The Republic of South Sudan is the newest nation in the world and will become the 193rd member of the United Nations.  In a piece for Blackvoicesnews.com, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. says that African Americans should be paying attention, reaching out to the country for humanitarian and economic reasons alike: African Americans should see…

Chris Brown may have used gay slurs before, but not this time, he says. A day after Star magazine reported that Brown spewed homophobic remarks at opposing players during a pickup basketball game, the singer’s rep says not only are the accusations false, but Brown wasn’t even playing basketball on the day the magazine claims.…

You know it’s a slow news day when Michelle Obama’s lunch gets a headline. Oh, wait, it wasn’t a slow news day at all — major debt negotiations were under way. In any case, some people are still unable (or unwilling) to reconcile how the first lady could possibly run an anti-obesity program and be…

No charges against pants-sagging US Airways passenger: California prosecutors have decided not to file charges against the 20-year-old University of New Mexico football player who was booted off a US Airways flight in June in a dispute over his saggy pants. Oprah becomes CEO of OWN: Oprah is taking complete control of her struggling OWN…

In the wake of the media circus surrounding the Dominique Strauss-Kahn rape case, ColorLines’ Michelle Chen argues that the narrative of the immigrant housekeeper assaulted by a European official perfectly illustrates issues of race, gender, violence and power that aren’t at all limited to that Manhattan hotel room and won’t end when this particular scandal…

Drugs designed to treat HIV also work to reduce dramatically the risk of infection among heterosexual couples, two groundbreaking studies released today showed for the first time. The Washington Post reports that the research, conducted in three African countries, show that the drugs can cut by half a person’s chances of becoming infected with HIV…

The Clinton Foundation’s first contribution to the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, of which he’s a co-chair, was the rebuilding of a collapsed school at the epicenter of the country’s 2010 earthquake. The Nation reports that while local residents were ecstatic about the promise of “hurricane-proof … emergency shelters that can also serve as schools ……

Oprah’s hairstylist defends “kinky hair” comments: Andre Walker recently told Elle magazine, “Kinky hair can have limited styling options; that’s the only hair type that I suggest altering with professional relaxing.” Called out for contradicting his own “Make peace with your hair” mantra and devaluing natural styles, he’s now wildly backpedaling with comments about breakability,…

The Huffington Post reports that France’s foreign minister said Tuesday that embattled Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is prepared to leave the country. “We receive emissaries who are saying, ‘Qaddafi is prepared to leave. Let’s discuss it,’ ” Alain Juppe said. It’s a piece of long-awaited good news for the many who believe that the only…