Secret US policy is the real story behind the Somali pirates

Daan de Wit

The Somali pirates are in the news almost every day. But what is the news behind the news? Thomas C. Mountain experiences first hand what is going on in the part of Africa everyone is now talking about, because he lives there, in Eritrea. He writes about the Horn of Africa and the pirates for alternati Online Journal.

In my interview with Mountain he tells about the illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste in Somali waters. And he explains the reason why the West only treats the symptoms but does not dare to touch the cause: the Somali pirates are protected by the US policeman on the beat: the Ethiopian army. Read more...

Blacks and Latinos in the U.S.: Still an Evolving Relationship

by Robert Suro

Although a fair number of Americans are aware that the United States will become a “majority minority” nation sometime around the year 2050, few contemplate how the “distinct experiences” of the two largest non-white groups – Blacks and Hispanics – will affect their interactions in this changed environment. “We are in the process,” writes the author, “of revising our notions of both what constitutes the norm and what constitutes ‘the other.’” The old Black-white paradigm is being eclipsed. “Twenty-five years from now the Hispanic population will be twice as large as the African-American population.” Read more...

White African-American Sues School

Question: If a White man was born in Africa and later becomes an American citizen, is he officially an African American? In fact, is he more of an African American than a Black person born in the United States?

Well, this is the mindset that prompted Paulo Serodio, a former student at a New Jersey medical school to file a lawsuit, ABCNews.com reports. The 45-year-old native of Mozambique claims he was harassed and then suspended for identifying himself as a “White African American” during a cultural exercise at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

“I’m not exaggerating,” he said recently. “This has destroyed my life.” Read more...

Former NBA great and jazz musician Wayman Tisdale Dies at 44

Former NBA great and jazz musician Wayman Tisdale has lost his battle with cancer. The 44-year-old Oklahoma native died Friday morning after a two-year struggle to control the disease.

Last summer he had his right leg amputated, and at the time, he thought he had put the deadly disease behind him. He was ready to go ahead and start a new life. Read more...

In The Zone - Wayman Tisdale

They're Baaaack! Neo-cons re-organize

By Robert Muhammad

Just when we thought it was safe to project a sane and rational American foreign policy to the world; that old shape-shifting political chameleon, known as the modern neo-conservative movement has again reared its multi-faceted head.

The neo-cons seem to have re-organized themselves under the banners of various new think tanks and foreign policy configurations, after dumping the old PNAC (Project for a New American Century) letterhead.

Some examples of these newly organized neo-con think-tanks would include the Bill Kristol, Robert Kagan-headed, Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), the Clifford May-headed Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the John Nagi-led Center for a New American Security, and the “liberal” John Podesta-led Center for American Progress (CAP). Read more...

Marijuana potency surpasses 10 percent, U.S. says

By Jeanne Meserve and Mike M. Ahlers

The stronger marijuana is of particular concern because high concentrations of THC have the opposite effect of low concentrations, officials say.

In addition, while experienced marijuana users may limit their intake of potent marijuana, young and inexperienced users may not moderate their intake and possibly suffer from dysphoria, paranoia, irritability and other negative effects.

Watch more on the increase in marijuana potency »

Pfizer offers free prescription drugs for the jobless

Pfizer is offering free drugs, including Viagra and Lipitor, for those who have recently lost their jobs.

Pfizer is offering as much as a year of free medicine, such as the Lipitor cholesterol pill and Viagra for sexual dysfunction, to Americans who lost jobs and health insurance.

The program covers more than 70 medicines for people who can demonstrate unemployment since Jan. 1, have no drug insurance and were taking a Pfizer product for at least three months before the job loss, the New York-based drug maker said Thursday in a statement. Read more...

Chrysler, GM to cut 2,000 dealerships

By Jerry Kronenberg

Chrysler is expected today to identify some 800 U.S. dealerships that it wants to shutter, with General Motors following suit tomorrow with as many as 1,200 closure notices of its own.

The struggling carmakers are slashing dealerships as part of government-orchestrated attempts to save the U.S. auto industry.

Both firms have received huge government bailouts that require radical restructurings. Read more...

Also read

• U.S. Jobless Claims Rise on Auto Layoffs

Dems: CIA briefers may have broken law

By MANU RAJU

Democrats on the House intelligence committee said Thursday that CIA officers broke the law in 2002 if they told Nancy Pelosi then that they had not yet engaged in waterboarding.

"If they make a false report, absolutely it's illegal," said Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "If they fail to make a report when they're obligated to that is also illegal— a violation of the National Security Act."

Said CIA Spokesman George Little: “It is not the policy of the CIA to mislead the United States Congress.” Read more...

See Also

• Pelosi: Bush briefers lied to me
• Democrats push back on GOP allegations
• Pelosi defense: couldn't object in '03

CIA Contractors Played Big Role In Interrogations

by Ari Shapiro

Congressional testimony this week showed that private CIA contractors were a driving force behind harsh interrogations. Although there are lawsuits against military contractors involved in detainee abuse, there has been far less legal action against contractors who worked for the CIA. Read more...

