Two Men Charged In Murder Of Indianapolis Pastor’s Wife

November 24, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Authorities charged two men with murder on Monday in the fatal shooting of a pastor’s pregnant wife during a home invasion of the couple’s Indianapolis home.

Amanda Blackburn, 28, was found partially nude and with her shirt pulled up, lying in a pool of blood on her living room floor. She died a day after the Nov. 10 attack. Her husband, Pastor Davey Blackburn, said he had left the home unlocked earlier that morning to go to the gym and work out and returned about 7:30 a.m. to find his wounded wife. The couple’s 15-month-old son, Weston, was at home upstairs in a crib but was not harmed in the attack.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry identified the two men charged with murder as Larry Jo Taylor Jr., 18, and Jalen E. Watson, 21, both of Indianapolis, face murder, burglary, theft and several other charges. A probable cause affidavit says that Taylor shot Blackburn three times, including once in the back of the head.

It was not clear whether Blackburn, who was 13 weeks pregnant, had been sexually assaulted, the affidavit says.

“The investigation will continue, including any further forensic analysis that’s appropriate or ongoing,” Curry said.

The affidavit says that the two men entered the house that morning after they had robbed two other homes, including one in the same neighborhood. A third man remained outside in a Chrysler Sebring stolen from the first home burglarized that day. That man has not yet been charged in the crimes, but Curry said he is being held on a parole violation in an unrelated case.

“He’s not going anywhere. We will make that decision probably this week,” Curry said.

After the pair entered the Blackburn home, Watson left Taylor behind and drove away to ATMs in a stolen Sebring to try to use Blackburn’s debit card to withdraw money.

Curry said the first significant break in the case came when DNA on a pink sweater stolen from a home near the Blackburn residence was found to match Watson’s DNA profile on file. That sweater was found in the Sebring, which authorities said was used to move items taken during the burglaries.

The prosecutor said that his office would review whether it might seek the death penalty against Taylor and would meet with Blackburn’s relatives before making a decision in about a month.

“We meet internally in our office to determine strengths and weaknesses of the case. We meet with the family and we then ultimately make that decision — rather than making that decision based on a snap judgment,” he said.

Davey Blackburn released a statement Monday saying: “Though it does not undo the pain we are feeling, I was extremely relieved to get the news of the arrest made last night of Amanda’s killer.”

Davey Blackburn said investigators have told him they have a “solidly-built case.” Blackburn said he hopes the “court system would have wisdom on how to prosecute this man so that no one else endures the pain Amanda and our family have had to endure because of his actions.”

Curry said there was no reason to believe that the Blackburns knew the two men charged with murder.The Blackburns moved to Indianapolis from South Carolina to found the independent Resonate Church in 2012.

Taylor also faces misdemeanor public nudity and public indecency charges stemming from an unrelated June incident where he allegedly exposed himself to a woman in a parking lot, court records show.

Investigators believe the suspect, whom neighbors also reported seeing walking in the area, may have seen Davey Blackburn leave that morning shortly after the suspect allegedly burglarized a nearby house.

Watson and Taylor were both being held at the Marion County Jail. It wasn’t immediately clear whether either man had an attorney to speak on their behalf.

blackamericaweb.com

Daily Quote ~November 24, 2015~

Birmingham Times

November 24, 2015

Spiritual Thought/Empowerment

People, Places and Things By Gwen DeRu

Birmingham Times

November 20, 2015

THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT IS IN THE AIR!!

IT’S FALL IN ALABAMA ….and around the southeast!!

Enjoy the fall weather and the changing of the leaves with family and friends. The Holidays are right around the corner. Share in the Spirit of the Season!

2015 FRED L. SHUTTLESWORTH HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD CELEBRATION featuring An Evening with SMOKEY ROBINSON, 7 p.m. at the Historic Alabama Theatre. VERNON E. JORDAN, JR. is the 2015 Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award Recipient. Call (205) 328-9696 x202 for more.

CURTISS GLENN NEW RELEASE – Many of you know him as Birmingham’s own son, Curtiss Glenn! Most people don’t know, Curtiss also has a group entitled, Curtiss Glenn & Freedom Movement! They released their first single entitled, “Come Through”. Stop what you are doing right now and checkout the music video: http://youtu.be/XzYPyK4cAvo.

