A NewsOne Exclusive

Lee Daniels, director of the newly released film “Precious,” made a surprise appearance at one of the opening screenings of the movie in New York City.

The audience at the 7:30 p.m. presentation of “Precious” at the AMC Theater in Lincoln Square had purchased tickets for a standard showing, but just before the movie began, a theater employee revealed that after the film, Daniels would be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions.

“Precious,” based on the novel Push by Sapphire, tells the story of a poor, overweight, dark-skinned Black teenage girl who overcomes abuse, illiteracy, and two incestuous pregnancies in 1980s Harlem. The star-studded cast features Mo’Nique as Precious’s mother, Mariah Carey as a social worker, Paula Patton as a caring teacher, and Hollywood newcomer Gabourey Sidibe in the title role.

The film was well received by the audience, and Daniels was greeted with enthusiastic applause when he arrived. A reporter for the LA Times moderated the conversation on-stage, and the director began by explaining what made him want to take on the project.

Daniels recalled an incident from his early life when a naked little girl showed up on his doorstep one afternoon, covered in blood, pus, and welts from being beaten with an extension cord. After his mother tended to the child, she knew she would have to return her to her home. That moment, he said, was the first time he saw fear in his mother’s eyes, and witnessing the reality of such abuse remained with him.

“I did this [movie] so that I could heal,” said Daniels. “I did this so that we could all heal. It’s not just an African-American story, it’s a universal story.”

Audience questions covered a wide range of topics, from his experience working on the film to his upcoming projects.

Discussing how he assembled the cast, Daniels satisfied some of the curiosity surrounding his selection of Sidibe as the film’s star.

“When I was looking for Precious, I started searching in Harlem at McDonalds, or in a theater behind the counter,” he said. “But I realized that if I used these girls, I would have been exploiting them.”

So Daniels cast Sidibe, an actress who physically fit the bill, but shared none of her character’s harrowing experiences as a poor and abused woman.

One of the final audience questions was the most incisive, asking how the director responded to those who worry “Precious” reinforces negative stereotypes about black women.

“I cannot answer that. I’m a storyteller, a filmmaker—I have to tell my truth,” said Daniels. “If it upsets a certain demographic, so be it.”

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ORLANDO, Fla. — A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, authorities said, killing one person and injuring five others.

Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother’s home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said.

Asked by a reporter outside the police station why he did it, he replied: “Because they left me to rot.”

Demings said Rodriguez brought a handgun to the firm in a downtown office tower where he once worked as an engineer, but investigators are not sure what his motive was.

“This is a tragedy, no doubt about it, especially on the heels of the tragedy in Fort Hood that is on our minds,” Demings said. “I’m just glad we don’t have any more fatalities or any more injuries than we currently have.”

Charles W. Price, an attorney who represented Rodriguez in a bankruptcy case, declined to comment.

Camille Previlon told The Associated Press her uncle, engineer Guy Lungenbel, was shot in the back and was able to talk but had not said much about the shooting.

“He is stable,” she said. “He’s just hurting real bad in the back.”

Everyone who was shot was in the offices of Reynolds Smith & Hills, on the eighth floor. The five survivors were in stable condition, Demings said.

A somber Gov. Charlie Crist visited some of the wounded at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Friday afternoon.

“They’re obviously traumatized,” he said. “At the same time, I was impressed with their spirit and strength.”

He said he was thankful the shooting was not worse and said the victims “felt very lucky and blessed to be alive.”

Reynolds Smith & Hills spokesman Mike Bernos said Rodriguez was an entry-level engineer who was fired in June 2007 after working there for a year.

“His performance wasn’t up to our standards, so we terminated him,” Bernos said. There had been no contact between the company and Rodriguez since then.

After the lunchtime shooting, some people streamed out of the Legion Place building while others holed up in their offices. A major highway was closed and nearby schools were locked down.

Greg Cross, who works in a real estate office on the 12th floor, said he and his co-workers barricaded themselves inside after hearing about the gunman on television.

“We were terrified,” he said. “We locked the door and put a filing cabinet in front of the door and just waited.”

Mark Vella, who works in a different office on the same floor, said he and five co-workers also pulled a filing cabinet in front of their door. They prayed and talked about what to do if the gunman showed up.

“It was a little scary, a little unnerving,” Vella said. “We were afraid the guy was still in the building and making the rounds.”

——-

8 Injured In Orlando Office Building Shooting [November 6, 2009 1:51pm]

ORLANDO, Florida — Officials said at least eight people were hurt in a shooting at a downtown Orlando office building Friday and a gunman was on the loose.

