Education
Press Room: XQ Super School Live in Nashville March 2nd
THE TENNESSEE TRIBUNE — This innovative tour is coming to Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium. […read more]
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Black History
At 94, The Legendary Cicely Tyson Remains An ‘Optimist’
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “There isn’t a day – I’m grateful to say – that when I walk out of my doors, I don’t run into somebody who says, ‘I can’t tell you what you’ve done for me. ‘You changed my life,’” Tyson shared with TIME. “It just confirmed for me that I was on the right track and I stayed on the right track.” […read more]
#NNPA BlackPress
Abrams Blasts Trump, McConnell for ‘Power Grab’ After State of the Union Address
NNPA NEWSWIRE — After patiently waiting in the wings as President Donald Trump used 90 minutes to deliver what was supposed to be a 45-minute State of the Union Address, Abrams provided a scathing Democratic rebuttal to the president’s highly-scripted speech to Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 5. […read more]
Featured
Rep. Moore Reveals Cancer Diagnosis and How the ACA Saved Her Life
NNPA NEWSWIRE — In a televised interview, Moore revealed her cancer diagnosis and where she believes she’d be if it weren’t for former President Barack Obama’s signature piece of legislation which allows her to afford the treatments and necessary medication to fight the deadly disease. […read more]
Black History
Sen. Kamala Harris Officially Enters the 2020 Presidential Race with Bold Morality
NNPA NEWSWIRE — A graduate of Howard University and a member of the AKA sorority, Harris’ rollout has been the most methodically of anyone who has entered the 2020 sweepstakes. Right down to the typography and campaign slogans, which are in the style of the historic 1970s campaign of the first Black woman ever elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm, Sen. Harris’ rollout has reached for clarity. […read more]
Defender News Network
Rev: Ishmael Barnett: Millennial ministers speak out in honor of Dr. King
DEFENDER NEWS NETWORK — The Defender sought out four millennial members of the clergy to get their take on the big issues of the day, and how those issues impact how they do ministry. […read more]
#NNPA BlackPress
MLK at 90: On King’s 90th birthday, five contemporaries offer perspective
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Dr. King’s tragic death here in Memphis on April 4, 1968 came when he was 39. He died as he lived: Absolutely committed to changing for the better factors that affect quality and length of life, particularly for African Americans. […read more]
michronicleonline.com
Michigan Chronicle
Garlin Gilchrist II stands tall as Michigan’s first black Lt. Governor
MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — Every inch of Garlin Gilchrist’s 6-foot-8 frame stood tall as he was sworn in as the first black Lieutenant Governor of Michigan late Tuesday morning in Lansing on the steps of the State Capitol. […read more]
Photo: Moses Robinson/Linximages
Atlanta Voice
2018 YEAR IN REVIEW | Atlanta’s biggest hits in politics
ATLANTA VOICE — The year began swiftly on Jan. 2, as Keisha Lance Bottoms was sworn in as the 60th mayor of Atlanta. […read more]
theoklahomaeagle.net
Community
OP-ED: #StayWoke Tulsa Needs To Hold Hearings On Racial Bias
OKLAHOMA EAGLE — Addressing racial practices in police departments is never easy and will make for awkward interactions. […read more]
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Afro
Trump Administration Forced to Forgive $150M in Student Loans
THE AFRO — After a more than year-long delay, the U.S. Department of Education will cancel $150 million in debt owed by defrauded students, the agency announced Dec. 13. […read more]
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Afro
Black Woman Will Take the Helm as New Virginia State Director
THE AFRO — When Virginia’s current State Director John Knapp retires at the end of the year, Keren Charles Dongo, a Black woman who served as the campaign manager for U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) 2018 re-election campaign, will take his position. […read more]
Black History
IN MEMORIAM: Rosanell Eaton, Queen Mother of Voting Rights, Dies at 97
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Ms. Rosanell Eaton was the 97-year-old matriarch in our four-year successful court fight against voter suppression, from 2013 to 2016,” Rev. Dr. William Barber, the architect of the Forward Together Moral Monday Movement, and president of the North Carolina NAACP, said in a statement early Sunday. […read more]
chicagocrusader.com
Chicago Crusader
Mayoral candidate Bill Daley discusses veterans issues
