culture

Saturday Night Live returned last night after a two-week hiatus, featuring as host comedian Louis C.K., who drew constant laughs throughout the night. In one sketch, he played the role of a professor of African-American studies (from Brigham Young University, no less) who was a contestant on Black Jeopardy! It was hosted by Alex Treblack…

Nearly 7 million people have signed up for private insurance plans under President Barack Obama’s beleaguered health care law, reflecting a crush of enrollments just days before Monday’s deadline, the Chicago Tribune reports. The surge comes even after federal officials announced Tuesday evening that all consumers who have begun to apply for coverage on HealthCare.gov,…

A 35-year-old homeless Arizona mother who was arrested last week on felony child abuse charges after leaving her young children in a hot car while she went to a job interview, is receiving an outpouring of social media and financial support. Shanesha Taylor was arrested Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz., after police said she left the…

Last week, the nation heard about 18-year-old Chad Thomas, a senior at Booker T. Washington Senior High in Miami, who received 150 scholarship offers for his prowess on the football field and ability to play nine instruments. This week brings Avery Coffey, a senior at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C., who applied…

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice married his longtime fiancee, Janay Palmer, Friday, just a day after he was indicted on third-degree assault charges for reportedly knocking her unconscious during an incident last month, the Baltimore Sun reports. The two have been receiving counseling and therapy, say Ravens officials, who have stayed in contact with…

Recently, Bill Maher tweeted that “March Madness really is a stirring reminder of what America was founded on—making tons of money off the labor of unpaid black people.” Although there are some parallels, college athletes do receive scholarships and are not forced to play. A more accurate comparison would be when a company builds a…

A judge on Friday sentenced a former Florida A&M band member to one year in jail for his role in the brutal hazing death of Robert Champion, a drum major, the Associated Press reports. Circuit Court Judge Marc Lubet sentenced 22-year-old Jessie Baskin, to 51 weeks in county jail, five years’ probation and 300 hours of…

A project led by South African chemical giant SASOL threatens to erase the small community of Mossville, La., which was founded in 1790 by Jim Moss, a freed slave, Mother Jones reports. Over the past half-century, the small, predominantly African American unincorporated enclave on the outskirts of Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish, La., has been…

At 27-years-old, three-time-pro-bowl wide receiver Desean Jackson should be in the prime of his career. Coming off his best season with the Philadelphia Eagles and in only the second year of a recently signed five-year deal worth $48.5 million he was cut from the team. Some say he butted heads with new coach Chip Kelly,…