After the Wildcats missed their final two shots, Walker and Calhoun wrapped each other in a bear hug at center court after the buzzer as Emeka Okafor, Jake Voskuhl and other UConn alums celebrated on the court.

The two-time national champion coach has referred to his group as “an old-fashioned team,” a praise of their work ethic and resilience.

But they also showed remarkable poise down the stretch in a building firmly in favor of the Wildcats.

A year after Arizona’s 25year streak of NCAA tourna-

ment appearances ended, the Wildcats and second-year coach Sean Miller were one 3pointer away from a return to the Final Four. Williams demolished Duke in the regional semifinals with a career-high 32 points, but three early fouls limited him to 7 minutes in the first half against UConn.

“I’ve never been prouder of a team, and I’ve never seen a team come so far as we did in a short period of time,” Miller said. “It will probably feel better in a few weeks than it does now.”

Jesse Perry scored 14 points for Arizona, which trailed 34-25 early in the second half before scoring nine straight points. The Wildcats reclaimed the lead with 14 1/2 minutes left on Williams’ layup, but UConn quickly scored seven consecutive points.

The Huskies led 50-41 until the Wildcats made a 122 run that included two rimripping dunks by Williams and the go-ahead slam by Perry with 7:17 left. With Honda Center rocking in Arizona red, Lamb smoothly put the Huskies ahead before following Alex Oriakhi’s putback layup with a steal and a dunk with 3:08 left for a seven-point lead.

UConn just keeps rolling in what has shaped up as a

magnificent season after last year’s disappointing NIT trip. The Huskies roared through the league tournament with an unprecedented display of endurance at Madison Square Garden.

“I only feel tired after everything is over,” Walker said. “When I’m playing, it’s no problem. I’m good.”

Walker kept up his incredible scoring pace in the tournament, dropping 33 points on Cincinnati before equaling the highest-scoring tourney game in UConn history with 36 against San Diego State in the regional semis.

Jones did a fairly decent job slowing Walker, his good friend since the sixth grade in New York City. They played together for two years at Harlem’s Rice High School, although Walker claimed their history wouldn’t give Jones an advantage in their first head-to-head meeting since their AAU days.

Good thing Walker had Lamb, the lanky shooter who betrayed no inkling of nerves in the biggest game of his life.

“I definitely expected to play in the NCAA tournament and have a chance at the Final Four when I chose UConn,” Lamb said. “I just didn’t know it would happen this fast.”

Butler back in Final Four, beats Florida in OT

By BRETT MARTEL NEW ORLEANS — Of course Butler erased a late deficit. Of course the Bulldogs hit a clutch 3-pointer late in overtime. Of course they’re going back to the Final Four.

This is the Butler Way. Shelvin Mack scored 27 points, including five in overtime, and Butler reached the Final Four for the second year in a row with a 74-71 victory over Florida on Saturday.

“This is a huge deal,” said Zach Hahn, whose two 3pointers helped Butler stay close in the first half. “I don’t know that any other midmajor has ever done this. It’s hardly happened once, let alone twice. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Butler, the Horizon League champ, has vanquished three higher seeds from major conferences — top-seeded Pittsburgh, fourth-seeded Wisconsin and now second-seeded Florida — in succession.

Those big wins came after Howard tipped in a winner in the final seconds against Old Dominion.

This game had another frantic finish.

“We just kind of stayed together, stayed the course, figured it out, and just played resiliently,” Butler coach Brad Stevens. “I’m incredibly proud of these guys. They carried their coach in a big way. ... Our players did a great job, and (they are) just a special group. We’re really lucky that they’re Butler Bulldogs.”

Matt Howard scored 14 and Khyle Marshall added 10

for the Bulldogs (27-9), who showed again they simply won’t give in, climbing out of an 11-point hole in the last 9:25 of the second half.

Mack was playing through pain after rolling his left ankle in the first half and needed a small bandage on his forehead in the second half. He could not recall what happened to his head, only that it was bleeding when he came to the sideline.

That didn’t stop him from draining a crucial 3-pointer with 1:21 left in overtime to give Butler the lead for good at 72-70. He also had enough vigor left during the net-cutting ritual to do a mocking Gator chomp with his arms from atop a ladder.

“It’s a physical game.

That’s what the NCAA tournament is all about,” Mack said. “You wouldn’t want it

any other way.”

