W E E K E N D E R
L.A. Watts Times Vol. XXX, No. 1262
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
HOROSCOPES
Dec. 15 - 21
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RIES ~ You can be very efficient this week if you set your will to the task. New ideas will occur to you as you are working steadily, so keep pencil and paper nearby to jot down your latest brilliance! Soul affirmation: I will ask joy to marry me. AURUS ~ The forces that disrupt your life this week are not as big as they seem while you are standing close to them. Move back. See what surrounds the problem area and you'll notice how small it is on the landscape of your life. Enjoy looking at the goodness that is all around your problems. Soul affirmation: I keep my attention on the highest and the best. EMINI ~ This is a week when you can be a singular beacon. Shine for those around you. Go inside yourself and find those rays of sunshine that others need. Sure, you’re a bit touchy yourself but that’s just the situation in which you can make yourself happy by creating happiness for others. Soul affirmation: I avoid negative feelings, especially this week. ANCER ~ Business as usual is good business. Energy is high. Others give back to you what you gave to them the past few weeks. We hope you were generous because what you get this week will be a multiple of what you bestowed. Soul affirmation: I give happiness wherever I go. EO ~ Energy is higher than it has been for a while. You might feel like the sunshine inside yourself provides blinding light. Walk into it. There are no dangers. Put dark glasses on your soul and be cool. Smile and keep stepping. Soul affirmation: My mental powers are my greatest assets this week. IRGO ~ High physical energy means you may roar through the week. Others will have trouble keeping up, so exercise your compassion muscles and be as patient as possible. Keep your best interests in mind because they serve the best for everyone around you right now. Soul affirmation: I savor the flavor of the happiness I find in others.
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IBRA ~ Charm is an extremely effective tool for you this week. Charisma works better than at any recent time especially at home. Shine brightly and let your glow work for you. Your selfimage is your most effective tool. Soul affirmation: Time is the greatest peacemaker of them all. CORPIO ~ This week make your special interest pay off in cash. Enough of goodness for goodness’ sake. You’ve got bills to pay. People expect generosity from a big-hearted person like you. Ask them for something in return or they'll drain you. Soul affirmation: Intelligent information does not have to come from intelligent sources. AGITTARIUS ~ During the next few weeks be ready for surprises that await you. Don’t make any solid plans with anyone except your lover. This week will bring forth a new dimension in a special relationship. You will come upon a sensational poem that illustrates the love the two you share. Soul affirmation: The search for fun occupies my time this week. APRICORN ~ Stay steady in your pursuits. Temptations are all around you. Attractive pursuits abound but stay on course with what you planned to do with all the good energy that has arisen in your life. Soul affirmation: I do not allow demands to be placed on me this week. QUARIUS ~ You have made many friends through a social network you've been involved with. Continue to cultivate those friendships this week. Long distance phone calls are worth the money. Your actions will speak much louder than words this week. Prove your love and your friendship. Others might need convincing. Soul affirmation: My imagination is the source of my happiness. ISCES ~ This is no time to try to be neat. Continue with your messy thinking. Others might not know how things fit together, but your faith allows you to work without a plan this week. Faith will guide you through the chaotic mental atmosphere that surrounds you this week. Soul affirmation: I give extra attention to my mate this week.
Inside This Edition
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AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File
Michelle Obama breaks jumping jacks record
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Jumpin’ jack Michelle!: Back in October, first lady Michelle Obama hosted local children on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., as they attempted to break the Guinness World Records title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24hour period.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama now holds part of a world record. The first lady announced in an
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email Monday that her October bid to break the record for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour See JUMPING JACKS, page 15
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12/14/1968 Classes at San Francisco State suspended after demonstrations by Black Student Union and Third World Liberation Front. 12/17/1971 Congressman Charles Diggs, Jr., resigns from the U.S. delegation to the United Nations in protest over the Nixon administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s African policies.
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
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After 30 years of appeals, prosecutors rule out execution BY HERB BOYD AND NAYABA ARINDE SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS Almost 30 years after being convicted of shooting a police officer and spending nearly an equal number of years on death row, Mumia AbuJamal, 57, is free of the death sentence but still might spend the rest of his life behind bars. Hearing the news on Wednesday afternoon though, his supporters immediately felt relief but instantly turned their focus to continuing the fight to get a new trial for the former journalist and Black Panther activist. On Wednesday, Dec. 7, prosecutors, with the support of the Philadelphia’s police commissioner and the widow of the slain officer Daniel Faulkner, announced they would no longer pursue the death penalty in the case. “There has never been any doubt in my mind that Mumia Abu-Jamal shot and killed Officer Faulkner,” said District Attorney Seth Williams. “I believe that the appropriate sentence was handed down by a jury of his peers in 1982. While Abu-Jamal will no longer be facing the death penalty, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, and that is where he belongs.” There are thousands in America and around the world who strongly disagree with Williams, who is
Black, and they have voiced their support for Abu-Jamal, many of them calling not only for the end of the death penalty but also for a new trial. Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of Abu-Jamal’s many worldwide supporters demanding his release. In a statement (see Opinion), he said, “Now that it is clear that Mumia should never have been on death row in the first place, justice will not be served by relegating him to prison for the rest of his life — yet another form of death sentence. Based on even a minimal following of international human rights standards, Mumia must now be released. I therefore join the call, and ask others to follow, asking District Attorney Seth Williams to rise to the challenge of reconciliation, human rights and justice: Drop this case now, and allow Mumia AbuJamal to be immediately released, with full time served.” Tutu decried the fact that AbuJamal’s nearly 30 years as a Pennsylvania death row prisoner were equivalent to “torture … because he is innocent. Justice for Mumia will not be served by life imprisonment but by his release from prison.” “This is only a partial victory,” summed up attorney Roger Wareham of the December 12th Movement’s International Secretariat. “At least he has been removed from death row. But the case is not over. … Mumia Abu-Jamal did not do the crime, so
