Keepingitreal

Sprite Step Off challenge is BACK!

As you know, this past fall, Sprite held competitions in 6 cities across the country to find the best step teams in the U.S.   The teams are competing for a share of the biggest combined stepping prize pool in history – $1.5 million in scholarships up for grabs! I’m writing to let you know that the Sprite Step Off challenge is BACK!  Winning fraternity and sorority teams from the qualifier competitions are moving on to the Regional Semi-Finals – there are over 60 teams from 50 colleges and universities across the country participating.  The next round of competitions takes place in the following cities:   

•January 16th – Baton Rouge, LA
Southern University (F.G. Clark Activity Center)  
•January 23rd – Charlotte, NC
Grady Cole Center  
•January 23rd – Chicago, IL
The Regal Theater  
•January 30th – New York, NY
Roseland Ballroom  
•January 30th – Houston, TX
Texas Southern University (HP&E Center)
•February 6th – San Francisco, CA
The Warfield Theater  

Visit our updated site (www.spritestepoff.com) to see the full list of teams that will be competing in the semi-regional finals.  You can experience the Sprite Step Off for yourself!  To purchase tickets to the competitions in advance, visit: http://bit.ly/sotix.  There is a special discount code for people that will get them $5.00 off the price of admission when they purchase tickets online!  Use this code when checking out: 36E2450AL

Over the course of the competition, participating teams will also contribute to the 1.5 million hours of community service pledged in the national Sprite Step Off Service Challenge.  The SSOSC (http://bit.ly/SSOSRV) is a collaboration between the National Pan-Hellenic Council and several non-profit organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of America and Ronald McDonald House Charities ®, to help spark community service amongst youth across the country.  Greeks are leaders on campus and in their communities, so Sprite Step Off can be a vehicle to inspire young people to positively impact their community and pursue higher education.  

Keep up with us on Facebook and follow Sprite Step Off on Twitter for live updates from the events!  Last but not least, check out our step videos on the Sprite Step Off YouTube channel as well –  http://www.youtube.com/spritestepoff. 

Alicia Keys on TODAY

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Judge to block cameras from Mehserle trial, court says

OAKLAND — The only way to witness the murder trial against former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle will be to sit in the Los Angeles courtroom where the proceedings will take place, a judge indicated this week. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry told Los Angeles Superior Court media relations officials this week that he will deny requests for cameras — both still and video — in his courtroom during the trial. "We had a conversation with him in which we asked him what his intentions are, and he indicated his intention is that there are no cameras," said Allan Parachini, a spokesman for the court. "That is consistent with his approach to all the other cases we had with him." Perry was chosen Wednesday by the state's top judge to preside over the case in which the former BART officer is accused of murder in the killing of Oscar Grant III, 22, of Hayward, early Jan. 1 on the Fruitvale BART station platform. The case was moved to Los Angeles earlier this month by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson, who declared that Mehserle could not receive a fair trial in Alameda County because of intense media coverage and the threat of violence. Parachini said Perry's decision on banning cameras from the courtroom was not official because the judge had not received requests from media outlets. "Regardless of what he told us yesterday, I would still file the media request, which will give us another opportunity to talk to him," he said.

Ship built with WTC steel sails for namesake city

A Navy assault ship built with tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center towers began its journey to New York on Tuesday, sailing down the Mississippi River in a pea-soup fog as watchers along the levee strained for a glimpse. The USS New York, named to commemorate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, left the Northrop Grumman shipyard where it was built for the trip to its namesake city. The $1 billion ship will be formally commissioned in New York in early November. The New York is 684 feet long and can carry up to 800 Marines. It has a flight deck that can handle helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Four tugboats performed an intricate set of maneuvers to pull the warship from the dock at the New Orleans-area shipyard and turn it 180 degrees toward the waters of Gulf of Mexico. An armed Coast Guard speedboat and a helicopter flying overhead guarded the vessel. The ship will sail through the Gulf and around Florida before turning north and continuing to New York. Deputy project manager Doug Lounsberry said the vessel was important to the builders, not only because it honors those killed in the terrorist attacks, but because workers were hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 during the early phases of construction. "It's like raising a kid," Lounsberry said. "We're sending this one off to college. But after they leave, they remain near and dear to your heart." Farther down the Mississippi, hundreds of people lined up along the river bank to watch the ship pass. Around 9:45 a.m., a man called "Here she comes!" prompting well-wishers to raise U.S. flags and camera phones, as the hulking warship emerged from the haze. Tourists Dorice and Victor Brown and Christine Cox, of Sterling, Va., were getting coffee and pastries at a nearby cafe when they asked about the commotion and decided to check it out for themselves. "It's awesome for anything so tragic to be so uplifting here," Cox said, just after the ship had passed. Brian Corcoran, a mechanical contractor, brought his four children, who range in age from 12 to 5. He figured they might be a bit late for school but was OK with that, given the importance of the occasion. "Hopefully, it's going overseas to do damage to them like it did to us," he said. When terrorist hijackers crashed two jetliners into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, destroying the twin towers and killing nearly 2,800 people, the ship was already on the drawing board. In September 2002, the Defense Department announced the selection of New York as the ship's name, honoring the city and state and those who died in the attacks. About 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel was melted at the Bradken Inc. foundry in Amite, La., and used in the New York's bow.