CHICAGO CRUSADER — Mayoral candidate William “Bill” Daley recently joined Vietnam Veteran Host Cliff Kelley on the America’s Heroes Group broadcast […read more]
Commentary
COMMENTARY: Rev. Barbara Skinner and Intergenerational Leadership
NNPA NEWSWIRE — After the midterm elections, the Congressional Black Caucus has emerged as a powerful bloc among Democrats, with a massive 53 members, nearly a quarter of the 235 Democrats who will be seated in Congress in January. The group’s power is weakened, however, when there are intergenerational conflicts and fissures among the membership. […read more]
Evan Vucci/File
Business
Getting Ahead in the Gig Economy
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER — Are you your own boss? A growing portion of the working population is now part of what’s called the “gig economy,” people who make a living doing freelance or contract work and who don’t have one full-time employer […read more]
(Photo: NASA Sean Smith / Wikimedia Commons)
Black History
In Wake of Professor’s Comments, Katherine Johnson is Still Celebrated in Physics
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The recipient of the 2015 National Medal of Freedom who was also recognized by People Magazine in 2016 as one of the 25 Women Changing the World, Johnson enjoyed a brilliant 33-year career at NASA. […read more]
Photo by: Itoro N. Umontuen / The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta Voice
#ELECTION2018 — Obama Backs Abrams at Morehouse
ATLANTA VOICE — Friday evening, Abrams and Obama were on stage together at Morehouse College’s Forbes Arena, as they attempted to reassure the Georgia electorate in the last days of the high stakes election. […read more]
(Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen / The Atlanta Voice)
Atlanta Voice
#ELECTION2018 | Abrams: Trump is ‘wrong,’ I am qualified to be Georgia’s governor
THE ATLANTA VOICE — Trump said recently that Abrams was “not qualified” for the job, and Obama rebutted the point in a visit to the state, calling her the “most experienced, most qualified candidate in this race.” […read more]
Black History
VIDEO: Obama Presidential Center Gains Final Approval from Chicago City Council
THE CHICAGO CRUSADER — The ordinance passed today includes a master agreement, use agreement, and other agreements between the Foundation and the City, which together outline how the Foundation and the City will work together to ensure the Center is providing substantial public benefits. The Center will include Chicago’s first presidential museum, which will tell the story not just of President and Mrs. Obama but also of those who came before and the power of what ordinary people can do together. T […read more]
(Photo: WOSU Radio – WOSU Public Media)
Commentary
COMMENTARY: Republicans Change the Script and Now Support Obamacare
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Republicans have tried to repeal the ACA at least 60 or 70 times and, as there are only 8 days left before the election, many of the Republicans (starting with Trump) are changing their tunes. Some would call this lying and fabricating the truth, but the Republicans consider this good politics. […read more]
michronicleonline.com
Michigan Chronicle
Mission Possible: Obama campaigns in Detroit to get Democrats to vote
MICHIGAN CHRONICLE — With election day approaching, Obama took the stage at Cass Tech and weighed in on President Donald Trump, health care, the importance of voting, and other critical issues. […read more]
(Sources: CNN / CBS)
Featured
VIDEO: Explosive Devices Sent to Obama, Clinton, Waters, CNN and Top Dems That Oppose Trump
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “This clearly is an act of terror attempting to undermine our free press and leaders of this country through acts of violence,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said at an afternoon news conference. […read more]
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Op-Ed
OP-ED: The only Democrat who can beat Trump
LOS ANGELES WAVE — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the only Democrat who can beat President Donald Trump. […read more]
Nyesha Stone
Milwaukee Courier
Race for Wisconsin U.S Senate: Tammy Baldwin and Leah Vukmir Debate at UWM
MILWAUKEE COURIER — Baldwin and Vukmir went back and forth on healthcare, the #MeToo movement and immigration, amongst other topics. […read more]
Defender News Network
Susan Rice Might run for Senate Seat in 2020
By Defender News Service The African-American woman who served as former President Barack Obama’s national security adviser said she will decide after the November midterms whether to run for the Senate in Maine in 2020 and challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Collins made headlines Read More
Commentary
COMMENTARY: Are Blacks Warming Up to Trump?
