October 4, 2009 |
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James Lee Woodard, center, after DNA evidence exonerated him of convictions for
murder and rape.
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Former Inmate Pardoned
Texas Gov. Rick Perry pardoned James Lee Woodard, who spent 27 years in prison before DNA evidence cleared him of a 1980 murder he did not commit.
"James Lee Woodard was wrongfully convicted for a crime he did not commit," Perry said in a statement released Wednesday. "My action today cannot give back the time he spent in prison, but it does end this miscarriage of justice."
Woodard, who served more time in prison than any other inmate in Texas before being exonerated by DNA evidence, was convicted of the 1980 rape and murder of Betty Ann Jones,18, his girlfriend. A judge sentenced Woodward to life in prison in 1981.
Jones was strangled, and her body was found near the Trinity River in Dallas on Dec. 31, 1980. Jones also was sexually assaulted, police said. Woodard maintained his innocence, but Henry Wade, the Dallas District Attorney, who preceded current Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins, refused to allow Woodard to take a DNA test that would have proved his innocence. Watkins permitted Woodard, who was represented by the Innocence Project of Texas, to take a DNA test.
In April 2008, Watkins announced the results of his findings.
"After careful review of the files in this case by the Conviction Integrity Unit, it is apparent that James Woodard did not have a fair trial back in 1981 and the results of his post-conviction DNA test exclude him as the perpetrator of any sexual assault that may have occurred, making him eligible for bond while we finalize our investigation of the case," Watkins said.
Watkins also said the assistant district attorney who prosecuted Woodard withheld evidence from Woodard's defense team that Jones was seen in a bar with three men--Eddie Woodard (no relation to James Woodard), Theodore Blaylock and Ed Mosley--hours before she was murdered.
Eddie Woodard, now a registered sex offender, and Blaylock were involved later in separate brutal sexual assaults. "This information was never turned over to the defense during [James Lee] Woodard's 1981 trial," Watkins said. Watkins has said that prosecutors who withhold evidence should face sanctions, possibly even jail time. He also accused Wade's office of being focused on convictions but not justice.
Another woman, who Blaylock attempted to rape, shot and killed him in 1982. Eddie Woodard's whereabouts are unknown.
James Woodard was released from prison April 29, 2008. Perry pardoned Woodard 18 months later.
The pardon clears the way for Woodard to collect millions of dollars from the state of Texas for his wrongful conviction. ^ Top|Share |
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| Source: Joint Center For Political And Economic Studies
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The Majority Of African Americans See Global Warming As A Major Issue
Nearly 60% of African Americans consider global warming a major issue, and they are willing to change their lifestyles in order to mitigate the threat to the environment, according to a poll released by the Joint Center For Political and Economic Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank for black-elected officials.
Fifty-eight percent of African Americans thought global warming was a key problem compared with 20% who thought it was a moderate problem; 11% who thought it was a minor problem; 9 percent who did not think it was a problem; and 2% who did not know if it was a problem, according to the poll results, which the Joint Center released Wednesday.
The Joint Center noted in its survey titled, "African Americans on Climate Change and Conservation," that blacks are underrepresented in the debate over climate change and environmental issues generally.
But they are cognizant of environmental challenges America faces because they believe global warming will lead to worsening public health, economic instability, increased flooding, fires and droughts and energy dependence, poll results show.
"They are as aware of theses issues as other groups in American society, and committed to action--both personal and government--to deal with problems associated with climate change," writes David A. Bositis, the Joint Center's senior political analyst, who compiled the report.
From July 20 to July 30, the Joint Center randomly surveyed by telephone 750 black adults. The Joint Center divided the entire group into two smaller groups of 325 people each to determine, which phrases elicited the strongest response.
Those surveyed were asked if they thought "global warming" or "climate change" was a major problem. Participants responded the strongest to "global warming" and the weakest to"climate change." Fifty-two percent thought climate change was a major problem, although climate change and global warming are synonymous.
The survey also found that African Americans are willing make changes in their lifestyles to combat global warming.
