Zimmerman In Lockup!

Back to the courtroom for acquitted shooter!

The country's most notorious free man is locked up again. Three years ago, this asshole was living at the gated community in Sanford, Florida with his now ex-wife. He would be leaving his home to go do some errands. While on his errands, he noticed a Black teen walking through the gated community. He would follow him. He would call 911 and tell the dispatcher this guy look like he was up to no good. The man would follow him and ignore the pleas from dispatch to wait on the cops.

He would exit his vehicle and confront the teen. There was a scuffle and then a gunshot. When the cops come the asshole would tell them that he feared for his life. He would put a bullet in teen. The teen is dead. He would tell the law that he was "standing his ground". He would walk.

That started a chain of events that led to massive protests, a special prosecutor and then a trial. The junk food media would wait on that July 2013 verdict. He would be found not guilty of second degree murder.

Since he's been free he's been in the news over 18 times. Now here we go again. He's in jail for aggravated assault. The Associated Press reports that George Zimmerman is facing a judge yet again!

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office says the 31-year-old Zimmerman was arrested for aggravated assault at his home in Lake Mary about 10 p.m. Friday.

Zimmerman was released on a $5,000 bond Saturday afternoon. At a court appearance earlier Saturday, he was ordered to avoid contact with the woman, who was not identified.

Judge John Galluzzo gave few details of the incident, but said a wine bottle was involved and that the alleged assault happened at Zimmerman's home. Prosecutors questioned whether substance abuse treatment was needed, but the judge said that didn't seem to be a factor.

After the brief hearing, Zimmerman's attorney, Don West, told the Orlando Sentinel (http://tinyurl.com/me467wh) his client was arrested after allegedly throwing a wine bottle 'in the direction of' his girlfriend several days ago.

"No injuries, no contact, nothing that I'm aware of that led up to it. It's just one of those things that somehow brought us here," West told reporters.

West didn't know who called police, but said he didn't think the alleged victim placed the call.

Zimmerman was also told by the judge to stay out of Volusia County, where the woman lives.

The judge ordered Zimmerman to pack up any personal belongings his girlfriend may have left at Zimmerman's home and give them to his lawyer.

Zimmerman, who wore blue scrubs and handcuffs, appeared calm during the brief hearing. At one point, he laughed and joked with an officer as he signed paperwork.

Although the incident didn't involve a firearm, the judge ordered Zimmerman to surrender any weapons out of an abundance of caution.

Zimmerman is scheduled to appear back in court on Feb. 17.

He just can't stay out of the limelight.

No further details about the alleged assault were released. A message left for Seminole County Sheriff officials seeking further information about the incident was not immediately returned Saturday morning.

Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013 of a second-degree murder charge for shooting an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin.

Since his acquittal, Zimmerman has had several brushes with the law:

— He was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief after his then-girlfriend said he pointed a gun at her face during an argument, smashed her coffee table and pushed her out of the house they shared. Samantha Scheibe decided not to cooperate with detectives and prosecutors didn't pursue the case.

— Zimmerman was accused by his estranged wife of smashing an iPad during an argument at the home they had shared. Shellie Zimmerman initially told a dispatcher her husband had a gun, though she later said he was unarmed. No charges were ever filed because of a lack of evidence. The dispute occurred days after Shellie Zimmerman filed divorce papers.

— Zimmerman has also been pulled over three times for traffic violations since his acquittal.

Andraé Crouch Passed Away!

The godfather of urban gospel passed away.

On Friday, the urban gospel world lost a legendary singer and talent. Andrae Crouch passed away and there's an outpouring of sympathy from his family and many friends. Of course, we here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Andraé Crouch.

Crouch was considered the godfather of modern day urban gospel.

Crouch was known for his compositions "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power", "My Tribute (To God Be the Glory)" and "Soon and Very Soon". In secular music, he was known for his collaborative work during the 1980s with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Quincy Jones as well as conducting choirs that sang on the Michael Jackson hit "Man in the Mirror" and Madonna's "Like a Prayer".

Crouch was noted for his talent of incorporating contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with. His efforts in this area were what helped in paving the way for early American contemporary Christian music during the 1960s and 1970s.

Crouch's original music arrangements were heard in the films The Color Purple and Disney's The Lion King, as well as the NBC television series Amen. Awards received by him include seven Grammy Awards, being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1998, and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.

Crouch was hospitalized in early December 2014 for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. As a result, his December tour was postponed.

