Comcast, Al Sharpton Beat $20B Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

A California judge has made short order of a $20 billion lawsuit that accused Comcast and Time Warner Cable of racial discriminating through the licensing of cable channels. The legal action fails because the National Association of African-American Owned Media "failed to allege any plausible claim for relief."

The legal action, spearheaded in part by Byron Allen's Entertainment Studios Networks, gained some notoriety for including as co-defendants Al Sharpton, the NAACP, the National Urban League and the National Action Network for allegedly facilitating discrimination. In 2010, Comcast acquired NBCUniversal and entered into voluntary diversity agreements with these groups. The lawsuit said it was a "sham, undertaken to whitewash Comcast's discriminatory business practices," and raised hackles over Sharpton's salary as host of an MSNBC show.

U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter Jr. agreed, and in a sign he didn't even think this was a close call, spent just three pages analyzing the claims in an order to dismiss. He rules that the plaintiffs have failed to plead sufficient facts to show his court has personal jurisdiction over Sharpton and various African-American advocacy groups. And the claims against the other defendants don't survive further because Hatter can't reasonably infer they are liable for misconduct alleged even accepting plaintiff's facts.

"Knowing that our lawsuit helped the FCC and the DOJ deny Comcast's bid to buy Time Warner Cable is already a big win for us," said Allen in a statement. "We are going to immediately appeal this decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals who I believe will deliver us a favorable decision."

Read more: Comcast, Al Sharpton Beat $20B Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Attorney General Lynch speaks out on violence in Ferguson

Attorney General Loretta Lynch, made the following comments on the current unrest in Ferguson during an appearance at the national conference of the Fraternal Order of Police:

"Recent events in communities across the country have served as stark and tragic reminders of the tensions that exist in too many neighborhoods between law enforcement officers and the people we serve,'' Lynch told the police group Monday. "One year after the tragic events in Ferguson, Mo., we have yet again seen the consequences for officers and residents when those tensions erupt into violence and unrest.''

"We know that trust is not just a benefit of good police work,'' the attorney general said. "It is essential to its fulfillment. When officers and residents share a foundation of mutual trust and a reservoir of goodwill, residents are more likely to help with investigations: Victims and witnesses of crime are more likely to speak up; and all of us in law enforcement are better able to assist community members when they face difficult circumstances.''

State of emergency declared in Ferguson

St. Louis County authorities declared a state of emergency Monday as they prepared for a second night of protests marking a year since a police officer killed Ferguson, Missouri, teen Michael Brown.

Black Lives Matter Interrupts & Takes Over Bernie Sanders Rally

Black Lives Matter members momentarily took over a Bernie Sanders Rally in Seattle, WA. Several Black Lives Matter members took the stage and microphone to speak, listen to one of the organizers 4 minute speech at that event below:

Bernie Sanders Taps African-American As Campaign Press Secretary

The presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced Saturday it had tapped a young, black criminal justice advocate to serve as its national press secretary.

Symone Sanders, who is of no relation to the junior senator, serves as the national youth chair of the Coalition on Juvenile Justice, a nonprofit that focuses on appropriate care of American youth in the justice system.

She introduced the presidential contender at a rally in Seattle on Saturday that drew 12,000 people -- the largest crowd to attend a Sanders event yet -- with remarks about racial inequality.

"You know which candidate for president will shut down the private prison industry," she said, according to CNN. "You know which candidate will have the courage to fight unjust mandatory minimums and the death penalty."

Though Symone Sanders began to interview for the position several weeks ago, her hiring suggests the campaign is working to attune itself more closely with the cause of Black Lives Matter protesters, who interrupted the candidate for a second time at a different Seattle rally on Saturday. Both the senator and his fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley were interrupted by Black Lives Matters protesters at a Netroots Nation event in Phoenix last month.

Read more: Bernie Sanders Taps African-American Organizer As Campaign Press Secretary

Better retirement planning needed for African-Americans

While they’re experiencing greater optimism and increasing affluence, African-Americans are hindered in building long-term wealth because of gaps in retirement planning.

