The enactment this week of the District’s Religious Freedom and Civil Rights Equality Amendment Act, which gave same-sex couples the nod to apply for marriage licenses, signaled a coup for that community but downplayed the latest efforts of a local group that vehemently opposes those unions. “I hope this sends the message that the District […]
Category: NEWS
Posted inBaltimore News
Mayor Initiates New Era of Ethics
The last bill Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed as City Council president has become one of her first priorities as mayor — restoring trust in city government. By introducing what she calls “some of the most sweeping ethics legislation in two decades,” Rawlings-Blake said taxpayers can expect their elected officials to be held accountable. She began the […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Council Expects First Vote on Medical Marijuana in Spring
After a decade’s worth of wrangling to get marijuana legalized for medicinal purposes, the District of Columbia City Council appears to be moving closer to acquiescing the will of the people. The measure has been derailed three times by Congress, but the Council recently convened a public hearing to further discuss Initiative 59, which in […]
Posted inBaltimore News
Baltimore Mayor Hospitalized
After awaking to numbness and minor chest and abdominal pains around 3 a.m. on Thursday, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake felt as if she was going to pass out and was taken to Sinai Hospital by her husband, Kent Blake. She was then transported to University of Maryland Medical Center where she underwent testing and observation by […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Still No Closure in Drag Racing Case
A mistrial was declared for the most serious charges facing Tavon Taylor, one of the men accused of participating in street race which killed eight people in Feb. 16, 2008. His sentencing date for the lesser traffic offenses has been pushed back to a date not yet to be determined. Darren Bullock, the alleged co-conspirator, […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Norton Hearing
A hearing convened last month by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the operation of the city’s halfway houses has revealed that when it comes to reducing crime and recidivism among ex-offenders, the privately-run facilities could do a better job. “The hearing revealed counterproductive inflexibility among some personnel at halfway houses, frustrating offenders’ efforts to comply […]
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Howard University Hosts Same-Sex Marriage Debate
Howard University will serve as the backdrop next week surrounding a debate on same-sex marriage. The event, which takes place at noon on March 9, will be held at the university’s School of Law and will feature the justice involved in the controversial Proposition 8 in which the Supreme Court overturned a referendum last year […]
Posted inNational News
Great Gathering Promises Concrete Solutions
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Black church leaders said today that the “great gathering” of the three Black Methodist churches will not be a futile exercise based merely on talk, but will result in a firm plan of action to address Black concerns. “ will release a concrete, cogent, crisp plan of action for the eradication of […]
Posted inNational News
Black Methodist Leaders Deny NAACP Controversy
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The NAACP said today that its economic boycott of South Carolina remains in force, despite comments to the contrary. The organization imposed the ban in 2000 when lawmakers declined to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol. But, according to local news reports, state Sen. Robert Ford—who is […]
Posted inNational News
National Guard Program Is Investing in The Future
Representatives of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program held a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill on February 25 to promote the merits of the program. For young people who’ve dropped out of high school, this program is offering a second chance by introducing structure and discipline in their lives. “The overriding objective of the program […]
Posted inNational News
Miss. Groups File Appeal of Dismissal of Lawsuit over Katrina Funds
Several Mississippi groups have appealed a judge’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the Department of Housing and Urban Development redirected funds intended for Hurricane Katrina recovery to a long-standing port project. Lawyers from Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky & Pepeo, the Mississippi Center for Justice and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights filed […]
Posted inNational News
Tough Economy Begets Hunger, Poverty Issues for Blacks
While the ongoing economic downturn has impacted everything—and almost everybody—from Wall Street to Main Street, it has also led to a surge in hunger in African-American communities. The unemployment rate for Blacks now exceeds 16 percent, when just two years ago it was 8.3 percent. But since that time, some 900,000 jobs have been lost […]