People streamed out of the high-rise building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices.

Orlando Fire Department District Chief Michael Droege said an unknown number of people were still in the building and could be wounded. He said a police commando team was still trying to pull people out.

“The building is not secure now,” he said. “It’s still unfolding.”

The mass shooting occurred one day after a U.S. Army psychiatrist allegedly opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in a rampage that left 13 people dead.

Orlando police were searching for an armed man wearing a light blue polo shirt and jeans, said Orange County Sheriff’s Spokesman Jim Solomons, whose department was called in for backup.

Gerry Gilgo, who works on the floor where the shooting occurred, told The Associated Press she was meeting a co-worker at the elevators for lunch.

“She yelled there are gun shots! There are gun shots! Get back in your office,” Gilgo said.

Orlando Police Sgt. Barbara Jones confirmed there had been a shooting and multiple people were hurt but she couldn’t say how many. She said there is believed to be only one shooter.

The Orlando Fire Department told WESH-TV that at least eight people were wounded. Interstate 4 was closed in both directions through downtown and a nearby school was locked down.

Rows of ambulances lined up outside the building as police snipers took up positions around the building and officers on foot and horseback searched the area.

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From BlackAmericaWeb.com:

ABC officially announced Thursday that its upcoming Janet Jackson interview will be taped at her Malibu mansion, marking the first time the singer has allowed television cameras into her home.

“Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts will sit down with Jackson for an hour-long special scheduled to air on Nov. 18. It’s expected to be her first lengthy television interview since the death of her brother Michael in June.

The singer paid tribute to the King of Pop in September at MTV’s Video Music Awards. She danced to a recording of their duet “Scream” and did not address the audience.

Jackson is promoting a greatest hits CD that is coming out for the holiday season.

Click here to read more.

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ATLANTA — Grammy-winning singer Estelle remembered when she used to strut in the living room when she was younger, singing many of soul legend Otis Redding’s classic songs like “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay.”

On Thursday night, she had a bigger audience as she and others paid homage to the soul singer in a two-hour performance at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta.

“I’m just trying to do his song justice,” said Estelle, who sang “Satisfaction,” the Rolling Stones song that Redding covered. “I hope I come close to making the song sound great just like him.”

Estelle was joined in honoring Redding by Anthony Hamilton, married couple Kenny Lattimore and Chante Moore, and Redding’s sons Dexter and Otis III.

“Singing the same songs he used to sing makes me realize how much of an impact he had in music,” said Anthony Hamilton, who performed “Try a Little Tenderness” with Dexter and Otis III.

Redding established himself in the early 1960s as a first-rate songwriter, penning and recording “Respect,” which Aretha Franklin made a No. 1 hit. His biggest hit, “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay,” was released after his death in a plane crash in December 1967.

“Tonight, his name lives on,” said Redding’s wife, Zelma. She established the Big “O” Youth Educational Dream Foundation, which also honored NASCAR’s Kyle Petty, rapper Ludacris and talent developer Devyne Stephens for their foundation’s outreach programs.

“Otis would be so proud of what so many of these people have done in the community,” Zelma Redding said.

Rapper Ludacris said he was humbled after meeting and sitting next to Redding’s wife, sons and daughter.

“I’m just a fan of Otis Redding,” the rapper said. “His legacy will live forever and he has been one of the major influences in who I am. It’s as simple as that.”

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Saratoga Springs made history Tuesday night, becoming the first Utah city to elect a black woman as mayor.

Councilwoman Mia Love defeated challenger Jeff Francom in the contest to replace outgoing Mayor Timothy Parker.

“I am absolutely honored,” Love said. “I am so excited.”

And in Provo, John Curtis beat Rep. Stephen D. Clark to become its next mayor. The election was the culmination of a campaign that saw Clark accused of bribery and the Utah County Republican Party charged with meddling. Curtis said much of the acrimony came from each candidate’s supporters, while he tried to keep his campaign issue-oriented.

“One of my first agenda items is reuniting the divide created by this election,” Curtis said Tuesday night.

In Provo’s Municipal Council District 5, Councilwoman Cindy Richards lost to Sterling Beck, wrapping up a race that saw Richards under heavy attack from a committee formed by Utah County GOP Chairman Taylor Oldroyd.

Curtis, chief operating officer for Action Target, campaigned on a platform of economic development and job creation, as well as cracking down on the city’s gang problem.

Clark had promised to try to improve relations between the city administration and the council.

