High Court Poised to Review Civil Rights Laws

By Robert Barnes

updated 1:45 a.m. CT, Sun., April 19, 2009
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has an opportunity to reaffirm or reshape the nation's civil rights laws as it faces a rare confluence of cases over the next two weeks, including a high-profile challenge brought by white firefighters who claim they lost out on promotions because of the "color of their skin."

The cases also touch on the Voting Rights Act, the need to provide English classes for immigrant children and, more tangentially, discriminatory mortgage lending.

The most emotionally charged case is from the New Haven, Conn., firefighters, whose complaints define the real-life quandary that sometimes accompanies government efforts to ensure racial equality.

The firefighters accuse city officials of violating civil rights laws and the Constitution by throwing out a promotions test on which they performed well but no blacks scored high enough to be eligible. The city responds that relying on test results with such wide racial discrepancies could have violated federal law and left them open to being sued by minorities.

Evolving conversation
The court will hear the arguments, along with the others, in the midst of an evolving national conversation about the role of race and diversity and in the wake of the historic presidential election.

"Each of these cases goes to the ability of our society to achieve opportunity, fairness and ultimately to our ability to be the democracy that we aspire to be," said John Payton, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "We've made tremendous progress as a society, and some of that progress is having in place anti-discriminatory" laws to ensure it continues.

His organization calls for the court in each case to affirm a vigorous role for government in recognizing the need for race-conscious vigilance.

Making a statement
But Edward Blum, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, envisions a chance for the court to acknowledge the strides that the country has made, even if it decides each case narrowly.

The court could "send a signal to government units that race and ethnicity should play a smaller and smaller part in their decisions," Blum said.

He said he thinks the court took the firefighter case "because it wants to make a statement. And of all the cases involving race and ethnicity, I think this is the easiest for the court to answer."

The justices are deeply divided about government policies involving race, even if Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has shown no such ambivalence. His view was evident quickly, when in a first-term dissent he lamented the "sordid business" of dividing individuals by race.

Read more, follow link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30289142

Your Black Politics: Barack Obama Boycotts Meeting on Racism

The Obama administration will boycott "with regret" a U.N. conference on racism next week over objectionable language in the meeting's final document that could single out Israel for criticism and restrict free speech, the State Department said Saturday.

The decision follows weeks of furious internal debate and will likely please Israel and Jewish groups that lobbied against U.S. participation. But the move upset human rights advocates and some in the African-American community who had hoped that President Obama, the nation's first black president, would send an official delegation.

The administration had wanted to attend the April 20-25 meeting in Geneva, although it warned in late February it would not go unless significant changes were made to the draft text.

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: racism,barack obama,black news,african american news,black politics,african american politics

Legal Problems for WWE: Boy Imitates Game, Jumps Off Building

 

Nine-year-old Domori Miles jumped 13 stories to his death with a makeshift parachute Tuesday evening in New York.

While his mother was away from the apartment, Miles took a makeshift parachute, made of a plastic bag and some rope, and went up to the roof of his Brooklyn apartment building. Then, police believe he jumped off the top of the building, plunging to his death, thinking that his parachute would support his weight.

One of Miles’ friends said the boy was a huge fan of the wrestling video game, “WWE Smackdown vs. Raw,” in which one of the characters swan dives. Some are speculating that Miles was trying to imitate a wrestling move.

“He played it all the time. That was what he was trying to do,” 10-year-old Shakar Murrel told The Associated Press. “If I would have seen him up there, I would have told him not to do it.”
In a statement, WWE expressed condolences to the boy’s family, but also asked that there be a full investigation before any conclusions are drawn, adding that none of the game’s characters use parachutes or jump from buildings.

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: domori miles,black news,african american news

Does the Rushcard Exploit the Black Community?

Dear Mr. Simmons:
My name is Ryan Mack and I have followed your career for most of my life. I have been a long-time admirer of your work, a tremendous fan, and believe that millions are inspired by the paths that you have created in the field of Hip-Hop. More importantly, as an advocate for financial literacy myself, I believe that the work that you have been doing through the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network as it relates to financial literacy has been second to none. However, I must admit to being somewhat disappointed with your recent pre-paid debit card venture - the "Rushcard."

The pre-paid debit card industry has always been an industry that is built upon a lack of knowledge within the community. It is an industry based upon the legal phrase which demonstrates that "false imprisonment is an intentional tort." In other words, if I put someone in a room and do not lock the door but tell them that the door is locked, they will remain in the room because they believe the door is locked. As a result of my action, I have committed a punishable crime. I view pre-paid debit cards in the same light. Those who know the strategies to empower the community have a moral obligation to those, who may not be as knowledgeable, to fully inform them. There are other more efficient means to empower those in our communities than pre-paid debit cards and other financially destructive establishments such as check cashing facilities. The typical bank offers free debit cards that if used properly do not have any fees affiliated with them and can be used for the same purpose as the pre-paid debit cards.

If we compare the fees affiliated with the Rushcard compared to the typical bank offered debit card, we can clearly see the advantage of the cards offered by the banking institutions.

Rushcard vs. Typical Bank Card
Activation Fee: Rushcard = $19.95 Typical Bank Card = Free
Convenience Fee: Rushcard = $1.00 Typical Bank Card = Free
ATM Cash Withdrawal: Rushcard = $1.95 Typical Bank Card = Free (At Branch)
ATM Balance Inquiry: Rushcard = $.50 Typical Bank Card = Free
Bill Payment: Rushcard = $1.00 Typical Bank Card = Free
Inactivity: Rushcard = $2.95 Typical Bank Card = Free
Refund of Rushcard/Bank Card via Check: Rushcard = $5.00 Typical Bank Card = Free

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: russell simmons,rushcard,rush card,black money,african american money,black finances,black wealth,black enterprise report,african american wealth,black enterprise

Obama, Venezuela's Chavez shake hands at summit

Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:23am BST

(Updates with remarks from presidential palace)

PORT OF SPAIN, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday greeted and shook hands with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez during an impromptu meeting with the anti-U.S. leader at the Summit of the Americas.

Photographs released by the Venezuelan government showed Chavez, a fierce foe of former President George W. Bush, smiling and clasping hands with Obama at the start of the summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders in Trinidad.

"I greeted Bush with this hand eight years ago; I want to be your friend," Chavez told Obama, according to a Venezuelan presidential press office statement.

