Street Wize News ( Raw &Unkutt )

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, is battling pancreatic cancer, The Detroit News has learned from three sources close to the singer's friends and family.

Franklin, 68, was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has earned 18 Grammys in her storied career. Her fiery, soulful voice and peerless musicianship has led to accolades like music critic Dave Marsh's remark that she is the "greatest female voice of her generation." With a track record of hits including "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)," it's hard to find anyone who disagrees.

When the Detroit singer announced in November that she was taking six months off under doctor's orders, she did not reveal her illness. But in the last several weeks she has reached out to others, including some with cancer, disclosing hercondition and asking for advice and prayers.

Many who know her are hopeful. "We're all praying for Aretha, that she'll pull through this," said the Andantes' Pat Lewis, who toured as a backup singer with Franklin. "She has too many more songs to sing. She's still young yet."

It was only after reporters flooded her publicist with inquiries last Thursday that Franklin released a statement that she had successfully undergone a surgical procedure that day. Calling the surgery "highly successful," Franklin praised her "superb doctors and nurses who were blessed by all the prayers of the city and the country."

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest a person can have, though about 15 percent to 18 percent of those with the disease can survive with surgery, said Dr. Elliot Newman, chief of gastrointestinal surgical oncology at NYU Langone Medical Center.

"Even though it's a small number, there are a group of patients who present with disease that can be cured surgically … if we can get it early enough," Newman said. Among the surgeries is the Whipple operation, which involves removal of the pancreas along with parts of other organs, and reconstruction so people can eat and digest food normally, Newman said. People are candidates for this when the tumors are small and not spread outside the pancreas.

"It gives people a chance to be cured of the disease," Newman said.

Interest in Franklin's health was heightened on Wednesday when the National Enquirer reported in its new edition that she had pancreatic cancer (although the tabloid incorrectly identifies her online as a "Motown" legend, when she actually recorded for Columbia, Atlantic and Arista).

As news of her illness spread across Twitter on Wednesday, Tweets about Franklin poured in and "pancreatic" became one of the top trending topics in the U.S. Fans also posted messages on the Queen of Soul's Facebook page, sending their prayers and wishing her a speedy recovery.

Her publicist, Tracey Jordan, had no comment on Franklin's illness Wednesday.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who visited and prayed with Franklin on Sunday in Detroit, told The News that she was "recovering, and her spirits are high. She's doing very well. She's very prayerful. She's a woman full of deep religious faith." The singer takes daily walks up and down the hallway of her hospital, Jackson said.

Franklin has also spoken to Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who grew up near her in Detroit's north end in the 1950s. The two chatted by phone Sunday night when Robinson was on his way by limousine to the Kennedy Center Honors program in Washington, D.C. Robinson said she was expected to be released from the hospital soon. Robinson, whom Franklin has called her "sandbox friend" because they knew each other as children, called Franklin, he said, because it was the first time he had attended the Kennedy Center Honors without her.

WCHB-AM radio personality Mildred Gaddis, a friend, said it was enough for her that Franklin said she was recovering. "Anything beyond that is personal."

Brian Pastoria, who owns Harmonie Park Studios in Detroit, has worked steadily with Franklin over the last decade and said he was "crushed" when he heard about Franklin's health. "I kind of knew it already, but until you hear it, it's like, 'Wow,' " he said.

Franklin calls him personally, Pastoria says, when she wants to record, rather than going through managers. "She's pretty personal and hands on," Pastoria said. "When she works with us, she'll just call me and say, 'Brian, hi honey, I want to book the studio.' I have saved messages of hers over the years, 'cause it's just cool to have Aretha call you."

Gospel singer Vickie Winans, who performs at yearly revivals at Franklin's father's church, New Bethel Baptist, was "hurt" by the reports that Franklin has cancer. "That's devastating," she said. "I love Aretha. I pray for her every single solitary day."



From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101209/ENT04/12090433/Aretha-battling-pancreatic-cancer#ixzz17e9aRMDl


We wish Ms.Franklin a successful full and blessed recovery....May "GOD" bless and keep her and her family sincerely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately Soulja's poor album sales may keep him from buying another $3 million dollars worth of bling.

Billboard reports that the rapper with over 2.5 million Twitter followers sold 13,000 copies of his DeAndre Way album.

The album features his singles “Pretty Boy Swag” and “Speakers Going Hammer.”



Seems like another young artist making the transition from teenage superstar to adult superstar has bit the dust record sales wise again. First Kriss Kross, The Boyz, Bow Wow, now Souljah Boy among others latest album has flopped despite heavy rotation on radio and video. 13,000 units sold in any genre or sales era is a certified flop business-wise and commercial-wise. I been saying for years that all that novelty rap always runs it course and then it fades drastically. Yes the landscape of records sales have changed dramactically overall but a hit is a hit just ask Eminem, Kanye, Jay Z.,Nikki Minaj, Rick Ross, B.O.B., LiL Wayne, Drake, Ludacris, T.I. and Kid Cudi. Solid support is solid support reguardless and a flop is a flop in any language. Long Live Hip Hop............(THA CHILL ONE)

