NRA President Jim Porter: “It’s Only A Matter Of Time Before We Can Own Colored People Again”

By Stacy L. HOUSTON, May 2013 — It seems new National Rifle Association President (NRA) president Jim Porter may have found himself in a bit of hot water. Not long ago he made his feelings about the Civil War known when he referred to it as the “War of Northern Aggression.” In that same speech he referred to President Obama as a “fake president” and Attorney General Eric Holder as “rabidly un-American.” However none of those remarks that anyone could deem as racist compare to his remarks made at a recent press conference discussing his new leadership role at the NRA. “I’m very proud to be taking the lead here at the NRA. We need to really buckle down and strap on our best arguments to defend what is our God-given rights. No more northern folk tryin’ take away what is rightfully ours. I will not stand by and let some liberal-elitists try to ruin what has made this country great, especially a liberal of, you know, a different breed.” When asked to clarify Porter said, “I don’t have to clarify. You know gall darn well what I mean. In fact, it’s only a matter of time before we can own colored people again. They sure as hell won’t be our leaders. It’s out-right embarrassing. The War of Northern Aggression made it all possible, and you be best to know it’s all gonna change back. I’ll be on the front lines making sure it happens. I don’t want my grandkids growing up taking orders from a colored man. It’s our God-given right to keep them as property and keep them in line.” Several at the NRA, including vice president Wayne LaPierre, have since tried to distance themselves from Porter’s remarks. LaPierre said, “They brought him in over me to try and liven things up, calling me boring and rehearsed. Next time they’d be better off just making me president.” It’s still unknown if the NRA and Porter will write an apology and retraction to his comments. Free Wood Post will keep you up to date as this story unfolds.

YOU NEED TO LISTEN AND ACT!

By Dr. E. Faye Williams   Commentary May 9th, 2013 - Do you know what your children are listening to?  We do, and that's why we've been taking action in the National Congress of Black Women.  Our Entertainment Commission members, co-chaired by Krystal Glass and Tracey Holloway have been monitoring the relationship between corporations and rappers who promote vulgarity, violence, and misogyny. Previously when NCBW objected to this type of denigrating content in media, we went directly to the corporations supporting rappers through advertising. Most recently, we joined the public outcry leading to withdrawal of several corporate endorsements of these artists.  That’s why we’re on this subject again this week!   Reebok ended their endorsement of Rick Ross after he rapped about drugging and raping a woman. Mountain Dew pulled a racist commercial created by Tyler, The Creator, which displayed a battered white woman identifying her attacker from a line-up of all African-American males.  Additionally, Lil Wayne lost his endorsement from PepsiCo after making a vulgar and disrespectful reference to Emmet Till who was murdered.   For over 20 years, my predecessor, Dr. C. Delores Tucker and our members have met with and picketed BET and record shops that promoted despicable music and videos as mentioned in a previous column. We’ve purchased stock in companies like Viacom so we could speak at stockholders' meetings. We’ve contacted sponsors of negative TV shows and music and asked them to drop their support. We’ve testified before Congress. We’ve met with rappers and tried to reason with them.  These were all men denigrating women.   Unfortunately, there’s also a female artist who must be included among the promoters of degenerate behavior. Nicki Minaj, the darling of the American Idol judges' panel, is admired by millions of young people and adults. On the red carpet,  the self-professed Barbie Doll displays rainbow bright colors and wears clothing covered in toys and stuffed animals - adornments sure to catch the eye of young girls. However, such childhood innocence isn’t always present in her music. Her videos often display the same level of female subjugation and immoral behavior as her male counterparts.   Much of Minaj's "artistry" is too vulgar to include within this article; however, we have provided references so that parents, can be aware of what many children are listening to. You may be shocked to view images of Minaj on stage with sex toys. Observe the debauchery in her video for Beez in the Trap, and in her latest work where she has sexual relations with Lil Wayne in the video for a song called High School--a blatant promotion of underage sex. After viewing such images, one must also question the ethics of her 2011 musical collaboration with then eleven year-old artist, Willow Smith on the song and video for Fireball.   We must also question Minaj's latest business venture, the Pink Pill - a portable wireless Bluetooth speaker made in the shape of a pink pharmaceutical drug, especially considering a recent national survey which found that prescription drug abuse among teens is at an all-time high. Further, the advertisement for the Pink Pill perpetuates the double negative stereotype of the “Black woman with attitude” and the “cheating Black man”.   By incorporating both childhood innocence and adult sexuality in her image, Nicki Minaj is attracting and, certainly, confusing the impressionable minds of our young girls and boys. Therefore, she must be included among the slew of artists who are waging a psychological war against the healthy development of our youth. In Bible verse Matthew 7:16 it states, "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?” The NCBW asks you to be aware and continually ask yourselves, “Do I know what my children are listening to?”   (Dr. E. Faye Williams is Chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. (202) 678-6788. www.nationalcongressbw.org)

CDC: 75 percent in U.S. with hepatitis C don't know they are infected

ATLANTA, May 7 (UPI) -- An estimated 3 million Americans are living with hepatitis C and about 75 percent don't know they are infected, U.S. health officials estimate. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report said only half of U.S. adults with hepatitis C receive complete testing for the virus. "Many people who test positive on an initial hepatitis C test are not receiving the necessary follow-up test to know if their body has cleared the virus or if they are still infected," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "Complete testing is critical to ensure that those who are infected receive the care and treatment for hepatitis C that they need in order to prevent liver cancer and other serious and potentially deadly health consequences." Testing all baby boomers properly is critical to stem the increasing toll of death and disease from hepatitis C in this nation, CDC officials said. "CDC recommends that everyone in the U.S. born from 1945 through 1965 be tested for hepatitis C in order to increase the proportion of those who know they are infected and linked to care," the report said. "The CDC also recommends that other populations at increased risk for hepatitis C get tested."

Texas executes fifth inmate this year

HUNTSVILLE, Texas, May 7 (UPI) -- One-time drug dealer Carroll Joe "Outlaw" Parr was executed in Texas Tuesday for killing a teenager over a marijuana purchase outside a convenience store. Parr, 35, was executed by lethal injection at the state prison in Huntsville, KWTX-TV, Waco, reported. He was the fifth person executed in Texas this year. Parr had filed his own appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court, which Justice Antonin Scalia rejected without taking it to the full court, the TV station said. In his final appeal, Parr contended he had deficient legal help at his trial in Waco and in earlier stages of his appeal, KWTX-TV said. Parr was convicted in the Jan. 11, 2003, slaying of Joel Dominguez, 18, and wounding of Mario Chavez, then 18, in Waco. Authorities said Parr had bought marijuana from Dominguez at the store earlier and had returned with a friend, Earl Whiteside, to get his money back. Dominguez returned the money but Parr shot him anyway. Whiteside shot Chavez in the hand, prosecutors said. Whiteside pleaded guilty in 2004. Parr maintained he didn't shoot Dominguez but wouldn't name the shooter.

Walking essential for those with arthritis, but few do

ATLANTA, May 4 (UPI) -- Most adults with arthritis do no or little walking, but it is an effective and safe way to achieve proven arthritis relief, U.S. officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said for adults with arthritis physical activity is an essential self-management strategy proven to reduce pain and increase function. "Walking is a low impact, acceptable and feasible way of obtaining these benefits and one preferred by those with arthritis, in part because it can be done in bouts as short as 10 minutes," the report said. "However, almost two-thirds of adults with arthritis report no or low fewer than 90 minutes walking per week." Community-based programs, such as Walk With Ease, are available to help adults with arthritis increase their walking, CDC officials said. Public health efforts that link such programs with environmental/policy strategies that increase access to safe walking environments and communication campaigns that build awareness of the benefits of walking can help adults with arthritis increase their walking, the report said.

