CALIFORNIA LEGISLATORS APPROVE DRIVER’S LICENSES FOR SOME UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Lawmakers in California passed a bill Thursday to allow young undocumented immigrants who qualify for deferred action under a recent Obama Administration directive to receive driver’s licenses. The measure now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for approval, and Assembly member Gilbert Cedillo (D), who sponsored the bill, said he thinks Brown will sign it. Cedillo introduced the bill after President Obama announced the deferred action policy, which grants temporary work permits to many DREAM Act-eligible young undocumented immigrants. While California is helping the DREAMers access state benefits,other states are blocking them from obtaining driver’s licenses.

RNC Convention Workers Being Paid Below Minimum Wage

TAMPA, Fla. -- During these past four days at the RNC convention, janitors have worked around the clock picking up after delegates, conservative stars like Ann Coulter and Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), and the thousands of reporters in cavernous filing rooms. And many are doing so making less than minimum wage.

Steven Hirsch, Porn Producer, Tells Republicans To 'Catch Up... Sex Is Everywhere'

Last week, Republicans were warned not to isolate women voters. This week, they're being warned not to anger porn-watching voters. Especially because Republicans reportedly watch more porn than Democrats.

Eastwooding: Check Out The New Craze! (Have You Seen "Invisible Obama" Today? LOL)

If you see someone talking to an empty chair today, don't worry -- they're probably just "Eastwooding."

Clint Eastwood spoke at the Republican National Convention in Florida last night, with a significant portion of his speech revolving around a conversation with... a chair.

Michael Steele: Voter ID Rhetoric Is 'Irresponsible,' Party Needs New Approach To Black Voters

TAMPA, Fla. -- As the Republican National Convention drew to a close, Michael Steele, the party's former chair, said that his party needed to do a better job of outreach to communities of color, and that the rhetoric around voter ID laws was a detriment to those efforts.

Mitt Romney Becomes First GOP Nominee Since 1952 Not To Mention War

WASHINGTON — With America embroiled in its longest armed conflict, Mitt Romney became the first Republican since 1952 to accept his party's nomination without mentioning war.

Anti-Obama sign language in Hanson drawing attention and controversy

HANSON —

Each time Eric Folsom drives by the anti-President Obama campaign sign in Hanson, he tries to shield his young children from seeing it – that’s because it shows a young girl giving the middle finger to the president.

Gabby Douglas Allegedly Told To Get Nose Job By Gym Staffer!

Olympic gold medal winner and gymnast extraordinaire Gabby Douglas reveals in the October issue of Vanity Fair Magazine that she was once told by a staffer at an elite gym to consider having reconstructive surgery on her nose because of its “flatness.”

Romney Campaign Embraces Eastwood’s Speech: ‘Classic,’ ‘Descriptive,’ ‘Spoke From The Heart’

The Romney campaign is defending Clint Eastwood’s Thursday night’s baffling endorsement of the one-time Massachusetts governor at the Republican National Convention, insisting that the actor “spoke from the heart with a classic improv sketch which everyone at the convention loved.” Eastwood has been widely criticized for talking to an empty chair with an “invisible Obama,” during his 10 minute address. (Watch ThinkProgress’ highlight reel here.)

CHART: REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS’ DEPRESSING RECORD ON WAGE GROWTH

Wage growth has failed to keep up with record-setting corporate profits, and wages as a percent of gross domestic product reached an all-time low after the Great Recession, as BusinessInsider’s Henry Blodget noted today. Wages as a percentage of the economy have fallen precipitously since their peak in the 1960s, when the minimum wage reached its maximum buying power and the middle class was strongest. Interestingly, Republican presidents, whose failed supply-side policies have led to given them significantly weaker job creation records than their Democratic counterparts, have presided over the three steep declines in wages as a percentage of the economy, as this chart from ThinkProgress’ Adam Peck shows:

Federal Court Strikes Down Ohio Law Restricting Early Voting

Last month, President Obama’s reelection campaign filed a lawsuit claiming that a recently enacted Ohio law eliminating early voting in the three days before an election, except for members of the military, violates the Constitution’s guarantee that all voters enjoy equal access to the franchise. The campaign’s lawsuit called for the right ofall voters to cast an early ballot be restored in Ohio — it explicitly stated that expanding the franchise, not taking early voting away from military personnel as well, was the appropriate outcome.