What Women Want: Listen with Your Heart............
Tips for Men
1. Make and keep eye contact. Few things assure your loved one that you are listening
closely more than making eye contact. Without making it seem like you are staring through her,
lock your eyes on hers and listen to what she has to say.
2. Cease all other activity. When your loved one wants to talk to you—when she has
something very important to talk to you about and needs your undivided attention—make sure
you can do it in an atmosphere free of other activity.
3. Let your loved one know you are being attentive. In addition to keeping eye contact,
let her know that you are listening closely and attentively by acknowledging what she’s saying
through head nods and other signs of attentiveness.
4. Speak occasional words of agreement or understanding. While you listen to your loved
one, it is good to interject words that communicate that you understand how that person feels.
Simple statements such as, “I can see how you would feel that way,” or “I would feel the same
way myself” can do much to communicate that you are listening with you heart.
5. Ignore all interruptions. Sometimes a man and his loved one need to get to a place where
there is no chance they will be interrupted so they can jus talk. When you take the time to listen
with your heart, try to do it where you won’t be interrupted.
How women say men can become experts at listening with their hearts:
▪ “Solve problems with me, not for me.”
▪ “Just listen. Give me a chance to voice my inner thoughts and feelings.”
▪ “Listen without offering unsolicited advice or blame.”
▪ “Teach me your problem solving skills.”
▪ “If you don’t understand what I’m saying, ask me questions.”
▪ “Offer feedback that says you understand what I’m telling you.”
▪ “Be compassionate as you listen.”
▪ “Resist laughing or mocking me in what I have to say.”
▪ “Offer me advice with humility.”
▪ “Use facial expressions and body language so that I know you’re really hearing me.”



Good communication is said to be a lifeline to the health of a good marriage. It’s pretty obvious to all who are wise, that there are good ways we can communicate with each other in word and deed, and harmful ways.

To help you to better discern the good from the harmful, you will find below, scripture verses dealing with communication. The following verses come from the New International Version of the Bible unless noted otherwise:

• Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

• If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless (James 1:26).

• The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly (Proverbs 15:2).

• The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil (Proverbs 15:28).

• But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:37).

• A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction (Proverbs 16:23).

• The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse (Proverbs 10:29).

• A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

• Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18).
• A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated (Proverbs 14:16-17).

• A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly (Proverbs 14:29).

• An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins (Proverbs 29:22).

• Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, lest you learn his ways, and find a snare for yourself (Proverbs 22:24-25).

• A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered (Proverbs 17:27).

• Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him (Proverbs 29:20).

• Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes (Proverbs 26:4-5).

• A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control (Proverbs 29:11).

• A fool’s mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul (Proverbs 18:7).

• A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions (Proverbs 18:2).

• Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue (Proverbs 17:28).

• The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools (Ecclesiastes 9:17).

• Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is that Head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:15).

• The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin (Proverbs 10:8).

• Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly (2 Timothy 2:16).

• When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise (Proverbs 10:19).

• A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly (Proverbs 12:23).

• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4:29).

• Pleasant words are a honey comb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (Proverbs 16:24).

• A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11).

• The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value (Proverbs 10:20.)

• The tongue of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment (Proverbs 10:21).

• The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit (Proverbs 15:4).

• The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked (Proverbs 10:11).

• The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them (Proverbs 12:6).

• The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools (Proverbs 15:7).

• The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse (Proverbs 10:32).

• Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse (Proverbs 19:1).

• Put away perversity from your mouth keep corrupt talk far from your lips (Proverbs 4:24).

• He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin (Proverbs 13:3).

• He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity (Proverbs 21:23).

• Rid yourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind (1 Peter 2:1).

• A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble (Proverbs 17:20).

• Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment (Proverbs 12:19).

• The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful (Proverbs 12:22).

• My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. All of the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse (Proverbs 8:7-8).

• An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips (Proverbs 24:26).

• The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace (Proverbs 13:5).

• Above all, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned (James 5:12).

• He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

• The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit (Proverbs 18:21).

• Words from a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips. At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness—and the fool multiplies words. (Ecclesiastes 10:12-13).

• Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).

• A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11).

• Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife (Proverbs 17:1).

• Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5).

• Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 26:12).

• When pride comes, then disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2).

• Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 18:2).

• Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

• Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice (Proverbs 13:10).

• If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth! For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife (Proverbs 30:32-33).

• What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight (James 4:1-2).

• Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out (Proverbs 17:14).

• It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel (Proverbs 20:3).

• He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction (Proverbs 17:19).

• If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:15).

• The evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble. From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him (Proverbs 12:13-14).

• If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house (Proverbs 17:13).

• The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down (Proverbs 14:1).

• A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping (Proverbs 19:13).

• A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand (Proverbs 27:15-16).

• Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife (Proverbs 21:19).

• Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife (Proverbs 25:24).

• Wives, be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:1-4).

• Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers (1 Peter 3:7).

• Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9).

• Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor [spouse], for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:25-27).

• In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice… Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind (1 Peter 2:11).

• If you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s [spouse's] hands: Go humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor [spouse]! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. (Proverbs 6:2-5).

• Remind the people… to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men (Titus 3:2).

• Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe (Philippians 2:14-15).

• Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many (Hebrews 12:14-15).

• Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19).

• When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly (1 Corinthians 4:12-13).

• Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:23-26).

• And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:30-32).

• Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

• Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up on meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).

• Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:9-10).

• Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2).

• I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1-3).

• If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).

• The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (James 3:17-18).

• Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27.).

• Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss (2 Corinthians 13:11-12).

• Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:5).

• Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17).

• We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

• Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear (Proverbs 25:12).

• Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance (Proverbs 1:5).

• The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice (Proverbs 12:15).

• The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly (Proverbs 15:14).

• He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. (Proverbs 15:31).

• He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame (Proverbs 18:13).

• The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out (Proverbs 18:15).

• Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise (Proverbs 19:20).

• Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge (Proverbs 23:12).

• Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it —he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (James 1:19-26).



(FIREPROOFING)

Jay-Z, who recently celebrated his 41st birthday on December 4th received a $2 million dollar car from his wife Beyonce.

While Ross and Diddy may be calling themselves the Bugatti boys, you can add Jay-Z to the group as Beyonce bought her hubby the new Bugatti Veyron Sport.

The couple who are currently in Australia together as Jigga tours with U2, had a nice birthday dinner on the rooftop of a restaurant. The waiter who served them said the pair were just like an ordinairy couple.

"They sat together all night and were in no way prima donnas - there were no egg-white omelettes ordered, if you know what I mean. They looked like any normal couple yet are multi-million-dollar megastars . . . and they tipped well."

Jay-Z is not the only celebrating in Australia, as Oprah's audience members began on their luxurious Australian giveaway and may possibly run into Jay and B on their vacation.

Jay-Z, who recently celebrated his 41st birthday on December 4th received a $2 million dollar car from his wife Beyonce.
While Ross and Diddy may be calling themselves the Bugatti boys, you can add Jay-Z to the group as Beyonce bought her hubby the new Bugatti Veyron Sport.

(HIPHOPWIRED)

WASHINGTON – Census surprise? The government provided new estimates Monday showing the U.S. population grew to somewhere between roughly 306 million and 313 million over the last decade, acknowledging uncertainty due to rapid shifts in immigration.

The estimates, which are separate from the official 2010 census count, are based on a review of birth and death records as well as calculations of new immigrants as of April 1, 2010. Demographers say the range of numbers offers a rough guide to the official 2010 results that will be used to apportion House seats when they are released later this month.

"For the first time, we are providing a series of demographic analysis estimates to more clearly demonstrate the uncertainty in these figures," said Census director Robert Groves.

The numbers show the nation's population ranged from 305.7 million to 307.4 million based on lower rates of immigration, which independent think-tanks such as the Pew Hispanic Center have said dropped off sharply recently due to the souring U.S. economy.

A mid-range estimate — which in previous census reports have typically come within 1-2 percent of the final count — puts the number at 308.5 million. Census estimates based on assumptions of higher levels of immigration place the nation's population between 310 million and 312.7 million.

In 2000, the official census count was 281.4 million.

No breakdowns were provided Monday for states or local areas.

The estimates also indicate:

_Hispanics accounted for all the growth in the youth population in the last decade. In 2000, Hispanics made up 17 percent of the U.S. population under age 20. They now represent somewhere between 22 and 25 percent of that age group.

_There were roughly 40.9 million to 41.7 million blacks in the U.S., based on a tabulation that includes Hispanic blacks. That would put the share of blacks at roughly 13 percent of the U.S. population.

_Without Hispanics, the number of young people in the U.S. would have declined between 2000 and 2010. Based on the estimates, the non-Hispanic youth population declined somewhere between 1.25 million and 2.9 million.

"The U.S. population is becoming more diverse from youngest to oldest and Hispanics are the driving force behind this youth diversity," said Kenneth Johnson, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire, who reviewed the numbers.

Monday's middle estimate of the total U.S. population is a bit lower than an earlier census calculation that put it at 309 million. That 309 million estimate, or various versions of it, has been used by outside analysts to project the distribution of House seats that show strong gains for immigration states such as Florida, Arizona and Texas.

John Long, who was chief of the Census Bureau's population division during the 2000 count, said that based on historical trends and decreased immigration, the latest estimates point to a final 2010 census tally that is "several million lower" than 309 million — with high variability in states that tend to attract new immigrants.

He said the previous 309 million estimate is at least 1 million too high because of methodology changes in how the number is calculated when cities challenge the count. The estimates also may have failed to capture the most recent trends in immigration — which included a sharp slowdown in illegal immigrants — due to a time lag of more than one year in calculating the numbers.

"Each decade, census results have a way of surprising us," Long said. "These demographic analysis results indicate that the surprise may be in a downward direction. Most states will find that their population counts will be below what they expected."

The stakes are high. After state numbers are released later this month, the Census Bureau will begin to release population and race breakdowns for more local areas in February, triggering a process in which states gaining or losing House seats will redraw political boundaries.

Current projections by Election Data Services indicate that a dozen congressional seats affecting 18 states would change hands. They include four seats for Texas, two for Florida and one each for Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington.

