MSNBC is reporting that foreclosures are affecting the demographics of neighborhoods, making class more of an issue. Black neighborhoods are not immune to this growing divide. The article highlights Southfield, Mich., a suburb of Detroit in which some former members of ghetto communities have bought foreclosures in middle-class neighborhoods. The new residents say that current…

Rep. Paul Broun is condemning a constituent who asked about assassinating President Obama at a town hall event in Oglethorpe County, Ga., last week. The man asked, “Who is going to shoot Obama?” Broun apparently failed to address the man’s comment, instead deflecting because he didn’t want to dignify the comment with a response. Uh…

The 83rd Academy Awards aired last night, and The King’s Speech cleaned up, winning four awards, including best director, best actor, best director and best screenplay. The surprise of the evening came in a tribute to Lena Horne. In a year in which Peter Graves (who was left out of the “in memoriam” segment, not…

With tonight’s 2011 Academy Awards, there’s been a lot of focus on this year’s “blackout,” the lack of African Americans nominated for awards. Of course, like the Grammys and other awards shows, the Oscars don’t necessarily validate or confirm the greatness of a work; a good film speaks for itself, whether or not it’s getting…

It’s that time of year again. The 83rd Academy Awards will be airing on Sunday, with all of the usual pomp and circumstance surrounding the event and the nominees. This time around, there has been much ado about the lack of African Americans nominated in front of or behind the camera. Last decade, we had…

The Washington Post is reporting that the Obama administration announced Wednesday that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of the federal government’s ban on recognizing same-sex marriages, a rare legal reversal and the latest in a series of political victories for gay-rights activists. The Justice Department had appealed the decision of a federal judge…

The Huffington Post is reporting that Ida Keeling is the world’s fastest nonagenarian. The 95-year-old Bronx, N.Y., native set a world record at a track meet in northern Manhattan last week, running 60 meters in 29.86 seconds, according to ABC News. She’s the oldest woman to do so. At 4-foot-6 and 83 pounds, Keeling says…

David Leonhardt stirred up controversy when he stated in a previous post that students who choose to attend a historically black college instead of a more selective college may be hurting their future earnings prospects. In this post below, Leonhardt attempts to strengthen his argument with more data. Instead of giving more answers, the piece…

EURrweb is reporting that revered comic book and animation writer Dwayne McDuffie has passed away. The Detroit native died Monday, a day after his birthday, DC Comics said. He reportedly passed away because of complications following a surgical procedure he underwent Monday evening. McDuffie wrote comics for the New York-based DC and Marvel — including…

Fresh from our “Unconscionable” file, the Miami Herald is reporting that former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella was convicted Friday of racketeering in a $2.8 million “kids for cash” plot to send youth offenders to for-profit detention centers owned by his friends. Grieving mother Sandy Fonzo went off on the judge, whom she blames for…