Marvin Gaye Birthday Celebration with Rick Nuhn

Link to the death of Marvin Gaye: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2011/04/death-of-marvin-gaye-april-1-1984.html

2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Division 1 Final Four

The 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Division 1 Final Four are:
1. Kentucky Wildcats 38-0
2. Wisconcin Badgers 35-3
3. Michigan State Spartans 27-11
4. Duke Blue Devils 33-4

2015 NCAA Bracket through the Final Four bracket: http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-men/d1

U.S. Equities Extend Quarterly Advance Amid Corporate Mergers

Story by Bloomberg

U.S. stocks rose, extending a quarterly advance, amid corporate mergers and optimism central banks will support global growth.

Catamaran Corp. jumped 24 percent after UnitedHealth Group Inc. agreed to buy it. Horizon Pharma Plc rose 15 percent after saying it will acquire Hyperion Therapeutics Inc. Exxon Mobil Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. added more than 2 percent as oil companies and banks rallied. A Standard & Poor’s index of homebuilders climbed after pending home sales in February rose more than forecast.

The S&P 500 Index advanced 1 percent to 2,082.02 at 11:57 a.m. in New York. The gauge is up 1.1 percent in the first quarter, maintaining its longest streak of quarterly gains since 1998. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 264.69 points, or 1.5 percent, to 17,977.35. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 0.8 percent.

“Stocks are being driven in the short-term by the potential for Chinese quantitative easing that they hinted at over the weekend, as well as the mergers and buyouts happening in the equity market,” Andrew Brenner, the head of international fixed income for National Alliance Capital Markets, said by phone. “You have month-end and quarter-end tomorrow, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a little weakness.”

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday that the central bank will probably raise rates this year, with subsequent increases taking place gradually, without following a predictable path. China’s central bank chief said the government can do more to support growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-30/u-s-index-futures-rise-with-stocks-set-for-ninth-quarterly-gain

Someone pretending to be ESPN President John Skipper managed to fool a Washington DC radio station

Story by DCRTV/awfulannouncing.com
Written by Ken Fang

In one of the most bizarre stories of this or any other year, someone pretending to be ESPN president John Skipper called a Washington DC radio station and knowing the machinations of WTEM-AM, talked to the station regarding the Man Cave show and before it was actually canceled prior to its launch date. But now that the station and ESPN have determined the calls were a hoax, the show will premiere next week after all.

We had chronicled what happened to the Man Cave which was to be hosted by former Washington Post columnist Jason Reid and Chris Paul. It seemed as if the Washington Redskins and team owner Daniel Synder who also owns WTEM-AM had something to do with the cancellation as Reid had been a critic of the team.

However, the Washington Post reports that someone impersonating Skipper called WTEM twice and was able to convince the station’s management that he was the real ESPN president. The show was supposed to premiere earlier this month and there was an extensive promotional campaign on social media and on the station. But due to the cancellation, the station’s program manager resigned and it appeared the show would never make the air.

The fake Skipper called the station and threatened legal action if WTEM dropped ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in favor of the Man Cave. While it’s rare for the ESPN president to get involved in local radio programming, the faux Skipper not only imitated the real Skipper’s North Carolina accent, but also called from a Connecticut area code where ESPN is located.

Apparently the station was able to determine that the calls were fake, but the decision to cancel the show went ahead. But no reason is being given for the reversal to restore the show.

The station has not commented and no one involved with the show is talking. The team isn’t saying anything either.

ESPN released a statement saying it was not responsible for the station’s decision to cancel the show nor did Skipper make any phone calls.

So one of the craziest stories is about to have a happy ending for the station, show’s staff and ESPN as well.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/espn-980-morning-show-set-to-debut-after-unexplained-delay/2015/03/24/e3bbd95a-d17e-11e4-ab77-9646eea6a4c7_story.html

NCAA Mens Basketball's Sweet 16 is set

Sweet 16 Thursday 3-26-15 Games: http://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/basketball-men/d1/2015/03/26

Sweet 16 Friday 3-27-15 Games: http://www.ncaa.com/scoreboard/basketball-men/d1/2015/03/27

President Obama Delivers a Message to the Nigerian People

President Obama released a message to the Nigerian people to highlight the opportunity that the upcoming elections present for all Nigerians to stand together in rejecting violence and extremism and instead show their support for a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future.

