California Lawmaker Resigns Over Taped Sex Talk

Mike Duvall, a Republican assemblyman from Yorba Linda, issued a statement announcing his resignation. the 54-year-old Duvall, who is married with two adult children, "received a 100 percent rating from a conservative advocacy group for his votes on legislation considered pro-family."It has been reported that he was bragging about his sexual exploits while sitting near an open mike in a hearing room....

Milton Milan of Camden Sentenced to 7 Years

Milan became Camden's first Hispanic mayor on July 1, 1997, a relative political newcomer who convinced voters he could turn the city around. His sentencing comes with the city still in a financial crisis and the state considering a takeover of government operations.During his first term as mayor, he was indicted on a 19-count corruption case, and convicted on 14 of those counts, among them:*laundered...

Louisiana Congressman Convicted In Freezer Cash Case

A jury in suburban Washington has convicted a former Louisiana congressman on 11 of 16 counts including bribery in a case in which agents found $90,000 in his freezer.Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat who had represented parts of New Orleans, was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa. He was convicted of charges...

Obama Not Supporting Public Option?

The U.S. Senate is preparing a vote on health care reform which includes a public option. It is being reported that President Obama is not supporting the public option which is strange because he is on record saying that the public option is the best way to bring competition to the health care insurance industry and ultimately lower costs for Americans.It has been reported that the Obama administration is concerned the votes are not available for the bill with a public option. They are instead quietly...

Rape Victim Denied Health Insurance

Christina Turner was drugged and raped by two men in 2002. After taking anti-HIV drugs prescribed by her doctor as a preventative measure, Turner was denied health insurance. The HIV drugs, Turner was told, raised too many health questions for her insurer.As health insurance reform nears passage, it's stories like this that remind us why we need health care insurance reform in America. The executives and managers of this industry have brought it upon themselves with their practices which never...

Only Black Family On The Titanic

Eighty-eight years after the biggest ship disaster in history, and three years after release of the Titanic movie, the story of the only Black man to perish in the 1912 disaster is being revealed, thanks to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, host to the largest Titanic exhibit ever, and the Titanic Historical Society.Laroche, who was born in Cap Haiten, Haiti, on May 26, 1889, came from a...

New Years Eve Watch Night Services

Many of you who live or grew up in Black communities in the United States have probably heard of "Watch Night Services," the gathering of the faithful in church on New Year's Eve.The service usually begins anywhere from 7 p.m. To 10 p.m. And ends at midnight with the entrance of the New Year. Some folks come to church first, before going out to celebrate. For others, church is the only New Year's...

Fourteen Year Old Develops New Surgery Procedure

An African American teenager named Tony Hansberry II is only in ninth grade, and he has developed a new technique for sewing up hysterectomy patients. The technique for patients after hysterectomies stands to reduce the risk of complications and simplify the tricky procedure for less-seasoned surgeons. - Read St...

From Foster Care To A Million Plus In Scholarships

Derrius Quarles is an example of how we can overcome adversity and not allow our personal story to impact us negatively. It is possible to become more than your circumstances dictate if you desire more from life. As long as people are willing to work hard, study hard, play hard, and not allow temporary setbacks to become long term obstacles, people will have a very good chance to have the best life...

People of Color Denied Refinancing At Higher Rates

New federal data shows that last year blacks were nearly twice as likely to be denied when applying to refinance a home mortgage as whites. About 61 percent of refinance applications from black borrowers were denied, an eight percent increase from 2007. Less than a third of whites were denied.About half of all refinance applications from Hispanic borrowers were denied, a slight increase from last year. Whites, on the other hand, saw their denial rates drop two percent, federal data gleaned from...

America's Economic Transformation

What changed in the early 1970s to reverse the great postwar income convergence? Charles Hugh Smith writes a great article explaining how a number of factors come into play, some more important than others. Three factors stand out: globalization, the emergence of a financial economy, and changes in government policy. He goes into each one of the three factors in very clear detail. - Read The St...

Middle Class Under Assault?

