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R. KELLY'S FATE NOW IN JURY'S HANDS: Deliberations begin Thursday in child porn trial. Plus, "Henry Love" sues singer over "steppin'" moves.
*R. Kelly must now await the decision of 12 jurors who will determine whether or not he is guilty of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl.
The jury began deliberations Thursday following closing arguments, during which the prosecution replayed the entire sex tape again. The first time was during opening statements.
In one portion of the video, entered into evidence as "People's Exhibit No. 1," the girl dances and urinates on the floor while the man is out of view. He steps back in the frame and has sex with her, according to the AP. In one scene near the end of the video, alluded to in one count of the indictment, the man urinates on the female.
While the footage was rolling, prosecutors told jurors that the man is Kelly, and that he controlled the encounter with the underage female, who was as young as 13 at the time.
"We're going to see his direction," Assistant State's Attorney Robert Heilengoetter said as the video played. He is "directing her to dance, where to stand, when to stop urinating," he said.
Kelly, 41, has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of child pornography.
The defense, in its closing remarks, reaffirmed its argument that neither Kelly nor the person the state says was the underage girl are on the tape. Defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. told jurors that charges against Kelly came about because people were trying to extort money from the singer because the man on the tape "may favor him." He also suggested that prosecutors pressured people into testifying against Kelly.
Over seven days, prosecutors called 22 witnesses, including several childhood friends of the alleged victim and four of her relatives, who identified her as the female on the video. Some said the girl had referred to Kelly as her "godfather."
The defense rested after just two days and 12 witnesses called to the stand, mostly to testify that the pair appearing in the tape are not Kelly or the alleged victim. Adam said that the girl's relatives know it's not her on the video because "any solid man in that family, any solid woman in that family would have gone over there and broken his legs, would have gone over there and beat the crap out of him."
The family also would have arranged for an order of protection against Kelly, but none of that happened, Adam said.
As Kelly awaits his fate in this case, another lawsuit was filed against him Tuesday, also in Illinois' Cook County, by his former employee Henry Vaughn, a.k.a. "Uncle Henry Love."
Vaughn claims to have inspired the crooner to adopt the "stepping" dance moves that are now a signature trademark of his performances. Vaughn points out in the lawsuit that he was even name-checked by Kelly in the remix of his hit single "Step in the Name of Love."
Vaughn's lawsuit says he and Kelly made a "verbal contract" back in 2001 to share in the proceeds of any songs that featured his steps.
Kelly's spokesman Allan Mayer told the Chicago Sun-Times that Vaughn was merely a "disgruntled former employee" whom Kelly once fired. He also told the paper that Henry Love was just trying to "extort money" from the singer and labeled the lawsuit "ridiculous."
WENDY WILLIAMS SUED FOR HARASSMENT: Talent booker for radio jock follows through with legal action.
*A sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed against radio host Wendy Williams and her husband/manager Kevin Hunter by her former talent booker and publicist, Nicole Spence.
Filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, the lawsuit claims Hunter screamed and cursed at her while she worked on the "The Wendy Williams Experience" and repeatedly propositioned her, even calling her late at night to tell her about his sexual fantasies, reports the Associated Press.
When Spence turned down his overtures, the lawsuit says, things got worse and his sexual comments became more threatening. Spence, who sometimes appeared on the air with Williams, claims she felt unsafe at the office after seeing Hunter physically and verbally abuse his wife.
In one instance, the lawsuit claims, he stormed into an office meeting, "pinning (his wife) against the wall with his hand around her neck, choking her while repeatedly pounding his fist into the wall directly by her head." The attack, Spence claims, was apparently prompted by Williams'
failure to quit smoking.
The lawsuit, which also names Wendy's employer Inner City Broadcast Corp, additionally claims the company failed to respond to Spence's repeated complaints and that the defendants have illegally retaliated against her.
She's seeking more than $5 million in damages.
FOXX, STYLIST SETTLE LAWSUIT OVER UNPAID FEES: Terms of agreement were undisclosed.
*Jamie Foxx has reportedly settled a lawsuit brought against him by a former stylist who assisted him before the 2006 BET Awards and a press junket for the film "Miami Vice.".