Tap Dancing at its BEST: The Nicholas Brothers

Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers. 1943 Movie: "Stormy Weather"


The Story of the Nicholas Brothers

N.C. State students go crazy after BeeJay Anya's game-winner

North Carolina State University Student Body "goes OFF" after BeeJay Anya hits game-winner on first day of "March Madness".

Story by Yahoo Sports
Written by Sam Cooper

N.C. State overcame a big deficit to shock LSU in the final seconds of Thursday night’s East region game in Pittsburgh when sophomore forward BeeJay Anya hit a left-handed hook in the lane to give the Wolfpack a dramatic victory.

N.C. State students packed the Talley Student Center back Raleigh and anxiously watched the game’s final sequence. As Anya’s shot rolled around the rim, clanged off the backboard, and eventually fell, the room went bonkers.

Anya scored his only four points of the game in the final minute to help his team overcome an LSU 14-point second-half lead.

The win moves the Wolfpack into the Round of 32 where they’ll take on No. 1 seed Villanova on Saturday night.

The Scandalous Empire by USBC President Ron Busby, Sr.

Commentary by USBC President Ron Busby, Sr.

The Scandalous Empire

According to a Nielsen consumer report, African Americans are voracious consumers of media, watching 37 percent more television than any other slice of American demography. While that's not new news, it is disturbing that we don't completely understand the connection between our TV consumption and the huge profits generated by our connection to television.

To be fair, some TV programming can actually be beneficial. The recent coverage of the 50th Anniversary of "Bloody Sunday" opened the eyes of generations of Americans who were unaware of the brutality of racial oppression in America.

Much of television, however, is simply escapist entertainment for us, but a tremendous cash cow for programmers and advertisers. Take for example Empire on Fox. The network is known for its history of racist banter and has exploited Black America while simultaneously benefiting from Black consumers. Statistics show that Empire is Fox's highest grossing show in three years, which translates into a huge pay off for Fox.

How big?

How about the $45.2 billion Comcast/Time Warner merger? How about the $48.5 billion AT&T acquisition of DirecTV, or the estimated $1.3 trillion dollars spent by Black consumers? Not to mention the $20 billion lawsuit filed by the National Association of African American Owned Media and Entertainment Studios Networks, against Comcast, Time Warner, and other civil rights organizations as party to a plan to ensure that profits from Black viewership continue pouring into the same pockets?

We've watched with interest and commented on this situation in an earlier President's Message, but the situation has not improved. We will reserve judgment on the soundness of Entertainment Studios Network's CEO Byron Allen's pending legal action, but there are a few things of which we are absolutely certain:

• NO TELECOM GIANT has a plan for meaningful participation/inclusion of Black business in their day-to-day procurement activity;
• NO PROGRAMMING GIANT has a plan to include, develop or support the development of positive Black portrayals to any meaningful degree;
• NO CABLE/Pay-TV provider makes programming targeting Black consumers available at their basic service level - requiring their BEST CONSUMERS pay extra to view their favorite shows;
• NO ADVERTISER using the TV/Pay-TV medium includes Black business in any significant way in the development, production, delivery/distribution of their products to this loyal consumer base.

Telecom companies and consumer product companies are gearing up for an assault on your wallets like nothing you've ever seen, and if you're riveted by the latest episode or game-of-the-week, you may not even notice your pocket being picked.

Decisions about your money are being made right now. These decisions are being made by people who don't know you, and whose only interest is how long you're in front of your TV before you go buy the products they sold while you were watching.

We understand it's about business - BIG business. We also understand that it is Black consumers' money that makes the business so big. But if Black businesses don't flourish as a result of all this activity designed to move dollars out of Black pockets... well, we'll be back to Good Times in the projects instead of building Empires. All the more reason to invest money into the Black community. If you can devote time to watching your favorite television show, then you can also devote time to buying from your local Black businesses. Make #Blackdollarsmatters not just a hashtag, but a way of life.

In the Spirit of Success,


Ron Busby, Sr.
President
U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

Fed Drops Patient Stance, Opening Door to June Rate Increase

Story by Bloomberg

The Federal Reserve opened the door to an interest-rate increase as soon as June, while also indicating it will go slow once it gets started.

