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Posts published in “Politics”

Obama Honors First Time WNBA Champ Indiana Fever

By goodblacknews on June 14, 2013
President Barack Obama (C), listens to coach Lin Dunn (R), speak during an event to honor the reigning WNBA champion Indiana Fever, at the White House, June 14, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama welcomed the team to the White House to celebrate their 2012 title. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (C), listens to coach Lin Dunn (R), speak during an event to honor the reigning WNBA champion Indiana Fever, at the White House, June 14, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama welcomed the team to the White House to celebrate their 2012 title. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama honored the WNBA champion Indiana Fever on Friday, calling the players role models for young athletes — even those on his daughter Sasha’s basketball team. The team captured its first title last October, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 and bringing home Indiana’s first basketball title since 1973.
Obama said the Fever’s season was an inspiration for basketball fans everywhere, including his daughter, whose team he sometimes coaches. He pointed out that the Fever came into the playoffs as underdogs and had lost to the Lynx during the regular season, then rallied to take the championship.
“For her to have wonderful role models like this who work hard and know how to play like a team, are incredibly poised, are competitors but also show good sportsmanship, that’s the kind of models you want for your children,” Obama said.

"The Game" Star Tia Mowry Dons Lettuce Dress for PETA

By goodblacknews on June 12, 2013
Tia Mowry promotes veganism for PETA, wearing a lettuce apron created by Mia Gyzander.(Photo: Robert Sebree, PETA)
Tia Mowry promotes veganism for PETA, wearing a lettuce apron created by Mia Gyzander.(Photo: Robert Sebree, PETA)

“I became a vegan and I was getting bullied on Twitter about it,” she explained in a PETA interview. So she “wanted to become a voice for my community. … I wanted to educate my culture about the benefits of becoming vegan.”
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article via thegrio.com

Respected Surgeon General Regina Benjamin to Step Down After 4 Years

By goodblacknews on June 12, 2013
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin attends The Heart Truth 2013 Fashion at Hammerstein Ballroom on February 6, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images for The Heart Truth)
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin attends The Heart Truth 2013 Fashion at Hammerstein Ballroom on February 6, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images for The Heart Truth)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin says she plans to step down next month after four years as “America’s doctor.”

In an email to staff Wednesday, Benjamin said she will remain involved in public health. As surgeon general, she promoted disease prevention, smoking cessation and healthy lifestyles, particularly among minorities. Benjamin oversaw a report that documented how smoking, even an occasional cigarette or secondhand smoke, can cause immediate damage to the human body.
A native of Alabama, Benjamin is widely respected for founding a rural health clinic in that state, which she kept going although it was wiped out three times by fire and hurricanes. She plans to volunteer seeing patients at the clinic. Health and Human Services spokeswoman Dori Salcido said the administration is grateful for Benjamin’s service.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

Obama Observes 50th Anniversary of Equal Pay Act

By goodblacknews on June 10, 2013

President Barack ObamaWASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling attention to the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act that aimed to eliminate gender wage disparities, making the case for strengthening the law that President John F. Kennedy signed in 1963.
Obama, speaking to an audience almost entirely of women, says women continue to be paid less than men. He says: “This is the 21st century. It’s time to close that gap.”
The event’s focus on women’s pay comes during a week when Obama is paying special attention to Democratic constituent groups. On Tuesday he will speak at the White House in support of an overhaul of immigration laws. He will be fundraising for the Democrats on Wednesday. On Thursday he will observe LGBT Pride Month with remarks at the White House.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

Jason Collins Marches in Boston's Gay Pride Parade

By goodblacknews on June 8, 2013

BOSTON— NBA veteran Jason Collins has marched in Boston’s gay pride parade with Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III, his onetime roommate at Stanford University.
Collins wore a T-shirt that read (hash)BeTrue when he joined thousands of marchers Saturday.

NBA veteran Jason Collins marched in Boston’s gay pride parade. (AP Photo)

In April, Collins became the first active player in one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. He wrote in an article for Sports Illustrated that the decision to go public came when Kennedy marched in last year’s parade and Collins didn’t feel that he could join him.
Deveney: Collins supported by gay-tolerant NBA Stern worked to create
Collins also said the Boston Marathon bombing reinforced the notion that things can change in an instant, so he might as well live truthfully.
Collins played for six teams in 12 seasons and becomes a free agent next month.
article via sportingnews.com

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Formally Joins NJ Senate Race

By goodblacknews on June 8, 2013

Cory Booker
Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker (Photo Credit: AP)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Newark Mayor Cory Booker formally announced today he’s in the race to finish the U.S. Senate term of the late Frank Lautenberg. The 44-year-old Democrat made his candidacy official at a news conference Saturday in Newark, New Jersey’s largest city. He was joined by former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, a former pro basketball player who for 18 years held the seat Booker is seeking.
Bradley, who endorsed Booker, called him “the right person for the right office at the right time.” Booker began raising money for a Senate run even before Lautenberg, who died Monday, announced retirement plans in February. He had raised $1.9 million by the end of the last reporting period in March.
Reps. Frank Pallone and Rush Holt are also planning to enter the Democratic primary. Booker is considered the early front-runner. Pallone, 61, had $3.7 million in his campaign coffers at the end of March and has deep union support. Holt, 64, a former research physicist, had $800,000 on hand.
Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, announced this week that there would be party primaries Aug. 13 and a special general election Oct. 16 The only Republican running so far is Steve Lonegan, a former Bogota mayor who runs the New Jersey office of Americans for Prosperity.
Booker, 44, has 1.4 million followers on Twitter — or five for every resident of the city where he’s the mayor. He tweets frequently, answering questions about city services, posting about his workouts and, perhaps most often, trying to provide inspiration.