He was hospitalized again on January 3, 2015 in Los Angeles, as the result of a heart attack. Crouch died five days later at Northridge Hospital Medical Center on January 8, 2015, at the age of 72.

On the same day, his sister, Sandra, released the following statement: "Today my twin brother, womb-mate and best friend went home to be with the Lord. Please keep me, my family and our church family in your prayers. I tried to keep him here but God loved him best."

Following Crouch's death, Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith told Billboard Magazine, "...I'll never forget hearing Andraé for the first time. It was like someone had opened a whole new world of possibilities for me musically. I don't think there is anyone who inspired me more, growing up, than Andraé Crouch. The depth of his influence on Christian music is incalculable. We all owe him so much and I'll forever be grateful for the times we got to work together."

Winter Bliss!

The United States capped its best year for hiring in 15 years with a healthy gain in December, and the unemployment rate hit a six-year low. The numbers support expectations that the United States will strengthen further this year even as overseas economies stumble.

The government said Friday that employers added 252,000 jobs last month and 50,000 more in October and November combined than it had previously estimated. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent from 5.8 percent in November. The rate is now at its lowest point since 2008.

Still, wage growth remains weak. Average hourly pay slipped 5 cents in December. And the unemployment rate fell partly because many of the jobless gave up looking for work and so were no longer counted as unemployed.

Even so, nearly 3 million more people are earning paychecks than at the start of 2014 — the largest annual job gain since 1999. Gas prices have also plunged, which will give consumers — the main driver of the U.S. economy — a further boost in coming months.

"We are in a recovery that is accelerating," said Michael Strain, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

The unemployment rate is now near the 5.2 percent to 5.5 percent range that the Federal Reserve considers consistent with a healthy economy — one reason the Fed is expected to raise interest rates from record lows by midyear.

Yet for now, the plummeting oil prices and weak pay growth are helping keep inflation even lower than the Fed's 2 percent target rate. Many economists think inflation may fail to reach even 1 percent this year. A result is that the Fed could feel pressure to avoid raising rates anytime soon.

"There is still room for stimulus without having to worry about inflation taking off," Strain said.

Most economists forecast that the U.S. economy will expand more than 3 percent this year. If it does, 2015 would mark the first time in a decade that growth has reached that level for a full calendar year.

American businesses have been largely shrugging off signs of economic weakness overseas and continuing to hire at solid rates. The U.S. economy's steady improvement is especially striking compared with the weakness in much of the world.

Europe is barely growing, and its unemployment rate is nearly double the U.S. level. Japan, the world's third-largest economy, is in recession. Russia's economy is cratering as oil prices plummet. China is straining to manage a slowdown. Brazil and others in Latin America are struggling.

Fears about significantly cheaper oil spooked investors earlier this week before financial markets recovered. But most economists remain optimistic that lower energy prices will benefit U.S. consumers and many businesses.

The drop in average hourly pay last month to $24.57 followed a downward revision to November's average pay gain. Hourly pay over the past two months has now risen just a penny.

During 2014, average wages rose just 1.7 percent, not much above the inflation rate, which was 1.3 percent. As hiring ramps up and the unemployment rate falls, those pressures should, at least in theory, compel employers to raise pay to attract workers. But that trend has yet to emerge.

The fall in average pay may actually reflect economic strength, said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo. Silvia suggested that the healthy hiring of recent months means that "many of these new hires are entry-level workers and would be paid less" than experienced employees.

Last month, the number of unemployed fell 383,000 to 8.7 million. Fewer than one-third of people out of work found jobs. The rest stopped looking. The percentage of Americans who are either working or looking for work fell back to a 37-year low last touched in September.

The brightening jobs picture has healed some of the deep scars left by the Great Recession. The number of people who have been unemployed for more than six months fell 27 percent last year. And the number working part time who would prefer full-time work dropped 12 percent.

Still, to keep up with population growth since the recession began, the economy would need to create 4.9 million additional jobs, according to the Brookings Institution.

Economists expect more healing this year. Goldman Sachs estimates that additional spending on restaurants, auto dealers and other goods and services resulting from lower energy prices will lead to 300,000 more jobs this year than if oil prices had remained at their levels of six months ago.

Spending at retail stores and restaurants rose in November by the most in eight months, an early sign that Americans are spending some of the savings they are enjoying on gas-pump prices.

How Clueless Are They?

Kanye West and Paul McCartney collaborated on a song for an upcoming album.

I am really shocked!