The New York revives a name held by at least four other Navy ships, including a Spanish-American War-era cruiser, a battleship that served in World Wars I and II and a nuclear submarine retired from the fleet in 1997. The ship is a San Antonio-class amphibious dock vessel. The first four ships in the series — the USS San Antonio, USS New Orleans, USS Mesa Verde and USS Green Bay — are in service. Four other ships in the class ate under construction: Somerset and Anchorage at the Avondale yard, and Arlington and San Diego at Northrop Grumman's yard in Pascagoula, Miss.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/13/national/a062653D94.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0TqBtWJOH

First Woman Ascends to Top Drill Sergeant Spot

FORT JACKSON, S.C. — It may come as no surprise that the Army’s new top drill sergeant idolizes Gen. George S. Patton Jr., has jumped out of planes 33 times, aces every physical training test and drives a black Corvette with “noslack” vanity plates.But consider this: the sergeant is a woman.On Tuesday, the Army will make Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa L. King, 48, commandant of its drill sergeant school here. It is a first. No woman has run one of the Army’s rigorous schools for drill instructors. Petite yet imposing, Sergeant Major King seems a drill sergeant at heart, ever vigilant for busted rules: soldiers nodding off in class, soldiers with hair a fraction too long, soldiers who run too slow.“Are you crazy?” she shouts at one who is walking across a lawn. “Get off my grass!”The eighth of 12 children, the sergeant major is the daughter of a sharecropper who grew cucumbers and tobacco near Fort Bragg, N.C. Her first job in the Army was as a postal clerk, a traditional position for women in those days.She says she regrets not having been deployed to a war zone during her 29-year Army career, though she has trained many soldiers who were. And now, in her new job, she will have significant influence over the basic training of every enlisted soldier. Last year the Army consolidated several drill schools into a single campus at this sprawling post, meaning Sergeant Major King, with her staff of 78 instructors, will oversee drill sergeant training for the entire Army. Famous for their Smokey Bear hats, booming voices and no-nonsense demeanor, those sergeants transform tens of thousands of raw recruits into soldiers each year. It is one of the backbone jobs of the military, and having a woman in charge underscores the expanding role of women in the Army’s leadership.

But Sergeant Major King’s ascension is also a reminder of the limits of gender integration in the military. Just 8 percent of the active-duty Army’s highest-ranking enlisted soldiers — sergeants major and command sergeants major — are women, though more than 13 percent of Army personnel are female. SOURCE:NYTIMES.COM

Huge Santa Barbara County wildfire caused by marijuana farm; suspects at large in forest

A fire that has burned more than 75,000 acres in Santa Barbara County over the last week was started in an illegal marijuana growing area operated by a Mexican drug organization, authorities said.

Authorities said they confirmed that the blaze, which is burning out of control, started in a cooking area of the pot farm. They believe those responsible are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot. 

"The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit has confirmed that the camp at the origin of the fire was an illegal marijuana operation believed to be run by a Mexican national drug organization," according to a statement from the Los Padres National Forest. "The Narcotics Unit has been working in the area within the last month eradicating other nearby marijuana cultivation sites." 

The location of those who ran the pot farm isn't known, but forest officials warn "not to approach anyone who looks suspicious but to instead contact the nearest law enforcement agency."

The fire, known as the La Brea fire, is now 25% contained. Vicki Collins, a fire information spokeswoman at Los Padres, said that although the La Brea fire was only 10% contained by Friday night, firefighters successfully charred some lines in front of the fire in the Tepusquet Canyon area, depriving the blaze of new fuel. 

Since the fire started Aug. 8, about 234 residences have been evacuated. Collins said if firefighting efforts continue to be successful, residents might be able to get back into their homes within a couple of days. Progress has been slow on this fire because of the low humidity, 90-degree temperatures and remote terrain. 

She said they still have no crews on the ground in some wilderness areas, such as the Sisquoc River area.

 “We have a lot of work ahead of us yet, though things are looking fairly good on a couple flanks of this fire,” Collins said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met with firefighters in the Santa Cruz Mountains who have been battling the Lockheed fire. 

That blaze, which started Wednesday, has burned nearly 7,000 acres. By this morning, the fire was 30% contained, officials said. About 2,400 people have been evacuated in areas including Swanton and Bonny Doon. SOURCE: LATIMES.COM

A fire that has burned more than 75,000 acres in Santa Barbara County over the last week was started in an illegal marijuana growing area operated by a Mexican drug organization, authorities said.

Authorities said they confirmed that the blaze, which is burning out of control, started in a cooking area of the pot farm. They believe those responsible are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot. 

"The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit has confirmed that the camp at the origin of the fire was an illegal marijuana operation believed to be run by a Mexican national drug organization," according to a statement from the Los Padres National Forest. "The Narcotics Unit has been working in the area within the last month eradicating other nearby marijuana cultivation sites." 

