Malcolm X once said that the one man you should be most afraid of is a man who is willing to die for what he believes.

When it comes to tackling the enormous deficits that are affecting our cities, counties, states and this country, we need politicians who are willing to lose their jobs at the ballot box in order to emphasize what he or she believes is right.

Case in point: Mayor Dana Redd of Camden, N.J. Camden is routinely ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in America. Yet due to a $26 million budget shortfall, Redd made it clear that unless city workers, especially police and firefighters, accepted a pay freeze and paid more for their health care, she would have to slash jobs.

Knowing full well that the last thing Camden residents could stomach would be fewer cops on the streets, the unions said no to the mayor’s request, essentially daring her to make the threatened cuts.

She dropped the ax, and it wasn’t pretty. Nearly half of the police force was fired, and one-sixth of all city workers — 335 in all — got pink slips. The workers were understandably angry about the firings, but Redd made it clear that the city had to have a balanced budget, and unless concessions were made, she had to do what she had to do.

Yes, her actions were drastic, but it is also a reality that municipalities are facing. Property values have plummeted; meaning those depending on property taxes must do so with less revenue. And with folks pinching pennies due to the economy, raising taxes is considered political suicide. Couple that with state governments facing their own deficits, and cities and counties can’t look for a bailout; they are on their own and must do more with less and make the necessary cuts.

These moves have nothing to do with being liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican. This is all about living within your means — something every family has to contend with these days.

Surely, Redd knows that her actions could result in anger at the ballot box, but she’s on the money. And frankly, it’s time that voters — yes, voters — get serious about the nation’s financial problem and accept their role in this debacle.

When I hosted a morning show on WVON in Chicago, callers would often say they wanted this and that.

When I asked how it would be paid for, none would have an answer. When asked if they wanted taxes raised, they said no. Well, what about cuts? Nope. It is as if folks think there is a rainbow in the sky with a pot of gold at the end, which no one else has tapped into.

This is the message that Gov. Jerry Brown is trying to preach in California. Universities are angry about the massive cuts he’s proposed, but he’s making it clear that everyone has to share the burden of fixing the state’s $25 billion budget deficit.

In New York, former Gov. David Paterson kept sounding the alarm, but state officials from both parties, and all of the liberal and conservative interest groups, ignored him. Andrew Cuomo is now sitting in the governor’s mansion, and he’s threatening to shut the state down unless they face the music.

The only way this nation will get its fiscal house in order, local or national, is if we have politicians give us the news, regardless of how the pain is administered. Nationally, Democrats can’t be protective of Social Security and Medicaid, and Republicans can’t hold onto every defense dollar.

This week, the Republican Study Committee in Congress offered a thick packet of cuts totaling $2.5 trillion. Missing from it? Anything dealing with defense. On my One Cable Network TV show, “Washington Watch,” Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), chairman of the committee, said that everything should be on the table.

Frankly, their proposal should be thrown right in the trash. It’s clear that our elected officials are afraid of ticking off the particular needs of voters, so they kick the can down the road, hoping someone else takes on the tough stuff. That means voters must be strong enough to back up the hard choices that our elected officials must make.

Look, we all want parks, roads, care for the needy, protection by police and fire, potholes fixed in a timely manner, fresh flowers along our roads and highways, and all of our entitlements, but as a nation, we simply can’t afford it.

Instead of folks slamming Mayor Dana Redd for taking draconian measures, she should be celebrated. At least, she had the guts to do what so many others were afraid to actually do: lead.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the book “The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin.” Please visit his website at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Source: CNN

Keith Olbermann is leaving MSNBC, the “Countdown” host announced on his show Friday night.

The liberal commentator told viewers he had been informed “this was going to be the last edition” of his show, but offered no further details.

NBC/Universal confirmed the news in a statement Friday night.

“MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC’s success and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Robert Bobb is the Emergency Financial Manager of Detroits’s public schools and is determined to end waste, fraud and corruption.

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Source: Alexander Mooney / CNN

The former House Speaker tells the conservative Human Events the second half of Obama’s term has essentially become “the third term of the Clintons.”

“I think it’s fascinating,” said Gingrich in the interview published Friday. “You’re sort of seeing the beginning of the third term of the Clintons because the first two years of Obama was such a failure in popular acceptance.”

Since overseeing massive midterm losses, the president has installed several former Clinton administration officials, including selecting Clinton commerce Secretary Bill Daily as his chief of staff and former Clinton economic guru Gene Sperling as counselor to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Meanwhile, former Clinton domestic policy adviser Bruce Reed has become chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden.

“It’s almost a Chicago-machine musical game, and all of it represents an increase in power for Bill Clinton,” said Gingrich.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Roland Martin and Ed Rollins join Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room to detail Donald Trump’s chances of capturing the Republican nomination to run for president in 2012.

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Source: CNN

Tucson, Arizona – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Friday left the Tucson hospital where she had been treated since being shot in the head January 8, traveling down streets lined with well-wishers before flying to the Houston, Texas, hospital where she will continue her recovery.

She arrived at Houston Hobby International Airport shortly after 1 p.m. and was flown in a helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where one of the surgeons who has treated her since the shooting will hand over care to a new team of doctors.

Although previous reports had indicated she would move directly to a rehabilitation facility affiliated with the hospital, she will instead be taken to the hospital’s trauma center for evaluation and treatment, said Dr. Dong Kim, a neurosurgeon at the hospital.

The hospital said in a statement that she will be transferred to the rehabilitation facility, TIRR Memorial Hermann, when her health allows.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Roland Martin and Ed Rollins join Wolf Blitzer in The Situation Room to discuss Rick Santorum’s comments about race, abortion and President Obama’s ethnicity.

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Roland Martin appears in The Situation Room with Ed Rollins and host Wolf Blitzer to discuss a recent CNN poll that questions if the first two years of the Obama Administration were a failure.

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Source: AP / MSNBC

Washington — Michelle Obama is going on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

The White House says the first lady is returning to her Chicago hometown Friday to tape one of the last original episodes of Winfrey’s nationally syndicated talk show.

Mrs. Obama will discuss plans to launch a nationwide campaign to support families with someone in the military.

The first lady has become an advocate for military families. She has traveled to military installations to talk with service members about their needs and concerns and has urged Americans to volunteer time to help them.

To read this article in its entirety visit MSNBC.

Source: HumaKhan / ABC News

Several freshman Republican lawmakers are rejecting one of the most cherished benefits granted to public servants: federal health insurance. But it’s not for the reason one might expect. Many from this bunch cite personal preference rather than opposition to the new health care law as their motivation.

Fourteen of the 85 new Republican lawmakers who were sworn in just weeks ago have declined federal health benefits, opting instead for alternative plans.