Kenny Boynton missed a long 3 that could have given Florida (29-8) the lead with a little under 20 seconds left.

Alex Tyus appeared to have the offensive rebound, but Howard tied him up and the possession arrow favored Butler.

Florida had to foul Mack with 10.6 seconds to go, and he hit both shots for the final margin before Erving Walker missed a 3 to tie in the final seconds.

“Congratulations to Butler,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “They had great, great heart tonight. ... I knew they had that, you know, all year long.”

Before reaching the round of eight this year, Florida hadn’t won an NCAA tournament game since winning its second straight national title

in 2007.

The Gators missed the tournament entirely in 2008 and 2009, before returning last year and being knocked out by BYU in the first round.

Florida ended Butler’s season twice before in the NCAA tournament, once in 2000 in the first round and again in 2007 in the round of 16.

The Bulldogs hadn’t forgotten.

Butler players got motivational text messages from Bulldogs past concerning their latest matchup with the resurgent Gators.

In the locker room after the game, players said they hoped they made the Butler community proud. Judging by video of celebrating fans back in Indianapolis being passed around the locker room on a cell phone, they had.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

22

Daily Challenge

SPORTS

Melo needs to play when it counts

By CHRIS SHERIDAN CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Once again, Carmelo Anthony had one of the best seats in the house for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

And once again, it left you scratching your head and wondering: Why on earth is Carmelo Anthony sitting?

The Knicks continued sliding into the abyss Saturday night against the second-worst offensive team in the NBA (although you wouldn’t have known it), their losing streak stretching to six games as a fourthquarter comeback spearheaded by Anthony came up short in a 114-106 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.

One of these days, coach Mike D’Antoni needs to stop changing his starting lineups for the first quarter and start looking at adjusting who is on the floor to start the fourth quarter.

And he needs to put Melo out there for all 12 of those final 12 minutes.

From the way D’Antoni spoke of it afterward, it at least seems he’s considering it.

“I just want to be careful because Amare [Stoudemire] has gone through a little bit where we used him a lot to get in this position, and now Melo the same way. He played a lot of minutes at Denver, and he’s played a lot of minutes [since the trade], and it’s kind of a balancing act,” D’Antoni said. “I don’t want to give him too much

time, but at the same time I don’t just want to wear him out.”

Anthony had his highestscoring game since joining the Knicks, scoring 10 of his 36 points in his 7:38 of fourth-quarter playing time.

The Knicks trailed by 15 when he checked back in, got the deficit to four with 1:34 remaining (it would have been three if Landry Fields had hit the second of two free throws), then didn’t score a point the rest of the way.

“I know a loss is a loss, and it is what it is, but I’m more encouraged than I was yesterday,” D’Antoni said.

As for Anthony, he reacted to questions about his playing time out of both sides of his mouth, at first saying has no desire to play more than 40 minutes, then changing his tune and saying he’d play 48 minutes if he had to, if it would help stop the bleeding.

“I’ll take my minutes how they come. I’m human, I do get tired,” Anthony said.

“I’ve been in this league for a long time, and playing 40plus minutes is something I don’t want to do. So if that’s my time to take a break, then so be it.”

Anthony played nearly 41 minutes in this one, getting nearly three minutes of rest at the start of the second quarter, then playing the entire third quarter before watching from the bench as Bill Walker, Shawne Williams and Anthony Carter combined to miss four 3-pointers and the Knicks scored only six points, four

of them on free throws, before he checked back in.

Anthony then knocked down two 3-pointers to get the Knicks back in the game, but having to come all the way back from an early 20-point deficit proved too steep of a hill for them to climb.

So not only have they matched their longest losing streak of the season, they’ve also dropped nine of 10 to fall three games below .500 with just a 31⁄2-game lead over the eighth-place Indiana Pacers, who also lost Saturday night.

“We have a lot of talent, but talent isn’t everything.

Camaraderie, cohesiveness and being a good team beats talent every day of the week, and when we get to the point where we get that, combined with the talent, we’re going to be a very dangerous team.

But talent isn’t everything,” Chauncey Billups said.

Changing the starting lineup, replacing Fields with Toney Douglas, did not have the desired effect as Douglas shot poorly and did not do a good job defending D.J. Augustin. For the second straight night, D’Antoni switched his starters for the beginning of the second half, going back to Fields ahead of Douglas and using Shelden Williams at center (Ronny Turiaf was out with a sore ankle) after giving Shawne Williams the starting spot for the opening tip.