Priest Blames Child Victims Of Sex Abuse For Seducing Their Abusers

A New York Priest publicly suggested on Monday that child victims of sexual abuse seduced their abusers, using the remarks as a launching pad to defend convicted child predator and Penn State football Coach Jerry Sandusky.

European Unemployment at Record 11.3%

You think America's 8.3% unemployment rate is bad? Try living in the eurozone. The 17-country bloc saw 88,000 more people join the ranks of the jobless in July, meaning its unemployment rate held steady at its record high of 11.3% and bringing the total number of unemployed to 18 million, the AP reports. The numbers were especially eye-popping in Spain and Greece, which saw their unemployment rates swell to 25.1% and 23.1%, respectively. For reference, last year Greece's figure was 16.8%.

Man With AK-47 Kills 2, Himself at NJ Market

A disgruntled employee shot and killed two people and then himself early this morning at a New Jersey supermarket, the Star-Ledger reports. The shooting took place around 4am, after the alleged shooter, 23, got into an argument with his co-workers at the closed store. He went out to his car and returned with an AK-47 and an automatic pistol. He fired off 16 rounds, and had multiple magazines of ammunition, CNN reports.

RNC Delegate Offended By Presence of ‘Mexican’ At Disney’s Epcot Center

During a trip to Epcot at Disneyworld, Pennsylvania delegate Mark Harris and his wife were shocked and offended to find a Mexican employee working at the amusement park’s American pavilion, which showcases the different cultures in the United States. According to thecouple’s blog, Harris complained to staff that he was “highly offended” that a “person from Mexico” was working in the American pavilion when other nations’ pavilions were staffed by people from each respective country:

Paul Ryan’s Black Ex-Girlfriend: Paul Is A ‘Really Nice Guy’ ( More Nuts, This Time Willingly Thrown At Another Black Woman....lol) (Love Who You Love, But This Guys Policie's Say Other Wise. (Busted! TMZ Drops This Broads Past Like A Set Of Dice)

A former ex-girlfriend of GOP vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan has spoken up about her past relationship with the Wisconsin congressman when the pair both attended Miami University of Ohio in the 1990s.

Anti-Obama Concert In Charlotte Falls Through

A local conservative effort to hold a concert rally in opposition to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte has fallen through.

Tampa homeless 'sidelined' by Republican convention pomp

Security in Tampa, Florida, surrounding the Republican National Convention has created hassles for everyone who lives and works in the city.

Harvard University probes mass exam 'cheating'

Dozens of students at Harvard University are being investigated for allegedly helping each other cheat in an exam, officials say.

Republican convention: The Hispanics with a plan

Senator Marco Rubio, the Republican party's most prominent Hispanic figure, introduces Mitt Romney on Thursday night, with the party needing to win over Hispanic voters if it hopes for success in November and beyond.

9 Important Omissions From Romney’s Convention Speech

Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech at the Republican Convention was long on biography but short on policy. The former Massachusetts governor reminded the national audience about his family’s background and business career, reiterated his critique of President Obama, and promised a better future.

Philippines Earthquake 2012: 7.9-Magnitude Quake Triggers Tsunami Alert

MANILA, Philippines — A 7.6-magnitude quake struck off the eastern coast of the Philippines late Friday, killing at least one person in a house collapse and triggering tsunami warnings in the region that sent coastal residents fleeing to high ground.

Lord Ashdown Backs Nick Clegg, Smacks Down 'Minor Dissident' Lord Oakeshott

Liberal Democrats should stop criticising Nick Clegg and back his leadership, former party leader Lord Ashdown has said.

Marco Rubio Speech At 2012 Republican Convention: America Is About 'New Beginnings' (However, Just Don't Ask When Mine Started I Don't Have The Story Straight Yet!)

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) had the tough task Thursday of bringing the mood of the crowd from confusion to inspiration, as the only divide between a bizarre speech by film director Clint Eastwood and Mitt Romney's first speech as the official Republican presidential nominee.

Bain Capital Takes Center Stage At Republican Convention

Mitt Romney initially launched his presidential campaign on a simple premise: During tough economic times, America needed someone who understood the economy, someone with business experience who could turn it around. Early on, Romney frequently referred to his time at Bain Capital, where he said he helped start and revive an array of companies, creating 100,000 net new jobs.

VIDEO: The Best Of Clint Eastwood’s Surreal Convention Speech

As it turns out, Clint Eastwood was the mystery speaker tonight at the Republican National Convention. In a strange interlude that was part speech and part comedy bit, the always gruff Eastwood argued with a theoretical Obama purportedly seated in an empty chair, made some off-color jokes, almost forgot to praise Mitt Romney, and finally lead the audience in a repetition of his signature line from the “Dirty Harry” films.