Stacy Young claimed in her lawsuit that she was never paid for the work or her costs.
According to documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, both parties have reached an undisclosed agreement to settle the matter out of court, reports the Associated Press.
Foxx's attorneys denied the claims, saying Universal Studios, not Foxx, hired Young for the "Miami Vice" work. Young's attorney says their camp is "pleased" about the settlement, but declined to offer details.
RIHANNA, NE-YO, J-HUD ADDED TO BET AWARDS: Terrence Howard and Gabrielle Union also join lineup of June 24 broadcast.
*BET announced Thursday that Rihanna, Ne-Yo, and Jennifer Hudson have been added as performers for its annual BET Awards show to be held June 24 in Los Angeles.
The trio joins previously-announced acts Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nelly and Usher.
Film stars Terrence Howard and Gabrielle Union have been added as presenters for the ceremony, which salutes the year's best musicians, music videos, actors and athletes.
Jill Scott will perform a musical tribute to BET's Lifetime Achievement Award winner Al Green, and Quincy Jones will receive the network's Humanitarian Award. D.L. Hughley is set to host the show, which is to be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium.
AMERIE SIGNS WITH DEF JAM: '1 Thing' singer looking to kick career into high gear with fresh start.
*After two moderately-successful albums through Columbia Records, R&B singer Amerie is hoping to take her fame to another level under a new deal with Island Def Jam.
A source tells Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "Amerie's first two albums did well, but she's ready to step it up a gear now. She was offered a deal too good to turn down and the promise to build upon her reputation for classy and sexy R&B."
Amerie hopes to follow in the footsteps of her new label mate Rihanna, whose career enjoyed a global boost after Def Jam secured the power track "Umbrella" for her last year.
NEW LIL WAYNE CD MAY BREAK SALES RECORD: 'Tha Carter III' sells big in face of Web leaks and bootlegs.
*Despite Internet leaks and bootlegging of Lil Wayne's new album "Tha Carter III," it managed to sell 423,000 copies in its first day of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The sales figure puts him on track to move about 900,000 copies of the CD in its first week and post the best sales debut of the year, reports Billboard.
Last year's first-week top-seller was from Kanye West, who sold some 957,000 copies of "Graduation." The year's title goes to Mariah Carey's "E=MC2," which sold about 463,000 in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
"Tha Carter III," which finally hit stores on Tuesday after repeated delays due to leaks and bootlegging, is expected to be the album that catapults the critically acclaimed rapper into pop superstardom.
The set's single, "Lollipop," has owned the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart for the past five weeks. His last two albums, "Tha Carter" and "Tha Carter II," sold 1.1 million and 1.4 million copies, respectively.
TISHA CAMPBELL-MARTIN COMING TO LIFETIME: Actress co-stars in new original series about mothers in a garage band.
*Tisha Campbell-Martin, most recently of TV's "All of Us" and "My Wife and Kids," returns to the small screen this fall in Lifetime's "Rita Rocks," according to trade reports.
The series stars "Mad TV's" Nicole Sullivan as Rita Clements, who, unfulfilled by her harried life as a married working mom, regains her identity by re-creating her glory days as a musician in a garage band.
Campbell-Martin joins Richard Ruccolo, Kelly Gould and Raviv Ullman among the supporting cast.
The cable network ordered 13 episodes of the series for a fall premiere. The series will air as part of a one-hour comedy block alongside the sitcom "Reba."
GRANDMASTER FLASH WRITES TELL-ALL: Hip hop pioneer discusses his own rise, fall and rise in 'My Life, My Beats.'
*Grandmaster Flash details his life story – from his violent family life to his drug addiction to creating turntable techniques that have come to define hip hop – in a new autobiography titled " The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats."
"This whole book was scary for me," Flash tells the New York Daily News. "We as human beings, we don't willingly display our skeletons, our pains, our hurts - not the deep, deep, deep ones."
The Broadway Books effort, which hit stores this week, also includes the volatile relationship Flash had with Sylvia Robinson, who signed his group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to their first record deal with her label Sugar Hill Records.