Sixty-one percent said they are willing to pay $10 per month more to fight global warming; 30% were willing to pay $25 per month more to fight global warming and 16 percent were willing to pay an additional $50 per month to fight global warming, according to the survey.
"Responses to this question were, as expected, income-sensitive, with lower-income respondents expressing less willingness to commit to higher bills, and individuals with higher levels of education and income more willing to commit to higher bills," the report says.
African Americans also showed strong support for a green jobs program.
Seventy-one percent said they would be much more likely to support climate change legislation if it included a green jobs program. Fifty-three percent of blacks said they also would support climate change legislation if it offered a $10,000 line of credit to make their homes more energy efficient, and 52% said they would support climate change legislation if it offered a $3,000 tax rebate to buy more fuel efficient cars.
Survey respondents also believed hybrid cars saved on energy costsm, and 61% said they would seriously consider buying a gas-electric car when replacing their current vehicle.
African Americans also are engaged in environmentally friendly practices, such as recycling newspapers, cans and glass bottles, using energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs and purchasing home appliances that are 'energy-star' rated for energy efficiency.
Two of the key drivers behind African Americans concern about global warming, the survey found, are related to personal health and extreme heat. Eighty percent of those surveyed believe asthma and other breathing disorders are caused by the environment. Forty-four percent of blacks reported having in their household someone who suffers from asthma or other breathing disorders.
African Americans also expressed concern about extreme heat caused by global warming. Forty-four percent of those surveyed said they lived in regions of the country where extreme heat is a problem, and 51% said extreme heat during the summer makes their homes too hot inside.
The Joint Center released the survey's results before negotiations are scheduled to begin Dec. 7 on a global climate treaty in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Johnson Publishing Seeks Help For Ebony, JetJohnson Publishing Co., Inc., the Chicago-based owner of Ebony and Jet magazines, said it is exploring options to support its core publications, which like other periodicals, have been hurt by the economy.
"As we've indicated previously, we are exploring a range of options to support our core media business, "Wendy E. Parks, spokesperson for the Johnson Publishing, said in an e-mail message to NorthStar News.
Parks was responding to an article published in Newsweek that Linda Rice Johnson, Johnson Publishing Co.'s chairman and CEO, had approached Time Inc., owner of Essence, a magazine for black women, Viacom, owner of Black Entertainment Television, and unnamed private investors about either purchasing the magazines or investing in them.
Parks said Johnson Publishing is not involved in talks with either Time Inc. or Viacom, but she declined to say if Rice Johnson had approached the two companies or if Johnson Publishing has hired an investment banking firm to field offers for the company or to seek investors.
Ebony and Jet magazines have faced dramatic drops in ad revenue, but they are not alone, according to Magazine Publishers of America, which is based in New York.
In July, the Magazine Publishers of America reported that total magazine advertising revenue for the first six months of 2009 was $9.1 billion, down 21.2% compared with the same period in 2008. Advertising pages from January through June 2009 totaled 79,245.30, down 27.9% compared with January through June 2008, says the Magazine Publishers of America. Even Vanity Fair, which resembles a telephone book, reported a 35.2% drop in ad pages.
In this year's January through June period, Ebony, the lifestyle monthly, reported $18.9 million in advertising revenue, a 31.8% drop from $27.8 million for the same six-month period last year, according to the Magazine Publishers of America. The number of advertising pages for Ebony from January through June were 315.58, down 34.7% compared with 482.95 pages for the same six-month period in 2008.
Jet, the pocket-size weekly, reported $9.0 million in advertising revenue in the first six months of 2009, down 39.3% compared with $14.9 million during the first six months of 2008. From January to June 2009, Jet reported 292.97 advertising pages, down 39.5% compared with 484.13 pages during the same six-month period in 2008, according to the Magazine Publishers of America.
Ebony's 2008 paid subscription sales were $25.9 million, and the magazine's single copy sales were $9.5 million for combined circulation sales of $35.4 million.
