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