The new signals were contained in a policy statement that ended an era by dropping an assurance that the Fed will be “patient” in raising rates, and in a fresh set of estimates that lowered the median for the federal funds rate the end of 2015 to 0.625 percent compared with 1.125 percent in December.

“Just because we removed the word patient from the statement doesn’t mean we are going to be impatient,” Chair Janet Yellen said in a press conference Wednesday in Washington.

The Federal Open Market Committee said it will be appropriate to tighten “when it has seen further improvement in the labor market and is reasonably confident that inflation will move back to its 2 percent objective over the medium term.”

“An increase in the target range for the federal funds rate remains unlikely at the April” meeting, it said in its statement.

Yellen is preparing for an exit from the most aggressive easing in the Fed’s 100-year history as the job market overcomes the damage wrought by the deepest recession since the 1930s. At the same time, inflation and wage growth that remain too low are giving her reasons for caution.

Stocks rose, erasing earlier losses, after the FOMC announcement. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 0.9 percent at 2,091.92B as of 2:31 p.m. in New York. Ten-year Treasury notes yielded 1.96 percent, down nine basis points.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-18/fed-drops-patient-stance-opening-door-to-june-rate-increase

Gunmen kill at least 20 at Museum in Tunisian capital

Story by AP

Gunmen opened fire Wednesday at a major museum in Tunisia's capital, killing at least 20 people, mostly foreigners, in one of the worst terrorist attacks in this struggling North African democracy that depends heavily on tourism.

Men with assault rifles fired at tourists climbing from buses in front of the National Bardo Museum in central Tunis near the country's parliament, sending dozens sprinting for safety. Two gunmen were killed, but Prime Minister Habib Essid said a manhunt was on for at two or three others.

The identity of the attackers wasn't clear.



Security forces immediately flooded the area, and Tunisia's parliament building, where deputies were debating the new anti-terrorism law, was evacuated.

Dozens of tourists scrambled from the museum holding hands or linking arms as security forces pointed their guns toward an adjacent building. Many elderly people, apparently tourists, ran in panic to safety, including at least one couple carrying two children.

Tunisia has been struggled to keep extremist violence at bay since the overthrow of its dictator in 2011, and the attack was the worst on a tourist site since an al-Qaida car bomb killed 21 people — mostly Germans — in 2002.

"Our nation is in danger," Essid warned in an address on national television Wednesday evening after the siege ended.

"We will be merciless in the defense of our country," he added, describing the attack as an unprecedented assault on Tunisia's economy. He promised increased security in tourist zones and asked residents to be extra alert.

According to Essid, the dead include two gunmen, a Tunisian security officer and a Tunisian cleaning woman, while the rest were tourists from Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain. The Spanish Foreign Ministry has confirmed one dead.

Several other people were reported wounded in the attack, including three Poles and at least two Italians. The Italian Foreign Ministry said 100 other Italians had been taken to a secure location.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/reports-shots-fired-near-major-tunisian-museum-120932301.html

Izola Ware Curry, The Woman Who Stabbed Martin Luther King In 1958, Has Died

Story by Huffington Post
Written by Lilly Workneh

Izola Ware Curry, the woman who attempted to kill Martin Luther King Jr. by stabbing him with a steel letter opener in 1958, has reportedly died. She was 98.

Curry, who was mentally disturbed, died at Hillside Manor nursing home in Queens, New York, where she spent many years of her life, The Smoking Gun reported.

Curry nearly killed King in 1958 after she attacked the civil rights leader at a book-signing event in Harlem, New York. Reports show that she suffered from paranoia and delusions, and was described by psychiatrists as having a "severe state of insanity."

Her intent to kill King was based on her belief that he and the NAACP were conspiring against her, denying her employment and keeping a watchful eye on her whereabouts.

In retaliation, Curry walked into the book-signing event on Sept. 20, 1958, and carried out a failed assassination attempt against King ten years before he was killed by James Earl Ray. Curry, who was armed with a loaded pistol, opted to use a 7-inch letter opener when she directly approached King, and pierced him in the chest.

King was immediately taken to Harlem Hospital, and addressed the stabbing upon his recovery.