New York and Ohio are projected to lose two seats apiece, while eight states would lose single seats — Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Kimball Brace, president of Election Data Services, said given the unpredictability in immigration suggested by Monday's estimates, Florida was likely to be more on the edge in gaining a second House seat. Also, because census estimates do not include U.S. military personnel and their families living overseas, he said a state with higher shares of Army posts, such as North Carolina, may prove to be an unexpected winner, as it was in 2000 when it beat out Utah for the last seat.

The census estimates released Monday — known as Demographic Analysis — have historically been used to assess the level of undercounts in the decennial census, which disproportionately misses children and black men. In recent censuses, they have also been used as one guidepost in the government's decisions whether to statistically adjust the census for known undercounts. Groves has ruled out making any adjustments in the 2010 census for purposes of reapportionment and redistricting.

When it comes to certain provocative imagery in our society as a whole there's a serious double standard, so is it cool and acceptable for our women and young girls to exploit themselves to make money and make a living for them and their families and not for a man to do the same??? Or visevercer? So men can model and dance and exploit themselves in whatever form but woman can't without being called whores and sluts? Or so women can do it and be accepted and lusted upon and men are looked at as gay or savage bisexuals for modeling or dancing or both? No matter what side of the argument your own our society is dwelling in a cess pool of sex,drugs,and every other form of negativity we can imagine. There's much more criticism for women stripping down than men and I ask is that a double standard? We're living in a time where all sorts of double standards are the norm. Should I be left alone free of criticism and slander if I pose or dance mainly nude to feed my family and to avoid poverty and skid row? Is she a whore or slut because she poses or dances nude to survive? Or is there other respectable ways to display their attractiveness and excel in life? This topic has become and has been a heated topic for a while now and in an era where commercials are more sexual and provocative as well as cartoons, this debate goes on. How much is too much and how far to the left or right can one go without being considered over the top or totally out of line. This is the savage world we live in where everything in society is so sexual related or stimulated. Every magazine has some type of sexual of provocative imagery in them these days bottom line. Teen shows are off the chain these days and it's hard to tell whats going to be said or displayed on some of these kiddie kiddie shows for children, its crazy. Nearly every billboard displays some type of provocative imagery and we wont get into music videos,that's another beasts totally unto itself. But loved or hate it, this is the world we live in and it's another reason why children look to celebrities,models,actors,athletes,and certain personalities as role models and idolize them instead of their parents or preachers or other influential figures. So you tell me whats wrong or right?????? (THACHILLONE)

BALTIMORE – Off-duty police officer Gahiji A. Tshamba was enjoying a summer evening in a historic neighborhood known for its nightlife when he encountered trouble around closing time. He was carrying his department-issued, semiautomatic Glock handgun — unfortunately, as it turned out.

After he left the Red Maple nightclub around 1:30 a.m., Tshamba saw a man groping a woman and confronted him, starting a heated argument. The officer eventually drew his gun and emptied the clip, firing 13 shots — 12 of which struck and killed Tyrone Brown, an unarmed Iraq war veteran. The June 5 shooting resulted in a murder charge for Tshamba.

There's nothing unusual about a Baltimore officer packing heat for a night at the bars. In fact, officers are generally required to do so. But recent shootings involving alcohol and off-duty officers have some experts decrying the department's gun policy as an outdated approach other big cities have abandoned.

Baltimore's policy "boils down to the whole dated concept that a cop was a cop 24 hours a day. New York and many other places have become much more realistic," said Eugene O'Donnell, a former New York officer and current lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III is considering changes, such as a restriction on drinking while armed. But he's reluctant to toss out a decades-old policy that he says helps protect the public.

An Associated Press review of investigative records shows that since 2005, off-duty Baltimore officers have shot people 15 times. In a dozen cases, the officers intervened to stop crimes or defend themselves. But the three shootings that led to officers being disciplined — and another instance when an off-duty officer was killed by a fellow cop — involved alcohol or took place around bars.

Baltimore's policy on off-duty officers and guns is a single sentence: "Sworn members, off-duty, within the city of Baltimore, shall be suitably armed, except at such times, or under such circumstances, or when engaged in such activities as a prudent person would reasonably conclude the wearing of a firearm to be inappropriate."

It's up to officers to decide when it's inappropriate to be armed, although police officials cite obvious examples such as swimming or playing sports. But off-duty officers aren't allowed to leave their handguns in their cars — they're told to lock them up at home.

Any officer who stops for a beer after work, then, is expected to be armed. And that, experts say, is a problem.

"You're required to carry a gun, but if you do get drunk and do something stupid, then you're held responsible," said Peter Moskos, a professor at John Jay College and former Baltimore officer.

Other big cities have ditched or modified policies requiring officers to carry guns at all times. Instead, some train officers to be good witnesses and call 911 when they see a crime during their downtime.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police recommends that departments make it optional for off-duty officers to carry guns. But departments don't have to follow the association's model policy.

Researchers who've studied fatal police-on-police shootings also say departments should discourage off-duty officers from using force.

"This is something that's a national problem," said Sam Walker, a criminologist at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. "A fair number of officer-involved shootings do involve off-duty officers, which is a major issue."

In Baltimore, one of the nation's most violent big cities, Bealefeld and others argue officers can't afford to let their guard down.