The location of those who ran the pot farm isn't known, but forest officials warn "not to approach anyone who looks suspicious but to instead contact the nearest law enforcement agency."

The fire, known as the La Brea fire, is now 25% contained. Vicki Collins, a fire information spokeswoman at Los Padres, said that although the La Brea fire was only 10% contained by Friday night, firefighters successfully charred some lines in front of the fire in the Tepusquet Canyon area, depriving the blaze of new fuel. 

Mehserle's 'surprised and shocked' reaction

(05-19) 18:35 PDT OAKLAND -- In the moments after he fatally shot an unarmed train passenger early New Year's Day, former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle looked "surprised and shocked," one witness said.A second witness recalled that Mehserle raised his hands and pressed them to his head, appearing "dumbfounded," while a third witness quoted the officer as blurting out, "Oh my God! Oh my God!"The accounts are from witnesses called by Alameda County prosecutors, who rested Tuesday after putting nine people on the stand during a preliminary hearing for Mehserle. The 27-year-old former officer is accused of murdering Oscar Grant, 22, after forcing him to his chest while trying to arrest him at Fruitvale Station in Oakland.Mehserle's attorneys, who say the officer meant to subdue Grant with a Taser when he fired his pistol and hope to get the charge reduced, are set to begin calling witnesses this morning. After the hearing in Oakland, Superior Court Judge C. Don Clay must decide whether to send the case to jury trial.The shooting, caught on film by five of the prosecution witnesses, has been shown repeatedly on a flat-screen television in court. But nearly as important as the moment that Mehserle's gun fires may be his reaction - and what it means.His attorney, Michael Rains, has said Mehserle was shocked because he had intended to squeeze a Taser trigger. But prosecutors and Grant's family members contend Mehserle made up the Taser story in an effort to avoid punishment.Mehserle has never told investigators why he drew a weapon or why he expressed apparent shock after he shot Grant. And he is not expected to testify at the hearing. But Michael Cardoza, a defense attorney and former prosecutor who has been following the case, said the officer would have no choice but to testify at trial. CONTINUE READING...

Mehserle case goes straight to the video

(05-18) 18:19 PDT OAKLAND -- Everyone in the courtroom knew it was coming, and they knew exactly when it was coming. Still, the bang of the gunshot that killed BART rider Oscar Grant, preserved on video, made several people flinch in their seats.Murder cases don't typically feature a replay of the death in question, over and over.But Grant's shooting early New Year's Day in Oakland got two airings Monday - on a 52-inch flat-panel television, no less - on the first day of a preliminary hearing for former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle, who is charged with murdering Grant.The case has inflamed relations between police agencies and activists for the Bay Area's progressive and African American communities, largely because of widely seen video footage that shows the white BART officer shooting Grant, who was black, as the 22-year-old Hayward man lay unarmed on the Fruitvale Station platform.Monday's session was the first of what will surely be many days in court in which attorneys, witnesses and video experts dissect whether the footage shows a murder, or something else.

Dueling views

Prosecutors say it is evidence that Mehserle shot Grant for no good reason. Attorneys for Mehserle believe the videos can support their contention that the officer fired his service weapon while intending to stun Grant with a Taser, and thus should be charged with nothing more than manslaughter.The opening day of the hearing in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland made clear the importance of the videos, as prosecutors called two BART riders who recorded the incident to the witness stand.Both said they had not seen Grant resist police before he was shot by Mehserle, 27, in the aftermath of a fight on a train.Then the witnesses' tapes rolled on the television in the third-floor courtroom, and those in the gallery sat rapt - once again."The tapes, the tapes, the tapes," said Michael Cardoza, a defense attorney and former Alameda County prosecutor who watched the proceedings. "That's the crux of the case - the millisecond that it actually happens."Cephus "Bobby" Johnson, Grant's uncle, said that seeing his nephew get shot over and over "is really striking to the soul. It's very painful each time I look at that video, and I'm sure for the rest of the family it's very painful. But we know this is something we have to go through at this time to get the justice for Oscar." CONTINUE READING...

No other first lady would be disrespected like this

New York magazine's Daily Intel blog published and subsequently deleted a blog post focused on the First Lady's butt on Tuesday afternoon. The post by Dan Amira, headlined, "Now That's Something To Salute," featured a photo of President Obama saluting the marine standing guard outside Marine One as Michelle Obama walked up the helicopter's stairs. It read: "This morning President Obama departed for the G20 summit in London and a week of other meetings around Europe, his first visit since last summer's epic charm offensive. As he boarded Marine One, Obama returned the salute of the marine standing guard ... we think. It also looks like Obama might just be blocking the sun's glare as he checks out Michelle's booty." This would never have been posted in reference to any former first lady, but this kind of dialogue plays into the hyper-sexual stereotypes of black women and the fact that the most powerful man in the Western world would be checking out his wife's behind under the guise of a salute. When things like this and the New York Post chimp cartoon are spotlighted, some will say "stop playing the race card," but the facts -- and in this case the image and the headline -- show the race card has been dealt.SOURCE:THE DAILY VOICE