Chokwe Lumumba Elected New Mayor Of Jackson, Mississippi

By goodblacknews on June 6, 2013

Chokwe Lumumba
Former Ward 2 Councilman and civil rights activist Chokwe Lumumba, 65, is the new mayor of  Jackson, Miss., winning the general election on Tuesday with 87 percent of the vote, reports Fight Back! News.
He will succeed Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., who finished third in this year’s Democratic primary. Lumumba ran as a mainstream candidate who would represent all city voters. He defeated businessman Jonathan Lee in the Democratic primary runoff last month.
Lumumba spent part of the ’70s and ’80s as vice-president of  the Republic of New Afrika, an organization which advocated for “an independent predominantly black government” in the southeastern United States and reparations for slavery. He wrote on Facebook Tuesday night, “Thank you, Jackson. None of this would be possible without faith and your support.” He went on to say, “This is the people’s victory. Together we will make Jackson rise!”
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to Take Over as Obama's National Security Adviser

By goodblacknews on June 5, 2013
FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2013 file photo, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice speaks at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. President Barack Obama's top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, marking a significant shakeup to the White House foreign policy team. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)
In this Feb. 12, 2013 photo, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice speaks at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. (Associated Press/Craig Ruttle)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. who has been a lightning rod for Republican criticism over faulty explanations for the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Donilon has been a key foreign policy adviser to President Barack Obama. But the 58-year-old had been expected to depart sometime this year, with Rice seen as the likely candidate to replace him. Her selection is sure to anger congressional Republicans, who have accused the administration of inconsistency and a cover-up in the Benghazi attacks.

Rice, a close Obama confidante, came under withering criticism from Republicans as part of the investigations into the deadly attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi. Relying on talking points from the intelligence community, Rice said in television interviews that the attacks were likely spontaneous, which was later proven incorrect.

Obama considered nominating Rice as his second-term secretary of state, but she withdrew amid the GOP criticism, saying she didn’t want her confirmation fight to be a distraction for the White House. The president instead nominated John Kerry, who easily won confirmation from his former Senate colleagues.

Obama Calls for End to Mental Illness Stigma

By goodblacknews on June 3, 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqnF3UicuQs&w=560&h=315]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday called for a more robust national discussion on mental illness, saying the time had come to bring the issue “out of the shadows.”

Speaking at the opening session of a White House conference on mental health, the president said his goal was to let people affected by these issues know they should not suffer in silence.

“Struggling with a mental illness or caring for someone who does can be isolating,” Obama said. “It begins to feel as if, not only are you alone, but that you shouldn’t burden others with the challenge.”

Barack ObamaThe conference is part of Obama’s response to last year’s shooting massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. While the president emphasized that most people with mental health problems are not violent, he said untreated mental illness can lead to larger tragedies.

There’s been little publicly revealed about the mental health of Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza, although it’s been documented that other gunmen involved in mass shootings suffered from mental illness. Federal law bans certain mentally ill people from purchasing firearms, but the background check system is woefully incomplete and Obama is trying to get more mental health records included.

“We can do something about stories like this,” he said. “In many cases, treatment is available and effective.” Top administration officials, along with actors Bradley Cooper and Glenn Close, were among those participating in the White House conference.

The agenda includes discussion of insurance coverage for mental health care and substance abuse, recognizing the signs of mental illness in young people and improved access to services for veterans. The overall goal is reducing the stigma of mental health problems and encouraging those who are struggling to get help.

Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore Recognizes LGBT Pride Month

By goodblacknews on June 3, 2013

Despite the fact the homosexuality is often a taboo topic in the black community, Moore has chosen to embrace members of the LGBT community and their accomplishments during this month.
“LGBT Pride Month is a time to celebrate the progress we have made towards achieving equality for all Americans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Moore in her statement.
Moore has shown her support by participating in the NOH8 marriage and gender equality campaign, a charitable organization that advocates for the LGBT community and their rights, in addition to efforts to include LGBT members in her Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Also, in her statement Moore encouraged others to recognize the work that needs to be done to improve the opportunities for members of the LGBT community as well as appreciate the diversity that they offer our nation.
Moore takes pride in her LGBT friends and allies in politics stating, “I am also proud to celebrate my Wisconsin friends and LGBT Members of Congress – Senator Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay United States Senator and Representative Mark Pocan, whose husband became the first LGBT partner to receive a Congressional spousal ID.”
article by Adrienne Green via thegrio.com