we will keep fighting to get the conviction overturned.” An international industry has been built around freeing Abu-Jamal over the last three decades. Few have been more vigilant in this quest for freedom and justice than Pam Africa, chairwoman of the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal. On many occasions — at rallies, marches and conferences — she has vociferously cried out on his behalf. “We’re calling on the attorney general,” she said in a recent speech. “And when I say ‘we,’ I’m saying there are several groups and organizations that are spearheaded by the New York [Free Mumia Abu-Jamal] Coalition that is calling on the attorney general, because what we’re pointing out is that Mumia cannot get any fairness whatsoever. “Mumia cannot get any fairness in this court system, so we’re calling on the U.S. attorney general [Eric Holder] to do a civil rights investigation into this case, because Mumia’s civil rights, from the beginning to the end, and our civil rights as citizens of this United States who have pointed out the evidence very clearly [are threatened]. That, nobody can get around. Mumia is innocent. He is factually innocent,” Africa asserted. “We know with this mountain of evidence that our freedom fighter Mumia Abu-Jamal is innocent of the crime, and he has remained behind
bars for 30 years simply because of his political stance, which is to free the minds and hearts of Black people,” said Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron, a fellow original Black Panther. “We celebrate the fact that he will be off death row, but this has been a long time coming; and now we continue the fight to bring him home and address this heinous injustice.” Abu-Jamal was convicted of fatally shooting Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981. A year later he was sentenced to death. For more than a quarter of a century, his plight has garnered international attention with Courtesy of New York Amsterdam News protest rallies organized from San Spared: Mumia Abu-Jamal Francisco to Paris. There’s even a death penalty and calling for a new trial for Abu-Jamal. street named after him in France. Several years ago, there was even Celebrities such as Danny Glover, Mike Farrell and Tim a confession from a man who said he Robbins have signed petitions and was responsible for killing the officer appeared on panels denouncing the See MUMIA ABU-JAMAL, page 15
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Community stands unified against Prop. 209 NAACP leads new campaign to overturn ban on affirmative action SPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL BY JASMYNE A. CANNICK SENTINEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER Last Wednesday, a coalition of community and civic leaders joined forces with the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper to announce the beginning of a campaign geared towards overturning California’s affirmative action ban, Proposition 209, which prohibits public universities from considering race and gender in admissions decisions. The campaign comes on heels of the July 1decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which overturned a similar law in Michigan, Proposal 2 MCRI. In that decision, Judges R. Guy Cole, Jr. and Martha Craig Daughtrey said that “Proposal 2 reorders the political process in Michigan to place special burdens on minority interests.” Attorney Leon Jenkins, president of the L.A. chapter of the NAACP,
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Leon Jenkins of the NAACP leads the charge against Prop. 209. believes that California can get the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to follow the direction of the 6th Circuit. To make sure that happens, Jenkins is leading a campaign comprised of a coalition of organizations and activists working to spread the word throughout the AfricanAmerican community. The idea is to get as many people and organizations as possible, to attend the court hearing and to file amicus curiae
(“friend-of-the court”) briefs in favor of striking down the law. “California has the most diverse population on the planet and that should be reflected in its schools and universities,” explained Jenkins at the press conference. “We’re asking the whole community — not just the African-American community — we’re asking the whole community to come out and show the interest that we have in this community to overturn 209.”
While the law has been upheld by the California Supreme Court, this time around, opponents hope the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals’ opinion will be the difference in getting Prop. 209 overturned. Danny J. Bakewell Sr., chairman of the Brotherhood Crusade and executive publisher of the Sentinel newspaper, shared that the community stands in solidarity on this issue. “It’s been said that we [California] have the most diverse
population in America, but the reality is that we don’t have the most diverse workforce or the most diverse student population on our campuses.” Since the passage of Prop. 209 by California voters in 1996, which bars consideration of race or ethnicity or sex in public education, employment and contracting, critics have said that the numbers of Black and Latino students admitted to the See PROP 209, page 15
Obama heralds end of divisive Iraq war
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Following their meetings at the White House, President Barack Obama and Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki travel to nearby Arlington National Cemetery, where some of the nearly 4,500 Americans killed in Iraq are buried. BY JULIE PACE | AP WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama heralded the end of the divisive Iraq war Monday and warned Iraq’s neighbors that the United States would remain a major player in the region even as it brings its troops home. “Our strong presence in the Middle East endures,” Obama said. “And the United States will never waver in the defense of our allies, our partners and our interests.” Speaking after a morning of meet-
ings with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Obama said other nations must not interfere with Iraq’s sovereignty. While he stopped short of mentioning any countries by name, U.S. officials are closely watching how neighboring Iran may seek to influence Baghdad after U.S. troops withdraw. Early signs of how Iraq may orient itself could come from how it handles troubles in Syria, where the United Nations says 4,000 people have been killed in a government crackdown on See IRAQ WAR ENDS, page 15
Thursday, December 15, 2011
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Lowe’s stands by decision to pull ads BY MAE ANDERSON | AP
Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values.” Florida Family Association, based in Tampa, Fla., said that more than 60 companies that it emailed, from Amazon to McDonald’s, pulled their ads. So far, Lowe’s is the only major company to confirm that it pulled ads from the show. Amazon, McDonald’s and other advertisers did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. Atlanta-based Home Depot, which was cited by Florida Family Association as a company that stopped advertising, said Monday that it never intended to run any ads during the show. But spokesman Stephen Holmes said one commercial ran “inadvertently and without our knowledge.” The controversy highlights the fine line companies walk when they select shows to advertise on. Branding expert Laura Ries said Lowe’s made two mistakes. The first was advertising during a show that could be construed as controversial. The second was pulling advertising too quickly. See LOWE’S, page 10
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File
California State Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, is considering calling for a boycott of Lowe’s stores after the home improvement chain pulled its advertising from a reality show about Muslim-Americans.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Home improvement chain Lowe’s plans to stick by its decision to yank its ads from a reality TV show about American Muslims amid growing debate over the move. California Sen. Ted Lieu said Sunday that he is considering calling for a boycott of Lowe’s Cos., sparking criticism of the chain from both inside and outside of the Muslim community. On social media web site Twitter, actor Kal Penn began directing people to a petition on signon.org in support of the TLC cable network show, “All-American Muslim.” By Monday afternoon, there were about 9,200 signatures. U.S. Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who is Muslim, released a statement Monday condemning Lowe’s for choosing “to uphold the beliefs of a fringe hate group and not the creed of the First Amendment.” And Democratic state Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, the first Muslim elected to the Michigan Legislature, voiced her concern in a letter to Lowe's CEO Robert Niblock.
