Maxine Waters has tough words for predators and Trump

In no uncertain terms, Congresswoman Maxine Waters warned those who prey on women to "keep your hands off" Saturday at the Women's Convention in Detroit.

The 79-year-old Democratic icon from California, who's known for her no-filter honesty, was greeted with a standing ovation by a crowd at the Cobo Center.

Waters was there to address a packed hall of attendees -- and to be honored for speaking truth to power at an event titled the Sojourner Truth Luncheon.

Focusing largely on the issue of sexual harassment and assault that's been driven by the news about movie producer Harvey Weinstein, Waters stressed that the problem isn't limited to the entertainment industry.

Citing teachers, nurses, women serving in the military and fellow U.S. representatives who've added their voices to the #MeToo movement, Waters declared that such behavior toward women will not be tolerated.

"Keep your nasty comments away from us... Keep your hands off our backs and our g--damn bodies. We're not going to take it anymore," she warned.

Waters also made it clear that she thinks President Donald Trump is part of the problem. The grassroots women's movement grew out of concerns that rights for women and other groups would be impacted negatively by the Trump administration.

"This president has no respect for women," said Waters.

The Waters speech was one of the most anticipated offerings of the first such convention ever held by the Women's March movement.

Read more: Maxine Waters fires up Women's Convention in Detroit with tough words

Obama to report for jury duty in Chicago

Former President Obama has been called for service on a Chicago jury.

A judge from Cook County, Illinois, told county commissioners on Friday that Obama plans to appear in court next month.

“He made it crystal-clear to me through his representative that he would carry out his public duty as a citizen and resident of this community,” Chief Judge Tim Evans said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The date and location of Obama’s expected service were not disclosed.

“His safety will be uppermost in our minds,” Evans said.

Obama is unlikely to be selected for a jury even if he’s willing to appear.

He is registered to vote in Chicago and owns a home there, as well as in Washington, D.C.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

95-year-old black judge celebrates 50 years on federal bench

Judge Damon J. Keith thinks back on his 50 years on the federal bench and remembers many tumultuous and significant times, including being sued by President Richard Nixon after ruling that wiretapping couldn't be done without a court order.

The 95-year-old from Detroit, the only African-American among six current federal judges who have served 50 or more years according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, still hears cases about four times a year at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. His approach — in or out of the spotlight, on or off the bench — is the same: Fight for the Constitution, not with each other.

"Just treat everyone with dignity," said Keith, who will be honored at a gala Saturday in Detroit for reaching the half-century mark.

The phrase "Equal justice under law," which is etched onto the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, drives Keith and reminds him of lessons Thurgood Marshall taught him as one of his professors at Howard University. Marshall became the first black Supreme Court justice in October 1967 — the same month Keith, a prominent lawyer in his own right by then, was appointed to the federal bench.

He recalled Marshall saying, "The white men wrote those four words. When you leave Howard, I want you to go out and practice law and see what you can do to enforce those four words."

"And that's what I've tried to do," Keith said last week at Detroit's historic federal court building, where he's had an office since President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the federal district court 50 years ago.

In 1970, Keith ordered a bus policy and new boundaries in the Pontiac, Michigan, school district to break up racial segregation.

A year later, he made another groundbreaking decision, finding that Hamtramck, Michigan, illegally destroyed black neighborhoods in the name of urban renewal with the federal government's help. The remedy was 200 housing units for blacks. The court case is still alive decades later due to disputes over property taxes and the slow pace of construction.

Read more: 95-year-old black judge celebrates 50 years on federal bench

American Airlines to NAACP: Let's talk about discrimination

American Airlines and the NAACP on Thursday said they look forward to discussing together allegations of discrimination against passengers of the largest U.S. airline.

The comments came two days after the NAACP issued an advisory that warned the public, African-American travelers in particular, against choosing the carrier because of a risk of "discriminatory and unsafe conditions."

"The NAACP looks forward to meeting with American Airlines leadership to address these issues of alleged racism and inappropriate and disparate treatment of people of color," said NAACP spokesman Malik Russell, in an emailed statement.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said Thursday on an earnings call with analysts that the airline looked forward to discussing the matter.

On Tuesday, the NAACP issued an advisory against American Airlines, citing four recent incidents in which African-American passengers said they were discriminated against by the airline, including one high-profile incident in which an activist said that she was ordered off the plane after a dispute over a change in her seat assignment.

The NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights organization, said its advisory alerted "travelers — especially African Americans — to exercise caution, in that booking and boarding flights on American Airlines could subject them disrespectful, discriminatory or unsafe conditions."

"Discrimination, exclusion and unconscious biases are enormous problems that no one's mastered and we would never suggest that we have it all figured out," Parker said on the quarterly earnings call. "We would never suggest that we have it all figured out. What we know is we want to keep learning and we want to get even better."

[SOURCE: CNBC]

Rep. Al Green Statement Supporting Rep. Frederica Wilson

Watch Congressman Al Green's Floor Statement Supporting Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL) after Donald Trump disrespectfully called the Congresswoman out of her name.