Social Security and Medicare are fading

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

Social Security and Medicare are fading even faster under the weight of the recession, heading for insolvency years sooner than previously expected, the government warned Tuesday. Social Security will start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2016, a year sooner than projected last year, and the giant trust fund will be depleted by 2037, four years sooner, trustees reported.

Medicare is in even worse shape. The trustees said the program for hospital expenses will pay out more in benefits than it collects this year, just as it did for the first time in 2008. The trustees project that the Medicare fund will be depleted by 2017, two years earlier than the date projected in last year's report. Read more...

Skin color clue to nicotine dependence

Higher concentrations of melanin -- the color pigment in skin and hair -- may be placing darker pigmented smokers at increased susceptibility to nicotine dependence and tobacco-related carcinogens than lighter skinned smokers, according to scientists.

"We have found that the concentration of melanin is directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked daily, levels of nicotine dependence, and nicotine exposure among African Americans," said Gary King, professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State. Read more...

CALL TO ACTION: Help Save Black Radio!

TO MY RADIO ONE FAMILY:

The Honorable John Conyers, our 80 year old African-American Congressman is the sponsor of a new bill that could put many black owned radio stations out of business. And force others to abandon their commitment to provide free music, entertainment, news, information, and money losing formats like gospel and black talk.

This is Cathy Hughes, founder and chairperson of Radio One with an urgent call to our Radio Family.

The John Conyers Performance Tax Bill is the brain child of the foreign owned record industry who would receive at least 50% of the revenue that would be charged to radio stations in order for them to play music. The music that you now receive free from us - we would have to pay millions of dollars for.

And in the midst of this economic depression, black radio stations simply do not have that financial ability.

There has been only one hearing on the bill and that hearing did not have any black ownership representation. Black radio owners and community leaders including Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Dick Gregory, Tom Joyner, and myself have all begged Conyers to at least allow us the opportunity for a hearing. He has flatly refused.

We now ask you, our radio family, to assist us in saving the future of black radio. Please call or email or visit the offices of John Conyers today.

His phone numbers are 202-225-5126 and 313-961-5670 and his email address is john.conyers@mail.house.gov

TELL HIM that you oppose this bill that would murder Black owned radio and the free music that you now hear on all free radio stations. In the midst of an American economic recession, it is not the right time to send millions of dollars to foreign owned record companies that don’t even pay taxes like you and me in
this country. This bill is not in the interest of Black people! Please help us save Black radio!

WANT TO LEARN MORE? See below why it is IMPERATIVE that we act to save Black radio:

1. The promotional value of free local radio airplay translates into significant revenues for artists and record labels:

• According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), record sales in the United States in 2007 were approximately $10.4 billion;
• Touring revenue in 2007 in the U.S. was approximately $5 billion;
• The above figures exclude the several billion dollars derived annually from merchandise, songwriting royalties and licensing deals for commercials, films, etc.; and
• Also excluded is the boost that U.S. popularity provides for foreign sales and concerts.

2. Local radio also actively promotes artists by:

• Devoting considerable and valuable airtime to promoting artists’ concerts;
• Featuring artist weekends
• Providing opportunities for live in-studio performances; and
• Creating buzz through on-air ticket and album giveaways, helping to drive concert and merchandising revenue.

Without doubt, the engine driving these billions of dollars into the pockets of the record labels and artists is free, local radio promotion. Read more & act NOW!!!...

Related articles

• NoPerformance Tax
• Radio One Rally to Fight Performance Rights Act

Cheney Continues Insulting Powell

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who’s been making news lately by blasting the Black leadership of the Republican Party, kept the heated barbs flying Sunday, implying to a national TV audience that the former Secretary of State Colin Powell is a traitor to the GOP.

Referring to a recent verbal battle between Powell and radio air-raider Rush Limbaugh, Cheney told CBS’s "Face the Nation" that, "If I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican." Read more...

Black Colleges Lose Campus Money Under Obama

The president’s new budget shows that an $85 million infusion of federal dollars, which historically Black institutions have relied on since 2007, is no longer available. The White House notes, however, that HBCUs would benefit in the long run from other direct government funding, which would mean a hike of about $12 million – raising the amount of federal dollars to $250 million. But, as Black-college leaders point out, the cessation of the specific HBCU fund would mean a $73 million reduction. Read more...

Related Article

• Black Colleges Will Fight Cut to Federal Program

Leaders of HBCUs say they'll fight a reduction in a federal program they call a financial lifeline at a time of economic distress for the schools and their students. President Obama's education budget included major spending increases in many areas - but didn't include an extra $85 million that black institutions have received annually for the past two years.

Calif. lawmaker linked to Israeli spy inquiry

By Daniel Luban

Representative Jane Harman (D-Calif.)