Would a White Girl Be Prosecuted for a Botched Science Experiment?

By Jesse LavaFollow By now you've probably heard about Kiera Wilmot, the 16-year-old Florida girl who botched a science experiment with a plastic bottle and toilet cleaner. The bottle ended up exploding, and though no one was hurt and no property damaged, Kiera was expelled from high school and is now being prosecuted as an adult for discharging a weapon on school grounds. She had an exemplary behavioral record up until that point. Kiera is, as one might expect, black. The notion of a white girl getting hauled off to jail for a harmless expression of intellectual curiosity is dubious, to say the least. And though the rise of "zero tolerance" policies in American schools should theoretically be race-neutral, that's not the reality. According to the Dignity in Schools campaign, "students of color... are more likely to be suspended and expelled than their peers for the same behavior" and "African American students [are] 3.5 times as likely to be expelled" as whites. What happened to Kiera Wilmot is part of a broader story about racial disparities in our criminal justice system. Yet we don't have to go macro to get the whiff of racial bias in this case. The prosecutor who decided to throw the book at Kiera is one Tammy Glotfelty, an assistant state attorney in Florida. The officer who arrested Kiera named Glotfelty in his police report: I THEN CONTACTED ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY TAMMY GLOTFELTY VIA TELEPHONE. I ADVISED [HER] OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE AND SHE ADVISED THIS OFFICER TO FILE THE CHARGES OF, POSSESSING OR DISCHARGING WEAPONS OR FIREARMS AT A SCHOOL SPONSORED EVENT OR ON SCHOOL PROPERTY F.S.S. 790.115 (1) AND MAKING, POSSESSING, THROWING, PROJECTING, PLACING, OR DISCHARGING ANY DESTRUCTIVE DEVICE F.S.S. 790.161 (A). Sounds absurdly harsh, right? And there has been no reversal of this decision since then. But Glotfelty isn't always so heartless. Just last week, she decided not to prosecute a teenager named Taylor Richardson who accidentally shot and killed his younger brother with a BB gun. Glotfelty declared the case "a tragic accident." I don't doubt that it was. The Richardson kid will probably have nightmares about this incident for the rest of his life. But I do wonder how to make sense of a prosecutor who one week shows understandable compassion for a kid who made a terrible mistake and the next week insists on giving a teenager the harshest possible sanction for something that didn't harm anyone. The first Tammy Glotfelty has a normal-sized heart in her chest. The second one has a hole there. There is one fact, however, that may help us figure out the discrepancy between Glotfelty #1 and Glotfelty #2: The Richardson family is white. Am I accusing Glotfelty of conscious racial bias? Nope. Self-awareness isn't the issue here. And maybe she has good reasons for treating these two cases differently. Hey, Taylor was 13 instead of 16; perhaps that makes all the difference in her eyes. But I can't shake the feeling that these two stories would have unfolded quite differently if the races of the children had been reversed. Somehow the white Kiera Wilmot would have had her story end with an adult touching her shoulder saying "I'm just glad you're alright." And the black Taylor Richardson would have heard platitudes about "taking responsibility" while being led away in handcuffs. The school-to-prison pipeline has become a very real phenomenon in this country, at least in communities of color. Suspending and expelling students for minor misbehavior has become routine despite there being no evidence that these steps improve school safety and strong evidence that they are linked to increased odds of behavior problems later. Moreover, prosecuting children as adults can destroy their chances of becoming productive members of society later in life. If prosecutors like Tammy Glotfelty really want to get serious about public safety, they'll work to transform our racially disparate justice system and refuse to put harmless black students behind bars.

Study: Heavy metals found in lipstick and lip glosses

BERKELEY, Calif., May 2 (UPI) -- Earlier research found heavy metals in makeup, but U.S. researchers analyzed lipsticks and lip glosses and measured the mineral levels to determine health risk. "Just finding these metals isn't the issue; it's the levels that matter," principal investigator S. Katharine Hammond, professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement. "Some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could possibly have an effect in the long term." The researchers tested 32 different lipsticks and lip glosses commonly found in U.S. drugstores and department stores. The study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals, some of which were found at levels that could raise potential health concerns. Lipstick and lip gloss are of special concern because they are ingested or absorbed, bit by bit, by the individual wearing them, the study authors said. The researchers developed definitions for average and high use of lip makeup based on usage data reported in a previous study. Average use was defined as a daily ingestion of 24 milligrams of lip makeup per day, but those who slather on lip color and reapply it repeatedly could fall into the high use category of 87 milligrams ingested per day, Hammond said. The average use of some lipsticks and lip glosses would result in excessive exposure to chromium, a carcinogen linked to stomach tumors and high use of these makeup products could result in potential overexposure to aluminum, cadmium and manganese as well, the study said. The study authors said for most adults, there is no reason to toss the lip gloss in the trash, but the amount of metals found do signal the need for more oversight by health regulators, currently, there are no U.S. standards for metal content in cosmetics.

Sleep-deprived men have lower sperm count, smaller testicles

ODENSE, Denmark, April 29 (UPI) -- Men who consistently lacked sleep had a higher risk of deformed and lower sperm counts than men who were well rested, researchers in Denmark say. Tina Kold Jensen of the University of Southern Denmark and colleagues said they found the sleep-deprived men also had a higher risk of lower testosterone levels and observable testicular size shrinkage. Jensen and colleagues surveyed 953 men in their late teens and early 20s. All of the men delivered a semen sample, had a blood sample drawn, underwent a physical examination and answered a questionnaire including information about sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances were assessed on the basis of a modified four-item version of the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire, which includes questions on sleep patterns during the past four weeks. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found men with sleeping problems -- insomnia, staying awake late, inconsistent sleep -- had an almost 30 percent lower sperm count, their sperm was more deformed, and their testicles were smaller.

Fasting may help those with diabetes, heart disease

BIRMINGHAM, England, April 30 (UPI) -- A British researcher says existing research indicates intermittent fasting may help those with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, alongside with weight loss. A review led by James Brown from Aston University in Birmingham, England, evaluated the various approaches to intermittent fasting -- fasting on a given number of consecutive or alternate days -- in the scientific literature. The basic format of intermittent fasting is to alternate days eating "normally" with days when calorie consumption is restricted. This can either be done on alternative days, or where two days each week are classed as "fasting days," Brown said. The review, published in the British Journal of Diabetes and Vascular Disease, found evidence from clinical trials showed fasting could limit inflammation, improve levels of sugars and fats in circulation and reduce blood pressure. In addition, the study found fasting bodies change how they select which fuel to burn, improving metabolism and reducing oxidative stress. Fasting also appeared to aid those with ischemic heart disease. Fasting may even protect the heart by raising levels of adiponectin, a protein that has several important roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and vascular biology, Brown said.

1963 Birmingham bombing victims to get Congressional Gold Medal

WASHINGTON, April 24 (UPI) -- The four young black girls killed in a 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., are being honored by Congress. The bombing -- which killed Addie Mae Collins, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14 -- was a seminal event in the civil rights struggle that ended legal segregation in the U.S. South and helped spur passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Nearly half a century after their deaths, the House of Representatives Wednesday voted to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the four girls killed Sept. 15, 1963. Twenty-two other members of the church were injured in the bombing and the 16th Street Baptist Church became a landmark in the civil rights movement. The honor "is a strong reminder of how many people fought and died in the civil rights movement so that this country could live up to its founding ideals of equality and opportunity," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. Cantor spoke in support of the bill to honor posthumously the "four little girls," The Washington Post said Other recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded annually by Congress include economist Mohammed Yunus, golfer Arnold Palmer, Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, baseball legend Jackie Robinson and the Tuskegee Airmen, an African-American unit of fighter pilots during World War II.

