Supreme Court Strikes Down Arizona Law Requiring Proof of Citizenship To Vote

the supreme court on monday struck down an arizona law requiring people to submit proof of citizenship when they register to vote. the vote was 7-2. justices samuel alito and clarence thomas, two of the court's conservative wing, both dissented.

justice antonin scalia, writing for the majority, said a 1993 federal law known as the motor voter act takes precedence over the arizona law. scalia said the motor voter act requires states to "accept and use" the federal voter registration form. 

a few states have similar laws, which they say are meant to reduce voter fraud. but civil rights groups say the arizona law intended to discourage voting by legal immigrants - they worried more states would follow suit if the court upheld. groups opposed to the arizona law said the court blocked an attempt at voter suppression.

"today's decision sends a strong message that states cannot block their citizens from registering to vote by superimposing burdensome paperwork requirements on top of federal law," said nina perales, vice president of litigation for the mexican-american legal defense and education fund.

citizenship is a requirement to vote in any federal election, and the federal registration form requires people to state, under perjury, they are american citizens. states can use their own forms, but they must be equivalent to the federal form.

the arizona law, known as proposition 200 & and adopted by arizona voters in 2004, went further than the federal form by requiring applicants to provide proof of citizenship. according to the brennan center for justice, arizona has used the law to reject 30,000 voter applicants.

challengers to the law argued using a naturalization document as proof would require an applicant to register in person, as opposed to through the mail, because federal law opposes copying the document. a federal appeals court said arizona went too far - essentially rejecting the federal form. but arizona contends prop 200 is similar to asking for id at an airport, which is not a rejection of a plane ticket.    

the supreme court ruling pointed out arizona still has an option: it can ask the federal government to include state-specific instructions on the federal form, and go to court if the government says no. alabama, georgia and kansas have laws almost identical to arizona's and joined prop 200 in urging the court to uphold the additional proof of citizenship.

at an oral argument in march, thomas horne, a lawyer for arizona, told the justices the state had a right to ask for additional information beyond the federal form. horne said, "it's extremely inadequate. it's essentially an honor system. it does not do the job." justice sonia sotomayor replied, "well, that's what the federal system decided was enough."

scalia said during the argument federal law empowers states to take additional action to assess a potential voter's eligibility. he said, "under oath is not proof at all. it's just a statement." patricia millett, a lawyer for groups opposed to prop 200 countered, "statements under oath in a criminal case are proof beyond a reasonable doubt" in criminal cases resulting in execution. she said, "it's a very serious oath."
 

Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal Win 2013 French Open Singles Titles

serena williams defeated world #2 maria sharapova of russia 6-4, 6-4 to win the 2013 french open singles championship. the victory at roland garros was williams' second there - 11 years after she beat her older sister venus in 2002, which is the longest gap for any woman. williams now has 16 major singles titles.

last year, williams shockingly lost in the first round at the french open. her record is 74-3 since, including titles at wimbledon, the olympic gold medal in london, the u.s. open & the year-ending wta championships. the 31 year-old african-american became the oldest woman to win a major since martina navratilova won wimbledon in 1990 at age 33.

williams, who has a home in paris, said in french during the trophy ceremony, "eleven years. i think its unbelievable. now i have 16 grand slam titles. its difficult for me to speak because i'm so excited." she served 10 aces, three in the final game, the last at 123 mph on match point. williams extended her career-best winning streak to 31 matches. she is 43-2 this year, including 23-0 on clay.

rafael nadal beat fellow spaniard david ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to become the first man in tennis history to win the same major singles title eight times. the king of clay also broke the men's record for match wins at roland garros. he improved to 59-1, his lone defeat in 2009 against robin soderling in the fourth round.  

seeded fifth in the tournament, nadal returned to the tour in february after a seven-month layoff caused by knee trouble. he's 43-2 this year, with seven titles in nine tournaments. nadal has won his last 22 matches. he said, "this one is very special one. when you have period of time like i had, you realize that you don't know if you have the chance to be back here with this trophy another time."

nadal came into the final with a 16-match winning streak on clay against his buddy ferrer, ranked #4 in the world. at age 31, ferrer was playing in his first major singles final. the win gave nadal an astounding career record of 72-34 against the top four players in the world. he now has 12 major singles titles, tying roy emerson, two behind pete sampras' 14 & five behind roger federer's 17.    
  

  

Forbes' List of the 20 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2013

1) tiger woods - $78.1 million.
                           salary/winnings: $13.1 million
                           endorsements: $65 million.

2) roger federer - $71.5 million.
                              salary/winnings: $6.5 million
                              endorsements: $65 million.

3) kobe bryant - $61.9 million.
                           salary/winnings: $27.9 million
                           endorsements: $34 million.

4) lebron james - $59.8 million.
                            salary/winnings: $17.8 million
                            endorsements: $42 million.

5) drew brees - $51 million.
                         salary/winnings: $40 million
                         endorsements: $11 million.

6) aaron rogers - $49 million.
                             salary/winnings: $43 million
                             endorsements: $6 million.

7) phil mickelson - $48.7 million.
                               salary/winnings: $4.7 million
                               endorsements: $44 million.

8) david beckham - $47.2 million.
                                salary/winnings: $5.2 million
                                endorsements: $42 million.

9) cristiano ronaldo - $44 million.
                                   salary/winnings: $23 million
                                   endorsements: $21 million.

10) lionel messi - $41.3 million.
                             salary/winnings: $20.3 million
                             endorsements: $21 million.

11) tom brady - $38.3 million.
                          salary/winnings: $31.3 million
                          endorsements: $7 million.

12) derrick rose - $37.4 million.
                             salary/winnings: $16.4 million
                             endorsements: $21 million.

13) joe flacco - $36.8 million.
                         salary/winnings: $35.9 million
                         endorsements: $850,000.

14) floyd mayweather, jr - $34 million.
                                           salary/winnings: $34 million
                                           endorsements: $0.

15) manny pacquiao - $34 million.
                                     salary/winnings: $26 million
                                     endorsements: $8 million.

16) mahendra singh dhoni - $31.5 million.
                                              salary/winnings: $3.5 million
                                              endorsements: $28 million.

17) kevin durant - $30.9 million.
                              salary/winnings: $16.9 million
                              endorsements: $14 million.

18) alex rodriguez - $30.3 million.
                                 salary/winnings: $29.8 million
                                 endorsements: $500,000.

19) fernando alonso - $30 million.
                                    salary/winnings: $28 million
                                    endorsements: $2 million.

20) peyton manning - $30 million.
                                    salary/winnings: $18 million
                                    endorsements: $12 million.

Susan Rice Appointed National Security Adviser

calling her the patriot who puts american interests first, president barack obama on wednesday named susan rice as his national security adviser. rice currently serves as the u.s. ambassador to the united nations. she will replace tom donilon, a key foreign policy adviser to the commander-in-chief, who is resigning.

rice was the subject of republican ire over faulty explanations for the attack which killed four americans in benghazi, libya. obama considered nominating her as his second-term secretary of state. but rice withdrew, saying she didn't want her potential new post to be a distraction for the white house. the president nominated john kerry, who easily won confirmation from his former senate colleagues. 

rice's cabinet-level job as national security adviser does not require senate confirmation. a white house official confirmed the foreign policy personnel changes in the morning - ahead of a planned announcement by the president in the afternoon. the official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the changes before they were made public.

rice, a close obama confidante, began working for him during his historical 2008 presidential campaign. she also has a solid relationship with many of his advisers. rice is nationally respected for her commitment to human rights issues & also pushed for a more interventionist strategy in libya.    