Seven Facts About Mitt Romney’s Economic Plan He Doesn’t Want You To Know

Mitt Romney will officially accept the Republican nomination for president at the party’s national convention tonight, and in his speech, he will undoubtedly talk about the economy and his supposed plan to spur growth and speed up the recovery. Romney’s plan is notorious for its lack of specifics, but through the few details he has provided, ThinkProgress compiled seven facts about his economic policies that he likely won’t mention in his speech tonight:

World’s Richest Woman Says People Are Poor Because They’re Lazy Drunks

According to the world’s richest woman, low-income people are only poor because they don’t work hard enough, and because the government has coddled them with a minimum wage that is too high. Australian Gina Rinehart, who inherited her $30 billion fortune, said, “If you’re jealous of those with more money, don’t just sit there and complain. Do something to make more money yourself — spend less time drinking or smoking and socialising, and more time working”:

ROMNEY CAMPAIGN CHAIR: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TOO ‘COMPLICATED’ TO DISCUSS

Romney campaign chair John Sununu sat down for a radio interview with Michelangelo Signorile yesterday, but was apparently unprepared to discuss the Republican Party’s platform. When he was informed that it called for a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage — which Mitt Romney supports — Sununu was at a loss for words, explaining the issue is “much more complicated” than a “two-sentence” answer could encompass. Instead, he offered to share two cases of beer and talk about it in a different setting, presumably not while being recorded. Listen to the interview:

If Clint Eastwood is Mitt Romney’s Secret RNC Speaker, It’ll Be No Surprise

It says a lot about how the Republican convention is going that the biggest buzz isn’t over any one speech, but over the possible identity of a mystery speaker slated for Thursday night. The rumors seem to becoalescing around actor Clint Eastwood. And if he takes the stage in Tampa tonight, Eastwood’s appearance will reveal more about the current state of the Republican party than about Eastwood or the man he’s there to endorse.

Slave Gabriel Prosser’s Thwarted Revolt Happened On This Day In 1800

Virginia Slave Gabriel (often referred to asGabriel Prosser) made his mark in history, after attempting to lead a slave rebellion that was upended by betrayal within his camp. A literate blacksmith, Prosser was born in to slavery on a tobacco farm and learned how to read and write along with learning the trade of being a blacksmith with his two brothers. A tall man and generally well-liked, Prosser was not seen as a threat by slave owners and other Whites who encountered him.

Six Worst Lies In Paul Ryan’s Speech

Vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is taking flack on the morning news shows for his keynote address at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night. His speech was riddled with false claims, so much so that even Fox News wrote, “To anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech.”

DESPITE DIVERSE SPEAKER LINEUP, REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IS MOSTLY WHITE (A Black Republican Talked This Today On Al Sharpton's Show Today, "OH Well!") Raynard Jackson Was His Name

Though you might not be able to tell it from the diverse and gender-balanced speakers list at the Republican National Convention, this years’ gathering of conservatives to welcome their new presidential pick is an almost entirely white affair. According to the Washington Post, just 2 percent of the delegates in Tampa for the convention are Black. That number isn’t a huge surprise, given Mitt Romney’s poor polling among the Black community — where he has roughly zero percent of the vote — but it reflects a poor long-term strategy for the Republican party in an increasingly colorful America. Republicans, at least, seem to recognize the problem. As Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) told the Washington Post, “We’re not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term.”

Meet Dixie: The Stripper Who Entertains GOP Convention Delegates But Fears What They Will Do To Her Health Care

TAMPA, Florida — No employer-sponsored health insurance. High-risk profession. Young adults with unsteady wages.

As GOP Looks To Cut Food Safety Budget, Tainted Mangoes Sicken 100 Americans

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 103 people have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to tainted mangoes that were grown in Mexico and circulated by a California-based company:

Federal Court Rejects Texas Voter ID Law

A federal three-judge panel has struck down Texas’ restrictive voter ID law, finding it would suppress minority voting. The Department of Justice blocked the measure after it failed to get the pre-clearance required under the Voting Rights Act for states with a history of discrimination. The DOJ concluded that Latino voters would be disproportionately affected by the ID law.