Scientists predict arctic could be free of sea ice in summer by 2050

WASHINGTON, April 12 (UPI) -- Two U.S. scientists say it's not a question of "if" there will be nearly ice-free summers in the arctic but "when," and sooner than many think. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration scientists James Overland and Muyin Wang say several different methods for predicting when the arctic will be nearly ice free in the summer show it could happen before 2050 and possibly within the next decade or two. "Rapid arctic sea ice loss is probably the most visible indicator of global climate change; it leads to shifts in ecosystems and economic access, and potentially impacts weather throughout the northern hemisphere," Overland said in a NOAA release Friday. "Early loss of arctic sea ice gives immediacy to the issue of climate change," he said. The various methods for predicting ice loss includes observed trends, historical records and computer modeling of global climate. "There is no one perfect way to predict summer sea ice loss in the arctic," Wang said. "So we looked at three approaches that result in widely different dates, but all three suggest nearly sea ice-free summers in the arctic before the middle of this century." Although yielding different time frames, the multiple approaches still suggest future sea ice loss will be within the first half of the 21st century, with a possibility of major loss within a decade or two, the researchers said. "Some people may interpret this [difference] to mean that models are not useful. Quite the opposite," Overland said. "Models are based on chemical and physical climate processes and we need better models for the arctic as the importance of that region continues to grow."

George Zimmerman's mother attacks media on Trayvon Martin case

ORLANDO, Fla., April 11 (UPI) -- Gladys Zimmerman, mother of Florida neighborhood watch shooter George Zimmerman, is criticizing media and prosecutors on the anniversary of her son's arrest. George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Sanford. He maintains he fired his gun in self-defense and is not guilty. In a two-page letter released Thursday through the Twitter account of her son, Robert, Gladys Zimmerman says her son, George, has been the victim of a "false narrative" of the case, CBS News reported. "April 11, 2012, will be forever remembered by the Zimmerman family as the day the justice system failed us as Americans, and as a consequence an innocent man was arrested for a crime he did not commit, solely to placate the masses," she wrote. She said media, and social media, made a rush to judgment before the evidence was available. "It is astounding that despite the vast amount of information and evidence now available that support for George's self-defense claim, the majority of the media avoids its publication," she wrote. George Zimmerman's trial is scheduled to begin in June.

VA budget has $63.5B for care, benefits

WASHINGTON, April 10 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama's Veterans Affairs Department budget includes $63.5 billion for care and benefits for military veterans and families, the White House said. The budget, unveiled Wednesday, also includes $3.1 billion in estimated medical care collections for a total budget authority of about $66.5 billion. "This funding will continue to drive improvements in efficiency and responsiveness at VA, enabling the department to better serve veterans and their families at a time when much is being asked of our men and women in uniform," the budget document said. "The budget supports efforts to ensure we meet the needs of today's veteran population, and invests in the continued modernization of VA to meet 21st century challenges." The budget blueprint includes $54.6 billion for medical care, a 7.9 percent increase over the 2012 enacted level. It also proposes $55.6 billion in advance appropriations for the VA medical care program in 2015, which would offer timely, predictable funding for VA's medical care. Nearly $7 billion was provided to maintain the department's focus on expanding and improving mental health services for veterans. The budget invests $1.4 billion to provide VA services for homeless and at-risk veterans. The budget explanation said the funds would help combat veterans' homelessness through collaborative partnerships with local governments, non-profit organizations, and the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor. Also included is $136 million for a Veterans Claims Intake Program that would allow VA to directly receive and convert paper evidence, such as medical records, into a digital format for increased efficiency in claims-processing. Specifically, the budget request includes $155 million for the Veterans Benefit Management System, designed to reduce processing time and claims backlog, long a complaint by benefits applicants. These effort support VA's work to eliminate the claims backlog and achieving the agency's goal of processing all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy in 2015, the budget said. Also included is funding to build three of five national veterans cemeteries. In 2011, the VA reduced the population threshold used to determine where new national veterans cemeteries should be built from 170,000 to 80,000 veterans living within 75 miles of a potential location. Under this lower threshold, VA will develop five new cemeteries and provide a nearby national cemetery option to at least 550,000 more veterans. The new national cemeteries would be located in St. Augustine and Tallahassee in Florida, and in Omaha.

The State of Equality and Justice in America: 'No One Can Change the Change'

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. The state of equality and justice in America is shameful-especially since the election of President Barack Obama. Unlike many of my friends who think America is going to hell in a hand basket, and have given up thinking things will get better for those who've been marginalized for so long, I still have hope for a better day. When Barack Obama was running for President of the United States, a close friend told me, "Mark my word. When Senator Obama is elected, some people will go absolutely crazy, and after he's re-elected, they will go mad!" His rationale was that the average White person had never had the opportunity to wake up every morning and see a brilliant Black man on television who was the most powerful man in the world! Unless they were wed to FOX News and the O'Reilly, Hannity, Beck,Von Sustern programs, they would learn so much about us- so many good things they had refused to acknowledge before. So many of our people are brilliant in what they do, but never had a fair chance to be seen in a positive light in their daily newspapers or on mainstream television or heard on major radio stations. Now, here we are after the Obama victories. He's there every single day! The madness really swung into high gear with the Tea Party, Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Senator Ted Cruz and a whole lot of others. Some I didn't mention because they were already on the list of what most of us have come to know as the "crazies", such as Rush Limbaugh and his horrible ilk. Black women like our First Lady, Michelle Obama, had not often been seen on the evening news, except when they were there crying over a son or daughter who'd been shot or accused of being involved in some kind of wrongdoing. Now, here she was-beautiful, smart, Mom in Chief, presiding over social events for world leaders and their first ladies. She was dealing with real American challenges-such as military families and childhood obesity. She was out making speeches and inspiring women of all backgrounds. With people who could not stand all these positive scenes and unbelievable accomplishments, insanity set in, and instead of grinning and bearing the strides America was making, they began trying to set us back to what they called "the good ole days". Some make every effort to send Black people to the back of the bus, send immigrants of color back to from wherever they had come, send gay people back into the closet, and force women to go back to the kitchen! They began talking about taking back their country as though they didn't take it from the Native Americans and as though immigrants and enslaved people had done nothing to build this country. Many in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate tried to block every thing President Obama supported-even if they had supported the same things in the past. They were tone deaf to the phrase "Where there is no justice, there will be no peace!" With a President who truly tried to make all levels of government look like America by appointing women, Hispanics, Asians, gays and lesbians, Democrats and Republicans and being totally inclusive of all of us, those who'd gone mad did not understand that you cannot put a genie back in the box. We may be going through a rough period as far as progress on equality and justice, but I still believe there are enough good people who will work through their prejudices and biases with which they were reared as they understand that those of us who've previously been left out, won't turn back. I still have hope. No one can change the change for which we've worked so hard. Dr. E. Faye Williams is national chair of the National Congress of Black Women. This article - the 13th of a 20-part series - is written in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Lawyers' Committee is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to enlist the private bar's leadership and resources in combating racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of opportunity - work that continues to be vital today. For more information, please visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.