Chavez, a staunch ally of Cuba, had became one of the Bush's administrations most strident critics. In March, he called Obama at best an "ignoramus" after the U.S. leader said Chavez obstructed progress in Latin America.

Ties between Washington and Caracas have frayed under Chavez, who often accuses U.S. officials of trying to topple him. Chavez expelled the U.S. envoy to Caracas in September in a dispute over U.S. activities in Venezuelan ally Bolivia.

Former soldier Chavez says socialist revolution can counter U.S. free-market policies in South America and he has become a standard-bearer for anti-U.S. sentiment in the region. But Washington has branded him a threat to regional stability. (Reporting by Patrick Markey; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1736198420090417

FLASHBACK: Chavez in Iran '06: The United States empire is on its way down and it will be finished in the near future, inshallah (Arabic: God willing)...

On March 22, 2009, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama was at best an “ignoramus” for saying the socialist leader exported terrorism and obstructed progress in Latin America.

“He goes and accuses me of exporting terrorism: the least I can say is that he’s a poor ignoramus; he should read and study a little to understand reality,” said Chavez, who heads a group of left-wing Latin American leaders opposed to the U.S. influence in the region.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52L19G20090322

Your thoughts?

Commission: Hecht violated code of conduct

By KOMO Staff

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. -- A local judge accused of harassing and patronizing a prostitute has been found guilty of violating the Code of Judicial Conduct by the state Commission on the Judicial Conduct, according to a statement of charges released Wednesday.

The commission found Pierce County Superior Court Judge Michael Hecht engaged in illegal or otherwise indecorous and inappropriate behavior, namely patronizing prostitutes, harassing or threatening persons whom he believed were discussing his interactions with and payment of prostitutes, using racist language in public conversation and engaging in unfair campaign conduct.

The commission has charged the judge with paying a male prostitute to perform sexual acts on numerous occasions over a five-year period beginning in 1997, when the prostitute was still a minor. Hecht is also charged with patronizing two other male prostitutes from 2000 and 2002, and from 2007 to 2008. In all three cases, the sexual activities took place in Hecht's office, the commission said. The commission said that in 1996, Hecht provided legal services in exchanges for sexual activity with a male client.Hecht is also charged with using the "N" word in a conversation in 2007, as well as stealing his opponent's campaign signs during the 2008 judicial campaign. Hecht has 21 days to file a written response to the charges, the commission said. A lack of response will be interpreted as an admission of guilt.

The commission, which works to protect the integrity of the judicial process, can recommend the suspension of a judge to the Supreme Court. Last month Hecht, 58, temporarily stepped down from the bench after pleading not guilty to felony charges. Prosecutors said Hecht threatened to kill a 24-year-old man, whom Hecht had paid for sex years ago, in Tacoma on Aug. 30, shortly after he was elected to the $148,000-a-year job. Hecht also paid a 20-year-old man for sex on numerous occasions, prosecutors said.

But Hecht last month told KOMO News all the allegations are simply not true."Looking forward to being vindicated. I'm leaving it the hands of my consul and I think a lot of facts will come," he said.The presiding judge for the county said Hecht is cooperating with authorities, and voluntarily decided to take a leave."We are very respectful of the fact that there's an election process that put him in this position. At the same time we are also concerned about the appearance here and the integrity of the court. And that's why he stepped away at this time and we agreed," said Presiding Pierce County Judge Bryan Choshcoff.

Hecht had only been hearing civil cases since he became a judge. He was to see out the remainder of the cases currently before him.

Hecht's trial is scheduled to start on June 9.

Source: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43080757.html

Michigan, DC Other cities hit hard by unemployment

Unemployment rose in 46 states and Washington, D.C., in March, with Michigan leading the way at 12.6%, the government said Friday.

The most dramatic increase was in Oregon, which went from 10.7% to 12.1% - the second-highest among the states.

Oregon was followed by South Carolina, at 11.4% in March, and California, at 11.2%.

The Michigan job market has been hit hard by the battered auto industry. The Big Three carmakers have shed tens of thousands of jobs because of giant corporate losses and waning demand for vehicles.

In Oregon, employment is heavily reliant on the lumber industry, which has suffered from the decline in homebuilding in California and elsewhere.

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black unemployment,black money,african american news,black news

Dear Mr. President: Morehouse Prof Writes Letter to Obama About Black Men

Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell

I applaud your recent creation of the White House Council on Women and Girls to help ensure we are treated equally in public policies, by employers and in every other aspect of American society. I must also urge, however, that you place a similar emphasis on men and boys, particularly young men of color, who face some of the steepest hurdles in American society.

The reasons cited in forming the new council are just -- throughout our nation's history women have often been treated as second-class citizens when it comes to earning a livelihood, climbing the corporate ladder and even exercising the delayed right to vote. Let us not forget that the Equal Rights Amendment was first drafted in 1923--and has yet to be ratified.

To be sure, the new council will focus attention on continuing the progress that has been made through the decades as women have crashed through the glass ceiling.

But I would argue that young men of color face even more daunting circumstances. Young men of color face challenges ranging from a justice system that disproportionately incarcerates them to media and entertainment industries quick to portray them as worthless, violent and criminal. Even before the recession, our young men of color faced a bleak job market where discrimination, globalization and structural change made it difficult for them to find good jobs and succeed in life. With the nation's economy in a tailspin, the unemployment of young men of color has been spiraling out of control.

Consider this sampling of data:

* High school graduation rates for males of color--African Americans (42.8 percent), Native American/Alaska Natives (47 percent) and Hispanics (48 percent)--are far lower than for whites (70.8 percent).
* Minority youths are disproportionately in the juvenile justice system: African Americans (1,004 per 100,000), American Indians (632 per 100,000) and Latinos (485 per 100,000) compared with whites (212 per 100,000).
* More than 29 percent of African-American boys who are 15-years-old today are likely to go to prison at some point in their lives, compared with 4.4 percent of white boys the same age.
* The mortality rate from homicide for African-American boys ages 15-17 is 34.4 per 100,000, compared with 2.4 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic white boys.

Click to read more from Dr. Treadwell and other Black scholars.

