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Senate Accepts Proposal to Keep Food Stamps From Ex-Cons
Food stamps are on the chopping block again. This time Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana has presented an amendment to permanently drop ex-violent offenders from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, reports Colorlines. Does this remind anyone else of that other proposal to cut food stamps to families with children underperforming in school? According to…
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How Did Vikings End Up in My Family Tree?
(The Root) — Sometimes DNA testing can yield results that will leave you scratching your head, as was the case with the reader below. “I recently did a DNA test using Family Tree DNA’s service, and the results are 10.53 percent European (specifically Finnish, French, Orcadian, Romanian, Russian, with a margin of error of +0.08 percent)…
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Spanish Teacher Files Lawsuit Over Firing for Saying 'Negro'
Petrona Smith, a New York educator, has filed a lawsuit claiming that she was fired from a Bronx school in March 2012 after she used the word “negro” in class, reports Yahoo. Officials at P.S. 211 have not responded to the charges. The non-tenured teacher, 65-year-old Petrona Smith, maintains that she was instructing her class about…
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Twitter Admits Its Privilege
(The Root) — Though Twitter trending topics usually surround the hilarious and ridiculous, this morning saw the rise of a sobering, informative hashtag: #AdmitYourPrivilege. In it, Twitter users outlined the many ways in which they are privileged in society. In addition to naming the usual, obvious privileges — being white, male, straight, Christian, etc. —…
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What Was Black America's Double War?
Editor’s note: For those who are wondering about the retro title of this black-history series, please take a moment to learn about historian Joel A. Rogers, author of the 1934 book 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof, to whom these “amazing facts” are an homage. (The Root) — Amazing Fact About the…
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Obama: Sexual Assault Threatens Military Trust
On Friday, President Obama used his U.S. Naval Academy commencement speech to decry sexual assault in the military, writes USA Today. “Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong,” Obama said during commencement services at the U.S. Naval Academy. Obama…
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Oldest Living Person in US: Be Nice, Worship God and Eat Pigs' Feet
Despite what many doctors advise, 114-year-old Jeralean Talley of Inkster, Mich., America’s oldest living person, says her secret to a long life is to be nice, worship God — and eat pigs’ feet, Time reveals. In a phone conversation on the eve of her 114th birthday, Talley told TIME, “I feel okay.” These days, the…
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Chief Keef and Katy Perry Beef on Twitter
(The Root) — Controversial Chicago teen rapper Chief Keef took a swing at pop star Katy Perry on Twitter on Thursday in response to a tweet she made on May 21. She tweeted, “Just heard a new song on the radio called ‘I Hate Being Sober.’ I now have serious doubt for the world.” “I…
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Interested in a Real New York 'Ghetto' Bus Tour?
Ever thought of looking at poor families in line for a food bank as entertainment? Well, Real Bronx Tours did. The New York tour-bus company offered, until earlier this week, a sightseeing jaunt featuring “a ride through a real New York City ‘GHETTO,’ ” where tourists could gawk at poor families in line for food banks. But…
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Boy Scouts Admit Gay Kids but Not Adults
Although the Boy Scouts of America organization voted on Thursday to allow gay youths into its ranks — starting Jan. 1, 2014 — the deciding members didn’t amend the rule to include lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Scout leaders. So once a Scout turns 18 years old, he is no longer welcome or able to…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