Vitamin D may help insulin levels in obese

COLUMBIA, Mo., March 26 (UPI) -- Vitamin D supplements may help obese children and teens control their blood-sugar levels, which may help stave off diabetes, U.S. researchers say. Catherine Peterson of the University of Missouri and colleagues studied 35 pre-diabetic obese children and adolescents who were undergoing treatment in the university's Adolescent Diabetic Obesity Program. All had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels and had similar diets and activity levels. Half of the study participants were randomly assigned either a high-dose vitamin D supplement or a placebo daily for six months, Peterson said. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found those who took the supplement developed sufficient vitamin D levels and lowered the amount of insulin in their blood. "By increasing vitamin D intake alone, we got a response that was nearly as powerful as what we have seen using a prescription drug," Peterson said in a statement. "We saw a decrease in insulin levels, which means better glucose control, despite no changes in body weight, dietary intake or physical activity." The vitamin D dosage given to the obese adolescents in the study was not something recommended for everyone, Peterson said. "For clinicians, the main message from this research is to check the vitamin D status of their obese patients, because they're likely to have insufficient amounts," Peterson said. "Adding vitamin D supplements to their diets may be an effective addition to treating obesity and its associated insulin resistance."

Diabetes drugs may affect pancreatic cells GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 25 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said they found pancreatic abnormalities in patients who had taken a widely used type of drug for type 2 diabetes. Dr. Mark Atkinson, professor of pathology and pediatrics at the University of Florida who was the study leader, and Dr. Peter Butler, director of the Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, found cell mass was increased about 40 percent in the pancreas of deceased organ donors who had type 2 diabetes treated by incretin therapy. Incretin therapy takes advantage of the action of the gut hormone glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, the researchers said. Although there have been conflicting reports on the effects of the incretin class of drugs on the pancreas in animal studies, this is the first report to note such changes using human pancreas, the study said. "There is an increasing appreciation that animal studies do not always predict findings in humans," Butler said in a statement. The study, published in the journal Diabetes, found the pancreas of the individuals who had been on incretin therapy were larger than the organs from those who had been on other types of diabetes therapies, and was associated with increased cellular proliferation. Pancreas from incretin treated individuals also had an increase of pancreas dysplasia, an abnormal form of cell proliferation that is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, the study said. Of the eight donors who were on incretin therapy, seven had been taking sitagliptin, or Januvia, marketed by Merck and one had been on exenatide, or Byetta, sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb, the study said. These and other similar drugs are currently under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their possible links to pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, the researchers said.

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Column

Dr. Barbara A. Reynolds

Barbara R. Arnwine

Column

Jim Clingman

A. Peter Bailey

Column

Dr. E. Faye Williams

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

Column

By Julianne Malveaux

Marc H. Morial

Younger adults can't afford medications

HYATTSVILLE, Md., April 9 (UPI) -- U.S. adults ages 18-64 were twice as likely not to have taken prescribed medication to save money compared with adults age 65 and older, officials say.

Robin A. Cohen, Whitney K. Kirzinger and Renee M. Gindi of the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the study found nearly 12 percent of U.S. adults ages 18-64 didn't take prescribed medication to save money while nearly 6 percent of those age 65 and older didn't take medication due to the expense.

Adults ages 18-64 and those age 65 and older were equally likely -- about 20 percent -- to have asked a doctor for a lower-cost medication to save money on prescription drugs.

The researchers used data from the National Health Interview Survey, 2011.

Among adults aged 18-64, 23 percent of uninsured adults, 13.6 percent on Medicaid and 8.8 with private coverage, said they did not take medication as prescribed to save money.

Twenty-five percent of U.S. adults age 65 and older with only Medicare coverage asked doctors for lower-cost medication to save money while 20 percent with private coverage and 15 percent of those with Medicare and Medicaid coverage did, the study said.

Previous studies found more than 48 percent of Americans took at least one prescription drug in the past month, but some do not take medication as prescribed.

Adults who do not take prescription medication as prescribed have been shown to have poorer health and increased emergency room use, hospitalizations and cardiovascular events.

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Monster tornado devastates Oklahoma City area; at least 51 dead

OKLAHOMA CITY, May 20 (UPI) -- A huge tornado cut a devastating path in suburban Oklahoma City Monday, slamming schools, a hospital, businesses and homes, and killing at least 51 people. The Oklahoma chief medical examiner's office said there were at least 51 confirmed deaths, MSNBC reported. NBC News said at least 20 of those were children. "It is absolutely devastating, this is horrific," Oklahoma Lt. Gov Todd Lamb said. "We're going to have fatalities. ... We're going to have significant injuries. ... We just don't know what those numbers are. Schools have been hit, a hospital has been hit, businesses have been flattened, neighborhoods have been wiped away -- we don't have the numbers in yet, but it is going to be significant and it is going to be horrific." President Obama spoke by phone with Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin to express his concern for the victims of the storms that ravaged the state both Monday and Sunday, the White House said in a statement. "While information is still coming in, the president made clear that his administration, through FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency], stands ready to provide all available assistance as the governor's team responds to the storm, and that he has directed his team to ensure that they are providing available resources as the response unfolds," the White House said. "The president told Governor Fallin that the people of Oklahoma are in his and the first lady's thoughts and prayers and, while his team will continue to keep him updated, he urged her to be in touch directly if there were additional resources the administration could provide." One sixth-grade boy named Brady told KOCO-TV he and other children at Briarwood Elementary School in Moore took refuge in a bathroom. "Cinderblocks and everything collapsed on them but they were underneath so that kind of saved them a little bit, but I mean they were trapped in there," he said. Neighbors pulled children and teachers out of the rubble at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore. KFOR reported Plaza Towers Elementary students hugged and clung to school walls as the tornado passed. ABC said area hospitals received dozens of people with injuries, including 33 at Integris Southwest Medical Center in downtown Oklahoma City where officials said 10 were in critical condition. Oklahoma University Medical Center spokesman Scott Coppenbarger said the facility had received 20 patients. KFOR-TV, Oklahoma City, reported the dead included a 7-month-old baby. KWTV-DT, Oklahoma City, cited unnamed reports as saying three people had died at a 7-Eleven Store in Moore. CNN said the tornado was estimated to be 2 miles wide as it swept through the southern suburb of Moore. Its affiliate, KFOR-TV, reported houses were leveled. KOKH-TV, Oklahoma City, reported the National Weather Service said the storm was at least an EF-4, meaning winds hit 200 mph. "It's just destroying everything. There's so many homes in the air right now. The motion on this storm is sickening," storm chaser Spencer Basoco said. The Oklahoman reported Norman Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kelly Wells said the hospital's second floor was largely gone. "All of our staff has been accounted for," she said. "None of our patients there have been critically injured. We're in the process of evacuating the hospital." There were reports of gas leaks in Moore, with one destroyed home in flames. Interstate 35 was shut down by the state highway patrol. The Oklahoman reported the twister hit Moore about 3 p.m. and dissipated west of Lake Stanley Draper about 3:36 p.m. The Warren Theatre was heavily damaged as well. NBC News reported aerial footage showed widespread destruction. "A large part of the community has been affected," Jayme Shelton, a spokesman for Moore, told MSNBC. Oklahoma City police told NBC southern portions of the city and Moore sustained "major damage ... a lot of damage." The National Weather Service had issued a tornado emergency for the Oklahoma City metro area earlier in the day, hours after a rash of twisters ripped through five states. A twister was spotted in Newcastle, Okla., Monday afternoon, hours after tornadoes raced through Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, killing two people, injuring 21 and destroying dozens of homes, authorities said. Tornadoes were reported Sunday and Monday, with baseball-size hail and other harsh conditions in the forecast, CNN reported. The Oklahoma medical examiner identified two men killed by a twister that hit a trailer park in Pottawatomie County as Glen Irish, 79, and Billy Hutchinson, 76, both of Shawnee, The Oklahoman said. At least 21 injuries were reported in Oklahoma and more in Missouri. Dozen tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Iowa, the National Weather Service said. Early Monday, a tornado touched down in Golden City in southwestern Missouri, and buzzed through two counties, Barton County Emergency Management Director Tom Ryan said. More tornadoes were spotted in several locations in Iowa and in Carroll County, Ill., weather service officials said. Fallin had declared a state of emergency for 16 counties. She said the declaration could be amended if necessary. Emergency management officials reported dozens of homes were destroyed, The Oklahoman reported. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission reported 23,000 utility customers were without power. One tornado flipped three tractor-trailers and damaged four other vehicles at the Interstate 40-U.S. 177 overpass just west of Shawnee, sending several people to hospitals, officials said. Truck driver David Bergquist said he was under the I-40 bridge near Shawnee as the tornado approached, comparing the scene to a popular 1996 movie about tornadoes and their power. "What they did on 'Twister' was pretty damn accurate," he told The Oklahoman. "All I lost was a windshield." Near Carney, Janee Keiser said she, her mother, her daughter and two granddaughters holed up in a cellar as a tornado wiped out their home. "It's gone -- all the buildings, all the cars," Keiser said. "It took the garage, the barn, the shed -- it took it all. "But we're all fine and that's the most important thing," she said. "The other stuff can be rebuilt." Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent. All rights reserved.