But again, this slump has featured some dreadful fourth quarters — big leads that have been blown, comebacks that have come up

short.

And so D’Antoni was asked, would he be willing to play Anthony for the entire fourth quarter going forward?

His answer was part hem, part haw.

“If I could I’d play him 48, so I just have to be careful with him. I don’t want to do something that I’m not ready to do yet. We’ve got some home games coming up and he might have to play a lot because those are games that are going to be really important. “ Memo to Mike: These games right here and now are important, too, because

your team’s confidence level is slipping, and there are only nine more left before the postseason arrives.

If the momentum can’t be swung back in a more positive direction, the playoffs will be lost before they even begin because of the mental state of the team.

And if it takes four more minutes of playing time for Anthony to snap the team out of its funk, it has to be done. The Knicks didn’t trade for Anthony because he looks good watching from the bench. They got him because he is a player.

So play him, and play him when it counts most.

Doc Rivers: Shaq likely to return April 5

By CHRIS FORSBERG WALTHAM, Mass. — Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers admitted he’s heard scuttlebutt among his players about center Shaquille O’Neal potentially being ready to play part of Boston’s upcoming four-game road trip.

But Rivers said he actually believes April 5, against the Philadelphia 76ers, is the most likely date to expect the

Diesel out of the garage. “[Shaq coming on the road trip is] a possibility, I actually heard that there’s a chance, but I don’t expect it,” Rivers said before Saturday’s practice at the Sports Authority Training Center.

“I can tell you I’ve heard different things. I just think that’s too optimistic, in my opinion, just being around the game long enough to know that, when they take the boot off, you usually don’t play a day later. And I don’t see him flying on the

plane, getting the boot off — I just think that’s unrealistic.

“There’s a better chance — when do we come home, next Sunday? There’s a better chance there [versus Detroit] and I actually don’t think that’s realistic. It’s more likely the game after that [versus Philadelphia]. That would be our target date for Shaq. And I don’t even know if that one is [going to hold firm].”

O’Neal, who has been sidelined since Feb. 1 due to

right foot injuries, including an Achilles issue, received a cortisone shot Tuesday and was put back in an immobilizing boot. O’Neal is definitely out the next two games (at Minnesota and Indiana), but the team was hopeful he would be day to day after that.

The Celtics play at San Antonio on Thursday, then travel to Atlanta on Friday.

With no practice scheduled Saturday coming off that back-to-back, Rivers isn’t optimistic O’Neal could be

ready for a visit from the Pistons on April 3.

If O’Neal returns April 5, he still would have six games to work off the rust before the first round of the playoffs begin April 16.

DAILY CHALLENGE MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

23

Daily Challenge

SPORTS

Bolt, Gay unlikely to meet before world championships

By GENE CHERRY SALVO, North Carolina – A sprint showdown between the world’s fastest men, Usain Bolt (right) and Tyson Gay, appears unlikely until the world championships in South Korea in August.

“I don’t think it is all that likely (before then),” Gay’s agent Mark Wetmore told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“It is a little early to know for sure. It’s still possible but there is not one planned at the moment.”

Jamaican Bolt has five European races scheduled ahead of the August 27-September 4 world championships in Daegu and his agent Ricky Simms is looking at two other possibilities including London.

Britain’s tax laws, though,

could keep Bolt out of the London Diamond League meeting on August 5-6 just as they did in 2010.

While American Gay is expected to run in London again this year, Simms said he was concerned about the tax implications of an appearance by world record holder Bolt.

“The situation with London is a little more difficult with the taxes there,” Simms told Reuters. “We would like to run there but it is outside of our control really.”

The UK system would tax not only Bolt’s earnings at any race in London but also a proportion of his huge personal endorsements throughout the year, even though he does not reside in Britain.

“It is regrettable that two years out from our home Olympic Games that British sports fans are denied the

chance to see this amazing talent in action,” UK Athletics said in a statement after Bolt decided not to run in the 2010 London Diamond League meeting.

“However, this is an issue facing all major sporting events in the UK and we are, along with a number of other sports, continuing to work toward a resolution.

“Football Champions League and the London 2012 Olympics have secured an exemption to this law and we would hope we can follow this precedent,” the statement read. If Bolt and Gay do not meet ahead of Daegu there will be races this season involving one of them and former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica.

