Deborah Hopkins assisting others in obtaining and regaining their quality of life by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-8810

Deborah Hopkins assisting others in obtaining and regaining their quality of life by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-8810




Deborah Hopkins

Deborah Hopkins, President/CEO, of Hopkins Consulting Service is a very powerful operator of home owners recovery. Mrs. Hopkins is a native of Philadelphia that is on the move to assist others in obtaining and regaining their quality of life. She has been a community activist for several years and strives for excellence in assisting the people in her community. Deborah is also a Christian woman and fellowships at the Church of the Redeemer Baptist in South Philadelphia under the leadership of Pastor Wayne E. Croft.

Ms. Hopkins is a mother of two wonderful sons, her best friend her mother Margaret and 3 grandchildren and a daughter-in-law that she loves unconditionally. Deborah is a board member of the Historical Christian Street YMCA, a board member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women as well as the co-chair for the Economic Development committee.

Deborah’s dream for Hopkins Consulting Service is to one day sit back and acknowledge her efforts through her extended education of the housing industry whereas each homeowner will know and exercise their rights as homeowners. For more information about homeowner security you may contact Hopkins by email at: wvsr1360@yahoo.com. Or phone (610) 931-8810.

Dozens Rally in Center City Phila. for Health Care Reform

Dozens Rally in Center City Phila. for Health Care Reform

by KYW's Mark Abrams

Health care reform was the subject of a small rally in "Love Park" in center city Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.

Barely 25 people gathered to try to make their voices heard in the health-care reform debate. Those who spoke through a small bullhorn carried stories of lost benefits and huge medical bills to care for loved ones.

Cathrine Poneros, of the Service Employees International Union, helped to organize the rally. She says Congress is tackling the issue and needs to address how to pay for health care:

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Hot Car by Day Care Worker in Bucks County

Toddler Dies After Being Left in Hot Car by Day Care Worker in Bucks County

by KYW's Brad Segall

Bucks County authorities continue to investigate the death of a two-year-old boy in Penndel, Pa., who died after the co-owner of a daycare center left the child in her minivan for several hours on Wednesday.

Bucks County district attorney Michelle Henry says that an autopsy shows the child died of hyperthermia (excessive heat). Temperatures outside were in the 80s, and the child was in the overheated car for more than six hours.

Henry says the child had been picked up at his home earlier in the day:

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Jurrjens, Braves shut down Phils, 11-1

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins
gets tangled up with Atlanta Braves' Martin Prado
after forcing him out at second base on a
Garret Anderson ground ball in the third inning
of a baseball game in Atlanta, Tuesday June 30, 2009.

ATLANTA Jair Jurrjens allowed his first hit with two outs in the seventh inning on a night the Atlanta Braves finally gave him some run support, beating the reeling Philadelphia Phillies 11-1 on Wednesday.

Jurrjens (6-6) began the night with the seventh-lowest run support in the majors, including only five runs in his last four losses. That lack of support ended as the Braves scored seven runs off Cole Hamels (4-5), who left the game after giving up three hits and a walk in the fifth.

Matt Diaz had a two-run homer and Diory Hernandez hit his first major league home run, each off Tyler Walker in the six-run fifth inning. Diaz had three hits.

Jurrjens' bid to become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Phillies since the Cardinals' Bob Forsch on April 16, 1978, ended with Paul Bako's single with two outs in the seventh.

Jurrjens gave up one hit and four walks and one unearned run in seven innings. He struck out six while combining with relievers Kris Medlen and Manny Acosta on a two-hitter.

The Braves have won three straight. They are still three games under .500 but trail the first-place Phillies by only three games in the NL East.

Philadelphia has lost 11 of 14, including the first two games at Atlanta, where the Phillies were 9-0 last season. The Phillies lead Florida by only a half game.

Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins was 0 for 3 with a walk. He has no hits in his last 27 at-bats and is hitting only .205.

Jurrjens, who was 0-4 in June despite posting a 3.68 ERA in five starts, won for the first time since May 29.

The Braves scored only 41 runs for Jurrjens in his first 16 starts before jumping on Hamels.

Martin Prado, who set career highs with four hits and four RBIs in a 5-4 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night, hit a two-run double in the Braves' three-run third inning. Chipper Jones then drove in Prado with a single. Jones drove in three runs with two hits.

The Phillies scored their only run off Jurrjens in the fourth. With one out, Jayson Werth walked and moved to third on Jurrjens' throwing error. Werth scored the unearned run on Greg Dobbs' flyball to left field.

Jones had a two-run double and Brian McCann added a run-scoring single in the fifth, ending Hamels' night. Hamels has failed to complete the fifth inning in two straight losses.

Hamels gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings. His ERA rose from 4.44 to 4.98. He was 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA in 2008.

The Braves added two runs in the eighth off Jack Taschner.

NOTES: Braves RHP Tim Hudson's first injury rehab assignment has been set for July 19 at Class A Myrtle Beach. Hudson is recovering from elbow ligament-replacement surgery on July 27, 2008. ... RHP Rodrigo Lopez will be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to pitch for the Phillies against the Mets on Friday night. The 33-year-old Lopez hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007, when he was 5-4 with Colorado.

Lawyer: Rowe deciding whether to seek custody

Lawyer: Rowe deciding whether to seek custody

FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 27, 2003 file picture, Michael Jackson thanks the audience during the Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Deborah Rowe, the ex-wife of Michael Jackson and the mother of two of his children, has not reached a final decision on whether to seek custody of the children, a lawyer said Thursday.

Attorney Eric M. George made the disclosure on a telephone conference call but declined to take questions.

"The truth is that Debbie has not reach a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings," he said. "When Debbie does take a position in the public forum of the court, those positions will of course be conveyed to all interested persons."

Earlier in the day, Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff rescheduled a guardianship hearing for July 13 at the request of attorneys for Rowe and for Katherine Jackson, the singer's mother, who has temporary guardianship of her son's three children.

The legal documents filed in connection with the request were not accompanied by any petition for custody by Rowe.

Earlier, KNBC in Los Angeles reported that Rowe intends to seek custody of Jackson's two oldest children and will seek a restraining order to keep Jackson's father Joe away from the children.

Rowe is the mother of Jackson's two oldest children, son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

The mother of the singer's youngest child, son Prince Michael II, 7, has never been revealed.

Another hearing will proceed as planned Monday on who will take temporary control of Jackson's estate.

Jackson's memorial service will be held Tuesday at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles - if that's what his mother wants.

Randy Phillips, chief executive for AEG Live, which owns Staples and was Jackson's promoter, said he met Thursday with Jackson's brother Randy.

Phillips was hopeful Katherine Jackson would make her decision later in the day. AEG already has been discussing logistics with city officials, he said.

A Jackson memorial would attract tens of thousands. AEG planned to issue tickets to Staples and provide a simulcast on big screens outside the arena, Phillips said.

Entry to Staples would be free, but Phillips was not sure yet how tickets would be distributed.

The discussions were held as the federal Drug Enforcement Administration joined the investigation into Jackson's death, and Jermaine Jackson said he would be "hurt" if toxicology reports showed his younger brother abused prescription drugs.

"In this business, the pressures and things that you go through, you never know what one turns to," Jermaine Jackson said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show.

The circumstances surrounding Jackson's death last week have become a federal issue, with the DEA asked to help police take a look at the pop star's doctors and possible drug use. Allegations have emerged that the 50-year-old entertainer had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants.

Asked if he would be shocked or surprised if Michael's drug use was proven, Jermaine Jackson said, "I would be hurt." He said he had heard about prescription drug use in the 1980s when his brother was hurt in an accident filming a commercial but did not know if drug use was a possibility more recently.

"I don't know about these things, because I hate anything with drugs," he said, adding that it hurts the family for people to say things about drug use "because we don't know."

The Los Angeles Police Department asked the DEA to help in the probe, a law enforcement official in Washington told the AP on condition of anonymity because of the investigation's sensitivity.

On the legal front, a person familiar with the details of the Michael Jackson Family Trust said it would be shared between his mother, who gets 40 percent, his three children, who get 40 percent, and charities for children, which would receive 20 percent. The charities will be determined later by the trust.

The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, said there were no competing wills.

Since Jackson's death, Sony Music has been deluged with requests for record rereleases, while fans have also been clamoring for copies of "Moon Walk," Jackson's 1988 autobiography.

New copies of the out-of-print book were being offered on Amazon.com for as much as $2,100 for a signed copy.

Jackson's 7-year-old will was filed in a Los Angeles court, giving his entire estate to the trust and naming his 79-year-old mother and his three children as beneficiaries. The will also estimates the value of his estate at more than $500 million.

The will doesn't name father Joe Jackson to any position of authority in administering the estate. Also shut out is Rowe.

Jackson owned a 50 percent stake in the massive Sony-ATV Music Publishing Catalog, which includes music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers.

Los Angeles police under scrutiny in Jackson death

Los Angeles police under scrutiny in Jackson death

The rented home of Michael Jackson seen from the air, Monday, June 29, 2009, in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles. Jackson died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at this rented home in Holmby Hills.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The investigation of Michael Jackson's death is widening as questions intensify about the drugs he took, the doctors who provided them and the actions of police.

Why didn't police seal the mansion where he had been living? Why didn't they get immediate search warrants? Why did they tow away a doctor's car right after the death but not declare the home a crime scene? And why was Jackson's sister Janet allowed to move possessions out of the mansion two days after the death, before police searched it?

Los Angeles police say proper procedures were followed based on the circumstances officers encountered when they were called to the home at 12:21 p.m. on June 25. A doctor was attending to Jackson and stayed with him when he was placed in an ambulance at 1:07 p.m. There was no sign of foul play.

Others say police should have assumed it was possible a crime occurred and taken precautions to ensure the scene was not disrupted so evidence wasn't lost or tainted.

"If I was the chief detective on the case, I would have said, 'We don't know what's going on. We should seal the scene,'" said defense attorney Harland Braun, who has represented celebrities including Robert Blake, Roseanne and Gary Busey. "You always have to think of the worst-case scenario and you have to think fast. I would have sealed the scene just because it was Michael Jackson."

Whether the Jackson probe turns into a criminal investigation hinges on what evidence emerges involving the drugs. Charges could be brought if authorities determine Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, if he had been given drugs inappropriate for his medical needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.

It's still not known what caused Jackson's death at age 50. The pop star went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom and his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, performed CPR while an ambulance was called, according to Murray's lawyers. Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect, though his actions have come under scrutiny because his own lawyers acknowledge it may have taken up to a half-hour for an ambulance to be summoned.

An autopsy was conducted but results are not expected for several weeks. The Jackson family had a second autopsy performed and those results also are pending.

On Wednesday, The Associated Press learned Los Angeles police asked the Drug Enforcement Administration to assist in the investigation.

DEA agents participated in the investigation of the 2007 overdose death of Anna Nicole Smith at a Florida hotel. California Attorney General Jerry Brown charged her former boyfriend and two of her doctors in March with conspiring to provide Smith with prescription drugs. Brown said they broke the law because Smith was a "known addict." They deny the charges.

The DEA also probed whether painkillers found in actor Heath Ledger's system after his death last year were obtained illegally. Federal prosecutors did not charge anyone.

Jean Rosenbluth, a University of Southern California law professor, said the agency's involvement in the Jackson case suggests authorities are looking into whether drugs came from out of state. Murray lives in Las Vegas and is licensed to practice in Texas, Nevada and California.

Federal drug regulations include controls over whether and how frequently a doctor can write prescriptions over the phone, and DEA agents could be looking to see if these rules were broken, Rosenbluth said.

"You can't just get on the phone and continue to prescribe something for someone without having seen them for a long period of time," she said.

Jackson had a well-known history of using prescription medications, especially painkillers. Following his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who had worked for Jackson, told the AP she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug Diprivan, also known as Propofol. It's a potent anesthetic used in operating rooms and it would be highly unusual to have it in a private home.

Uri Geller, a former Jackson confidant, said he tried to keep Jackson from abusing painkillers and other prescription drugs, but others in the singer's circle kept him supplied.

"When Michael asked for something, he got it," Geller said in a telephone interview from his suburban London home.

Jackson had multiple doctors and many others like Geller who came in and out of his life. Which people are being interviewed by police is unclear because the LAPD has said virtually nothing about the probe.

"I am not going to make any comments on the investigation," Commander Patrick Gannon, the designated police spokesman on the Jackson case, said by e-mail Thursday.

Any evidence would be turned over to the district attorney's office, which has final say on criminal charges.

One of the key questions is why it took four days for police to issue a search warrant and remove medications from Jackson's home. In the meantime, several people, including Janet Jackson, removed unknown items from the home.

Although the home wasn't declared a crime scene, police did tow Murray's car the evening of the death to look for potential evidence.

Vernon J. Geberth, former commanding officer of the Bronx Homicide Task force in New York, said police should have known they were dealing with an extraordinary situation.

"If it's a high-profile person, you have to do more than you would do ordinarily," he said.

Still, Geberth, who now acts as a private forensic consultant, said he believes the LAPD acted appropriately.

"Having a doctor present altered the equation. It was not a homicide scene. It was an emergency medical scene," he said.

Rosenbluth said if the case ends up as a criminal prosecution, any defense attorney would seize on the LAPD's failure to immediately seal Jackson's home.

"If you can get even one juror think, I don't know, maybe somebody fiddled with the medicine before the police came in and collected it, that's reasonable doubt," she said. "All that the defense attorney needs is one juror."

Marines suffer first casualties in Afghan campaign

Marines suffer first casualties in Afghan campaign

U.S. Marines from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 1st Battalion 5th Marines move in formation through farm fields after landing by helicopter in an overnight night air assault near the Taliban stronghold of Nawa in Afghanistan's Helmand province Thursday July 2, 2009. Thousands of U.S. Marines poured from helicopters and armored vehicles into Taliban-controlled villages of southern Afghanistan Thursday in the first major operation under President Barack Obama's strategy to stabilize the country.

NAWA, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Marines suffered their first casualties of a massive new military campaign Thursday as they engaged in sporadic gunbattles along 55 miles of Taliban-controlled heartland in southern Afghanistan.

One Marine was killed and several others were injured or wounded on the first full day of the assault, the largest military operation in Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban government in 2001.

The offensive will test the Obama administration's new strategy of holding territory and letting the Afghan government sink roots in Helmand province. The insurgency has proven particularly resilient in this area, where foreign troops have never before operated in such large numbers.

President Barack Obama told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that he has a "very narrow definition of success when it comes to our national security interests" in the region. "And that is that al-Qaida and its affiliates cannot set up safe havens from which to attack Americans."

"I think we can measure it by whether or not they've got training camps where people are coming in and getting trained in explosives, being sent out and directed in carrying out terrorist activity," Obama said in Washington.

An immediate goal, the military says, is to clear away insurgents before the nation's Aug. 20 presidential election. Southern Afghanistan is a Taliban stronghold but also a region where Afghan President Hamid Karzai is seeking votes from fellow Pashtun tribesmen. Without such a large Marine assault, the Afghan government would likely not be able to set up voting booths to which citizens could safely travel.

The Pentagon is deploying 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in time for the elections and expects the total number of U.S. forces there to reach 68,000 by year's end. That is double the number of troops in Afghanistan in 2008 but still half as many as are now in Iraq.

Even bigger challenges, perhaps, will come in the weeks and months after the Marines have established their presence here.

The U.S. will have an opportunity to help develop alternate livelihoods for farmers whose opium poppy crops bankroll the Taliban. Helmand province is the world's largest opium poppy-producing area.

Obama told the AP he wants to help ensure that Afghans "are benefiting from development and improved agricultural systems and education systems and health care systems."

He also said Washington and its allies must build up the Afghan national army and police and help Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan secure their common border.

"The benchmarks of success that we've laid out are: Are we building an Afghan national army and police structure that can secure itself without the assistance of NATO forces or U.S. forces? Is Pakistan able to maintain its borders so that al-Qaida or affiliates aren't operating there?" Obama said.

Pakistan's army said Thursday it had moved troops from elsewhere on its side of the Afghan border to the stretch opposite Helmand to try to stop any militants from fleeing the offensive. Helmand's strategic setting will give the U.S. an opportunity to interdict fighters coming from Pakistan

Elsewhere, the U.S. military announced that insurgents were believed to have captured an American soldier in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday. The missing soldier was not involved in Operation Khanjar, or "Strike of the Sword," under way in southern Afghanistan.

The southern offensive was launched shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday as thousands of Marines poured from helicopters and armored vehicles into villages along the Helmand River. Officials described the offensive, involving almost 4,000 newly arrived Marines and more than 600 Afghan security forces, as the largest and fastest-moving of the war's new phase.

The troops fanned out into the districts of Nawa and Garmser in central Helmand and up to 55 miles south in the vicinity of Khan Neshin, the capital of Rig district, according to the military.

Last summer, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit took the Garmser town and helped provide security for an area U.S. commanders say is now relatively secure. The U.S. would now like to replicate that success elsewhere in the province.

In Nawa village, Marines took militants by surprise by dropping behind Taliban lines, said Capt. Drew Schoenmaker, 31, of Greene, N.Y.

"We are kind of forging new ground here. We are going to a place nobody has been before," said Schoenmaker, who commands Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

At 3 a.m., several hundred Marines took positions in a freshly plowed dirt field around Nawa. The soft, deep dirt proved challenging for troops weighed down with days' worth of water, food and gear. Many frequently stumbled.

At daybreak the Marines walked along tree lines, and at 6:15 a.m. the company took its first incoming fire, likely from an AK-47 along a tree line. The next three hours brought repeated bursts of gunfire and volleys of rocket-propelled grenades, sending deep booms across the countryside.

A small force of Afghan soldiers accompanying the Camp Pendleton-based Marines got into several scraps with an insurgent force of about 20 fighters firing from a mud-brick compound.

The Marines, the Afghan soldiers and their British advisers surrounded the compound from the east and the south.

Before the mission, Schoenmaker, the company commander, said he would practice "tactical patience" as a way to avoid civilian casualties - an issue newly arrived Gen. Stanley McChrystal has underscored in recent weeks. Although troops in many similar circumstances have called in airstrikes on militant-controlled compounds, Schoenmaker did not.

"We made the decision to isolate the compound and not destroy it because we couldn't confirm if civilians were inside," he said. The militants were believed to have escaped out the back.

A Cobra helicopter circling overhead for most of the day fired rockets at a tree line nearby. Other Marines walked through fields of corn and hay. Only a handful of villagers dared to venture outside in the area of crisscrossing canals, mud houses and lush tree-lined fields.

The military said it had no confirmed reports of civilian casualties or damage to property and pointed out that it did not use artillery or other indirect fire. No bombs were dropped from aircraft, it said. There was no information about casualties among militant fighters.

Helmand's temperatures of well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit proved to be another enemy for the Marines. Because the troops were on foot, they had to carry all their own water and food. Forward observers and snipers spent the entire day under the cloudless sky.

"It's like when you open up the oven when you're cooking a pizza and you want to see if it's done, you get that blast of hot air. That's how it feels the whole time," said Lance Corp. Charlie Duggan Jr., 21, of Baldwinsville, N.Y.

But the Marines trained for months in the heat of the Mojave desert for the deployment, and many appeared happy to be here.

At one point, some 50 Marines were relaxing in an abandoned and dilapidated mud brick compound, their dusty-brown uniforms stained with perspiration. Someone spotted an Afghan male who appeared to be observing them from a nearby road.

The Marines quickly threw on their flak jackets and Kevlar helmets.

"It sucks, but it's what you've been training for your whole life," Lt. Chris Wilson, 25, of Ramsey, N.J., said with a smile as he held a radio with an eight-foot antenna. Thursday was Wilson's first mission into a combat zone.

House Adopts Resolution Honoring Group That Unites Police And Residents; State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson D-Philadelphia www.pahouse.com/johnson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

House Adopts Resolution Honoring Group That Unites Police And Residents; State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson D-Philadelphia www.pahouse.com/johnson



State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, D-Phila., is shown here
with the 17th District Imperial Dance Squad.
He introduced a resolution to honor the squad,
formed by two Philadelphia police officers in an effort
to unite police officers and young adults in a positive
manner to build relationships.

HARRISBURG, June 30 – The state House today adopted a resolution (H.R. 346) authored by state Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, D-Phila., honoring the 17th District Imperial Dance Squad for their dedication to the community of South Philadelphia and their efforts to strengthen the bonds of trust between the Philadelphia Police Department and South Philadelphia residents.

"Over the years, the relationship between Philadelphia police officers and young people has deteriorated and trust has been lost," Johnson said. "The 17th District Imperial Dance Squad is helping to build up this trust again so the two groups, youths and police, can interact positively in our city."



State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, D-Phila., introduces
a resolution to honor the 17th District Imperial Dance Squad,
formed by two Philadelphia police officers in an effort
to unite police officers and young adults in a positive
manner to build relationships.

Two Philadelphia police officers, Sharon Bailey and Frank Holmes, developed the dance team in an effort to unite police officers and young adults in a positive manner to build relationships. The group, comprised of 21 dancers, has performed at numerous events throughout South Philadelphia, most notably during a Philadelphia 76ers game where they raised funds for the Philadelphia Police Department's Fallen Officer Fund.

The Unspoken Rule by Mary A. Jones MAJones777@gmail.com

The Unspoken Rule by Mary A. Jones MAJones777@gmail.com

Point ‘N Click Technology’s Online Tech Lab

From the "Pen of a Ready Writer"

MAJones



Mary Jones

Greetings everyone! It’s good to be back in the office. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t offline it’s just that we were involved in some other online activities. But we’re back now. Well, let us get started. Today I want to show you about the distribution list in Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Before I do that, I want to share with you something about distribution lists. In everything that goes on when you interact with other people there are two things that crop up. They crop up openly or they are the unspoken rule. They are protocol and etiquette. When you think of protocol you might think of the order in which things are done or the chain of command, or, a policy and a procedure for whatever. It’s funny when you think of some things that deal with etiquette. Things that are never spoken of, but pretty much may still be known. Case in point. Someone sends you an email and they don’t hide everyone’s email address. In other words they don’t send it as a blind carbon copy (bcc). The unspoken rule is because you want to have as many email addresses as possible to send your STUFF to, it is not “email etiquette” to just send them an email of what you want them to have. My friends, for the most part are not your friends and your friends may not like me sending them an email because they do not know me and you are my friend. But now protocol would say that you ask your friend if you could send an email to his or her friends. Let your friend know what kind of material you will be sending. You could send an email to your friends introducing one another or send the addresses of friends to your buddy. That’s the “protocol” of “email etiquette”.

Well, that seemed intense. Did you do that? Okay, back to the lesson. Again, I want to show you about the distribution list in Microsoft Outlook 2007. Below is a caption of the main menu and the tool bar of the distribution window.

Well, that seemed intense. Did you do that? Okay, back to the lesson. Again, I want to show you about the distribution list in Microsoft Outlook 2007. Below is a caption of the main menu and the tool bar of the distribution window.

To get to this window you want to click on your address book in Outlook. Once you have done that it brings up the window “Address Book: Contacts”. In this window click file and then new entry. This will open the “New Entry” window. Now you have the option to choose new entry or new distribution list. Choose new distribution list. Once you have chosen that the “Untitled – Distribution List” window, shown above, will open. In the text box labeled name you will type what you want the distribution list to be called. Make it meaningful to you. Now! You have two ways to enter in the addresses for your list. The first is when you do not have this address in the address book.

Click “Add New” from the tool bar, and then type in the information that is available. Remember to click the check box that reads “add to contacts”. This will put this address in your distribution list and in your address book at the same time. Once this is done click okay.

The second way is to add addresses that are already in your address book. On the tool bar click “Select Members”. Your address book will open and you can click on the name and click member. Once you have selected all of the members you can now click ok. Your distribution list is complete. Go back to the tool bar and click the icon that reads “Save & Close”. The new list is now in the address book.

Well our session is over for today. Thank you for coming. Oh, I forgot to tell you. When you make changes to your address book through the distribution list window remember to click the icon “Update Now”. This will update everything in your address book and the distribution list. Take care!

Reverend Mary A. Jones

MAJones777@gmail.com

Bloom & Nutter Support Programs/S. 40th St. Bridge; Rendell Declare Martial Law by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-8810

Bloom & Nutter Support Programs/S. 40th St. Bridge; Rendell Declare Martial Law
by Van Stone vspfoundation@yahoo.com (610) 931-8810


Above: The Latest West Phila., E. Parkside Mural, adjacent to the historical
S. 40th St. Bridge, between Popular St. and Pennsgrove St.
Mrs. Alice Wright (center) provides a free summer camp weekdays to
support University City and Parkside areas kids. L to R are community organizers
Darryl Nutter, James Sullivan, and Warren Bloom. The It Kid "Baby Face"
Dakota Stone is in the middle. Phone (215) 662-1612, x. 13 for camp.

Alice Wright, of West Philly section called East Parkside, has been serving children and youth for over 25 years. Wright, a block captain, is the founder of the City of Philadelphia United Block Captains Association Hospital. She commands a well organized operation mainly from the 3900 block of Pennsgrove Street or what’s known as the South 40th Street Bridge Heavenly Hall. Often times you may find Mrs. Alice strategizing by asking neighbors to remove all trash, put lids on trash cans, clean up sidewalks, watch out for lethal hazards, and ensure that kids have a safe place to play. She is even on the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee, operated by the city Streets Department’s Sanitation Division. Meanwhile, Mrs. Alice depends on the committee to help combat neighborhood pollution with organized block cleanings and beautification. Still, she faces trouble. The 2 closed bridges are harmful to the environment. They are community eyesores. They have been easy walkways to the trafficking of drugs and to gun violence.

The South 40th Street and South 41st Street Bridges are trail and highway arteries that run through University City areas to West and East Parkside areas that help improve economic, physical, and social development. The bridge allows traffic from urban and suburban neighborhoods to intercultural sites such as the Philadelphia Zoo to the colleges and Universities such as Philadelphia Community College, University of Penn and Drexel University campus. Both bridges, which are over the Schuylkill River and train tracks, have been closed for at least 10 years. This has drawn out the attention of Warren Bloom, Brooklyn Street Block Captain, and Darryl Nutter, Block Captain supporter to assist Mrs. Wright.

Almost instantly since the South 40th Street Bridge was cut off, Mrs. Alice became a general of now numbering 200 city block captains who became involved in a number of community projects. Some projects range from her “Summer Fun Program,” youth camp to starting a community vegetable garden intended to provide free fresh produce for seniors. Again this summer, the youth will meet on the lot at 40th and Pennsgrove Street each day from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The camp serves children age 8 to 16. The free camp starts on Monday, July 6. And Mrs. Alice makes sure that the kids have fun by providing trips, cultural events and swimming opportunities. Today, Mrs. Alice needs more volunteers.

Warren Bloom and Darryl Nutter, experienced community leaders themselves, are interested in helping Mrs. Wright to gather new volunteers. Bloom and Nutter also want to push the improvements of the “UBCAH” growth by seeking support that the S. 40th St. and S. 41st St. Bridges are open once again. Both Nutter and Bloom agree that tours, exploring, and biking are a loss if the bridges are not open for the camp and University City and Parkside area businesses. Bloom and Nutter would like to help keep Mrs. Wright’s goals alive with a remarkable neighborhood recovery by assisting visitors to get across a repaired bridge. Bloom is especially interested in biking across both bridges so that people can see historic places and have an access to the river, trails, and year-round festivals and activities. Bloom wants to help reclaim the future of the bridge and the area.

Speaking of reclaiming things, Harrisburg residents are seeking to get back their city.
While hundreds of residents came together at the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center the evening of Thursday, June 25, to work on solutions to the recent wave of shootings in the city, NAACP Harrisburg Chapter President Stanley Lawson called on Governor Rendell to bring in the state National Guard. Lawson asked for at least 30 days and to impose a curfew in Harrisburg neighborhoods. The NAACP called for the imposition of martial law in the community for its own good. Martial law is a system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice, normally in times of emergency by a show of force. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell responded to Lawson's call for the suspension of civil liberties and the imposition of martial law on the community almost simultaneously by committing the Pennsylvania State Police to patrol the streets of Harrisburg.

Unveiling of President Lincoln Statue Takes Place Thursday

Unveiling of President Lincoln Statue Takes Place Thursday

by KYW's John Ostapkovich

Running parallel to Welcome America events are Lincoln 200 festivities which begin on Thursday night with the unveiling of a statue.

When they say Land of Lincoln, they're usually not talking about Independence Mall but from Thursday evening through 6pm on Sunday, they'd be wrong. Lincoln 200 co-founder Mary Hagy says our 16th President visited Philadelphia more than any other city, beginning in 1848 when he was a Congressman attending a meeting at the Chinese Museum. That connection got the Chinese government to spring for a statue:

"The Day Before the Decisive Battle is an artistic interpretation of Abraham Lincoln unlike any you have seen in this city and perhaps in the country. We will be working with the City and the Chinese community to determine its final placement in the city."

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Unveiling of President Lincoln Statue Takes Place Thursday

Unveiling of President Lincoln Statue Takes Place Thursday

by KYW's John Ostapkovich

Running parallel to Welcome America events are Lincoln 200 festivities which begin on Thursday night with the unveiling of a statue.

When they say Land of Lincoln, they're usually not talking about Independence Mall but from Thursday evening through 6pm on Sunday, they'd be wrong. Lincoln 200 co-founder Mary Hagy says our 16th President visited Philadelphia more than any other city, beginning in 1848 when he was a Congressman attending a meeting at the Chinese Museum. That connection got the Chinese government to spring for a statue:

"The Day Before the Decisive Battle is an artistic interpretation of Abraham Lincoln unlike any you have seen in this city and perhaps in the country. We will be working with the City and the Chinese community to determine its final placement in the city."

Area Man Creates Localized Web Site for Philadelphia Jobs

Area Man Creates Localized Web Site for Philadelphia Jobs

by KYW's Michelle Durham

A Philadelphia area man -- who was pounding the pavement earlier this year looking for a job -- has developed a web site that might make the process easier for others around the Delaware Valley.

James Oley is president of Philly Job Fest:

"Employers or recruiters can go and post any open positions they have or access the résumé database, and job seekers can go upload their résumé or create a résumé on the web site, and search for and apply to jobs."

The site is free to those looking for a job; businesses who post jobs pay fees.

For full story go to:http://www.kyw1060.com/

Both Sides Trade Barbs Over Pa. Budget

Both Sides Trade Barbs Over Pa. Budget

by KYW's Tony Romeo

Pennsylvania on Wednesday begins the first of what may be many days of the new fiscal year without a budget.

Republicans and Democrats, deeply divided over Governor Rendell’s proposal to raise the income tax, spent much of the last day of the old fiscal year posturing.

For example, the argument continued over the governor’s contention that spending cuts proposed by Republicans would force the layoff of up to 800 state troopers.

For full story go to: http://www.kyw1060.com/

Sports At Phila. Front Page News; Braves edge Phillies in 10th

Sports At Phila. Front Page News; Braves edge Phillies in 10th

Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones reacts
after injuring himself while batting
in the third inning. Jones remained in the game.

ATLANTA - Martin Prado's 10th-inning single triggered a celebration on the field, and was only part of his terrific night.

Prado drove in the winning run to finish with a career-best four hits and four RBIs, helping the Atlanta Braves beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Tuesday for their first home win over the Phillies since 2007. Prado won more than the game. He also earned at least a temporary promotion from his status as a utility player.

When asked if Prado was his starting second baseman, manager Bobby Cox said: "Right now, yes."

"He's too hot to take out unless his groin flares up," Cox said, referring to Prado's nagging injury. "Yeah, we'll keep him in there for a little while."

Kelly Johnson, who had the full-time job after Omar Infante broke a bone in his hand in May, is hitting only .216. Prado is batting .299, including .354 (23 for 65) in June.

"Every time he's in there he does something really good," Cox said of Prado.

Despite his strong month, Prado said his season "had been very tough."

"This is the first night I've felt comfortable at home plate in a long time," he said, adding he has struggled to find his stroke as a part-time player.

"I wish I could have the same feeling every day," he said. "But it's hard for me because I play once in a while, maybe."

Gregor Blanco had three hits and scored twice for Atlanta, which went 0-9 against the Phillies at Turner Field last year.

"The top of their order did us in," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, referring to Blanco and Prado. "They were on base (eight) times. They got some good hitting. They got us tonight."

Matt Diaz started the winning rally with a one-out single off Chan Ho Park (3-2). He moved to third on Blanco's single to left and Prado followed with a liner over left fielder John Mayberry Jr.

The NL East-leading Phillies have lost 10 of 13.

"We weren't used to getting beat late last year," Manuel said after the Phillies fell to 6-5 in extra-inning games.

Peter Moylan (2-2) recorded two outs to get the win. He was on the mound when third baseman Chipper Jones started a double play with a diving stop of Jayson Werth's grounder in the 10th.

The Phillies took a 4-3 lead in the eighth when Mayberry and Pedro Feliz hit back-to-back homers off Mike Gonzalez.

Atlanta rallied in the bottom half.

Blanco, a late addition to the lineup when Nate McLouth was held out with a sore hamstring, walked with two outs and moved to second on Ryan Madson's wild pickoff throw.

Prado followed with a double into the right-field corner. Prado moved to third when Werth bobbled the ball for the Phillies' third error, matching their season high.

Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins was 0-for-5 in his return after being held out four straight games. Rollins, who has a career .274 batting average, has no hits in his last 24 at-bats and is hitting only .207.

Braves fans mocked Rollins by chanting "2-0-8!" during his final at-bat.

Derek Lowe, who had lost three straight starts, gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings for Atlanta. He remained in the game after being hit on his backside by Shane Victorino's liner in the fifth.

Lowe threw out Victorino before leaning over in pain.

Cox and teammates surrounded Lowe near the mound, and Jones couldn't hold back a laugh with Lowe's bottom attracting so much attention. Lowe then surrendered Chase Utley's homer to give the Phillies a 2-1 lead.

Joe Blanton gave up three runs and eight hits in five innings for Philadelphia.

After Prado's homer in the bottom of the fifth tied it, the Braves loaded the bases on singles by Jones and Garret Anderson and a walk to Casey Kotchman. Jeff Francoeur's groundout gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead.

Lowe struck out pinch-hitter Chris Coste to strand runners on second and third in the sixth.

The Braves have won five of seven against the Phillies this season. The first six games of the season series were played in Philadelphia.

NOTES: Braves SS Yunel Escobar (hip flexor) missed his fourth straight start. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the ninth. ... The Phillies placed LHP Antonio Bastardo on the 15-day disabled list with a strained shoulder and recalled LHP Sergio Escalona from triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... LHP J.A. Happ will start Thursday against the Braves. ... Anderson had one hit on his 37th birthday.

Orioles rally for stunning 11-10 win over Boston

Orioles rally for stunning 11-10 win over Boston

Boston Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis (20) celebrates his two-run home run with Julio Lugo, right, against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 30, 2009, in Baltimore.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Nick Markakis hit a two-run double off Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon to complete the biggest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history, an 11-10 win Tuesday night before a mixture of delirious hometown fans and stunned Red Sox backers.

Baltimore trailed 10-1 before scoring five runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth. The rally was even more shocking because it came against a Boston team that had defeated the Orioles eight straight times, including five this season.

Up by nine runs in the seventh, the Red Sox probably figured the only lamentable aspect of the night was that John Smoltz wouldn't get his long-awaited 211th victory because of a lengthy rain delay.

Boston had no idea how bad it would get.

Previously, the biggest comeback in Orioles history was Sept. 2, 1956, when Baltimore rallied from an eight-run deficit at Boston.

Mark Hendrickson (3-4) gave up one run in three innings and George Sherrill got three outs for his 17th save.

Takashi Saito (2-1) took the loss and Papelbon was charged with his second blown save, one night after he tied Bob Stanley's career record for saves with Boston.

Baltimore used seven hits in the seventh inning, including a three-run homer by pinch-hitter Oscar Salazar, to cut a 10-1 deficit to 10-6.

In the eighth, Ty Wigginton hit a sacrifice fly and Brian Roberts delivered an RBI single before Papelbon entered. The right-hander struck out Felix Pie before Markakis hit a double into the gap.

It had been 438 days since the 42-year-old Smoltz won a game, and it appeared certain the right-hander would end the drought when Boston took a 9-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth. But a fierce storm forced the game to be stopped for 71 minutes.

Thus ended Smoltz's second start with Boston after a 20-year run with the Atlanta Braves. Five days earlier, he gave up five runs over five innings in a loss to Washington.

Smoltz signed with the Red Sox in January after a brutal 2008 season in which he was placed on the disabled list three times and underwent shoulder surgery in June. His last win was on April 17, 2008, at Florida.

Smoltz allowed one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out two.

Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury homered for the Red Sox, and Dustin Pedroia had three RBIs.

Before Boston blew its lead, it made a far less lamentable mistake. In the sixth inning, Boston's infielders joined pitcher Justin Masterson in walking off the field with two outs in the sixth inning.

Thinking Pie's grounder to shortstop was the third out, Masterson walked toward the Boston dugout and was followed by his infielders. All of them sheepishly returned after realizing their gaffe.

NOTES: Orioles CF Adam Jones ran into the wall trying to catch Youkilis' homer. He stayed in the game but was ultimately replaced by Pie in the third inning. ... The Red Sox placed 3B Mike Lowell on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Jeff Bailey from Triple-A Pawtucket. Bailey batted ninth and went 3 for 4 and scored three runs.

Sports At Phila. Front Page News; Federer beats Karlovic to reach Wimbledon semis

Sports At Phila. Front age News; Federer beats Karlovic to reach Wimbledon semis

Roger Federer of Switzerland plays a return to Ivo Karlovic of Croatia during their quarterfinal match on centre court at Wimbledon, Wednesday, July 1, 2009.

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Roger Federer has reached his 21st consecutive Grand Slam semifinal by beating Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (3) at Wimbledon.

Federer used brilliant returns to break the hard-serving Karlovic once in each of the first two sets Wednesday and took advantage of the Croat's poor net play in the tiebreaker. The Swiss star set up four match points with a backhand pass and converted the second with a forehand winner.

Federer never faced a break point against the 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Croat. Karlovic had not lost serve once in his first four matches at Wimbledon.

Federer is looking for his sixth Wimbledon championship and record 15th Grand Slam title.

Also on Centre Court today, No. 3 Andy Murray of Britain goes against Spanish wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero.

On Court 1, No. 4 Novak Djokovic is to face Tommy Haas, with two-time finalist Andy Roddick paired against 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt.

Wimbledon could be headed for another all-Williams final. Then again, it could be an all-Russian matchup.

The Williams sisters are one round away from another Grand Slam championship showdown, but they will first have to get past Russian opponents to set up their eighth meeting in a major final and fourth in the Wimbledon title match.

"I would love it to be a Williams final, and so would she," five-time champion Venus said, referring to younger sister and two-time winner Serena. "That would be great."

Third-seeded Venus, going for her third straight Wimbledon championship, will be up against No. 1 Dinara Safina in Thursday's semifinals. Serena, seeded No. 2, will face No. 4 Elena Dementieva.

The Williams siblings go in as solid favorites. They have put on a clinic of power tennis so far, showing why they have been the dominant force at the All England Club for most of the decade.

"Do I feel invincible?" Venus said after blasting Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 in Tuesday's quarterfinals. "I'd like to say yes, but I really do work at it."

Only once in the past nine years has there been a Wimbledon women's final that didn't feature at least one of the Williams sisters.

They have faced each other in three Wimbledon finals, including last year. Serena won the first two, in 2002 and '03. They are 10-10 in career meetings and have played in seven Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning five.

"Serena and I work really hard - that's the first point," Venus said. "And second, if it was so easy, we'd win everything. But it's not that easy. We still are definitely the front-runners in tennis as far as being some of the best players out there."

The women had the day off Wednesday, which was set aside for the men's quarterfinals.

The Williams sisters have sailed through the draw so far without dropping a set. Venus has lost only 20 games in five matches, Serena 25.

"We have a great game," Serena said after beating Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 Tuesday. "We have strong serves. I think we have pretty good returns. Just solid all-around court players. I think we both move pretty well. I think that's a pretty solid game."

Venus said the sisters thrive at Wimbledon not only because of their attacking, punishing styles.

"I do have strategy," she said. "Maybe it doesn't look like it but I do. I think that's my secret weapon, that it doesn't look like I'm thinking, but I am."

Venus has shown no letup in her aggressive style despite wearing a bandage on her left leg. She has been reluctant to discuss whether she has a knee problem.

"I'm doing well, thank you," she said after Tuesday's match.

One person who is convinced the sisters will meet for the title on Saturday is their father, Richard.

"I think they are both playing super well," he said. "They're playing 'The Williams Way.' And when you're playing 'The Williams Way,' it's very difficult for anyone to touch you."

Williams has a 2-1 career edge over Safina, though the Russian won their last meeting in three sets on clay at the Italian Open in May.

"I know what she's doing," Safina said. "I know her weapons. I have my weapons. ... If I play my best, and she plays the best, it's 50-50 who's going to win the match."

Safina, who has lost in three Grand Slam finals and never won a major, will have to keep her serve in the court if she has any chance of beating Williams. Safina had 15 double-faults - including three in a row in one game - before finishing off Sabine Lisicki 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1.

"Sometimes even I don't know what I'm doing with my serve," Safina said.

Serena is 5-3 against Dementieva. They met at Wimbledon in the fourth round in 2002, with Serena winning 6-2, 6-2.

"I don't remember that," Williams said. "I'm going to YouTube it, though."

Dementieva lost to Venus in last year's Wimbledon semifinals. Now playing in her 43rd Grand Slam tournament, the 27-year-old Russian hasn't dropped a set so far.

"This time I'm going to play a different player and it's going to be all new," Dementieva said. "I just want to see how tough I can be out there against her, just looking for some good fight."

AP Exclusive: Insomniac Jackson begged for drug

AP Exclusive: Insomniac Jackson begged for drug

Nutritionist Cherilyn Lee, who worked with Michael Jackson, poses for photos after an interview in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, June 29, 2009.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said Tuesday that she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug, Diprivan, which is given intravenously.

But a frantic phone call she received from Jackson four days before his death made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep, Lee said.

While in Florida on June 21, Lee was contacted by a member of Jackson's staff.

"He called and was very frantic and said, `Michael needs to see you right away.' I said, 'What's wrong?' And I could hear Michael in the background ..., 'One side of my body is hot, it's hot, and one side of my body is cold. It's very cold,'" Lee said.

"I said, `Tell him he needs to go the hospital. I don't know what's going on, but he needs to go to the hospital ... right away."

"At that point, I knew that somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system," she said, adding, "He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out."

Jackson did not go to the hospital. He died June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest, his family said. Autopsies have been conducted, but an official cause of death is not expected for several weeks.

"I don't know what happened there. The only thing I can say is he was adamant about this drug," Lee said.

Following Jackson's death, allegations emerged that the 50-year-old King of Pop had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. But Lee said she encountered a man tortured by sleep deprivation and one who expressed opposition to recreational drug use.

"He wasn't looking to get high or feel good and sedated from drugs," she said. "This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest."

Jackson was rehearsing hard for what would have been his big comeback - his "This Is It" tour, a series of performances that would have strained his aging dancer's body. Also, pain had been a part of his life since 1984, when his scalp was severely burned during a Pepsi commercial shoot.

"The Incredible Hulk" star Lou Ferrigno, who's been working out with Jackson for the past several months, said Jackson was focused on health.

"When he was with me, he wasn't different. He wasn't stoned. He wasn't high. He wasn't being aloof or speedy. Never talked about drugs," Ferrigno said. "I've never seen him take drugs. He was always talking about nutrition."

Several months ago, Jackson had begun badgering Lee about Diprivan, also known as Propofol, Lee said. It is an intravenous anesthetic drug widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. It is generally given through an IV needle in the hand.

Patients given Propofol take less time to regain consciousness than those administered certain other drugs, and they report waking up more clear-headed and refreshed, said University of Chicago psychopharmacologist James Zacny.

It has also been implicated in drug abuse, with people using it to "chill out" or to commit suicide, Zacny said. Accidental deaths linked to abuse have been reported. The powerful drug has a very narrow therapeutic window, meaning it doesn't take doses much larger than the medically recommended amount to stop a person's breathing.

An overdose that stops breathing can result in a buildup of carbon dioxide, causing the heart to beat erratically and leading to cardiac arrest, said Dr. John Dombrowski, a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Because it is given intravenously and is not the kind of prescription drug typically available from pharmacists, abuse cases have involved anesthesiologists, nurses and other hospital staffers with easy access to the drug, Zacny said.

In recent months, Lee said, Jackson waved away her warnings about it.

"I had an IV and when it hit my vein, I was sleeping. That's what I want," Lee said Jackson told her.

"I said, 'Michael, the only problem with you taking this medication' - and I had a chill in my body and tears in my eyes three months ago - 'the only problem is you're going to take it and you're not going to wake up," she recalled.

According to Lee, Jackson said it had been given to him before but he didn't want to discuss the circumstances or identify the doctor involved.

Londell McMillan, attorney for Katherine and Joe Jackson, talked about Lee's disclosures Tuesday on CNN.

"It's a hearsay comment. It would be inadmissible anywhere in a court of law," he said. "I also wonder why anyone would make a comment about something that they don't have much knowledge about. They didn't see the drug administered. It's again because of the Michael Jackson factor."

Lee said the singer drew his own distinctions when it came to drugs versus prescription medicine.

"He said, `I don't like drugs. I don't want any drugs. My doctor told me this is a safe medicine,'" Lee said. The next day, she said she brought a copy of the Physician's Desk Reference to show him the section on Diprivan.

"He said, 'No, my doctor said it's safe. It works quick and it's safe as long as somebody's here to monitor me and wake me up. It's going be OK,'" Lee said. She said he did not give the doctor's name.

Lee said at one point, she spent the night with Jackson to monitor him while he slept. She said she gave him herbal remedies and stayed in a corner chair in his vast bedroom.

After he settled in bed, Lee told Jackson to turn down the lights and music - he had classical music playing in the house. "He also had a computer on the bed because he loved Walt Disney," she said. "He was watching Donald Duck and it was ongoing. I said, `Maybe if we put on softer music,' and he said, `No, this is how I go to sleep.'"

Three and a half hours later, Jackson jumped up and looked at Lee, eyes wide open, according to Lee. "This is what happens to me," she quoted him as saying. "All I want is to be able to sleep. I want to be able to sleep eight hours. I know I'll feel better the next day."

Lee, 56, is licensed as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in California, according to the state Board of Registered Nursing's Web site. She attended Los Angeles Southwest College and the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Sciences in Los Angeles.

Comedian Dick Gregory, who knows Lee and her work, said he believes Jackson's insomnia had its roots in the pop star's 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Jackson's health had deteriorated so much that his parents called Gregory, a natural foods proponent, for help.

Gregory said Jackson wasn't eating or drinking at the time and, after he was persuaded by Gregory to undergo testing, ended up hospitalized for severe dehydration.

But Jackson obviously was healthy enough to withstand the level of medical scrutiny needed to insure him for the upcoming high-stakes London concerts, Gregory said. "That you don't trick," he said of the exams.

Lee, who has also worked with Stevie Wonder, Marla Gibbs, Reynaldo Rey and other celebrities, said she was introduced to Jackson by the mother of one of his staff members. Jackson's three children had minor cold symptoms and their pediatrician was out of town.

Lee said she went to the house in January, the first of about 10 visits there through April, and treated the children with vitamins. Michael, intrigued, asked what else she did and took her up on her claim she could boost his energy.

After running blood tests, she devised protein shakes for him and gave him an intravenous vitamin and mineral mixture - known as a "Myers cocktail," after Dr. John Myers - which Lee said she uses routinely in her practice.

"It wasn't that he felt sick," she said. "He just wanted more energy."

Lee said she decided to speak out to protect Jackson's reputation from what she considers unfounded allegations of drug abuse or shortcomings as a parent.

"I think it's so wrong for people to say these things about him," she said. "He was a wonderful, loving father who wanted the best for his children."

Democrat Franken wins protracted Minn. Senate race

Democrat Franken wins protracted Minn. Senate race

Democrat Al Franken smiles as he meets the media at his house in Minneapolis, Tuesday June 30, 2009 after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Democrat in the Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Al Franken refused his rival's calls for an election night concession last November, choosing instead to begin vote counting and courtroom haggling that stretched almost eight months and ultimately landed him a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Franken's victory over Republican Norm Coleman gives Democrats 60 Senate seats, the critical number needed to overcome Republican filibusters. When Franken is seated, which could come as early as next week, his party will have a majority not reached on either side of the aisle in some three decades.

Coleman conceded the election hours after a unanimous state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Franken - who moved into politics with books poking fun at conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh - should be certified the winner. In doing so, Coleman pulled the plug on a bitter election that was decided by 312 votes out of almost 2.9 million cast.

"When you win an election this close, you know not one bit of effort went to waste," Franken told reporters outside his downtown Minneapolis town house, accompanied by his wife. "The way I see it, I'm not going to Washington to be the 60th Democratic senator, I'm going to Washington to be the second senator from Minnesota."

Coleman could have carried his fight into federal court, but it was unlikely to overturn the state Supreme Court's decision.

"Sure I wanted to win. I thought we had a better case. But the court has spoken," Coleman said outside his St. Paul home. Appearing relaxed and upbeat, Coleman said he congratulated Franken and had no regrets about the fight. He brushed aside a question about whether he would run for governor in 2010.

Franken declared his candidacy more than two years ago, and he and Coleman combined to spend $50 million pursuing the seat. That's more than double what was spent in 2002, when Coleman won the seat that had been held by the late Paul Wellstone.

Both Franken and Coleman kept low profiles in the months since Election Day, though Franken has taken some steps to ensure a quick transition by appointing a staff in waiting that includes communications staffers, a chief of staff and a state director.

"We've been doing a lot. I've been going back and forth to Washington," Franken said Tuesday. "We've been using this time, I think, pretty productively."

Franken said he had been told his assignments would include the Judiciary Committee, a role that would put him immediately in the thick of confirmation hearings over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

He told Minnesota Public Radio on Wednesday that he wants to ask Sotomayor about her views on campaign finance reform.

When Coleman ended election night ahead by several hundred votes, he called on Franken to concede. The Democrat refused, and the thin margin triggered an automatic recount that put Franken ahead by 225 votes. Coleman challenged those results, but a review by a three-judge panel expanded Franken's lead to 312 votes.

Coleman appealed to the state's high court, arguing election officials across Minnesota were inconsistent with rules on absentee ballots, unfairly robbing thousands of people of their votes. But the state's high court voted 5-0 that there was no reason to apply a more lenient standard in judging absentees, as Coleman wanted, than the law required.

"I think what you had was 12 judges look at this through the canvassing process, through the recount and throughout the trial, and all agreeing unanimously that I won more votes than anybody else in the election," Franken said.

Franken, 58, has come a long way from the goofy 1980s "SNL" skits where he mocked politicians, portrayed the self-affirming Stuart Smalley and pranced around in little more than a Speedo. His career evolved in the 1990s with books harpooning Limbaugh and he later gained a liberal following as a radio show host on the "Air America" network.

Minnesota has put an entertainer in office before. In 1998, former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura captured the governor's office with an outsider third-party run. He served one term, then resumed private life without seeking re-election.

California, other states face tough budget choices

California, other states face tough budget choices

State Sen. President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, left, and Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Temecula, leave the Senate floor together for a brief meeting to discuss the state's pending cash crisis at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have until midnight Tuesday to reach a compromise on a revised budget plan or the state will be forced to issue IOUs for the first time in two decades.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Legislators in more than a half-dozen states, their revenues evaporating in the recession, frantically worked to stave off government shutdowns and devastating service cuts. California failed to meet a midnight deadline and now may need to issue IOUs instead of paying bills.

Across the country, lawmakers were feeling the heat as their legislatures began the new fiscal year without a budget in place.

In Illinois, the sputtering drive to come up with a state budget broke down completely Tuesday, leaving the state without any plan for paying its employees or delivering government services. The session ended without any firm plans to return or even for Gov. Pat Quinn and legislative leaders to resume negotiations.

In Pennsylvania, talks between Gov. Ed Rendell and top legislators ended Tuesday night with no substantial progress, aides said. Rendell said he didn't think an agreement would come soon. The state faces the prospect of not being able to pay state employees if they cannot resolve an impasse.

The end of June marked the end of the fiscal year in many states, meaning lawmakers worked late Tuesday to pass budgets in a year that has seen the recession take a devastating toll on government finances.

Fallout from California's budget mess threatened to spread nationwide because of the sheer size of the state's economy. The Senate rejected three bills designed to save $5 billion, including $3.3 billion in education funding cuts that had to be enacted before Wednesday.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, a Democrat, called Republicans' refusal to vote for the measures "an irresponsible position to take." At least two Republican votes were needed to put together the two-thirds majorities required to approve the legislation, which passed the Assembly last week with bipartisan support.

Arizona, Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut and Mississippi also were among the other states that raced against the clock to pass budgets - and avoid crippling consequences.

Faced with a budget stalemate, the Ohio House voted in favor of a seven-day spending plan that will allow the state to keep operating while budget talks continue, the first temporary budget Ohio has been forced to approve in 18 years.

Indiana narrowly averted a large-scale government shutdown after coming to terms on a budget.

Mississippi lawmakers approved most of the $6 billion budget, but left one agency - the state's utility regulatory agency - unfunded. The Public Service Commission said it didn't know how the agency would continue to function, but Gov. Haley Barbour has said he can run the agency by executive order.

In Connecticut, Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed an executive order to keep the government running without a two-year budget in place. While she contends the average taxpayer won't notice any change, municipal officials fear delays in state grants that fund everything from road repairs to education.

In the wee hours Wednesday, the Arizona Legislature completed action on budget bills to implement most of a compromise $8.4 billion budget negotiated with Gov. Jan Brewer. Lawmakers omitted a sales tax increase that Brewer wanted, and her spokesman declined to say if she would sign the bills.

In Pennsylvania, state workers will receive only partial pay on July 17 and July 24, after which paychecks will be withheld entirely until the impasse is solved. They will then be paid retroactively.

Rendell said 10 banks and credit unions have agreed to help 69,000 state employees by offering them low- or no-interest loans and lines of credit.

In most states, the debate centers around whether states should be raising taxes to bridge the budget gaps. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wouldn't sign anything that raised taxes or fees beyond what he has already proposed.

"They should forget about that," the Republican governor said, accusing Democrats of going through a "song and dance. Let's get to work, fix it."

State Controller John Chiang has said he would have to start issuing the IOUs on Thursday unless lawmakers took steps to stem the state's red ink by then.

Roughly $3 billion worth of IOUs will be issued in July unless a compromise on closing the deficit is reached quickly. They will be sent to state contractors, college students, welfare recipients, low-income seniors, the disabled and others who depend on or deliver state services. Counties will not get paid for social programs they administer.

Jackson's will to be filed in court Wednesday

Jackson's will to be filed in court Wednesday

As fans watch, florists hang a white rose wreath on the gates of the late Michael Jackson's former residence, Neverland Ranch, in Los Olivos, Calif., Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Heavy construction equipment and workers passed through the wrought-iron gates of Neverland Ranch, fueling speculation that it could soon be hosting a funeral or a permanent memorial to Michael Jackson. The activity occurred Tuesday, the day before Jackson's will was expected to be filed in court.

Santa Barbara County officials said there were no final decisions by the Jackson family for any funeral or memorial service in the county or at Neverland.

All the same, more than a dozen vehicles, including a tractor, a cement mixer and a backhoe, along with groups of gardeners and florists bearing huge wreaths, were spotted on the property about 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

At once a symbol of Jackson's success and excesses, Neverland - the 2,500-acre property nestled in the hills of Santa Barbara County's wine country - became the site of a makeshift memorial after his death Thursday.

Members of Jackson's family met Tuesday with officials from the Los Angeles police and California Highway Patrol about funeral services, but "details are still pending," according to Fran Clader, a spokeswoman for the patrol. The patrol would need to be consulted if the body was moved from Los Angeles to Neverland.

Fearing the narrow, two-lane Figueroa Mountain Road that runs past Neverland will be overwhelmed by media and fans, county officials said Wednesday that they'll start enforcing parking restrictions.

It was unclear whether Jackson could be legally buried at the ranch. The state's health and safety code makes interring any uncremated remains outside of a cemetery a misdemeanor. Cremated remains can be kept in a home or private mausoleum outside a cemetery, he said.

Jackson's will was to be filed Wednesday in Los Angeles. A person with knowledge of the document told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it gives guardianship over his children to the singer's mother and leaves all his assets in a trust fund.

The will was signed on July 7, 2002, and named as executors Jackson's longtime lawyer John Branca and John McClain, a music executive and a family friend, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the topic.

The family said in court documents Monday that it believed the 50-year-old entertainer died Thursday without a valid will and moved swiftly to take control over his lucrative, but debt-encumbered, estate.

In response, Judge Mitchell Beckloff granted Jackson's 79-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson, temporary guardianship of her son's three children, who range in age from 7 to 12.

The judge also gave her control over some of her son's personal property that is now in the hands of an unnamed third party. But the judge did not immediately rule on her requests to take charge of the children's and Jackson's estates.

On its face, the move by Jackson's family to proactively take legal action does not seem to conflict with the singer's stated desire to have his children put under his parents' care and their financial welfare assured.

Experts said the personal bankruptcy of Jackson's parents in 1999 could work against Katherine taking control of the estate.

Court documents show Katherine and Joe Jackson filed for Chapter 7 and listed nearly $24 million in debts that included court judgments, auto loans and credit cards. The only valuable asset listed was a house in Las Vegas then valued at $290,000. The bankruptcy was terminated in March 2007, but the documents gave no further details.

"I think it would be a negative factor but not necessarily a disqualifier," said Beth Kaufman, a Washington-based attorney specializing in estate tax issues. "It could indicate that she is not capable of sound financial management."

More details emerged Tuesday about the recent state of Jackson's finances. In the most detailed account yet of the singer's tangled financial empire, documents obtained by the AP show Jackson claimed to have a net worth of $236.6 million as of March 31, 2007.

Since that time both Jackson's debts and assets grew substantially - he refinanced loans later that year that increased his debt load by tens of millions of dollars, but the Sony/ATV Music Publishing joint venture he is a part of also spent hundreds of millions acquiring new songs.

Jackson's own health was a concern in his final days. A nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid said Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative, despite warnings it could be harmful.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said she got a frantic phone call from Jackson four days before his death that made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep.

Lee said Jackson in the call complained that one side of his body felt hot and the other side was cold, prompting her to believe the "somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system."

"He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out," she said.

But a photographer who took pictures of Jackson's rehearsals two days before his death had a different impression.

"From the way he was performing, to me he was 100 percent. He was the same Michael that I have photographed numerous times. I was happy for him. He was extremely happy," American photographer Kevin Mazur told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, thousands of Jackson fans crammed into New York City's famed Apollo Theater for a public tribute to the performer, clutching photographs, cheering and dancing to his music at the legendary venue that launched the one-time child star's career.

"He knew he was loved, but he didn't know he was this loved," said one participant, Rosiland Sargent, 59, of West Orange, N.J.