POST ENDORSES BARACK OBAMA
Democrats in 22 states across America go to the polls next Tuesday to pick between two presidential prospects: Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. We urge them to choose Obama - an untried candidate, to be sure, but preferable to the junior senator from New York. (Continue Reading…)

Edwards’ voters up for grabs
Former Sen. John Edwards dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday, leaving his voters up for grabs. Former Sen. John Edwards ended his presidential bid Wednesday. The race for the Democratic nomination is now down to Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. (Continue Reading…)

McCain, Romney spar before Super Tuesday
Front-runners John McCain and Mitt Romney attacked each other’s conservative credentials as they fought for their party’s top spot during the final showdown before the Super Tuesday contests. The GOP candidates take the stage for Wednesday’s debate. (Continue Reading…)

Obama: Clinton Represents Step Toward Past
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama said Wednesday a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidency would be a step back to the past, turning her husband’s image of a bridge to the future against her. The former first lady decried the tenor of his comments in an interview with The Associated Press. (Continue Reading…)

Sen. Clinton responds to Ted and Caroline Kennedy endorsing Obama
Sen. Hillary Clinton began the day with three hours of sleep in a place that she came to more than 30 years ago — following her heart and William Jefferson Clinton. (Continue Reading…)

US denounces Kenya ‘cleansing’ Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazer also denounced the continuing violence which has since forced thousands to flee their homes. [BBC News]

Fighting Erupts in Eastern Congo Rebels battled pro-government militia fighters in eastern Congo on Monday, the first fighting in the volatile region since warring parties signed a peace deal last week. [AP]

Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt It was lunchtime in one of Haiti’s worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti’s poorest can’t afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies [AP]

McDonald’s Pulls Ads From Suggestive Online Content MCDONALD’S SAID LATE LAST WEEK that it had asked BET to remove ads from a part of the network’s Web site that featured women in seductive poses, clad in bikinis and lingerie. [Media Post]

Kilpatrick expected to break silence Wednesday night Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick plans to emerge from seclusion Wednesday night and apologize to Detroiters from his church after a week of metastasizing controversy, expanding national coverage and a mounting circus atmosphere surrounding his possible perjury in the text message scandal. [Detroit Free Press]

Advertising Targeting African-American Consumers Exceeds $2.3 Billion Annually In its first 12-month analysis of advertising spending on media outlets that reach African American consumers, The Nielsen Company reported today that spending for the period October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007 totaled $2.3 billion. [EM]

CMLD is a once-yearly fashion exhibit that showcases up to 8 emerging designers up to 4 accessories designers in standing window installations. The show takes place February 27, 2008.

Designers are chosen for the show based on submission through IconStyleinc.com and selected by some of Atlanta’s most noteworthy fashion, academia & media professionals in the market. P.Valentine requires that showcase designers have assembled their own collections and have shipped and sold at least one collection to at least one boutique or store. The shows are for designers who otherwise do not have the logistical or economic resources to mount their own professionally produced exposure event at this point in their career.

The winner of the competition will receive a signature window display and selling opportunity through P.Valentine boutique, marketing support from IconStyle Inc., a profile in BrownFashionista.com, an interview on ClutchTV, and an installation mixer privy to Atlanta’s most fashion forward individuals.

To Register as a Designer visit: www.iconstyleinc.com For more information visit: www.myspace.com/pvalentine

Race a factor in shooting of black cop?
The black Mount Vernon cop shot to death by Westchester County police officers had run into a government building and called for backup before he was killed Friday, his pastor said Sunday. (Continue Reading…)

Modern-day slavery: African children trafficked to UK
London: African children are being sold for “modern-day slavery” in Britain by impoverished parents on promise of better life, a media report said on Sunday. “Hundreds of young children are being sold and trafficked to Britain from Africa to be exploited as modern-day slaves,” the Sunday Telegraph reported. (Continue Reading…)

Chicago police torture victims share $20 million settlement
The city council recently unanimously voted to approve a nearly $20 million legal settlement in the cases of four Black men who accused members of the Chicago Police Department of racist actions, torture and brutality under former Commander Jon Burge. (Continue Reading…)

US blacks see ‘financial apartheid’ in subprime crisis
They had small means and big hopes of owning a house. But African-Americans snared in the US mortgage crisis have seen the American dream turn into a nightmare many call “financial apartheid.” (Continue Reading…)

The UN-African Union peacekeeping force proposed for Sudan’s Darfur region will take most of 2008 to deploy fully, the UN’s head of peacekeeping has said.

Jean-Marie Guehenno said not enough troops had been contributed to the force. Only 9,000 of 26,000 planned troops have been deployed so far. It is the first time the UN has said there could be such a long delay. About 200,000 people have been killed and two million displaced in five years of conflict in the western province.

‘Positive’ talks
The mission - United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid) - has been delayed by obstacles imposed by the Sudanese government, including restrictions on the force’s communications and a ban on night flights. Khartoum has also rejected some non-African troop contingents. “Some of the forces which we have planned to deploy we couldn’t,” said Mr Guehenno.