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Prominent Scholar Donald Easton-Brooks Explains the Wealth Gap

This study examined whether socioeconomic indicators including wealth, parents' education, parents' occupation, and parents' income predicted the academic outcomes of African Americans and European Americans differently. Using a sample of 1,302 African American and 6,362 European American public high school students drawn from the first- and second-year follow-up of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988, the study found that socioeconomic status (SES) accounted for significant variance in the academic achievement of African American students, and that wealth explained variance for students of both ethnicities beyond what was explained by SES alone. Wealth accounts for greater variance in outcomes of African American students than of European American students.

In her presidential address before the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in April 2006, Gloria Ladson-Billings called attention to the relationship between wealth and what she called an "achievement debt" accruing to African Americans over centuries in the United States. Her thesis, supported by a growing body of research (Conley, 1999; Orr, 2003; Shapiro, 2004) and testimony among African American scholars and elders, was that differences in educational outcomes between African American and European American students related to the historical denial of resources-social, intellectual, and financial capital-as a legacy of slavery, Jim Crow policies, and more subtle institutional racism.

Click to read.

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Lawrence Summers: Barack Obama’s In-House Financial Hypocrite?

Frank Rich, The New York Times

"I am pronouncing the depression over!" declared CNBC's irrepressible Jim Cramer on April 2. The next day the unemployment rate, already at the highest level in 25 years, jumped yet again, but Cramer wasn't thinking about the 663,000 jobs that disappeared in March. He was thinking about the market. Mad money. Fast money. Big money. The Dow, after all, has rallied in the weeks since Timothy Geithner announced his bank bailout 2.0. Par-tay! On Wednesday, Cramer rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, in celebration of the 1,000th broadcast of his nightly stock-tip jamboree.

Given Cramer's track record on those tips, there's no reason to believe he's right this time. But for the sake of argument, let's say he is. (And let's hope he is.) The question then arises: What, if anything, have we learned from this decade's man-made economic disaster? It wasn't just trillions of dollars of wealth that went poof in the bubble. Certain American values also crumbled and vanished. Making quick killings by reckless gambling in the markets - rather than by investing long-term in new products, innovations, technologies or services that might grow and benefit America and the world - became the holy grail in the upper echelons of finance.

Click to read.

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Texas Governor: Obama May Make us Secede from the Union

Per the New York Post, "Tens of thousands of protesters -- some dressed in colonial wigs with tea bags hanging from their eyeglasses -- staged boisterous protests modeled after the Boston Tea Party all around the country yesterday, rallying against financial bailouts and the Obama administration's tax and spending plans."
“The hundreds of grassroots events staged around the nation to protest America's tax burden showcased successful efforts by conservatives to mobilize thousands of participants via Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Liberals once dominated that realm,” the Washington Times adds.

The New York Times: “It was hard to determine from the moderate turnout just how effective the parties would be. In Philadelphia, a rally in Center City drew about 200 rain-soaked participants… In Pensacola, Fla., about 500 protesters lined a busy street, some waving ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ flags and carrying signs reading ‘Got Pork?’ and ‘D.C.: District of Corruption.’ In Austin, Tex., Gov. Rick Perry energized a crowd of about 1,000 by accusing the Obama administration of restricting states’ rights and vaguely suggesting that Texas might want to secede from the union.”

The AP has more on what Perry said. “Later, answering news reporters' questions, Perry suggested Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to secede from the union, though he said he sees no reason why Texas should do that. ‘There's a lot of different scenarios,’ Perry said. ‘We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot.’”

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: texas governor,rick perry,barack obama,black news,african american news,black politics,african american politics

Black Legal News: Fewer Blacks in Prison for Drugs

For the first time since the war on drugs became a national law enforcement obsession in the mid-1980s, the number of African-Americans in state prisons for drug offenses has declined, a criminal justice reform organization said.

The number of whites in state prison for drugs rose 42.6 percent since 1999, while blacks dropped 21.6 percent.

A study released Tuesday by the Sentencing Project found a 21.6 percent drop in the number of blacks incarcerated for drug offenses, a decline of 31,000 people, from 1999 to 2005.

The corresponding number of whites in state prisons for drug offenses rose 42.6 percent, or by more than 21,000 people, while the number of Hispanics was virtually unchanged, according to "The Changing Racial Dynamics of the War on Drugs."

The study, authored by Executive Director Marc Mauer, found that the differences between black and white imprisonments for drug crimes are partly because of how police target suspects and court sentencing guidelines, which vary by state.

Also, there has been a decrease in the use of crack cocaine in predominantly minority urban neighborhoods and an increase in methamphetamine abuse in many primarily white rural areas, Mauer said Wednesday.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: african american males,black news,african american news,black politics,african american politics

Black News: Queen Latifah’s Legal Problems with her Stylists

 

Hip Hop star turned actress Queen Latifah is being hit with two separate lawsuits from former stylists for a total of roughly $1M dollars.  In both cases, the women claim that Latifah owes them back fees for consulting with her on her Covergirl and Curvations lines. 

What’s worse for Latifah is that the suits threaten to expose her lifestyle “whatever that may be……” Should be interesting to see what the cases expose.  This could be even worse for the Queen’s bottom line.

Technorati Tags: queen latifah,black news,african american news,black celebrities,african american celebrities,black celebrity gossip

Dr Boyce Watkins on the BBC to Discuss Predatory Lending, the Rushcard and More

After writing his commentary on the Rushcard issued by Russell Simmons, Dr. Boyce appears on BBC World News again to discuss the card, predatory lending and whether Simmons is doing a good or bad thing for the Black community.

Dr Watkins is one of the world’s leading financial experts and a Finance Professor at Syracuse University.   Click the image to listen!

Technorati Tags: black money,black wealth,african american money,african american wealth,the rushcard,russell simmons,black news headlines,african american news,black scholars,african american scholars

Reality Show for Somalia Pirates?

Reality TV knows no bounds. The day after Navy snipers took out three Somali pirates is the perfect time, it seems, for Spike TV to announce a new reality show — Pirate Hunters, USN. The US Navy will allow cameras on board two warships as they track down pirates off the coast of Africa.

The show’s producers are rooting for more violent confrontations:

“By all accounts it will get worse, pirates will get more deadly and certainly the Navy will try to counter that,” said Rasha Drachkovitch, president of 44 Blue Productions.

“We are thrilled to be front and center with the Navy on such an important mission,” says Sharon Levy, senior vice president, original series for Spike, announcing the pilot. “The access we have will really give our viewers the kind of heart-stopping action they have come to expect from Spike programming.”