While the wealthy in America have increased their wealth over the years, the middle class have experienced stagnant wages along with big increases in expenses. It is easy to find people who are on both sides of this argument, but many indicators appear to point to the fact that the middle class is barely managing instead of thriving.According to Charles Hugh Smith, here is how Elizabeth Warren, chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel that is monitoring the TARP bailout funds given to banks, jumped...

Wall Street Is On Fire Again

The folks on Wall Street know how to make money even after showing the world that they can also lose money. Thanks to the Federal Reserve, Federal Government, and the U.S. Taxpayer, Wall Street has been able to socialize losses and privatize profits.Wall Strret and Big banks have received the bulk of the bailout money. A short while ago, people were wondering if the end to Wall Street as we know was near. Firms like Goldman Sachs are now preparing to pay bonuses of approximately 23 billion at the...

Will The U.S. Recession End?

According to Mike Whitney, working people are not being crushed by accident, but according to plan. It is the way the system is supposed to work. Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke knows that sustained demand requires higher wages and a vital middle class. A careful reading of the FRBSF’s Economic Letter shows why the economy will not bounce back. It is mathematically impossible. We’ve reached peak credit; consumers have to deleverage and patch their balance sheets. Household wealth has slipped $14...

One In Five At School Are Homeless

The Daily news has reported that 1 out of every 5 students at PS 636 located in Brooklyn, NY are homeless. Fortunately, the school was able to hold on to a grant from the Federal government that allows some students to attend an after school program until 6 PM. This is fortunate because they obviously need the after school program and many schools are being asked to scale back on these programs due to the deep recession the country is experiencing. - Read StoryThe real issue is why are these kind...

Big Baby Denied Health Care

Rocky Mountain Health Plans denied the family of baby, Alex Lange health care because the the child is too fat. This is a baby that is only feeding on breast milk. This is a true story. - Read M...

Reversing Credit Card Fees

It is very easy to pay a whopping $50 to 75 a month for missing a credit card payment or being even one day late with the payment. It is difficult to justify sending a company one's hard earned money for these reasons. This is simply giving money away that most people need for other monthly expenses.The late fee and finance charges can really add up quickly if one does not pay attention. There is one way to have these fees reversed at times. If you have not received your credit card statement in...

Christian Coalition Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

In early 2002, The Christian Coalition settled a racial discrimination lawsuit. A federal court sealed terms of the lawsuit settlement, but The Washington Times reported Jan. 3 that "sources involved in the negotiations" said the African-American employees who brought the suit will receive $325,000 and in return agree not to talk about the case publicly. Twelve black employees sued the Coalition last February, charging a pattern of racial discrimination at the organization's headquarters in Washington,...

Hoosier Lottery Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

In May 2009, The Hoosier Lottery settled a lawsuit filed by 8 fired African American employees. The settlement was 2.75 million dollars. The settlement will be paid with lottery proceeds. - Read St...

Racial Discrimination Obviously Goes Both Ways

Governor Patterson of New York was sued by a Senate photographer who claimed that he lost his job so an African American can be hired. The state settled the case for 300k. - Read StoryMany people will say that this should not be an issue and the lawsuit should have been thrown out because this kind of situation has been happening to Blacks and other people of color in this country for too long. The truth is that the law is the law and what is right from wrong is very cle...

Kodak Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Kodak agreed in July 2009 that they will pay more than $21 million to settle a pair of racial discrimination lawsuits filed by current and former African-American employees. The lawsuits were filed in 2004 and 2007 by an African-American group of Kodak workers accusing Kodak of discriminating against African-American workers when it came to job hiring, pay and promotions. - Read St...

Cop Beats Special Education Student

An Illinois cop was caught on tape beating a special education student. This incident started because the student did not have his shirt tucked in his pants. - See VideoThis video clearly shows the abuse of power that takes place at times. Fortunately for this student, there is video to back up his claims of abuse at the hands of the offic...

Subprime Mortgages Can Be Very Risky

Subprime mortgages became very one of the main reasons that America has experienced a real estate crisis. Subprime lending (near-prime, non-prime, or second-chance lending) in finance means making loans that are in the riskiest category of consumer loans. These loans can dramatically increase in how much a borrower has to pay monthly to a lender. These increases can easily become difficult for a borrower to handle and the borrower could place himself at risk of losing their home (if it is a subprime...