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At 29, man finds father he never knew on Facebook
June 14, 2013 - For 29 years, Father’s Day was just another Sunday for Terrell Starr. Thanks to a simple inquiry on Facebook, it’s now a day to celebrate with a father who didn’t know he existed for nearly three decades. Starr grew up in a rough part of Detroit under the care of his grandmother, with a mother off in the military and a father he never knew who was absent from his life. Meanwhile, his father was living his life not knowing he had a son. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Nets have nothing to lose with Jason Kidd at helm
June 14, 2013 - Jason Kidd’s seen a lot in his NBA career. And ten days after he announced he was finished playing in the NBA, the Nets organization decided he should begin his coaching career in Brooklyn. As a player, Kidd’s court vision helped him tally the second-most assists in NBA history. His game and playing style seem tailor-made for a successful coaching career. He wasn’t just passing for the Mavericks, Suns, Nets and Knicks – he was rebounding and racking up triple doubles as well. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Jury will be sequestered in Zimmerman trial, judge says
June 14, 2013 - The jury will be sequestered in the trial of George Zimmerman, the Florida man accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the judge said Thursday.
Judge Debra Nelson made the statement in court on the fourth day of jury selection. Prosecutors and the defense are trying to find six jurors, plus alternates, who say they can hear the case with an open mind despite its high profile. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez reveal they’re expecting baby boy
June 14, 2013 - It has been confirmed by the daddy, Olivier Martinez, that the child he’s expecting with his soon-to-be wife Halle Berry, will be a boy. At the opening night of the Champs-Elysées Film Festival, Martinez, who was serving as the honorary president, spoke about his unborn child, where and how they’ll raise their boy, and learning to live as a French man in America. Here’s what he told People: “My son will be an American, but I remain French. “I’m French — it’s less important. Meaning, I remain a Frenchman in America, but I adapt to American culture. I feel good there — but I’m still a foreigner. My son will be an American. Read more at madamenoire.com.
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Monument to Michelle Obama ancestor toppled in Ga.
June 14, 2013 - Police in Georgia are investigating after a monument dedicated to one of first lady Michelle Obama’s relatives was knocked over in suburban Atlanta.
Clayton County Commissioner Sonna Singleton tells WSB-TV that a stone monument to Michelle Obama’s great-great-great-grandmother, Melvinia Shields, was pushed over and will need to be inspected for cracks. The report was aired Monday. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Obama Berlin Trip, Speech At Brandenburg Gate To Take Place In Wake Of Scandals
June 14, 2013 - Cheered like a rockstar when he passed through Berlin five years ago on his way to the White House, Barack Obama faces a cooler reception and tough questions about U.S. spying methods when he returns next week for talks with Angela Merkel and a speech at the Brandenburg Gate.
The visit comes nearly 50 years to the day after President John F. Kennedy landed in a divided Berlin at the depth of the Cold War and, in a powerful message of American solidarity, told encircled westerners in the city: "Ich bin ein Berliner"Read more at huffingtonpost.com.
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Obama Authorizes Sending Weapons To Syrian Rebels
June 14, 2013 - President Barack Obama has authorized sending weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time, U.S. officials said Thursday, after the White House disclosed that the United States has conclusive evidence President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons against opposition forces trying to overthrow him. Read more at huffingtonpost.com.
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Cheerios Parody: Hilarious Spoof Of Biracial Ad Responds To Haters
June 14, 2013 - Apparently, not even an adorable little girl can melt the heart of a bigot. After a fierce,racist backlash on YouTube, the comments for the Cheerios ad featuring a mixed-race couple had to be disabled, prompting many of us to ask, "What the hell is wrong with people?" In response to the controversy, Kenji (who also directed the hilarious Homo Thugsseries) created this parody that ups the ante on bigots and tells the haters to "eat it." The spoof was co-written by Mark Normand and Eddie Lombardi, stars comedians Hollis Witherspoon and Joyelle Nicole Johnson, and features the adorable Adriana Barnett. Read more a huffingtonpost.com.
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Danielle Powell, Grace University Student Kicked Out For Being Lesbian, Must Repay Thousands
June 14, 2013 - Danielle Powell was close to getting her bachelor's degree when she was kicked out of her university for being gay in 2012, and now says the only way the school will transfer her credits to another school is if she agrees to pay $6,300. In response, Powell has launched an online petition to pressure the school to forgive the debt. Read more at huffingtonpost.com.