GOING ON STILL AT APPLEBEE’S (IN FIVE POINTS WEST) – With Veterans Day comes a specific time to celebrate and reward our veterans in any way that we ‘all ‘can. Apple Bee’s hopes to reach a goal set of $100,000 for veterans. Every Brownie or Blondie Bite purchased for $2, all proceeds will be donated to help purchase a Trackchair for some disabled Veteran. Head to Apple Bee’s purchase the brownie or the bite and support our veterans. TO ALL VETERANS…Happy Veterans Day Month!!!

DON’T MISS….

Here are a few more things to do….and ‘not to miss!’ Coming soon….

THANKSGIVING SOUL AND BLUES SUPERFEST, November 27, 7 p.m. at the Bill Harris Arena at the Crossplex featuring CALVIN RICHARDSON, LENNY WILLIAMS, SIR CHARLES JONES, BIG POKEY, NELLIE “TIGER’ TRAVIS.

AROUND TOWN….

There are always plenty of things to do around the southeast. Here are a few things going on in town…sooner or later….

FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS….

SATURDAY, 9 a.m. – Southeastern Outings Dayhike at DeSoto State Park and Lost Falls. Details: Moderately easy hike in DeSoto State Park. We will hike along the beautiful West Fork of Little River. We’ll also hike various other trails in the park and visit Lost Falls. This is one of the most scenic state parks in Alabama. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 9 and over able to walk about 5 miles without complaining welcome. After the outing we’ll enjoy an optional restaurant dinner together. Depart 9 a.m. from the Applebee’s in Trussville. For more: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or phone (205) 631-4680

SUNDAY, 1 p.m. – Southeastern Outings Dayhike on Montevallo Parks Trail

Details: Enjoy an easy 4-mile hike on a trail in Montevallo. The main trail is two miles one way and goes through parks, by two picturesque, flowing streams, and around a beautiful University-owned lake in a wooded park. Total hiking distance is about four miles.

This is a guided tour of an easily walkable trail. Please bring plenty of water and wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather.

Depart 1 p.m. from the McDonald’s Galleria or meet the group at 1:50 p.m. at the parking lot beside the larger bridge over Shoal Creek that is the wide creek that flows through Orr Park between the ball fields and the open recreational area in the park in Montevallo. The bridge is right beside the parking lot along the creek at the back of the ball fields. Please email Dan Frederick at the email address below if you would like driving directions from Hoover to Orr Park sent to you before the hike.

There is an optional dinner after the hike. Admission to Park: Free. For more: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or (205) 631-4680

FOR ART LOVERS…

JOIN BETA PICTORIS – Check out art by IRENE GRAU now through December 18. Then there is art by WILLIE COLE at the Julie Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn, Alabama through January 10: BARBARA AND MICHAEL LEISGEN at the Lille Metropole Museum of Modern Contemporary and Outsider Art in Lille, France through January 10, and SHARON LOUDEN at the Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth, Mn. For more go to beta pictoris gallery, 2411 Second Avenue, North, Birmingham, AL 35209.

SICKLE CELL DISEASE ON CANVAS – The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Sickle Cell Foundation of Central Alabama will present the second annual “Sickle Cell Disease on Canvas,” at BCRI, now through December 31. The exhibition features art created by individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), as well as, parents, and caregivers. The artwork, along with educational panels about sickle cell disease, will hang in the Theatre Gallery. For more information, call 205-328-9696 x 228.

NOW…on to the rest of the happenings…. THIS WEEKEND….A FEW THINGS IN BIRMINGHAM!

CHECK OUT….the TIDE AND TIGER every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Graymont Avenue.

HERE ARE A FEW MORE THINGS GOING ON…THIS WEEKEND…

TODAY….

Ona’s Music Room is relocating…. look for more soon.

REBIRTH BRASS BAND and NAUGHTY PROFESSOR at The Nick.

FRIDAY…

TIDE AND TIGER LOUNGE, 8 p.m. on Graymont Avenue across the street from Legion Field. Open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

FRIDAY AFTER WORK – For those that want ‘a break’ before the weekend ‘Friday after Work’ has food and more, 5 – 10 p.m. Call (205) 572-1295 for more. Get your palates ready!