Obama cheers on grads at black men's college

ATLANTA, May 19 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama Sunday urged graduates of Morehouse College to add "role model" to their goals in life, and not to focus only on material success. Speaking at Sunday's commencement for the all-male school in Atlanta -- whose alumni include civil rights icon Martin Luther King -- Obama said members of the Class of 2013 has an obligation to do what they can to lift the entire black community. "No one expects you to take a vow of poverty," Obama said. "But I will say it betrays a poverty of ambition if all you think about is what goods you can buy instead of what good you can do." Obama recalled previous generations' struggles for civil rights and economic advancement, and said there were lingering social problems that need solving. He called the "Morehouse Men" a special asset. "Ask yourself what broader purpose your business might serve, in putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood," said Obama. "The most successful CEOs I know didn't start out intent on making money -- rather, they had a vision of how their product or service would change things, and the money followed." Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Maid says she thinks Michael Jackson sexually abused boys

NEW YORK, May 17 (UPI) -- Adrian McManus, Michael Jackson's one-time housekeeper, told TV's "Inside Edition" she believes the late U.S. pop star was a child molester. McManus started working for the singer in 1993, in the wake of the first allegation of sexual molestation. Jackson, who was plagued with sexual-abuse claims before and after his death in 2009, was never convicted of any criminal wrongdoing. But McManus said in an interview airing Friday on "Inside Edition" she believes Jackson committed the crimes. Asked, "Do you think Michael Jackson was a child molester?" McManus replied, "Yes, I do. "He groomed the little boys," she said. "I think he was getting them drunk." McManus said Jackson warned her to keep quiet about what she saw. "He told me, 'What happens at Neverland, stays in Neverland,'" she recalled, adding Jackson threatened to have her killed if she ever spoke out. "He said, 'If you ever go on a talk show, or a TV show, we can hire a hit man and have your neck slit. They'll never find your body. We can hire a sniper to take you out," she said. McManus testified against the singer at his 2005 child-molestation trial, but he was acquitted of all charges. Wade Robson, a 30-year-old dancer-choreographer befriended by Jackson when he was a boy, described Jackson as "a pedophile and a child sexual abuser" during a recent appearance on the "Today" show. CNN said Robson denied in testimony at Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial that the singer had sexually abused him. Robson said on "Today" he was "psychologically and emotionally completely unable and unwilling to understand that it was sexual abuse" at the time but is now ready to confront his past. Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI). Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent. All rights reserved.

Grading Obama's first 100 days into second term

President Obama passed the 100-day mark of his second term vowing to soldier on for his agenda while recognizing the limitations of working within a divided government. Yes, things are dysfunctional, he said, but he's still optimistic. "I'm actually confident that there are a range of things that we're going to be able to get done," Obama said during a news conference last week. "I feel confident that the bipartisan work that's been done on immigration reform will result in a bill that passes the Senate, passes the House, and gets on my desk. And that's going to be historic achievement, and I've been very complimentary of the efforts of both Republicans and Democrats in those efforts." Political observers give Obama props for pushing an aggressive agenda that includes immigration reform and gun control. He's stirred the pot and generated conversation on many issues. Still, Obama doesn't appear as focused on matters such as the budget, and in fact, seems adrift, earning him a B- from one political observer. "There're some signs that he's less focused" on some issues, such as the budget-related matter, Lawrence Jacobs, director for the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute and Department of Political Science. What must be remembered, though, is the "brutal environment" that is Washington these days, Jacobs said. There was a compromise on background checks for gun purchases hammered out between two senators -- a Democrat and a Republican -- who are members of the National Rifle Association. Obama used his pulpit to speak about "commonsense" anti-gun-violence legislation. It went down in the Senate. Obama showed willingness to consider painful cuts in entitlements and for programs he typically champions to try to avoid the across-the-board spending cuts, known in Washington parlance as the sequester, without success. "What did he get in return? Campaign fodder," Jacobs said. And the window for him to advance his agenda in Congress is rapidly closing, considering the 2014 midterms are, essentially, just around the bend. Just how he proposes to revive his political prospects after setbacks on gun control and the sequester remains unknown. One questioner noted neither the gun legislation he championed nor his work to avoid the sequester passed muster in Congress and asked if he still had the "juice" to advance his agenda on Capitol Hill. When stated that way, Obama said, "maybe I should just pack up and go home. Golly. You know, I think it's a little, as Mark Twain said, you know, 'Rumors of my demise may be a little exaggerated at this point.'" Later he said, "But, you know, ... you seem to suggest that somehow these folks over there have no responsibilities, and that my job is to somehow get them to behave. That's their job. They're elected," he said. "Members of Congress are elected in order to do what's right for their constituencies and for the American people." Obama held his cards close during his news conference, offering little insight into how he intends to proceed with any of the unfinished items on his agenda. But one area Obama could actively pursue would have an enormous effect is his use of administrative and judicial powers, Jacobs said, an area he says the president has been "asleep at the switch." "He's been kind of passive on that ... it's almost shocking," Jacobs said. It would take political will and political capital, but Obama could effect significant change without congressional approval. Obama's focus can't be solely on what he can get Congress to pass because it's a "false hope," Jacobs said. So maybe it's time for him to look to shaping his legacy through his powers in the administrative and judicial realm. "There needs to be modesty," Jacobs said, noting Obama is "stalemated by conservatives in the House and a Senate that's tied up in knots." "He finds himself in difficult circumstances," the professor said. While Obama can't force lawmakers to his will because Congress is independent, "there are areas where he can have influence," Jacobs said. "The president has enormous power when it's exercised in a focused way." Obama can exercise power through regulatory agencies and departments such as Treasury, Health and Human Services and the Interior, as well as through legislation such as the financial reform law known as the Dodd-Frank Act. Using his administrative and judicial authority is how President Ronald Reagan wielded huge influence, Jacobs said. And the clock is ticking, Jacobs said because of 2014. Democrats, as evidenced by some of the votes on the background checks measure, are skittish. Historically, he said, the "the record is terrible" for presidents in the sixth year of their administration at the polls. "The hourglass has turned," Jacobs said. "We're heading into the 2014 election cycle. I'd say he has until fall [for action on his agenda]. His honeymoon has blown by." Some strategists told The Hill Obama needs to take his message to the people living in lawmakers' home districts. "Power politics since the time of Cicero is effectively an exercise in physics," said Chris Lehane, a California-based Democratic strategist, "and the physics here in this current age of paralysis is to create enough public pressure in targeted states and districts to force an official to take action." Other strategists say Obama needs to keep the conversation going and focus on the positive, even though he's had some failures recently. Still other Democratic strategists told The Hill Obama is making the right choices so far in his second term -- he's engaging lawmakers and taking advantages of the presidency. "I didn't realize President Obama had lost his mojo," said strategist Jamal Simmons.