WASHINGTON INFORMER — For the record, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking unemployment statistics based on race in the 1970s, the rate of Black unemployment today, 5.8 percent (compared to the overall unemployment rate of 3.8 percent) is at its lowest percentage ever. However, economists emphasize that the downward trend first began under President Barack Obama, further noting that the numbers do not take into consideration those who have stopped looking for work, many of whom are Black. […read more]
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
#NNPA BlackPress
Obama Issues Second Round of Midterm Endorsements
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The Democratic Party has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we lead with conviction, principle, and bold, new ideas. Our incredible array of candidates up and down the ticket, all across the country, make up a movement of citizens who are younger, more diverse, more female than ever before,” said President Obama. […read more]
#NNPA BlackPress
Vote 2018: America is on the Ballot
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “If ever there was a time to vote, that time is now. And while there will be many candidates whose names will appear on ballots across this country, it is actually the future of the United States of America that is the most important thing on the ballot this November.” […read more]
#NNPA BlackPress
COMMENTARY: The Miseducation of “Betsy DeVoid”
“I feel that DeVoid has been miseducated, but perhaps she has been all too well educated in the ways of 45, who promised to disrupt government as we know it.” […read more]
Photo / Ilyas Ahmed
Community
Beyond the Rhetoric
Presidents Trump and Kenyatta are in a “groove.” I guess it is about the “art of the deal.” Kenya and the U.S. are engaged in business deals on an ongoing basis. Let’s break it down. […read more]
Commentary
COMMENTARY: EPA Roll-Backs Will Hurt People of Color
At the turn of the millennium we knew for a fact that the planet is warming and that greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide accelerate warming. We were aware of the human contribution and that limiting carbon emissions is the best way for humans to try to avoid catastrophic upheaval. […read more]
National
Lawyers’ Committee Goes on Red Alert as Trump Rolls Back Civil Rights
By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor) President Donald Trump began his first term by attempting to roll back the civil rights gains that occurred under his predecessor, President Barack Obama. Hours after Trump was sworn in as president, the Civil Rights Division of the Read More
Black History
The Night “Yes, We Can!” Became “Yes, We Did!”
By Patrick Forrest (Chicago Crusader/NNPA Member) When President nominee Barack Obama won the election back in November 2008, the day was filled with hope as thousands of people from all walks of life clamored and screamed, “Yes we can, yes we can!” Obama had taken Read More
Black History
LIVESTREAM: President Obama Holds his Final Press Conference
Watch President Obama’s Final Press Conference live on BlackPressUSA.com.
Black History
President Obama Says Farewell, But Not Goodbye
By Mary L. Datcher (Chicago Defender/NNPA Member) On Tuesday, January 10, the world set eyes on Chicago, and this time it wasn’t about the discussion of the latest homicide stats or a family member being lost violently to gunfire. This time is all about President Read More
Black History
Yes We Did: President Obama Delivers Long Goodbye
By Lauren Victoria Burke (NNPA Newswire Contributor) The first Black President of the United States will leave office at noon on January 20. The run-up to his departure has been featured in interviews, endless retrospectives and analyses. During an unseasonably warm night in Chicago, President Read More
Black History
Yes We Did: Obama Rallies All Americans in Farewell Speech
By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA Newswire Contributor) “Yes, we did!” Those were the words that Barack Hussein Obama ended his farewell speech to America on Tuesday, eight years after he won the presidency, campaigning on the slogan, “Yes, we can!” For nearly an hour, the Read More
National
With Final Press Briefing of 2016, President Obama Reflects on his Record
By Freddie Allen (Managing Editor/NNPA Newswire) President Barack Obama used his last press conference of the year to reflect on the accomplishments of his administration over the past eight years. “As I was preparing to take office, the unemployment rate was on its way to Read More
Politics
President Obama Stumps for Clinton in North Carolina
By Yasmine Regester (Carolina Peacemaker, NNPA Member) GREENSBORO — Working to win over voters in North Carolina, President Barack Obama visited Greensboro last week for a North Carolina Democratic Party rally for the Clinton campaign. Deborah Ross, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and Congresswoman Alma Read More
Politics
President Obama Says 3rd party or Protest Voting is Supporting Trump – Is He Right?