The records obtained by The AP show that since 2005, off-duty officers have fired their handguns in an attempt to stop nine armed robberies and one stabbing. In another case, an officer wounded a would-be robber before the officer was fatally shot. Another officer shot and killed a man he saw breaking into his car.

Bealefeld argues the documents don't tell the whole story of how the policy protects the public. The department does not keep records of instances in which off-duty officers draw their guns to stop a crime but don't open fire.

But Tshamba's case isn't the only questionable use of a weapon by carousing off-duty police. Former officer Patrick Dotson pleaded guilty to assault for shooting at two people after a brawl outside a bar. Officer Norman Stamp drew his gun during a strip club brawl, and an on-duty officer fatally wounded him. Stamp didn't identify himself as police until after he was shot.

Tshamba, meanwhile, had previously shot someone after a night of drinking. In 2005, the black officer said a group of white men used racial taunts and assaulted him while he was off-duty. Tshamba fired several shots, and a 17-year-old boy was wounded in the foot. A breath test found the officer had a blood-alcohol percentage of .12 — well above the state's threshold for drunken driving.

The department disciplined Tshamba, but the shooting was ruled justified. He wasn't charged with a crime.

Tshamba's attorneys say he wasn't drinking the night he shot Brown, and he refused a breath test afterward. He's being held without bail on a first-degree murder charge. His lawyers contend he was acting in an official capacity and feared for his life when he opened fire.

But if Tshamba had been an officer in several other East Coast cities, he couldn't have brought his gun in the first place.

In Washington, D.C., officers are barred from carrying their weapons if they plan to drink. Philadelphia police officers are told not to carry their guns if there's a likelihood they'll be drinking or taking prescription drugs. It's the same thing in New York, which also requires breath tests for officers involved in shootings.

Several rank-and-file Baltimore officers discussed the gun policy on the condition that their names not be used because they're prohibited from talking about it with reporters.

The officers said they and their colleagues take varying approaches to the question of whether to bring their guns to bars. Many do it all the time. Some leave them at home, concluding that a night of heavy drinking is an inappropriate time to be armed. Others avoid the problem by refusing to socialize within the city.

Their boss, Bealefield, defended the policy against criticism sparked by cases like Tshamba's, saying the actions of a few shouldn't affect officers' ability to protect themselves and others.

"Those are some extraordinarily bad situations that have occurred," Bealefeld said. "But more often than not, and indeed every day, these guys make great judgments that you never read about or hear about."

___

Associated Press writers Tom Hays in New York and Nafeesa Syeed in Washington contributed to this report.

___

(ap)

(FinalCall.com) - A prisoner who accused officials of violating his religious rights by banning copies of The Final Call and lectures by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan on DVD has scored a victory for inmates in the entire state after reaching a settlement with the Virginia Department of Corrections.

Red Onion State Prison inmate Kelvin Brown sued after numerous editions of The Final Call were banned beginning in January 2009. At the time, access to DVDs, books and other materials from the Nation of Islam were severely restricted as well.

In the reported settlement, inmates within the Virginia state prison system would be allowed to receive the previously banned issues of The Final Call and if others were banned in the future, a reason would have to be given. Additionally, DVDs from the Nation of Islam, including lectures by Minister Farrakhan, must be shown on a regular schedule similar to that which is currently done for Christian-themed broadcasting at the prison. Books pamphlets and other materials are to be allowed in as well.

“It was a great victory because we planted those seeds and to see those seeds germinate at Red Onion was a great blessing,” said Virginia Student Prison Reform Minister Jerry L. Muhammad, who has been speaking in prisons for over 15 years. “That sets precedence as far as Virginia goes because the whole department of corrections has been under this banner to try to squeeze us out. We've been fighting it without breaking any of their laws.”

According to Mr. Muhammad, there are a combined 17 correctional facilities at the federal, state and municipal level that he and members of the prison ministry staff visit regularly.

Starting in 2008, Mr. Muhammad said the correctional facilities began a severe crackdown on literature and DVDs from the Nation of Islam. During previous visits, Mr. Muhammad would bring copies of The Final Call with him to distribute to the inmates, however, he was stopped from doing that.

At Red Onion, Mr. Muhammad estimates that there are approximately 12 followers of the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad housed there. During regular written correspondence and during some of his visits, Mr. Muhammad said inmates would describe their anger and frustration with not being allowed receive The Final Call and were never given a reason by prison officials.

It is widely known that state and federal correctional facilities have policies which ban materials that promote violence or may cause threats to safety, however, there was never any actual response given to their queries. They began to complain to anyone that would listen, then, earlier in the spring, The Final Call reported on a ruling by U.S. District Judge Donald Walter in Shreveport, La., restoring rights to The Final Call for an inmate being denied the paper in the David Wade Correctional Center in Louisiana. After reading of the victory in that case, the brothers saw an effective strategy that could be pursued. They were encouraged to begin filing lawsuits, and they did.

The National Prison Reform Ministry of the Nation of Islam under the direction of Student Minister Abdullah Muhammad, regularly receives letters of complaint from incarcerated brothers nationwide fighting for access to literature, DVDs and other liturgical items as they strive to maintain their way of devotion while behind bars.