Like some of his colleagues, Rep. Richard Nugent, R-Fla., says he felt uneasy at the idea of taxpayers subsidizing his health benefits, even though switching over to a federal plan would have saved him about $9,000 a year.

“It has to do with just fundamental fairness,” Nugent told ABC News. “This is an elected office. I just feel it shouldn’t be like a career and I shouldn’t be able to able to enrich myself through that, so it was just a personal choice. It had nothing to do with Obamacare.”

To read this article in its entirety visit ABC News.

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Source: CNN

Tucson, Arizona – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Friday left the Tucson, Arizona hospital where she has been treated since a January 9 gunshot wound, traveling under police escort down streets lined with well-wishers.

Giffords’ first stop was to be Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where she was expected to board an aircraft that will carry her to Houston. She will continue her recovery there.

Although previous reports had indicated she would move directly to a rehabilitation facility affiliated with Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, she will instead be taken to the hospital’s trauma center for evaluation and treatment, said Dr. Dong Kim, a neurosurgeon at the hospital.

“She’s not quite ready for rehabilitation yet,” he said, citing concerns about ongoing medical issues. He declined to elaborate.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Source: Errin Haines / AP/ MSNBC

Atlanta — The Rev. Bernice King says she will not assume the presidency of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

King was elected in October 2009 to lead the organization co-founded by her father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., more than 50 years ago. Soon after, the SCLC’s chairman was accused of financial mismanagement, and bitter infighting among the group’s leaders landed the split factions in a courtroom.

King said Friday that she is shifting her attention to furthering her mother’s legacy after dedicating “an exhaustive amount of time, energy and resources to assess the organization and prepare for my transition.”

She says her vision did not align with that of the SCLC board. She notified board leadership of her decision on Thursday.

To follow this topic visit MSNBC.

CNN’s Dan Lothian reports on the unofficial launch of the Obama 2012 campaign.

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Source: Andrea Canning and Jessica Hopper / ABC News

The woman who raised kidnapped girl Carlina White for 23 years has dropped from sight as federal and New York law enforcement officials launch fresh probes into the girl’s disappearance from a hospital in 1987.

Anne Pettway, the woman White called Mom while growing up, has several aliases as well as a criminal history that includes charges of embezzlement, forgery, theft and drugs. She’s currently on parole for embezzlement charges in North Carolina, the New York Post reported.

Pettway has left her home in North Carolina and has not turned up at her mother’s home in Bridgeport, Conn., where she told the Post earlier this week she was heading.

Authorities have not named Pettway as a suspect. Pettway has defended herself saying that she was a good mom.

To read this article in its entirety visit ABC News.

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Former Republican Senator Rick Santorum explains his remarks regarding abortion and race.

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Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed talks to CNN’s John King about the state of African-Americans in the U.S.

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Source: Ed Payne / CNN

Washington – The White House will announce a new economic advisory council on Friday, one that will be headed by Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric.

“Because we still have a long way to go to get Americans back to work and strengthen our economy, the President will announce on Friday that he will sign a new Executive Order creating a new board, the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which will have a new composition and new mission as we move to a new phase in our economic recovery,” a White House statement said.

“The Council will focus on finding new ways to promote growth by investing in American business to encourage hiring, to educate and train our workers to compete globally, and to attract the best jobs and businesses to the United States.”

The council replaces the old Economic Recovery Advisory Board that was headed by Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Eleven percent of the student body at a Memphis, Tennessee, high school are parents.

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Source: CNN

Washington – Randall Terry, a veteran leader of the anti-abortion movement, announced Thursday he will challenge President Barack Obama for next year’s Democratic presidential nomination.

The move is designed to provide a platform for Terry’s strong social views.

Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, called Obama “an arch-promoter of child killing.”

“Even if I get 35 or 40 percent of the vote in Iowa, that will be a massive embarrassment for Obama,” he said.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Roland Martin joins John King on the set of JKUSA to discuss Rahm Emanuel’s run for the Chicago Mayor’s office with Andy Shaw.

Roland, Shaw and King also discuss Emanuel’s relationship with the African-American community, Bill Clinton campaigning for Rahm and his volatile personality.

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Roland Martin talks with Amy Wilkins, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Education Trust about African-American youth flunking the Army’s basic entrance exam.

According to a recent report 40 percent of African-American students and 30 percent of Hispanic students failed the US Army’s basic entrance exam.

Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen defends comparing Republican criticism of the health care law to a Nazi propogandist.

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Source: The Huffingotn Post

Keith Olbermann made his (unsurprising) disdain for outgoing Senator Joe Lieberman clear on his Wednesday show, calling Lieberman a “delusional liar” and saying, “good riddance.”

Plus, Slate’s Dave Weigel joins Olbermann to talks about the retirement of the self-described “moderate Democrat” from the Senate.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Stolen as an infant, Carlina White was raised by her kidnapper for 23 years before returning home. WABC reports.

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Source: ESPN

Newark, N.J. - New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has told the team to end discussions on the Carmelo Anthony deal.

In a news conference before Wednesday night’s game against Utah, Prokhorov said he decided on Tuesday to stop pursuit of the Nuggets’ All-Star forward, unhappy with how things played out in public.

The new owner says the deal took too long and became too expensive.

“I’m not happy with the way … this deal has gone until now,” said Prokhorov. “It has taken too long. It has been played out in public and it certainly has taken a toll on the players and I believe that it has cost us several games. I think management did a great job, but there comes a time when the price is simply too expensive. I’m instructing our team to walk away from the deal.

To read this article in its entirety visit ESPN.

Rep. Ron Paul tells CNN’s “American Morning” that “we can’t blame China for our mistakes.”

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Source: Linsey Davis and Seniboye Tienabeso / ABC News

An abortion doctor in Philadelphia has been charged with eight murders, including seven babies who prosecutors say were born alive then killed with scissors.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 69, and nine employees from his West Philadelphia Women’s Medical Society were arrested Wednesday. He and his staff also are charged with killing a woman who was given a lethal dose of Demerol.

Gosnell catered to minorities, immigrants and poor women, and made millions of dollars over 30 years performing illegal and late-term abortions in squalid and barbaric conditions, prosecutors said.

“There were bags, and bottles holding aborted fetuses were scattered throughout the building,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. “There were jars lining shelves with severed feet that he kept for no medical purpose.”

To read this article in its entirety visit ABC News.

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The Scott Sisters join Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to discuss their release from prison and the conditions placed on them by Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour.

Tom Joyner offers an invitation to Gladys Scott for a trip on the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage. Tom explains that Jamie Scott would not be able to travel on the ship because they do not have a dialysis machine on the boat. Tom and the Scott also discuss the possibility of coming to the Tom Joyner Family Reunion with both Gladys and Jamie Scott.

Source: Chris Welch / CNN

Columbus, Ohio - Teaching Mandarin is a growing trend across schools in the United States, where the number of students enrolling in Chinese language and cultural programs has tripled in recent years.

