Paying for your Pay Check: Prepaid cards-Caution!

Some consumers have embraced the prepaid card as an alternative to traditional bank accounts and credit cards. Some have bad credit and can’t get a credit card or open a bank account.  Some are trying to avoid credit card debt and bank fees. But, Consumer Reports recently outlined the dangers of prepaid cards and revealed that the industry...

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Seeing Double: Twins-Co-Valedictorians Achieve Success

  Kristie and Kirstie Bronner, Class of 2013, have always done everything together — from dressing alike in elementary school to double dating in high school. On May 19, the music majors from Atlanta graduated from Spelman College as co-valedictorians with perfect 4.0 GPAs.  “I definitely do not feel like I came to school perfect,” said...

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Message to Zimmerman: Black Like Me

In case you missed it, Jonathan Capehart shared a letter to George Zimmerman from a Facebook post from Alex Fraser. Jonathan said he heard about the letter when Steve Harvey read it on his show and he wrote a column in the Washington Post about it. Here's Alex Fraser's "Message to Zimmerman": Dear George Zimmerman, For the rest...

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Meet Morehouse Medical School's New President

Macon, Georgia native Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice has made history. The natural born leader has been appointed the new president of Morehouse School of Medicine – the nation’s first African-American woman to lead a free-standing medical school.  When you consider the under-representation of black women in science, technology, engineering,...

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The Man at the Door: Lee Daniels' The Butler

  "Lee Daniels' The Butler" tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and his family. &nbs...

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New Year-A Day Too Late: Fruitvale Station

Writer/Director Ryan Coogle's debut film "Fruitvale Station" hits the theatres on Friday, July 26, 2013. The film's Producer is Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker. It's the true story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, as he crosses paths with his friends, enemies,family and strangers on the last day of 2008, his last day...

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Reviving "Inspector Morse" Mysteries: Meet "Endeavour"

"Inspector Morse" is one of the most popular PBS Masterpiece Mysteries and after years of reruns, a new series, "Endeavour", introduces a young, 20 something Morse to his devoted fans. The new mystery series, a prequel to the long running adaptation of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse novels, premiered on July ...

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Wisconsin Man Guilty of Killing Teen Neighbor

A Milwaukee man knew exactly what he was doing when he accused his teenage neighbor of burglary and then fired a bullet into the boy's chest, jurors decided Friday. The verdict essentially guarantees that 76-year-old John Henry Spooner will die behind bars. The same jury decided two days earlier that Spooner was guilty of first-degree intentional...

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Sen. Rand Paul and the "Southern Avenger"

  Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says he’s standing by longtime aide Jack Hunter whom he appointed as his Media Director.   “Sen. Paul holds his staff to a standard that includes treating every individual with equal protection and respect, without exception,” spokeswoman Moira Bagley said in a statement.   Jack Hunter has for years...

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State Prison Phone Companies Charge Outrageous Rates and Give Jails Kickbacks

A recent article by Andrew Kaufman in the International Business Times reports that Telephone companies are operating unfair monopolies in state prisons, charging inmates exorbitant prices of more than $1-per-minute calls and giving kickbacks to the jails, according to a report released in June. Researchers at the Prison Policy Initiative found...

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Mass Incarceration: "The New Jim Crow"

In her new book "The New Jim Crow", Michelle Alexander argues vigorously and persuasively that "[w]e have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." Jim Crow and legal racial segregation has been replaced by mass incarceration as "a system of social control". She reviews American racial history from the colonies to the...

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Lessons From the Zimmerman Verdict

The killing of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent verdict of not guilty has thrown the nation into turmoil. We, the American public, must learn from this tragic situation and take action to ensure changes in our laws and in the public understanding of our racial views, assumptions and beliefs. Last year in New York City, police stopped 532,911...

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"Border Surge": Boon For Defense Contractors

The border security plan the Senate approved last week includes unusual language mandating the purchase of specific models of helicopters and radar equipment for deployment along the U.S.-Mexican border, providing a potential windfall worth tens of millions of dollars to top defense contractors. The legislation would require the U.S. Border Patrol to...

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Honoring Trayvon Martin: Do All You Can

President Obama weighed in on the George Zimmerman verdict on Sunday, calling on Americans to “respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son.” Zimmerman was acquitted Saturday on second degree murder and manslaughter charges in the shooting death of  17-year-old Trayvon Martin. ...

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Foyle's War Returns to MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!

I was delighted to learn that Foyle's War is returning to MASTERPIECE MYSTERY! Three new episodes of the popular detective series will air on PBS in the summer of 2013.   The British detective drama television series,created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, was originally set during and shortly after World War...

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CA Inmates Illegally Sterilized

The Center for Investigative Reporting reports its findings that doctors under contract with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation illegally sterilized nearly 150 female inmates from 2006 to 2010 without required state approvals. At least 148 women received tubal ligations in violation of prison rules during those five years...

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Beauty Tips: Add The "Extras" To Your Makeup Kit

Okay, so you've gone through the mounds of makeup in your bathroom, your makeup bag and your purse. You've covered the basics, discarded out of date products and you're ready for the next step. Still feeling as if somethings missing? Time to explore the "extras", those little things that give you added oomph. Take a look at these possibilities: EXFOLIATE If...

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The Tale of Three Popes: Pope Francis To Canonize New Saints

Pope Francis I Pope Francis on Friday cleared two of the 20th century's most influential popes to become saints, approving a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II and waiving Vatican rules to honor Pope John XXIII. In a major demonstration of his papal authority, Francis decided that John XXIII could be declared a saint even though...

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Scam Alert: Ways to Foil ID Thieves

Last year, as many as 16 million households fell victim to identify theft. Don't join them this year. Fear of identity theft has spawned an entire industry offering protection against this fraud. But, there are a number of things you can do yourself. Here are some tips on reducing your risk: Get off mailing lists for preapproved credit card offers,...

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Violence Against Women Abounds World Wide

Rapper and actor 50 Cent has been charged with attacking his ex-girlfriend and trashing her Los Angeles condo. During an argument, the woman told police, Jackson began destroying her property before she locked herself into her bedroom. The woman who had a baby with him said Jackson kicked open the bedroom door and kicked her, causing injury. Police...

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Kerry Washington Weds NFL Player

What a banner year for actress Kerry Washington. She snagged two NAACP Awards for her role as Olivia Pope in her television series "Scandal" and for her outstanding performance in Quentin Tarantino's film "Django" and the Best Actress trophy at the BET Awards. But those honors pale by comparison to her latest honor which "put a ring on it". Kerry...

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