U.S. condemns massacres in Syria that left about 150 dead

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 4 (UPI) -- The Obama administration Saturday denounced the Syrian government after rebel supporters alleged two massacres left about 150 people dead. The State Department's Jen Psaki said in a statement sharply rebuking the regime of Bashar Assad that the United States was "appalled" by the "horrific reports" of "gruesome" killings of families, including women and children. "We strongly condemn atrocities against the civilian population and reinforce our solidarity with the Syrian people," Psaki said. "As the Assad regime's violence against innocent civilians escalates, we will not lose sight of the men, women, and children whose lives are being so brutally cut short. "We call on all responsible actors in Syria to speak out against the perpetration of unlawful killings against any group, regardless of faith or ethnicity. Those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of human rights law must be held accountable." Activists said 77 people were killed in Baniyas Friday, a day after 72 were killed at the nearby village of al-Bayda, the BBC reported. The attacks led large numbers of Syrians to flee the area. The government said the deaths in Baniyas resulted from clashes with "terrorist groups," the BBC reported. Videos posted online show the bodies of women and children, some of them mutilated or partially burned. Hundreds of families are reported to have fled Baniyas and headed south to the city of Tartus, but have been blocked by the pro-government militia known as the shabbiha. Anti-regime activists said operations along the coast were an indication of Assad's intention to consolidate his government's position. In a public appearance Saturday at Damascus University, Assad unveiled a statute honoring "martyred students." Separately, Israel said its warplanes struck inside Syria Friday, hitting weapons Israel believed were headed to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Obama names Watt to FHA, Wheeler to FCC

WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- President Obama announced the nomination Wednesday of veteran U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The president also said that Tom Wheeler, a former lobbyist for the telecommunications industry and investor in industry startups, to head the Federal Communications Commission. He named Mignon Clyburn as interim chief until Wheeler's nomination is confirmed by the Senate. Watt is now in his 11th term in Congress. Obama said his long experience on the Committee on Financial Services has given him the insight he needs to head the federal housing agency. "He knows what it's going to take to help responsible homeowners fully recover," Obama said. "And he's committed to helping folks just like his mom -- Americans who work really hard, play by the rules day in and day out to provide for their families." Wheeler also has the expertise needed at the FCC, the president said. "Now, if anybody is wondering about Tom's qualifications, Tom is the only member of both the cable television and the wireless industry hall of fame. So he's like the Jim Brown of telecom, or the Bo Jackson of telecom," Obama said.

NYPD head says African-Americans not stopped and frisked enough

NEW YORK, May 2 (UPI) -- In defense of New York City's stop-and-frisk policy, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says 75 percent of violent crimes are committed by African-Americans. In a televised interview Wednesday, Kelly said the controversial police tactic, which many say disproportionately targets blacks and Latinos, may not be used enough, the New York Daily News reported. "About 70 percent to 75 percent of the people described as committing violent crimes -- assault, robbery, shootings, grand larceny -- are described as being African-American," Kelly told ABC's "Nightline." "The percentage of people who are stopped is 53 percent African American. So really, African-Americans are being under-stopped in relation to the percentage of people being described as being the perpetrators of violent crime." Meanwhile, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn continued to support a bill that would create an inspector general to oversee the NYPD, the New York Post reported. Quinn, a mayoral candidate, said Wednesday her efforts would continue to slash the number of stop-and-frisks conducted by police officers, which were at an all-time high in 2011 with 684,000 and dropped to 525,000 in 2012. "The [nearly] 700,000 number, which was at our height, it has gone down because of the intervention of my office and the council," Quinn said. "That's a number that is too high and clearly shows that many of those stops could not have been happening in a constitutionally sound way."

Get ready for higher gas prices, EIA says

WASHINGTON, April 30 (UPI) -- U.S. consumers can expect to start pay more for gasoline as refiners start the shift to a summer fuel blends, the U.S. Energy Department said. The Energy Department said refiners are starting shifting to summer-grade gasoline ahead of Wednesday's deadline. Summer blends have lower volatility than those used during winter because emissions can increase during warm weather. "It costs refiners several cents per gallon more to make summer-grade gasoline, compared with winter-grade fuel, which is part of the reason that retail pump prices can rise in the summer," the department's Energy Information Administration said. Motor group AAA reports that U.S. consumers paid, on average, $3.50 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline Tuesday. That's about 30 cents lower than the same time last year. Regional highs were reported in Illinois, with a $3.91 average, and in California, with a $3.90 average. Some states have stricter gasoline requirements, which may explain price variations, the EIA said. EIA said gasoline prices during the peak summer drive season, which extends to September, should average $3.63 per gallon. Refiners switch back to winter blends in mid-September.

When in Doubt, Blame a Dark-Skinned Man

Julianne Malveaux

TriceEdneyWire) - I don’t know where CNN’s John King got the information that a suspect in the Boston bombing was “a dark-skinned male”, but beyond apologizing he needs to explain himself. How many sources gave him the false tip? If it was fewer than two, then he violated a basic journalism rule. Who were these sources (if you don’t want to out them publicly, tell your editor)? Did King understand that he used the kind of racial/ethnic coding that once got people, even uninvolved and innocent people, lynched? Remember Charles Stuart. He was riding through Roxbury (used to be the ‘hood) when he says a Black man of indeterminate description, wearing a jogging suit with a stripe on the sleeve shot him and his wife in an attempted carjacking. Pregnant Carol Stuart lived for just a few hours, and their baby, delivered by C-section, lived for only seventeen days. Stuart’s report of the alleged incident sparked a national outpouring of sympathy of him, and an excoriation of “Black criminals” who do such senseless things. The police were nearly going door to door looking for a suspect, and several Black men were interrogated. Stewart identified one man in a line-up, and police were building a case against him when it discovered that Stuart’s wounds were self-inflicted and that his brother had helped him slaughter his wife. Meanwhile, Stuart collected at least $100,000 from an insurance policy on his wife, using the money to pay for a new car in cash, and to buy jewelry. Unable to face the consequences of his actions, Stuart committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. Stuart was too much a coward to be judged by a jury of his peers, but hundreds of Black men could not escape the injustice of the Stuart accusations. The Roxbury community was traumatized by the results of Stuart’s lies. Innocent men were questioned, many spending time at police stations in an effort to clear themselves. Those questioned and detained included students, professional men, the unemployed, and everybody in between. When in doubt, blame a Black man, any Black man, and let the chips fall where they may. In 1994 Susan Smith, a South Carolina housewife, said that a Black man stole her two children. Later, she confessed to killing her own children. Meanwhile, again, dozens of innocent Black men were stopped, frisked, and taken to police stations for questioning. Clearly Susan Smith was mentally ill, but she wasn’t so broken that she didn’t know that blaming her children’s disappearance on a black man gave her lies more credibility. The Stuart and Smith cases made headlines in the late twentieth century. Now our feet are firmly planted in the twenty-first century. Does this kind of racist stereotyping still take place? While these kinds of cases no longer make headlines, I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these occurrences continue to be. When in doubt, blame a Black man. So here comes CNN’s John King, a heretofore-respected newsman, who repeatedly said that a “dark skinned man” was a suspect in the Boston bombing. Here we go again. This kind of false reporting makes every dark-skinned man in Boston a suspect, reminds Bostonians of the Stuart hoax, and sends a shudder through those African-Americans who remember police officers going door to door in housing projects rounding up the Black men. Thanks, John King. Your job is to report the news, not make it. I wonder if you will apologize as many times as you said “dark-skinned man” or if you will ever explain where you got your false information. I’d hate to think that you transitioned from journalist to creative writer when you shared this information. Some will say no harm was done because there was a correction. No harm was done if you don’t know the history. If someone described an alleged criminal as a White man with brown hair, it is unlikely that the police would go door to door looking for a White man with brown hair. That’s the basic racism that is the foundation of our nation’s history. John King's erroneous reporting reminds us how easy it is to blame a "dark skinned" man. As President Obama said, those responsible for the Boston bombings must be caught and punished. We now know that the two bombing suspects turned out to be of Chechnyan descent, nowhere close to "dark-skinned" males.You should have waited until there was proof, John King, before you reported it. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author.

