Politics
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Under Chris Christie, Blacks and Latinos Got Shorted on Sandy Relief
To say that this has been a bad month for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be something of an understatement. On top of the ongoing “bridge-gate” scandal, he’s now fighting allegations that his administration used Superstorm Sandy recovery funds to both strong-arm Hoboken’s mayor on a development deal and promote himself in election-year advertisements. …
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The President Should Attack Out-of-Control College Costs
Seeking a reprieve from Republicans, Edward Snowden and the website that couldn’t, President Obama and the first lady held a feel-good event to push the issue of expanding college opportunity. There were lots of smiles, bucket-loads of remarks on heavy policy lifts and the sense that the White House would do its best to guarantee…
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Some Folks Don’t Like Me Because I’m Black, Says Obama
It seems that some white Americans, and the modern-day Republican Party in particular, have found themselves stuck between Barack and a hard place. The nation’s tortured history of racial discrimination and violence against African Americans has left the promise of a color-blind society as elusive as Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. President Obama has skillfully…
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NAACP Leader Calls Sen. Tim Scott a ‘Dummy’ for Tea Party
The NAACP president in North Carolina, the Rev. William Barber, slammed black Republican Sen. Tim Scott for being a “dummy” for the Tea Party, according to Talking Points Memo. At a speech on Sunday to members of the South Carolina NAACP, Barber made the fiery comments, encouraging people to not “give up the so-called high…
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Olympic Champion Carl Lewis Claims He Was Bullied by Chris Christie
Updated Tues., Jan. 21, 3:35 p.m. EST: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says that former Olympian Carl Lewis is just suffering from a bit of “sour grapes” in response to the track star’s accusations that Christie pushed him out of the 2011 state Senate race, NBC News reports. Courts ultimately upheld the decision made by…
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First Family Commemorates MLK Day at Soup Kitchen
President Obama and his family chose a Washington, D.C., soup kitchen to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to service on this Day of Service. The president, first lady and daughters Malia and Sasha helped prepare meals at the DC Central Kitchen. Take a look:
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On MLK Day, Remember: Workers’ Rights Are Civil Rights
Half a century ago, thousands upon thousands of people from all across this country gathered in Washington, D.C. We all know this story—it was the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was there that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uttered his famous words, “I have a dream.” That speech and that march fundamentally…
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Wisconsin Lawmakers Target Institutional Racism
Wisconsin leads the nation in the percentage of incarcerated African Americans, according to a report released this week by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. While African-American men made up 4.8 percent of the total adult male population in Dane County, whose county seat is Madison, Wis., which is also the state capital, they accounted for more than…
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Obama Will Keep Spying Because That's What Presidents Do
Early reviews are in, and the consensus seems pretty clear: President Barack Obama isn’t going to fundamentally alter the NSA’s spying regime. As the National Journal’s James Oliphant wrote following the president’s speech Friday, new reforms “will have little operational effect” on how the National Security Agency operates going forward. And, if you ask me,…
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Judge Strikes Down Pennsylvania Voter-ID Law
In a victory for the opponents of Pennsylvania’s voter-ID law, a state judge spiked the requirement that mandated all Pennsylvanians must show photo identification before casting their ballots, the Associated Press reports. Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard L. McGinley, who is a Democrat, said that the law would place an exorbitant burden on the people’s right…