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black news,a frican american news,black politics,african american politics,africa news

Saudi Judge Upholds the Marriage of 8-Year Old Girl to 47-Year Old Man

A Saudi judge has refused for a second time to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man, a relative of the girl told CNN.

The most recent ruling, in which the judge upheld his original verdict, was handed down Saturday in the Saudi city of Onaiza, where late last year the same judge rejected a petition from the girl's mother, who was seeking a divorce for her daughter.

The relative said the judge, Sheikh Habib Al-Habib, "stuck by his earlier verdict and insisted that the girl could petition the court for a divorce once she reached puberty." The family member, who requested anonymity, added that the mother will continue to pursue a divorce for her daughter.

The case, which has drawn criticism from local and international rights groups, came to light in December when al-Habib declined to annul the marriage on a legal technicality. The judge ruled the girl's mother -- who is separated from the girl's father -- was not the girl's legal guardian and therefore could not represent her in court, according to Abdullah al-Jutaili, the mother's lawyer.

 

Click to read.

Recession causing lawyer layoffs at big firms

Apr 13 01:11 PM US/Eastern

By JESSE J. HOLLAND

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - In America, there are always people to sue or contracts to negotiate, right? Apparently there aren't enough.

The recession is taking a steep toll on the legal profession, an industry long seen as immune from the ups and downs of the economy. Trying to weather the financial crisis, the nation's largest law firms are laying off attorneys and delaying the hiring of others.

More than 3,000 lawyers have been laid off in the first three months of 2009.

"A lot of people go into the law because it's one of those professions where you're always going to have work. There aren't typically big layoffs," said Samuel Smith of Charlotte, N.C. "Realistically, I don't think people saw this coming."

Last summer Smith was working at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft while flirting with job opportunities at a few other firms. But in August, Smith was laid off as the economy soured. The firms that earlier had been interested were now reluctant to hire.

"I'm still looking for jobs," said Smith, who launched http://www.rateapartner.com, a Web site that links to legal business news articles and allows lawyers and clients to anonymously rate law firm partners.

Just how bad is it out there?

The Labor Department said the number of unemployed lawyers jumped 66 percent last year to a 10-year high of 20,000.

The first time this year that three consecutive business days passed without one of the nation's top law firms announcing job cuts came in mid-March, according to the Web site Lawshucks.com.

They have counted 3,149 lawyer layoffs—just in the big firms, just in the first three months of the year.

The New York City Bar Association, for the first time in its more than 135 years, is offering career counseling services to lawyers between jobs.

To read more, click below:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97HO0E80&show_article=1

China foreign exchange reserves at $1.954 trillion

From My Way News

Apr 11, 8:07 AM (ET)

BEIJING (AP) - China's central bank said Saturday that its foreign exchange reserves rose 16 percent year-on-year to $1.9537 trillion by the end of March.
China's reserves, already the world's largest, increased by $7.7 billion in the first quarter - $146.2 billion less than the same period last year, the People's Bank of China said in a notice on its Web site.

That rise was substantially less than the fourth quarter increase of almost $45 billion, according to China's official Xinhua News Agency, showing the impact of slowing exports due to the financial crisis.

In March, the reserves increased by $41.7 billion, it said, $6.7 billion more than the same period last year.

Analysts believe China holds up to 70 percent of its foreign reserves in U.S. dollar-denominated assets, including Treasury securities.

China's reserves have ballooned as the central bank buys up dollars generated from its huge trade and influx of foreign investment.

While China's economy has slowed due to a plunge in trade and a slump in the domestic real estate industry, recent data show the drop eased in March.

Beijing has taken steps to hold down the price of exports by cutting taxes on exporters and stopping the rise of China's tightly controlled currency, the yuan, against the U.S. dollar.

Economists say both steps could strain relations with trading partners if China is seen to be competing unfairly.

Western leaders including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown are pressing for China to contribute to a global bailout fund from its reserves.

Exports fell 17 percent in March from a year earlier, the fifth straight monthly decline but less severe than February's 25.7 plunge, the sharpest in a decade, the customs agency reported Friday. It said trade "showed clear signs of improvement."

Imports fell by 25.7 percent, widening the Chinese trade surplus to $18.6 billion from February's $4.8 billion gap.

Source: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090411/D97G8G300.html

Ginsburg Shares Views on Influence of Foreign Law on Her Court, and Vice Versa

"Is Justice Ginsburg loyal to the U. S. Constitution (as required by law) or is she showing that her loyalty is to international law of other countries?" Syreeta L. McNeal, CPA, JD

From the NY Times
By ADAM LIPTAK
Published: April 11, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In wide-ranging remarks here, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended the use of foreign law by American judges, suggested that torture should not be used even when it might yield important information and reflected on her role as the Supreme Court’s only female justice. The occasion was a symposium at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University honoring her 15 years on the court.

“I frankly don’t understand all the brouhaha lately from Congress and even from some of my colleagues about referring to foreign law,” Justice Ginsburg said in her comments on Friday.

The court’s more conservative members — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Samuel A. Alito Jr., Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas — oppose the citation of foreign law in constitutional cases.

“If we’re relying on a decision from a German judge about what our Constitution means, no president accountable to the people appointed that judge and no Senate accountable to the people confirmed that judge,” Chief Justice Roberts said at his confirmation hearing. “And yet he’s playing a role in shaping the law that binds the people in this country.”

Justice Ginsburg said the controversy was based on the misunderstanding that citing a foreign precedent means the court considers itself bound by foreign law as opposed to merely being influenced by such power as its reasoning holds.

“Why shouldn’t we look to the wisdom of a judge from abroad with at least as much ease as we would read a law review article written by a professor?” she asked.

She added that the failure to engage foreign decisions had resulted in diminished influence for the United States Supreme Court.

The Canadian Supreme Court, she said, is “probably cited more widely abroad than the U.S. Supreme Court.” There is one reason for that, she said: “You will not be listened to if you don’t listen to others.”

To read more, click http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/us/12ginsburg.html?_r=1&em

Black Politics: Why Won’t We Fix Our Prisons?

Harry C. Alford

There is one serious fault that America has yet to actually address: the medieval prison system that we have implemented and have actually enlarged over the last few decades.