"She did do some things that in today's world would probably get her head chopped off," says Flash, whose real name is Joseph Saddler, "but she did rule with an iron fist and we were under fear with her - although we did make some great records."
BOXER CLAIMS JAY-Z IS A BITER: Mitchell Rose plans lawsuit after accusing rapper of taking his rhyme 'style and delivery'.
*A former heavyweight boxer is planning to sue Jay-Z for $88 million claiming the mogul jacked his rap style.
According to Allhiphop.com, Mitchell Rose says he passed Jay-Z his demo tape on March 12, 2001, following a bout between William Joppy and Felix Trinidad. Soon after, Rose claims Jay-Z had adopted his style of rapping and even certain lyrics.
“He took the style and the delivery,” Rose told AllHipHop.com. “He’s using it on the regular; now Lil’ Kim is using it. All I want is justice.
Jay-Z knows what I am talking about."
Rose, most famous for knocking out Eric “Butterbean” Esch, is planning to file the lawsuit in Brooklyn Federal Court. He served papers to two of Jay-Z’s 40/40 night clubs, but has yet to serve the rapper himself, according to sources.
The 39-year-old is also a personal injury lawyer who wrote a book called "Mike Tyson Tried To Kill My Daddy."
TIMBALAND AND FIANCÉE MARRY IN SWEATSUITS: Newlyweds planning a more formal affair on June 22 in Aruba.
*Timbaland married his longtime girlfriend Monique Idlett Tuesday (June 10) during an informal ceremony in his home state of Virginia, reports Us Weekly.
The couple, who were married by a family pastor while dressed in sweatsuits, said they plan on having a more traditional wedding ceremony in Aruba on June 22nd.
The super producer proposed to his record exec bride during her baby shower last year. Timbaland also became a father last year with the birth of their daughter, Reign.
J.C. WATTS TOUTS NEW BLACK NEWS CHANNEL: Former congressman says Rev. Wright issue illustrates need for outlet offering intelligent debate.
*J.C. Watts, the last black Republican to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, says the controversy over Barack Obama's one-time pastor illustrates the need for a network where black political issues can be discussed and debated.
The former politician is behind the upcoming launch of the Black Television News Channel, which will be added to Comcast cable systems in Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore and Washington, and would be available nationwide on Dishnet, reports the Associated Press.
Watts, who hopes to have the channel running by summer 2009, says the voice of blacks is often missing from political debates, including the one over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Watts objects to some of the criticism Obama has received for his long association with Wright, who made headlines for suggesting the government may have created AIDS and shouted "God damn America" in a portion of a sermon amplified on YouTube.
"I've not seen anything in [Obama's] writings, in his speeches, in his books, in his public appearances, that would encourage me to believe that he views the world through the Rev. Wright's prism," Watts told the AP.
"I'm a Republican. Barack Obama is a Democrat. I am not taking a position in the presidential race, but I can tell you this: If people vote against Barack Obama because of what the Rev. Wright said, it would be unfortunate.
"I don't agree with what the Rev. Wright said, but I've said to some of my Republican friends: 'Guys, it's a whole big world out there and I guarantee you, before all is said and done, there will be associations that a Republican has. You are going to be on a slippery slope.'"
The former congressman is trying to raise $20 million to build studios in Washington for the Black Television News Channel, as well as a "coast-to-coast high definition news gathering infrastructure."
"We hope to be the single destination for reliable, credible, informational resources for the African-American community," Watts says. "The critical thing is to allow the community to create a platform to be involved in the economic, social and political debates taking place across the country."
A former quarterback at the University of Oklahoma and a journalism graduate, Watts would be chairman of the channel's editorial board. He left the House in 2003 and formed the J.C. Watts Cos., a marketing and lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., and has been working on forming a news channel for several years.
RALPH TRESVANT WORKING ON NEW SOLO ALBUM: New Edition member to release project this year through his own label.
*New Edition member Ralph Tresvant is preparing to release his first solo album in two years and his second via his own Xzault Media Group (XMG) label.
The as-yet-untitled project, due later this year, includes the lead single "It Must Be You," which arrives July 1 on iTunes, Amazon.com and other digital download sites, reports Billboard.com.
