Category: National News

With a flourish of a pen—several, actually —President Barack Obama on March 23 further canonized himself in history, enacting of one of the most sweeping health care reform laws America has seen. “Today, after almost a century of trying; today, after over a year of debate; today, after all the votes have been tallied — […]

On March 17, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) held a hearing to discuss the alarming unemployment rates among African Americans.  Many in the hearing said there is funding out there, it’s just not getting to the places that need it most. “The national recession is certainly not over for mainstream America,” said Mayor Douglass Palmer […]

WASHINGTON — Thousands of people descended upon the National Mall on the afternoon of March 21 for the March for America rally, and while jobs and immigration reform were supposed to be the dual themes of the event, the latter seemed to dominate. Marchers carried signs saying “We’re All Americans” and “Latinos Aren’t Slaves” while […]

Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., a Congressional Black Congress member and gubernatorial candidate, has long been a staunch opponent of President Barack Obama’s transcendent health insurance reform, which will increase Americans’ access to health care. One day after the bill passed a narrow 219-212 victory in the House, Davis released a statement slamming the president’s health […]

This year’s NCAA Tournament might have been played without popular schools including Maryland, Kentucky, Louisville or Tennessee under a plan advanced by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan aimed at increasing the current player graduation rates of each of those programs. Duncan announced a proposal on March 17 to restrict men’s college basketball teams from […]

Detroit plans to close 44 city schools in June to help cut a deficit near $220 million, city officials said March 17. The city’s school system is facing declining enrollment as families leave the city for better opportunities. Detroit closed 29 schools last summer. According to the Associated Press, school data shows that enrollment in […]

A 16-year-old boy is accused of making a racial remark over a New Jersey Wal-Mart’s public-address system. The teen allegedly grabbed one of the phones in the Washington Township, N.J. store and said, “Attention, Wal-Mart customers: All Black people leave the store now.” If convicted, the boy could face a year in a juvenile detention […]

The Federal Reserve plans to maintain broad regulations over the banking industry, Chairman Ben Bernanke said during the week of March 15. Bernanke recommended tougher capital requirements for big banks, limits on investments by money-market mutual funds, and the U.S. government possibly running some big financial institutions temporarily. “Any firm whose failure would pose a […]

Thousands of people descended upon the National Mall on the afternoon of March 21 for the March for America, and while jobs and immigration reform were supposed to be the dual themes of the rally, it was clear by the number of Latinos in attendance which topic was more important. Marchers carried signs saying “We’re […]

House lawmakers on March 21 passed a massive health care reform bill in a 219-212 vote, the culmination of months of heated debate in Washington, D.C. and around the country. House Democrats passed the bill after a group of pro-life party members reached a separate agreement with the White House to preserve a ban on […]

African Americans have given President Obama a racial pass – that’s something on which his Black supporters and opponents agree. That uncomfortable truth, however, seems to be creating an increasingly persistent itch within the Black community, especially in light of the disproportionate growth of joblessness that plague their neighborhoods and the president’s unwillingness to consider […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Comprehensive health care reform can significantly reduce disparities in health coverage among African-Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a roundtable discussion with the Black press ahead of a key vote on March 21. Sebulius said diversifying the workforce of insurance providers and reducing health disparities will help cut […]