No other nation imprisons its citizens the way America does. For a free democratic nation we have a system that belongs with some sort of tyranny or oppressive order. It is oppressive and targets people of color – particularly African-Americans.

There are more African-American males in prisons than in college institutions. That is not the stuff that makes a nation great.

I have a degree in Correctional Administration from the University of Wisconsin. It was during internships that I noticed the actual prison systems did not match the scholarly material I was studying.

There was no direct attempt to address recidivism or actually rehabilitate offenders. The prisons were warehouses that eventually developed into “cash cows” by the manipulative and greedy. US prisons for the most part have become predators on the general population.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black men in america,african american men,prisons,black news,african american news,black politics

Pres Obama Says Economy Looks Better

David adds Obama also brought up Easter in his remarks.

"Now, we have always been very cautious about prognosticating and that's not going to change just because it's Easter," the president said.

President Obama delivered a brief pep talk today on the economy, after meeting at the White House with financial advisers including Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Americans are starting to see "glimmers of hope throughout the economy," Obama told reporters. USA TODAY's David Jackson says Obama cited lower mortgage rates, an uptick in home refinancing and increased lending to owners of small businesses.

 

Click to read.

 

Technorati Tags: barack obama,black politics,black news,black money,african american money

The Amazing Johnny Cochran

 

In case you didn’t get a chance to see the great Johnny Cochran in action, you really missed something.  Johnny is no longer with us, but we are YourBlackWorld wanted to pay tribute to one of the most respected Black attorneys of all time.  Click the image below in order to see Johnny Cochran’s closing argument during the OJ Simpson Trial!

 

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Obama being accused of a political no-no

Pres. Obama is catching a great deal of flack for allegedly bowing to King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia.  This is a no-no in the eyes of some, as it indicates submission.  Click the image to watch the video and judge for yourself.

 

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Black Attorney News: Kwame Kilpatrick Might Be in Trouble AGAIN

 

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick used his re-election fund to pay lawyers nearly $1 million for their ultimately futile efforts to keep him out of jail -- a move that possibly violates state campaign finance laws.

Kilpatrick’s lead attorney, James Thomas, defended tapping the campaign account but Maurice Kelman, a retired Wayne State University law professor, said it was improper. Kelman has been calling on Kilpatrick to disclose his spending.

A spokesman for state Attorney General Mike Cox said Wednesday that such matters are typically referred to local prosecutors.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s spokeswoman Maria Miller declined comment on the legality of tapping the fund but said prosecutors will look at the $215,000 that Kilpatrick said he had left in the fund at the end of 2008.

Click to read.

 

Technorati Tags: kwame kilpatrick,black celebrity gossip,black news headlines,african american news

Kilpatrick paid lawyers $1M from election fund

Action could violate campaign finance laws

By M.L. ELRICK, JIM SCHAEFER and JOE SWICKARD

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

April 8, 2009

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick used his re-election fund to pay lawyers nearly $1 million for their ultimately futile efforts to keep him out of jail -- a move that possibly violates state campaign finance laws.

Kilpatrick’s lead attorney, James Thomas, defended tapping the campaign account but Maurice Kelman, a retired Wayne State University law professor, said it was improper. Kelman has been calling on Kilpatrick to disclose his spending.

To read more, visit http://www.freep.com/article/20090408/NEWS01/90408094/Kilpatrick+campaign+fund+used+for+defense

Cuban PAC blasts trip (by CBC to Cuba) as 'embarrassment'

From TheHill.com

By Ian Swanson
Posted: 04/08/09 12:10 PM [ET]

The Democrats who met with Fidel Castro represent “a fringe” in Congress that still sees the former dictator as a romantic revolutionary, the leader of a hard-line group said Wednesday.

Mauricio Claver-Carone, a board member with the U.S.-Cuba Democracy Political Action Committee, blasted Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and six other Democrats for traveling to Cuba and meeting with Castro.

“It’s an embarrassment and it gives a bad name to the Congressional Black Caucus,” Claver-Carone said of the trip. Several of the lawmakers are CBC members.

The Cuba Democracy PAC has given hundreds of thousands in political contributions to Democrats and Republicans in Congress as part of an effort to maintain stringent trade and travel restrictions with Cuba. The group in recent years has focused on outreach efforts to the Democratic freshman classes of 2004, 2006 and 2008.

Claver-Carone said 95 percent of those who favor lifting trade and travel restrictions with Cuba believe doing so would bring about democracy in the island nation. “I respect that but I think they’re wrong,” he said.

Five percent of those who want to lift the embargo “really think he’s [Castro] a revolutionary hero,” he said. “This group is that 5 percent.”

Besides Lee, the seven-member delegation was composed of Reps. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Laura Richardson (D-Calif.). The group met with both Fidel Castro and his brother Raul, who is now the country’s president.

The group has come under criticism for not meeting with dissidents during the six-day trip. Lee at a press conference on Tuesday said she had met with dissidents on other occasions, and that the purpose of the recent trip was to have discussions with Cuban leaders about normalizing U.S.-Cuba relations.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), a native of Cuba, told CNN that any member visiting Cuba should “have the courage” to meet with those raising concerns about the government’s human rights violations.

Claver-Carone argued that Cubans of African descent face discrimination in Cuba, and said members of the Congressional Black Caucus should have raised this issue with the country’s leaders, who he said oversee “one of the most racist regimes in the world.”

Source: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/cuban-pac-blasts-cbc-trip-as-embarrassment-2009-04-08.html

Other articles detailing Congressional Black Caucas (CBC) visit to Cuba:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/columnists/myriam-marquez/story/989534.html

Cynthia McKinney Has More to Say after the Election

Hello!!!

First of all, I'd like to announce that I'll be on www.wpfw.org radio in the morning at 7:00 on Hodari's show. I'll be on live from Haiti. I hope those of you who can will tune in.

Of late, I'm been approached by four types of voters: one voter type knew about our Power to the People campaign and enthusiastically supported it. They find themselves in the position of not wanting to say, "I told you so" too loudly, but certainly say it among themselves and to each other.