“The Final Call is a national and international Black owned newspaper with a spiritual core,” said Abdullah Muhammad, who speaks at prisons across the country, and is sensitive the suffering of those behind prison walls. “The words from The Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Minister Louis Farrakhan reconnect the soul to its Creator and begins to provide those human needs, and then we see a change in attitude in the inmate that leads to behavioral change.”

In Virginia, the Nation of Islam's Prison Reform Ministry is very active. Even though Red Onion is located almost 6 hours away from Muhammad Mosque No. 24, during the entire struggle, Muhammad Mosque No. 24 held fundraisers and went door to door asking business owners, and residents to donate to a fund that would allow more materials and DVDs to be purchased for use by brothers serviced by the Nation of Islam in the prisons.

The Virginia Department of Corrections has been criticized by watchdog groups for their treatment of inmates and ordered to review and in some cases revise some of their policies.

• A report released in October by the National Women's Law Center and the Rebecca Project for Human Rights gave Virginia failing grades regarding their treatment of mothers in prison.

• On Nov. 17 over 30 inmates, many of whom were Rastafarians previously held in isolation for refusing to cut their hair because of their religious beliefs, were transferred to another prison where they could remain together.

• Two months ago, the state settled a case involving a ban on issues of Prison Legal News, a magazine that deals with the rights of the incarcerated and issues related to criminal justice.

“The victories won by the inmates proves that the old mind of White supremacy and racism is dying. America has not found a way to curb crime and break the rate of recidivism or reform those who consistently break her laws,” said Abdullah Muhammad. “The words contained in the spiritual core of The Final Call begins the process of reforming all that read and practice the guidance contained in those words.”

Jeff Fogel, an attorney in both of the reference cases of banned literature involving the Virginia Department of Corrections described their behavior as “out of control.”

“This problem will not be solved until the Department of Corrections fully realizes that it has no right to impose political or religious orthodoxy,” Atty. Fogel told The Associated Press.

(thefinalcall)

"I 100 percent agreed with the comments that [Kanye] made, because again ... it felt like it was being done to black people," Jay-Z said in an interview. "Like all you saw on the news was black people with help signs and all this stuff, and then you have this picture of the commander in chief, who we all rely on, just flying by...Just the fact that he thinks that the worst thing that happened to him is Kanye saying something about him. Like, what? That alone shows you where his mind is. Are you kidding me?" (Associated Press)
Bush's admission that West's Hurricane Katrina rant was the low point of his presidency struck Jay-Z as odd. "First, I find it strange, like everyone else should, that one of his lowest points was somebody talking about him," Jay-Z said of Kanye's infamous "George Bush doesn't care about black people" comment. "He's the president. People should insult him a lot. That's part of the job description." He went on to reiterate an excerpt from "Decoded" in which he talks about how the mishandling of the rescue/relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina affected him. "It didn't feel like a natural disaster; it felt like it was happening directly to blacks, and immediately those images of people in suits getting beaten, sprayed with hoses, beaten on the bridge at Selma, all these emotions were going on inside of us," Jay said. "Kanye really spoke what everyone else felt." (MTV)
"Me, I'm Pusha, I don't give a f*ck about what George W. Bush's lowest point was, ever. I don't care what he thinks," Pusha told SOHH. "And if Ye was his lowest point, then that says a lot about him. The president of the United States of America, I don't care how he feels emotionally. Listen man, people be getting it f*cked up, man, a lot of what's said comes from a very honest place and at the end of the day, if anything Ye said made Bush feel some type of way, then you sort of have to look at stuff in its whole perspective. You have to look in the mirror and say, 'What the f*ck was I doing wrong to make this guy say this and so many people agree with it?'" (SOHH)
(sohh)