“I feel no ill will toward Mrs. Izola Curry and know that thoughtful people will do all in their power to see that she gets the help she apparently needs if she is to become a free and constructive member of society," King said at a press conference held in his hospital room days after the attack.

Curry was taken into state custody and spent many years at the Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. She was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Upon her release from state custody, she spent the remainder of her years at various nursing homes throughout the state.

Kyrie Irving sends Duke new shoes for NCAA Tournament

Story by Yahoo Sports
Written by Jay Busbee

Kyrie Irving spent about as much time at Duke as a high school senior taking a campus tour, but apparently those 11 games he played during the 2010-11 season stuck with him.

Irving, who's gone on to some small measure of success in his current occupation, has sent the Duke Blue Devils a shipment of his new Kyrie 1 Nike shoes.

Here's current Blue Devils Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson with the story:



Duke reached the Sweet 16 during Irving's one injury-plagued year there. The Blue Devils are certainly hoping that this year ends a little further on down the line.

Also, regarding the whole NCAA-gifts aspect of Irving "giving" college athletes new shoes ... assuming those shoeboxes weren't stuffed with cash, this is all perfectly up-and-up. Duke has a shoe deal in place with Nike, and this is presumably part of that ongoing relationship. Earlier this year, Duke players got to try out the new Nike Kobe 10. So, yeah, life's not so bad for a Blue Devil.

NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness bracket

Downloadable Link of the NCAA Men's B-Ball Bracket: http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-men/d1

Free Agent Dallas Cowboys' NFL leading rusher DeMarco Murray to sign with division rival Philadelphia Eagles

2014 NFL leading rusher DeMarco Murray is expected to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles

Story by ESPN

DeMarco Murray, the NFL's leading rusher in 2014 for the Dallas Cowboys, is jumping ship and joining the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.

"It was never about the money in any situation," Murray texted ESPN.com's Todd Archer. "If it was the money I could've taken that a long time ago on a very high deal. It's about winning a Super Bowl and being fair."

Murray is expected to sign a five-year, $42 million deal, including $21 million guaranteed, with the Eagles, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.

Of the $21 million, $18 million is guaranteed for skill and injury.

Read More: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12468196/demarco-murray-sign-philadelphia-eagless

National Action Network 2015 Convention April 8 -11 in New York City

If you have registered for National Action Network's annual national convention, you are ahead of the game and we look forward to you joining us...

If you have NOT registered, how about registering RIGHT NOW?

Log on to www.nationalactionnetwork.net - or - call (877)626-4651

GET INTO THE ACTION!!

Seattle Seahawks Trade for Pro Bowl Tight End Jimmy Graham from New Orleans Saints

Star New Orleans Saints Tight End Jimmy Graham is heading to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Multiple Draft Picks and Pro Bowl Center Max Unger.

Link to other NFL free agent signings: http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/freeagency/

Dying for the Right to Vote: Remembering the Selma Martyrs, From Jimmie Lee Jackson to Viola Liuzzo

We look at the civil rights martyrs who lost their lives in the fight to secure voting rights in Alabama. Between February and August of 1964, four civil rights activists were killed in Alabama: Jimmie Lee Jackson, Viola Liuzzo, Rev. James Reeb and Jonathan Daniels. As tens of thousands of people marked the 50th anniversary in Selma, Democracy Now! spoke to marchers who were honoring these civil rights martyrs. Video by Democracy Now.

Read More: http://www.democracynow.org/2015/3/10/dying_for_the_right_to_vote

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks at Selma's Brown AME Chapel in 1965 urging all to stand up to the Alabama power structure

Courageous Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks in Selma at the historic Brown AME Chapel in 1965.

Alabama trooper who killed Jimmie Lee Jackson in 1965 spurring on "Bloody Sunday", family says they want no part of Selma

Story by AL.com
Written by Leada Gore
Photo left of James Fowler (AP photo)

The former state trooper who killed Jimmie Lee Jackson in 1965 - setting off the wave of protests that led to the Voting Rights Act - is still living in Alabama but suffers from dementia, the New York Daily News reports.

James Bonard Fowler was a corporal with the Alabama State Police in 1965 when he killed Jackson, who was unarmed.

That event led to a series of marches, including what's become known as "Bloody Sunday," when troopers attacked protestors on Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge. The 50th anniversary of those marches was commemorated this past weekend in the small Dallas County town.