[THEGRIO.COM] In an interview on Steve Harvey’s radio show, President Obama said that anyone who votes for a third party candidate or stays at home is casting their ballot for the Republican nominee. “The stakes in this election are so high,” Obama said last week. Read More
Press Room
PRESS ROOM: Minister Louis Farrakhan Says President Obama Should Pardon Marcus Garvey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Minister Louis Farrakhan Says President Obama Should Pardon Marcus Garvey Contact: Richard B. Muhammad The Final Call Newspaper Phone: (312) 480 9775 E-mail: straightwords4@gmail.com CHICAGO — A petition asking the White House to posthumously pardon the Honorable Marcus Garvey, the great Black Read More
Black History
At Last: President Obama Dedicates New Black History Museum on the National Mall
By D. Kevin McNeir (NNPA Newswire Contributor) The idea of erecting a museum that would highlight the contributions of African Americans first received public attention more than a century ago after Black veterans of the Civil War proposed the idea. But the real push occurred Read More
National
President Obama Makes Urgent Call for Black Voter Turnout
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. (President and CEO of the NNPA) Last Saturday, we were pleased to witness, firsthand, President Barack Obama’s keynote address at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 2016 Phoenix Awards Dinner; it was his final speech, as Commander-In-Chief, at the celebration Read More
Religion
Obama Uses Bible, Christian Faith to Defend Transgender Bathroom Directive to Schools
[CHRISTIANPOST.COM] President Barack Obama said that his understanding of the Bible and his Christian beliefs led him to issue the directive at public schools calling on students to be allowed to use the bathroom of their choosing regardless of their biological sex. “My reading of Read More
Featured
Obama Urges Howard Graduates to Continue Needed Change
By Howard University News Service WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told the graduates of one of the nation’s leading historically Black universities that America is “a better place today” than it was when he graduated from college, but more work needs to be done and Read More
National
Obama, Out: The Commander-In-Chief Proves Once Again that He’s the Best to Ever Do It
By Stacy M. Brown (NNPA News Wire Contributing Writer) President Barack Obama dropped his microphone at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, acknowledging what everyone had already concluded: he slayed it! Larry Wilmore didn’t do so bad as host, either, at least depending upon who Read More
Op-Ed
Black Liberals are Hypocrites When It Comes to the N-word
CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this article, the columnist wrote that the White House Correspondents’ Association has “never had a Black journalist to head the group.” Robert M. Ellison of the Sheridan Broadcasting Network led the group from 1990-1991. He was the first and Read More
Politics
President Obama, Public Leaders Mourn Prince
By Harry Colbert, Jr. (Insight News, NNPA Member) The reaction to the passing of Prince Rogers Nelson, more commonly simply known as Prince, has come from all reaches of society. Prince was found unresponsive at Paisley Park – his home and entertainment compound – in Read More
Op-Ed
Why President Barack Obama Is One of the Best Ever
By Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA News Wire Columnist President Barack Obama will go down in history, as arguably one of the most successful presidents of the United States. What he has been able to accomplish over his nearly eight years in office is remarkable – Read More
Op-Ed
Blackonomics: Unrepresented by our Representatives
By James Clingman NNPA News Wire Columnist Does it really matter who wins the Presidency? How can it matter to Black folks, considering the way we “play” politics? We have no power, no leverage, and little or no influence in the political arena, and even Read More
National
President Obama Celebrates 150th Anniversary of the 13th Amendment
By Janelle Berry Special to the NNPA News Wire from the HU News Service WASHINGTON – Ask Americans what the Emancipation Proclamation is and most who know of President Abraham Lincoln’s executive order will respond like 20-year-old Ebony Harris, a student of Howard University from Read More
Politics
Obama Administration Takes Immigration Battle to Supreme Court
[POLITICO] The Obama administration took the battle over immigration to the Supreme Court on Friday, formally asking the justices to review a federal court decision that left in place a nationwide injunction against President Barack Obama’s sweeping initiative to grant quasi-legal status and work permits Read More
National
Obama Says Black Lives Matter Movement Is Legit
By Courtne Dixon Special to the NNPA News Wire Service from HU News Service WASHINGTON – The Black Lives Matter movement, who many have embraced and others have claimed is anti-police, received an endorsement from the nation’s highest law enforcement officer, President Barack Obama, during Read More
National
Biden: I’m not running for president in 2016
(Yahoo) – Ending months of will-he-won’t-he speculation, Vice President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he is not running for president in 2016, saying the process of grieving for his son Beau had sidelined him for too long. “Unfortunately, I believe we’re out of time, the Read More
