Racial gap in U.S. arrest rates: 'Staggering disparity'

When it comes to racially lopsided arrests, the most remarkable thing about Ferguson, Mo., might be just how ordinary it is.

Police in Ferguson — which erupted into days of racially charged unrest after a white officer killed an unarmed black teen — arrest black people at a rate nearly three times higher than people of other races.

At least 1,581 other police departments across the USA arrest black people at rates even more skewed than in Ferguson, a USA TODAY analysis of arrest records shows. That includes departments in cities as large and diverse as Chicago and San Francisco and in the suburbs that encircle St. Louis, New York and Detroit.

Those disparities are easier to measure than they are to explain. They could be a reflection of biased policing; they could just as easily be a byproduct of the vast economic and educational gaps that persist across much of the USA — factors closely tied to crime rates. In other words, experts said, the fact that such disparities exist does little to explain their causes.

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Cedric the Entertainer: Neither Side Trying to Find Truth in Ferguson

During an interview with the Wall Street Journal , Cedric the Entertainer discussed several issues in the black community including diabetes, education, and Ferguson Missouri on which he had a very interesting take. Watch the interview below:

Dwight Howard investigated for child abuse

Authorities in Georgia are investigating child abuse allegations against National Basketball Association star Dwight Howard, a center for the Houston Rockets who is among the league's marquee performers, police said on Tuesday.

Police declined to elaborate on the details of the Howard investigation, which followed a prior probe of the same accusation in Florida. Entertainment news website TMZ said Howard is accused of beating his 6-year-old son with a belt buckle.

"The Cobb County Police Department's Crimes Against Children Unit reopened their investigation into the allegations against Mr. Howard," said Dana Pierce, a spokesman for the suburban Atlanta police department.

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FBI Warns Ferguson Decision 'Will Likely' Lead to Violence By Extremists Protesters

As the nation waits to hear whether a Missouri police officer will face charges for killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., the FBI is warning law enforcement agencies across the country that the decision “will likely” lead some extremist protesters to threaten and even attack police officers or federal agents.

AUDIO: Bill Cosby Refuses To Answer Sexual Assault Questions On NPR

Bill Cosby remained silent after being asked on NPR to respond to claims that he allegedy sexually assaulted several women. Listen to that interview below: