The recession has had a "devastating impact" on African-Americans age 45 and up, according to a new survey by AARP.
The survey, which is part of AARP's continued look at how African-Americans age 45 and older are faring in this economy, found that over the last year:
•33 percent of African-Americans age 45 and older said they've had problems paying rent or mortgage.
•44 percent had problems paying for essential items, such as food and utilities.
•18 percent lost a job, nearly twice the rate of the general population.
•23 percent lost their employer-sponsored health care.
•34 percent stopped putting money into a 401(k), IRA or other retirement account.
•26 percent withdrew funds from their retirement nest eggs early to pay for living expenses, including mortgage or rent, health care, education expenses and for other reasons.
•31 percent have cut back on their medications.
•28 percent have carried a higher balance on their credit cards during the past 12 months.
African-Americans, like many others hurt by the tough times, have taken steps to lessen the economic sting, the survey noted.
Half of those surveyed postponed plans to travel, and two-thirds cut entertainment expenses. Even in the tough job market, 12 percent of those age 65 and up returned to the work force from retirement.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Alcohol use lower among blacks!!!!
African Americans have lower drinking rates than other racial groups, according to a new survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It found that blacks ages 18 and older use alcohol at a rate of 44.3% compared with the national average of 55.2%
Moreover, blacks ages 18 to 25 are much less likely than other young adults to engage in binge drinking -- 25.3% compared with 41.6% in the general population.
The survey is part of a series conducted by SAMHSA to learn how to target alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention efforts to various age, gender and ethnic groups. The survey also found that the rate of illegal drug use among black adults is higher than the national average -- 9.5% compared with 7.9%. And among black males ages 26 to 49, illegal drug use is 14.7% compared with 11.2% in the general population for that age group. Binge drinking is also much higher in pregnant black women than among pregnant women in other age groups.
The report is available at the SAMHSA website.
Moreover, blacks ages 18 to 25 are much less likely than other young adults to engage in binge drinking -- 25.3% compared with 41.6% in the general population.
The survey is part of a series conducted by SAMHSA to learn how to target alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention efforts to various age, gender and ethnic groups. The survey also found that the rate of illegal drug use among black adults is higher than the national average -- 9.5% compared with 7.9%. And among black males ages 26 to 49, illegal drug use is 14.7% compared with 11.2% in the general population for that age group. Binge drinking is also much higher in pregnant black women than among pregnant women in other age groups.
The report is available at the SAMHSA website.
HIV Still Plagues the U.S.: Some Areas Have Higher Rates Than Africa????
In December, NEWSWEEK argued that new signs of life were showing in the AIDS activism movement. Let's hope so. Recent research published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that within certain populations in America, the prevalence of HIV-infected people is higher than in certain parts of Africa:
More than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C., are HIV-infected—a prevalence higher than that reported in Ethiopia, Nigeria, or Rwanda. Certain U.S. subpopulations are particularly hard hit. In New York City, 1 in 40 blacks, 1 in 10 men who have sex with men, and 1 in 8 injection-drug users are HIV-infected, as are 1 in 16 black men in Washington, D.C. In several U.S. urban areas, the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is as high as 30%—as compared with a general-population prevalence of 7.8% in Kenya and 16.9% in South Africa.
What’s interesting is that the research shows that a person’s sexual network, more than just his or her lifestyle choices, defines the risk of getting HIV in America. So, black and Hispanic women are at increased risk due to the instability of their sexual relationships —which is attributed to the high rate of incarceration of men in their networks—and their vulnerable or dependent economic situation, which may cause them to be fearful of suggesting safer-sex options to their companions. And black men who have sex with men are at high risk because of the likelihood of their choosing to engage in sexual activity with someone who is racially similar, and because of the prevalence of HIV within their sexual networks.
In December, NEWSWEEK argued that new signs of life were showing in the AIDS activism movement. Let's hope so. Recent research published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that within certain populations in America, the prevalence of HIV-infected people is higher than in certain parts of Africa:
More than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C., are HIV-infected—a prevalence higher than that reported in Ethiopia, Nigeria, or Rwanda. Certain U.S. subpopulations are particularly hard hit. In New York City, 1 in 40 blacks, 1 in 10 men who have sex with men, and 1 in 8 injection-drug users are HIV-infected, as are 1 in 16 black men in Washington, D.C. In several U.S. urban areas, the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is as high as 30%—as compared with a general-population prevalence of 7.8% in Kenya and 16.9% in South Africa.
What’s interesting is that the research shows that a person’s sexual network, more than just his or her lifestyle choices, defines the risk of getting HIV in America. So, black and Hispanic women are at increased risk due to the instability of their sexual relationships —which is attributed to the high rate of incarceration of men in their networks—and their vulnerable or dependent economic situation, which may cause them to be fearful of suggesting safer-sex options to their companions. And black men who have sex with men are at high risk because of the likelihood of their choosing to engage in sexual activity with someone who is racially similar, and because of the prevalence of HIV within their sexual networks.
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America’s epidemic most strongly affects the urban regions of the Northeast and West Coast, and small towns and cities in the South. Part of this is because these local populations have unprotected sex within “relatively insular social-sexual networks.” Lower-income black Americans with poor education and unstable housing are disproportionally affected, and black or Hispanic women make up more than 25 percent of new HIV infections in the U.S.
More than 20 percent of the estimated 1 million HIV-positive Americans are unaware of their status. Additional behavioral studies, better communication, and preventive education need to be directed toward the identified at-risk communities. It’s time to admit that HIV is still a major threat to Americans.
More than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C., are HIV-infected—a prevalence higher than that reported in Ethiopia, Nigeria, or Rwanda. Certain U.S. subpopulations are particularly hard hit. In New York City, 1 in 40 blacks, 1 in 10 men who have sex with men, and 1 in 8 injection-drug users are HIV-infected, as are 1 in 16 black men in Washington, D.C. In several U.S. urban areas, the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is as high as 30%—as compared with a general-population prevalence of 7.8% in Kenya and 16.9% in South Africa.
What’s interesting is that the research shows that a person’s sexual network, more than just his or her lifestyle choices, defines the risk of getting HIV in America. So, black and Hispanic women are at increased risk due to the instability of their sexual relationships —which is attributed to the high rate of incarceration of men in their networks—and their vulnerable or dependent economic situation, which may cause them to be fearful of suggesting safer-sex options to their companions. And black men who have sex with men are at high risk because of the likelihood of their choosing to engage in sexual activity with someone who is racially similar, and because of the prevalence of HIV within their sexual networks.
In December, NEWSWEEK argued that new signs of life were showing in the AIDS activism movement. Let's hope so. Recent research published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that within certain populations in America, the prevalence of HIV-infected people is higher than in certain parts of Africa:
More than 1 in 30 adults in Washington, D.C., are HIV-infected—a prevalence higher than that reported in Ethiopia, Nigeria, or Rwanda. Certain U.S. subpopulations are particularly hard hit. In New York City, 1 in 40 blacks, 1 in 10 men who have sex with men, and 1 in 8 injection-drug users are HIV-infected, as are 1 in 16 black men in Washington, D.C. In several U.S. urban areas, the HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is as high as 30%—as compared with a general-population prevalence of 7.8% in Kenya and 16.9% in South Africa.
What’s interesting is that the research shows that a person’s sexual network, more than just his or her lifestyle choices, defines the risk of getting HIV in America. So, black and Hispanic women are at increased risk due to the instability of their sexual relationships —which is attributed to the high rate of incarceration of men in their networks—and their vulnerable or dependent economic situation, which may cause them to be fearful of suggesting safer-sex options to their companions. And black men who have sex with men are at high risk because of the likelihood of their choosing to engage in sexual activity with someone who is racially similar, and because of the prevalence of HIV within their sexual networks.
Advertisement
America’s epidemic most strongly affects the urban regions of the Northeast and West Coast, and small towns and cities in the South. Part of this is because these local populations have unprotected sex within “relatively insular social-sexual networks.” Lower-income black Americans with poor education and unstable housing are disproportionally affected, and black or Hispanic women make up more than 25 percent of new HIV infections in the U.S.
More than 20 percent of the estimated 1 million HIV-positive Americans are unaware of their status. Additional behavioral studies, better communication, and preventive education need to be directed toward the identified at-risk communities. It’s time to admit that HIV is still a major threat to Americans.
Louisiana's incarceration rate is No. 1 in nation????
One out of every 55 Louisiana residents is behind bars, a higher incarceration rate than any other state, according to research released today by a Washington, D.C., nonprofit group.
One in 26 Louisiana adults is under correctional control, if probation and parole are included, the group found.
The Pew Center for the States study of 2007 U.S. Census data found that Louisiana's incarceration rate spiked by 272 percent since 1982. That rate of increase is far from the nation's highest of 357 percent in North Dakota, and not far from Mississippi's 256 percent increase. Neighbor states Texas and Arkansas have seen increases around 200 percent.