Everyone is surprised by the collaboration by Kanye West and Paul McCartney. But what really got me was the fact that some of the rapper's fans don't even know who Paul McCartney is?

I mean the fact that they really didn't know who Paul is extremely funny and shocking!

Some of the world's diehard Beatle fans took offense to the fact some "even jokingly" calling Paul one of his newest proteges.

He and Ringo Starr are the only surviving members of The Beatles, the breakout rock group from Liverpool who turned rock music into a genre that still is enjoyed by millions.

The song is called Only One. Are down with it?

Loads of Kanye West fans reckon he's discovered Paul McCartney and it's everything http://t.co/iKWpoVdvEd pic.twitter.com/kZkAkoHeyJ
— Sugarscape (@sugarscape) January 5, 2015

These Kanye West fans want to know: “Who is Paul McCartney?” http://t.co/41EBRQDmmx pic.twitter.com/Md9vdrkbSv
— BuzzFeed UK (@BuzzFeedUK) January 3, 2015

These Kanye West Fans Want To Know: “Who Is Paul McCartney?” http://t.co/iwn2z5QAkg pic.twitter.com/tFIZhX5cgK
— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) January 2, 2015

Kanye West and Paul McCartney collaborate to create 2015’s first great song http://t.co/ivi3nSHaTD pic.twitter.com/0N4pVS8k5g
— Rare (@Rare) January 2, 2015

Springfield, Ohio's Upper Valley Mall Declared Dead!

Springfield, Ohio got hit hard with the news of two anchor stores at the Upper Valley Mall closing.

The micropolitian area of Springfield, Ohio got hammered with some of the worst news ever. The only mall in the area is going to lose two anchor stores. The Upper Valley Mall which is located three miles from Springfield will be a "dead mall".

Springfield is 22 miles from Dayton, Ohio. It was part of the Dayton metropolitan area until 2010.

The U.S. Census broke off Springfield from the Dayton area. It also redistrict this area for House Weeper John Boenher (R-OH). 

Wondering what Weeper and insurgent Jim Jordan (R-OH) could do help bring Upper Valley Mall back to its glory?

Built in 1971 by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. from Youngstown, the mall features five anchor stores and offers four sit down restaurants. The Upper Valley Mall is located on the city's west side just off US-68. The mall was owned by Simon Property Group, an Indianapolis, Indiana based company. It is currently bank owned.

J.C. Penny's and Macy's announced their shutting down in late Spring. The stores both along with MC Sports and Sears made up the mall. The mall seen a significant decrease in human traffic since the 2000s. 

The mall had at one time had five anchor stores. It once had Dayton's based Elder-Beerman (Bon Ton, Inc) and Old Navy. 

J.C. Penny's also decided to close up shop at the Eastland Mall in Columbus and one in Greenville a city that's 35 miles from Dayton. 

Kmart also closed its only Springfield location. There are now five locations in the metro Dayton area.

Me and S. Baldwin follow DeadMalls.com. It's an informative and yes sad take on them days of the great urban retail centers we once grew up knowing.

Brenda K Starr - Over and Over

Empire!

The Fox Network green lights hip-hop drama series called EMPIRE and it features Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henson. With music production from Timbaland, the network executives assure this may be a success.

The series is executive produced by Lee Daniels. Daniels is the producer for the critically acclaimed movies The Butler and Precious.

Howard and Henson both were in the Oscar nominated hip-hop movie Hustle & Flow.

Howard plays Lucious Lyon a former drug dealer turned music mogul. He is the founder of Empire Entertainment. He is a struggling father with three sons who  are struggling with their own problems. As Lucious tries to move his business into the mainstream, his ex-wife Cookie (played by Henson) comes into the picture and shakes things up. Trai Byers plays the eldest son, Andre, a ruthless hustler who wants to follow his father in building a label. Jussie Smollett of the famed Smollett family plays Jamal, Lucious the middle child is a singer who hides his homosexuality from the public. Bryshere Y. Gray plays Hakeem the youngest son. Hakeem is the player and an up and coming rapper. He is regarded as the favorite son.

Fox green lights Empire. It's a critically acclaimed hip-hop drama.

Empire has received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a rating of 93%, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though heavy on melodrama, Empire elevates the nighttime soap with its top-notch cast, musical entertainment, and engrossing plots."

On Metacritic the show has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

This was a midseason replacement after the network canceled critically acclaimed dramas Red Band Society and Gracepoint.

The show got Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe in a recurring role also.

 It's on Fox, Wednesday nights.