Wisconsin Leads Our Nation In The Rate Of Black Male Incarceration

the state of wisconsin has the highest rate of black male incarceration in the country. according to the u.s. census bureau, one in eight black male residents of the obscure midwestern state were incarcerated in 2010, a figure which doubles the national average.

john pawasarat and lois m. quinn of the university of wisconsin employment and training institute examined two decades of state department of corrections (doc) and department of transportation (dot) files. their astonishing research was part of an assessment of employment and training barriers facing black men in milwaukee county.

they reported more than half of black men in their 30's and 40's had been incarcerated in state correctional facilities; also, only 10% of black men with doc records had a current valid driver's license. they noted thousands of adults in milwaukee's low-income neighborhoods, and particularly black males, have suspended licenses solely for failure to pay fines.

in the neighborhoods with the highest concentration of people returning from prison, there are 25 people looking for work - for every one available full-time job. furthermore, since the 2008 recession, people returning from prison are competing with unemployed and underemployed skilled and unskilled workers for jobs that become available.

among other things, the authors recommend the state revise policies contributing to mass incarceration. they suggest using the cost savings to fund employment and training programs for people who are currently or were formerly in doc custody and to support programs to assist those individuals in getting their licenses reinstated.   

Attorney General Eric Holder Admits Drone Strikes Have Killed Four Americans Since 2009

the obama administration reluctantly acknowledged drone strikes killed four americans overseas since 2009. one of whom, anwar al-aulaqi, was targeted in yemen - he'd planned and was planning terrorist attacks on the united states: principally the plot to blow up an airliner over detroit on christmas eve 2009.

the revelation came in a letter from attorney eric holder to congressional leaders and chairmen of key congressional committees. holder wrote, "the president has directed me to disclose to you certain information," about the number of americans killed by u.s. counter-terrorism operations outside of areas of active combat such as afghanistan.

holder said the u.s. government was "aware of three other u.s. citizens who have been killed in such u.s. counter-terrorism operations over that same time period (since 2009): 'abd al-rahman anwar al-aulaqi, samir khan and jude kenan mohammed. these individuals were not specifically .targeted by the united states."

mohammed was on the fbi's most wanted list. an fbi notice said, "on july 22, 2009, a federal grand jury in north carolina indicted jude kenan mohammed for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons in a foreign country. mohammed is at large and a federal warrant was issued by the united states district court, eastern district of north carolina, raliegh, north carolina, for his arrest." 

on al-aulaqi, holder said, "it was al-aulaqi's actions - and, in particular, his direct personal involvement in the continued planning and execution of terrorist attacks against the u.s. homeland  - that made him a lawful target and led the united states to take action."

the origins of this information is being kept secret to protect u.s. intelligence methods and sources. holder also wrote, "today's disclosure builds on the administration's effort to pursue greater transparency around our counter-terrorism operations, including the president's commitment in this year's state of the union. this disclosure was also intended to coincide with the speech the president will give tomorrow, in which he will discuss our broader counter-terrorism strategy."

2013 NBA Post-Season Award Winners

the national basketball association recently announced their post-season award winners for the 2012-2013 season. listed below are the worthy recipients & their respective accolade:

most valuable player - lebron james, miami heat.
rookie of the year - damian lillard, portland trailblazers.
sixth man of the year - j.r. smith, new york knicks.
defensive player of the year - marc gasol, memphis grizzlies.
most improved player - paul george, indiana pacers.
coach of the year - george karl, denver nuggets.
executive of the year - masai ujiri, denver nuggets.
community assist award - chris paul, los angeles clippers.

all-defensive team:

centers - tyson chandler, new york knicks; joakim noah, chicago bulls.
forwards - paul george, indiana pacers; lebron james, miami heat.
guards - tony allen, memphis grizzlies; chris paul, los angeles clippers.

all-rookie team:

center -      anthony davis, new orleans hornets.
guards -     bradley beal, washington wizards;
                  damian lillard, portland trailblazers.
forwards -  harrison barnes, golden state warriors;
                  dion waiters, cleveland cavaliers.

we extend our heartfelt congratulations & godspeed to each honoree!

State of Mississippi to Execute Willie Manning Tonight After Rejecting DNA Tests & FBI's Own Admission of Error

the state of mississippi is preparing to execute a prisoner of african descent tonight, despite an usual admission from the fbi: its original analysis of the evidence contained errors. willie jerome manning was convicted of murdering tiffany miller & jon steckler, two white college students, in 1992.

the execution will proceed, even after prosecutors & state courts refused to allow new dna testing which could prove manning's innocence. the justice department sent a letter saying one analyst's testimony at trial "exceeded the limits of the science & was, therefore, invalid." 

manning's attorneys argue no physical evidence ties him to the murders - testing hair samples & other evidence could identify a different killer. but in a 5-to-4 decision last month, mississippi's state supreme court refused to grant a new dna test, citing what it called "conclusive, overwhelming evidence of guilt."

in addition to the new dna test, which was denied, manning's attorneys say prosecutors relied on two key witnesses whose credibility has since come under question. also, concerns have been raised about alleged racial bias in the selection of the jury whom found manning guilty. 

vanessa potkin, a senior staff attorney at the innocence project said, "we need someone to step in. it is unconscionable that an execution would go forward where there is biological evidence that can cut to the truth & show whether or not he did the crime. what is anybody afraid of?"     

  

NBA Veteran Jason Collins Admits He's Gay

"i'm a 34 year old nba center. i'm black. and i'm gay."

jason collins, a 12-year veteran and current reserve center for the washington wizards, became the first active, professional male athlete from one of the four major u.s. sports leagues to publicly admit he's gay. collins wrote a first-person article, which was posted on sports illustrated's website monday. "I think the country is ready for supporting an openly gay basketball player," collins told abc's good morning america, in an interview which aired tuesday morning.  

collins plans to be in boston on june 8, marching alongside his friend and stanford university roommate, u.s. rep joseph kennedy III, at the city's gay pride parade. kennedy, a massachusetts democrat, told the associated press, "i didn't doubt for a second, knowing he was gay, that he would be the one to do it. i've never known him to look for publicity, or to look for the spotlight, but given that no one else would raise their hand, i knew he would do it."

despite hiding his sexuality, collins quietly made a statement for gay rights by wearing number 98 with the celtics and wizards, two of the six teams he's played for in his career. 1998 was the year matthew shepard, a gay, white male student from wyoming, was killed - sparking public outrage & political legislation. the trevor project, a suicide prevention organization, was also founded the same year. 

this historic announcement drew widespread praise from family members, friends, current teammates, fellow & former nba players, nba coaches, general managers, other athletes (some of whom are openly gay & lesbian), celebrities, the nba itself, and a sponsor. collins also received support from president barack obama, first lady michelle obama and former president bill clinton. 

doc rivers, collins' celtics coach, linked collins to jackie robinson's role when he broke the major league baseball color barrier in 1947 with the brooklyn dodgers. said rivers, "i am extremely happy and proud of jason collins. he's a pro's pro. he is the consummate professional and he is one of my favorite team players i have ever coached. if you have learned anything from jackie robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. it will be society who has to learn tolerance."

nfl players brendan ayanbadejo and chris kluwe publicly supported state same-sex marriage amendments during last year's elections. obama, who also supports same-sex marriage, included stonewall - the site of a 1969 rebellion at a gay bar on christopher street in new york city - in his inauguration speech this past january. 

same-sex marriage, now legal in nine american states, including washington, d.c., stirred additional controversy during the super bowl. chris culliver, a starting cornerback for the san francisco 49ers, said he wouldn't welcome a gay member on his team. although he was quickly admonished by his team and the league to apologize, which he did, ayanbadejo estimated at least half of the nfl's players would agree with culliver's views, at least privately.    

on monday, nfl commissioner roger goodell  sent a memo to teams reiterating the league's anti-discrimination policy about sexuality. the policy includes a section on questions teams cannot ask  prospective draft picks and free agents. after the nfl combine in february, three players said officials posed questions about sexual orientation.   

earlier this month, the nhl and its players' union partnered with the you can play project, an advocacy organization fighting homophobia in sports. nhl commissioner gary bettman said the project underlines "the official policy of the nhl is one of inclusion on the ice, in our locker rooms and in the stands."  

washington capitals forward joel ward, one of the few blacks in the sport, weighed in. said ward, "i would say the nhl has been a force to kind of embrace & encourage. what collins did, i think its definitely good for basketball, and the same for hockey, too. its going to be encouraging for more guys to step up and just be open about themselves." 