“I told them I was extremely disappointed that you give credibility to these hate groups,” Tlaib said. “People of Muslim faith are being attacked. It’s disappointing, disheartening.” Lowe’s, based in Mooresville, N.C., said it stands by its statement on Sunday that it pulled the ads after the show became a “lightning rod for people to voice complaints from a variety of perspectives — political, social and otherwise.” “All-American Muslim,” which premiered last month, chronicles the lives of five families who live in and near Dearborn, Mich., a Detroit suburb with a large Muslim and ArabAmerican population. It airs Sundays on TLC and ends its first season Jan. 8. TLC spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said the show has garnered a little over a million viewers per week. “We stand behind the show ‘AllAmerican Muslim,’ ” she said. “We’re happy the show has strong advertising support.” Lowe’s stopped its commercials after a conservative group known as the Florida Family Association emailed companies to ask them to do so. The group said the program is “propaganda that riskily hides the
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AP Photo/Nick Ut
Protesters halt operations at some west U.S. ports BY TERRY COLLINS | AP
drive into the port in Oakland, California. He said the delay was costing him $600. “It only hurts me and the other drivers. We have jobs and families to support and feed. Most of them don’t,” Vega said. The protesters said American ports have become “economic engines for the elite.” They were most upset by giant West Coast port operator SSA Marine and grain exporter EGT, which they said epitomize big corporations. Goldman Sachs owns a major stake in SSA Marine, and the bank has been a repeated target of Occupy protesters See OCCUPY PORTS, page 15
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OAKLAND, California (AP) — Anti-Wall Street protesters blocked gates at some of the largest U.S. ports on the West Coast on Monday and caused partial shutdowns, saying if they cut off some of the country’s busiest hubs, it would cut into corporate profits. It wasn't immediately clear how much the shutdowns at some terminals at three ports in California, Washington state and Oregon would affect operations. The “Wall Street on the waterfront” was perhaps the Occupy movement's most dramatic gesture
since police raids in several cities sent most remaining protest camps scattering last month. Demonstrators began forming the camps around the U.S. about two months ago to protest what they call economic inequality between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the other 99 percent, whom they claim to represent. Some of the port workers they meant to support weren’t thrilled at the demonstrations. “This is a joke. What are they protesting?” said Christian Vega, who sat in his truck carrying a load of recycled paper from Pittsburgh, part of a long line of rigs unable to
bulletin
“Wall Street on the waterfront”: Hundreds of protesters block gates at some of the West Coast’s busiest ports Monday, delaying truck traffic in a day of demonstrations that organizers hope will cut into the profits of the corporations that run the docks.
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F E AT U R E
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Baylor quarterback Robert Griƥn III’s Heisman win Saturday was a tremendous feat, considering he wasn’t listed as a preseason favorite to win the award by many. The story of the red shirt junior’s win is markedly similar to last year’s winner, Auburn quarterback and current Carolina Panther Cam Newton, who also failed to garner preseason buzz as an odds-on favorite to nab the prestigious award. The similarities between the two are numerous. Both are physical specimens, led pass-first spread offensive attacks, elusive, and bested Stanford’s Andrew Luck for the Heisman, marking the first time black quarterbacks have won the award in back-to-back seasons. Past black quarterbacks who have won the award are Houston’s Andre Ware (1989); Florida State’s Charlie Ward (1993) and Ohio State’s Troy Smith (2006). RG3, as Griƥn is sometimes aơectionately known, may soon have another thing in common with Newton: a huge NFL payday. Longtime Los Angeles scout Otis McKinnon, who said he watched players such as Warren Moon (Hamilton HS); James Lofton (Washington HS) and Jamelle Holieway (Banning HS) while they were preps, talked about what he calls the “evolution of the quarterback position” due to blacks. “The idea of dual threat quarterbacks has changed the game,” he said. “Guys like Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick are great athletes who just happen to be quarterbacks, but the new kids are diơerent.” “What separates guys like RG3 and Cam from their predecessors is, these two can operate under-center, go through their progressions, and hit receivers in
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stride.” He continued, “Some white scouts still today, have a hard time believing that black quarterbacks can run complicated oơenses. They won’t say it outright, but terms like ‘pocket passer’ and ‘heady player’ aren’t associated with black quarterbacks. Blacks are still labeled just ‘athletes’.” Indeed. McKinnon’s views aren’t that far oơ. Several recruiting websites labeled Griƥn as an “athlete” as a senior from tiny Copperas Cove HS in Texas. During years past, it wasn’t uncommon to see players the caliber of Griffin be asked to switch positions once they signed letters of intent. Texas coach Mack Brown oơered Griƥn a scholarship, but only under the condition that he switch positions. Griƥn shunned Texas and committed to Houston for a chance to play quarter-
B AY L O R U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S G R I F F I N AWA R D E D H E I S M A N T R O P H Y, F O L L O W I N G C A M N E W T O N I N
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back. Soon after, Griƥn followed coach Art Briles, once he landed the job at Baylor. Briles said during an interview after the Heisman ceremony in New York, he knew Griƥn could win the trophy and reach the NFL after he saw him play at a camp four years ago. “I saw him throw once,” Briles said. “I knew we had us a steal.” That “steal” paid oơ. Griƥn completed 72 percent of his passes for nearly 4,000 yards, 36 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. Like Newton, when Griƥn wasn’t carving up opponents through the air, he rushed for 644 yards, scoring nine touchdowns on the ground. “I watched most of Baylor’s games, and it’s no secret why Griƥn was just as comfortable in the pocket as he was when he had to scramble,” McKinnon said. “The coaching staơ didn’t dumb-down the oơense or constrict his abilities,” McKinnon continued. “A lot of black quarterbacks in the past had the ability to be pros, but they were recruited to run oơenses that didn’t showcase their full skill-set.” McKinnon mentioned quarterbacks such as Charlie Ward, Notre Dame’s Tony Rice and Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier as examples. “All of those guys won national titles, but they never got a sniơ in the NFL,” he said. “Meanwhile, everybody’s going crazy over Tim Tebow and what he’s doing in Denver. Charlie Ward could have done the same thing, but he didn’t get drafted and played basketball instead.” Griƥn’s next challenge will be against the Washington Huskies in the Alamo Bowl December 29. Afterward, he said he’ll make a decision between returning to Waco for his senior season and declaring for the NFL draft. Either way, Luck is still considered the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. However, if Griƥn decides to forego his senior year, impressive combine workouts could lead NFL general managers to reconsider. McKinnon guessed that Griƥn would opt for the draft because “he’s a guaranteed first-round pick.” “I can’t wait for next year, so that Denard Robinson (Michigan) can win the Heisman,” he said. “Guys like James Harris and Doug Williams shattered a lot of those myths about black quarterbacks, so the next generation needs to carry the torch.”