NAACP accuses banks of racism over home loans

(03-13) 15:56 PDT SAN FRANCISCO - -- The NAACP filed lawsuits Friday against two banks, alleging they discriminated against African Americans by using racist practices in mortgage lending.The class actions against Wells Fargo, based in San Francisco, and Illinois-based HSBC claim that black home owners were more than 30 percent likely to be issued a higher interest rate than white borrowers with the same qualifications. They say the banks used institutionalized, systematic racism against African Americans."These banks have a pattern of charging black people more, even though they have good credit, good assets and good incomes," NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous said. "The higher interest can make the difference between being able to hold onto a home or lose it."In a written statement, Wells Fargo spokesman Chris Hammond said the allegations are "totally unfounded and reckless" and that the bank never tolerated and will never tolerate discrimination."We are proud of our lengthy record leading the industry in responsible lending practices and in support of the communities we serve, which makes the very thought of a discrimination claim reprehensible to us," wrote Hammond. "We intend to vigorously defend these unfounded allegations."The lawsuit cites several studies that document discrimination, including a 2006 report by the Center for Responsible Lending that found black people were 31 to 34 percent more likely to receive higher-rate subprime loans. The suit claims the banks violated the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Civil Rights Act."Generations of African Americans have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in the American dream by banks that refused to give them mortgage loans simply because of the color of their skin or placed them in unfavorable loans that decimate them financially," states the suit. "It is beyond dispute that the African American community has long been the victim of discriminatory banking practices."Jealous said subprime mortgages, intended for people with poor credit, were given to African Americans who qualified for better loans 54 percent of the time compared to 23 percent for white people.

The class is defined in the suit as African Americans who received subprime mortgage loans even though they qualified for conventional loans and people whose loans were approved based on low initial interest but who would not have qualified after the rate increased. SOURCE:SFGATE.COM

Family pleads for help in solving I-580 killing

Marlani Russell grinned at the news cameras and gave a little wave. Dewy eyes drank in the sun-dappled spectacle across from Grandma's house in Richmond.Some day, the 1-year-old's family will explain why they stood together in the park Thursday and prayed. In the meantime, they reserved their comments for the public — comments about how her daddy died."My family is devastated. My heart is broken. I try not to question God," said Faith Russell, mother of 21-year-old homicide victim Marcus Russell. "We can only move on."Russell died Tuesday, a few hours after someone fired a burst of handgun rounds into his car as he drove in rush-hour traffic on Interstate 580 in Richmond. Police say they've learned a few things about it since, but need to know much more.So does his family, Faith Russell said. So does the community."I would like to tell (the killers) that it was a senseless act. Very senseless," Russell said. "And this is the kind of thing that needs to stop. We have lost too many young men."Family and police agree that her son's teenage years included some run-ins with the law, but nothing that would provoke attention from rivals in crime from other neighborhoods, and certainly nothing lately.Marcus, a lifelong Richmond resident, spent the past three years focused on his music career. Local record stores now carry his first rap album."I remember his first little rap, about tennis shoes,"Russell woke happy Tuesday morning, his family said, excited about a promotional photo shoot scheduled that afternoon in a park near Richmond Marina. He and a friend ate lunch together beforehand. Around 4 p.m., they left in his Nissan Maxima and got on eastbound I-580 at Marina Bay Parkway.Moments after they entered the interstate, a red van pulled alongside on the left. A hand holding a gun poked out the side window and fired more than 10 rounds into Russell's car. He careened off the interstate, through a cyclone fence and on to a frontage road.Three rounds struck Russell, who died in a hospital. Another round hit his passenger, a 19-year-old Pittsburg woman, in the leg.While detectives pursue leads in the case, they remain uncommitted about motive or suspect.They also lack witnesses, despite the many cars on the interstate at the time."If you saw anything, please contact the Richmond Police Department. Even if you don't think it's important," Faith Russell said. "We'd like to know who killed my son."said Ashley Russell, the victim's sister. "My brother had really changed. He was tired of it, and he knew there was a better way: to follow his music." SOURCE:OAKLAND TRIBUNE

Unrest in Caribbean Has Roots in Slavery Past

POINTE-A-PITRE, Guadeloupe (AP) -- Protests that have nearly shut down the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique are not just about demands for lower prices and higher wages: For demonstrators they are no less than a battle against the vestiges of slavery. Afro-Caribbean islanders -- most of whose forbears toiled in the sugarcane fields under the yoke of slavery more than 160 years ago -- not only resent France's handling of the global economic crisis, they have long resented that slaveholders' descendants control the economy on both islands. They also suspect that businesses earn too high a profit on goods, most of which are imported. This resentment against the primarily white, elite slaveholder descendants, known as bekes (bay-KAY), has lent an especially sharp edge to weeks of demonstrations that at times have erupted in gunfire, arson, looting, and the death of one activist in Guadeloupe. ''They've got the money, they've got the power, they've got Guadeloupe,'' snapped protester Lollia Naily. ''This is not a race thing. It is a money thing and it is a power thing.'' Protesters in Martinique also have rejected the bekes, with frequent chants of ''Martinique is ours, not theirs!'' Bekes own most industries in Martinique -- but represent only about 1 percent of the island's 401,000 residents. Deep economic and social disparities divide France from its overseas possessions: Unemployment in Guadeloupe is about 23 percent, compared with 8 percent on mainland France, and 12 percent of islanders live in poverty, compared with 6 percent of mainlanders, according to the most recent statistics. The conflict extends beyond the Caribbean: Islanders living in mainland France are relegated to low-level jobs and are absent from senior positions in business, the military and government, revealing a ''color fracture in French society,'' said Patrick Lozes, head of the Representative Council of Black Associations. Islanders demand that France treat them as equals -- wherever they are living -- and question why food is more expensive here than on the mainland. SOURCE:NYT.COM