living in the nation's capitol while the u.s. supreme court heard arguments about same-sex marriage had a profound effect on collins. he said, "the strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable. less than three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future. here was my chance to be heard, and i couldn't say a thing."   

while collins intends to keep playing, several other male athletes, including nba player john amaechi, nfl player esera tuaolo and mlb player billy bean, spoke about being gay - after they retired. amaechi told the ap, "i think he is immensely brave. i think its a shame in this day and age he has to be immensely brave, but he is. he's going to be a remarkable and eloquent spokesperson for what it is to be a decent, authentic human being, never mind just for gay people."

rick welts, president and chief operating officer for the golden state warriors, is gay. said welts, "he probably knows what he signed up for. there'll be a whole bunch more television reporters and cameras than he's probably had in the past. there had been a long bit of speculation about when, who, how. i think that speculation has been put to rest now, and we'll always remember that jason collins was the first man to do this."

female athletes tend to experience more societal acceptance when they publicly admit their sexuality. basketball players nancy lieberman, sheryl swoopes, chamika holdsclaw & britney griner made few ripples when they acknowledged their same-sex relationships. tennis players martina navratilova, billie jean king, amelie mauresmo, lisa raymond & renae stubbs are open about their lesbianism. 

navratilova, hall of famer & current analyst on the tennis channel, tweeted on monday, "collins is a brave man. 1981 was the year for me. 2013 is the year for you." ironically, collins told abc's good morning america, navratilova was his role model. he said, "i look at her as one of my heroes. hopefully going forward i can be someone else's role model."

in 1994, four-time olympic diving gold medalist greg luganis revealed he was gay, a year before also admitting he was hiv-positive. canadian swimmer mark tewksbury, six years after winning a gold medal at the 1992 barcelona games, stated he was gay. former olympic skiing gold medalist anja peterson of sweden, after retiring in 2012, said she was in a long-term relationship with a woman. orlando cruz of puerto rico became the first professional boxer to admit he was gay, last october.

in his very candid sports illustrated article, collins wrote, "some people insist they've never met a gay person. but three degrees of jason collins dictates that no nba player can claim that anymore. pro basketball is a family. and pretty much every family i know has a brother, sister or cousin who's gay. in the brotherhood of the nba, i just happen to be the one who's out."

       

2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

the 28th annual rock & roll hall of fame induction ceremony took place thursday at the nokia theatre in los angeles, california. this year was the first time since 1993 the esteemed institution - based in cleveland, ohio - held its event on the west coast.

listed below are the individuals & groups who will be honored: 

lou adler - producer.
heart - rock group.
quincy jones - arranger, composer, musician & producer.
albert king - blues guitarist.
randy newman - singer/songwriter.
public enemy - hip hop group.
rush - rock group.
donna summer - pop/r&b singer.
    

Scottsboro Boys Pardoned by Alabama Legislature 80 Years Later

alabama lawmakers voted unanimously to give posthumous pardons to the scottsboro boys monday. nine black teens were wrongly convicted of raping two white women in 1931. the state house voted 103-0 & the senate voted 29-0. governor robert bentley signed the bill, which amended one of america's greatest racial injustices.

"this is great for alabama, it was long overdue," said democratic state rep. laura hall of hunstville, who sponsored the bill in the house. the state sponsor, republican arthur orr, said it's unfortunate the pardons came after all the scottsboro boys have died - but the bill lets alabama write "a better chapter." orr said, "their lives were ruined by the convictions. by doing this it sends a very positive message nationally & internationally that this is a different state than we were many years ago." 

all but the youngest member of the group, whose ages ranged from 13 to 19, were imprisoned on death row after convictions by all-white juries. all were eventually freed without executions, although several suffered for many years in prison. the last of the men died in 1989. 

the scottsboro boys' case has been memorialized in books, films, museums, songs & a 2010 broadway play. their oppressive legal saga set important precedents, including supreme court decisions outlawing the practice of systematically excluding black people from juries & guaranteeing the right to effective counsel.

house speaker mike hubbard, a republican, said, "you can't change history, but you can take steps to right the wrongs of the past. the fact that this passed unanimously shows that today's 21st century alabama is far removed from the one that caused such pain for so many so long ago."

benjamin todd jealous, president & ceo of the naacp, applauded the correction of "an historic miscarriage of justice." but he also noted alabama is involved in a supreme court case over the voting rights act & the state has passed laws critics say discriminate against immigrants in the country illegally. 

jealous said, "like so many communities that have tried to move beyond their ugliest chapters, alabama has learned you can only move forward if you are honest about your past. it's heartening that this was a unanimous vote. unfortunately, alabama still needs to confront its present."

susan glisson, executive director of the institute for racial reconciliation at the university of mississippi, was grateful for the measure. glisson said, "it is an opportunity for us to understand that period, especially the ways in which blacks were deemed inferior & therefore not worthy of equal treatment before the law."

the scottsboro boys' tragic episode began on a freight train traveling through alabama during the great depression - many people would sneak aboard for free rides between cities. there was a fight between blacks & whites on the train. the two women made false rape accusations in hopes of avoiding arrest. 

lynch mobs gathered outside the jail, but were warned off by the white sheriff & rebuffed by national guardsmen called in by the governor. after the conviction, the communist party seized the case as an opportunity to appease black people & liberals. the party got one of its lawyers named as defense counsel & also secured the services of famed defense attorney samuel liebowitz. there were years of appeal, some successful, as one of the women recanted & said their claim was dishonest.

decades later, when the idea of pardons was raised, the governor & parole board said they didn't have the legal authority to pardon the deceased. but sheila washington, founder of the Scottsboro boys museum, which opened in 2010, pursued the legislation. washington said the pardons would finally shine a light on "this dark injustice."  




    
  

Louisville & UConn Win NCAA Titles

louisville defeated michigan 82-76 to win the 2013 ncaa championship game monday night. luke hancock came off the bench for the cardinals & scored 22 points. he hit four consecutive three-pointers to offset a 12-point lead for the wolverines with less than four minutes to go in the first half. hancock was named the tournament's most outstanding player - the first sub to ever win the award.

rick pitino becomes the first coach in ncaa history to win championships with two different teams. in 1996, he coached kentucky to a national title. louisville (35-5) emerged victorious the same day pitino was announced as one of the 2013 hall of fame members. two days prior, his horse won the santa anita & will run in the kentucky derby. a few days ago his son, richard, was named coach of the university of minnesota.  

guard peyton siva finished with 18 points, six assists & four steals. forward chane behanan had 15 points & 12 rebounds. but their team & the nation was inspired by guard kevin ware. he suffered a grueling injury against wichita state in the final four, leaving him on crutches & unable to play for at least nine months. undaunted, ware put on a championship hat & cut a strand of the net when they lowered the basket. he said, "these are my brothers. they got the job done. i'm so proud of them. i'm so proud of them."

the university of connecticut won their record-setting eighth national title with a 93-60 victory over louisville. it was the most lopsided victory in ncaa women's championship history. huskies freshman breanna stewart scored 18 of her 23 points in a dazzling first half. she finished the tournament with 105 points & was named most outstanding player.

coach geno auriemma & connecticut (35-4) is now tied with pat summit & tennessee for the most titles in women's basketball history. said auriemma, "the fact that i tied pat summit's record puts you in the category of the greatest women's basketball coach that ever lived. i'm just thrilled for our seniors. this team accomplished an amazing feat this month."

with the huskies victory, the big east conference won a ninth national championship. the conference, which will split apart after this season, was the most dominant in women's basketball over the past decade. both teams vying for a title was a fitting end to its current configuration. neither team will be in the new big east next season as both will be in the american athletic conference. lousiville will play in the acc the year after.          