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Heisman Trophy finalists, from left, Alabama’s Trent Richardson, LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu, Stanford’s Andrew Luck, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, and Wisconsin’s Montee Ball pose after the College Football Awards show in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
BELOW: Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III prepares to pass in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, in Waco, Texas. Griffin III ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more to lead No. 19 Baylor to a 48-24 win over Texas. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
PHOTO CREDIT: COVER (main) AP Photo/Craig Ruttle
2010. BOTH DEFIED THE
“RUN-FIRST” STEREOTYPE.
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Police reveal details about FAMU band hazing BY GARY FINEOUT | AP TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Three Florida A&M University marching band members, all men, appeared before a judge Tuesday to face hazing charges in the beating of a woman band mate police said was hit so hard with fists and a metal ruler that her thigh was broken and she had blood clots in her legs. The arrests marked the first details from authorities about the secret rituals this fall among the famed Marching 100 band. Police said Bria Shante Hunter, who played clarinet, was beaten about three weeks before drum major Robert Champion died during what was believed to be hazing on a band bus. Investigators have not said exactly what happened to Champion, who was also a clarinet player, and like Hunter, from Georgia. Champion’s death set off several investigations of the marching band and school administrators who appear to have long known about the hazing tradition. Hunter, in an interview with Orlando station WFTV-TV, was asked why band members take part in hazing.
“So we can be accepted,” she said. “If you don’t do anything, then, it’s like you’re lame.” Her attorney scheduled a news conference for 2:30 p.m. EST. Tallahassee police said the three men arrested were involved in hazing Hunter at an off-campus apartment because she tried to get out of a meeting and couldn’t recite information about their clique of Georgia natives, known as the “Red Dawg Order.” Authorities said James Harris, 22, helped plan the hazing at his apartment and, at one point, he stopped the other two men from hitting Hunter further. He has been charged with hazing, and his bond was set at $2,500. Harris’ attorney, Eric Abrahamsen, insisted there was no evidence his client took part in the hazing and that he would fight the charges. Sean Hobson, 23, and 19-yearold Aaron Golson, were charged with hazing and battery, and their bail was set at $10,000. An attorney for Golson said he would also plead not guilty. Golson was released from jail and ducked into a car driven by his mother. He refused to answer any questions.
Hobson did not yet have an attorney. Authorities said Hunter was targeted Oct. 31 by other members of the “Red Dawg Order” because she tried to get out of going to a group meeting. She was repeatedly punched on the tops of her thighs by Golson and Hobson, witnesses told police. The following day, police said, Hunter was beaten with a metal ruler when she could not recite information about the “Red Dawg Order” properly. Police said Hobson sent Hunter a text message Nov. 5 to say he was sorry. “I apologize for the hurt I put you through. I apologize for the mental and physical strain you have endured,” Hobson said in the message, according to police. When authorities interviewed him, Hobson acknowledged he was a member of the “Red Dawg Order” but denied harming Hunter or sending her a text message. Attorney Craig Brown, who is representing Golson, told the judge his client was a good student and should be released without bond because he was cooperating with
AP Photos/Leon County Sheriff's Office, HO
James Harris, 22, a member of FAMU's famed Marching 100 band, is under arrest and, along with others, charged with hazing Bria Shante Hunter.
Aaron Golson, 19, a member of FAMU's famed Marching 100 band, is under arrest and, along with others, charged with hazing Bria Shante Hunter.
police. Leon County Judge Ronald Flurry, however, required Golson to post a bond. The judge said if the charges were true, they were “egregious.” After the hearing, Brown said there was a “difference in the stories” of what actually took place. Ricky Jones, director of the Center on Race and Inequality at the University of Louisville and an expert on hazing, said he had not heard of a case where a female had been beaten by males. “This doesn’t mean it’s a first,” he said. Since the band and its various groups admit men and women, mixed gender hazing might not be uncommon, Jones said. Champion’s death exposed a hazing tradition that has long haunted the university. Former clarinet player Ivery Luckey was hospitalized after he said he was paddled around 300 times in 1998. Luckey told Tallahassee police that it was mostly girls who hit him in an initiation to become part of “The Clones.” Three years later, band member Marcus Parker suffered kidney damage because of a paddle beating. After Champion died, the university indefinitely suspended perform-
ances by the famed Marching 100. School president James Ammons has vowed to break what he calls a “code of silence” on the hazing rituals. Last week, the board of trustees reprimanded Ammons over his job performance, including how the university has dealt with hazing. The panel that oversees the state university system has also called for a probe into whether school officials ignored past warnings about hazing. “The board of trustees and president Ammons hope that through these arrests all involved in perpetuating this culture will really begin to view hazing as a serious matter,” said university spokeswoman Sharon Saunders. The school fired band director Julian White, who contends he tried to report problems with hazing to his superiors. He was reinstated and placed on administrative leave because the Florida Department of Law Enforcement asked the university to halt all disciplinary actions until the investigation is finished. Four students connected to Champion’s death were expelled but then were reinstated. Associated Press writer Christine Armario in Miami contributed to this report.
LOWE’S Continued from page 7 “For a big national brand like Lowe’s, they’ve always got to be incredibly careful when advertising during any show that could be deemed controversial,” she said. “Will it seriously damage the brand in the long term? Probably not. But it is a serious punch in the stomach.” Overall, analysts said the furor is unlikely to damage Lowe's brand in the long term. “For a company that generates $50 billion in annual revenue, I don’t view this as something that will have a meaningful impact,” said Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom. “I’m hopeful this blows over, and I’m certain management is as well.” Still, some worry Lowe’s ad flap could hurt Muslims, particularly those among the 150,000 to 200,000 who live in the Detroit area. Earlier this year, Florida pastor Terry Jones held an anti-Islam rally outside
Dearborn City Hall after being barred from protesting outside a Muslim mosque in the city. The burning of a Quran in March at Jones’ church in Florida led to a series of violent protests in Afghanistan that killed more than a dozen people. “Metro Detroit and Dearborn have been the focal point of a number of anti-Muslim movements,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Michigan chapter. “There are organized forces in our society that want to marginalize American Muslims to the point where they don’t want to see any portrayals of Muslims that regular Americans can connect to.” Corey Williams in Detroit, Rachel Zoll in New York and Mitch Stacy in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
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Record exec dies after Hollywood street rampage LOS ANGELES (AP) — A music executive died Monday after being shot last week by a rampaging gunman in the heart of Hollywood, a hospital spokeswoman said. John Atterberry, who had worked with the Spice Girls, Jessica Simpson and others, died at CedarsSinai Medical Center shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, spokeswoman Simi Singer said. The 40-year-old executive was shot in the face and upper body as he drove his Mercedes-Benz during Friday's random attack. Atterberry was the only seriously injured victim of 26-year-old Tyler Brehm, who police say fired nearly 20 bullets in the air and at cars as he screamed that he wanted to die. He was killed by police minutes later. Brehm's ex-girlfriend has said she and Brehm had recently broken up. But police said they’re still looking for a motive for the attack. Brehm walked down the middle of Sunset Boulevard, firing on motorists with no clear target and injuring three of them before two
police officers who just happened to be in the area — an off-duty motorcycle officer working movie set security and a detective — shot and killed him, authorities said. In amateur video taken at the shooting scene, the gunman appeared to have short hair and wore jeans and a white tank top. He paced back and forth near the busy intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, firing from a .40caliber handgun, police said. The officers ordered the suspect to stop and drop his weapon. He was shot when he pointed his weapon at the officers, police said. Atterberry had been a vice president of Death Row Records, the label that produced albums for many of the most prominent names in West Coast hip hop, including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur. Courtney Barnes, a publicist for Smokey Robinson and Ron Artest, told Billboard magazine that she was shocked to hear the news, saying Atterberry was “a really nice guy.”