Jet's 2008 paid subscription sales were $29.6 million, and its single copy sales were $4.6 million for combined circulation sales of $34.2 million. The Magazine Publishers of America ranked Ebony the 62nd largest and Jet the 67th largest among the nation's 100 largest magazines based on their audited circulations.
Johnson Publishing Co.'s troubles were presaged by an announcement that it canceled the 2009 Ebony Fashion Fair, the traveling fashion show, because of economic troubles.
The business also reportedly mortgaged its Chicago headquarters to R.R. Donnelly & Sons, the magazines' Chicago-based printer.
John H. Johnson, who died in 2005, founded Johnson Publishing Co. in 1942. Three-years later, he founded Ebony, which changed the face of the media and publishing because for its time it was cutting edge.
Ebony, which relied heavily on formula-driven presentations, helped Mr. Johnson build Johnson Publishing into the nation's largest black-owned publishing house because at one time it was considered cutting edge. In the last 10 years, Ebony targeted black women, often featuring cover stories about the same celebrities, such as Tina Turner, several times a year or a number of times in a very short time span. Linda Rice Johnson was named CEO of the privately held company on April 11, 2002.
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BofA Will Move Quickly To Name New CEO
Walter E. Massey, chairman of Bank of America Corp.'s board of directors, said the bank will move quickly to find a replacement for CEO Ken Lewis, who announced his retirement Wednesday.
"Ken Lewis was a key architect in building a truly global financial franchise," Massey said in a statement. "We are on a solid path to the future. The board will be moving in a deliberate and expeditious manner to select a worthy successor to Ken Lewis."
The 62-year-old Lewis announced he is stepping down as CEO December 31. The bank's board of directors named Lewis chairman and CEO of the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank in 2001. In April, during a board meeting, the board stripped Lewis of the chairman's title because of the growing scandal surrounding BofA's purchase of Merrill Lynch & Co., the New York-based investment firm.
The board then elected Massey chairman of Bank of America, one of the world's largest banks based on assets. Massey is president emeritus of Morehouse College, a liberal arts college for black men based in Atlanta.
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Treatment Of HIV-Positive Men, Women And Children Increases As Antiretoviral Drug Prices Decline
More than 4 million HIV-positive men, women and children in low- and middle-income countries were being treated by commonly used antiretoviral drugs at the end of 2008, a 36% increase over 2007, primarily because the prices of many of the drugs have declined significantly in past few years, according to a report released Thursday by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs.
The three organizations outlined the progress in treating HIV-positive men, women and children in a report titled,"Towards Universal Access: Scaling Up Priority HIV/AIDS Interventions in the Health Sector."
"This report shows tremendous progress in the global HIV/AIDS response," Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland."But we need to do more. At least 5 million people living with HIV still do not have access to life-prolonging treatment. Prevention services fail to reach many in need. Governments and international partners must accelerate their efforts to achieve universal access to treatment."
Of the estimated 9.5 million people in need of treatment in 2008 in low- and middle-income countries, 42 percent had access, up from 33% in 2007, the report says. The greatest progress occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, where two-thirds of all HIV infections worldwide occur, the report says.
Declining prices of commonly used antiretoviral drugs have boosted treatment rates for individuals who are HIV positive.
"Prices of the most commonly used antiretoviral drugs have declined significantly in recent years, contributing to wider availability of treatment," the report says. "The cost of most first-line regimens decreased by 10% to 40% between 2006 to 2008. Second-line regimens, however, continue to be expensive."
The report also found that an increased number of countries are offering HIV testing and HIV counseling services. In 66 reporting countries, the number of health facilities providing such services increased 35% between 2007 and 2008. ^ Top|Share |
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Scholarship Fair For Young Black Men Will Be Held Oct. 17 In Chicago
100 Black Men of Chicago Inc. will hold its seventh-annual college scholarship fair for young black men 9a.m. to 2p.m., Oct. 17 at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum on the University of Illinois Chicago campus. Participants must bring their high school diploma, GED, ACT or SAT college examination scores, two different letters of recommendation and a personal resume or essay. Participants can register online at the 100 Black Men of Chicago website http//:www.100bmc.org. ^ Top|Share |
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