Politics
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Paul Ryan Insists He’s Not Racist
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is once again addressing the controversy behind his racially charged comments, which opined that “inner city” folk not having the desire to work, this time saying that he did not have “a racist bone” in his body. According to The Washington Post, Ryan acknowledged in the interview that he had spoken…
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Members of Secret Service Sent Home After Agent Is Found Drunk
A handful of members of the Secret Service have landed in trouble after enjoying a trip to the Netherlands, where they were supposed to be protecting the president, a tad too much. According to New York’s Daily News, three agents who were in the Netherlands ahead of President Obama were sent home after hotel employees found…
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Extra Time for Some to Finish Health Care Enrollment
The Obama administration announced Tuesday that extra time will be granted after the March 31 deadline for consumers to complete enrollment in an insurance plan under the health care law, the Associated Press reports. “We are experiencing a surge in demand and are making sure that we will be ready to help consumers who may…
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When Hobby Lobby Denies Individuals Contraceptive Care, That’s Not Religious Liberty
Separating a black woman’s reproductive life from her spiritual life isn’t always easy. Religiosity informs much of our lives—including our reproductive lives. Whether we look to our creator for guidance in pregnancy matters or to trusted faith leaders for advice on how to raise our children, it is a vital component prevalent in the larger…
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Breaking Down the Oprah Factor in Politics
If I were a betting man, I’d wager that Oprah Winfrey will run for political office at some point. And if I lost that bet, I’d mos def put a dollar straight on the possibility that she is—at the very least—figuring out how to be the progressive black female version of the Koch Brothers. Recent movements…
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Obama Starts 4-Country European Trip With Russia as the Main Topic
President Obama will be touring some of Europe this week and handling one of the more delicate diplomatic dilemmas of his presidency as he tries to convince America’s allies to stand up to Russia, New York’s Daily News reports. The long-planned trip starts on Monday in the Netherlands, and with Russia’s recent takeover of Crimea, the…
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Millions Remain Uninsured As Affordable Care Act Deadline Approaches
As the March 31 deadline to sign up for HealthCare.gov looms, millions of Americans remain uninsured, the Associated Press reports. The finding comes even as President Obama, scores of advocates and volunteers race to spread the word about the new health law. Most of the uninsured do not know much about the law and its…
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Black Students Expelled or Suspended at Higher Rates Than Whites
Public school students of color face punishment more often and have less access to skilled and experienced educators than their white counterparts, the Huffington Post reports, citing surveys released Friday by the U.S. Department of Education. The surveys, which include data from every U.S. school district, shows that black students are suspended or expelled at…
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Congress Must Act to Protect the Fundamental Right to Vote—for All
This month we’ve honored the anniversaries of events that we hoped would change America forever. On March 21, 1965, hundreds of men and women began a peaceful march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery to stand up for one of the most cherished and fundamental rights in our democracy—the right to vote. But on Sunday, March…
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Obama Shifts Focus to Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane
In his first public comments since the as-yet-unexplained vanishing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, President Barack Obama is pledging that the jetliner is among America’s top priorities, the Associated Press reports. According to the report, Obama said Wednesday that all available U.S. resources, including the FBI, the National Transportation Safety Board and other offices that…