"This album is something I've been wanting to put out for awhile," Tresvant tells the Web site. "I'm not really thinking about this project as having a certain sound or sticking to a certain formula. I talk about love, social issues ... these songs round off where I've come from and who I am after all this time."
Tresvant's last solo effort was the 2006 XMG release "RizzWaFaire." He has charted five top 10 R&B singles, including the 1990 No. 1 "Sensitivity." His business partner and XMG co-owner Dan Dillman says the company's upcoming plans include an up-close-and-personal tour featuring Tresvant.
As previously reported, New Edition will receive ASCAP's Golden Note Award during the performing rights organization's annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards at the in Beverly Hills on June 23. The group's 25-year career will be saluted during the ceremony.
'IDOL' ALUM VONZELL CAUGHT PACKING HEAT: Airport security stops her after finding unloaded gun in her bag.
*"American Idol" season four finalist Vonzell "Baby V" Solomon was stopped by security officials at Southwest Florida International Airport Tuesday after an unloaded gun was found in her luggage.
The former postal worker was making her way through the TSA checkpoint en route to a U.S. Airways flight around 12:15 p.m. when the gun was discovered. Solomon has a permit to carry a gun, but toting it to the airport is against the law.
The weapon was confiscated by police and she was issued a notice to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a weapon into an airport, reports South Florida's news-press.com. Lee Port Authority spokeswoman Barbara-Ann Urrutia said the gun was not loaded, and Solomon had reportedly forgotten she had it in her luggage.
“She was given a notice to appear, which is typically what happens when there is someone who has done something like this,” Urrutia said. “When it’s obvious that it’s a mistake and there is a permit, we really try to work with people.”
TAVIS' TRAVELING MUSEUM PREVIEWED ONLINE: Webcast for 'America I AM: The African American Imprint' to be held next week.
*Tavis Smiley will host "America I AM Live," a free Webcast offering a sneak preview of the upcoming America I AM: The African American Imprint museum exhibition.
This nationwide virtual preview will be the first glimpse into the galleries of the traveling museum exhibition that will open in November celebrating 400 years of African American contributions to the nation through artifacts, documents, multimedia, photos and music.
The Webcast will be live at http://www.AmericaIAM.org from 8:15-8:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday (June 17) with Smiley moderating simultaneously on the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Pre-registration is recommended and is available as of today at http://www.AmericaIAM.org.
Developed in partnership with The Smiley Group, Inc., and organized by Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and Cincinnati Museum Center, America I AM: The African American Imprint is a four-year touring exhibition that will tell the story of the nation's African people and their legacies through objects, texts, religion, music, narration and media culled from every period of U.S. history.
The twelve galleries, each with its own music thematic, plus theater experiences, will convey a journey from struggle to triumph to celebration. The galleries include: Where it Started, The Promise, Fight Over the Promise, Jim Crow, Religion, Freedom Fighting, Double Victory, Expressive Culture, and Spirit of Celebration. The final gallery, "What Is My Imprint?," will allow visitors to record their own thoughts and voices as they exit the exhibition building, thereby creating a living imprint archive that will grow with each museum stop.
Following the Webcast, a nationwide mobile tour, "America I AM Across America," in support of the exhibition will kick off July 4 during the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans.
HAS LISA-RAYE'S MARRIAGE FLATLINED?: Rumors out of Turks and Caicos say the end is near for the island's first couple.
*Caribbean Net News is reporting that divorce is looming for actress Lisa-Raye and her husband, Turks and Caicos Islands [TCI] Premiere Dr. Michael Misick, in the wake of rape allegations leveled against him.
In April, Misick was accused of sexually assaulting a U.S. citizen on a visit to his and Lisa-Raye’s home in the TCI. It was reported that the female visitor in question was a friend of Lisa-Raye’s.
Misick denied the allegations in a televised statement within the next two days. But other media sources, including Internet sites and Bahamian newspapers, reported that Misick admitted there was sexual contact but claims that it was consensual.