A school district outside Columbus, Ohio, is on track to receive more than $1 million in federal grant money for its Chinese arts and language program. But what’s really caught people’s attention is the $30,000 that the district is getting from the government of China.

The Gahanna-Jefferson School District began teaching Mandarin Chinese four years ago and since then, the number of students in the program has increased from about 40 to 350.

Administrators felt China should have a home in their suburban Ohio school system since the communist country has the world’s second-largest economy and is becoming increasingly relevant.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tells TODAY’s Meredith Vieira that while she intends to serve out the remainder of this term, she is not “in any way committing to or even thinking about” a second term.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Credit for Sarah Palin’s recovery from being unfairly linked to the Tucson shootings has to go to her nurse, Sean Hannity.

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Source: CNN

Tucson, Arizona – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — who will be moved to a rehabilitation center in Texas later this week, according to her parents — had worries about her safety long before she was critically wounded by a gunman at a public event, her husband said.

“We’ve discussed it a number of times,” Mark Kelly told CNN affiliate KVOA in an interview Tuesday. “She felt that, that was a possibility, pretty much exactly what had happened … there have been threats against her and other members of Congress.”

“There is a team of medical specialists involved … including military surgeons who specialize in bullet wounds to the head,” the e-mail says. “They want to start aggressive rehab immediately.”

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Source: Ed Henry / CNN

R. Sargent Shriver, who was responsible for launching the U.S. Peace Corps after marrying into the Kennedy family and joining John F. Kennedy’s White House, has died, according to his family.

Shriver, whose full name was Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., was 95. He had suffered for years from Alzheimer’s disease.

The family released a statement, saying Shriver died Tuesday “surrounded by his five children, five children in-law, and his 19 grandchildren.”

“He lived to make the world a more joyful, faithful, and compassionate place,” the family’s statement said. “He worked on stages both large and small but in the end, he will be best known for his love of others. No one ever came into his presence without feeling his passion and his enthusiasm for them.”

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Haiti’s former dictator Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier, who returned to Haiti after 25 years in exile, was charged with corruption, theft and misappropriation of funds. Kelly Cobiella reports.

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Source: Kim Segal and Lonzo Cook / CNN

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti – Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier was taken into custody Tuesday and transported to a courthouse where a hearing will determine whether he will be arrested.

Duvalier appeared from the hotel room where he has been holed up since his mysterious return to Haiti on Sunday. His hands free of handcuffs, he waived to a small crowd of supporters before heavily armed police escorted him away.

Duvalier’s departure from the Karibe Hotel came after a morning of intense legal activity. A judge and chief prosecutor had entered the hotel to question Duvalier.

Outside the hotel in the swanky suburb of Petionville, throngs of journalists waited amid speculation that the former despot would be arrested.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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By Roland S. Martin

Halle Berry says she’s flattered that Aretha Franklin would want her to play her on the big screen, but she doesn’t think she has the singing chops to do it.

I emailed the Oscar-winning actress Tuesday about the Queen of Soul telling Wendy Williams Halle will play her in a biopic, and Berry said she was moved by the statement.

” I adore Aretha…ADORE her, but I’m sure she would want the actress to sing,” Berry said.

Halle said she first heard about Aretha wanting her to portray her on the red carpet at the Golden Globes and joked, “I can’t sing.”

When I asked about the possibility, Halle said: “I would absolutely entertain the idea, it would be an honor for anyone to play her.”

Berry, who produced and starred in HBO’s The Dorothy Dandridge Story,” says even if she doesn’t play Franklin, she’s open to helping behind the scenes.

“I would entertain producing and helping in anyway,” she said. “I believe her life and contribution to the music industry is an important part of the legacy of our people and needs to be told.”

Janice Sallis pleads for the release of her daughter, Phylicia Barnes, who has been missing since December 28th.

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Source: Kim Segal / CNN

Port-au-Prince - Police, a judge and a prosecutor entered the posh Port-au-Prince hotel Tuesday where former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier has been holed up since his surprise return home.

It’s still unclear why Duvalier returned from some 25 years in exile in France, but speculation mounted Tuesday that he may be arrested.

About 20 police went into the Karibe Hotel in the Petionville suburb Tuesday morning. Journalists were barred from entering.

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Radio host Steve Harvey and wife, Marjorie teach kids about accountability.

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Source: Stephanie Condon / CBS News

In a Fox News interview Monday night, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin lashed out at the criticism she received in the wake of the Jan. 8 mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona. Palin said her critics were interested in silencing her conservative agenda, but said, “I will continue to speak out. They’re not going to shut me up.”

“Those on the left hate my message and will do all that they can to stop me because they don’t like the message,” Palin told Sean Hannity of Fox.

Palin’s appearance on the network, for which she is a paid contributor, was her first extended interview since the Tucson tragedy that left six dead and 14 injured, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

The former governor and vice presidential candidate almost immediately came under scrutiny after the shooting, since Giffords was one of several lawmakers “targeted” on a 2010 electoral map Palin’s political action committee published online, which featured images of crosshairs over the targeted districts. Palin was further criticized after she released a video response to the shooting in which she defended herself. Critics said Palin focused too much on herself in her video message.

To read this article in its entirety visit CBS News.

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A school board member and radio station owner broadcasts rants against the civil rights leader. Anderson Cooper reports.

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A principal and a Princeton professor join Anderson Cooper to react to Brett Reese’s criticism of Martin Luther King Jr.

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Source: Alan Silverleib and Tom Cohen / CNN

Washington - Floor debate is scheduled to begin Tuesday in the House of Representatives on a repeal of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul bill.

The start of the process fulfills a campaign promise of congressional Republicans, but also sets up a clash with the White House and Senate Democrats.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has scheduled floor debate for Tuesday and a vote on the measure for Wednesday.

The measure is expected to pass the Republican-led House, but is believed to have little chance of clearing the Democratic-controlled Senate or surviving a presidential veto.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Source: Tami Luhby / CNN Money

New York – There will be fewer cops patrolling the streets of Camden, N.J., come Tuesday.

Struggling to close a $26.5 million budget gap, the city with the second highest crime rate in the nation is laying off 163 police officers. That’s nearly 44% of the force.

And Camden will also lose 60 of its 215 firefighters. Some people with desk jobs will be demoted and reassigned to the streets.

The mayor’s office says that the cuts will not affect public safety.

“It’s absolutely physically impossible to cover the same amount of ground in the same amount of time with less people,” said John Williamson, president of the Fraternal Order of Police union in Camden. “Response times will be slower.”

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN Money.

Source: Cleve R. Wootson Jr. / Charlotte Observer

Civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Sunday that the move by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to use the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a makeup snow day is “clearly insulting and hits a very raw nerve.”