Fowler, now 81, lives in the small town of Black in Geneva County.

His daughter told the New York Daily News her father is deathly ill and "wants nothing to do with all that stuff going on," in Selma. Fowler's daughter, who did not identify herself to the newspaper, said her father is immobile and suffers from dementia.

She maintains she would defend her father if anyone tried to cause problems with her family.

"He's not able now if a bunch of 'em come down in here trying to get back at him or whatever, for something that happened all those years ago. If a bunch of 'em come on my yard, I'm gonna throw down. I'm gonna defend my damn self."

Fowler shot Jackson on the night of Feb. 18, 1965 after a group went to the Perry County Jail to protest the arrest of a civil rights worker. Police began clubbing the protestors and Jackson, his mother and grandfather, rushed to a café, where the beatings continued. Jackson was shot while coming to his mother's aid. He died eight days later, setting turning national attention to the growing violence in the South.

Fowler maintained he fired in self defense and no charges were filed in the case until 2007.

Fowler later pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter charges and was sentenced to six months in jail. At the time, Fowler expressed remorse for his actions.

He was released from prison after five months due to health issues.

Read more:
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/03/alabama_trooper_who_killed_jim.html
http://blog.al.com/wire/2011/07/former_alabama_state_trooper_j.html

Ambassador and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. in Selma, Al. for the 50th Anniversary of "Bloody Sunday"

Rev. Al Sharpton: "In between my mentors before preaching the 50th Anniversary sermon at historic Brown Chapel in Selma, Al., with Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson."

Salute to Congressman John Lewis on 50th Anniversary of Selma's "Bloody Sunday", where Lewis was beaten unconscious by Alabama's State troopers at historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965

Overwhelmed Congressman John Lewis along with highly acclaimed Director Ava DeVurnay and Lead Actor David Oyelowo from the 2014 movie "Selma" at an early "Selma" screening.

Written by Ava DeVurnay
https://www.facebook.com/avaduvernay?fref=nf

Saluting our friend and hero Congressman John Lewis during Selma50‬. The depths of my love and respect for him and his courage is difficult to articulate.

This photo was taken after an early screening of SELMA, our small cinematic gesture of honor to Lewis and all the Freedom fighters, who moved us forward using their very bodies as their only weapons; their minds as the fuel; and Spirit as the compass.

(Congressman John Lewis and I at the DNC Convention 2012)

God bless them all - all the freedom fighters - past, present and future.

To watch Lewis introduce the President on the very bridge, 50 years ago where he was beaten, and bloodied - with a concussion, as a young man is Overwhelming!! Glory!
___________________________________________________________________

Ava Marie DuVernay is an American director, screenwriter, film marketer, and film distributor. At the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, DuVernay won the Best Director Prize for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere, becoming the first African-American woman to win the award. For her work in highly acclaimed Film Selma, DuVernay is the first black female director to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award. With Selma, she is also the first black female director to have a film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo is an English actor that played supporting roles in the films "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011), "Middle of Nowhere" (2012), "Lincoln" (2012), and garnered praise for portraying Louis Gaines in "The Butler" (2013). In 2014, Oyelowo played Lead Actor as the Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the bio-dramatic film "Selma", for which he received a Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Actor, with the Movie nominated for Best Picture in the 2015 Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards.

The First Family's Trip to Selma for the 50th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery March

"The single-most powerful word in our democracy is the word 'we.' We the People. We shall overcome. Yes we can. That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given, to continually try to improve this great nation of ours." — President Obama

Today, Barack, the girls, and I traveled to Selma, Alabama.

There, 50 years ago this month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, and so many other unsung heroes crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge -- standing up for voting rights and full equality under the law for all Americans.



It was an honor and a privilege to stand on that bridge and commemorate the heroes from a half century ago. But the legacy of Selma is not simply about our history -- it's about the march that continues today.


Congressman John Lewis introducing the President on the 50th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery March, where in 1965 Lewis was beaten into a concussion by Alabama troopers.

So I hope you'll take a moment to hear what Barack had to say today in Selma.