Black CNN Camerawoman Speaks Out About Peanut-Throwing Incident (I Don't Like How She Included Both Side When The Incident Clearly Shows What The Facts Are)

A black camerawoman for CNN is speaking out after she was assaulted at the Republican National Convention when two attendees began throwing nuts at her, saying “This is what we feed animals.”

Bush Administration Praised Closure Of Auto Plant That Ryan Now Blames On Obama

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) claimed during his convention speech Wednesday that President Obama is responsible for the closure of a GM plant in Janesville, Wisconsin. However, as many media outlets have noted, GM announced plans to close the plant in June ’08 — long before Obama was even elected — and it ceased major operations in December of that year.

Michael Moore: Mitt Romney Will Win In November

Filmmaker Michael Moore joined HuffPost Love Thursday and predicted that the influence of money in politics would lift Mitt Romney to victory over President Barack Obama in November.

Awash In Secret Donations, Republicans Reverse Support For Campaign Finance Disclosure

WASHINGTON -- Outside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the Republican convention is taking place, independent conservative groups huddle in strategy sessions and hold laudatory events for some of their mega-donors, at least those who are willing to disclose their names. But those not willing to be named are the real story. Secret donors and the groups that accept their money have become central to the Republican Party's plan to win the White House and take full control over Congress.

100-Year-Old Driver Injures 11, Including 9 Kids

Police say a 100-year-old driver plowed his Cadillac into a group of people near an elementary school in South Los Angeles this afternoon, injuring nine kids and two adults, reports AP. Four of the kids, ranging in age from 4 to 11, were in serious condition at a local hospital, reports KTLA-TV. Authorities identified the driver as Preston Carter, and the TV station (which has his age as 101) reports that he thinks his brakes failed. Carter was not injured in the crash.

DECLINING UNIONIZATION CAUSED ONE-THIRD OF INCREASE IN WAGE INEQUALITY DURING LAST 40 YEARS

Nearly one-third of the increase in wage inequality among men over the last four decades is attributable to the declining unionizationof the American workforce, a new study from the Economic Policy Institute found. Declining unionization is responsible for roughly one-fifth of the growth in wage inequality among women over the same time period (from 1973 to 2007), according to the report. In 1973, 26.7 percent of American workers were in a union; by 2011, that number had fallen to 13.1 percent. The study also found that declining unionization was responsible for 76 percent of the increase in wage inequality between white- and blue-collar workers.

Are pro video-game players our 21st Century athletes?

Video-game enthusiasts are not typically associated with tests of gruelling physical endurance or demonstrations of strength. But in an age where digital technology rules all, are gamers the new form of athletes?

Can firefighting mules balance California's budget?

California is suffering one of its worst summers for wildfires in recent memory. There are dozens of fires burning in the Golden State, and some won't be fully extinguished until the winter.

What You Should Know About Wednesday’s Republican Convention Speakers

As the GOP kicks off its convention in Tampa, Florida this week, ThinkProgress will keep you updated every morning on everything you need to know about the featured speakers and we’ll live blog the festivities every night starting at 7:00 PM. Here is a rundown of Wednesday’s lineup:

Hurricane Isaac Causes Levee To Overtop, Floods Section Of Louisiana

Louisiana residents woke to eighty mile-an-hour winds and heavy rain Thursday morning, right on the 7-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the devastating storm that left nearly two thousand people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless in New Orleans.

Condi Rice Can’t Name A Specific Obama Foreign Policy Failure

Today on CBS’s morning show, former Bush administration Secretary of State and top Mitt Romney surrogate Condoleezza Rice could not offer any specific foreign policy failures made by President Obama. Romney’s allies, led by Rice and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), are expected to attack Obama on national security grounds tonight in at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Unemployment In Europe By Country

Summertime, and the livin’s … well, not easy for a growing number of European countries reeling from the lingering debt crisis. This summer, the eurozone had the unwelcome distinction of breaking a record for high unemployment.

Alan Clemmons, South Carolina Rep, Admits 'Poorly Considered' Reply To Racist Email On Voter ID Law

WASHINGTON -- The principal sponsor for South Carolina's voter ID law expressed regret on Tuesday in federal court that he thanked a supporter for a racist email about the state's ID law.

Check Cashiers, Banks Prepare for Paperless Future

NEW YORK -- On a recent summer morning at a noisy South Bronx intersection, a man walked into RiteCheck, a check cashing store, to use the ATM machine. The closest bank, Chase, is around a mile away.