SISSY BROWN, ABRAHAM AND THE OLD GODS, ROBBIE SELLERS and EMILY STUCKEY at The Nick on southside.

SATURDAY…

TIDE AND TIGER LOUNGE, 8 p.m. on Graymont Avenue across the street from Legion Field. Open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

MCPHERSON STRUTS, V-* DEATH CAR and CADOILLAC JUNKIES at The Nick.

SUNDAY…

RENSHAW DAVIES and THE OLD PAINTS, 8 p.m. at the Nick. No cover.

MONDAY…

KAMIKAZE ZOMBIE at The Nick.

TUESDAY…

TIDE AND TIGER LOUNGE, 8 p.m. on Graymont Avenue across the street from Legion Field. Open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

WEDNESDAY…

A NEW KIND OF HERO and THE RUNTS at the Nick.

FOR COMEDY LOVERS…

DON’T MISS….

AT THE STARDOME… this weekend…MARLON WAYANS The Funniest Man in America returns! For over twenty years, the unforgettable caricature of veteran comic James Gregory has stood grinning: his blue shirt untucked, his arms outstretched, a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious storytelling experience. The trademark caricature is the essence of James Gregory´s comedy: whimsical reflections on life from the front porch.

COMING SOON…, SOMMORE – December 4-6, LUCA BOHN – December 8-13, SINBAD – December 18-20, EARTHQUAKE – December 31 – January 2 and GARY OWEN – January 15-17. Call (205) 444-0008 for more.

COMING SOON…in and around the southeast….

DECEMBER 5 – TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY TAYLOR – “Mr. Showout” T.J. HOOKER TAYLOR (Johnny Taylor’s son) and TONY PAIGE will perform at the Tide and Tiger, doors open at 7 p.m., 409 Graymont Avenue. Call (205) 503-3880 for more.

DECEMBER 12 – 2015 ALABAMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY featuring jazz piano prodigy JOEY ALEXANDER in Concert, 5:30 p.m., Cocktail Reception and 7 p.m. Inductee Ceremony and Joey Alexander Concert at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, 1631 Fourth Avenue North, Birmingham 35203

This is Alexander’s first visit to Alabama and only performance in the Southeast this year. For more call (205) 327-9424 Ext. 21.

JANUARY 18 – 30^th ANNUAL DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. UNITY BREAKFAST, 7:30 – 9 a.m. at the BJCC North Meeting Hall. Call (205) 324-8797 for more.

JANUARY 29- 31 – WINTER WEEKEND GETAWAY in Gatlinburg with World Famous DJ Kid Capri. For more: www.urbanprofessionals.com/wintergetaway.

NOW…. BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUTS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, … AND TO ALL CELEBRATING!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL YOU BIRTHDAY BALLERS…MANY, MANY MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!! ENJOY!! Celebrate ‘your’ month…I do…all 30 days ‘and’ some!

Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time.

(People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com or gwenderu@yahoo.com

ONE MAN’S OPINION By: Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

Birmingham Times

November 20, 2015

JAN-Jesse-Lewis — Dr. Jesse Lewis, Sr. is the founder of The Birmingham Times.

How Mrs. Carson Looks or Religious Beliefs of Her Husband Should Not Be an Issue!

What the social media has done is placed Ben Carson and his wife side by side to compare how they look as it relates to the President and Mrs. Obama. They used the following sentences on Facebook – Hi, I’m President Barack Obama, and I have direct TV. Hi, I’m Presidential candidate Ben Carson, and I have cable. In the meme, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are striking at the China State Dinner. President Barack Obama is dressed in a well-tailored tuxedo, and the first lady has long, side swept hair and an off-the-shoulder, custom made Vera Want gown. In the contrasting picture of the Carsons on the day Carson officially announced his candidacy for president in Detroit, he is dressed in an unremarkable but presentable blue suit. But his wife, Lacena, aka Candy, appearance makes the meme funny to some. She is wearing a hairstyle and patriotic ensemble that is in unflattering, ill-fitting and dated. The meme is a play on a popular DirecTV commercial that clowns its cable competitors for being subpar.

Well meaning sympathizers of Mrs. Carson have excused her appearance as a result of her religious beliefs stating that she is a devout Seventh–Day Adventist, a religion that discourages women form wearing makeup and jewelry and emphasizes a modest appearance. Some said that religion and modesty are not synonymous with ill-fitting and unflattering and out-of-date so her look cannot be blamed on religion.

