Politics
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Report: US Attorney General Eric Holder to Step Down This Year
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder plans to step down some time this year, according to the New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin, whose feature story is slated to run in the magazine’s Feb. 17 issue, the Washington Times reports. The first African-American attorney general told the writer that he planned to remain “well into” 2014, but he…
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Will the Next Black Senator Be a Familiar Face From Oklahoma?
Oklahoma. With its wide ranges, tornado alleys and young, upstart NBA franchise, it’s the last place you’d think of when considering black political hotbeds. But as Sen. Tom Coburn prepares to retire after a yearslong battle with cancer, black Republicans in the Sooner State are seeking to flip that script on its head. A crowded…
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Why the Black Vote Is Crucial in 2014
In 2012, history was made—again. For the first time, African-American voters turned out at a higher rate than the national average, and helped lift President Barack Obama to a second term while helping Democrats add eight seats in the House of Representatives. As we honor the 88th Black History Month, we celebrate the strides so many…
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Why Some HIV/AIDS Patients Are in Limbo Under Obamacare
Some health care advocates are crying foul after a dispute over federal subsidies, and the interpretation of guidelines that prevent fraud has resulted in scores of patients in Louisiana being booted from their Obamacare plans, Reuters reports. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana argues that it is not trying to keep people with HIV/AIDS…
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80,000 at Moral March Protest Injustice
“Forward together, not one step back,” chanted a crowd estimated at 80,000 in Raleigh, N.C., this weekend. But along with the chants was the realization that history is repeating itself with renewed legislative battles over efforts to diminish voting rights and fights for economic justice. And these setbacks have reignited civil rights activism across the…
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Same-Sex Married Couples to Receive Equal Protection
In a major policy shift for the federal government, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Saturday that same-sex spouses would receive equal protection under the law. They cannot be compelled to testify against each other, they should be eligible to file for bankruptcy jointly and federal prison inmates in same-sex marriages are entitled to the same…
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Inside Nancy Pelosi’s Sisterhood With Delta Sigma Theta
She’s the most powerful woman in Congress, and they call themselves the “largest black female organization in the universe.” They agree on progressive issues from voting rights to fair wage legislation and on the national implications of what are often dismissed as women’s concerns. It’s no surprise that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and…
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Obama Meets With Haitian President Michel Martelly
President Barack Obama will be having his first official sit-down with Haitian President Michel Martelly on Thursday to discuss the developing country’s economic and political future, the Associated Press reports. The meeting comes a day after Martelly met with Secretary of State John Kerry. According to AP, Obama intends to talk about “creating conditions” for…
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The GOP Gets in on Black History Month Advertising
Looks like the GOP wants in on Black History Month. Republican leaders have long noted the party’s inability to attract African-American voters. Some 93 percent of African Americans voted for Obama in the 2012 election, compared with 6 percent for the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney. In a move to bring more black Americans into the…
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To Win With Black Voters, GOP Can’t Just Preach to the Choir
Entering the elegantly restored Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, you could hear the reverberating gospel sound of “Lift Every Voice”—sung by Patrick Lundy & the Ministers of Music—flowing out of the lobby, and see a steady stream of African-American guests flowing in. They were there for a luncheon and, yes, the music, but…