Politics
-
Once Financially Secure, a Mother Is Fighting a Life of Poverty
Josephine Wiles Warner’s cozy town house in Herndon, Va., is filled with the laughter of her four children—children she brought into her home when their natural parents could no longer care for them. And Warner became their mom, but not through foster care, so she receives no aid. Now the lights and water are off…
-
Fla. GOP Candidate Who Called for Obama’s Hanging Compares President to George Zimmerman
Despite the fact that Florida Republicans have distanced themselves from Joshua Black—a GOP hopeful to represent District 68 in the Florida House of Representatives—Black is refusing to back down from his claims that Obama is a criminal and ought to be executed, Raw Story reports. In fact, the only backtracking the taxi driver-hoping-to-turn-politician has done…
-
Sen. Tim Scott Plans Panel Discussion With Black Senators
Sen. Tim Scott is prepping for Black History Month by planning a panel discussion on Feb. 25 to honor the country’s current and former black senators, Roll Call reports. Only nine African Americans—including Scott—have ever served in the Senate. Former Sens. Carol Moseley Braun and Roland Burris of Illinois and former Sen. William “Mo” Cowan…
-
This ‘Subhuman Mongrel’ Forgives You, Ted Nugent
How can you not feel just a little bit sorry for Ted Nugent? The onetime “Motor City Madman” had an impressive 50-plus-year performing career that brought him fame and fortune, but it’s been a long time since he reached his creative peak with the layered, nuanced mega-hit “Cat Scratch Fever” in 1977—and perhaps it’s been…
-
An Open Letter to Those Who Still Believe in the NAACP
On Aug. 3, 1994, syndicated columnist Carl Rowan (pdf) published the first of four blistering columns on the NAACP. It began: “It is sickening to watch the death of the NAACP, a once-proud organization now being strangled by two incredibly arrogant leaders.” The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at that time was…
-
Legalized Marijuana: Will White People Get All the Good Weed?
If the president of the United States says legalizing marijuana is all good, then it must be, right? If the first two states to fully legalize pot are sending their NFL teams to the Super Bowl, then the green stuff must not be all that bad, correct? And if 55 percent of Americans are fine…
-
Roe v. Wade Anniversary: For Black Women, the Issue Is Contraception
Today marks the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. The decision is rightly credited with saving the lives of thousands of women: According to the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, prior to Roe, 5,000 women died annually from illegal abortions. So while many women are alive thanks to Roe, a strong argument can be…
-
GOP Candidate Who Called for Obama’s Hanging Gets a Visit From the Secret Service
As it turns out, it’s never a good idea to call for the hanging of a president. It could get you some very serious attention from the men in black who guard the nation’s leader. According to the Tampa Bay Times, while Joshua Black—the political candidate seeking to win a seat in the Florida House…
-
Obama Administration Targets Sexual Abuse at Colleges
President Barack Obama has set his sights on finding a solution to rampant sexual assault, particularly on college campuses, the Associated Press reports. It’s an issue that rarely gets attention from the White House despite its broad reach into so many Americans’ lives. Obama is expected to sign a presidential memorandum on Wednesday to create…
-
South Africa Officials Affiliated with Phony Interpreter Resign
Two officials of South Africa’s ruling party have handed in resignations following the phony interpreter incident at patriarch Nelson Mandela’s memorial in December, the Associated Press reports. According to the AP, the officials, Bantubahle Xozwa – who allegedly owns the company that hired the fake interpreter and was the head of the African National Congress’…