Politics

Last week, President Barack Obama wrote a letter to members of Congress telling them he was designating five foreign men—one Guinean, two Afghanis, one Mexican and one Mozambican—kingpins. Under America’s “Kingpin Act,” these individuals are now subject to sanctions by the U.S. government. So what’s a kingpin, and why is America meddling in places like…

To no one’s surprise but to quite a bit of ennui, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has officially announced that he is running for a 21st term in Congress, representing upper Manhattan. His announcement rally, like voter turnout in the district, was not overwhelming. It did attract Gov. David Paterson, an under-fire lame duck son of…

The now-angry president of the United States is promising to find the right ”ass to kick” in connection with the ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. In lieu of an actual solution, which is still some ways off, this is not a bad strategy to pursue. But if the president is not able to…

When I moved from Los Angeles to Atlanta in 1994, a good friend and colleague told me that I would love the city. ”You’re going to love it here,” he said. ”Just remember one thing. When you leave [the city limits of] Atlanta, you’re in Georgia.” He was right on both counts. I did love…

Clap On, Clap Off: Fight ahead for Obama’s intelligence chief choice Clapperhttp://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h4nK1trBYCh1w2fGuJ9JSpKZ4jvgD9G5BATG0President Obama is going to have to fight for his intelligence chief. Tell us something we don’t know. James R. Clapper, the man whom President Obama calls “eminently qualified,” is under attack by Republicans for being the right man for the wrong job. Huh?…

For many Americans, a notice to appear for jury service is an annoyance. Being selected for a jury can mean days off work with only a tiny stipend, listening to the details of lurid criminal activity or the mind-numbing medical testimony in a personal injury case. Many people selected for jury service ask to be…

This was supposed to be ”the year of the black Republican.” Google the phrase and you’ll get more than 20,000 results, most of them ending with a question mark. Prompted largely by a May 10 New York Times article, ”Black Hopefuls Pick This Year in GOP Races,” media outlets pounced on the Great African-American Republican…

The latest criticism of President Barack Obama stems from complaints about his laid-back persona (and its perceived impact on the delayed response) to the BP tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico. Often, this critique from the political right is presented as Obama’s fatal presidential flaw.  However, his coolness may actually be a trait that will…

Linda Johnson Rice is finally bringing in the big guns to turn around the battle to save Johnson Publishing. Former White House social secretary and longtime friend Desiree Rogers is working in a consultancy position with the company “to assist with corporate strategy,” says Wendy Parks, a spokeswoman for the publisher of Ebony and Jet…

Doctors, activists and several key members of the Obama administration convened at the White House Wednesday to address AIDS and its relationship to African-American men. Called the “White House Meeting on Black Men and HIV,” the event, an effort of both the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and the Office of Public Engagement, brought…