AP Photo/Gregory Bojorquez
Police say 26-year-old Tyler Brehm fired nearly 20 bullets at cars and in the air and at cars that he wanted to die. He was killed by police minutes later.
Spike Lee and Eddie Murphy allies to star Marion Barry BY YACINE SIMPORE’ SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS Eddie Murphy will be back on the big screen again this year, this time playing a more serious role: He will join the cast of the new Spike Lee movie on the life of Marion Barry, the former Washington D.C. mayor and civil right activist. In 1990, Barry became an international celebrity when he was caught smoking cocaine by the FBI. After a short prison sentence, he was voted back into office as mayor from 1995 to 1999. Today, Barry is a D.C. city councilman. There have been previous attempts to tell Barry's story. For a series called “Barry’s Tale,” HBO previously had Chris Rock slated to write the politician’s story and Jamie Foxx to play the main role, but the Courtesy of New York Amsterdam News Eddie as Marion?: Eddie Murphy is project never panned out. slated to play Marion Barry. Let’s hope for all the best on this new Lee-Murphy alliance.
Oprah: Haitian president made me promise to return
AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery
Oprah Winfrey, center, poses for a picture with the owner of the store and workshop Caribbean Craft, Magalie Dresse, left, and U.S. fashion designer Donna Karan during a recent visit to Caribbean Craft in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s trip to Haiti included dinner with the country’s president. Winfrey tells reporters she dined with President Michel Martelly and his wife Sophia. The president previously said he hoped the television personality would be a goodwill ambassador for Haiti. Winfrey says no formal role was discussed, but he made her promise to return to Haiti and she did. She spoke Tuesday as she visited Caribbean Craft, a well-known business that produces carnival masks, sculptures and paintings for export. The business received a loan through a program launched earlier this year by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and has had success reaching high-end customers. Winfrey says she will be featuring the venture in a program about Haiti on her Oprah Winfrey Network.
John Atterberry was the only casualty of a gunman who fired indiscriminately at passing cars at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood until police shot and killed him.
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Lawyer: Jackson doc security overkill BY ANTHONY MCCARTNEY | AP LOS ANGELES (AP) — The civil attorney for the doctor convicted of killing Michael Jackson says his client is coping with tight jail security and his isolation and remains optimistic that he will win an upcoming appeal. Charles Peckham says sheriff's deputies appear to be enforcing more security on Conrad Murray than on other prisoners at Los Angeles’ main men’s jail. Peckham likened the heavy shackles left on Murray during a meeting Tuesday as treatment more appropriate for the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter. Murray is expected to serve roughly two years of a fouryear jail sentence for the involuntary manslaughter death of Jackson in June 2009. Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore says Murray has AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, Pool extra security because of his The extra protection for Dr. Conrad notoriety and deputies are being Murray is because of his notoriety, “extra cautious” for his safety. says a sheriff’s spokesperson.
T-Pain brushes off his critics with hits BY NEKESA MUMBI MOODY | AP CHULA VISTA, Calif. (AP) — TPain knows that whatever he does — including his latest album, “rEVOLVEr,” which he calls the best record he's ever done — there will be people who will just dismiss him as that Auto-Tune guy. It doesn't bother him, though. While it may be a blow to his ego, he soothes the slams with his ever-hearty laugh — and a glance at his checkbook. “Say what you wanna say — I’m still rich,” he said, chuckling while sitting in his tour bus. “It’s not going to change anything.” Indeed, nothing seems to have derailed the 27-year-old singer and producer and his hit-making magic since he made his debut with songs like “I’m Sprung” and “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper)” in 2005. Those songs started a platinum-chain reaction of hits, including “Buy U a Drank,” “Can’t Believe It” and “Good Life” with Kanye West, which earned him one of his two Grammy Awards. His reliance on Auto-Tune, the vocal aide that gives a computerized
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T-Pain says his latest album, "rEVOLVER," is the best record he's ever done. effect to his voice, became his signature sound. Its use grew so ubiquitous with other acts that it sparked a backlash. Jay-Z famously declared “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” but it still thrives. In fact, T-Pain's app, which lets people add that effect to their voices, is a popular one. Speaking last month on the night of his final concert as the opening act for Chris Brown’s “F.A.M.E.” tour, TPain was weary as he waited for his moment onstage. But through laughs, he had enough energy to talk about his latest album, his critics and the truth in his music. AP: Have you ever considered not using Auto-Tune because of all the criticism? T-Pain: No. It made me do it more, just to annoy the hell out of people (laughs). ... It made me realize that when I don’t use it, people don’t pay attention to them songs. I’ve got a song on every album — two songs as a matter of fact — on every album without Auto-Tune, and that’s the song that nobody talks about. It’s weird. And like my biggest hit, the biggest hit song I had, the longest-running song was Flo Rida’s “Low,” and that didn’t have Auto-Tune on it at all, and people had no idea. They just feel like anytime they hear me, it’s going to be Auto-Tune. Anytime people read my tweets, they hear it in Auto-Tune. It’s weird. I don’t know (laughing). AP: How have you grown performing in the spotlight, dealing with criticism? T-Pain: Most of the blogs and stuff, it’s just their opinion. It’s just that one person. They didn’t ask anybody else how they felt. ... It’s just their opinion, and I can ask anybody that. It doesn’t have to be a journalist. I can just go on Twitter and say, “Hey guys, how did I do tonight?” (Laughs.) That’s what I look to, I look to the people who actually came there for a concert, and not somebody who came