2013 NBA Hall of Fame Inductees

last wednesday, john doleva, the president of the naismith memorial hall of fame, called seven people to tell them they were inducted into the class of 2013. university of louisville head coach rick pitino was one of the lucky seven. louisville will play michigan for the national championship monday.

said pitino, "when i got the call I was trying to call my wife over so she could hear it & i'm trying to put it on speaker phone & a text keeps beeping as i'm getting this special call. i saw the text. go gophers. i got the job." it was his son richard, who had just found out he was chosen to be the head coach at minnesota.

overall, 12 people are being given the nba's most precious & prestigious award. the announcement came during a ceremony held in atlanta: the site of this year's final four. among those honored are former nba stars bernard king & gary payton, former university of virginia star dawn staley, college coaches sylvia hatchell of north carolina, guy lewis of houston & jerry tarkanian of unlv.

others announced previously are roger brown, indiana pacers guard; russ granik, longtime assistant commissioner of the nba; richie guerin, new york knicks star in the 1950's; edwin e.b. henderson, a direct elect by the early african pioneer committee, & oscar schmidt of brazil, the leading scorer in olympic history. the inductions will take place in springfield, massachusetts on september 8.

as a young assistant with the knicks from 1983-85, pitino forged a relationship with king, who was one of the most feared scorers in the game. said king, "i remember rick as a very young coach, a coach starting his career, a coach who knew the game." king averaged 22 points in his 15-year nba career, including 34.8 points in the 1984 nba playoffs.

king said, "i remember rick came with me to the nba all-star game & we were flying from denver to san antonio. we talked a lot about that even though we had some injuries we had to get off to a good start. that first game in san antonio i scored 50 points. the next night in dallas i had a milk shake & a turkey sandwich & scored 50 points again. i guess you can say this is the culmination of my life in basketball."            

payton was known as "the glove" for his defensive prowess in his years with the seattle supersonics. he was a two-time olympic gold medalist. said payton, "i was an offensive-minded guy when i went to oregon state & coach ralph miller pulled me to the side & said 'you'll be one of the greatest defensive point guards ever' & i said to myself, yeah right. i'm shooting every time i get the ball. i got really good at it & started liking it & took it from there."

lewis led houston to five final fours in his 30 years with the cougars. his teams featured three future hall of famers: clyde drexler, elvin hayes & hakeem olajuwon. tarkanian took three different schools to the ncaa tournament, but he will always be known for biting his towel & his teams at unlv - they made four final four appearances, including their title in 1990.

hatchell joins tar heels men's coaches dean smith & roy williams as hall of famers. one of three women's coaches to win 900 games, she won championships on three levels - aiaw, naia & ncaa. staley was a three-time olympic gold medalist, five-time wnba all-star & two-time national college player of the year with virginia. she's the only women's college basketball player with 2,000 points, 700 assists & 400 steals.             
    

Bulls End Heat Win Streak at 27

the miami heat's bid for nba history ended wednesday night when their 27-game winning streak was snapped by the chicago bulls 101-97. the victory clinched an eastern conference playoff berth for the bulls, who thrilled a raucous crowd at chicago's united center.

miami finished just six games shy of tying the 33-game record held by the 1971-72 los angeles lakers, who also won the nba title the same year. heat all-pro & reigning mvp lebron james said about the team's incredible accomplishment, " its one of the best that this league has ever seen. we recognized that & rightfully so."  

the defending champion heat hadn't lost since the indiana pacers beat them easily in indianapolis on february 1. but after grinding out several close wins - including an improbable rally from 27 down in cleveland last week - no one counted them out until the final buzzer. their determination, focus & resilience was a joy to witness.

for the better part of two months, the heat were the nba's comeback kings. they blew out the bulls, los angeles clippers & oklahoma city thunder (last year's nba finals opponent), yet struggled against lottery-bound charlotte, cleveland, detroit, orlando & sacramento. they rallied from 13 points in the last eight minutes to beat rival boston, as well as 11-point deficits against the bobcats & pistons, all in a seven-day span.  

heat president pat riley played on the lakers team who won 33 straight games. he remained silent during the heat's streak, mainly because he rarely gives interviews & the team's official stance was the streak didn't really matter. in south beach this season, its championship-or-bust. as such, nothing else matters for the heat. 

the bulls were led by all-pro luol deng, who finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists & two steals. carlos boozer had 21 points & 17 rebounds. jimmy butler scored 17 points, two of which came on a thrilling dunk over chris bosh, which electrified the crowd & hyped the generally reserved second-year player from marquette.

taj gibson, kirk hinrich & nate robinbson fueled the bulls win, despite injuries to all-pro joakim noah, guards marco belinelli & richard hamilton. said gibson, "it says we have a good team. its all about what we think in the locker room. a lot of people kind of write us off every other day, but we just stick to our principles & do what we have to do." bulls coach tom thibodeau said, "when you look at what they've done, to be the defending world champions & to have a winning streak like that knowing that everyone's chasing you, credit them. i think you can learn from them."

  

Writer Chinua Achebe Makes Transition at 82

chinua achebe, the brilliant historian, professor & writer of nigerian descent, made transition march 21 at age 82 in boston. achebe was internationally revered for affirming the culture, life & people from the motherland in the spirit of unconditional love. he wrote about the effects of colonialism & its aftermath, as well as political corruption & attempts to introduce democratic reforms. 

born in 1930, achebe has often been referred to as the  founding father of african literature in english. achebe said that any good story or any good novel should have a message or purpose. his first novel, things fall apart, published in 1958, dealt with the clash between western & traditional african values & how traditional norms had been undermined. translated into over 50 languages, its focus was on the igbo society in south-eastern nigeria, where achebe grew up.

one of the book's characters said, "the white man is very clever. he came quietly & peaceably with his religion. we were amused at his foolishness & allowed him to stay. now he has won our brothers, & our clan can no longer act like one. he has put a knife on the things that held us together & we have fallen apart."

achebe wrote his novels in english & defended the use of english, a "language of colonisers," in african literature. after winning the man booker international prize in 2007, he told the bbc, "what african literature set about to do was to broaden the conception of literature in the world - to include africa - which wasn't there. in the stories we tell, it is intended to help us solve the problem of this failure that has overtaken the early sense of joy & happiness when africans became independent, received their self-determination."      

reared in colonial nigeria, achebe excelled in school. according to the afp news agency, he described his parents as early converts to christianity. his father became an anglican religious teacher & traveled the region with his mother to preach & teach. achebe later won a scholarship for undergraduate studies at what is now the university of ibadan & became fascinated with world religions & traditional african cultures.

after graduation, achebe worked for the nigerian broadcasting service & soon moved to the metropolis of lagos, where he met his future wife, christie okoli. they married in 1961 & have four children. he was also an academic. in 1975, his lecture - an image of africa: racism in conrad's heart of darkness - became the focus of controversy for its criticism of joseph conrad as a "bloody racist," & was later published.

nobel peace prize winner & former south african president nelson mandela, who served 27 years in jail, once said in the company of achebe's novels, "prison walls fell down." mandela also said he was the writer who "brought africa to the rest of the world."  achebe was a critical thinker; he strongly believed nigeria failed to realize its own potential as a country. this was often a recurring theme in his work.

in 1990, achebe suffered a car accident which left him partially paralyzed & in a wheelchair. he subsequently moved to the u.s. although he chose to only visit his country infrequently, he continued to write his essays, novels & poems, while vociferously challenging the nigerian government in his later years.

he has twice turned down the offer of a title, commander of the order of the federal republic, once in 2004 from nigeria's then president olusegun obasanjo, & again in 2011, from president goodluck johnathan. of his decision in 2004, achebe told the bbc, "what's the good of being a democracy if people are hungry & despondent & the infrastructure is not there. there is no security of life. parts of the country are alienated. religious conflicts spring up now & again. the country is not working."   

in September 2009, achebe joined the faculty of brown university as the david & marianna fisher university professor & professor of africana studies. brown university president christina h. paxson said, "the colloquia he organized at brown attracted a grand array of guests & effectively demonstrated how the humanities can build understanding by drawing from & encouraging a variety of perspectives. we were honored to have him among us."    

last year, achebe published a long-awaited memoir about the brutal three-year biafran war, when the igbo region tried to split from nigeria in 1967. he served as roving cultural ambassador for biafra at the time, but remained silent about his war experiences for more than 40 years. over a million people died during the conflict - in the book, he accused the un of standing by, like nigerian's government, as biafra was crushed. achebe wrote, "you see, we, the little people of the world, are ever expendable."    
  