It amazes me how quick we as a people latch on to any conspiracy theory, rumor, or highly hyped accusation about people in general but especially celebrities and high profile individuals. We latched on to this "Illuminati" conspiracy theory that every successful rapper and entertainer that's Black had to sell their soul to be successful and that's a bunch of b.s. to me. You completely rule out the "GOD" factor when you say that if we believe that "GOD" is the Lord Of The Worlds and the Supreme Power who control all things good and bad. We sometimes forget or shall I say ofttimes forget that video imagery and documentaries to prove something against some one is easy to do and has been done since the beginning of the high tech age. I'm not defending anyone or any particular artist or celebrity but I want us to be not so quick to rush to judgement because of what the media and e few self absorbed, jealous and envious tech savvy, spin savvy conspiracy theorist purvey and promote to the masses. But see I'm one of the ones that you cant just show me a video and sound bites and a few editorials and think that I'm just going to be convinced of anything because you packaged it nicely and convincingly. I believe that Jay Z.,Kanye,Diddy,Biggie,Nas,Eminem,Nelly,Ludacris,T.I.,LiL Wayne, and all the mega stars in hip hop made it off of talent,hard work, and business connections not connections to the underworld or some secret society. Call me what your want, I been following hip hop since 1979 and I still follow hip hop and no one can tell me that I supported hip hop and certain artists because I was brainwashed or coerced into it by unseen powers that be. Do I think that certain deals and certain sacrifices are made behind closed doors once you reach a certain status yes I do as it relates to certain individuals, certain artists and celebrities make that decision to go that route but do I think everyone has,hell no,hell no. That's saying that absolutely nothing in the world that we see is really what it seems and to a large degree that's true but come on that's not practical or reality. People like to single out Jay Z. okay but Russell Simmons has more money and influence than Jay Z. on a larger scale so your telling me that Russell is part of a devil worshipping cult???? Come on people I'm not saying that these rappers are innocent pawns in the images they convey to society and the world at large but to just go with anything someone makes seem real to you because of your limited knowledge and understanding of the entertainment and music business and how it all works that's retarded. To say if you play this artist music backwards it sounds like devil worshipping, come on,hell you can play some Gospel music backwards and it'll sound demonic,hell your own voice played backwards will sound like another language with another meaning. Lets stop being haters and stop trying to bring the next brother or sister down when you know in your heart your just jealous or mad that they have the life you wish you had and still muster up if you wasn't so consumed with your hate of successful people because at the end of the day we all have to answer for own deeds and our sins. If you dont like certain celebrities and entertainers simply don't support them or listen to their music or don't go to their movies bottom line. I don't support or even partake in anything that I don't like bottom line. Lets stop partaking in self-hate, we criticize our Black brothers and sisters who "GOD" has blessed to make it majorly in the entertainment business but Whites that make it and become famous get treated by a different set of standards all the time. We're sick as a people and we need to stop judging other people's lives and wake up and do something to be successful and maybe people they will have debates about our lives generations from now. Think about it. We can learn alot from successful people whether they pocess views or idealogy that we would never agree with or support,there's alot of knowledge and wisdom to be abstracted from people that have made it to a certain status in life whether we like them or not. We just have to know what to abstract and use and what elements to leave alone and don't touch. There's allot of imagery out there that rappers and celebrities fuel the fire on that because society at large are talking about them and conveying them in that light so they fuel the fire with videos and imagery to cash in from it without being directly involved in it or associated with it. For the entertainers that have sold their souls for riches it's not too late to make it right and reverse it and do great deeds with your money,influence, and talent. Because the day of judgement is a grievous day for many but a glorious day for some. There's a heavy price to pay for the ones that have sold their souls but for the ones that are genuine and have helped thousands and millions of people in many different ways especially charity and other notable causes and I do know several of you personally, "GOD" bless you and yours with much continued success and I say never stop supporting great causes and helping those in need across the globe and keep using your "GOD" Gifted and Given talents to educate and uplift the masses..................(THA CHILL ONE)

A Hasidic rabbi and three of his sons are suspected of sexually abusing at least four female relatives, police officials tell NY1.

Investigators say the four sisters from a Brooklyn family were abused sexually for 15 years by their father and brothers.

Two of the brothers were arrested -- one of whom was taken into custody in Brooklyn on East Fourth Street.

Police say their father and another brother fled earlier this week to Israel and were apparently driven to the airport by the mother.

The mother and father of the girls are themselves cousins, according to police.

Sources say the investigation began after one of the daughters -- now ages eight to 20 --confided in a co-worker at the Jewish school where she works.

The New York City Police Department is working with Israeli authorities trying to catch the two men still on the loose.In a sickening story echoing several other similar sickening stories, a Brooklyn Rabbi and three of his sons are suspected of sexually abusing four female relatives. Rabbi Gershon Kranczer, 58, has been accused of sexually abusing two underage relatives; the eldest victim, a 20-year-old woman, told a co-worker at a Brooklyn yeshiva that she was sexually assaulted by the rabbi. The co-worker went to police, who soon discovered that three of the woman's relatives, aged 19, 17 and 8, were also abused in the Rabbi's home.

Rabbi Kranczer and his 21-year-old legally-blind son Asher fled to Israel on Monday night. The rabbi's 24-year-old son, Yechezkel Kranczer, turned himself in to the NYPD Thursday, and was arrested on a variety of charges, including multiple counts of sexually abusing relatives aged 17 and 20. The third son who has been accused, a 15-year-old, also turned himself in, and was charged with sexually abusing an 8-year-old relative. The Post's article suggests the victims are Kranczer's daughters.

The 20-year-old woman said she had been abused by the Rabbi for over 15 years; he is the former head of Yeshiva Tehila L'Dovid, but he abruptly resigned from the yeshiva three months ago. Rabbi Kranczer has 14 children, all between the ages of 10 and 28; those under the age of 18 were removed and placed into the care of the Administration for Children's Services this week. The NYPD is coordinating with Israeli police to track down the Rabbi and his son.
(ny1)

Doctors at NYU Langone Medical Center are experimenting with light as they look toward a new, noninvasive way to treat and prevent prostate cancer. NY1's Kafi Drexel filed the following report.

When 67-year-old Charles Kessler learned he had early stage prostate cancer he opted for a surgery he thought would have the least side effects.

"I could have just watched it, but why have biopsies all the time and be worried? This just seemed like an easy thing to do," Kessler said.

He decided to enroll in a study currently underway at NYU Langone Medical Center's Smilow Comprehensive Cancer Prostate Center. The study involves using photodynamic light therapy in surgery to kill cancer early on. NYU is the lead institution on the study of 30 men across the country whose results will be followed up on for a year.