Jackson spoke in an interview with the Observer shortly after the local NAACP announced it would march today “in honor of Dr. King and in support of educating our youth on the important contributions Dr. King and others made throughout the Civil Rights movement.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools were out for three days last week because of wintry weather and icy roads.

The first makeup snow day was scheduled for January 17th, which is also the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday.

To read this article in its entirety visit the Charlotte Observer.

It was stunning to watch the memorial service in Tucson and to look at the reaction from the people in that city. A lot of people were saying that, “Well, this really wasn’t a memorial service; it was a pep rally.” But it was clear that it was a celebration of life, a celebration of freedom that took place there. For five days – five days – that town, they were mourning people. They – they were sitting here, shocked by the shooting that took place, and so the memorial service was in many ways a release.

To the – all the critics: You know what? Shut up. Okay? Cut the nonsense in terms of what is traditional, and ‘it should have been done a certain way.’ The President, I believe, was moved by what he heard, by what he saw. There was no doubt he wanted to be more solid in his speech, but the people there – they said, “No, Mr. President. We’re going to move you to a different level.” And every smart speaker always knows that you read the room, and you read it appropriately to understand what the tone is.

And so I say, “Tucson, keep doing you and forget all the critics who say you should’ve mourned – or, you should – you should have had a memorial service a different way.

That’s my perspective. What’s yours?

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Smokey Fontaine of NewsOne.com joins Roland Martin, via HP’s SkyRoom from News One’s New York headquarters for this week’s edition of Web Watch.

In this week’s installment of Web Watch Roland and Smokey Fontaine discuss stopping the spread of hate on the Internet and the You Tube sensation with the “golden voice” hit a hurdle and ends up in rehab.

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In the wake of the emotional and impressive memorial service to honor the six killed and 13 wounded in Tucson at the hands of a deranged gunman, the conventional wisdom is that despite pleas for civility, we will return to the pre-shooting days of yelling, screaming and highly charged partisanship.

In his speech to the nation, President Barack Obama, acting as the healer in chief, called on all Americans to rise above the nonsense of making politics a rhetorical blood sport and instead have a civil debate on the issues.

“I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here — they help me believe,” said President Obama. “We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.”

The knee-jerk reaction from many in the call for civility is to say that the First Amendment gives them the right to say what they want and when they want. But the right to freedom of speech also gives all of us the right to say “no” and “you’re not going to talk to me that way.” We can probe and debate yet we can do so without all the rancor and bitterness.

I found it laughable to listen to my media colleagues talk about this need for civility, yet many of us fan those flames by booking, promoting and giving more airtime to those who rant and scream at the top of their lungs. In the world of TV and radio, you’ll hear someone say, “Now that was a hot discussion! Can you come back tomorrow night?” Forget that the discussion ended up as being nothing but an attack on the other person, savagely ripping into “those liberals” or “those conservatives.” What often happens is the issue at hand is ignored, and folks walk away from a fight where no one benefits.

I’ve never been one who has shied away from being passionate about an issue, but as a responsible individual, I always accept the reality that what I say matters. People do listen. Folks form opinions based on what is said. And we can ramp up their blood pressure higher and higher or we can say, “That was a spirited debate.

Now let’s go and get a drink.”

If we want to embrace the notion of civility and humility in our discourse, it means not falling into our old habits. I was impressed that Roger Ailes, head of Fox News Channel, relayed to Russell Simmons’ GlobalGrind.com what he told his staff after the Tucson shootings: “I told all of our guys, shut up, tone it down, make your argument intellectually. You don’t have to do it with bombast. I hope the other side does that.”

Who knows if this edict will be photocopied and posted in the office of every Fox talk show host — and throughout its newsroom — to serve as a reminder to everyone when the nation moves further away from the shooting.

And Ailes is correct that those who vehemently oppose the views of Fox News and conservative radio hosts must also adhere to the president’s call for civility. Maybe we should all make “Remember Gabby and the Tucson 6″ buttons, T-shirts and bumper stickers, as a way to stop someone in their tracks that chooses to become out of control.

It was the attempted political assassination of the moderate Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that ended up costing six people their lives and leaving another 12 wounded.

In an e-mail a day before the shooting, it was Giffords herself who openly discussed the toxic political dialogue that resulted in death threats against her.

“After you get settled, I would love to talk about what we can do to promote centrism and moderation. I am one of only 12 Dems left in a GOP district (the only woman) and think that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down,” Giffords wrote to Republican Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson to congratulate him on being named director of Harvard’s Institute of Politics.

Yes, we know the actions of the mentally ill shooter weren’t tied to the heated political rhetoric played out on radio, TV and online, but it still isn’t a healthy environment.

But as she heads for a long recovery from being shot in the head, “Remember Gabby and the Tucson 6″ should constantly ring in our ears.

Let’s have vigorous debates over the issues. But let’s do so as adults, not as petulant and out-of-control children.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the book “The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin.” Please visit his website at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM

Ambassador Andrew Young joins Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to talk about his good friend, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., celebrating the 25^th anniversary of the national MLK holiday and his fight for the poor.

Magic Johnson thanks Dr. King for making equal opportunity a reality for all.

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Source: Peter Hamby / CNN

Oxon Hill, Maryland - The Republican National Committee tossed out controversy-plagued chairman Michael Steele Friday and tapped Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus to lead the debt-ridden party organization into the 2012 presidential election cycle.

Priebus remains largely unknown to Washington’s political class but is now tasked with rebuilding the committee’s damaged relationship with deep-pocketed GOP donors and raising hundreds of millions of dollars to compete with President Obama’s re-election campaign.

The RNC also faces a more immediate challenge: retiring more than $21 million in debt leftover from the 2010 election cycle.

The soft-spoken Milwaukee attorney oversaw a banner election year for Republicans in Wisconsin and is a close friend and political adviser to Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Ron Johnson, but he is perhaps better known within the Beltway for his ties to the embattled Steele.

Priebus managed Steele’s successful campaign in 2009 and went on to serve as RNC General Counsel, but he resigned the post in December to launch his own bid for the chairmanship after some arm-twisting by Steele critics eager to find a competent committee insider to replace their gaffe-prone leader.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Source: Kathy Banks / NBC Washington

Two congressmen are asking the public to help find a North Carolina teenager who went missing in Maryland.

Phylicia Barnes was last seen on Dec. 28 in Baltimore. She was visiting her half-sister for the holidays.

Congressmen Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Larry Kissell of North Carolina issued a joint statement Friday.

They said their thoughts and prayers are with Barnes’ family. The lawmakers also urged people to contact Baltimore police immediately if they have any information about the case.

To read this article in its entirety visit NBCWashington.com.

Source: CNN

Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage is keeping up his reputation for blunt language, telling an unhappy NAACP chapter that they can “kiss my butt.”