Rep. Jane Harman of California was recorded in 2005 on a National
Security Administration wiretap promising a suspected Israeli spy that
she would intervene on behalf of two AIPAC staffers accused of passing classified information to the Israeli government, and her interlocutor responded by promising to help get Rep. Harman appointed to a top congressional intelligence post, according to an article published April 19 by Congressional Quarterly. Read more...

New Research Finds Number Who Claim No Church Has Risen Sharply

By DAN HARRIS

New research shows young Americans are dramatically less likely to go to church -- or to participate in any form of organized religion -- than their parents and grandparents.

"It's a huge change," says Harvard University professor Robert Putnam, who conducted the research.

Historically, the percentage of Americans who said they had no religious affiliation (pollsters refer to this group as the "nones") has been very small -- hovering between 5 percent and 10 percent. However, Putnam says the percentage of "nones" has now skyrocketed to between 30 percent and 40 percent among younger Americans. Read more...

Related Articles

• Survey: Support for terror suspect torture differs among the faithful

• New video game’s objective: Stop the spread of Christianity and Islam
  

A video image released by the computer game’s creator showing an injured man may not appear to be graphic, but you may change your mind once you know who it is. It’s the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

The new game, not yet released, is giving a voice to the atheist community, that’s according to the game’s creator, a University of Virginia graduate student. He wouldn’t release his name, for fear of his safety.

Hard Times for Women Living on the Edge: Economic Anxieties Send Domestic-Abuse Rates Soaring

By Nick Turse

"Clients are coming in more severely battered with more serious injuries," reports Catherine Shugrue dos Santos of Sanctuary for Families, New York state's largest nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to dealing with domestic-violence victims and their children. "This leads us to believe that the intensity of the violence may be escalating. It also means that people may be waiting until the violence has escalated before they leave."

"Difficult financial times do not cause domestic violence," says Brian Namey from the National Network to End Domestic Violence. "But they can exacerbate it. When there are tough financial times, couples can be under greater pressure, have higher stress levels." Read more...

Another Cruel and Unusual Punishment for Teens

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Four years ago the US Supreme Court took a big step toward righting a galling wrong. It joined nearly every other nation on the globe and banned teen executions. Now it should take the next big step and dump all laws that let states lock up juvenile offenders for the rest of their life. And there are lots of them. In a report last year, Human Rights Watch found that more than 2000 juvenile offenders are serving life without possibility of parole sentences. The U.S. locks up more juveniles for life without the possibility of parole than all nations combined. Read more...

Last Days of “Cracked-Up-Black-Buck-Runs-Amok” Law

by Glen Ford

Back in 1986, the U.S. Congress crafted legislation to put as many Black crack cocaine users in prison as possible, while sparing white users of powdered cocaine. Hundreds of thousands of arrests and more than a million years in prison later, the U.S. Justice Department went on record favoring equalization of penalties on both kinds of cocaine. “Any civilized court would treat such blatantly race-based mass punishment as a crime against humanity – possibly an element in a broader charge of genocide.” Read more...

Related Article

Obama Seeks to Change Crack Sentences

The Obama administration joined a federal judge Wednesday in urging Congress to end a racial disparity by equalizing prison sentences for dealing and using crack versus powdered cocaine. It takes 100 times more powdered cocaine than crack cocaine to trigger the same harsh mandatory minimum sentences. [Read More]

Banks Bomb on Stress Tests for Minority Lending

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

But forgotten in the hubbub over the Geithner report is the painful fact that thousands of black and Latino homeowners are still left holding the financial bag for the subprime mess that taxpayers are forced to bail the banks out of.


Two reports on mortgage lending practices, issued by Fair Finance Watch and the Center for Public Integrity on the eve of the Geithner report, revealed that from 2005 to 2007, the 19 bailed-out banks got into hock to taxpayers for nearly $1 trillion. They ran up the bulk of the debt through toxic subprime loans to mostly minority homebuyers. The banks ran up the debt through holdings in companies, investment houses, financial and real estate subsidiaries and through stock purchases and sales. Read more...

Obama Proposes Money for Black Farmers

President Obama wants the federal government to provide $1.25 billion to cover claims by Black farmers who say they were systematically denied loans and other aid that was traditionally afforded White farmers.

Obama plans to include the funding in his 2010 budget, according to White House officials. Read more...

Facts

The numbers tell a sad story, but not the whole story. In 1920, black farmers in the United States owned 15.6 million acres of land; by 1999 that number had fallen to 2 million, and it's still dropping by 1,000 acres per day. In 1910 there were 926,000 African Americans involved in farming; at the end of the century, just 18,000 remain, and they're going under at five to six times the rate of white farmers.

Given those numbers, members of the US Civil Rights Commission didn't need a crystal ball when they predicted in 1982 that black farmers would be extinct by 2000. Read more...

Dr. John Boyd Jr.

Black Unemployment is on the Rise

While the nation as a whole sees a more modest increase in unemployment, the Black unemployment rate has gone up almost 2 percent.

The jobless rate for Blacks jumped from 13.3 percent in March to 15 percent in April, according to seasonally adjusted numbers from the Bureau of Labor statistics. Read more...