Rumors of cheating and infidelity have followed the couple’s two-year marriage, but have never been confirmed. Lisa-Raye told Caribbean Net News on Tuesday: "I understand the interest my fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders have in this matter. But I hope they will understand that I have no comment to make at this time."
OBAMA BITS: FightTheSmears.com; 'McCain Girl'; Huffington's 5 words; Streisand support; L.A. money; Cusack's challenge; 'Uncle Barack's Cabin'.
*Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign has set up a Web site, http://www.fightthesmears.com, designed to respond immediately to any inaccurate information about him. The Web site is currently squashing a rumor circulating on conservative Republican blogs that his wife, Michelle, used the word "whitey" during a diatribe at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, and that a videotape exists. Other false rumors confronted on the site are that Obama is a Muslim, that his books contain racially incendiary remarks and that he won't say the Pledge of Allegiance or place his hand over his heart. The site repeats the innuendo, in some cases explaining where it comes from, debunks it and encourages people to give the campaign their e-mail addresses to "spread the truth."
*Ben Relles and BarelyPolitical.com, the team behind Obama Girl and her song "I've Got a Crush on Obama," are trying to create the same Internet sensation with a similar song about Republican presidential nominee John McCain. But, according to the New York Daily News, the premiere of "McCain Girl" at the Webby Awards Tuesday night "was met by only scattered applause." Columnists Rush & Malloy states: "The clip showed buxom blond Kate Secor bursting out of her "McCain" T-shirt as she morphs into a roidal musclebound superhero, not unlike The Hulk. McCain Girl battles her nemesis Obama Girl [Amber Lee Ettinger] and other Dems in her path, before she spies Sen. Barack Obama making a campaign speech - and leaps from a building to crush him. Laughing up to that point, the heavily liberal audience were themselves knocked into stunned silence at the sight of Obama lying on the ground, closed-eyed."
*Arianna Huffington's HuffingtonPost.com, meanwhile, was a winner for Best Political Blog at the Webby Awards, also known as the Internet Oscars. Organizers demand that winners keep their acceptance speech to just five words. Upon receiving her trophy, Huffington told the crowd: "President Obama - sounds good, right?"
*Barbra Streisand, one of Hillary Clinton's biggest celebrity supporters, has switched her allegiance to Barack Obama and has already contacted his presidential campaign offering to help in any way possible, reports the LA Times. Streisand's personal spokeswoman, Marge Tabankin, says talks are underway with the campaign in Chicago to decide what exact role the singer will play.
*Streisand, so far, is not scheduled to appear at an Obama fundraiser/concert scheduled for June 24 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. But a who's-who of Hollywood stars is expected to attend the 3,200-seat venue to raise money for the campaign. Obama banked over 1 million dollars in February at a Beverly Hills fundraiser where guests included Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller.
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*A German liberal-leaning newspaper is under fire for marking Obama's nomination with a photo of the White House under the headline "Uncle Barack's Cabin." (View pic here: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,grossbild-1201036-557861,
00.html). The Berlin-based daily Die Tageszeitung, "normally considered a bastion of political correctness," according to Spiegel Online International, said in the picture caption: "The White House in Washington:
Will Barack Obama be the first black president to move in there?" Taz deputy editor-in-chief Reiner Metzger defended the headline on Thursday, saying "[It's] is intended to be satirical. 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is a book that all Germans know and which they associate with issues of racism. The headline is supposed to make people think about these stereotypes. It works on many levels."
• Gary Smith, executive director of the American Academy in Berlin, a private center which promotes trans-Atlantic relations, told Spiegel Online Thursday that the cover left him "speechless." He said: "'Uncle Tom' is a racial slur, and the Taz editors clearly sacrificed substance and principle for an unreflected laugh. A journalism that prides itself on treating stereotypes with irreverence needs to think harder about its own deployment of stereotypes and racial allusions. There are countless ways to address the issue of race in this year's election more intelligently."
• The headline refers to Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which has become controversial due to its perceived stereotyping of African-Americans. The novel led to the expression "Uncle Tom" being used to pejoratively refer to an African-American who is subservient to whites.
*Actor John Cusack has filmed a video for the non-profit group MoveOn.org that dares viewers to distinguish the domestic and foreign policies supported by John McCain and those enacted by President George W.