The governor made the comments to CNN affiliate WCSH after being asked about criticism he received from the organization for refusing to attend an event it is sponsoring on behalf of Martin Luther King Day.

“They are a special interest. End of story…and I’m not going to be held hostage by special interests. And if they want, they can look at my family picture. My son happens to be black, so they can do whatever they’d like about it,” LePage said.

The governor has an adopted son from Jamaica, according to WSCH.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Michael Steele drops bid for re-election as RNC chairman.

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Source: The Washington Post

Maintaining racial diversity in schools

“Those core values, embodied in our founding documents, subsequent amendments and court rulings, include equity and diversity in education and opportunity. In fact, on Monday we celebrate the life and leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose movement for racial equality inspired a nation and brought us closer to the more perfect union envisioned by our founders.

In an increasingly diverse society like ours, racial isolation is not a positive outcome for children of any color or background. School is where children learn to appreciate, respect and collaborate with people different from themselves. I respectfully urge school boards across America to fully consider the consequences before taking such action. This is no time to go backward.

Arne Duncan, Washington”

There have been a lot of reports about Aretha Franklin’s dwindling health, and the music legend has kept quiet — until now! Aretha speaks exclusively to Access’ Shaun Robinson to set the record straight about all of her recent health problems.

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Michael L. Rhodes, the Defense Department’s director of administration and management, applauds Jeh C. Johnson, the department’s general counsel, after presenting him a certificate of appreciation for his keynote address at the 26th annual observance of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Pentagon, Jan. 13, 2011. DOD photo by R. D. Ward

Source: Terri Moon Cronk / American Forces Press Service

Jeh C. Johnson, the Defense Department’s general counsel, posed that question at today’s Pentagon commemoration of King’s legacy.

In the final year of his life, King became an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War, Johnson told a packed auditorium. However, he added, today’s wars are not out of line with the iconic Nobel Peace Prize winner’s teachings.

“I believe that if Dr. King were alive today, he would recognize that we live in a complicated world, and that our nation’s military should not and cannot lay down its arms and leave the American people vulnerable to terrorist attack,” he said.

Johnson is a 1979 graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where King graduated in 1948. He also attended school with King’s son, Martin Luther King III, and was privy to the elder King’s speaking engagements there.

To read this article in its entirety visit U.S. Department of Defense.

Source: Rima Maktabi / CNN

Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisia’s prime minister announced Friday that he is now the interim president of his country’s embattled government, the latest development in a fast-moving story of unrest and public outrage in a tiny but significant corner of the Arab world.

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi announced on Tunisian state TV that he has taken over the responsibility of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali — who has ruled the nation since 1987.

This comes amid media reports that Ben Ali has left the country amid outrage over poor living conditions and repression of rights. Protesters who have held daily demonstrations have denounced corruption in the Ben Ali government and urged that he leave the office.

Earlier on Friday, Ben Ali dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency, state TV reported. He also called for parliamentary elections within six months. The moves came days after the president dumped the interior minister and fired a couple of aides.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Jon Stewart ridicules partisan media criticism of Tucson Memorial, “Together We Thrive.”

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Source: WhiteHouse.gov

“Dear parents,

Like so many Americans all across the country, Barack and I were shocked and heartbroken by the horrific act of violence committed in Arizona this past weekend. Yesterday, we had the chance to attend a memorial service and meet with some of the families of those who lost their lives, and both of us were deeply moved by their strength and resilience in the face of such unspeakable tragedy.

As parents, an event like this hits home especially hard. It makes our hearts ache for those who lost loved ones. It makes us want to hug our own families a little tighter. And it makes us think about what an event like this says about the world we live in – and the world in which our children will grow up.

In the days and weeks ahead, as we struggle with these issues ourselves, many of us will find that our children are struggling with them as well. The questions my daughters have asked are the same ones that many of your children will have – and they don’t lend themselves to easy answers. But they will provide an opportunity for us as parents to teach some valuable lessons – about the character of our country, about the values we hold dear, and about finding hope at a time when it seems far away.

We can teach our children that here in America, we embrace each other, and support each other, in times of crisis. And we can help them do that in their own small way – whether it’s by sending a letter, or saying a prayer, or just keeping the victims and their families in their thoughts.

We can teach them the value of tolerance – the practice of assuming the best, rather than the worst, about those around us. We can teach them to give others the benefit of the doubt, particularly those with whom they disagree.

We can also teach our children about the tremendous sacrifices made by the men and women who serve our country and by their families. We can explain to them that although we might not always agree with those who represent us, anyone who enters public life does so because they love their country and want to serve it.

Christina Green felt that call. She was just nine years old when she lost her life. But she was at that store that day because she was passionate about serving others. She had just been elected to her school’s student council, and she wanted to meet her Congresswoman and learn more about politics and public life.

And that’s something else we can do for our children – we can tell them about Christina and about how much she wanted to give back. We can tell them about John Roll, a judge with a reputation for fairness; about Dorothy Morris, a devoted wife to her husband, her high school sweetheart, to whom she’d been married for 55 years; about Phyllis Schneck, a great-grandmother who sewed aprons for church fundraisers; about Dorwan Stoddard, a retired construction worker who helped neighbors down on their luck; and about Gabe Zimmerman, who did community outreach for Congresswoman Giffords, working tirelessly to help folks who were struggling, and was engaged to be married next year. We can tell them about the brave men and women who risked their lives that day to save others. And we can work together to honor their legacy by following their example – by embracing our fellow citizens; by standing up for what we believe is right; and by doing our part, however we can, to serve our communities and our country.

Sincerely,

Michelle Obama”

Roland Martin discusses the conditional release of the Scott Sisters and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour’s sudden embrace of African-American issues.

Roland Martin appears in The Situation Room with Ed Rollins and host Wolf Blitzer to discuss the possibility of a bipartisan State of the Union address.

Will Democrats and Republicans sit together during President Obama’s address to show unity amongst lawmakers in the wake of the Arizona shooting rampage?

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Source: Shannon Travis / CNN

Herman Cain is a conservative African-American Republican who’s a radio talk show host based in Atlanta. He might be the first to announce that he’s running for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Cain’s resume is impressive: CEO and president of Godfather’s Pizza for 10 years, former chairman of the board of the National Restaurant Association, and he currently sits on the boards of directors of A-list companies like Hallmark Cards, Whirlpool and AGCO, one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural equipment.

Cain, who’s fond of getting laughs by calling himself the “dark horse” in the presidential guessing game, announced Wednesday that he’s forming a presidential exploratory committee. In an interview with CNN, Cain explained his intentions.

“We have taken the step of hiring some key staff already such that, when I am in the exploratory phase, I will be able to really make a good assessment of whether I can get the nomination and ultimately go on to win the presidency,” he said.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

Source: Stephanie Condon / CBS News

The GOP’s top priority for the next two years is clear: beat President Obama. Friday, the Republican National Committee will decide which leader they want at the helm as the organization helps the party meet that goal.