          

        

Guilty Verdict in Ohio High School Rape Case

two high school football players from ohio were found guilty of raping an inebriated 16 year-old girl at a raucous party last august. judge thomas lipps ruled sunday in juvenile court steubenville high school students trent mays & ma'lik richmond are 'adjudicated delinquent' on all three counts, which is equivalent to a finding of guilty in adult court.

the 17 year-old mays & 16 year-old richmond were charged with digitally penetrating the west virginia girl - first in a car, then in a house. they could be held in a juvenile jail until they turn 21. both of the teenagers offered their apologies & expressed their remorse in court after the judge ruled on their crimes.  

said mays, "i'd like to apologize to her family, the community, no pics should have been sent. that's all sir." richmond said, "i'd like to apologize to you people. i had no intentions to do anything, i'm sorry to put you through this. i'm sorry, i didn't..." he broke down crying. afterwards, the mother of the victim's mother gave a statement to the media.

she spoke anonymously, "it did not matter what school you went to, what city you lived in, or what sport you've played. human compassion is not taught by a teacher, coach or parent. it is a god-given gift instilled in all of this. you displayed not only a lack of this compassion, but a lack of any moral code. your decisions that night affected countless lives including those most dear to you."

she said, "you were your own accuser through social media you chose to publish your criminal conduct on. this does not define who my daughter is. she will persevere, grow & move on. i have pity for you both. i hope you fear the lord, repent for your actions & ask for his forgiveness."

this case divided the community in a small town amid allegations more students should have been charged & led to questions about the influence of the football team, a local source of pride. after the guilty verdicts, ohio's attorney general said he will convene a grand jury to investigate whether other people should be charged in the case.

activist groups have questioned why people who knew about the rape weren't charged under state law requiring people to report crimes. attorney general mike dewine said, "this community desperately needs to have this behind them but this community also desperately needs to know justice was done & that no stone was left unturned."       

President Obama Signs Expanded Violence Against Women Act

president barack obama signed a law thursday expanding protections for victims of domestic violence, renewing a measure credited with curbing violence against women 18 months after it lapsed amid democrat & republican bickering.

the revitalized violence against women act marked an important win for gay rights advocates & indigneous people, who will see new protections under the law. obama said, "this is your day. this is the day of the advocates, the day of the survivors. this is your victory. this victory shows that when the american people make their voices heard, washington listens."

as obama prepared to put his pen to the newly expanded law, new government data underscored both the progress made & the need to do more. the rate of sexual violence against women & girls age 12 or older fell 64% in a decade & has remained stable for five years, the justice department said in a survey released thursday. in 2010, women & girls nationwide experienced about 270,000 rapes  or sexual assaults, compared with 556,000 in 1995.

the survey also showed rapes & sexual assaults against women plateaued, as violent crime overall dropped. women's advocacy groups said the violence against women act & heightened awareness of the problem by the police has had a positive effect. obama said, "one of the great legacies of this is law is it didn't just change the rules, it changed our culture. it empowered people to start speaking out."

house speaker nancy pelosi, attorney general eric holder & members of the house & senate from both parties joined obama for the signing ceremony, along with vice president joe biden - who wrote & sponsored the original law in 1994. obama gave special thanks to republicans, including senator susan collins of maine, who supported the renewal despite heavy opposition from the gop.

the law strengthens the criminal justice system's response to crimes against women. the republican-controlled house rejected a senate-passed version affirming gay, lesbian & immigrants' rights to equal access to the law's programs. the senate bill also allowed tribal courts to prosecute non-indians who attack their indian partners on tribal lands, giving native american authorities the ability to go after crimes federal prosecutors, for lack of resources, often decline to pursue.

in february, house republicans capitulated & allowed a vote on an almost identical version of the bill, which passed 286-138. it was the third time in two months house speaker john boehner let a democratic-supported bill reach the floor despite opposition from a majority of his party; republicans wanted to put the issue behind them after losing the women's vote in the november elections.

the violence against women act models how to protect women, & some men, from domestic abuse & prosecute abusers. since its inception in 1994, it helped reduce domestic violence incidents by two-thirds. the renewal authorizes $659 million annually over five years to fund current programs providing grants for hotlines, law enforcement training, legal assistance & transitional housing.

additionally, the expanded violence against women act reauthorizes the traffic victims protection act, adds stalking to the list of crimes making immigrants eligible for protection & authorizes programs dealing with rape investigations & sexual assaults on college campuses.

American Baby Cured of HIV

a mississippi toddler was born in july 2010 infected with hiv & treated within 30 hours of delivery with aggressive hiv therapy, which continued for 30 months. she is now considered cured of her infection - a medical first for an infant - a team of researchers, led by dr. deborah persaud, a virologist at johns hopkins university in baltimore said at a news conference at the conference on retroviruses & opportunistic infections in atlanta last sunday.

"from a clinical perspective, this means that is you can get an infected baby on to antiretroviral drugs immediately after delivery, it's going to be possible to prevent or reverse the infection, essentially cure the baby," said dr. steven deeks. deeks is an hiv/aids researcher at the university of california at san francisco. he attended the conference, where the case was presented to researchers monday.

deeks and others hailed the findings as a great advance in the search for a cure in babies born infected with hiv. but the researchers said they also suggest the need for better ways to diagnose hiv infection, typically a six week process. deeks said, "this could have a profound effect on how we approach babies born to hiv-infected moms." 

treatment of hiv-infected mothers before delivery is the best way to prevent hiv infection of infants, many experts say. but even in resource-rich countries like america, 100 to 200 babies are born annually with hiv, said dr. anthony fauci, director of the national institute of allergy & infectious diseases, part of the national institutes of health.

worldwide, especially in developing countries, as many as 1,000 babies are born infected each day. for these children, the findings could have a major impact on the "terrible burden of hiv infection throughout the world," fauci said. michel sidibe, executive director of the joint united nations programme on hiv/aids (unaids), said the news "gives us great hope that a cure for hiv in children is possible," but it also underscores the need for research & innovation, "especially in the area of early diagnostics."

fauci said the mississippi child's case was an important "proof of concept" but cautioned it was only one case & it needs to be further validated. fauci said, "the real question is will this be broadly applicable to other infants?" fauci said there's a risk without better diagnostics, children who were never infected in the first place could be exposed to toxic drugs with very early treatment.

dr. hannah gay, a pediatric hiv specialist at the university of mississippi medical center in jackson, made the call to treat the child with hiv drugs even before her infection was confirmed - she believed the child was at such great risk of infection. but had she been wrong, the therapy would have been stopped.

"since the mother had really been at such high risk of transmitting to the baby, they decided to treat on square one," said fauci, as opposed to giving the child a lower, preventative dose of drugs until test results confirm an infection. fauci said, "the approach of treating really, really early needs to be pursued. when we get better diagnostics where we can tell within the first day or so whether the baby is infected, an approach like this looks like it might be a reasonable thing to pursue with the appropriate clinical trials."    
   