Those are some of the findings from the “2015-2016 African American Financial Experience” study from Prudential Financial, Inc., which also found that African-Americans are not taking full advantage of financial and investment tools.

More than half of survey respondents said that they’re better off than they were five years ago and feel that they’re better off than their parents were at their age.

Interestingly, they also describe themselves as savers rather than investors. Most African-Americans (52 percent) feel very well prepared to make smart financial decisions, while only 40 percent of the general population feels the same way.

Read more: Better retirement planning needed for African-Americans

Ferguson Businesses Struggle To Rebuild Post-Riots

Ferguson Missouri is still recovering from last year's riots over the death of Michael Brown. Along West Florissant Ave., there are some empty lots where once thriving businesses were located. Several building in the business districts were destroyed, nearly all have been demolished and most are being rebuilt. Listen to this story below.

Federal Appeals Court Tosses Out Texas Voter ID Law

A federal appeals court Wednesday struck down a voter ID law in Texas, saying it violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. A 5th Circuit three-judge panel ruled unanimously that the law does not equate to a "poll tax" but does discriminate against minority voters.

The 2011 law, considered one of the toughest in the country, was in effect during the midterm elections last year. It was one of a handful of voter ID laws enacted in Republican-governed states. The Texas law required voters to provide certain forms of identification before they could cast a ballot.

Read more: Federal Appeals Court Tosses Out Texas Voter ID Law

Half of blacks say police have treated them unfairly

A majority of blacks in the United States -- more than 3 out of 5 -- say they or a family member have personal experience with being treated unfairly by the police, and their race is the reason.

Half of African-American respondents, including 6 in 10 black men, said they personally had been treated unfairly by police because of their race, compared with 3 percent of whites. Another 15 percent said they knew of a family member who had been treated unfairly by the police because of their race.

This information, from a survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, comes as the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, approaches its first anniversary and the nation continues to grapple with police-related deaths of black Americans.

Read more: Half of blacks say police have treated them unfairly

Two more "Bad Boys" films to be released!

Sony Pictures released a schedule of upcoming releases and that schedule includes two new Bad Boys sequels.

“Bad Boys 3″ is set for Feb. 17, 2017, with “Bad Boys 4″ slated to bow July 3, 2019. The first two pics starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, though it’s unknown whether those two actors are on board for the next two movies.

16 year old Shaynia Wilkerson is missing

The Camden County (NJ) Police Department is looking for a missing 16-year-old from Centerville.

Shaynia Wilkerson was reported missing today from the 600 block of Woodland Avenue. She is described as a black female, 5’2”, 125 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing black tights, sandals and a black jacket with lace. She has been reported missing previously and was last seen on the 1800 block of E. Allegheny Avenue in Philadelphia.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the CCPD tip line at (856) 757-7042.

Samuel DuBose shooting: Other cops don't corroborate shooters dragging story

One of the two other University of Cincinnati officers that responded to the Sam DuBose shooting is clearly heard on a body cam video saying that he saw shooter Ray Tensing being dragged. While he said that at the scene, it's not the story he or the other cop told in their official statements or during interviews with the Cincinnati Police Department.

[SOURCE] County Prosecutor Joe Deters says Kidd and Lindenschmidt arrived as Tensing reached into DuBose's car. Their official statements about what happened matched what was shown on Tensing's body camera, and neither officer said in official interviews that he saw Tensing being dragged, according to Deters.

Both officers made comments at the scene but later were interviewed in depth by Cincinnati police about what they had witnessed, according to Deters.

"These officers have been truthful and honest about what happened and no charges are warranted," Deters said.

DuBose's family had asked prosecutors to investigate the other officers. The family's attorney, Mark O'Mara, said in email Friday that they are "still concerned with the initial rendition of facts given by the officers," but he said the family respects the grand jury's decision.

15 year old Christine Dallas is missing

Camden County Police are searching for a missing 15-year-old girl from North Camden who was reported missing late Wednesday night.

Christine Dallas was last seen at her home on Elm Street with a maroon book bag and New Balance sneakers.

Police describe Dallas as 5 foot 5 inches, weighing 120 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is requested to immediately call the Camden County Police Department tip line at 856-757-7042.