Bush. In the 30-second spot, called "Betcha Can't Tell Them Apart," Cusack, an Obama supporter, urges voters to take the Bush-McCain Challenge, a test at Bush-McCainChallenge.com that illustrates their similar viewpoints. View
Cusack's video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQgJl9d5KCQ
ITTY BITTY BITS: 'Midway' in theaters; Remy Ma mixtape; Dream's Newark gig nixed; Snipes at Plumm; Kidd's new squeeze; Joyner hosts Global Fusion Festival.
*First Run Features has acquired North American rights to Godfrey Cheshire's autobiographical Southern plantation documentary "Moving Midway,"
which chronicles the relocation of his family's North Carolina plantation and their discovery of African-American relatives. The film will be released in New York on Sept. 12, followed by a national platform release, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
*Remy Ma, currently in prison for shooting a friend over missing money, is about to release a 17-song mix tape, BlasRemy, featuring appearances from Papoose and 3Sum, Remy Ma's all-female rap group with Jackie-O and Shawnna. BlasRemy, which precedes her official second album "PunishHer," includes freestyles over Patti LaBelle’s "If," Lauryn Hill's "Doo-Wop That Thing," Playa Circle's "Duffle Bag Boy," and the last song she recorded, "I'mma Do Re-my," which features the MC rapping over Rocko's song "Umma Do Me," reports Allhiphop.com. Remy Ma was sentenced to eight years in prison on May 13.
*The scheduled Pieces of a Dream concerts in downtown Newark venue The Spot this Sunday have been cancelled. As previously reported, the jazz group was booked to play two shows at a Father's Day benefit for The Guiding Hand, a Newark organization that keeps young people off the street by engaging them in positive activities that expand their horizons and opportunities.
*Wesley Snipes, who faces three years in jail for tax evasion, was spotted Wednesday at Plumm in New York with his "Brooklyn's Finest" co-star Don Cheadle and New York Giants players Antonio Pierce, Mathias Kiwanuka and Plaxico Burress. When a fan stepped to the tax-troubled actor and said, "I feel so sorry for you," Snipes replied, "It's all good." …Only time will tell.
*Dallas Maverick Jason Kidd is reportedly dating model May Anderson, who was formerly linked to another "kid," Kid Rock, reports Page Six. "They just spent the week in Palm Beach and are planning to go to Europe together," the column quoted of a source. Kidd filed for divorce from his wife, Joumana, last year.
*Tom Joyner, of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, is hosting the 2nd Annual Global Fusion Festival in Philadelphia on July 19 from noon to 8 p.m.
at Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus Blvd. The festival-themed event will feature national recording artists and acts representing local African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American cultures through music and ethnic dance performances, foods, crafts, giveaways and educational programs for participants of all ages. Visit www.GlobalFusionFestival.com for an updated list of performers, vendors, and sponsors.
OBESE BLACK MOTHERS PUT NEWBORNS AT RISK: But study finds obesity has no affect on babies from white mothers.
*A study led by the University of South Florida sheds new light on obesity’s role in the black-white gap in infant mortality, reports sciencedaily.com.
While maternal obesity appears to have no impact on the early survival of infants born to white women, the situation is different for black women, researchers report in the June 2008 issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Infants of obese black mothers had a higher risk of death in the first 27 days following birth than newborns of obese white mothers, the researchers found. Furthermore, this black disadvantage in neonatal infant mortality widened with an increase in the body mass index (BMI).
The black-white disparity in infant mortality persisted even when the researchers adjusted for certain obesity-associated medical complications more prevalent in black women — high blood pressure, diabetes and preeclampsia.
“This further confirms our findings that high BMI is an independent risk factor for neonatal mortality among blacks but not whites,” said the study’s lead author Hamisu Salihu, MD, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the USF College of Public Health.
The researchers also controlled for the amount of prenatal care received since another possible explanation for the black-white disparity may be that obese white women have better access to prenatal care than black women. Their results suggested otherwise, but Dr. Salihu cautions that more study is needed.
“We cannot dismiss access to care as a factor because the quantity of prenatal care does not take into account the quality of care received,” he said.
