Politics
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Atlanta and the Powers That Be
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…
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NEWS STAND: Obama's New Spy Chief, Soccer Stampede, Suspect Porn Star Dies, and more.
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?…
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Jim Crow in the Jury Box
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…
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Whatever Happened to the Black Republican Wave?
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…
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Obama's Temper and Temperance
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…
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Desiree Rogers Joins Johnson Publishing as Consultant
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…
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White House Hosts Summit on Black Men and HIV
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…
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Racist Hallmark Card? NAACP Says Yes
The discrepancy is over “wholes” versus “whores.” Members of the NAACP say the audio is questionable. A graduation card sold at local stores has been pulled from shelves after a civil rights group raised concerns about the content. The group claims the card’s micro-speaker plays a greeting that’s racist. It is a graduation greeting from…
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Police Chiefs Want No Part of Arizona's Immigration Law
Police chiefs from across the country who met recently with Attorney General Eric Holder have made no secret of their opposition to Arizona’s controversial law targeting illegal immigrants. They also have not been shy about their desire to see the Obama administration, not state legislatures, take the lead on enforcing federal immigration laws. The chiefs…
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Why Artur Davis Lost in Alabama
by Perry Bacon Jr. The defeat of Rep. Artur Davis in his campaign to become Alabama’s first black governor halted the rise of a man viewed as part of a new generation of young black politicians and showed the limits other politicians might face in using the tactics that helped Barack Obama win the presidency.…