The Pew group argued that, particularly during a recession, rising costs of incarceration should push states to reduce prison spending by moving more nonviolent inmates out of prisons and into community-based parole and probation systems. One researcher pointed to Texas, where he said a recent shift in the politics of corrections has led to policy changes and a leveling off of that state's incarceration rate.
"I think what we're seeing is that the politics of this issue are changing," said Adam Gelb, director of Pew's public safety performance project. "The old question used to be, 'How can we demonstrate we're tough on crime?' More and more, policy-makers from both sides of the aisle are asking a better question, which is: 'How do we get taxpayers a better return on their dollars?"
Click to open graphic in new window.
Gelb said Texas had saved $500 million by expanding parole and probation, while stopping the construction of new prisons.
Louisiana's prison's chief said he's thinking along the same lines -- but is unable to back a big shift toward parole and probation, partly because those parts of his agency are already overburdened with work.
"Some states are paroling people out, but we're not in a position to do that, in my opinion," said Jimmy LeBlanc, the state's corrections secretary. "Probation and Parole is already overtasked, and releasing even the best prisoners would not be good. We're kind of in a holding pattern as far as that is concerned."
However, LeBlanc said he's planning to convene a new committee within the next few weeks to consider how Louisiana could improve the way it handles criminals. He said the panel, to be chaired by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Kitty Kimball, would include prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges and lawmakers.
The Pew group found that it costs the state $39.75 to keep an offender behind bars for one day. The figure is $2.70 per day for those on probation or parole.
One in 26 Louisiana adults is under correctional control, if probation and parole are included, the group found.
The Pew Center for the States study of 2007 U.S. Census data found that Louisiana's incarceration rate spiked by 272 percent since 1982. That rate of increase is far from the nation's highest of 357 percent in North Dakota, and not far from Mississippi's 256 percent increase. Neighbor states Texas and Arkansas have seen increases around 200 percent.
The Pew group argued that, particularly during a recession, rising costs of incarceration should push states to reduce prison spending by moving more nonviolent inmates out of prisons and into community-based parole and probation systems. One researcher pointed to Texas, where he said a recent shift in the politics of corrections has led to policy changes and a leveling off of that state's incarceration rate.
"I think what we're seeing is that the politics of this issue are changing," said Adam Gelb, director of Pew's public safety performance project. "The old question used to be, 'How can we demonstrate we're tough on crime?' More and more, policy-makers from both sides of the aisle are asking a better question, which is: 'How do we get taxpayers a better return on their dollars?"
Click to open graphic in new window.
Gelb said Texas had saved $500 million by expanding parole and probation, while stopping the construction of new prisons.
Louisiana's prison's chief said he's thinking along the same lines -- but is unable to back a big shift toward parole and probation, partly because those parts of his agency are already overburdened with work.
"Some states are paroling people out, but we're not in a position to do that, in my opinion," said Jimmy LeBlanc, the state's corrections secretary. "Probation and Parole is already overtasked, and releasing even the best prisoners would not be good. We're kind of in a holding pattern as far as that is concerned."
However, LeBlanc said he's planning to convene a new committee within the next few weeks to consider how Louisiana could improve the way it handles criminals. He said the panel, to be chaired by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Kitty Kimball, would include prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges and lawmakers.
The Pew group found that it costs the state $39.75 to keep an offender behind bars for one day. The figure is $2.70 per day for those on probation or parole.
AIG units settle discrimination charges????
Two AIG units settled federal charges that they discriminated against blacks in providing home loans and will pay at least $7.1 million for restitution and education efforts, according to court documents filed on Thursday.
The units, AIG Federal Savings Bank and Wilmington Finance Inc, will provide $6.1 million to borrowers who were affected by the alleged discrimination, according to a consent order filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
They will also provide at least $1 million to organizations that provide credit counseling, financial literacy and other educational programs that target blacks, according to the documents.
American International Group Inc (AIG.N), which received a $182.3 billion government bailout amid the 2008 financial crisis, said in a statement that it denied the government's allegations and that the two units did not condone discriminatory conduct.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the government to resolve the issues in the complaint, as well as to avoid the distractions and burdens of protracted litigation over contentious issues," the company said.
The charges resulted from examinations in 2006 and 2007 by the Office of Thrift Supervision, which referred concerns about AIG's practices to the Justice Department for enforcement action.
The department charged that the units "engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race or color by allowing wholesale mortgage brokers to charge higher direct broker fees to African-American borrowers than to white borrowers for loans" originated and funded by the units.
