Politics
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Deval Patrick and the Curse of the 2nd Black President
If two-term Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick wants to be a candidate for president in 2016, he’s faced with one problematic detail: We’ve already had a black president. Patrick, who’s the Bay State’s first African-American chief executive, is openly chewing on a bid for the White House, answering “maybe” in a recent Politico interview when asked…
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Where ColorOfChange Stands on ‘Stand Your Ground’
Like so many of you, I was outraged—but not surprised—by the Michael Dunn verdict. Just two years after Trayvon Martin was killed, another Florida jury has told us what we already know: Our nation’s gun laws do not protect the innocent, the justice system is deeply unfair and our media culture continues to create an…
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Joe Biden May Be a ‘White Boy,’ but He’s Got His Black Card
Vice President Joe Biden made headlines twice yesterday. He told ABC’s Barbara Walters that he won’t be standing down in the 2016 White House race, even if Hillary Clinton jumps in, saying that “Whether she runs or not will not affect my decision.” And that’s—as Biden might say—a pretty “gutsy” call. On a lighter note,…
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‘Stand Your Ground’ Still Stands 2 Years After Trayvon’s Death
Today marks a somber two-year anniversary, mourning the brutal and untimely death of Trayvon Martin. It also marks another full year in which nothing has been done to change the “Stand your ground” law partly responsible for Trayvon’s death. Oh, we’ve been hearing quite a bit—but, that doesn’t necessarily mean the same as actual movement…
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Ugandan Tabloid Outs ‘200 Top’ Homosexuals
A Ugandan tabloid has outed several alleged members of the LGBT community, releasing a list of the nation’s “200 top” homosexuals, the Associated Press reports. The Red Pepper published names and some pictures in a front-page story titled “EXPOSED!” including already openly gay activists such as Pepe Julian Onziema, who has spoken out blatantly about…
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Washington Lobbyist Wants to Ban Gay NFL Players
A Washington lobbyist is preparing legislation to ban gay athletes from playing in the National Football League, according to Rawstory. Washington lobbyist Jack Burkman issued a statement viewed by Rawstory that states that his firm, J.M. Burkman & Associates, believes that “we are losing our decency as a nation.” The statement also asks parents to…
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Black Tea Partier Katrina Pierson Takes on Obama—and Her Own Party
Katrina Pierson isn’t who most people picture when they think of the Tea Party. The movement is, according to a recent poll, 83 percent white, and the 37-year-old political activist is a black woman who, given her multiracial background, might have been derisively described by fellow Texan Ted Nugent as a “mongrel”—just as he referred…
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Zimbabwe Deports Mel Reynolds for Immigration Offense
Former Rep. Melvin Reynolds (D-Ill.) is no longer in Zimbabwe, having been deported two days after being convicted of overstaying his visa, Agence France-Presse reports. His lawyer confirmed to the news agency that the 62-year-old scandal-ridden congressman was deported on Sunday afternoon, after opting to pay a $100 fine rather than spend five days in…
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The White House Puts Russia on Notice
On Sunday, the White House issued a stern warning to Russia to stay out of Ukrainian affairs and stated that if Russia chooses to send troops into the violence-torn Eastern European nation, it “would be a grave mistake,” National Security Adviser Susan Rice said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “It’s not in the interests of…
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Detroit Bankruptcy Plan to Hit City Workers
In an effort to exit the largest municipal bankruptcy in the U.S., Detroit officials on Friday released a financial recovery plan that calls for cutting pensions for non-uniformed retirees by nearly one-third and repaying bondholders just $1 of every $5 owed to them by the city, the Washington Post reports. The proposal, filed in federal…