there looking for some bad stuff to say, because that’s what’s interesting, that’s what makes your blog interesting. ... I look to them (fans) more than anything, because journalists don’t buy my album anyway ... most of them have said I hate T-Pain. AP: Does this record represent a different T-Pain? T-Pain: It’s a really different TPain. It’s a more confident T-Pain on the album, but I’m, like, scared. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how this is gonna work out. This album is really good, though. It’s so good that I went back just to listen to all of my other albums, and I was like, I don’t know why I thought people would like that. It's bad. It’s like, such a difference AP: If you were to go back and look at any bad reviews, would you agree with them? T-Pain: No. No. That’s just how I express myself. That’s what music was created for. Music was created for people to express themselves. Whether they do a good job to you or not, they got those feelings out. You know what I’m saying? Everything that I sung about and everything that my songs were about, these were things that I was going through. ... If someone is not as talented of a rapper than another rapper, that doesn't mean that they are not saying the same thing. You guys live right next to each other. It’s just you can’t express yourself as good. ... It doesn’t matter how good you do, it’s about how you get it out and if you really meant what you said. I know the albums was terrible and I sounded terrible, but you can get somebody that's singing great that let somebody write their feelings down or let somebody else produce a track for them and you just like blindly having to feel like you’re being an actor, you’re a singing actor, and that’s not what I do. Everything I do comes from the heart, and that’s harder to do.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
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Hornets, Clippers agree on Chris Paul trade
Knicks acquire Chandler from Dallas in 3-team deal
BY BRETT MARTEL | AP NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NBA Commissioner David Stern says his only consideration during trade talks concerning Chris Paul was getting the best deal for the New Orleans Hornets. Stern says he believes he's succeeded with Wednesday night's deal in which the Hornets traded Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Eric Gordon, forward Al-Farouq Aminu, center Chris Kaman and a first-round draft choice. The deal required Stern's approval because the Hornets are owned by the league. The commissioner says he did not believe a deal he rejected involving the Lakers last week was as good for the Hornets, which the league intends to sell to new owners who'll keep the team in Louisiana. Stern says “the future of the Hornets in New Orleans is brighter than it's ever been.”
AP Photo/Craig Ruttle
Former Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler, right, acknowledges New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni announcement of Chandler’s acquisition by the Knicks on Saturday in Greenburgh, N.Y.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul is at the center of a league controversy.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Hornets general manager Dell Demps speaks to reporters.
National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File
GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — The anchor of the Dallas Mavericks’ defense now centers one of the league’s best frontcourts. Tyson Chandler joined the New York Knicks on Saturday in the belief that joining, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire means he’s not done competing for championships. The Knicks have long needed a defensive presence, and Chandler plans to provide it. “I know what my job is coming here,” he said. “I know I came here to defend. I’m going to defend the rim, I’m going to rebound, I’m going to get extra shots. And I think if we play on both ends and play as a team, the sky is definitely the limit for this squad.” Chandler gets a four-year contract worth about $56 million after coming to the Knicks via sign-and-trade as part of a three-team deal. The Knicks sent Ronny Turiaf and cash to the Washington Wizards and reserve guard Andy Rautins to the Mavericks, and there were other picks involved. The Knicks also waived point guard Chauncey Billups and designated him as their amnesty player so they could afford Chandler. The 7-foot-1 Chandler helped the Mavericks win the NBA championship last season, averaging 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds, and at first hoped he would return to Dallas. But the Mavericks wanted to keep other options open, and when the Knicks emerged as a surprising option, they quickly become Chandler’s preferred one. “The Knicks were never on my radar. I’d never seen them as being a possibility and once I got word that it could potentially happen, they became my No. 1 priority was to get here,” Chandler said. It took some work, notably using the amnesty clause to waive Billups so his $14.2 million salary wouldn’t count for salary cap or luxury tax purposes. Billups was their starting point guard last season after coming with Anthony in a trade from Denver and was expected to return, with the Knicks picking up his option for this season in April when they would have owed him just $3.7 million had they waived him within five days after the season ended. “We didn’t want to get rid of Chauncey and when I talked to him today I told him, ‘Chauncey, it’s not like we’re waiving you because we don’t want you. Look at it as what it is. We traded you basically for the starting center on the NBA championship team,’ ” interim general manager Glen Grunwald said. Billups could be replaced by veteran Mike Bibby, who finished last season and will sign with the Knicks, a person with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press. Long undersized — Dwight Howard blocked more shots than they did as a team two seasons ago — the Knicks eagerly welcomed the 225-pound Chandler. His No. 6 jersey — guard Landry Fields switched to No. 2 so Chandler could have it — covered most of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan’s body when he held it up for a photo. Chandler later posed alongside Anthony and Stoudemire, two of league’s elite scorers. Now the Knicks have a stopper, too. “Last year was an amazing run and I think after you win a championship it's hard to go backwards,” Chandler said, “and the only thing I wanted in free agency was an opportunity to continue to chase that dream and continue to win championships.” Though it was often believed the Knicks wouldn't be spenders this offseason while saving their money for free agency in 2012, Grunwald felt adding a player such as Chandler was a better strategy for building a contender. “When we looked at things this past summer and over the fall, we said it’d be great to get someone like Tyson Chandler. Well, we got Tyson Chandler, so that’s even better,” he said. “Our plans haven’t changed. Tyson was the top of our list in terms of free agents this year. We took a look at everything, we felt this was the best move for us to build a team both in the short term and in the long term.”
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Thursday, December 15, 2011
Kobe upset by Odom’s departure for Dallas BY GREG BEACHAM | AP EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Lakers have traded forward Lamar Odom and a secondround draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks for a first-round pick and an $8.9 million trade exception, capping Los Angeles’ stunning 72-hour breakup with last season’s Sixth Man of the Year. The Lakers and Mavericks announced the deal Sunday night, three days after Odom learned Los Angeles was attempting to trade him in a megadeal for New Orleans superstar Chris Paul. After the NBA blocked that trade, Odom declined to report to the Lakers’ opening day of training camp on Friday. Odom then requested a trade, and the Lakers improbably swung a deal with the rival Mavericks, who swept Los Angeles out of the second round of last season’s playoffs. Odom will aid the Mavs’ recovery from Tyson Chandler's departure.