The companies, which have ended their wholesale home mortgage lending operations and do not plan to re-enter that line of business, also agreed to monitoring programs, the consent order said.
The units, AIG Federal Savings Bank and Wilmington Finance Inc, will provide $6.1 million to borrowers who were affected by the alleged discrimination, according to a consent order filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
They will also provide at least $1 million to organizations that provide credit counseling, financial literacy and other educational programs that target blacks, according to the documents.
American International Group Inc (AIG.N), which received a $182.3 billion government bailout amid the 2008 financial crisis, said in a statement that it denied the government's allegations and that the two units did not condone discriminatory conduct.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the government to resolve the issues in the complaint, as well as to avoid the distractions and burdens of protracted litigation over contentious issues," the company said.
The charges resulted from examinations in 2006 and 2007 by the Office of Thrift Supervision, which referred concerns about AIG's practices to the Justice Department for enforcement action.
The department charged that the units "engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race or color by allowing wholesale mortgage brokers to charge higher direct broker fees to African-American borrowers than to white borrowers for loans" originated and funded by the units.
The companies, which have ended their wholesale home mortgage lending operations and do not plan to re-enter that line of business, also agreed to monitoring programs, the consent order said.
Black-market cosmetic surgeries hospitalize six N.J. women????
Six women from the Essex County area who wanted fuller bottoms ended up in hospitals after receiving buttocks-enhancement injections containing the same material contractors use to caulk bathtubs, officials said.
The women checked into hospitals in the county after their procedures, apparently administered by unlicensed providers, went horribly wrong, state health officials said. The women underwent surgery and were given antibiotics. No arrests have been made.
Different from medical-grade silicone, the substance used in the botched procedures was believed to be a diluted version of nonmedical-grade silicone.
"The same stuff you use to put caulk around the bathtub," said Steven M. Marcus, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, who learned about the bizarre procedures through a committee he sits on that monitors outbreaks in the metropolitan area.
"What a tragedy," said Gregory Borah, chief of plastic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Using over-the-counter silicone can cause abscesses that he said resemble "a big zit."
Borah, also president of the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the botched procedures underscore the need for patients who seek augmentation to have it administered by a licensed professional in a sterile setting.
A plastic surgeon doing buttocks augmentation would make an incision to develop a pocket underneath the muscle and shape the buttocks with inert medical-grade silicone, Borah said. He noted it is a relatively uncommon procedure in most practices and that he has done only two in his 24-year career.
By the time he tells patients of the potential risks — from anesthesia, scarring and silicone shifting when patients sit down — they often change their minds.
Breast and cheek augmentations are the most common procedures, he noted. Borah said buttock augmentation is more popular in some cultures than others.
The state Department of Health and Senior Services did not identify the women or release any details about their ethnicity. It also did not say where the "unlicensed medical provider or providers" performed their procedures.
"Fortunately, these women are being treated and are recovering," said Tina Tan, the state epidemiologist. "But there is the potential for more serious complications if these infections are not treated early and properly."
Investigators have not determined if the six cases, which began to be reported in mid-February, are related, but they have stoked concern among officials that such injuries are more common than previously thought.
Health officials issued an alert to state hospitals and doctors about the cases and the potential for more victims.
Marcus said there have been other incidents over the past couple years of providers providing implants of nonmedical-grade silicone, then getting put out of business — only for other shady providers to surface.
"Caveat emptor: Buyer beware," Marcus said. "If it looks too cheap, there’s probably a reason it’s too cheap."
The women checked into hospitals in the county after their procedures, apparently administered by unlicensed providers, went horribly wrong, state health officials said. The women underwent surgery and were given antibiotics. No arrests have been made.
Different from medical-grade silicone, the substance used in the botched procedures was believed to be a diluted version of nonmedical-grade silicone.
"The same stuff you use to put caulk around the bathtub," said Steven M. Marcus, executive and medical director of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, who learned about the bizarre procedures through a committee he sits on that monitors outbreaks in the metropolitan area.
"What a tragedy," said Gregory Borah, chief of plastic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Using over-the-counter silicone can cause abscesses that he said resemble "a big zit."
Borah, also president of the New Jersey Society of Plastic Surgeons, said the botched procedures underscore the need for patients who seek augmentation to have it administered by a licensed professional in a sterile setting.
A plastic surgeon doing buttocks augmentation would make an incision to develop a pocket underneath the muscle and shape the buttocks with inert medical-grade silicone, Borah said. He noted it is a relatively uncommon procedure in most practices and that he has done only two in his 24-year career.