Supreme Court Justices Weigh In On Racially Charged Remarks of Federal Prosecutor

two u.s. supreme court justices weighed in on the racially charged remarks of a federal prosecutor during a criminal trial in texas. the comments of the justices emerged as the court declined to hear the appeal of a man who was convicted in a texas federal court of being in on a drug conspiracy.

the issue for the defendant, bongani charles calhoun, was whether he knew the people he accompanied on a road trip were about to buy illegal drugs, or whether he was merely along for the ride. during cross-examination, calhoun said he distanced himself from the others when one of them arrived at their hotel with a bag of money.

the prosecutor, an assistant u.s. attorney in the western district of texas, pressed calhoun to explain why he didn't want to be there. the prosecutor asked, "you've got african-americans, you've got hispanics & you've got a bag full of money. does that tell you, a light bulb doesn't go off in your head & say, this is a drug deal?"  

after he was convicted, calhoun - who is african-american - claimed the prosecutor's culturally oppressive statements violated his constitutional rights by appealing to the jury's prejudice. the court today declined to take up his appeal, because his lawyers failed to properly pursue the issue in the lower courts.  

but justices stephen breyer & sonia sotomayor said they couldn't let the case pass without writing to dispel doubts of whether the court's decision to not hear the case "should be understood to signal our tolerance of a federal prosecutor's racially charged remark. it should not." they wrote.

breyer & sotomayor wrote, "by suggesting that race should play a role in establishing a defendant's criminal intent, the prosecutor here tapped into a deep & sorry vein of racial prejudice that has run through the history of criminal justice in our nation. it is deeply disappointing to see a representative of the united states resort to this base tactic more than a decade into the 21st century. we expect the government to seek justice, not to fan the flames of fear & prejudice."

the justices also said it was troubling to see the justice department fail to immediately condemn what happened. instead, they said, during the appeals in the lower courts, the government called the prosecutor's remarks "impolitic" & said it did not affect the outcome of the trial "even assuming the question crossed the line."

nonetheless, it was only after the case reached the supreme court did the justice department concede the prosecutor's remarks were "unquestionably improper." sotomayor wrote for herself & breyer, "i hope never to see a case like this again."


  

2013 NBA All-Star Weekend

the 2013 nba all-star weekend in houston, texas began friday night with the celebrity all-star game. russell westbrook, all-pro guard of the oklahoma city thunder & james harden, all-pro guard of the houston rockets served as respective coaches. actor/comedian kevin hart was named mvp for the second consecutive year, despite scoring just five points.

the ongoing activities culminate with the all-star game between the eastern & western conference sunday night. hall-of-famers charles barkley & shaquille o'neal coached the rookie/sophomore game on friday. dwayne wade, all-pro guard of the miami heat coached the eastern squad. chris paul, all-pro guard of the los angeles clippers coached the western squad on saturday. listed below are the winners:

rookie/sophomore game. team chuck 163, team shaq 135. 
mvp: kenneth faried, denver nuggets. 40 points, 10 rebounds.

shooting stars - team bosh: chris bosh, swin cash & dominique wilkins.

skills challenge - damien lillard, portland trailblazers.

three point competition - kyrie irving, cleveland cavaliers.

slam dunk contest - terrance ross, toronto raptors.

west 143, east 138. 
mvp: chris paul. 20 points, 15 assists.

Baltimore Ravens Win Super Bowl XLVII

the baltimore ravens defeated the san francisco 49ers 34-31 to win super bowl xlvii. ravens quarterback joe flacco was named most valuable player. flacco completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards & three touchdown passes. flacco ties joe montana & kurt warner for the most td passes in post-season history, with 11.

ravens head coach john harbaugh & 49ers head coach jim harbaugh are the first brothers to face off in a super bowl. john, 15 months older than jim, was humble upon accepting the vince lombardi trophy on behalf of his team. he said, "how could it be any other way? its never pretty. its never perfect. but its us. it was us today."

super bowl 47 lasted an nfl record four hours & 14 minutes. it was a thrilling game, which featured a surprising 34 minute power outage, shortly after halftime. both teams were instructed to stay on the field & stretch. no one was injured during the delay, but the ravens seemed to lose the momentum they built after jacobi jones ran 108 yards on a kickoff return, tying an nfl record. his score gave them a 28-6 lead.

the 49ers quickly redeemed themselves when the power returned, as rookie quarterback colin kaepernick threw a 31-yard td pass to wide receiver michael crabtree. after shutting down the ravens on three straight plays, ted ginn, jr's 20-yard punt return led to a frank gore six-yard td run to make the score 28-20. 

ravens all-pro running back ray lewis fumbled on his own 24-yard line. 49ers david akers' 34-yard field goal lowered the ravens lead to five. but after a long drive, their rookie justin tucker's 19-yard field goal increased the lead to eight. kaepernick's 15-yard td run - the longest by a qb in super bowl history - made it 31-29. the 49ers failed on a two-point conversion due to the ravens' all out blitz, led by all-pro safety ed reed.

tucker kicked another field goal with four minutes & 19 seconds left in the game. the 49ers drove to the red zone shortly before the two-minute warning. yet they were unable to score on three consecutive plays, due to the ravens' tough goal-line stand. there was contact on crabtree on the final pass. 49ers coach jim harbaugh felt pass interference should have been called, but there was no flag thrown.

ravens punter sam koch, in another of a series of bold moves by ravens head coach john harbaugh in this game, took a safety for the final 34-31 score with four seconds left on the clock. his free kick was returned by ginn, jr. to midfield as the time ran out & the confetti began to shower the field. the victory is the second in the ravens' storied history. they routed the new york giants in 2001.

after a successful start, baltimore stumbled into the playoffs with four defeats in their last five regular-season games. all-pro linebacker ray lewis, who recently announced his retirement after this season, missed a few games after injuring his torn triceps. flacco struggled to find rhythm throwing the ball. harbaugh fired their offensive coordinator in december, a stunning move with the post-season in sight. 

the winning head coach harbaugh said, "the final series of ray lewis' career was a goal-line stand." lewis said, "it's no greater way, as a champ, to go out on your last ride with the men that i went out with, my teammates. and you looked around this stadium and baltimore! baltimore! we coming home, baby! we did it!" 

the loss was difficult for jim harbaugh. after the 49ers fired head coach mike singletary, the hall-of-fame linebacker from the chicago bears, in two years he led them to their first super bowl in 18 years. they are 5-0 in super bowls. they made a similar comeback in the nfc championship game against atlanta & believed they'd do it again. but afterwards, the brothers embraced at midfield, knowing a harbaugh was a winner.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick Appoints Mo Cowan To Senate Seat

massachusetts governor deval patrick will appoint his former chief of staff, william "mo" cowan, to be the interim pick to fill the state's vacated senate seat. cowan is the second african-american to represent the state of massachusetts in the senate. republican ed brooke was the first. brooke served from 1967-1979.

according to the boston globe, "cowan is a north carolina native & duke university graduate who came to boston to attend northeastern university law school in the early 1990's & never left the region. one of the city's leading african-american lawyers, cowan is a former partner in the politically connected law firm of mintz levin."

the globe also reports, "patrick & cowan built up a strong friendship over the years, in part, because both men have risen from difficult childhoods to prominence in boston & in the state. patrick also served as a mentor to cowan when both were practicing lawyers."

in a statement, patrick said, "mo's service on the front lines in our efforts to manage through the worst economy in 80 years & build a better, stronger commonwealth for the next generation has earned him the respect & admiration of people throughout government. the people of the commonwealth have benefited from his wisdom & good judgment during his time in our office, & will again in the senate."

once senator john kerry was nominated by president barack obama to replace hilary rodham clinton for secretary of state, there was widespread speculation about who governor patrick would appoint to replace him. some thought patrick might even select himself.

retired congressman barney frank shared his interest as a placeholder - until a special election is held this june - to fill that seat for the remainder of kerry's term. earlier last month, frank said, "i'm very well suited to do it. you're not going to have a long period to get acquainted with things."

kerry was nearly unanimously confirmed by the u.s. senate tuesday to lead the state department under president obama. republican scott brown, who lost his bid for re-election to the senate this past november, indicated he may run again this summer. recent polls have shown him leading several potential democratic candidates, including patrick.  