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Now ‘former Laker,’ Lamar Odom: The Lakers have acquired the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round selection in the 2012 NBA Draft in exchange for Odom and the Lakers' 2012 second-round draft pick, it was announced on Sunday by general manager Mitch Kupchak. In addition, the Lakers will receive a trade exception.
Ohio prosecutor mulls charges for in-game fight BY DAN SEWELL | AP CINCINNATI (AP) — An Ohio prosecutor said Monday he will consider criminal charges in the aftermath of a players brawl at the end of the Cincinnati-Xavier men’s basketball game, as stunned fans and university officials pondered the tarnishing blow delivered to one of the city’s most eagerly anticipated annual events. Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters said in a statement that his office would determine whether any criminal charges were appropriate. He declined further comment. Deters, a University of Cincinnati alumnus, didn’t specify what charges would be considered, but possible charges include assault and battery or disorderly conduct. A spokeswoman said he hadn’t set a timetable for a decision. “Anything we’re asked to do, we will comply with,” UC coach Mick Cronin said Monday. “Whatever they feel they need to do, we understand.” A Xavier spokeswoman said it would be premature to comment on Deters' investigation. Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates received the longest suspension —
AP Photo/Al Behrman
Fighting tooth and nail: Xavier forward Andre Walker, left, fights for a rebound against Cincinnati guard Dion Dixon (3) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, this past Saturday in Cincinnati. six games. Gates punched Xavier's Kenny Frease, causing a gash that left him bleeding below his left eye; he hit at least one other Xavier player during the fracas. Frease also was kicked as the two teams converged on each other. Xrays of Frease after the game were normal. Xavier guard Tu Holloway, who acknowledged making comments directed at UC’s team right before the brawl, caused a stir by later describing his team's toughness as “a whole bunch of gangsters.” Holloway, suspended for one game, said Sunday he regretted using the term “gangsters.” Criminal prosecutions from player confrontations during sports events are rare. A handful of National Hockey League players have been charged with assault over the years. Detroit Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to assault after he, while playing for Vancouver in 2004, sucker-punched Colorado center Steve Moore on the ice. No one was charged after a 2010 baseball brawl in Cincinnati in which St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jason LaRue suffered a concussion after being kicked in the head by Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto. Officials and coaches for both universities have offered apologies and expressed embarrassment. Each team also suspended four players. Xavier, ranked No. 8, won the game on its home court, 76-53, but the focus after the “cross-town shootout” was on the brawl, which was televised live on ESPN and has been reshown a myriad of times on TV and online. Gates, a native of Cincinnati, lamented that some people around the country are getting their introduction to the Bearcats through the brawl video. “That’s embarrassing,” Gates said in a Monday news conference in which he apologized and became tearful. “It’s just a bad situation.”
“It’s literally and figuratively a black eye,” said Raymond Buse, a veteran publicist here. “I was in disbelief that this was happening in Cincinnati. Typically, this is greatspirited, one of the greatest rivalries in college basketball. “Now, the national public just sees our 15 seconds of infamy.” UC’s basketball program had past image issues with off-court incidents involving players and the 2004 drunken-driving arrest of coach Bob Huggins that culminated in Huggins’ ouster. Xavier has largely avoided negative publicity while building its basketball program into a national power. “We are not the only ones something like this has happened to, but it was definitely a new experience for Xavier,” said Paul Ruppe, a 1992 Xavier graduate who gathered with some 60 other alumni in Chicago to watch the game on TV. “For the image we try to maintain and uphold, it was disappointing, let's put it that way.” He is not alone. “It doesn’t make Xavier look very good, and it doesn't make UC look very good. It’s kind of ridiculous, honestly,” said Brandon Henson, a Bearcat fan. “I guess Xavier fans used to say UC recruits these kinds of players; guess what, Xavier does, too.” UC president Gregory Williams said in a statement: “We hold our student-athletes to a high standard, and this behavior will not be tolerated.” Xavier said that the “unsportsmanlike events” Saturday don’t reflect the Jesuit Catholic school’s value and traditions, and it pledged to work to “make things right.” The statement said University president Michael Graham has been in touch with Williams to discuss how the schools can work together to promote cooperation and sportsmanship. AP sports writer Joe Kay contributed to this report.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
PROP 209 Continued from page 6 University of California have fallen dramatically, especially at UCLA, which is a major concern to AfricanAmerican faculty members, students and alumni. According to UCLA sociology professor Darnell Hunt, California needs to reverse a pattern in which underrepresented minorities have disproportionate access to the top University of California campuses. Hunt is working alongside the NAACP to help overturn Prop. 209 because, as a faculty member, he has personally seen the racial change of the University of California student body population; he attributes much of it to Prop. 209. “Attending more prestigious institutions provides graduates with significant opportunities for future success — opportunities that African-American students are not receiving,” explained Hunt. “In 2006, less than 100 AfricanAmerican students were admitted into UCLA for the fall semester out of a class of 5,000,” explained Chris
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Strudwick-Tuner with the Alliance for Equal Opportunity in Education Coalition. “These are real kids, kids from here in California, who deserve to be at UCLA and UC Berkeley, and who are getting accepted at other top universities like Yale and Harvard but can’t get into their own UC system.” Jenkins, the NAACP, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary plan to face their opponents in San Francisco on Feb. 13 when the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments. In addition to the above-named, the press conference also included Rev. Eric Lee of SCLC; and Blair Taylor of the LA Urban League. For more information, please visit www.naacp-losangeles.org.
IRAQ WAR ENDS Continued from page 6 protesters. While Obama has called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, Iraq has been more circumspect, with al-Maliki warning of civil war if Assad falls and abstaining from Arab League votes suspending Syria's membership and imposing sanctions. Those positions align Iraq more closely with Iran, a key Syrian ally. Obama said he and al-Maliki were both deeply concerned by the Syrian government’s assault on its own people. And Obama said he was confident that the Iraqi leader’s approach to dealing with Syria was based on his own nation’s interests. “Even if there are tactical disagreements I have no doubt those decisions are made based on what’s best for Iraq, not considerations of what Iran would like to see,” Obama said. Al-Maliki’s trip to Washington came as the last American troops were preparing to leave Iraq ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline. Just 6,000 U.S. forces remain, down from a high of 170,000 at the war’s peak in 2007. About 1 million U.S. troops have cycled through Iraq since the war began nearly nine years ago. Obama said the military can officially withdraw from Iraq “with honor and with their heads held high.” Following their meetings at the White House, Obama and al-Maliki traveled to nearby Arlington National Cemetery, where some of the nearly 4,500 Americans killed in Iraq are buried. The two leaders stood solemnly as their nations’ national anthems were played. Then together, they placed a large wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a monument dedicated to U.S. service members who died without their remains being identified. Mindful of what he called America’s “enormous investment of blood and treasure,” Obama said Monday the U.S. would seek to build a comprehensive relationship with Iraq, with the goal of making the warweary nation a model of democracy in the region.
