St. Petersburg Times columnist Howard Troxler is hopping mad that the Florida Legislature has voted to bring back “leadership funds”, which he says are campaign slush funds operated legally and officially by the leaders of the Legislature themselves. He laments that if you are a special interest group, you simply go to the leaders of…

Talking Points Memo is reporting that Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) helped one of the most widely debunked and far-out conspiracy theories about the health care law find its way into the Congressional Record late Wednesday. You may have seen a chain mail in which some on the far right believe the health care law creates…

Profootballtalk.com is reporting that Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon is upset about how his advisee Cam Newton is being treated by the media and fans. Speaking with Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com, Moon apparently became angry when talking about Newton’s treatment. According to the article, Moon stated: “A lot of the criticism he’s receiving is…

The Atlanta Post’s R. Asmerom is wondering aloud about the connection between bling and the motherland. While many see grillz and thick gold chains as indicators of conspicuous consumption, Asmerom asks if it is more of a reflection of black cultural expression and the role that adornment plays in our lives across the globe. Is…

The Associated Press is reporting that long-forgotten photos that show James Earl Ray being brought to jail after his arrest for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. were unveiled Wednesday to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the civil rights leader’s death. Dozens of the striking black-and-white photos, along with letters Ray wrote from jail and other…

Tonya Somanander of Think Progress is reporting that Indiana Republican Rep. Eric Turner introduced a bill that would make most abortions illegal after 20 weeks instead of 24 weeks. State Rep. Gail Riecken, a Democrat, introduced an amendment to the bill that would exempt women who are the victims of rape or incest or for…

Straight from our “What could you possibly be thinking?” file, WCNC is reporting that legislation making its way through the North Carolina General Assembly would allow anyone with a concealed-carry permit to carry the weapon into a restaurant, bar or park. Beth Shayne reports, “We are looking to make sure that deterrence is the order…

Charles Wallace of AOL Finance is reporting that many of the reasons people offer for soaring gas prices are not true, based on the information given by oil-industry insider Dan Dicker. Dicker, a professional trader, has spent nearly three decades in the oil market and has written a book called Oil’s Endless Bid: Taming The…

Fresh from our “You’ve gotta be kidding” file, David G. Savage of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that a divided Supreme Court tossed out a jury verdict won by a New Orleans man who spent 14 years on death row and came within weeks of execution because prosecutors had hidden a blood test and…

ColorLines’ Thoai Lu is reporting that the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that as of 2008, there were more than 846,000 black men in prison, making up 40.2 percent of all inmates in the system. The article highlights a recent talk given by author Michelle Alexander, who puts those numbers in context. Alexander, author…