Thank you,

First Lady Michelle Obama

Ferguson Police Official Fired, 2 Suspended After Racist Emails Go Public

Ferguson, Missouri Police Officers (Getty)

Story by NewsOne
Written by Angela Bronner Helm
Source: NBC and Department of Justice

_________
Link to Investigation: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/AJDocs/150304-ferguson-racism-report.pdf
_________

In the aftermath of an explosive and scathing Department of Justice report alleging blatant discrimination, bias and racial stereotyping in the Ferguson, Mo. Police Department, a police official has been fired and two others have been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation of racist emails, reports NBCNews.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder‘s Justice Department began an investigation of the Ferguson Police Department in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown on Aug. 9, 2014. The report released after that investigation was unflinching and mind-bogglingly thorough.

After spending more than 100 days on the ground in Ferguson interviewing city officials, including the mayor, police chief, judges, court clerk and “half of FPD’s sworn officers,” the Feds also combed through “over 35,000 pages of police records as well as thousands of emails” and found rampant bias, discrimination and abuse — not only from the police, but from the Ferguson court system as well.

On page 5 of the 102-page report, the emails are first addressed:

“We have found substantial evidence of racial bias among police and court staff in Ferguson. For example, we discovered emails circulated by police supervisors and court staff that stereotype racial minorities as criminals, including one email that joked about an abortion by an African-American woman being a means of crime control.”

In terms of the specifics, the investigation notes the following a string racist emails on page 72, starting in November 2008:

A November 2008 email stated that President Barack Obama would not be President for very long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.”
A March 2010 email mocked African Americans through speech and familial stereotypes, using a story involving child support. One line from the email read: “I be so glad that dis be my last child support payment! Month after month, year after year, all dose payments!”
An April 2011 email depicted President Barack Obama as a chimpanzee.
A May 2011 email stated: “An African-American woman in New Orleans was admitted into the hospital for a pregnancy termination. Two weeks later she received a check for $5,000. She phoned the hospital to ask who it was from. The hospital said, ‘Crimestoppers.’”
A June 2011 email described a man seeking to obtain “welfare” for his dogs because they are “mixed in color, unemployed, lazy, can’t speak English and have no frigging clue who their Daddies are.”
An October 2011 email included a photo of a bare-chested group of dancing women, apparently in Africa, with the caption, “Michelle Obama’s High School Reunion.”
A December 2011 email included jokes that are based on offensive stereotypes about Muslims.

Tellingly, the DOJ’s report also implicated the Ferguson courts, boldly refuting the “personal-responsbility” claim often used by apologists and “officials” to discredit blacks when claims of discrimination and/or abuse are leveled against the state (or the old “If the blacks didn’t act up, we wouldn’t have to hurt them” trope):

City officials have frequently asserted that the harsh and disparate results of Ferguson’s law enforcement system do not indicate problems with police or court practices, but instead reflect a pervasive lack of “personal responsibility” among “certain segments” of the community. Our investigation has found that the practices about which area residents have complained are in fact unconstitutional and unduly harsh.

But the City’s personal-responsibility refrain is telling: it reflects many of the same racial stereotypes found in the emails between police and court supervisors. This evidence of bias and stereotyping, together with evidence that Ferguson has long recognized but failed to correct the consistent racial disparities caused by its police and court practices, demonstrates that the discriminatory effects of Ferguson’s conduct are driven at least in part by discriminatory intent in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Well.

There’s lots more. Read the entire report here: http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/NEWS/AJDocs/150304-ferguson-racism-report.pdf

Big Boy Is Free as Los Angeles Court lifts Restraining Order, Heads to Real 92.3

Story by All Access & Urbaninsite

A Los Angeles County Superior Court today denied Emmis Radio a preliminary injunction to prevent Top 40/Rhythmic KPWR/Los Angeles morning star Big Boy(real name: Kurt Alexander) from crossing the street to work at iHEARTMEDIA Urban KRRL until completion of trial in the matter. The Court lifted a FEBRUARY 10th temporary restraining order.

The ruling stems from a breach of contract suit (EMMIS Radio, LLC v. KURT ALEXANDER, a/k/a “Big Boy”) in which Emmis is seeking millions of dollars in damages.