Increasingly, though, there's another type of voter that is contacting me, expressing "Buyer's Remorse" for having supported candidate Barack Obama. These voters can be futher subdivided into three categories: those who voted for Obama, not knowing very much about our Power to the People campaign; those who voted for Obama, knowing a lot about Rosa, me, and the Power to the People campaign, but who chose instead to vote for Obama out of fear of a McCain/Palin White House; and finally, those who knew about our Power to the People campaign and were hostile to it because they were suspicious that our campaign was designed to deny the White House to candidate Obama--the spoiler campaign. Fortunately and hopefully, because of the integrity with which we ran our campaign, those in this latter category are few in terms of their numbers in communication with me.

Click to read.

 

Technorati Tags: cynthia mckinney,black politics,african american politics

What Same-Sex Marriage Means for America

By Leland C. Abraham, Esq.

On April 2, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling finding that a ban on same-sex marriage, in the state of Iowa, was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court based this decision on the premise of “equal protection” under the law. This means that homosexual couples did not have the same protection under the laws as heterosexual couples who were married in the state of Iowa.

This measure has significant impact on the course of the nation’s stance on this issue. The Iowa Supreme Court found that a state statute that banned gay marriage was unconstitutional and that homosexual couples should have the same rights in marriage as heterosexual couples. The interesting thing about the decision is that the same logic used the Iowa Supreme Court used to justify its ruling is the same argument that can be used to justify a number of significant future marriage measures.

Equal protection under the law means that a protected class will have the same rights as a majority class. In this case, that majority class will be the heterosexual couples who are married. The Iowa Supreme Court has just made a verdict that allows homosexual couples that same rights and access to laws as the heterosexual couples. While I will not make a religious argument in this article, I will make a legal argument as to how this decision can lead to what we in the legal world call a “slippery slope.” A slippery slope is a situation in which once something is started, it is nearly impossible to stop it. Another common phrase used to describe this phenomenon is “ringing the bell.” The adage goes, once the bell has been rung, you can’t unring it.

Most Americans will assume that the decision of the Iowa Supreme Court will be limited to marriage between homosexuals. However, this is not necessarily the case. Because equal protection was cited as a reason for the decision, any group seeking marriage will have a viable argument as to why they should get married under the “equal protection” argument. Thus, if two men and two women wanted to have communal marriage, there is no legal argument as to why they should not be married in the state of Iowa. While this form of marriage is at the very least, unconventional, the four participants will have the same argument that the Iowa Supreme Court used in its decision. If homosexuals have equal protection under the law, then so should communal marriages. Another example would be if a man wanted to marry man’s best friend, the dog. While most Americans would consider this to be an outrageous arrangement, it is possible in this generation of Americans. While the man may initially have some legal resistance to his right to marry his pet, once the matter gets to the state court levels, he will have the same legal arguments that I have already asserted, “equal protection under the law.” He would also have the case precedent of the Iowa Supreme Court overriding a state statute to accommodate such a protection.

Some Americans may not have a problem with what the Iowa Supreme Court decided. In fact, many may see it as a sign on progression in the social justice movement. The state that has had marriage legalized the longest is the state of Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, the homosexual lifestyle is taught to students in grade levels as low as the 4th grade. This is being done to promote tolerance for when the students are older and have to confront the homosexual lifestyle in adulthood. If my assertions are correct and this decision really is a slippery slope, then there is a great possibility that the next generation of young students can be learning about communal marriages and other forms of unions as accepted alternatives to traditional marriage while they are young students. These are the formative years for young people. If the issue of gay marriage continues to be passed in the various states in the union, it will be interesting to see how the relationships amongst the next generation of young people form.

Legal Disclaimer: This site provides information about the law designed to keep readers informed of pertinent legal matters affecting the African-American community. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer in your specific location if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

When is Police Force Too Much?

By Leland C. Abraham, Esq.

By now, I am sure most of the readers of this article have heard about the incident in King County, Washington in which a police officer beat a 15 year old girl. For those who are not familiar with the specifics, I will explain them to best of my ability. A young black girl had a friend who decided to take her mother’s car without permission. The friend picked up the young black girl and they went “joyriding.” The mother of the girl’s friend reported the car as stolen. The police eventually caught up with the young girls and took them into custody. Apparently after the arrest, the young girl and the arresting officer, officer Schene, entered into a verbal exchange. This verbal exchange continued until they arrived at the police station. Once at the police station, the girl was escorted to a holding cell. Once in the holding cell, the girl was asked to remove her shoes. She removed one shoe and kicked it in the direction of one of the officers. With the door to the cell still ajar, Officer Schene and his partner rush into the cell and Schene brutally attacks the young girl while the other officer holds her down. All of these actions were caught on a surveillance tape mounted inside the holding cell. The attack included punches and pulling of hair. After the attack, the young girl complained of breathing problems. She was escorted to the lobby of the jail and paramedics were called to come and attend to her.

Officer Schene stated in his arresting affidavit that the young girl assaulted him. Whenever an officer makes such a statement, an internal investigation is conducted. In the course of such an investigation, video tape from the holding cell was discovered and leaked to the media. The incident occurred in November and the story was released in February. The officer went on the customary “paid” administrative leave and the incident is “under investigation.” Because of death threats, the officer has subsequently left the King County area.

While it is a common known fact that police sometimes overstep the bounds of their authority, it begs the question why are the oversteps only occurring with people of color? To illustrate the point that I am trying to make, I have never heard of a white 15 year old girl beaten by the cops. The reason that the cops gave for assaulting the young girl was because she was “lippy.” It is highly probable that the officer, with over 8 years of experience, has arrested a teenager before. Having seen several interviews with officers, it is highly probable that most, if not all, of the teenagers that the officer has previously arrested became “lippy” at some point in the arrest. So this question becomes, why did the officer not beat on the other teenagers or any one of the other people who were arrested during the course of his 8 year career. Why did the outburst have to occur with this particular young lady? The question not only arises in the King County case, but in most cases in which police brutality is involved. Statistically, blacks are the recipients of the vast majority of excessive police brutality. In general, when an unarmed man is shot by a police officer, he is a black man. This has happened several times over the years, including the Sean Bell incident in New York and as recently as a case in Louisiana in which a 74 year old man was shot on the steps on his own porch. Again, while these incidents almost always produce some sort of investigation, there are rarely any criminal consequences for the officers who perpetrate such vicious attacks.