Op-Ed
Trump Refuses to Withdraw False Claim that Obama is a Muslim
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist On the heels of allowing a campaign follower in New Hampshire to assert unchallenged last week that President Obama is a Muslim, Republican presidential front-runner Donald J. Trump has strongly resisted opportunities to correct the public record. On Read More
Politics
Obama: Women Made Civil Rights Movement Happen
Darlene Superville, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — To President Barack Obama, women of the civil rights movement were “the thinkers and the doers” whose toil and sacrifice benefited everyone in the country. “Women made the movement happen,” he said. Obama said black women Read More
Op-Ed
Obama is No ‘Lame Duck’ President
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist Almost as surprising as Barack Obama’s election as the nation’s first African American president is his success in not becoming a lame duck president, a term normally applied to a politically weakened outgoing president’s last two years in Read More
Politics
In Boston Speech, Obama Unveils Executive Order for More Paid Sick Leave
David Nakamura, THE WASHINGTON POST BOSTON (The Washington Post) — President Obama rallied union workers here Monday, announcing a new executive order that will require federal contractors to offer employees up to seven paid sick days a year, a move that the White Read More
Politics
Congress Returns to Weighty List of Unfinished Business
Andrew Taylor and Alan Fram, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress returns on Tuesday with a critical need for a characteristic rarely evident through a contentious spring and summer — cooperation between Republicans and President Barack Obama. Lawmakers face a weighty list of Read More
Op-Ed
Republicans are Running Against Non-Candidate Obama
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist I have to make a terrible confession: I simply could not watch the first Republican debate for the 2016 electoral cycle. I mean it. I could not on the station to listen to what they had to say. Read More
World
In Kenya, Obama Blends Blunt Messages with Warm Reflections
Julie Pace, ASSOCIATED PRESS NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — President Barack Obama mixed blunt messages to Kenya’s leaders on gay rights, corruption and counterterrorism Saturday with warm reflections on his family ties to a nation that considers him a local son. He foreshadowed a focus Read More
Op-Ed
Release Low-Level, Non-Violent Drug Offenders
By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist Jerry Alan Bailey was sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison for conspiring to violate federal narcotics laws. Shauna Barry-Scott was sentenced to 20 years for having cocaine in her possession and intending to distribute it. Jerome Read More
Op-Ed
How to Reform the Criminal Justice System
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist There is no question that the criminal justice system is broken. President Obama made that clear recently in his address to the annual convention of the NAACP in Philadelphia. “The United States is home to 5 percent of Read More
Op-Ed
Obama Calls for Criminal Justice Reform
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist Whenever the president of the United States speaks to a national convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), millions of people pay attention. As a former Executive Director and CEO of the Read More
Politics
It’s a Dad-Daughter Overnighter in New York for the Obamas
Nancy Bernac, ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK (AP) — It’s inevitable: At some point, teenage kids just aren’t that into their parents anymore. President Barack Obama, parent to two teenage daughters, set out to combat that trend by hanging out with his girls in New Read More
Politics
President Obama to Make Historic Visit to Federal Prison
Nick Gass, POLITICO WASHINGTON (Politico) — President Barack Obama will become the first sitting chief executive to visit a federal prison when he goes to El Reno, Oklahoma, next week to meet with law enforcement officials and inmates as part of the administration’s push Read More
Op-Ed
President Obama is on a Winning Streak
By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. NNPA Columnist The presidency is a bit like a baseball season. Players go through streaks and slumps, good days and bad days. Teams rack up wins and losses. It is only over the course of the long season that Read More
Politics
Obama Plans Broader Use of Clemency to Free Nonviolent Drug Offenders
Peter Baker, THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON (The New York Times) — Sometime in the next few weeks, aides expect President Obama to issue orders freeing dozens of federal prisoners locked up on nonviolent drug offenses. With the stroke of his pen, he will probably Read More
Politics
U.S. ‘Not Cured’ of Racism, Obama Says, Citing Slavery’s Legacy
Michael D. Shear and Christine Hauser, THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON (The New York Times) — Just days after nine black parishioners were killed in a South Carolina church, President Obama said the legacy of slavery still “casts a long shadow” on American life, and Read More