Letting a baby 'cry it out' goes against biology

SAITAMA, Japan, April 21 (UPI) -- Parents are often advised to let a baby "cry it out" in a crib but Japanese researchers say to let babies cry and not pick them up goes against biology. Kumi Kuroda of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Saitama, Japan, said there is a very good reason mothers often carry their crying babies to help them calm down -- infants experience an automatic calming reaction upon being carried, whether they are mouse or human babies. The study showed an infant calming response to carrying is made of a coordinated set of central, motor and cardiac regulations and an evolutionarily conserved component of mother-infant interactions, the researchers said. "From humans to mice, mammalian infants become calm and relaxed when they are carried by their mother," Kuroda said in a statement. Kuroda said the idea for the study came while cleaning the cages of her lab's mouse colony. "When I picked the pups up at the back skin very softly and swiftly as mouse mothers did, they immediately stopped moving and became compact. They appeared relaxed, but not totally floppy, similar to a human baby," Kuroda said. Once the researchers found an ECG monitor electrodes small enough to use on conscious mouse pups, the researchers found when the baby mice were carried their heart rates slowed, they became calm, relaxed and stopped crying. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, found the heart rates of human babies slowed immediately upon being carrying -- same as mice.

Voter study: Black wait time twice white's

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 9 (UPI) -- Blacks waited nearly twice as long as whites to vote in November's U.S. election and Southeast voters waited longer than most others, a university study finds. For most voters lines at the polls were relatively short, Massachusetts Institute of Technology political science Professor Charles Stewart says in a study, "Waiting to Vote in 2012," published in the Journal of Law & Politics. "Two-thirds of voters in 2012 waited less than 10 minutes to vote, and ... only 3 percent of voters waited longer than an hour," he says, basing his information on the Survey of the Performance of American Elections, the Cooperative Congressional Election Study and county election websites. The average wait in November actually fell to 13 minutes from 17 minutes in November 2008, the study says. Florida's voters generally waited the longest, an average of 39 minutes, while Vermont's voters waited the least, less than 2 minutes, Stewart says. Other states with wait times longer than 20 minutes were Maryland at 36 minutes and Virginia and South Carolina at 25 minutes each, the study finds. The wait time in Washington, D.C., was 36 minutes. "The greatest times tended to cluster in the Eastern Seaboard, especially in the South, with wait times diminishing as one moves west," Stewart says. Among those who waited longer than an hour, the average wait was 110 minutes, a minute longer than in 2008, he says. "Urban voters waited longer than rural voters, early voters waited longer than Election Day voters, and African-American and Hispanic voters waited longer than whites," he says. Indeed, no individual demographic difference stood out as much as race, he says. "Viewed nationally, African-Americans waited an average of 23 minutes to vote, compared to 12 minutes for whites; Hispanics waited 19 minutes," the study says. The study finds little variation when looking at other demographic categories. The average wait time for voters with household incomes less than $30,000 was 12 minutes, compared with 14 minutes for voters with household incomes greater than $100,000, it says. "Strong Democrats waited an average of 16 minutes, compared to an average of 11 minutes for strong Republicans. Respondents who reported they had an interest in news and public affairs 'most of the time' waited an average of 13.2 minutes, compared to 12.8 minutes among those who had 'hardly any' interest," the study says. Stewart suggests there is no "magic bullet" to fix the long-line problem in areas where it exists. "Intuition suggests that long lines, where they exist, might be mitigated through remedies such as better allocation of resources, the deployment of more modern technologies such as electronic poll books, or the use of larger polling facilities that can accommodate crowds better. But, the sad reality is that we simply do not know where to start in making things better," he says in the study. After the election, President Barack Obama established a bipartisan commission to study ways of improving voting efficiency and reducing long wait times at the polls. The commission is expected to deliver a report in six months.

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COMMENTARY

Niggers, Spooks, Coons and Monkeys is what Hollywood Executives Call Black Celebrities and Promoters

By Kathleen Wells On June 24, Roseanne Barr and I sat down for a radio interview with legendary concert promoter and long time friend and manager of Michael Jackson, Leonard Rowe, to discuss his experiences in Hollywood and his current lawsuit. Both Roseanne and I were shocked, but not surprised by the things we were hearing from Mr. Rowe. And we were shocked, but not surprised by the document (s) Mr. Rowe had in his possession, that were filed with the Court, yet completely ignored by the judge in this case, the Honorable Robert P. Patterson (SDNY). Mr. Rowe talked about the inequities he witnessed in the industry against black concert promoters and the black community, during his 30-plus years in the entertainment business. Inequities such as: no black concert promoter, in the 114 year history of The William Morris agency, had ever been allowed to engage in a contract with a white entertainer or artist for a concert performance. Yet, in reverse, white concert promoters are able to engage in contracts with artists, of any race - black or white. Another example: black promoters are required to pay a 50 percent deposit for the artist that they will promote for a concert. Yet, conversely, white promoters pay 0 to 10 percent as a deposit to promote any and all artist of their choice. These are just two examples of the iniquities. There are many, many, others, and those examples have been clearly illustrated in Mr. Rowe’s fourteen-year racial discrimination and antitrust lawsuit, against the "Hollywood" elite - The William Morris Agency and Creative Artists Agency. (See, Rowe Entertainment vs. The William Morris Agency.) Rowe's lawsuit has the potential to chart a new path in which Hollywood conducts its business affairs – i.e., to do business with people with no regard to race. The laws of this country say that this must be done. This is 2012, not 1912. However, Hollywood executives have forever and a day, colluded to prevent black concert promoters from full participation in the concert promotion industry, and have disallowed competition – this is a clear violation of the anti-trust and civil rights laws of this country. Don’t be fooled and think we actually have free enterprise in this great nation; we don’t. Roseanne spoke from her own experiences in the business adding that racism is "built into the fabric" of Hollywood. Roseanne and Rowe agreed that there are powerful people in the U.S. who do not want to see the Roseannes and the Rowes of this country come together to shatter the walls of discrimination. However, the laws of this country speak otherwise. The pattern and practice at The William Morris Agency as well as Creative Artists Agency (CAA) are deplorable. It’s a practice of exclusion, it’s a practice of the double standard, it’s a practice that defies competition and it’s a practice that is racist. You can listen to this captivating interview here: [http://soundcloud.com/mr-alkebu-lan/roseanne-barr-interviews] or here: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPCZZFrk3N0] The court systems in America are turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to these types of injustices. Rowe’s case is currently before Judge Robert P. Patterson of the Southern District Court of New York. His case was dismissed in 2005, against the named defendant’s CAA and The William Morris Agency, after the judge granted defendant’s summary judgment motion. (See, CNNIReport, [http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-724105]) This year, Rowe, became aware that his own attorneys had conspired with defendant’s attorneys and declared, under penalty of perjury, that no document evidencing racial epithet existed. Thus, concealing this evidence from their, client, Mr. Rowe, as well as the Court. Thus, evidently, perpetrating fraud upon the court. Look at an exhibit attached in Rowe’s case here (this document represents one year. Mr. Rowe has ten boxes of racially charged evidence and statements that were retrieved during discovery from the files of the defendants and where presented to the Court.): [http://www.scribd.com/doc/93697362/Rowe-Entertainment-Inc-v-William-Morris-Agency-et-al-98-8272-Breakdown-of-Racial-Epithets-Including-Nigger-Used-By-Execs-at-WMA-and-CAA.] Additional pleadings can be found here: [http://www.scribd.com/Mr%20Alkebu-lan.] No blacks; do not divulge to blacks; don't let blacks know this concert date or that concert date, are the types of statements in emails and letters retrieved from The William Morris Agency and CAA. This evidence was completely ignored by the court when it granted defendant’s summary judgment motion. The CEO of The William Morris Agency, Ari Emanuel, is the brother of the former Chief of Staff of the President of the United States, Barack Obama, and the current mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emnauel. Judge Patterson has turned a blind eye and must think that a lawsuit where Hollywood executives have called black celebrities, niggers, coons, spooks and monkeys isn’t litigation worthy. Yet, we all remember the deplorable statements Mel Gibson made regarding the Jewish peoples and how that was covered non-stop by our media outlets. Well, The William Morris Agency executives are exhibiting a racial animus that is much more egregious. Where is the outrage? Where is the consistent and persistent media coverage? Is it because those that are in control of the media are the same ones that are exhibiting the racial animus? Do black people not deserve the same media coverage in America, when racial epithets are hurled against them, consistently and persistently? Or, are black people mere second classed citizens who must make do with second classed remedies? Is this the America, that our American citizens want? What shall the world at large think of this double standard? Clearly, Judge Patterson adheres to this notion that it is OK for Hollywood executives to possess double standards when doing business with black concert promoters and the black community. American citizens must demand that the civil rights laws of this country are enforced. Rowe's motion to reinstate his lawsuit is currently languishing on Judge Robert P. Patterson's desk. The American people must raise their voices – justice denied for one, is justice denied for all. Kathleen Wells is the host of The Kathleen Wells Show, heard each Wednesday on KCAA 10.50AM.