        

Ravens Linebacker Plans To Affirm LGBT Rights At Super Bowl XLVII

baltimore ravens linebacker & special teams ace brendon ayanbadejo has unconventional plans for the upcoming super bowl week. ayanbadejo intends to utilize the global media blitz as a unique opportunity to express his views on anti-bullying, gay rights & marriage equality.

ayanbadejo is bi-racial & grew up in a liberal environment where discrimination was frowned upon. his stepfather was a resident director for a lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (lgbt) dorm at the university of california at santa cruz. ayanbadejo & his family lived in the dorm, which helped him cultivate passionate feelings for lgbt people & their rights.

earlier this season, ayanbadejo was at the center of a developing controversy: a maryland politician wrote a letter to the ravens demanding the organization silence him for speaking publicly about lgbt issues. surprisingly, minnesota vikings punter chris kluwe supported ayanbadejo & wrote a scathing letter to the politician - admonishing him for discouraging a citizen for sharing their views.

despite the political backlash, ayanbadejo remains steadfast. according to the new york times, he e-mailed two marriage equality advocates hours after returning home from the team's come-from-behind win against the new england patriots in the afc championship game last sunday. he also swapped e-mails with the founder & executive director of athlete ally, a group dedicated to eliminating homophobia in sports.     

ayanbadejo began working on ways to get out his message as soon as the ravens clinched a berth in the game against the san francisco 49ers. in fact, he even has a dream scenario in mind: the ravens win the super bowl & he is invited to the ellen degeneres talk show as a guest, where the duo will discuss the importance of equality for all gays & lesbians. but before they get their talk on, he wants to get his dance on, with ellen. 

Pentagon Chief Leon Panetta Removes Military Ban On Women In Combat

senior defense officials wednesday said pentagon chief leon panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat. the ban will open hundreds of thousands of front-line positions & potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade of war.

the groundbreaking move recommended by the joint chiefs of staff overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. panetta's decision gives the military services until january 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women. 

a senior military official says the services will develop plans for allowing women to seek the combat positions. some jobs may open as soon as this year. assessments for others, such as special operations forces, including navy seals & the army's delta force, may take longer.

the official said the military chiefs must report back to panetta with their initial implementation plans by may 15. since the announcement on panetta's decision is not expected until thursday, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity.

panetta's bold move expands the pentagon's action nearly a year ago to open up about 14,500 combat positions to women, nearly all of them in the army. this decision could open up more than 230,000 jobs, many in army & marine infantry units, to women.

in recent years the necessities of war propelled women into jobs such as intelligence officers, medics & military police sometimes attached - but not formally assigned - to units on the front lines. women comprise 14 percent of the nearly 1.4 million active military personnel.



  

Major Porn Producer Sues To Block Controversial Los Angeles Condom Law

a major adult filmmaker sued to block a new los angeles county law requiring porn actors to wear condoms, calling it a threat to free expression. vivid entertainment contends measure b, passed by country voters last fall, violates the first amendment right to free speech & expression. vivid feels the law is unnecessary because the adult industry currently employs safeguards, such as regular blood testing of actors, to prevent the spread of aids & other sexually transmitted infections.

the provocative suit, filed thursday in federal court, also maintains the law is burdensome, ineffective, vague & is pre-empted by california laws & regulations. it asks the court to block the measure's enforcement & rule it unconstitutional. county counsel declined comment friday, saying they had just begun a review of the case.

measure b requires adult film producers to apply for a permit from the county department of health to shoot sex scenes. permit fees will finance periodic inspections of film sets to enforce compliance. however, public health authorities have not announced specific enforcement measures for the law. the aids healthcare foundation, which sponsored the initiative, said the measure will safeguard both the public & porn actors from sexually transmitted infections.

some adult film actors rallied to oppose the law before its november passage. sex film star amber lynn told the los angeles daily news at the time, "the idea of allowing a government employee to come & inspect our genitalia while we're on set is atrocious."

industry critics said fans don't want to see actors using condoms. they say if the law is enforced, the 200 or so companies producing adult films in los angeles, primarily in the san fernando valley, will simply move their businesses elsewhere - taking with them as many as 10,000 jobs.

steven hirsch, vivid's founder & co-chairman, said, "overturning this law is something i feel very passionate about. i believe the industry's current testing system works well." hirsch said, "since 2004 over 300,000 explicit scenes have been filmed with zero hiv transmission. the new law makes no sense & it imposes a government licensing regime on making films protected by the constitution."

hirsch also said, in a statement, the law will have "vast unintended consequences which may undermine industry efforts to protect the health of our actors & actresses." califa productions, which produces adult films for vivid, along with actors who use the stage names kayden kross & logan pierce, joined the suit, which names the county, its district attorney & public health director.   
 
   
   

Gang-Rape: Five Male Suspects Charged In Murder Of Young Woman In Delhi, India

indian authorities have charged five men with the kidnap, gang rape & murder of a woman in delhi, india last month. the 23 year-old female died of her injuries two weeks after the december 16 attack. the five men will be tried in a fast-track court, where they could be handed the death penalty. a sixth suspect is likely to be tried in juvenile court.

the brutally vicious incident has sparked outrage all across the indian continent. the victim's father said he backed calls for the men to be executed if they are found guilty. "the whole country is demanding that these monsters be hanged. i am with them," he told reporters at his home in uttar predesh state. under indian law, neither the woman nor her family can be identified.

the charges were put before a magistrate but will be transferred to a specially launched fast-track court. the trial is expected to start at the weekend. although its mandatory in india for the accused to appear in person to be charged, policemen outside the court said the suspects, who include the driver of the bus, would not be present on thursday for security reasons.

case documents already exceed 1,000 pages - including key testimony from the woman before she died. police say they have scheduled more than 30 witnesses. the bar association said none of its members are willing to defend the suspects; the court is expected to appoint defense lawyers itself. india's chief justice, altamas kabir, warned, despite the strength of public feeling, "a swift trial should not be at the cost of a fair trial." he also told reporters,"let us not lose sight of the fact that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty."

protests have been taking place every day since the attack, with protesters expressing rage over attitudes towards woman in india, while calling for changes to the laws on violence against women. they say woman across india are frequent victims of harassment & sexual assault, reports of crimes against women are not taken seriously & conviction rates are too low.

the bbc's sanjoy majumder in delhi says this is not the first such crime to make the news, but it has touched a raw nerve with the public & could become a watershed case. on wednesday, delhi's chief minister sheila dikshit joined thousands of women on a protest march through delhi to rajghat & called for stringent anti-rape laws. india's junior education minister shashi tharoor suggested a new anti-rape law be named after the victim - whose family said they would not object to such a move.

the woman & a male friend had been to the cinema when they boarded a private bus home in the evening. police have said the men on the bus had been drinking & were taking the vehicle on a joyride. they beat the woman & her companion with iron bars, raped her for nearly an hour & then threw them out of the moving bus into the street.

the press trust of india quoted police sources as saying the driver of the bus tried to run her over after throwing her out, but she was saved by her male friend. she sustained serious injuries to her body & her brain. tragically, she died in a hospital in singapore december 29, where she had been flown in for specialist treatment.

delhi officials have responded to criticism stating they are failing to protect women by announcing a series of measures intended to make the city safer. these include checks on bus drivers & their assistants, more police night patrols & the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains. the government has also set up a committee under a retired supreme court judge to recommend changes to the anti-rape law. additionally, a telephone helpline has been launched for women in distress, connected with police stations across the city.

in what has been seen as an indication of the growing public rage around sexual violence towards women, ironic footage was broadcast on national television last thursday. a member of the ruling congress party in north-eastern assam state - who had been accused of raping a young woman - was being publicly attacked. the video showed a crowd of woman surrounding the man, hitting him & stripping him, before they turned him over to the police. 





   
 





  
     
      
  
     

Minimum Wage Bill Pushes Federal Increase To $10 An Hour

the minimum wage hasn't kept pace with inflation, according to three u.s. congressmen. they want to correct the situation by boosting the federal standard to $10 an hour. 

representatives john conyers, jr. (d-mich), dennis kucinich (d-ohio), & jesse jackson, jr. (d-ill) announced the introduction of "the catching up to 1968 act of 2012" at a press conference wednesday in washington, dc. the proposed bill would augment the minimum wage up from $7.25 an hour & require an annual increase tied to inflation. 

the congressmen said that even at $10 an hour, the minimum wage is below 1968 levels when adjusted for inflation. said conyers, "this legislation is long overdue & sorely needed. more than 30 million americans would see their wages increased, which would provide an immediate boost to the economy." congress hasn't passed legislation raising the minimum wage since 2006, when it put in place a series of increases that ended in 2009.

consumer advocate & former presidential candidate ralph nader helped announce the legislation at the press conference. said nader, "at at time when the issue of income inequality has been elevated in political discourse, it is surprising that a plight of millions of workers throughout this country hasn't been addressed. a single wall street executive's compensation of $15 million would pay the annual wages of over 700 workers working at a minimum wage of $10 an hour."

in a october 2010 poll conducted by the public religion research institute, two-thirds of the american public - including a majority of republicans - supported raising the minimum wage. while running for office, president barack obama promised to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011. both obama & his 2012 campaign opponent republican mitt romney support the idea of adjusting the minimum wage to keep up with inflation.