[SOURCE]

Eric Garner grand jury records kept secret by appeals court

A mid-level appeals court has upheld a decision to withhold the grand jury minutes in ​the case against a cop initially charged in ​Eric Garner’s chokehold death.

The NAACP, New York Civil Liberties Union, Legal Aid Society and Public Advocate Letitia James — which appealed an earlier Supreme Court decision to keep the records secret — failed to prove there was a “compelling and particularized need for disclosure,” the four Second Department judges wrote in court papers.

“The Supreme Court properly determined that the public interest in disclosure was outweighed by the dangers inherent in violating the secrecy of the grand jury proceeding,” the appellate judges wrote.

Read more: Eric Garner grand jury records kept secret by appeals court

Police Officer Ray Tensing body cam, Samuel DuBose shooting

UC police officer Ray Tensing's body camera video clearly shows that he committed "murder" when he shot and killed an unarmed black motorist at a traffic stop, prosecutor Joe Deters said Wednesday.

The shocking video shows Tensing grab the outside door latch on 43-year-old Sam DuBose's car after DuBose couldn't produce a driver's license.

Study: Prejudice makes us see innocent people as threats

The police killings of unarmed black men like Eric Garner, Michael Brown and, most recently, Sam Dubose at a July 19 traffic stop at the University of Cincinnati, have enraged many and baffled more. Why did Cleveland police shoot and kill 12-year-old Tamir Rice last year? How did self-styled block watch patrolman George Zimmerman decide to shoot and kill teenager Trayvon Martin, who was armed with nothing but a bag of candy on that night in 2012? These outrages have caused demonstrations, urban unrest, more violence and a larger sense that something has gone wrong in the nation’s race relations.

Besides outright racism, what motivates the overreaction of law-enforcement and vigilantes who have left these men dead?

A social psychologist at Wellesley College who studies diversity and friendship, Angela Bahns, has recently completed research that helps to explain part of the puzzle: It shows that people can imagine a sense of threat — a threat serious enough to justify violence — even with no real evidence besides their own stereotypes. And the stereotypes, the research suggests, are the root causes of the violence.

Prejudice makes us see innocent people as threats, study says

Georgia pastor's powerful message to anti gay Christians

Georgia pastor E. Dewey Smith said that religious people who are critical of the LGBT community and the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage are "hypocritical" in a videotaped sermon that was posted Thursday. Watch his statement below.

Watch the Movement For Black Lives Convention Live.

Watch the First national Movement for Black Lives Convention taking place in Cleveland, OH. July 24-26, 2015.

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Hundreds of Activists Travel to Cleveland for Black Lives Matter Convention

More than 1,000 civil rights activists from across the country are expected to gather in Cleveland this weekend for the first ever Movement for Black Lives Convening.

The conference, which takes place from Friday to Sunday at Cleveland State University, will bring together leaders from Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, Ferguson Action and Cleveland Action to discuss next steps in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Read more: Hundreds of Activists Travel to Cleveland for Black Lives Matter Convention

Mark Henry Issues Statement Regarding Hulk Hogan's Racist Comments

WWE Superstar Mark Henry has issued a statement regarding the racist comments made by Hulk Hogan that were posted online on Friday morning:

"Unfortunately, I'm getting hounded today by media regarding my thoughts and experiences with Hulk Hogan. I'd prefer not to be thrust into this, but as the requests have been significant I feel I have a responsibility to make a statement of some sort. At a minimum to ease my personal burden regarding this topic.

We all know that we have history as it relates to the company, me and this unfortunate subject matter of racial slurs and prejudices. I don't want to and will not re-hash that, but I do want people to know that I do not condone racist behavior or speech of any manner. Again, I do not plan to speak on what happened in the past, but I would like to offer this statement about the current situation and events that hit the news today.

I'm disappointed in the comments made by Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan). I've known Terry a very long time as both a work colleague and as someone I consider a friend. I'm hurt and offended that he expressed his feelings in the manner and tone that was presented on the tape. I am however, pleased that WWE took swift action in response to his comments and I support the position the organization is taking on this matter: a no tolerance approach to racism."