Jada Pinkett Smith: Will and I don't have an open relationship

LOS ANGELES, April 15 (UPI) -- Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smith says she and her husband, actor Will Smith, don't have an open relationship contrary to longstanding rumors saying they do. The actress addressed the buzz during a recent interview with HuffPost Live, saying: "I've always told Will, 'You can do whatever you want as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and be OK.' Because at the end of the day, Will is his own man. I'm here as his partner, but he is his own man. He has to decide who he wants to be and that's not for me to do for him. Or vice versa." E! News said Monday Pinkett Smith posted a clarification on Facebook after many people interpreted her remarks as confirmation she and her husband are permitted to have sex with other partners. "Let me first say this, there are far more important things to talk about in regards to what is happening in the world than whether I have an open marriage or not," she wrote on Facebook. "I am addressing this issue because a very important subject has been born from discussions about my statement that may be worthy of addressing," she wrote. "The statement I made in regard to, 'Will can do whatever he wants,' has illuminated the need to discuss the relationship between trust and love and how they co-exist. "Do we believe loving someone means owning them? Do we believe that ownership is the reason someone should behave'? Do we believe that all the expectations, conditions, and underlying threats of 'you better act right or else' keep one honest and true? Do we believe that we can have meaningful relationships with people who have not defined nor live by the integrity of his or her higher self? "What of unconditional love? Or does love look like, feel like, and operate as enslavement? Do we believe that the more control we put on someone the safer we are? What of TRUST and LOVE? Should we be married to individuals who can not be responsible for themselves and their families within their freedom? Should we be in relationships with individuals who we can not entrust to their own values, integrity, and LOVE...for us??? "Here is how I will change my statement...Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship...this means we have a GROWN one." Jada Pinkett and Will Smith married in 1997. They have two children.

Whitaker-Bloom movie 'Zulu' to close Cannes film fest

CANNES, France, April 12 (UPI) -- France's 66th Festival de Cannes is to close with a screening of "Zulu," a thriller starring Forest Whitaker and Orlando Bloom shot in South Africa. The film was directed by Jerome Salle and adapted from the novel of the same name by Caryl Ferey. Set in contemporary Cape Town, the film is about two police officers "caught up in a suspenseful search [that] combines elements of political film noir and social study," a synopsis said. The renowned film festival is to open May 15 with a showing of Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby."

Halle Berry calls pregnancy at 46 'biggest surprise of my life'

LOS ANGELES, April 8 (UPI) -- Hollywood actress Halle Berry told CNN finding out she is pregnant with her second child at the age of 46 "has been the biggest surprise of my life." The Oscar-winning "Monster's Ball" star is engaged to actor Olivier Martinez. She has a 5-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. "I feel fantastic. This has been the biggest surprise of my life to tell you the truth," Berry told CNN of her second pregnancy, which was first reported in the media last week. "I thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So it's been a big surprise and the most wonderful." Berry said she does not know the baby's gender.

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Beyonce, Jay-Z tour Cuba for anniversary

HAVANA, April 6 (UPI) -- Beyonce and Jay-Z celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in Cuba, where they were photographed touring Old Havana.

The couple were also spotted visiting a school and dining out, the Los Angeles Times reported. Fans mobbed the musicians Thursday while they were at La Guardia restaurant, People reported.

Some media outlets reported the couple were in the Communist country as tourists, which would be illegal because of the longstanding U.S. embargo against Cuba, the Times said.

The Miami Herald reported the government has issued some exceptions for cultural, religious academic and other types of visits.

Beyonce and Jay-Z married April 4, 2008.

In a recent interview with British Vogue, Beyonce said she's "happily married. I love my husband."

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McConnell Accuses Liberal Group of Bugging

WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday accused a liberal Kentucky group of bugging his campaign headquarters.

McConnell has asked the FBI to investigate how a campaign strategy session regarding a possible challenge by Ashley Judd was recorded and delivered to Mother Jones, the same publication that released the infamous video of Mitt Romney's "47 percent" speech.

The Hill reported McConnell, R-Ky., accused the Kentucky Democratic super-PAC Progress Kentucky of planting a bug and recording a strategy session involving McConnell and his aides in which they discussed using Judd's religious beliefs and history of depression as part of an attack strategy.

Judd, a longtime liberal activist and actress, had been considering challenging McConnell for his seat in 2014 but has since decided against a run.

"Senator McConnell's campaign is working with the FBI and has notified the local U.S. attorney in Louisville, per FBI request, about these recordings," McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton said in a statement.

"Obviously a recording device of some kind was placed in Senator McConnell's campaign office without consent. By whom and how that was accomplished presumably will be the subject of a criminal investigation."

The Hill said Progress Kentucky has yet to respond to the charges.

The audio tape has McConnell and members of his staff discussing how they would attack Judd on the campaign trail if she did run.

At one point, they evaluate the portions of Judd's autobiography where she discusses her history of depression.

"She's clearly, this sounds extreme, but she is emotionally unbalanced," a male voice can be heard telling the group. "I mean it's been documented. ... She's suffered some suicidal tendencies. She was hospitalized for 42 days when she had a mental breakdown in the '90s."

At another point the group mocks an audio clip played of Judd describing her belief in God as rooted in nature, invoking St. Francis of Assisi and "Brother Donkey, Sister Bird." One unidentified aide predicts conservative Christians would "take to the streets with pitchforks" after hearing Judd's views on religion..

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Chris Brown back in court

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