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Mariah Carey ‘slave’ scene from ‘The Butler’ stirs ‘house vs. field’ debate
June 13, 2013 - Just weeks before the highly-anticipated August 16 release of Lee Daniels’s The Butler, which is based on the life of legendary White House service worker Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents from 1952 to 1986 and stars Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, co-star Mariah Carey is surprisingly the center of attention. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Inspector in Philadelphia collapse commits suicide
June 13, 2013 - An inspector who surveyed a downtown building weeks before it collapsed, killing 6 people, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound a week after the accident, authorities said Thursday. The 52-year-old man’s body was found Wednesday night in a pickup truck with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, according to Philadelphia police. Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison said the man was a Department of Licenses and Inspections employee who had inspected the building May 14. Read more at thegrio.com.
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US whites now losing majority in under-5 age group
June 13, 2013 - For the first time, America’s racial and ethnic minorities now make up about half of the under-5 age group, the government said Thursday. It’s a historic shift that shows how young people are at the forefront of sweeping changes by race and class. The new census estimates, a snapshot of the U.S. population as of July 2012, comes a year after the Census Bureau reported that whites had fallen to a minority among babies. Fueled by immigration and high rates of birth, particularly among Hispanics, racial and ethnic minorities are now growing more rapidly in numbers than whites. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Maya Rudolph talks new film ‘The Way, Way Back’, and Jerry Lewis’ stance on female comics
June 13, 2013 - Maya Rudolph may be funny –really funny – but according to the actress, her life is pretty ordinary. The 40-year-old mother of three (who’s expecting her fourth child with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson) can soon be seen in the new film, The Way, Way Back, an indie flick celebrating teen awkwardness, but describes her own childhood and upbringing as “boring.” Read more at thegrio.com.
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Brooklyn Nets hire Jason Kidd as coach
June 13, 2013 - The Brooklyn Nets have hired Jason Kidd as their coach, bringing the former star back to the franchise.
Kidd just retired after his 19th NBA season and the Nets decided to hire him despite his lack of coaching experience. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Regina Benjamin to step down as surgeon general after 4 years
June 13, 2013 - 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. Read more at thegrio.com.
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Voting Rights' Future: A 'Shelby' Refresher
June 13, 2013 - It won't be long before the Supreme Court announces its decision in Shelby County v. Holder, in a major ruling that will determine whether Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is struck down. The court heard arguments in the case back in February.
So why is Section 5 important, again? Quick refresher: It's the provision that requires the jurisdictions it covers to obtain "preclearance" from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before implementing any voting changes. Read more at thegrio.com.
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How the 'Loving' Case Changed the US
June 13, 2013 - Forty-six years ago, on June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled that a Virginia law prohibiting Mildred Jeter Loving, who was black, and Richard Loving, who was white, from marrying because of their race was unconstitutional. Their family name, "Loving," was so perfect for a case about love that it probably would have been dubbed unbelievable if the story were being pitched as fiction. Read more at theroot.com.
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Trayvon Martin: The Latest
June 13, 2013 - After yesterday's jury selection proceedings, Martin family attorney Ben Crump said to reporters, “Trayvon Martin is not on trial here, he is the victim. George Zimmerman, his killer, is the man who is on trial.” He also took issue with a comment made by former New York City police detective Harry Houck Tuesday on a FoxNews.com live panel that Martin would be alive if he didn't have "street attitude. " Crump called the remark "reprehensible and extremely reminiscent of the victim-blaming rhetoric we saw a year ago. " Read more at theroot.com.
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Obama Fooled the Hip-Hop Community
June 13, 2013 - There was something remarkable about seeing rappers pledge their support to a mainstream presidential candidate, especially given the history of antipathy between national politicians and hip hop. And, of course, there was something equally remarkable about watching a future president embrace hip hop culture. Indeed, whereas politicians on both sides of the aisle had made a political tradition out of demonizing hip hop, Obama was shoulder brushing and fist bumping during campaign events, making appearances with a number of rappers, and even suggesting that hip hop would have a place and a voice in the White House. Read more at theroot.com.
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Authorities Search For Missing Alabama Teen Last Seen With Her Father a Year Ago
June 13, 2013 - Although African Americans make up just 13 percent of the U.S. population, we account for 33 percent of the missing in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s database. Cases involving African Americans also tend to receive less media coverage than missing Whites, with missing men of color getting even less attention. Brittany Shante Robinson - Case Type: Endangered Date of Birth: January 27, 1998 Missing Date: June 14, 2012 Age Now: 15 Missing City: Mobile Missing State: Alabama Case Number: NCMC1197561 Gender: Female Race: Black Complexion: Dark Height: 5-0 Weight: 150 Hair Color: Black Hair Length: Medium Eye Color: Brown Wear Glasses or Contacts: No. Read more at theroot.com.
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