Al-Maliki said Iraq will still need U.S. help on security issues, combating terrorism, and training and equipping the Iraqi military, as well as other areas including education and developing its wealth. He said there were “very high aspirations” for the relationship between the two nations. Yet significant questions remain over the details of the security relationship between the U.S. and Iraq once all Americans troops are withdrawn. Iraqi leaders have said they want U.S. military training assistance for their security forces but have been unable to agree on what type of help they'd like or what protections they would be willing to give American trainers. The U.S. will be selling Iraq weapons, including the sale of 18 F-16 fighter jets, it was announced Monday. And the U.S. will maintain a significant presence in Iraq, with about 16,000 people working at the embassy in Baghdad. The size of the embassy has been a point of contention among some in Iraq, who see the massive mission as another way for the U.S. to wield influence in their country. Obama defended the embassy’s scope, saying there were special security needs required in a country fresh off a protracted war. “As president of the United States I have to make sure that anybody who is in Iraq trying to help Iraqi people is protected,” he said. “I’m putting civilians in the field. I want to make sure that they come home, because they are not soldiers.” The White House has been eager to promote the end of the Iraq war as a promise kept for Obama. He was an early opponent of conflict and pledged to bring the war to a close when he ran for the White House. Obama thanked service members and their families for their sacrifices when he attended the annual ArmyNavy football game Saturday and will mark the milestone again on Wednesday when he speaks to troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
GOVERNMENT PROJECT BASED VOUCHER NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY PBV NOFA NO. 7557 The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles in collaboration with the Los Angeles Housing Department invites proposals from qualified developers under the Project Based Voucher Program for Permanent Supportive Housing projects that serve extremely and very low income chronically homeless special needs individuals and homeless families, transition aged youth (TAY), seniors and the disabled. Copies of the PBV NOFA may be obtained beginning December 12, 2011 online at http://www.hacla.org/ps/. Electronic proposals will be accepted until 11:59pm, January 9, 2012. 12/15, 12/22/11 CNS-2224174# WATTS TIMES
MUMIA ABUJAMAL Continued from page 5 and that Abu-Jamal was innocent. His story corroborated one that AbuJamal has maintained since his arrest. He said he witnessed his brother scuffling with a police officer early that morning and ran towards the scene. Subsequently, Abu-Jamal was found wounded by a bullet from Faulkner’s gun. Meanwhile, Faulkner was found dead nearby. According to the police, the revolver found near the scene with five spent shells was registered to Abu-Jamal. In his statement, Tutu pointed out that there are “thousands of other cases in Philadelphia in which the prosecutor, the judge and the police conspired to obtain a conviction.” He also brings up the concealed existence of a fourth person at the crime scene, Kenneth Freeman. “Within hours of the shooting, a driver's license application found in Officer Faulkner’s shirt pocket led the police to Freeman, who was identified as the shooter in a lineup,” said the archbishop. “Yet, Freeman’s presence at the scene was concealed, first by Inspector Alfonso Giordano and later at trial by prosecutor Joe McGill. Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice asserted that withholding evidence of innocence by the prosecutor warrants the overturning of a conviction.” Tutu surmised that the “police investigation that led to Abu-Jamal’s conviction was also riddled with corruption and tampering with evidence.” In October, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case. It was then left to the prosecution whether they wanted to pursue the death penalty or resort to a life sentence. Abu-Jamal has not been silent about his predicament and his broadcasts and writings have earned him a wide audience, and the publication of his latest book, “Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. USA” (City Lights), is sure to increase his following threefold. Readers interested in learning more about his life and writings will be vastly rewarded by getting a copy of “We Want Freedom” (South End Press, 2004). In addition, his review of Manning Marable’s “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention” will appear soon in a collection of essays and reviews, “By Any Means Necessary: Malcolm X, Real, Not Reinvented,” edited by Herb Boyd, Ron Daniels, Maulana Karenga and Haki Madhubuti (Third World Press, 2012). For more information, visit freemumia.com or call 212- 330-8029.
JUMPING JACKS Continued from page 2 period succeeded. Mrs. Obama says 300,265 people participated, shattering the old record. In order to achieve her goal, Mrs. Obama led about 400 elementary and middle-school students from Washington in jumping jacks on the South Lawn of the White House.
Other jumping jacks events were held around the world on Oct. 11. The effort was organized by National Geographic Kids magazine in support of the first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative to promote physical fitness and healthy eating for children.
OCCUPY PORTS Continued from page 7 since the movement began. The two port companies have also engaged in high-profile clashes with union workers lately. The Occupy protesters want to support the dock workers, but the union that represents them is distancing itself from Monday's marches. In Oakland, shipping companies and the longshoremen's union agreed to send home about 150 workers, essentially halting operations at two terminals. In Portland, Oregon, authorities closed two terminals after police arrested two people who were carrying weapons and said they were heading to the protest with hundreds of others. Occupy protesters also successfully shut down the port in November. And in Longview, Washington, workers were sent home out of concerns for their "health and safety." In Southern California, as many as 400 demonstrators gathered to march on the sprawling Port of Long Beach — specifically, a dock facility owned by SSA Marine. At least one person was taken into custody. Port spokesman John Pope said the protesters were in a parking lot and had not crossed into the private
port area, so "there haven't been any disruptions to port operations at this point." Occupy groups also planned blockades in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington. In Vancouver, Canada, about two dozen protesters set up brief blockades at entrances to the port, proclaiming solidarity with longshore employees. Protesters hoped to draw thousands to stand in solidarity with longshoremen and port truckers they said are being exploited. However, the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents many thousands of longshoremen up and down the West Coast, suggested in a letter to members that protesters were trying to co-opt the union's cause to advance their own agenda. Shutdown supporters said they were not asking longshoremen to organize a work stoppage in violation of their contract but simply are asking them to exercise their free speech rights and stay off the job, in keeping with the union's historic tradition of activism. Associated Press writers Doug Esser in Seattle and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
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