Officer in BART shooting quits force, avoids internal affairs quizzing

(01-07) 19:14 PST OAKLAND -- The BART police officer who shot an unarmed man to death on a station platform early New Year's Day quit the force Wednesday, avoiding an interview with police internal affairs investigators who were trying to get to the bottom of a videotaped incident that has prompted broad outrage. Officer Johannes Mehserle, 27, was supposed to make a statement Wednesday about why he shot 22-year-old Oscar Grant as the supermarket worker lay on his chest at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland, BART spokesman Linton Johnson said. Grant and others had been detained around 2 a.m. in the aftermath of a fight on a train. But Mehserle did not show up for an interview planned for 11 a.m. - the same time Grant's funeral began in his hometown of Hayward. Instead, the officer's attorney and the president of BART's police union appeared and handed over a short resignation letter, Johnson said. "We were prepared to compel him to talk, but he resigned," Johnson said. "We're going to continue the investigation, with or without him. ... There are many investigations that go on without the key person." The resignation prompted cheers and applause when it was announced at an afternoon rally at the Fruitvale station, where several hundred protesters called for the officer to be arrested and charged. The protest, while peaceful, prompted BART to close the station well into the evening commute. Other protesters later set small fires and rocked police cars and other vehicles in downtown Oakland, prompting officers in riot gear to fire tear gas. Mehserle's resignation was effective immediately. Christopher Miller, an attorney for the officer, declined to say what Mehserle's explanation was for shooting Grant or why he had quit. He said Mehserle's defense would continue to be paid for by a statewide fund for police officers. CONTINUE READING...

5 Recession-Proof Industries That Pay

With health care costs, food prices, and the unemployment rate on the rise, you need to do everything you can to protect yourself - and your career - from the danger of recession.

Check out these 5 stable, growing industries. Many feature careers that pay $50,000 and more!

1. EDUCATION

Education isn't just for kids. In fact, in 2003, the U.S. had over 75 million students of varying ages at all levels - from elementary school to college and beyond!

Having an impact on young minds and sharing your knowledge can be a rewarding, steady career. You can get started on a teaching career with a 4-year college degree in teacher education. If you're already a teacher, you can prepare to advance to a principal position with a master's degree in educational leadership or educational administration.

The Pay Off: Salaries for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers average about $47,000 to $52,000 a year.* Principals have an average annual salary that ranges from $40,000 to more than $80,000! Learn more about education and teaching programs now.

2. ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING

Now more than ever companies are being held responsible for their financial reporting. Add evolving financial laws and regulations and the increasing number of businesses into the equation, and the result is an in-demand, stable industry with a wealth of employment opportunities.

Get started on a recession-proof accounting career with a bachelor's or associate's degree in accounting, and then broaden your opportunities and salary range with an accounting master's degree. Or you can get your feet wet with an accounting diploma or accounting certificate program.

The Pay Off: The median annual salary for accountants and auditors in 2007 was $63,180.

Another Plus: Accounting is a broad industry with many specialties. Want to work for the IRS? Explore government accounting programs. Interested in investigating financial wrongdoing? Try a forensic accounting program.

3. HEALTH CARE

It's no surprise that one of the most stable industries - even when the economy is in poor shape - is health care. No matter what the state of the country, there will always be people in need of quality health care services.

Train to coordinate and plan the delivery of health care services with a health services administration or health care administration degree. Want to assist doctors and care for the sick? Consider a nursing diploma or degree program. Or prepare for a supporting role with a one-year dental assisting and short-term medical assisting programs.

The Pay Off: Medical assistants make an average of $13.59 an hour - over $28,000 annually. Dental assistants make an average of $15.52 an hour which can add up to about $32,000 annually. Registered nurses averaged over $62,000 per year in 2007. Medical and health services managers can make over $80,000 annually.

4. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Constantly evolving technology means continued growth and stability for careers in the information technology industry. Consider studying to become a computer systems analyst or computer software engineer.

To get started, you'll need at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, like information security.

The Pay Off: Computer systems analysts can earn an average annual salary of $75,890. Computer software engineers, who design, develop, test, and evaluate computer software and systems, earn an average of $85,000 to $90,000 a year!