This has led to a generation of black men and women who have a different “code of conduct” than their white counterparts when encountering police officers. For example, I was told to make sure that if I were ever pulled over by a police officer, to always make sure that my hands stay on the steering wheel and that I do not make any sudden movements. I was told to always make sure that I clearly articulate what I was going to do and to make sure that if I were pulled over at night to pull over in a place where there are a lot of people around and that is heavily lit. When I asked why I had to do all of this stuff, I was told, “Because you don’t want to have four warning shots in your back.” As I have grown older, I have wondered why it is that police seem to make the same mistakes as to their authority when it comes to people of color. As far as America has come with racial relations and the election of its first black president, it still has a long way to go. I know what when I have children who come of age, I will have the same conversation concerning police officers as my family had with me.

Legal Disclaimer: This site provides information about the law designed to keep readers informed of pertinent legal matters affecting the African-American community. But legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual's specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer in your specific location if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

Libya's Gaddafi says fears Obama assassination

From Reuters
Tue Apr 7, 2009 3:18pm EDT

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi Tuesday called Barack Obama a "flicker of hope in the middle of the imperialist darkness," but said he feared the president could be assassinated.

Gaddafi, known for his controversial statements, did not say who might want to kill Obama but gave the examples of the assassinations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, as well as black rights leader Martin Luther King.

"I fear that they could liquidate this young man or force him to submit to their imperialist policies," Gaddafi told a university gathering of his supporters in Sirte, without specifying who might put Obama under pressure.

"Obama is a flicker of hope in the middle of the imperialist darkness," the Libyan leader said, adding: "There is a fear that they would liquidate him as they liquidated Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln."

Gaddafi, who is the African Union chairman, had offered to work with Obama to sustain security, stability and prosperity in Africa and elsewhere.

Gaddafi praised Obama for breaking with what he said was the previous American foreign policy that dictated to the rest of the world what to do to serve U.S. interests.

"He (Obama) speaks logically. Arrogance no longer exists in the American approach which was previously based on dictating to the rest of the world in order to meet its own conditions," Gaddafi said in the remarks carried by state media.

Gaddafi, who took power in 1969 in a military coup in his oil- and gas-rich North African state, was shunned for decades by the West, which accused him of supporting terrorism.

His ties with Western countries have improved since Libya announced in 2003 it was scrapping weapons of mass destruction programs and agreed to pay compensation for families of victims of bombings of U.S. and French airliners.

(Writing by Lamine Ghanmi)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5365VK20090407?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Black News: Castro Meets with Congressional Black Caucus

Fidel Castro met Tuesday with three members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the former Cuban president's first meeting with American officials since falling ill in July 2006.

Greg Adams, a spokesman at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, said Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, and two other lawmakers met with the ailing, 82-year-old Castro. He did not have further details, nor could he provide the names of the other Americans who attended the meeting.

The meeting appears to underscore the Cuban government's desire for improved relations with the United States under new President Barack Obama.

Adams said he expected the Cuban government to release more information during the nightly newscast on state television.

 

Click to read.

 

Technorati Tags: congressional black caucus,black news headlines,african american news,black politics,african american politics

Citigroup chairman: bankers being 'vilified'

From My Way News
Apr 7, 6:49 AM (ET)
By JAYMES SONG


HONOLULU (AP) - Citigroup Inc. (C) (C)'s new board chairman, Richard Parsons, said financial institutions are being targeted for creating the nation's financial crisis, but they aren't the only ones responsible.

"Everybody participated in pumping up this balloon. Now the balloon has deflated," he said Monday. "Everybody, in reality, has some part of the blame. But it's much more in the culture to find a villain and vilify the villain."

Besides banks, there was reduced regulatory oversight, loans to unqualified borrowers were encouraged and people took out mortgages or home-equity loans they couldn't afford.
"We had a big party in this country," said Parsons, a longtime Citigroup board member who succeeded Win Bischoff as chairman at Citigroup.

Parsons' job now is to help turn around the troubled banking giant, as he did as CEO of Time Warner Inc. (TWX) Citigroup has suffered five straight quarters of losses, including $8.29 billion in the fourth quarter alone.

It has received $45 billion in bailout aid, and the government also agreed to cover a portion of losses on hundreds of billions of troubled assets and loans as Citi looks to right itself.

Parsons said as a board member since the mid-1990s, he shares some of the responsibility "for where we find ourselves."

"That's one of the reasons I took this job," he said.

Parsons met briefly with reporters a day before his scheduled speech at the University of Hawaii, which he attended from 1964-68 and where met his future wife.

He'll never forget his first class at Hawaii. The 16-year-old New Yorker decided to wear a suit and tie.

"I sat next to some kid who had a bathing suit and surfboard (that) he left outside," Parsons said.

"He was getting sand on my suit. I was like, 'What's up with this?'"

Parsons said it took about a year to embrace Hawaii's culture and atmosphere, which was drastically different from his native New York. And, "after a year, I went local and became sort of a kamaaina (resident)," Parsons said.

He said Citigroup is one of the only true global banking franchises.

"Any time you have these financial crises, the bad news seems to overwhelm all the good news," he said. "But within the envelope, Citigroup is still a very powerful, vibrant, highly profitable, good bank."

Parsons said he's working with management, the Obama administration and regulators to deal with the bad assets.

He said President Barack Obama is trying to steer a fine line between identifying with frustrated taxpayers and getting banks to do what they are supposed to do.

To read more, click on link below:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090407/D97DIVI01.html

False Imprisonment?: OPRAH SCHOOL LOCKED UP STUDENTS

From New York Post

BY KELLY MAGEE
Last updated: 9:42 am April 7, 2009
Posted: 12:57 amApril 7, 2009

FOUR students claim they were kept in solitary confinement for two weeks before being expelled from the Oprah Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

The girls, who were among seven pupils accused of forcing fellow students into sexual relationships and engaging in bullying and harassment, told a South African newspaper of how they were treated before being sent home.

Speaking to The Star of Capetown, the girls claim guards were stationed outside their rooms and they were barred from attending class or communicating to other students during the initial investigation.

They slept in separate rooms.

The students were banned from the cafeteria and, instead, meals were brought to their rooms by school staff. But the girls claim they were too distraught to eat.

"I asked myself, 'What's the point?' " said one of the girls. "I'm going to be expelled anyway."
Lisa Halliday, a spokesperson for Oprah, said the girls underwent "in-school suspension." Security guards were there for the safety of the pupils, according to Halliday.