Powell and Bolt, for instance, will clash over 100 meters in the Rome Diamond League meeting on May 26.

Bolt is also due to compete in Oslo, Paris, Monaco and Ostrava.

Gay will run his first

major 100 meters at the New York Diamond League meeting in June. His other races have not yet been announced.

Controversial ad featuring Roy Jones Jr. to fight Denis Lebedev Serena Williams shelved

By DAN RAFAEL

Special to the NNPA from the AFRO-American newspapers A racy video game ad featuring Serena Williams won’t be aired on broadcast television after the game’s developer said it was too risqué.

The ad for “Top Spin 4” features Williams as “the world’s sexiest tennis player” facing off against Rileah Vanderbilt, an actress labeled “the world’s sexiest tennis gamer.” The scantilyclad women make suggestive facial expressions, motions, and moaning while showing lots of skin, to the tune of a techno soundtrack.

The public response to the ad, after Vanderbilt allegedly introduced it to cyberspace through her Twitter account, was negative. As a result, 2K Sports, the game’s developer, canned the commercial and distanced itself from it.

“As part of the process for creating marketing campaigns to support our titles, we pursue a variety of creative avenues,” the company said in a statement. “This

video is not part of the title’s final marketing campaign and its distribution was unauthorized.”

However, to some people, 2K Sports’ response rings hollow. Many say that the company was behind the ad from the start, but didn’t want to deal with the negative attention it brought.

“2K Sports deliberately created an absurdly racy ad to drum up interest in the game but didn’t have the courage to officially endorse the commercial because of possible public backlash,” a commentary on the Web site Sports by Brooks said.

Roy Jones Jr., despite losing three of his last five fights and two in a row in lopsided fashion, will continue his boxing career.

On Thursday evening, Jones signed on to face rugged cruiserweight contender Denis Lebedev on May 22 in Moscow, John Wirt, CEO of Jones’ Square Ring promotional company, told ESPN.com.

Wirt said the fight, scheduled for 10 rounds, will take place at cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds.

Jones (54-7, 40 KOs), who turned 42 in January, is nowhere close to the fighter that he was when he ruled as a pound-for-pound king for about a decade, but he has continued to fight sporadically.

He has not fought since April 2010, when Bernard Hopkins easily outpointed him in their rematch. Before that, Jones was knocked out in the first round by Danny Green in Australia in December 2009.

In Lebedev (21-1, 16 KOs), Jones is facing a quality contender who is a bigger man

with solid power. The 31year-old Russian’s only defeat came in his last fight in December when he lost a controversial split decision to cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck in Germany, Huck’s home country.

“I actually think he beat Huck and got ripped off in Germany,” Wirt said. “I think he’s the legitimate WBO cruiserweight champion and he is one of the toughest opponents in the division.”

Although Jones figures to be a heavy underdog, Wirt said the fact that the fight is at 200 pounds could be a positive for him.

“I do believe the weight is to Roy’s advantage,” Wirt said. “Roy has had a lot of trouble getting down to 175 pounds in the last few fights.

He was so dried out for the Hopkins fight and I think that showed in his perfor-

mance.”

The fight with Lebedev came about, Wirt said, because he was approached by a representative for Vlad Hrunov, Lebedev’s promoter.

Wirt said he rejected the original offer and gave Hrunov a counter offer.

“We didn’t budge and they came to our number and when they did, we signed,” he said.

There is no American television deal in place for the fight, although Wirt said he was looking for one.

He also said Jones had other offers but went with Lebedev because it was the most attractive one.

“We had some different things on the table. We had an offer in Canada, something in the U.S., but this was a unique opportunity,” Wirt said. “How many big fights have been in Russia? That was kind of a neat aspect that was intriguing about this.

Roy has no problem and no issue with going to Russia.

He is not concerned about fighting over there. We’ll have fair judges and a fair referee. We’ve already been in contact with the Russian federation to make sure we know all the rules.”

Daily Challenge

SportS MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2011

CARMELO NEEDS TO PLAY WHEN IT COUNTS

Knicks coach Mike Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Antoni needs to stop changing fourth quarter. And he needs to put Melo out there his starting lineups for the first quarter and start for all 12 of those final 12 minutes. looking at adjusting who is on the floor to start the SEE PAGE 22.