5. SECURITY

Following 9/11, national security became a top priority. Factor in a growing population and increased concern for public safety, and you see an industry full of lucrative, stable careers.

Although you can join the police force with only a high school diploma, a degree in law enforcement, criminal justice, public administration, or other industry-related areas can help you get ahead in this line of work. To work as a probation officer, you'll need to start with a bachelor's degree in social work or criminal justice.

The Pay Off: Police officers earn an estimated $50,670 a year. Detectives and criminal investigators earn an estimated annual salary of $62,500. Probation officers have a median salary of $47,980.

Another Plus: With three years of full-time related work experience, and the right degree, you could meet the criteria for employment as an FBI agent!

*All salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

Today's Papers: Pushing Home Buyers To Take the Plunge

The Washington Post devotes its top non-local spot to, and the Wall Street Journal fronts, word that the Treasury Department is considering a new plan that would lower interest rates on newly issued mortgages in an effort to revitalize the housing market. The Treasury would offer to buy securities that back up these new mortgages as long as banks offer interest rates that are lower than the market average. Figures are still being worked out, but it looks like banks that want to participate in the program would have to issue 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at a 4.5 percent interest rate, which is more than a full point lower than the current market average. The New York Times leads with news that the United Auto Workers union said it's ready to make new concessions to Detroit's Big Three as the company's leaders are scheduled to begin a new round of hearings on Capitol Hill today. The union's president said members would be willing to suspend a controversial "jobs bank" program, which pays laid-off workers, and allow the Big Three to delay billions of dollars in payments to a retiree health care trust. The WSJ's world-wide newsbox leads with the United States calling on Pakistan to turn over at least some of the suspects in the Mumbai attacks, a move that aligns the United States more closely with India at a time when the tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors continue to increase. USA Today leads with a look at how property taxes are rising across the country even as home values have been plunging. The main reason for this is that the same laws that block taxes from skyrocketing when property values increase also prevent big decreases when values drop. In addition, most states take their time to change the assessed value of homes so owners might have to wait several years until the plunge in prices is reflected in their tax bill. The Los Angeles Times leads with news that an official Los Angeles County assessment recognized for the first time that Edith Rodriguez's life could have been saved if she had been properly treated. Her case became infamous when a security video was released that showed how a janitor mopped around Rodriguez and a nurse dismissed her complaints even as she writhed in pain on the waiting room floor of a hospital. To continue reading, click here.

COPS ACCUSED OF BEATING DONALD DRIVER'S DAD: Family of Green Bay Packers receiver claims Houston police put father in ICU.

Houston police officers are being accused of viciously beating the father of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver following an arrest Wednesday for outstanding traffic warrants, reports CNN. Marvin Driver Jr. was found to be "unresponsive" upon his arrival at jail, CNN reported Thursday. His family members said the arresting officers pulled him behind a gas station, beat him, forced him to swallow something, then told him he was "going to see Jesus.""Mr. Marvin Driver Jr. is now at Hermann Hospital in ICU where he can't even speak," relatives said in a statement. "Doctors say there is some bleeding on his brain from blunt force trauma."The Houston Police Department said in a written statement that it takes the assault allegations "very seriously, and will begin a thorough investigation into the matter." The two officers involved remain on duty pending further investigation, police said. A Driver family spokesperson held a news conference Wednesday and showed reporters pictures of Marvin Driver in the intensive care unit lying in his bed with a tube in his mouth. The family is demanding an investigation.The incident began late Sunday when Driver was dropping his brother, Winston Driver, off after the two had moved furniture. According to the family's written statement, officers pulled over Marvin Driver Jr. in front of his mother's home. An argument broke out between the police and Driver, as well as his relatives, over the language police were using. Police told relatives Driver was being taken to jail for the outstanding warrants, relatives said. "Later, the family found out he never made it to the jail," the statement said.Quanell X, leader of the New Black Panther Nation and family spokesperson said, "They picked him up and took him behind a Valero station by a dark road where he was beaten and forced to swallow something."Apparently, Marvin Driver was able to explain what happened by writing some notes on paper from the hospital. The spokesperson also believes police had it out for Marvin Driver."They made disparaging remarks about family members with whom the officer had a problem with," said Quanell X. "The officer obviously had some envious issues about one particular family member."Meanwhile, Donald Driver has been excused from practice for the next couple of days.