By the time he tells patients of the potential risks — from anesthesia, scarring and silicone shifting when patients sit down — they often change their minds.
Breast and cheek augmentations are the most common procedures, he noted. Borah said buttock augmentation is more popular in some cultures than others.
The state Department of Health and Senior Services did not identify the women or release any details about their ethnicity. It also did not say where the "unlicensed medical provider or providers" performed their procedures.
"Fortunately, these women are being treated and are recovering," said Tina Tan, the state epidemiologist. "But there is the potential for more serious complications if these infections are not treated early and properly."
Investigators have not determined if the six cases, which began to be reported in mid-February, are related, but they have stoked concern among officials that such injuries are more common than previously thought.
Health officials issued an alert to state hospitals and doctors about the cases and the potential for more victims.
Marcus said there have been other incidents over the past couple years of providers providing implants of nonmedical-grade silicone, then getting put out of business — only for other shady providers to surface.
"Caveat emptor: Buyer beware," Marcus said. "If it looks too cheap, there’s probably a reason it’s too cheap."
Poll finds blacks motivated to vote in November!!!!
Democrats facing strong headwinds this election season have at least one reason for optimism, according to polling that found the party's large African-American voting bloc eager to stay involved even without Barack Obama on the ballot.
About two-thirds of black adults in four states say they are closely following news about the upcoming midterm elections, and between 74 percent and 80 percent say they are very likely to vote, according to the poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The organization surveyed 500 African-Americans in each state — Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and South Carolina — all of which have Senate races in November.
How many of those voters follow through with their intentions will help determine if Democrats hold control of Congress. In many competitive congressional districts, blacks make up a quarter of the electorate, and they vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. Their surge during Obama's 2008 victory is widely credited with helping sweep many down-ballot Democrats into office who might have otherwise lost.
David Bositis, a researcher at the institute who directed the poll, said turnout will surely be lower than the poll's findings. But he said the numbers suggest continued enthusiasm.
"I think the Obama election and the fact that there is an African-American president is something of a game-changer," he said. "African-Americans feel like they have a real investment in President Obama ... I think it's a major motivating factor."
The poll found that the economy and health care reform are the top two issues on black voters' minds heading into the midterm election.
Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University who specializes in African-American politics, voiced skepticism about the turnout figures and said it's too early to know just what voters will do.
"One of the things you have to realize with polls is that if you ask people if they're going to vote, people can misrepresent themselves," she said. "Nobody wants to look like a civic deadbeat."
She noted that overall turnout usually hovers around 40 percent of eligible voters in midterm elections. In the 2008 election, 62 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, the highest turnout in 40 years.
"Apart from mobilization happening, these aren't the types of elections that get people out to vote the way you would expect them to," Gillespie said.
The poll, which has a margin of error of 4 percentage points, was conducted last year between November 11 and December 1.
About two-thirds of black adults in four states say they are closely following news about the upcoming midterm elections, and between 74 percent and 80 percent say they are very likely to vote, according to the poll, conducted by the nonpartisan Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. The organization surveyed 500 African-Americans in each state — Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas and South Carolina — all of which have Senate races in November.
How many of those voters follow through with their intentions will help determine if Democrats hold control of Congress. In many competitive congressional districts, blacks make up a quarter of the electorate, and they vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. Their surge during Obama's 2008 victory is widely credited with helping sweep many down-ballot Democrats into office who might have otherwise lost.
David Bositis, a researcher at the institute who directed the poll, said turnout will surely be lower than the poll's findings. But he said the numbers suggest continued enthusiasm.
"I think the Obama election and the fact that there is an African-American president is something of a game-changer," he said. "African-Americans feel like they have a real investment in President Obama ... I think it's a major motivating factor."
The poll found that the economy and health care reform are the top two issues on black voters' minds heading into the midterm election.
Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University who specializes in African-American politics, voiced skepticism about the turnout figures and said it's too early to know just what voters will do.
"One of the things you have to realize with polls is that if you ask people if they're going to vote, people can misrepresent themselves," she said. "Nobody wants to look like a civic deadbeat."
She noted that overall turnout usually hovers around 40 percent of eligible voters in midterm elections. In the 2008 election, 62 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, the highest turnout in 40 years.
"Apart from mobilization happening, these aren't the types of elections that get people out to vote the way you would expect them to," Gillespie said.
The poll, which has a margin of error of 4 percentage points, was conducted last year between November 11 and December 1.
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