Dr. Salihu suggests that differences in the way fat is distributed in white and black women may play a role in their newborns’ survival. Studies have shown that fat tucked deep inside the waistline may be worse for adults’ health than fat padding the rest of the body.
“If we can understand more about the potential association between fat distribution in mothers and likelihood of death in their babies, we might have an avenue for prevention and narrowing the persistent black-white gap in infant mortality,” he said.
The latest study builds on another published last year by Dr. Salihu and colleagues, which reported that the risk for obesity-associated stillbirth was 50 percent greater among blacks than whites.
The researchers analyzed more than 1.4 million births recorded from Missouri’s vital records database, covering the period 1978 through 1997.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening June 13, 2008
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
The Happening (R for violent and disturbing images) M. Night Shyamalan directs this sci-fi thriller about a teacher (Mark Wahlberg) who escapes to the Pennsylvania countryside with his estranged wife (Zooey Deschanel) in an effort to avoid the airborne toxin which has been causing people in cities to commit suicide. With John Leguizamo, Ashlyn Sanchez and Spencer Breslin.
The Incredible Hulk (PG-13 for action violence, frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content) Edward Norton replaces Eric Bana as the Marvel Comics superhero in a screen adaptation which totally overhaul’s the cast from Ang Lee’s 2003 production while also ignoring the original’s plot.
Here, the Hulk seeks a cure for the condition which causes him to morph into a giant green monster when stressed. New ensemble includes Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth, Robert Downey, Jr. and Tim Blake Nelson, with cameos by the character’s creator Stan Lee and TV originator Lou Ferrigno.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Beauty in Trouble (Unrated) Romance drama, set in Prague, revolving around a housewife (Anna Geislerová) struggling to provide for two kids who is tempted to leave her jailbird husband (Roman Luknár) for the financial security offered by the rich, elderly sugar daddy (Josef Abrhám) whose car he stole. (In Czech with subtitles)
Chris & Don (Unrated) Gay-themed bio-pic chronicles the 30-year, love relationship of American portrait artist Don Bachardy and late British writer Christopher Isherwood (Cabaret), lifemates who met on Valentine’s Day in 1953 when the former was only 18 while the latter was already 49.
Encounters at the End of the World (Unrated) Visually-captivating nature documentary directed by environmentalist Werner Herzog (Rescue Dawn), shot during summertime, explores the underwater and surface landscapes of Antarctica around Ross Island, home to a base of the National Science Foundation where over a thousand hardy researchers are stationed.
Kicking It (Unrated) Colin Farrell narrates this soccer documentary profiling 7 players participating in the 2006 Homeless World Cup, staged in South Africa, where 48 national teams comprised of 500 desperate hobos with nothing left to lose gathered for a change of scenery while representing their respective countries in the quest for the championship.
Love Comes Lately (Unrated) Romance drama based on a trio of short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer, revolving around the sexploits of a retired writer (Otto Tausig) with a jealous girlfriend (Rhea Perlman) and a vivid imagination. The virile octogenarian envisions himself wooing a next-door neighbor (Tovah Feldshuh), a former student (Barbara Hershey), a widow (Caroline Aaron) and a Latino cleaning lady (Elizabeth Pena).
My Winnipeg (Unrated) Guy Maddin wrote and directed this surreal, semi-autobiographical docudrama about himself (Darcy Fehr) whle simultaneously serving up a cinematic postcard of his Canadian hometown.
Red Roses and Petrol (R for profanity and sexual references) Dysfunctional family drama, adapted from the Joseph O’Connor stage play of the same name, examines the machinations inside an Irish clan gathering in Dublin for the funeral of its beloved patriarch (Malcolm MacDowell).
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Only in growth, reform and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found." — Anne Morrow Lindbergh
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 13: Singer Raz B (B2K) is 23.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
WWW.RushmoreDrive.com is a new site designed expressly for the purpose of black/urban search.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 13, 1967: Thurgood Marshall, U.S. solicitor general, named to the Supreme Court by President Johnson. He was confirmed by the Senate on August 30 and became the first black Supreme Court justice. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