Today's Papers:National Securities

The Washington Post leads with fears that the global economic crisis might create new national security risks. The Los Angeles Times leads with a local wildfire, but devotes its top national story to progress on a security agreement between the U.S. and Iraq. The New York Times leads with the economic downturn finally hitting Silicon Valley. The Wall Street Journal tops its world-wide newsbox with ongoing wrangling between Congress and President Bush over the possibility of providing financial aid to ailing U.S. automakers. Hard times around the world may endanger our security at home, the WP reports. Global economic woes can aid terrorist recruitment efforts and destabilize friendly governments, even as the U.S. struggles to maintain funding levels for security programs. Nations that are already troubled (like Pakistan) or rely on oil revenues (like Yemen) are seen as especially susceptible to a rise in terrorist activity. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki privately agreed to support a proposed security agreement with the U.S., a move the LAT says is a major step toward getting the pact ratified. The agreement would have U.S. troops out of Iraqi cities by next summer and out of the country by the end of 2011. The agreement also covers military conduct in Iraq, including limiting the ability of troops to search Iraqi homes. Maliki hasn't publicly said he'll support the deal, however, and his comments on the pact seem to be damning it with faint praise. But even if he endorsed it enthusiastically, the paper says the deal could still go south, especially if it's put to a referendum and certain factions oppose it. Maliki's cabinet is expected to meet Sunday to decide whether to endorse the deal or not. The WP goes inside with radical Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr saying his followers will resume their attacks on U.S. troops unless they leave Iraq soon and do so without signing a security agreement or establishing bases. The NYT focuses on the recession's impact on the tech sector, an area of the economy once believed to be disconnected from the credit crunch hitting Wall Street. But as businesses and consumers alike are cutting their tech spending, Silicon valley is beginning to show signs of weakness the likes of which haven't been seen since the dot com crash of 2000. Congress will reconvene next week to consider moving some type of economic relief legislation. At one point Democrats hoped to pass a more expansive bill, but it now appears that any sweeping legislation will have to wait until after Barack Obama is sworn into office. A short-term extension of unemployment benefits seems likely, but the future of a package of loans to the auto industry is up in the air. The WP goes above the fold with the Democrats' revised agenda for the rest of 2008, while the WSJ fronts a look into General Motors Corp.'s push for aid in the face of bankruptcy. The WP off-leads with a look at how the global economic crisis has empowered developing nations like India, China and Brazil, whose economies remain relatively robust. That point is underscored by this week's summit, at which 20 of the world's largest economic powers will debate how best to tackle the problem, a role usually filled by the more developed "G-8" nations. Meanwhile, the WSJ declares that Europe is officially in a recession. Everyone fronts Sen. Hillary Clinton emerging as a top candidate for secretary of state in the Obama administration. After meeting with Obama in Chicago on Thursday, Clinton joins Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Bill Richardson on the short list for the post. The NYT adds that while no specific job offers were made, secretary of state isn't the only position the two former rivals discussed. Naturally, none of the papers has any named sources on this info, and the LAT even goes so far as to ponder aloud why staffers might have decided to leak this to the press. Is Clinton trying to create a tide of public support to bolster her chances? Maybe Obama is just testing public reaction to her possible nomination? The WP notes that Clinton's simple refusal to comment on the story marks a real departure from her earlier claims that she'd prefer to remain in the Senate. The NYT says a cabinet post may be appealing to Clinton because she's finding her influence in the Senate limited by her relatively junior standing. The LAT argues Clinton could face a contentious confirmation hearing if she's offered the job, due largely to her husband's ties to foreign donors, but the WP suggests Clinton would be buoyed through by her good relations with her fellow senators.  The NYT frets about the influence of lobbyists on the Obama transition team. The WP goes inside with a look at the constraints the next secretary of state will have to work against while trying to shore up the department. The NYT fronts an interesting look at the role the Mormon Church played in outlawing gay marriage in California. The paper finds the church gave as much as $20 million to an organization working to build support for a gay marriage ban. The NYT's story might focus on the Mormons initially, but the story broadens to include a range of religious organizations that worked together to support the ban. But what's fascinating here isn't the groups that helped the measure succeed, it's the arguments they used to get undecided voters on their side. The piece is a fascinating post mortem and it's a welcome change from the parade of distressingly one-dimensional stories about black voters putting the ban over the top.Inside, the WP covers the backlash against supporters of the gay marriage ban, including actions against businesses and religious organizations. The reprisals have taken the usual forms of protests and boycotts, but also vandalism and possibly even the mailing of white powder to the headquarters of the Mormon Church.Tough, complicated "clamshell" packages are meant to deter shoplifting and protect the product inside, but the NYT says the packaging might just be hurting the consumer. The paper says that each year 6,000 Americans wind up in the emergency room after hurting themselves wrestling with an over-packaged product. The paper says some companies are finally listening to consumer complaints and opting for packaging that can be opened "without a saw." The WP fronts a piece on poor Congolese who fled violence and returned home to find looters had stolen the small luxuries they worked for years to afford.The best-selling book series 'Twilight' is set in the real-life small town of Forks, Washington. The LAT examines the effect the series' populatrity is having on the 3,100 person town, which drew 7,000 tourists so far this year. To continue reading, click here.