The council race in the state’s third largest city generated controversy, with Clark accused of bribing one of his rivals to drop the race in return for political power. Clark has denied the allegation.

During the campaign, Clark’s wife, Councilwoman Cynthia Clark accused Oldroyd of throwing the GOP’s support to Curtis. She cited a Utah County GOP booth set up in front of Curtis’ campaign headquarters during the America’s Freedom Festival Parade in Provo July 4.Oldroyd also faces a hearing before the GOP’s executive committee for organizing a political action committee targeting Richards.

The reigning Miss England has relinquished her crown after being accused of a fight in a bar.

Pageant organizers say Rachel Christie has also withdrawn from next month’s Miss World competition in South Africa.

They said in a statement that the 21-year-old heptathlete will now focus on clearing her name and training for the 2012 Olympics.

British newspapers reported that Christie got into a dustup with another beauty queen — Miss Manchester Sara Beverley Jones — in a nightclub earlier this week.

Greater Manchester Police said Friday that a 21-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault after an altercation at the city’s Mansion nightclub on Monday. She was released on bail pending further enquiries.

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President Barack Obama will attend a memorial service for those killed at Thursday’s mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Friday said a service will be scheduled at the convenience of the families who lost loved ones during one of the largest mass shooting on a military base. Gibbs says a service has not yet been scheduled and it would be planned around the families’ schedules, not the president’s.

Thirteen people were killed and 30 others injured in the shooting rampage at the Texas Army post on Thursday. The suspected shooter is an Army psychiatrist; his motive remains unclear.

Gibbs said that a memorial service is keeping Obama’s schedule next week in flux.

Obama is scheduled to leave for Asia on Wednesday but wants to attend a memorial before starting the 10-day trip. Gibbs says the White House would not rule out delaying the trip because of the service.

Obama Calls Fort Hood Shootings “Horrific Outburst Of Violence”, [Updated 11/06/09 at 12:30 p.m.]

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Thursday called a mass shooting at a Texas Army base “a horrific outburst of violence.”

“We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident,” the commander in chief said. “We are going to stay on this.”

He said it’s a tragedy to lose a soldier overseas and even more horrifying when they come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

The Army says 12 people were killed and more than 30 wounded at the Army base at Fort Hood, Texas.

Obama also said his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and families of the fallen.

Obama spoke late Thursday afternoon with Lt. Gen. Bob Cone, the commanding officer at Fort Hood, to express condolences and to offer any help Cone needs, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Obama was getting regular Oval Office updates on the shooting from his staff, led by his homeland security adviser, John Brennan.

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CHICAGO – A fourth teen is facing murder charges in the beating death of a Chicago high school honor student last month.

The 14-year-old’s name isn’t being released. He was charged Thursday as a juvenile and is expected to appear Friday before a juvenile court judge.

Three other teens have been indicted on murder charges in the Sept. 24 beating of Derrion Albert, which was caught on a cell phone camera.

Albert was a sophomore at Christian Fenger Academy High School. The camera footage shows him being hit with boards and kicked as he lay on a sidewalk. The beating was blamed on tensions between students.

Albert’s death and a rise in Chicago youth violence have attracted the attention of federal officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

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WASHINGTON — The unemployment rate has passed the psychological threshold of 10 percent for the first time since 1983 — and is likely to go higher.

Nearly 16 million people can’t find jobs even though the worst recession since the Great Depression has apparently ended. Persistently high unemployment could hurt the recovery by restraining consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy.

The report showed that the nation faces a jobless recovery — an economy that can’t create jobs even though it is growing.

The unemployed rate jumped to 10.2 percent last month, the highest since April 1983, from 9.8 percent in September, the Labor Department said Friday. The economy shed a net total of 190,000 jobs, more than economists had expected.

The number of unemployed hit 15.7 million, up from 15.1 million. The job losses occurred across most industries, from manufacturing and construction to retail and financial. The job-loss total is based on a survey of businesses, separate from a survey of households that produces the unemployment rate.

Economists say the unemployment rate could reach 10.5 percent next year because employers remain reluctant to hire.

“It’s a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done to get people back to work,” Christina Romer, head of President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press.

Some positive signs emerged in the data, Romer said, pointing to a 34,000 increase in temporary service jobs.

“That’s often the first sign of firms kind of dipping their toe back into hiring people,” she said.

Still, counting those who have settled for part-time jobs or stopped looking for work, the unemployment rate would be 17.5 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994.

“It’s not a good report,” said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist for New York-based investment firm Miller Tabak & Co. “What we’re seeing is a validation of the idea that a jobless recovery is perfectly on track.”

Friday’s report is the first since the government said last week that the economy grew at a 3.5 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter, the strongest signal yet that the economy is rebounding. But that isn’t fast enough to spur rapid hiring.

“You need explosive growth to take the unemployment rate down,” Greenhaus said in an interview Thursday.

The economy soared by nearly 8 percent in 1983 after a steep recession, Greenhaus said, lowering the jobless rate by 2.5 percentage points that year. But the economy is unlikely to improve that fast this time, as consumers remain cautious and tight credit hinders businesses. In fact, many analysts expect economic growth to moderate early next year, as the impact of various government stimulus programs aimed at home and car buying fade.

The stock market seesawed in early trading. The Dow Jones industrial average added about 4 points, while broader indexes were mixed.

High unemployment is likely to become a political liability for Obama and Democrats in Congress. Most economists expect the jobless rate will remain above 9 percent through next November, when congressional elections are held. When unemployment topped 10 percent in the fall of 1982, President Ronald Reagan’s Republican Party lost 26 seats in the House.

One sign of how hard it still is to find a job: The number of Americans who have been out of work for six months or longer rose to 5.6 million, a record. They account for 35.6 percent of the unemployed population, matching a record set last month.

Congress sought to address the impact of long-term unemployment this week by approving legislation extending jobless benefits for the fourth time since the recession began. The bill would add 14 to 20 extra weeks of aid and is intended to prevent almost 2 million recipients from running out of unemployment insurance during the upcoming holiday season. Obama is expected to quickly sign the legislation.

October was the 22nd straight month the U.S. economy has shed jobs, the longest on records dating back 70 years. The report showed job losses remain widespread across many industries. Manufacturers eliminated a net total of 61,000 jobs, the most in four months. Construction shed 62,000 jobs, down slightly from the previous month.

Retailers, the financial sector and leisure and hospitality companies all continued to reduce payrolls. The economy has lost a net total of 7.3 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007.

The average work week was unchanged at 33 hours, a disappointment because employers are expected to add more hours for current workers before they begin hiring new ones.

There were some bright spots in the report. Professional and business services companies added 18,000 jobs. And temporary employment grew by 33,700 jobs, after losing positions for months. That’s a positive sign because employers are likely to add temporary workers before hiring permanent ones.

Still, economists expect jobs likely will remain scarce even as the economy improves. Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, said that small businesses, a primary engine of job creation, still face tight credit and don’t have the cash reserves to support extra workers.

And many companies are squeezing more production from their existing work forces. Productivity, the amount of output per hour worked, jumped 9.5 percent in the third quarter, the Labor Department said Thursday.

That’s the sharpest increase in six years and followed a 6.9 percent rise in the second quarter. The increases enable companies to produce more without hiring extra people.

The Federal Reserve said earlier this week that it will keep a key interest rate at a record low level of nearly zero for an “extended period” to support the economy.

The central bank said economic activity has “continued to pick up,” but Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues warned that rising joblessness and tight credit could restrain the rebound in the months ahead.

While the unemployment rate hasn’t yet topped the post-World War II high of 10.8 percent set in December 1982, many experts say this recession is worse.

The work force, on average, is older now as the baby boomers have aged and fewer teenagers are out looking for work. Gary Burtless, an economist at the Brookings Institution, notes that older workers are more likely to be employed than younger ones. As a result, it takes a tougher job market to push the rate to 10 percent.

“This may be the toughest employment situation we’ve seen in the postwar era,” Mark Gertler, an economics professor at New York University, said in an interview earlier this week.

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From the NY Post:

The city’s first African-American mayor blasted the country’s first black president for leaving Bill Thompson in the dust in the mayor’s race this year.

“The president should’ve done more. He found time to go to Virginia, he found time to go to New Jersey and he should’ve been here,” said former Mayor David Dinkins, who was in office from 1990 through 1993.

He was referring to Obama’s stumping with New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, who lost to Republican Chris Christie this week, and Virginia Democrat Creigh Deeds, who lost the gubernatorial race to GOP candidate Bob McDonnell.

By comparison, the country’s first black president gave the most lukewarm of endorsements to Thompson, who lost to Mayor Bloomberg by a mere 5 points on Tuesday.

First, Obama’s spokesman told the press on a Friday afternoon that he would support Thompson, who sought to be the city’s second black mayor, because Thompson and he are both are both Democrats.

The spokesman went on to praise Bloomberg.

Click here to read more.

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