One thing the RNC doesn’t want is a leader who upstages their presidential candidate. Instead of a spokesman, the party committee is likely looking for a behind-the-scenes organizer who can strengthen the Republican presidential campaign’s infrastructure and raise enough money to do so.

That doesn’t bode well for the RNC’s current chairman, Michael Steele, who is seeking another term, to much of the committee’s chagrin.

During his two years as chairman, Steele often found himself in the spotlight for his verbal gaffes and outspoken nature. Under his tenure, the committee found its way into debt and spent its money on some injudicious expenditures, such as a trip to a topless club.

On the other hand, as Steele has emphasized, the Republican party enjoyed tremendous gains in the 2010 midterms. But the question remains whether those gains were made because of, or in spite of, Steele.

To read this article in its entirety visit CBS News.

Source: Tony Jackson / ESPN

Paradise Valley, Ariz. – Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame outfielder who now works as a senior vice president for Major League Baseball, was transported by ambulance to a Scottsdale hospital after experiencing dizziness and an irregular heartbeat on Thursday morning.

Commissioner Bud Selig said tests on the 75-year-old have been negative for any serious problems.

Robinson experienced those symptoms while attending a session during baseball’s quarterly owners’ meetings.

Pat Courtney, a spokesman for MLB, said Robinson was conscious when he was taken away by ambulance to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital. Courtney said Robinson initially got up during the meeting, beckoned a couple of MLB officials and left the room, walking to the main lobby area of the Sanctuary resort under his own power.

To read this article in its entirety visit ESPN.

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Source: Aaron Smith / CNN Money

New York – It’s a landmark day for victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. A bankruptcy court judge approved the trustee’s request to dole out billions of dollars in seized assets to the victims.

Judge Burton Lifland ruled on Thursday that Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee in the recovery of assets stolen by Madoff, should free up cash to compensate victims.

This applies specifically to the $7.2 billion estate of Jeffry Picower, a philanthropist and Madoff associate who died of a heart attack in 2009. On Dec. 17, 2010, Picard reached a deal with Picower’s widow Barbara, who agreed to turn over the money her husband received from the Madoff scheme so it could be returned to victims. This is the largest forfeiture in U.S. history.

Picard claimed in court filings that Picower was a key beneficiary of Madoff’s scheme. The trustee said Picower had withdrawn $7.8 billion from Madoff’s firm since the 1970s, even though he only invested $619 million. Picower “knew or should have known that [he] was profiting from fraud, because of the highly implausible high rates of return” on his accounts, the trustee said.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN Money.

In his new book, entrepreneur and hip-hop legend Russell Simmons offers tips on getting complete control of your life.

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Source: AP / The Huffington Post

New City, N.Y.  — Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor pleaded guilty Thursday to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute, misdemeanor charges that carry no jail time but require him to register as a sex offender.

The 51-year-old ex-linebacker, who led the New York Giants to Super Bowl titles in 1987 and 1991, will serve six years probation.

“She told me she was 19,” Taylor, standing with his hands clasped behind him, said in court as he admitted having sex with a prostitute who turned out to be a 16-year-old Bronx runaway. Taylor said he now knows the girl was legally incapable of consent.

Harry Carson, his former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, was in the courtroom and gave Taylor a supportive handshake when he arrived.

Prosecutor Patricia Gunning said the plea deal was acceptable in part because Taylor had assisted in investigations into human trafficking since he was charged. Another prosecutor, Arthur Ferraro, said outside court that Taylor “was of assistance in the field of human trafficking in several jurisdictions and with federal authorities.”

To read this article in its entirety visit The Huffington Post.

Source: Steve Dolce / CNN

Tucson, Arizona - They described it as “a miracle.”

Shot in the head less than a week ago, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords opened her eyes briefly for the first time Wednesday, with her husband, her parents and other members of Congress in the room.

“It was extraordinary,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, who was holding Giffords’ hand at the time. “It was a miracle to witness.”

The incident occurred shortly after President Barack Obama had visited Giffords in her hospital room. Less than an hour later, given permission to disclose the information by Mark Kelly, Giffords’ husband, Obama electrified a memorial-service crowd and a national television audience by revealing one of the most promising pieces of news about Gifford’s condition to emerge since an assassination attempt against her on Saturday.

Giffords was squeezing and stroking Gillibrand’s hand, as doctors previously said she had been able to do.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Source: MSNBC

Accompanied by his lawyer, a defiant former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay reiterated Wednesday that he was sentenced to three years in prison for political reasons and that he had done nothing wrong.

“I was tried in the most liberal county in the state of Texas, and indeed in the United States,” DeLay told the TODAY Show’s Matt Lauer in an exclusive interview. “The point is that this is a political campaign.”

Sitting by his side, DeLay’s attorney, Richard DeGuerin, called the conviction a “political prosecution” that was brought on because DeLay “was so successful in bringing about redistricting in Texas.”

In the interview, DeLay also said he stood by his stance on loosening gun control laws and promoting gun owners’ rights in the wake of the recent shooting rampage in Arizona that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition.

To read this article in its entirety visit MSNBC.

WATCH: DeLay: Liberals sentenced me to jail

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Source: AP / CBS News

Lenders are poised to take back more homes this year than any other since the U.S. housing meltdown began in 2006. About 5 million borrowers are at least two months behind on their mortgages and more will miss payments as they struggle with job losses and loans worth more than their home’s value, industry analysts forecast.

“2011 is going to be the peak,” said Rick Sharga, a senior vice president at foreclosure tracker RealtyTrac Inc.

The outlook comes after banks repossessed more than 1 million homes in 2010, RealtyTrac said Thursday. That marked the highest annual tally of properties lost to foreclosure on records dating back to 2005.

One in 45 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing last year, or a record high of 2.9 million homes. That’s up 1.67 percent from 2009.

To read this article in its entirety visit CBS News.

Source: CNN

Tucson, Arizona – In between consoling those touched by Saturday’s Arizona shooting and warning the nation against politicizing the tragedy, President Barack Obama delivered some good news in his address at a Tucson memorial event on Wednesday.

“There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts,” Obama said. “But know this: The hopes of a nation are here tonight.”

Obama told a crowd of thousands that he visited Giffords earlier on Wednesday and that her husband told him that shortly after the president left her room, “Gabby opened her eyes for the first time.”

“Gabby opened her eyes so I can tell you know she knows we are here, she knows that we love her and she knows that we are rooting for her through what will undoubtedly be a difficult journey,” Obama said.

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Roland Martin analyzes the television coverage, President Obama’s speech and the memorial event for the victims of the tragic shooting in Arizona entitled “Together We Thrive: Tucson and America.”