Sports
Whether Cavs Win or Lose, LeBron James Should Be the Finals MVP
WASHINGTON (ESPN) — The avid sports fan who occupies the Oval Office is refusing to take sides as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors battle for the NBA championship. President Barack Obama told the entertainment news show “Extra” that both teams are Read More
Politics
What You Should Know About the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Neil Irwin, THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON (The New York Times) — You can be forgiven if you haven’t been particularly riveted by the series of slick parliamentary maneuvers that the Obama administration and his congressional Republican allies are using to try to secure support Read More
Politics
Trade Loss an Ominous Sign for Obama in Month of Challenges
Jim Kuhnhenn, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — The trade defeat in Congress was an ominous sign in a month of challenges that could help determine President Barack Obama’s standing for the rest of his second term. Fellow Democrats rebuffed last-minute appeals to rescue Read More
Politics
Families of Drone Strike Victims in Yemen File Suit in Washington
Scott Shane, THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON (The New York Times) — The families of an anti-Qaeda cleric and a police officer killed in an American drone strike in Yemen filed suit in federal court in Washington on Sunday night, asking the court to declare Read More
Op-Ed
Obama Leads Discussion on Poverty
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist President Obama recently participated in a long overdue panel discussion on poverty at Georgetown University. As regular readers of this column know, I have been complaining for years about the fixation this administration has had on helping the Read More
Politics
Warren Has Irked Obama Before, but Trade Deepens Their Rift
Jim Kuhnhenn, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama huffed that Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator and established liberal star, was a “politician like everybody else” he revealed a rift that predates the current hostilities between the two Democrats over trade. Read More
Politics
Does Obama’s New York Trip Offer a Glimpse into His Post-White House Life?
Greg Jaffe, THE WASHINGTON POST NEW YORK (The Washington Post) — He still has almost two years left in office, but the outlines of President Obama’s post-White House life might be starting to take shape. On Monday, the president will speak at the New Read More
Politics
Illinois Clears Major Hurdle for Obama Library in Chicago
Sophia Tareen, ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO (AP) — One of the remaining obstacles to building Barack Obama’s presidential library in his hometown of Chicago fell away when Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation Friday strengthening the city’s legal ability to build the project on public park Read More
Op-Ed
Blacks Split over Obama
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist Since the moment that he announced his candidacy in 2007, through to this day, there have been two debates over how to understand President Barack Obama. There is the larger social debate, which includes the hysterical and racist Read More
Politics
Obama’s Top 10 Jokes at the Correspondents’ Dinner
David Jackson, USA TODAY WASHINGTON (USA Today) — President Obama hit all the right notes during his routine Saturday at the White House correspondents’ dinner, hitting on political critics, current events, the media, and his own administration. Here’s a Top 10 of topics and jokes: Read More
Politics
Obama Voices Support for Medical Marijuana in Cable News Interview
Daniel Politi, SLATE WASHINGTON (Slate) — President Obama offered support for decriminalizing medical marijuana, as well as an overall change in the way the country deals with drug offenders, during an interview scheduled to air on Sunday night as part of a CNN special Read More
National
The Ghost of Cornel West
Michael Eric Dyson, THE NEW REPUBLIC (The New Republic) — “Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned” is the best-known line from William Congreve’s The Mourning Bride. But I’m concerned with the phrase preceding it, which captures wrath in more universal terms: “Heaven has Read More
Politics
Diplomacy out, Blunt Talk in as Obama Gets Tough on GOP
Jim Kuhnhenn, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — With a tone of outrage and eye-rolling dismissiveness, President Barack Obama and his White House team are working out their aggressions on Republicans. Well into the final quarter of Obama’s presidency the White House approach is, if Read More
World
President Barack Obama Delivers A Message To The People Of Nigeria
Farai Gunda, FORBES (Forbes)—With the continent’s most populous nation, Nigeria heading for presidential elections coming up this Saturday, the White House released a video of President Barack Obama’s message to the people of Nigeria earlier this morning. “Nigeria is a great nation and you can be proud Read More
Politics
Obama Announces $240M in New Pledges for STEM Education
Jim Kuhnhenn, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is highlighting private-sector efforts to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and math. At the White House Science Fair on Monday, Obama announced more than $240 million in Read More
