There’s an elephant in the room. The Independent reported that Canadian Raheel Raza was the first Muslim-born woman to preside over Friday prayers in the U.K. The problem is that Amina Wadud, a U.S. professor, had already done so before in 2008. Raza is Muslim-born, while Wadud is an African-American Muslim convert. This raised a…

What is more interesting than watching Lindsay Lohan break down over having to serve time in the pokey? The battle royale that ensued between her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley and prosecutor Danette Meyers. Two sisters going at it over America’s most troubled former sweetheart. They don’t make movies this interesting. Myers painted Lindsay as a…

The heat wave that hit the East Coast keeps coming and intensifying. Experts are concerned about the homeless, children playing sports and the elderly. There may also be possible rolling blackouts because of the increased use of air conditioning. Record highs have hit the East Coast, with temperatures climbing to 105 in Baltimore and 103…

The federal government is suing the state of Arizona over its immigration law. The feds will not rehash the arguments against the laws that have been circulating, like racial profiling and civil rights violations, which are considered “weaker” arguments. Instead, the federal government will argue that immigration laws passed by Congress must take precedence over…

South African distance runner Caster Semenya is declared a woman, clearing her for competition. You may remember that Semenya’s gender was questioned because of her speed, muscle definition and overall looks at the World Championship after her 800m win. Semenya was called a hermaphrodite, which suggested that she might have had a slight advantage because…

Mary J. Blige, who recently received an honorary GED from Roosevelt High School, has been accepted at Howard University. Throughout her music career, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has consistently expressed regrets about not continuing her education. She now has the opportunity to do so, having been accepted into Howard University’s class of 2014. The…

On July 27, 2010, the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin will perform at Philadelphia’s Mann Center for Performing Arts with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Who will be accompanying her on piano? None other than former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice, currently a professor at Stanford University, is the Thomas and Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public…

An Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery has become the recent focal point of human rights activists. Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, confessed to adultery after receiving 99 lashes. She has denied the allegations and says she only confessed under duress. Ashtiani, 42, is sentenced to be…

Blue-eyed soul crooner George Michael is in trouble again. He was arrested after crashing his car into a building in London. You may recall that Michael hit a tractor-trailer last year and had his license suspended for two years in 2007 for driving while under the influence of drugs. The beloved singer has had numerous…