California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to discuss a recent marijuana law he signed. The Hollywood actor-turned-governor signed a law five weeks ago that made possession of up to an ounce of marijuana the equivalent of a traffic ticket. It carries a penalty of no more than a $100…

Jackyl is a rock band out of Georgia that recently released a video for its song ‘Just Like a Negro.’ The song is somewhat of a cover of ‘Like a Negro’ by Mother’s Finest, a multiracial funk-rock band out of Atlanta (the outfit was all black when it recorded the song). Jackyl’s version is from…

Children as young as age 2 are seeing more fast-food ads than ever before, and restaurants rarely offer parents the healthy kids’-meal choices, according to a new study from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. The new evaluation, the most comprehensive study of fast-food nutrition and marketing ever conducted, shows that fast-food marketers…

According to Billboard, a federal jury has decided that Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes $1.5 million for sharing 24 songs over the Internet. Jurors determined Wednesday, Nov. 3, that Jammie Thomas-Rasset from Minnesota owes $62,500 per song. Last year a federal jury found that Thomas-Rasset willfully violated the copyrights on the 24 songs when she used the…

Representative Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, has endorsed Rep. James Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American in the House Democratic leadership, stating that he should be the party’s second in command in the next Congress. The Washington Post reports that Lee stated, “Jim has spent a lifetime working to bridge what…

MSNBC is reporting that a mother’s decision to allow her 5-year-old son to dress up as a female cartoon character for a preschool Halloween party has lit up the blogosphere. Her account of the negative reaction and disapproving looks she received from some parents so far has generated more than 3 million page views and…

Excerpt (Spoiler Alert) Can anyone name a movie that came out recently starring a black man who wasn’t a sociopath? Someone who had a terrific screen presence, like a young Paul Robeson? And he portrayed a character who was complex and fully drawn? Did he respect black women, too?Anybody see that movie? I didn’t. But…

MSNBC is reporting that banks are not living up to their part of the deal when modifying loans for consumers. The article highlights the plight of William and Esperanza Casco, who were making enough money to stay current on their mortgage. JPMorgan Chase & Co. offered a plan that reduced their payments, and they figured…

There has been mad drama over Michael Jackson’s posthumous single “Breaking News,” which the Jackson family initially stated was fake to such an extent that the singer’s mother released “Opis None,” supposedly from Jackson’s personal music vault. Mrs. Jackson’s business partner Howard Mann subsequently issued a statement suggesting that “Opis None” may not be “authentic,”…

Toni Morrison is “beloved” in France, said the country’s culture minister as he inducted the celebrated U.S. novelist into the elite Legion of Honor. In a ceremony held in a gilded hall in the ministry, Frederic Mitterrand pinned a red-and-gold medal onto the celebrated author’s jacket. Mitterrand called Morrison — a Nobel laureate and winner…