Politics
Obama Says He’s Prepared to Fight GOP over Education
Nedra Pickler, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — Pointing to increased high school graduation rates, President Barack Obama said Monday he’s prepared to fight with Republicans for school funding and his education priorities rather than risk going backward. The president said he hopes that Read More
Op-Ed
Below-the-Belt Attacks on the Obamas
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist No United States president has been more disrespected than Barack Obama – and his family. The hatred for the nation’s first African American president is so deep that all but seven Republicans in the U.S. Senate were willing Read More
Op-Ed
To Be Equal: Giuliani’s Words Do More than Hurt—They Divide
By Marc H. Morial NNPA Columnist “A new expression has entered the Westminster lexicon: dog-whistle politics. It means putting out a message that, like a high-pitched dog-whistle, is only fully audible to those at whom it is directly aimed. The intention is to Read More
Politics
Obama to Focus on Civil Rights Struggles, Past and Present
Nedra Pickler, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — For President Barack Obama, it’s a week to invoke America’s civil rights struggles from past to present. The nation’s first black president plans a speech Saturday from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, the site of Read More
Politics
Obama, Aretha Franklin Give Emotional Tribute to Eric Holder
Cassie Spodak, CNN WASHINGTON (CNN)—The White House celebrated the upcoming departure of Eric Holder on Friday night in a ceremony that brought tears to President Barack Obama’s eyes and featured Aretha Franklin literally singing the attorney general’s praises. “I think about all the young people Read More
Op-Ed
The Perils of a Poisonous Politics
By Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. NNPA Columnist By doubling down on his vile slur on President Obama’s love for his country, ex-New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani created the media frenzy that he craved. He also set up an easy test of decency for Read More
Politics
Pentagon Chief: US Considering Slowing Exit from Afghanistan
Robert Burns, ASSOCIATED PRESS KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The United States is considering slowing its military exit from Afghanistan by keeping a larger-than-planned troop presence this year and next because the new Afghan government is proving to be a more reliable partner, U.S. Defense Read More
Op-Ed
More Evidence of Obama’s Hostility Toward HBCUs
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist As if we needed any more evidence, President Obama’s recent meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus revealed a deep-seated hostility toward the plight of struggling Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). According to Lauren Victoria Read More
Politics
Obama: $4 Trillion Budget Replaces ‘Mindless Austerity’
David Jackson and Gregory Korte, USA TODAY WASHINGTON (USA Today)—President Obama unveiled a nearly $4 trillion budget that is “designed to bring middle class economics into the 21st Century” through new programs to be financed by higher taxes on the wealthy. While unlikely to Read More
Politics
5 Things to Know Before Obama Rolls Out His Budget Monday
Connie Cass, ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) — A quick quiz: Monday is — a) Groundhog Day b) Budget Day c) A day for repeating the same old arguments over spending and taxes, only louder. d) All of the above. If you picked “d,” you’re Read More
Op-Ed
An Open Letter to President Barack Obama from Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders
Dear President Obama: We love you. We respect you. We support you. We strongly supported your becoming President and have continued to support you through all the trying times. We continue to love, respect and support you. Mr. President, I write this letter with Read More
Op-Ed
Neither Obama Nor Republicans Have Vision
By Raynard Jackson NNPA Columnist Last week I thought Stevie Wonder gave a great State of the Union Speech. Oops, did I say Stevie Wonder, I meant to say President Obama. But like Stevie Wonder, I couldn’t see the America the president was describing Read More
Op-Ed
The Real Barack Obama Re-Emerges
By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist President Barack Obama knocked it out of the park during the State of the Union address. He was strong, progressive, firm, and relaxed. He was almost cocky as he offered a few jokes, smugly announced that he would have Read More
Politics
Stymied by Congress, Obama Turns to Nation’s Mayors
Gregory Korte, USA TODAY WASHINGTON (USA Today)—With passage of his State of the Union agenda unlikely in a Republican-controlled Congress, President Obama called on the nation’s mostly Democratic big-city mayors to adopt what he calls “middle class economics.” “We take our partnership with you Read More
Op-Ed
Is Obama Trying to Kill Black Colleges? (Part II)
By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist Few things irk me more than hearing someone say or imply that now that we have a Black president, perhaps the time has come to abolish Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). I have zero tolerance for such Read More
