Politics
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Anti-African-Immigrant Sentiment Rampant in France
2013 does not only mark the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. It is also the 30th anniversary of the March on Paris. Thirty years ago, thousands of young French of Arab descent marched from the major cities of the country to the nation’s capital to protest racism and discrimination. The movement was called…
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A War on the Poor Erupted in 2013
America has always been a tough country if you’re starting from zero. Sure, we praise and salute rags-to-riches stories because they make us feel better about the gross inequities in our society, but the reality is much bleaker. Systemic poverty is real. One job loss or serious health scare can take you from being solidly…
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Happy Kwanzaa From the GOP
If there was ever any doubt as to the voter power welded by African Americans in upcoming elections, the latest tweet from the GOP should cast away all doubt. On Thursday the GOP tweeted, “Happy Kwanzaa! Wishing those celebrating a joyous time with loved ones and a time of meaningful reflection ahead of the New…
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President Obama Signs Bill to Crack Down on Sexual Assault in the Military
President Obama may be vacationing with his family in Hawaii but that hasn’t stopped him from working. On Thursday the president signed into law a defense bill that will crack down on sexual assault in the military, the Associated Press reports via the New York Daily News. As reported by the Pentagon, some 26,000 members…
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For Condi Rice and Colin Powell, They Were ‘Days of Fire,’ Too
Peter Baker’s Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House offers not only an authoritative and nuanced portrait of the Bush administration but also a window into the way in which Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice wielded power during a time of war. The two most senior black Cabinet officials of the Bush…
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Obama Enrolls in Obamacare
The president now has health care coverage—times two. In a move that the White House is calling a symbolic show of President Obama’s support for the newly enacted health care system, the president’s aides enrolled him using healthcare.gov, even though the president’s medical needs are met through the military, the Associated Press reports. Obama signed…
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President Obama Puts South Sudan on Notice
Though the president is on his annual vacation in Hawaii, he told Congress that he is closely monitoring the unrest in South Sudan, the Los Angeles Times reports. On Saturday, four U.S. service members were wounded after an aircraft attempting to evacuate the Americans was attacked in Bor, the capital of Jonglei State in the…
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Michelle Obama’s Best Moments of 2013
While her husband has had a somewhat rocky year, first lady Michelle Obama has continued to bask in the glow of sky-high approval ratings. As popular as ever, this year she got to begin a new chapter as a political wife, a chapter in which she no longer has to worry about another election ever…
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Relaxed Obama Arrives in Hawaii
President Obama this weekend began his annual holiday vacation in Hawaii with his family, following a bruising year of criticism—chiefly because of the tumultuous rollout of his signature health care law. He was noticeably relaxed as he walked onto a Honolulu tarmac Friday shortly before midnight, the Washington Post reports. He was joined by first…
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Holder Determined to Challenge Voter-Suppression Laws
North Carolina went from being the model of a voter-friendly state to the poster child for voting restrictions, in one session of a Republican-dominated state legislature. Now, the battle over sweeping new laws passed this year is in the courts, with challenges from the Justice Department and civil rights groups, with crucial midterm elections on…