Others said for people to stop pretending that appearance never matters when there are times that it absolutely does. For example, when Sarah Palin was taken out of her Alaskan wilderness and thrust into a presidential campaign, her handlers spent $150,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus to dress her for the campaign trail. It’s because appearance matters that over the years, First Lady Michelle Obama has transformed from a conservative look popular among politico wives to that of a glamorous and designer-wearing fashion icon.

People can’t help noticing that as a presidential candidate, Ben Carson always show up looking like the position he want to have. They want the Mrs. to look the same. She does not have to have the same off-the-shoulder, hip-hugging ball gowns, but it would be helpful if the team that works with his presentation, if he has one. Would add a little something for her. Or if there is no team, she would be well-served to enlist the help of a glam squad. Not because social media has no chill, but because appearance matters, and when it comes to running for president, her husband needs all the help he can get.

Now let’s go to the religious beliefs… He’s a Seventh Day Adventist. A lot of Americans don’t know much about the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The Protestant Christian denomination turned 150 years old in 2013, which makes it a relative newcomer on the religious scene.

Many Adventists embrace their outsider status, calling themselves “God peculiar people.” Adventists don’t drink or smoke. Here are a few of Adventists beliefs shared with mainstream Christians and several unique to Seventh-Day Adventists.

(Like all religions, Adventists display a range of intellectual diversity and the faith itself has evolved over time.

Adventist believes the Bible is the infallible word of God. Adventists believe sinful humans can be saved by Jesus. Adventists believe the Bible counsels against abortion, same-sex marriage. These beliefs are similar to Catholics, evangelicals and many conservative Protestants. While many Adventists keep their distance from partisan politics and try to maintain a wall between church and state, the church has spoken out against the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. The church states, the Bible clearly calls for the protection of human life, especially the weak, the defenseless and the oppressed.

The unique Adventist beliefs include: Adventists worship on Saturday, the ‘seventh day.’ Adventists do not believe in an eternal hell. They do believe that Jesus’ second coming is imminent. Adventists believe in the visions and prophecies of Ellen White. They believe that the Bible is the final authority and the White’s writings are a lesser light pointing to the greater light – the scripture. Her teachings on health seem to have been effective as the Adventist Health System is one of the largest non-profit health systems in the country. Their healthy lifestyles have led to longer lives, on average, than other Americans.

I still contend that Dr. Carson is not qualified to be President of the United States. How he and his wife looks or his religion does not play any part in him becoming President of the United States.

UN OFFICIAL SAYS INITIAL REPORTS INDICATE 27 KILLED IN MALI

Birmingham Times

November 20, 2015

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A U.N. official says initial reports from the field indicate that 27 people were killed in the attack on the Radisson hotel in Mali’s capital.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the operation is still ongoing, said 12 bodies were found in the basement and 15 bodies were found on the second floor. The official stressed that the building had yet to be totally cleared.

Another U.N. official, U.N. Mali mission spokesman Olivier Salgado, said two extremists have been killed and that forces are going from room to room, checking for more casualties.

Jussie Smollett Talks ‘Empire’ Ratings, Mariah Carey

November 20, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — Cookie, the artist? Possibly.

Taraji P. Henson, who plays the matriarch on the hit series “Empire,” is musically gifted, according to one of her co-stars.

“She sings her (butt) off. People don’t know that. She’s so incredible. She has a beautiful voice,” said Jussie Smollett, who plays Cookie’s son, Jamal Lyon, on the show. “She’s a trained theater actress, so she knows … musical theater and all of that. She has a beautiful voice.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Smollett talks about working with Henson, Terrence Howard, Mariah Carey and more on “Empire,” which airs at 9 p.m. EST Wednesdays on Fox.

___

AP: So will we get to see Cookie sing on the show?

Smollett: I don’t know if she’s going to sing on the show, but we’ve being trying to get her to sing on the show. She’s just scared to go in the damn studio. I’m like, ‘Go into the studio and record something. You have a great voice.’

AP: Have you filmed with Mariah Carey yet?