Source: AP / Chicago Sun-Times

Springfield, IL — Gov. Pat Quinn is defending a massive increase in state income taxes and promises to sign the bill passed by lawmakers quickly.

Lawmakers worked overnight Wednesday to pass the increase to raise the personal income tax rate from 3 percent to 5 percent for four years. Corporate income taxes also will rise, and Quinn rejected the notion that it would decimate businesses.

Quinn says the tax increase money will help heal the state’s ailing finances. Illinois is facing a deficit that could top $15 billion this year.

The Chicago Democrat says it’s important for the Illinois economy that state government not be a “fiscal basket case.”

To read this article in its entirety visit the Chicago Sun-Times.

Source: Sam Stein / The Huffington Post

Washington – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s first spoken words on the shootings in Tucson, Ariz. — a lengthy denunciation of both violence and pundits who are “manufacturing a blood libel” — was more an effort in media critique than post-tragedy reconciliation.

And in the immediate aftermath, the reaction to it was a bit of incredulity, shock or simple confusion. Assistant House Minority Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) became one of the first lawmakers to weigh in Wednesday morning.

“You know, Sarah Palin just can’t seem to get it, on any front. I think that she’s an attractive person, she is articulate,” Clyburn said on Bill Press’ radio show. “But I think intellectually, she seems not to be able to understand what’s going on here.”

To read this article in its entirety visit The Huffington Post.

LISTEN to Congressman James Clyburn’s comments

Download audio file (palinNotIntellectual.mp3)
Audio Source: The Huffington Post

Roland Martin talks with Kit Miyamoto about the 1-year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti. Miyamoto is the President and CEO of Miyamoto International Inc., an engineering company that is working in Haiti.

Miyamoto details the conditions on the ground from a building standpoint, what can be done to remove the rubble and rebuild earthquake ravaged neighborhoods.

For more in formation about the work being done to rebuild Haiti visit http://www.imunitedforhaiti.org/

Source: Emily Wagster Pettus / MSNBC

Jackson, Miss. — Possible presidential contender Gov. Haley Barbour — under fire recently for comments that critics claim minimized the problems of Mississippi’s civil rights era — said Tuesday night that his state should build a museum dedicated to the movement.

The Republican, who is considering a 2012 run in what could be a crowded GOP field, also used his 38-minute State of the State speech to criticize the policies of President Barack Obama.

Barbour said 2011 is a good time to move forward with the museum in Jackson. He said that was because it is the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Riders’ journey that challenged racial segregation and the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

“The civil rights struggle is an important part of our history, and millions of people are interested in learning more about it,” Barbour said. “People from around the world would flock to see the museum and learn about the movement.”

To read this article in its entirety visit MSNBC.

Source: Kaja Whitehouse / New York Post

Rapper 50 Cent made $8.7 million yesterday — by tweeting.

The 35-year-old celeb, aka Curtis Jackson, helped pop the shares of a no-name penny stock company he’s invested in by 290 percent yesterday after chatting it up this weekend on Twitter, the social-networking site.

“You can double your money right now. Just get what you can afford,” Jackson tweeted about H&H Imports, a money-losing venture out of Clearwater, Fla., that owns TV Goods, a marketing firm recently founded by Kevin Harrington.

Harrington is best known for his role on ABC’s reality show “Shark Tank,” which lets entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to potential backers.

To read this article in its entirety visit the New York Post.

Former President Bill Clinton took part in the official reopening of the Haiti’s historic Iron Market, rebuilt following the earthquake. It is one piece of visible development in an area largely destroyed.

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Saturday’s shooting in Arizona had nothing to do with political rhetoric, and media figures who invoked a map featuring gun sights on congressional districts are guilty of “blood libel,” Sarah Palin said in a video statement Wednesday.

The former vice presidential candidate has remained mostly silent since the attack that killed six people and critically wounded Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at a meet-and-greet event in a Tucson supermarket.

But Palin stressed Wednesday that the violence was the work of “a single evil man” and that crimes “begin and end” with the people that commit them. Palin dismissed therecent criticism focusing on whether incendiary political rhetoric - including her organization’s swing district map featuring crosshair – might have contributed to a climate that promotes violence against political figures.

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CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta follows up on the Haiti orphanage which got a facelift thanks to donations by CNN viewers.

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Jeff Glor returns to Haiti one year after the deadly earthquake to find the recovery moving very slowly.

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In year that folllowed the deadly earthquake with shook Haiti to its core, residents are putting their lives – and neighborhoods – back together.

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Source: Amanda Terkel / The Huffington Post

Washington – Shortly after news broke that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) had been shotat a congressional event in her district, observers began noting that she had, during the campaign, literally been Sarah Palin’s target. But a Palin aide is now explaining that it was all a misunderstanding: the infamous image was never meant to evoke guns or violence.

Palin’s “Take Back the 20″ campaign (thewebsite has been taken down since the shooting) called on Americans to vote out of office Democrats from conservative districts who had voted for health care reform.

On March 23, she posted an announcement about the campaign on her Facebook page, which was accompanied by an image of her targeted districts. The districts all had crosshairs over them, which are usually associated with gun sights.

“We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights,” SarahPAC staffer Rebecca Mansour said in an interview with talk radio host Tammy Bruce Saturday. “It was simply crosshairs like you’d see on maps.” Bruce suggested that they could, in fact, be seen as “surveyor’s symbols.” Mansour added that “it never occurred to us that anybody would consider it violent” and called any attempts to politicize the Arizona tragedy “repulsive.”

To read this article in its entirety visit The Huffington Post.

Source: Jesse Washington / AP / MSNBC

Today, as mobile technology puts computers in our pockets, Latinos and blacks are more likely than the general population to access the Web by cellular phones, and they use their phones more often to do more things.

But now some see a new “digital divide” emerging — with Latinos and blacks being challenged by more, not less, access to technology. It’s tough to fill out a job application on a cell phone, for example. Researchers have noticed signs of segregation online that perpetuate divisions in the physical world. And blacks and Latinos may be using their increased Web access more for entertainment than empowerment.

Fifty-one percent of Hispanics and 46 percent of blacks use their phones to access the Internet, compared with 33 percent of whites, according to a July 2010 Pew poll. Forty-seven percent of Latinos and 41 percent of blacks use their phones for e-mail, compared with 30 percent of whites. The figures for using social media like Facebook via phone were 36 percent for Latinos, 33 percent for blacks and 19 percent for whites.

To read this article in its entirety visit MSNBC.

Roland Martin appears on AC360 with Dana Loesch, David Gergen and host Anderson Cooper to analyze the political rhetoric being used in America today and what effect is it having on civil discourse.

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Dr. Carl Bell joins Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to discuss mental health reform and what can people do to help those who may have mental health issues.

Dr. Bell is the President and CEO of the Community Mental Health Council and Foundation as well as Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL.