In response to the new ruling, EMMIS issued the following statement:

“While EMMIS is disappointed with the Court’s ruling and will evaluate our legal options, we are pleased with the Court’s indication that damages are an available remedy at trial. EMMIS remains resolute in continuing to protect our legal rights and committed to the continued success of POWER 106.”

iHeartMedia in a statement said, “You can’t say hip-hop in Los Angeles and not immediately think of Big Boy,” says Greg Ashlock, president-Southern California, iHeartMedia. “He’s authentic. Passionate about the music with tight artist relationships. And, most importantly, connected with Los Angelenos. This is a major coup for us here at iHeartMedia Los Angeles, and a big win for the L.A. hip-hop audience.”

Big Boy released a statement saying, “You can’t imagine how psyched and ready I am to show my listeners — my family — what we’ve got planned at Real 92.3,” Big Boy added. “iHeartMedia 100 percent gets what I’ve been doing for over 20 years and together we’re going to take it to the next level. Love and gratitude to my listeners. You all mean everything to me, and I’ll see you real soon.”

Big Boy will start his morning show this Monday, March 9th.

Link to L.A.'s iHeartMedia’s Real 92.3: http://www.iheart.com/live/real-923-181/

STATEMENT BY NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK (NAN) REGARDING THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ) THAT DARREN WILSON HAS BEEN CLEARED OF CIVIL RIGHTS CHARGES

“National Action Network, the civil rights organization led by civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, is deeply disappointed with the decision by the DOJ that they have cleared Officer Darren Wilson of civil rights charges in the death of Michael Brown. From the day Michael Brown was killed, NAN has stood with the Brown family in the pursuit of justice

We hope that the Justice Department’s finding that the Ferguson Police Department had a pattern and practice that violates the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, will result in an overhaul of the department.

We will not be discouraged as we continue to fight for the family of Eric Garner a as they await the decision in the federal investigation of his death. We will continue to push for legislation and policies that protect the rights of all citizens. As Martin Luther King Jr. said “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” We will continue to fight until we see that change come.”

President Obama on Attorney General Holder: "He Has Been One of Our Finest"

President Barack Obama comments on Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.'s portrait as he delivers remarks during the portrait unveiling ceremony for Holder seated on stage with Sally Quillian Yates, Acting Deputy Attorney General, at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., Feb. 27, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Yesterday evening, the President spoke at the portrait unveiling ceremony for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The event marked Holder's anticipated departure from the Department of Justice after more than six years of service as Attorney General.

Calling him "one of our finest," President Obama quickly detailed some of Holder's major accomplishments over the past six years:

"Hundreds of terrorism convictions. The largest mafia takedown in history. Billion-dollar financial fraud cases. Long-overdue reforms to our criminal justice system. Thanks in part to Eric’s leadership, the overall crime rate and overall incarceration rate declined together -- for the first time in 40 years last year."

The President also talked about the Attorney General's work to restore "the conscience of the nation" -- the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Under Holder's leadership, the Department has relentlessly defended the Voting Rights Act, along with the right to vote; challenged discriminatory state immigration laws; prosecuted human trafficking and hate crimes in record numbers; and worked to ensure that same-sex couples are treated equally under the law.

"Having good men in positions of power and authority who are willing to fight for what's right -- that's a rare thing. That's a powerful thing. It's something that shapes our future in ways we don't even understand."

-- President Obama

"With Eric Holder as its lawyer, America has become a better country," the President said, before turning to the Attorney General. "Saying goodbye is bittersweet. You have done a remarkable job. It's hard to let you go."

In the Attorney General's remarks, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to work with the Justice Department for almost four decades.

"I leave this place proud of what we have accomplished over the last six years, and grateful for all that DOJ has given me these past 39 years," Holder said. "This has been my home, and you will always be my family."

He made clear, however, that the work is not yet over:

Reform of our criminal justice system must continue. And under Loretta and Sally, I'm sure that will be the case. The historic wrongs visited upon our native people must be righted. The widening gap of income inequality must be reversed. And in the defense of our nation, we must always adhere -- always adhere -- to the values that define us. And at all costs -- all costs -- the right to vote must be protected.

"That list may seem daunting," he said. "But if we are true to who we are as Americans, no problem is too big, no issue insurmountable."

"Our destiny as Americans is always ahead of us. Our gaze is always focused on the horizon."
-- Attorney General Holder

Read more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/02/28/president-obama-attorney-general-holder-he-has-been-one-our-finest?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=322015-topper