Smollett: Not yet. You know, me and Mariah go back like babies and pacifiers. Mariah is coming; I just don’t know when. I know nothing like that …I just know that as a fact I will be working with her soon, I just don’t know if it’s going to be ‘Empire’ or a song. Who knows?

AP: Maybe a tour?

Smollett: I mean I would open for Mariah in a freakin’ heartbeat. Heartbeat.

AP: Have you guys thought about doing an ‘Empire’ tour like ‘Glee’ and other shows?

Smollett: If a tour happened, it would have to be so next-level. It would have to be as dope as ‘Empire.’ …In the second week of December, Taraji, Yazz (Bryshere Gray) and I are doing a USO tour in Japan and we’ll be performing and meeting all of the troops and their families during the holidays.

AP: What has it been like working with Taraji, Terrence and the others on the set?

Smollett: Taraji is not a joke. She’s the real deal, and I love the fact that she takes her craft so seriously yet she doesn’t take herself seriously. … (Terrence) is this deep, slightly misunderstood person … from Planet Terrence, but we should all be so lucky to sit on Planet Terrence every once in a while and have a conversation with that man because he’s brilliant.

There’s such a respect that we have for each other … it’s never an ego thing … when I tell you there’s not one bit of ego on that set, it’s the honest to God truth — which is also why we laugh when they say about like feuds on set, which is further from the truth.

AP: The show’s ratings are strong but slightly down. What do you think about that?

Smollett: First of all I don’t think about the numbers, I don’t look at that. I’m like, ‘Are we No. 1?’ Cool. And keep it moving. That’s not my job to get all wrapped up in that. I’m aware of it — don’t get me wrong, but it’s kind of like … (Michael Jackson’s) ‘Thriller’ vs. ‘Bad’ …That was such a huge album, but so was the other one.

AP: The show explores the characters’ musical journey — but what’s been your musical journey in real life?

Smollett: I’ve been in talks with labels before, and I’ve never been signed. I’ve walked away from deals before and then sat back and regretted walking away from those deals, but now I don’t regret walking away from them at all. I’ve been a performing artist since I was a kid …I was just pay-to-play — pay-to-play at the Viper Room, at the House of Blues and Crash Mansion here in New York City. It was just about building that fan base so it allowed me to not work a 10 to 6 and be my own boss, and now I’m here on ‘Empire.’ Seven auditions later, a whole bunch of bills, a whole bunch of bill collectors, and I’m here.

AP: You signed a deal with Columbia Records. Are you writing and recording your album?

Smollett: I’m concentrated on ‘Empire’s’ music, Jamal’s music, although they obviously bleed together because some of Jamal’s songs were my songs recorded before I even auditioned for ‘Empire’ or knew that ‘Empire’ was happening. ..It’s definitely coming — sometime next year.

AP: Your character filmed a Pepsi commercial to showcase his star power in the music industry, which will debut during the Dec. 2 mid-season finale. What was that like?

Smollett: It’s unbelievable. …We had to explain and show this meteoric rise that Jamal is starting to have … you can say a line in the script that ‘my album was No. 1,’ but as a viewer can you feel that? We could even make up a fake award and act like he won a Grammy, but can you feel that?

Braxton Family Feud Reportedly Erupts Over Tamar Doing ‘DWTS’

Birmingham Times

November 20, 2015

Tamar Braxton may have gotten her share of supporters from appearing on “Dancing With the Stars,” but don’t count her sisters among them.

The Daily Mail reports that a family feud has allegedly erupted between Tamar’ and her sisters Toni, Towanda, Trina and Traci. Apparently, the siblings were not happy at all with Tamar doing “DWTS, according to a source, who revealed that Towanda had been trying unsuccessfully for two years, to get on the hit show.

To make matters worse the sisters didn’t get wind of Tamar being among the competitors for “DWTS” until they found out like everyone else when the news dropped on “Good Morning America.”

“There has been serious family tension among the sisters for some time, the source told The Daily Mail. “While it has been chronicled on their reality show – it is even worse in real life. It is pretty much all of the sisters versus Tamar at this point and her signing up to do Dancing made their relationship worse.”

“When they announced on Good Morning America that she was a surprise addition to the cast lineup this season, it was the first her sisters had heard of it.,” the source added. “None of them reached out to congratulate her because they were all appalled she would betray Towanda in this way.”