"The basic concept is that we take a drug that sensitizes the body to light and we infuse it in the patient's vein. When it circulates throughout the body wherever the body's tissues meet with the light it will create energy that will destroy the tissue," said Dr. Samir Taneja of NYU Langone Medical Center.

Like other procedures that have been developed, Dr. Taneja says that photodynamic therapy could be yet another way of working to minimize the difficult side effects associated with treatment for prostate cancer.

The surgery is also a form of focal therapy where an energy source is used only to destroy part of the prostate rather than the whole thing to clear the cancer.

"I think focal therapy offers us a great bridge between the idea of doing nothing or surveillance and the idea of treating," Taneja said. "If we can find cancers very early in men who are young enough that we believe that cancer might harm them then destruction of just an area of the prostate might be enough to reverse the effects of the disease without inducing a lot of sexual, urinary side effects."

While doctors say photodynamic therapy already appears to be showing promise, it may be several years before it clears FDA approval to become widely available beyond trials.

(ny1)

CHICAGO – The police officer was in full uniform, gathering evidence from a car break-in when someone walked into the garage and shot him and the car's owner in the head, then fired another bullet into their heads as they lay on the ground.

The brazen, daylight slaying last week of Officer Michael Flisk underscores what Chicago police have been saying for months: They are increasingly confronting people willing to attack them even as overall violent crime in Chicago continues to fall.

Five police officers have been killed in the line of duty this year — the most in at least 25 years. A sixth police officer was gunned down as he sat in his vehicle while off-duty just a few days before Flisk's death. Add to that, the number of reports of batteries on police officers has nearly tripled in just over a decade.

In 2009, there were just under 3,300 reports of battery on a police officer, more than twice as many as were reported in 2002 and nearly triple the number reported in 1999.

Police say the most dramatic jump came after the process of reporting the batteries was fully automated in 2004, when it became more accurate. But between 2007 and 2009 the number of reports climbed from 2,677 to 3,298 — a 23 percent increase — and this year the number is on pace to climb well past 3,000 again.

"There is a lack of respect for the police, a lack of fear of the police that's getting worse," said Officer Nick Spencer, a 17-year-department veteran. "They see a cop, and they just don't care anymore."

Police, activists and even some former gang members point to other explanations, from the drop in the number of police officers on the streets to changes in the structure of gangs that has led to increased violence among the city's estimated 100,000 gang members.

Officers routinely return to their station with stories about rocks and other debris pinging off their squad cars as they respond to calls or being confronted by crowds that no longer disperse just because an officer tells them to. Also, the sound of gunfire that used to stop whenever they arrived at a scene now continues long afterward.

Superintendent Jody Weis said there was "no indication whatsoever that there's any group of folks or gangs targeting our officers."

But he has said many times in the last several months that criminals are becoming increasingly brazen, and clearly he has been baffled in recent months by people who don't hesitate to take on a police officer.

"I simply cannot understand how a person can have such a total disregard of life and for those who keep order on the streets that he can attack, disarm and then shoot and kill a uniformed officer in broad daylight," he said after the July slaying of Officer Thor Soderberg as he was walking out of a police station. "This savage act defies all human value."

It was a similar story when off-duty Officer Thomas Wortham IV was shot and killed when he tried to stop a group of men from stealing his motorcycle.

"He identified himself as a police officer and they still killed him," Spencer said.

Another officer, Michael Bailey, was shot and killed while washing his car outside his home after returning from working the overnight shift, where he was assigned to protect Mayor Richard Daley's home.

The department has about 1,000 fewer officers than the 13,500 it had as recently as March 2008, according to the police union. As the department scrambles to cover the city — more officers are riding alone in squad cars, dubbed "rolling coffins" by beat cops — there is a growing concern that the uptick in violence is linked to the smaller force.

"The criminal element sees there are fewer police officers out there," said Lt. Robert Weisskopf, head of the Chicago police lieutenants' union. "Criminals go where there's no pressure on them . . . and the easier it is, the more bold they will become."

With Weis saying more than half the homicides committed in the city this year involved gangs, police say they have no doubt that many of the assaults and at least some of the police slayings were committed by known gang members — including the 19-year-old parolee charged with killing Flisk.

"They feel like they can get away with a lot more," said Phil Cline, Weis' predecessor, who said he noticed during his tenure that gangs seemed to have less and less fear of police. "When you think of a 19-year-old gang banger murdering an officer processing a crime scene, it's unbelievable."

Some of that escalating violence, police say, may be due to changes in the gangs.

Lt. Thomas Waldera said gangs are far less structured than ever because many gang leaders have been sent to prison — resulting in less organization and control among members who are not only more likely to attack rivals but members of their own gangs.

Former Vice Lord gang member Reginald Berry, who spent 18 years in prison for murder, said the gang hierarchy that was in place when he was locked up had all but disappeared by the time he got out in 2006.

"All these young guys are taking the law into their own hands; every little kid's got their own little gang and they won't let up on one another," Berry said.

Waldera said those gang members don't seem nearly as concerned about the police as they once did.

"They're not afraid of us at all anymore," he said. "Most are not stupid enough to fight it out with the police, but there is something going on."