  

Happy Kwanzaa Everyone!

nguzo saba (the seven spiritual principles) - a guide for daily living...

umoja (unity)
to strive for & maintain unity in the family, community, nation & race.

kujichajulia (self-determination)
to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves & speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for & spoken for by others.

ujima (collective work & responsibility)
to build & maintain our community together & make our sister's & brother's problems our problems & to solve them together.

ujamaa (cooperative economics)
to build & maintain our own stores, shops & other businesses & to profit from them together.

nia (purpose)
to make our collective vocation in the building & development of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

kuumba (creativity)
to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful & beneficial than we inherited it.

imani (faith)
to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders & the righteousness & victory of our struggle.

dr. maulana karenga
september 7, 1965

First Lady Michelle Obama Writes An Open Letter To Sandy Hook Victims And Their Families

first lady michelle obama wrote an open letter to the victims of the tragic shooting at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut. the compassionate letter, entitled, "holding you in our hearts," was published in the hartford courant yesterday. the letter reads as follows:

"over the past week, we as americans have been united in our grief as newtown has laid to rest so many beautiful, innocent children, along with the heroic educators who worked every day to help them achieve their dreams. as a mother of two young daughters, my heart aches for you and your families. like so many americans, i wish there was something - anything - i could do to ease your anguish.

but i know that i cannot begin to imagine the depths of your grief. i know that for many of you, the pain you are enduring right now seems unbearable; any many of you may be asking yourselves, how can we go on - as families and as a community? but i also know that we have already begun to see the answer to that question in the countless acts of courage, kindness and love here in newtown and across america.

over the past week, i have been awed and inspired by newtown's heroes: the first responders who risked their lives at a moment's notice; the educators whose devotion to their students shone brightest in one of our nation's darkest hours; the children who comforted each other despite their fear; the families coming together to support each other as they grieve.

and i am so proud of the outpouring of love and support that has come from every corner of america; from first responders from neighboring cities rushing to help however they could; from people in cleveland and charlotte and juneau and so many other communities joining together to honor newtown with their thoughts and prayers; and in living rooms and houses of worship and the halls of government, where we are beginning to have those difficult conversations about how we can build a safer, more peaceful tomorrow for all our children.

and i want you to know that this is just the beginning. as my husband has said, in the coming weeks, he will use all the powers of his office to engage citizens from across the country to find ways to prevent tragedies like this one. and please know that every minute of every day, we are thinking of you, and praying for you, and holding you and your families in our hearts as you begin the slow and wrenching work of healing and moving forward.

in the months and years ahead, may the memories of those beautiful children and those heroic adults be a blessing for their families, for your community, and for our country, and may god bless you all."

first lady michelle obama, washington, dc.

today is the fifth consecutive day funerals will be held for victims of the massacre in newton, as three staff members and two students will be laid to rest. at 9:30 a.m., a moment of silence will take place nationally for the sandy hook victims, marking a week ago when adam lanza killed 26 people, including 20 children. he then took his own life.

newtown officials will convene together at 9:28 a.m. on the steps of edmund town hall in newtown, for the 9:30 a.m. moment of silence. governor dannel p. malloy, lt. governor nancy wyman and newtown first selectman patricia llodra will be among those in attendance. 

bells from nearby trinity episcopal church are also scheduled to ring 26 times in memory of each life lost in the tragedy. the u.s. post office has set up a special p.o. box for persons to send cards and flowers expressing their condolences and sympathies to the newtown community. the address is: box  3700, newtown, connecticut 06470.

     


   

Biggie Smalls' Autopsy Report Leaked

it's been almost 16 years since brooklyn's own christopher wallace, also known as biggie smalls, big poppa, or the notorious b.i.g., was gunned down & killed in los angeles. now, because of a leaked autopsy report, shockingly graphic details of the legendary rapper's unsolved murder have finally been revealed.

wallace, who stood six foot one & weighed 395 pounds, was shot four times while riding in the passenger seat of a chevy suburban on wilshire boulevard march 9, 1997. he was struck in the chest, forearm, leg, scrotum & shoulder. according to the report, three of the shots were not fatal.

the shot to his left hip tore through his vital organs, perforating his colon, heart, liver & upper lobe of his left lung, the report detailed. doctors attempted to perform an emergency thoracotomy, but sadly, wallace was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.

wallace's death at age 24 shocked the hip hop community. he became a central figure in the east coast with the release of his prophetically titled 1994 album, ready to die. he went on to collaborate with sean "diddy" combs, jay-z, lil' kim & faith evans. wallace married evans just nine days after they met. he was also romantically linked to lil' kim.

six months before wallace's death, actor/rapper tupac shakur was shot & killed - also in california. the two stars were prominent in the controversial "east coast/west coast" beef amongst hip hop artists. ironically, biggie & tupac were once close friends. nevertheless, details surrounding the murder of "big poppa" remain murky: an assailant has never been identified.

in an interview with mtv, lil' kim was asked what she would say to biggie if he were alive today. said kim, "i would say he did a good job. he did a good job. he should be proud of himself. he should be very proud. he did some good things when he was here, i hope he looks at me & he's proud. he should be proud of the kids he made & how they turned out. he should just be proud of his work...that he left here on earth."

Chiefs Win The Football Game But How Will They Heal Their Loss?

the scoreboard in arrowhead stadium on sunday afternoon read kansas city chiefs 27, carolina panthers 21. the chiefs improved their record to 2-10, which, especially given their dismal season, would normally be cause for celebration. but their victory came in the aftermath of an unimaginable tragedy involving one of their players. 

saturday morning chiefs linebacker jovan belcher killed his 22 year-old girlfriend, kasandra perkins. belcher then drove, alone, five miles to the stadium & shot himself - in front of chiefs coach romeo crenell, chiefs defensive coordinator gary gibbs & chiefs general manager scott piloi - in the parking lot of the team's facility.

many people, inside & outside of the nfl community, debated the purpose of the game being played. crenell said the team decided to play because "we're football players & coaches & that's what we do on sundays." chiefs center ryan lilja, one of the team captains who affirmed their decision said, "none of the options were good. the least worst option was to play. there was no precedent for this & i don't know if this was the right or wrong choice. but we chose to do it together."

professional male athletes are human & react to death in various ways. linebacker derrick johnson said belcher's death didn't really hit him until he woke up sunday morning & drove to the stadium. quarterback brady quinn pondered how well people actually communicate their real feelings in a society where social media dominates. lilja talked about a desire to hug every teammate when he walked into the locker room. 

the chiefs remind us of how the relationship between sports & extended families resonate universally. players openly talked about ways to support zoey, the three month-old daughter of belcher & perkins. team owner clark hunt emphasized therapists will be available for all who need support. crenell also mentioned how critical it was for the team to unify when he addressed them saturday morning.

said crenell, "the thing that helped the most was that we were able to lean on each other. we were able to let some things out." the chiefs also had to balance missing a friend & idolizing a murderer. there was no mention of belcher or perkins during the moment of silence before the game - the message was intended to demonstrate support for domestic violence - but a team employee left belcher's cleats, helmets, jersey & shoulder pads in his locker.

chiefs right tackle eric winston said, "the hardest part is to try & speak positively about belcher & also know what happened. that's the most confusing part for me. i've dealt with somebody taking their own life before, but never something like this." no one on their team ever experienced this type of trauma. in a town where football reigns supreme & two families are deeply wounded, the chiefs decided to heal the only way they knew how: by playing football on a sunday afternoon.