News of the Braxton family feud comes after Tamar withdrew from “DWTS” last week after discovering that she has blood clots in both sides of her lungs.

The drama has apparently put a dent in Toni and Tamar’s relationship. The sisters, who were very close at one point, are looking to be anything but that as Toni reportedly feels Tamar has become ‘too competitive’ and ‘very cocky’ with her sisters.

Things have apparently become so bad that Tamar allegedly doesn’t want producers at her talk show “The Real” to book any of her sisters on the show. According to The Daily Mail, neither Toni or Traci have promoted any of their music and accompanying releases on “The Real.”

The site goes on to say that Tamar put the hammer down and vetoed the idea of Towanda and Traci serving as guest co-hosts while Tamar was on “DWTS.”

‘She told her producers, she’s not having them and to ‘find some other options,” the source stated. “Producers followed her wishes and they’ve booked Tamar’s husband Vincent Herbert, Tamera’s spouse Adam Housley, NeNe Leakes and Maksim Chmerkovskiy instead.’

Chicago Police Will Release Video In Teen’s Shooting Death

Birmingham Times

November 20, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — The city of Chicago said Thursday it will comply with a judge’s order and soon release a video of a white police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times — images that some worry could lead to unrest similar to protests that other cities have seen after police-involved deaths.

The announcement from the city came after Cook County Judge Franklin Valderrama refused to give the Chicago Police Department more time before the release while the city decided whether to appeal. It was initially thought that an emergency appeal was likely.

But a statement from Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office hours after the judge’s ruling indicated there will be no appeal and that the video would be released to the public by Wednesday at the latest, as Valderrama ordered.

“Police officers are entrusted to uphold the law, and to provide safety to our residents,” the statement said. “In this case unfortunately, it appears an officer violated that trust at every level.”

Earlier Thursday, several activists began to cry inside the courtroom when the judge issued his ruling. They said later that the decision to release the footage of the October 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald was monumental for a city with a police department that has long been dogged by a reputation for brutality, particularly involving blacks.

Activists, journalists and attorneys have been pushing for the video’s release for several months, especially after the family’s lawyers obtained the squad car dashcam video and described what they saw: McDonald armed with a small knife and walking away from a group of police officers, and Officer Jason Van Dyke opening fire from about 15 feet and continuing to shoot after the teen fell to the ground.

An autopsy report showed that McDonald was shot 16 times, including at least twice in his back. The report also said PCP, a hallucinogenic drug, was found in McDonald’s system.

The Police Department, responding to a freelance journalist’s Freedom of Information request, refused to release the video and said doing so could hamper the shooting investigation.

But on Thursday, the judge said the department did not have the legal right to withhold the video because other agencies including the FBI are the ones investigating, not Chicago police.

The statement from Emanuel’s office appears to exert pressure on prosecutors, saying that the city “promptly sent this case and the evidence to state and federal prosecutors who have been investigating it for almost a year.” The statement adds that it hopes the video’s release by Wednesday “will provide prosecutors time to expeditiously bring their investigation to a conclusion so Chicago can begin to heal.”

McDonald’s mother did not want the video released out of fear it could lead to protests like ones in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, that sometimes grew violent, according to one of her lawyers, Jeffrey Neslund.

“It is a very graphic video and it is disturbing. It will have a powerful impact,” Neslund said.

Craig Futterman, an attorney for freelance journalist Brandon Smith, said while the video will certainly anger people, the Police Department’s fight to keep the video from public view will upset them more.

Van Dyke’s attorney, Dan Herbert, said he is concerned that someone could try to harm the officer because they do not understand the context in which the shooting occurred.

Police said Van Dyke has been stripped of his police powers, but remains at work on desk duty.

Neslund, the McDonald family lawyer, said a grand jury could meet to consider whether to indict Van Dyke as soon as next week.

Data recently released by Mandel Legal Aid Clinic of the University of Chicago Law School and a nonprofit journalism group called The Invisible Institute showed thousands of citizen complaints against officers have resulted in little discipline against the officers. The data also shows that Van Dyke has been the subject of 18 civilian complaints for allegations including misconduct, racial verbal abuse and excessive force during his career but has never been disciplined.

Van Dyke denied that he acted improperly in each complaint.