Police in Maryland are searching vigorously for student Phylicia Barnes, who has been missing since December 28th.

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Source: David Jackson / USA Today

Vice President Joe Biden indicated to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai today that the United States will not pull all of its troops out in 2014 if the war-torn country still needs them.

“We’re not leaving if you don’t want us to leave,” Biden told Karzai after meeting today in Kabul.

The United States is scheduled to begin limited withdrawals from Afghanistan in July; the U.S. and allies also have agreed to a transition plan that would turn over all security responsibilities to the Afghan government by 2014.

Biden noted that Afghans want to govern themselves and build their own nation, but “we stand ready to help you in that effort and we’ll continue to stand ready to help you in that effort after 2014.”

To read this article in its entirety visit the USA Today.

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Source: Sam Gustin / Wired

Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest wireless mobile provider, announced Tuesday that it will offer Apple’s wildly popular iPhone to its nearly 100 million customers, breaking 4 years of exclusivity by arch-rival AT&T.

Verizon’s iPhone launch will intensify the already ferocious competition raging in the mobile phone market between the iPhone, Research in Motion’s Blackberry line of devices, and handsets powered by Google’s Android mobile operating system.

For Apple, the Verizon deal opens up a vast swath of the market for its signature product, the iPhone, certainly one of the most iconic mobile devices of the last decade.

Verizon president Lowell McAdam made the announcement at an event in New York City on Tuesday morning. He said the iPhone 4 would be available to Verizon customers early next month.

To read this article in its entirety visit Wired.

Source: Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post

On Monday’s “O’Reilly Factor,”a furious Bill O’Reilly excoriated the New York Times, MSNBC and some liberal groups for, in his view, exploiting the tragedy of the Arizona shooting, lying about its origins, and ignoring their own instances of extreme political rhetoric.

Speaking during his nightly “Talking Points” segment, O’Reilly condemned the shootings and called alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner a “psychopath.” But then he turned to what he called a “disgusting display sweeping America.” That, he said, was the exploitation of the murders for political means.

“Conservatives encouraged Jared Loughner to pull the trigger,” he said sarcastically. “Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Fox News, all spurred the psychopath to kill the six people. The merchants of hate who are peddling this stuff should be accountable.”

O’Reilly then turned to the New York Times, which strongly condemned Republicans and the right-wing press in an editorial on Monday, saying. “it is legitimate to hold Republicans and particularly their most virulent supporters in the media responsible for the gale of anger that has produced a vast majority of these death threats.”

To read this article in its entirety visit The Huffingotn Post.

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CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a woman who lost limbs in Haiti’s earthquake and wants to help others like her.

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Source: Julie Pace / AP / MSNBC

Washington — President Barack Obama will travel to Tucson, Ariz., on Wednesday to attend a memorial service for the victims of last weekend’s shooting rampage.

White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said late Monday that the president would speak at the service, and that first lady Michelle Obama would accompany her husband.

The University of Arizona said the service would take place at 6 p.m. local time on the campus and would be free and open to the public.

To read this article in its entirety visit MSNBC.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Source: CNN

When Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, announced its intention to picket the funeral of Christina Taylor Green, a 9-year-old girl — one of six people who died Saturday during the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — Gilmer and others put their feet down.

They’re planning an “angel action” — with 8- by 10-foot “angel wings” worn by participants and used to shield mourners from pickets. The actions were created by Coloradan Romaine Patterson, who was shocked to find the Topeka church and its neon signs outside the 1999 funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a young gay man beaten and left on a fence to die in Laramie, Wyoming.

“We want to surround them, in a nonviolent way, to say that our community is united,” Gilmer said. “We’re a peaceful haven.

Political persuasions don’t matter, she said. Republicans, Democrats, independents, right, left and center — they’ve all offered their support. Forty-two people have signed up on a Facebook page called “Build Angel Wings for the Westboro Funeral Counter-Protest and Meeting,” and more than 4,500 have signed up on another page to “Show Support for the Families of the Tucson Shooting Victims.”

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

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Source: Tracy Sabo / CNN

Austin, Texas – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will serve three years in prison on his November conviction on money laundering and conspiracy charges, a Texas judge ruled Monday.

Judge Pat Priest sentenced DeLay to three years on the conspiracy charge and five years on the money-laundering charge. But the judge will allow DeLay to serve 10 years probation with community service on the laundering charge in lieu of the prison sentence, and the two sentences will be served concurrently.

Priest remanded DeLay into custody and set a $10,000 bond pending appeal.

Defense attorney Dick DeGuerin left the courthouse quickly after the sentence was announced but he spoke briefly, saying, “If I told you what I thought, I would get sued. This will not stand.”

To read this article in its entirety visit CNN.

President of GM North America Mark Reuss says the company is replacing some of its legacy products with new high-quality models.

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Gladys and Jamie Scott are home this weekend with their mother in Florida after spending more than a dozen years in a Mississippi prison. They were sentenced to life sentences as a result of a robbery that netted, according to authorities, $11. That’s right. Life in prison. Eleven dollars. They were only released because Mississippi governor Haley Barbour decided that, as a result of the grave condition of one of them, that it made no sense whatsoever for the State of Mississippi to spend thousands of dollars caring for them when, frankly, they could be free. But he granted a conditional release, requiring one of the sisters to give her kidney to the other, who is gravely ill.

Now, many folks have been fighting on their behalf and are excited that they were finally released, but the real issue that we have in this issue is, why is it that we continue to have an imbalanced judicial system – a criminal justice system that sentences two people to prison for life for robbery for $11? Roland states that he is not being soft on crime, does not like crime, robbery or armed robbery. But also, isn’t this part of the problem? Aren’t we seeing major budget deficits across this country because states have chosen to build massive prisons?

This goes beyond the Scott sisters, folks. We should have an assessment of our entire criminal justice system.

That is Roland Martin’s perspective. What’s yours?

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Congressman James Clyburn joins Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to discuss the mass shooting in Tucson, AZ that took the lives of six, including a 9-year-old girl, a federal judge and critically wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Roland and Congressman Clyburn discuss the state of civility in this country, if fiery rhetoric has played a role in the political climate that we are currently in and concerns about the security of members of Congress.

Source: Catalina Camia / USA Today

Tom DeLay has been sentenced to three years in prison by Texas judge Pat Priest, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The newspaper reports the three-year sentence was on the charge of conspiracy to launder money in the 2002 elections. He will be on probation for 10 years on the money laundering charge, as long as he meets certain conditions.

DeLay, known as “The Hammer,” was found guilty in November for illegally funneling $190,000 in corporate money through the Republican National Committee to help elect Republicans to the Texas Legislature during the 2002 elections.

The former Houston-area congressman could face up to life in prison. DeLay’s lawyers are seeking probation.

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