Gays, blacks divided on Proposition 8

For many African Americans, it's not a civil rights issue. -- For Trebor Healey, a 46-year-old gay man from Glendora, Tuesday's election was bittersweet.  He was thrilled that the nation elected its first African American president. But he was disappointed that black voters, traditionally among the most reliably liberal in the state, voted overwhelmingly to ban same-sex marriage. He understands that there are differences between the civil rights battles of blacks and gays: For one thing, he notes, gay people have a much easier time blending in. Still, he says, he thinks it's sad that "people do not equate one civil rights struggle with another." Many black voters didn't see it that way.  "I was born black. I can't change that," said Culver City resident Bilson Davis, 57, who voted for Proposition 8. "They weren't born gay; they chose it," he added, reflecting a commonly held belief that many researchers dispute. Although many of the state's black political leaders spoke out against Proposition 8, an exit poll of California voters showed that black voters favored the measure by a ratio of more than 2 to 1. Not only was the black vote weighted heavily in favor of Proposition 8, but black turnout -- spurred by Barack Obama's historic campaign for president -- was unusually large, with African Americans making up roughly 10% of the state electorate. The exit poll didn't ask voters why they voted the way they did. But Madison Shockley, pastor of Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad and among the roughly one-third of blacks who opposed Proposition 8, said the vote was understandable. "Black folks go to church, probably more than the Caucasian population, and the churches they go to tend to be very traditional." Los Angeles resident Christopher Hill, 50, said he was motivated by religion in supporting Proposition 8. Civil rights, he said, "are about getting a job, employment." Gay marriage, he said, is not: "It's an abomination against God." One complicating factor was that both sides in the campaign had plausible reason to claim Obama's support. The president-elect strongly stated his opposition to the proposition, calling it "divisive and discriminatory." But he has also said in public speeches that he opposes same-sex marriage. In the days leading up to the election, some Democrats received "robo-calls" on their cellphones containing an excerpt from such a speech. "Here is Barack Obama in his own words on the definition of marriage," the call began. Then the voice of Obama speaking to a crowd comes on: "I believe marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Now, for me as a Christian, it is also a sacred union. God is in the mix." A narrator then urged a yes vote on Proposition 8. California Democratic Party consultant Roger Salazar was among the recipients of the call. "They saw the Obama tide coming and they were trying to capitalize on it," Salazar said, adding that the call was "manipulative and deceitful," given the candidate's stated opposition to the amendment. Still, those efforts, combined with a push by dozens of African American ministers and commercials and mailers arguing that children would be subjected to a pro-gay curriculum should the measure pass, had an effect on voters like Pasadena resident Doris Tucker. Tucker, who is African American, said she voted for "all the good things," especially Obama and Proposition 8. "I don't think it's right," Tucker said of gay marriage. "They shouldn't let it go on." On Friday, four leaders of the No-on-8 campaign put out a statement urging cooperation among groups around the issue. "We achieve nothing if we isolate the people who did not stand with us in this fight," the statement said. "We only further divide our state if we attempt to blame people of faith, African American voters, rural communities and others for this loss." In conversationsthis week, organizers of the campaign against Proposition 8 discussed the racial divide on the measure. Said Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights: "One cannot underestimate the effect that . . . the robo-calls had where people heard Barack Obama's voice and then they were told to vote yes on 8." SOURCE:LAT.COM

Someone's Lying

The New York Times leads with new revelations that further muddle the picture of how the war between Georgia and Russia this summer unfolded. The paper got its hands on accounts by independent military observers that suggest Georgia began indiscriminately attacking civilian areas in South Ossetia's capital, virtually assuring a Russian response. The NYT takes pains to emphasize that the reports are hardly conclusive, but at the very least they put in doubt Georgia's long-held assertions that it acted largely out of self defense. The Washington Post leads with, and the Wall Street Journal banners, a look at the expanding global efforts to fight the economic downturn. Democrats in Washington are moving ahead with plans to try to combat the declining economy through a spending package of as much as $100 billion that could be passed this month. In Europe, several central banks sharply cut interest rates. Meanwhile, President-elect Barack Obama announced he will be meeting with his economic advisers and hold his first news conference today. He plans to meet with President Bush on Monday in a bid to emphasize that they both want a smooth transition in a time of crisis. USA Today leads with a new poll that found two-thirds of Americans believe relations between blacks and whites "will eventually be worked out," which marks a historic high. Around 67 percent of Americans say they feel proud and optimistic after Barack Obama's victory, which is particularly significant considering that 53 percent voted for the Democratic candidate. The Los Angeles Times leads locally with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to battle California's rapidly growing budget deficit by increasing the sales tax and sharply reducing services. To continue reading, click here.

The Shape of Things to Come

The Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal all lead with President-elect Barack Obama moving full-speed ahead in putting together his White House team. After Tuesday's sweeping victory--349 electoral votes to John McCain's 162, with two states still too close to call--Obama woke up at home in Chicago, had breakfast with his family, and spent most of the day behind closed doors having discussions with Vice President-elect Joe Biden, campaign advisers, and the leaders of his transition team. To no one's surprise, he offered the key job of White House chief of staff to Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois. Yesterday was a day of jubilation for many, not just inside the country but also around the world. There was perhaps no other country outside the United States that celebrated as much as Kenya, where the prime minister declared Thursday a national holiday. Even Republican leaders rushed to recognize the historic moment. "As an African-American, I am especially proud ... yesterday was obviously an extraordinary step forward," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a surprise appearance at her department's daily briefing. President Bush called Obama's election "uplifting" and vowed that he would do everything possible to make it a smooth transition. "It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House," Bush said. "I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have awaited so long." To continue reading, click here.