The Chicago City Council took the unusual step in April of approving a $5 million settlement with McDonald’s family, even though the family hadn’t filed a lawsuit, after being advised to do so by a city attorney who had seen the video.

Daily Quote ~November 19, 2015~

Birmingham Times

November 19, 2015

Spiritual Thought/Empowerment

STUDY FINDS MORE MEXICANS LEAVING THE US THAN COMING

Birmingham Times

November 19, 2015

SAN DIEGO (AP) — More Mexicans are leaving the United States than migrating into the country, marking a reversal of one of the most significant immigration trends in U.S. history.

A study published Thursday by the Pew Research Center said a desire to reunite families is the primary reason Mexicans go home. A sluggish U.S. recovery from the Great Recession also contributed. Meanwhile, tougher border enforcement has deterred some Mexicans from coming to the United States.

Pew found that slightly more than 1 million Mexicans and their families, including American-born children, left the U.S. for Mexico from 2009 to 2014. During the same time, 870,000 Mexicans came to the U.S., resulting in a net flow to Mexico of 140,000.

A half-century of mass migration from Mexico is “at an end,” said Mark Hugo Lopez, Pew’s director of Hispanic research.

The finding follows a Pew study in 2012 that found net migration between the two countries was near zero, so this represents a turning point in one of the largest mass migrations in U.S. history. More than 16 million Mexicans moved to the United States from 1965 to 2015, more than from any other country.

“This is something that we’ve seen coming,” Lopez said. “It’s been almost 10 years that migration from Mexico has really slowed down.”

The findings counter the narrative of an out-of-control border that has figured prominently in U.S. presidential campaigns, with Republican Donald Trump calling for Mexico pay for a fence to run the entire length of the 1,954-mile frontier. Pew said there were 11.7 million Mexicans living in the U.S. last year, down from a peak of 12.8 million in 2007. That includes 5.6 million living in the U.S. illegally, down from 6.9 million in 2007.

In another first, the Border Patrol arrested more non-Mexicans than Mexicans in the 2014 fiscal year, as more Central Americans came to the U.S., mostly through South Texas, and many of them turned themselves in to authorities.

The authors analyzed U.S. and Mexican census data and a 2014 survey by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The Mexican questionnaire asked about residential history, and found that 61 percent of those who reported living in the U.S. in 2009 but were back in Mexico last year had returned to join or start a family. An additional 14 percent had been deported, and 6 percent said they returned for jobs in Mexico.

Still, it’s this lack of jobs in the U.S. – not family ties – that is mostly motivating Mexicans to leave, said Dowell Myers, a public policy professor at the University of Southern California. Construction is a huge draw for young immigrants, but has yet to approach the levels of last decade’s housing boom, he said.

“It’s not like all of a sudden they decided they missed their mothers,” Myers said. “The fact is, our recovery from the Great Recession has been miserable. It’s been miserable for everyone.”

Also, Mexico’s population is aging, meaning there’s less competition for young people looking for work there. That’s a big change from the 1990s, when many people entering the workforce felt they had no choice but to migrate north of the border, Myers said.

While the U.S. economic recovery is sluggish, Mexico has been free in recent years from the economic tailspins that drove earlier generations north in the 1980s and 1990s. The peso is relatively stable, inflation is manageable, and while many parts of Mexico suffer grinding poverty and violence, others — especially in the more industrial northern half — have become thriving manufacturing centers under the North American Free Trade Agreement, producing cars, airplanes and other heavy equipment.

“The main reason for my return is family,” José Arellano Correa, a 41-year-old Mexico City taxi driver who came back from the U.S. in 2005. “I could help them while I was there, but family comes before money.”

Mexicans who remain in the U.S. are more settled than before, Pew said: Their median age was 39 years in 2013, compared to 29 in 1990. More than three in four had been in the U.S. for more than a decade, compared to only half in 1990.

Another telling statistic: 35 percent of adults in Mexico say they have friends or relatives they regularly communicate with or visit in the U.S., a Pew survey this year found. That’s down 7 percentage points from 2007.

Guadalupe Romo, 49, has lived in Fresno, California, for 26 years and has no plans to leave.

“We have our life here,” she said at Fresno’s Mexican consulate. “There’s no point in going back to Mexico.”

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Associated Press writers Scott Smith in Fresno, California, and Alberto Arce in Mexico City contributed to this report.

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