By Lande Yoosuf
New York’s African-American community expressed deep outrage on Friday after learning that the two officers on trial for Sean Bell’s murder were acquitted. Three of the five officers who were undercover detectives the night of the shooting were facing 25 years on charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and assault. But Justice Arthur J. Cooperman, a former cop, found all three accused officers not guilty on all counts. Some activist groups speculate that the decision to have a judge rule instead of a jury placed them at an automatic advantage. Justice Cooperman reached his decision after seven weeks of testimony from witnesses, who he concluded were not credible from the prosecution’s side. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a statement soon afterwards asking New Yorkers to respect the judge’s decision and not engage in any violent backlashes or protests.
The police department is investigating a supposed prank call that was made to Nicole Paultre-Bell’s home on Friday afternoon after the verdict. The caller said ha ha ha, laughing into the phone. The caller ID was tracked down to a major police union facility in Manhattan.
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Senator Hillary Clinton came out on top in last week’s Pennsylvania primary. Her win was expected by most, including senator Obama. Clinton had a ten-point lead, winning 55 percent of votes, while Obama gained about 45 percent. Critics are suggesting that she drop out of the race and allow Obama to win the primary, Clinton refuses and believes the Pennsylvania primary revamped her campaign that some thought would eventually fizzle. Both candidates are preparing for their next election in Indiana, which is scheduled for May 6th.
In related news, Barack Obama’s Pastor Wright addressed the press to explain his rants that were distributed with the intention to hurt Obama’s campaign. Do you think it was a wise choice for him to speak up?
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Diabetes is on the rise in America, but expectant mothers should especially be careful according to a California study. The amount of pregnant females with diabetes before their pregnancy has doubled over a seven-year period. The highest group increase was teenage girls ranging from ages 13 to 19. Also, women who are overweight should take serious caution in monitoring their blood sugar while pregnant since there are at a much higher risk of acquiring diabetes. Expectant mothers also face a serious risk of having a stillbirth and/or birth defects.
To find out if one is at risk for diabetes, get a blood sugar screening, check for family history, and measure your waistline. A waistline over 33 inches is at serious risk for contracting the disease along with other health problems linked to obesity.