It was the first time the young women involved in the case have spoken publicly -- though the paper did not identify the expelled students by name due to the sexual nature of the case.

A 15-year-old confirmed physical contact between students.

"If they say I was touching other learners, it's true," she told The Star.
In her defense, she said, "No one complained to me about it. Obviously if you touch someone, if they are uncomfortable, they will tell you."


To read more, click below:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04072009/tv/oprah_school_locked_up_students_163229.htm

Gov. Paterson gets message from top Democrats: Better poll numbers by November or forget 2010

From NY Daily News
By Elizabeth Benjamin
Monday, April 6th 2009, 4:00 AM


Top New York Democrats have privately set a deadline of early November for Gov. Paterson to turn his poll numbers around or they'll urge him not to run next year.



"The idea is to let him get through the budget and get through the summer," said a prominent Democratic donor who sees the fall elections as the cutoff for Paterson's improvement.



"Nobody really wants to go to a sitting Democratic governor who's African-American and say, 'Hey. You're a disgrace. Get out.'"



Paterson allies hold out hope he'll be able to mount a timely comeback, but admit his historically low job approval rating - a March Siena poll pegged it at 19% - presents a significant challenge.
"Even if he went up 100%, it wouldn't be much," the donor said. "The goal is to be close to 50, but I think if he could climb over 40%, he can begin to show real momentum."



The question is: Can he do it in time?



It took just two months for Paterson's favorability rating to plunge from 54% to 29% - a rate Siena poll spokesman Steve Greenberg called "staggering."


To read more, click on link below:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/06/2009-04-06_gov_paterson_gets_message_from_top_democ.html

Saudis Report Plot To Assassinate Obama

The Saudi Arabian newspaper al-Watan reported today that Turkish security services have arrested a man of Syrian origins Friday in connection with a plot to assassinate President Barack Obama during his current visit to Turkey.

The man, who was carrying an Al-Jazeera TV ID card in the name of M.G., confessed after his arrest that he was planning on stabbing the U.S. president with a knife during the Alliance of Civilizations summit held in Istanbul, adding that he had three other accomplices to help him execute his plan.

According to the paper, Turkish investigators were trying to verify whether the Qatari-based Arab TV channel has truly issued the ID card produced by the man, or if it’s a forged copy.

The suspect, a permanent resident of Istanbul, has been regularly attending all conferences and events relating to the Middle East held in the city.

Al-Watan contacted Al-Jazeera’s bureau chief in Ankara, Yucef al-Sharif, who said that news of the suspect came as a complete surprise to Al-Jazeera staff in Turkey, who all claimed that they knew nothing about the man.

“We learned that he (the suspect) claimed to be working for our bureau … if that has been the case then he most certainly forged our ID card,” al-Sharif told al-Watan in a phone call from Ankara.

Al-Sharif said that Turkish security services know everyone who worked in Al-Jazeera’s offices in Ankara.

Khaled Wassef monitors Arabic language media and jihadi Web content for CBS News.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04/06/world/worldwatch/entry4922608.shtml

Some Cities Resort to Printing their Own Cash

A small but growing number of cash-strapped communities are printing their own money.

Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses.

The systems generally work like this: Businesses and individuals form a network to print currency. Shoppers buy it at a discount — say, 95 cents for $1 value — and spend the full value at stores that accept the currency.

Workers with dwindling wages are paying for groceries, yoga classes and fuel with Detroit Cheers, Ithaca Hours in New York, Plenty in North Carolina or BerkShares in Massachusetts.

Ed Collom, a University of Southern Maine sociologist who has studied local currencies, says they encourage people to buy locally. Merchants, hurting because customers have cut back on spending, benefit as consumers spend the local cash.

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: black money,black wealth,african american money,african american wealth

Defiant N Korea launches rocket

From BBC News

North Korea has defied international warnings and gone ahead with a controversial rocket launch.

State media said a satellite had been put into orbit and was transmitting data and revolutionary songs.

But there has been no independent confirmation so far. The US, Japan and South Korea suspect the launch was a cover for a long-range missile test.

They strongly condemned the launch. The US president told Pyongyang to "refrain from further provocative actions".

To read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7982874.stm

WSJ Commentary: Obama Wants to Control the Banks

There's a reason he refuses to accept repayment of TARP money.

By STUART VARNEY

I must be naive. I really thought the administration would welcome the return of bank bailout money. Some $340 million in TARP cash flowed back this week from four small banks in Louisiana, New York, Indiana and California. This isn't much when we routinely talk in trillions, but clearly that money has not been wasted or otherwise sunk down Wall Street's black hole. So why no cheering as the cash comes back?

My answer: The government wants to control the banks, just as it now controls GM and Chrysler, and will surely control the health industry in the not-too-distant future. Keeping them TARP-stuffed is the key to control. And for this intensely political president, mere influence is not enough. The White House wants to tell 'em what to do. Control. Direct. Command.

It is not for nothing that rage has been turned on those wicked financiers. The banks are at the core of the administration's thrust: By managing the money, government can steer the whole economy even more firmly down the left fork in the road.

If the banks are forced to keep TARP cash -- which was often forced on them in the first place -- the Obama team can work its will on the financial system to unprecedented degree. That's what's happening right now.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123879833094588163.html

Why is U.S. President Obama Bowing and Kissing the Hand of King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S60U-hl35Gw&feature=player_embedded

Is this proper for the President of the United States to do a gesture to a foreign power?

Your thoughts....

PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama tax pledge up in smoke

Apr 1 11:55 AM US/Eastern

By CALVIN WOODWARD

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - One of President Barack Obama's campaign pledges on taxes went up in puffs of smoke Wednesday.

The largest increase in tobacco taxes took effect despite Obama's promise not to raise taxes of any kind on families earning under $250,000 or individuals under $200,000.

This is one tax that disproportionately affects the poor, who are more likely to smoke than the rich.

To be sure, Obama's tax promises in last year's campaign were most often made in the context of income taxes. Not always.

"I can make a firm pledge," he said in Dover, N.H., on Sept. 12. "Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes."

He repeatedly vowed "you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime."

Now in office, Obama, who stopped smoking but has admitted he slips now and then, signed a law raising the tobacco tax nearly 62 cents on a pack of cigarettes, to $1.01. Other tobacco products saw similarly steep increases.

To view more of the article, read link below:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D979POSG0&show_article=1