Politics
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In Meeting With Paul Ryan, the CBC Was Killing It Softly
If conservative bean counter and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was expecting a packed roomful of angry black members of Congress, he got a rude awakening. They were actually mad nice about it. A nervously anticipated meeting this week between the Congressional Black Caucus and the stumbling Badger State congressman looking to reinvent…
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Black Organizations Blocked by New My Brother’s Keeper Rule?
Updated: May 2, 2014, 12:45 p.m. The Root obtained the following statement from Chairman Curley M. Dossman of 100 Black Men of America on the issue. “In an effort to address a legitimate concern our organization had about a recent RFP, we sent a letter directly to the Department of Justice to obtain clarity around…
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NJ Councilwoman Has Her Own Alleged Racist Rant on Tape
A Belleville, N.J., councilwoman is wrapped up in her own “racist rant” controversy, after she was allegedly caught slurring black folks in the background of a voice mail, NJ.com reports. The news site also reported that a forensics lab in Michigan claimed it was “85 percent” certain that the voice heard on the message was…
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The Black Congressional Budget No One Ever Talks About
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) federal budget proposal, crowded with unrealistic cuts on critical social programs, is like a scene in a bad The Lord of the Rings sequel. Long, overblown and waiting for a third act—and as unbearably outdated in its outlook on poverty as Gandalf appears in his gray beard. Yet,…
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Obama’s Biggest Regret
In a heartfelt moment on Sunday before students at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, President Barack Obama shared that he regretted not spending more time with his now-deceased mother, the ABC News reports. “I regret not having spent more time with my mother,” he said. “She died early. She got cancer right…
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‘Waterboarding Is How We’d Baptize Terrorists’ if Sarah Palin Were President
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin slammed President Barack Obama for what she sees as a lack of leadership and a soft response to terrorist threats against the nation, Yahoo News reports. “Enemies, who would utterly annihilate America, they who’d obviously have information on plots, to carry out jihad. Oh, but you can’t offend them, can’t…
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Obama Remarks on Alleged Racist Rant by LA Clippers' Owner
President Barack Obama on Sunday weighed in on the controversy embroiling Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, saying that his alleged racist remarks reflect the damaging legacy of slavery that still exists in the U.S., CNN reports. Obama said that while the country has made great strides in confronting the racial divide, the comments attributed…
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Bill Urges Schools to Teach Racial Import of Obama Election
Saying that Barack Obama’s election marked a “historic step in the effort towards equality in the United States,” California lawmakers last week passed a bill to encourage schools to teach students about the racial significance of his presidency, the Associated Press reports. The California Assembly, with unanimous bipartisan support, passed the measure Thursday. It now…
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Holder to Stay in Office Through Midterms
Attorney General Eric Holder—one of President Barack Obama’s closest advisers—plans to remain in office through November’s midterm elections, a Justice Department official told Reuters. Beyond the elections, the official could not confirm any plans that Holder, 63, might have, the news site reports. Holder has been attorney general since shortly after President Obama took office…
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New Date for First Lady’s Kansas Graduation Speech
After an uproar by students and parents in Topeka, Kan., over seating arrangements, Michelle Obama will now address a high school graduation class a day earlier, according to the Associated Press. As The Root reported last week, the Topeka Public School District had invited the first lady to speak May 17 at a combined ceremony…