The force also lacks crucial equipment, such as the helicopters necessary for it to move around the arid region the size of France. But Mr Guehenno said talks with the government on the conditions for the peacekeepers’ operations had been “positive” so far. BBC World Service Africa Editor Mary Harper says that with the expected delays, there is little prospect of any meaningful security returning to Darfur.

Last week, human rights group Amnesty International called on Sudan to stop obstructing the deployment of the joint UN-African Union force, which took over from an African Union deployment on 31 December. The group said security was deteriorating, most of the camps for displaced people were awash with weapons, and young Darfuris were increasingly angry and frustrated. The five years of fighting has between Sudan’s government, pro-government Arab militias and rebel groups. The government denies links to the Janjaweed militia, which is accused of trying to “cleanse” black Africans from large swathes of territory.

(Source: BBC News)

Ever wonder if you have what it takes to be a Cover Girl? Well, now is your chance to find out. Last year, CoverGirl partnered with Queen Latifah to introduce the new Natural Hue Foundation – compact foundation that matches up to 97% of skin tones from Rich Sand to True Ebony. Now, CoverGirl has launched the New Vibrant Hue Lipsticks in 21 shades of high voltage color with two distinct finishes - rich and creamy or sheer and shiny!

In order to select the faces for their next campaign, Queen Latifah and CoverGirl have launched an online casting call to find the next group of remarkable women to represent the CoverGirl Queen Collection.

Now it’s your chance to be one of these inspiring women! Simply visit the CoverGirl Queen Casting Site at http://www.everywomanisaqueen.com/exclusives.do and register for the contest. All you need to do is upload your photo and share your story – explaining what limitations you have overcome in your life. The winner will be selected by Queen Latifah herself and will be featured in a CoverGirl advertorial in a major magazine!!

Women are encouraged to enter the casting call online at www.everywomanisaqueen.com.

Why black women are doing the white thing
Frustrated with the ‘shortage’ of ‘good’ black men, black women are expanding their horizons and are dating outside of their race. Statistics show that more black women are dating white men worldwide, and black female/white male marriages have increased by fifty per cent. Some argue that this increase in relationships between black women and white men may be attributed to educational attainment. (Continue Reading…)

Report: Black, Hispanic children making gains
Black and Hispanic children have made significant gains in health, safety and income over the past two decades, narrowing gaps between them and white children, according to a pioneering report on child development to be released Tuesday. (Continue Reading…)

Kenya Death Toll Near 800 in a Month
Gangs of youths armed with machetes and clubs fought running battles with police on Sunday and burned tribal rivals alive in their homes in western Kenya, pushing the death toll from a month of escalating ethnic violence to nearly 800. (Continue Reading…)

Workers Fired Over Noose Found at Nationals New Ballpark
Two workers at the new Nationals Park work site have been fired after they allegedly left a noose in a breakroom. That noose was later found by African American employees. (Continue Reading…)

Last week the temperature dropped down below zero where I live. Yes, you read that right — the actually temperature dropped below zero. So, if you add the wind chill factor it felt like -17 degrees outside. It’s the type of weather that just makes you angry at the world and everything in it. Angry at bad drivers, people with 19 items in the 12 items or less line and the heat in your house that is turning your skin into cracked leather.

Well at least the last complaint is something I can fix. I decided to test out Freeman’s Feeling Beautiful Pineapple Facial Enzyme Mask ($3.99, freemanbeauty.com). As soon as I cracked open the container the delicious tropical smell of fresh cut pineapple instantly transported me to an island in the South Pacific. A welcome pick-up after driving home in a snowstorm. I lathered on a healthy dose of the enzyme mask and allowed it to work its magic. After rinsing the mask off I noticed my skin looked and felt hydrated and radiant. The Pineapple extract and AHA’s in the Enzyme Mask left my skin exfoliated, moisturized and soft. And my skin smelled amazing the rest of the day… even when I was stuck out side shoveling snow.

Obama claims big win in South Carolina
Sen. Barack Obama claimed a significant victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday, telling supporters “we are hungry for change.” The Illinois senator earned more than twice the vote that rival Sen. Hillary Clinton did, 55 percent to 27 percent, unofficial returns showed. (Continue Reading…)

Black Vote Was Vital, But Not the Whole Story
Overwhelming support from African American voters fueled Sen. Barack Obama’s big win in yesterday’s South Carolina Democratic primary, but he also continued to demonstrate broad appeal across racial lines, particularly among younger, better-educated and wealthier voters. (Continue Reading…)

Obama’s Rout Rejiggers the Race
There was only way to describe Barack Obama’s victory over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards in South Carolina: It was a rout. “After four great contests in every corner of this country, we have the most votes, the most delegates, and the most diverse coalition of Americans that we’ve seen in a long, long time,” (Continue Reading…)

Bill Clinton: Obama is Just Like Jesse Jackson
Said Bill Clinton today in Columbia, SC: “Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in ‘84 and ‘88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here.” (Continue Reading…)

ON DEADLINE: “Fairy Tales” Do Come True
Barack Obama didn’t settle for a mere rout in South Carolina. After a landslide victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Illinois senator took a brash, brutal victory lap that he hopes will define her, her husband, and their his-and-hers candidacy in the days ahead. (Continue Reading…)