West Nile Virus Cases Set Record, Deaths Soar: CDC

Aug 29 (Reuters) - A total of 1,590 U.S. cases of West Nile virus, including 66 deaths, have been reported through late August this year, the highest human toll reported since the mosquito-borne disease was first detected in the country in 1999, health officials said on Wednesday.

David Chalian Fired From Yahoo News For Saying RNC Doesn't Mind Watching 'Black People Drown'

Yahoo News' Washington bureau chief David Chalian was fired on Wednesday after a hot-mic incident during an online broadcast from the GOP convention in Tampa. Media watchdog NewsBusters was first to post audio of the incident. Politico broke the news of his firing.

In Tampa Suburb, Extreme Poverty Arrives While Jobs Remain Distant

THONOTOSASSA, Fla. -- Having spent most of his life in a low-income neighborhood on the outskirts of Tampa, Raymond Smith has long recognized that being poor in the suburbs is quite a bit different from being poor downtown.

RNC Attendee Throws Nuts At Black CNN Camerawoman: ‘This Is How We Feed Animals’ (And Some Blacks Think A Vote For Romney Is Better, GTFOH!!!)

An attendee at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Tuesday allegedly threw nuts at a black camerawoman working for CNN and said “This is how we feed animals” before being removed from the convention, a network official confirmed to TPM.

Chavis Carter: Arresting Officer Reprimanded, Returns To Work

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas police officer was reprimanded for not properly searching a young man who authorities said subsequently shot himself while handcuffed in the back of a patrol car.

Four Facts About New Jersey’s Economy Chris Christie Won’t Talk About At The Republican Convention Tonight

The first real night of the 2012 Republican National Convention will close tonight with a keynote address by Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ). Christie has become a conservative darling for his blunt speaking style and his open willingness to berate public servants.

'No Easy Day,' Bin Laden Raid Book: Osama Was Unarmed

NEW YORK -- The much-anticipated firsthand account of the Navy SEALs raid that killed Osama bin Laden reveals the terrorist leader was unarmed and was already dead with a bullet to the brain when the SEALs entered his bedroom in the compound at Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Phil Archuletta, GOP Convention Speaker, Blasts Government For Not Giving Him More Money

TAMPA, Fla. -- Republicans spent the first full day of their 2012 convention hammering President Barack Obama for his "you didn't build that" remark, an attempt to underscore their message that Obama is hostile to the private sector.

Texas Voting Maps Discriminate: US Court

A federal court says Texas' new voting maps, redrawn by a Republican legislature, violate the Voting Rights Act. They contain signs of discrimination against minorities, judges said in a 154-page opinion. "The three-judge panel unanimously found intentional discrimination across the state. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it," says a lawyer for a Latino activist group that sued the state over the maps. The ruling doesn't affect provisional maps established for this year's election, but it could well affect those likely to be used in 2014, the AP reports. Texas prosecutors say the fight isn't over: They'll take it to the Supreme Court.

Brazil Accepts 3-Person Civil Union

A new frontier in civil unions: A notary public in Brazil has sanctioned a three-person union among a man and two women, reports the BBC. The three don't appear to be publicity seekers out to take a stand—in fact, this happened months ago and just came to light this week. The trio has lived together in Rio for three years, sharing the humdrum stuff of life like a joint checking account to pay the bills. They sought the union for legal protection in case one of the three dies.

Yosemite to 1.7K Visitors: You Might Have Hantavirus

Following a second death from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Yosemite National Park officials are warning 1,700 summer visitors that they, too, could have contracted the rodent-borne disease. Those in danger came to the park between June and August and stayed in the "Signature Tent Cabins" in the park's Curry Village, theAP reports. If the visitors experience symptoms of the disease—including fever, chills, aches, and dizziness—they're instructed to get immediate medical help.

Egypt Rights Group Blasts Saudi Flogging of Designer

An Egyptian designer's sentence—500 lashes and five years in prison over a business feud—has human rights activists up in arms. Designer and wedding planner Nagla Wafa was accused of cashing a Saudi princess's check while bailing on a plan to open a restaurant together, the Los Angeles Times reports. Wafa "has been subjected, on a weekly basis, to 50 floggings per week within the 'Al-Malz' prison," says the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, which has filed a complaint with the UN.

Atlanta Teacher Faces Firing For Helping ‘Dumb As Hell’ Students Cheat

A fifth grade teacher of southwest Atlanta’sDobbs Elementary School Shayla Smith(pictured) is facing being terminated from her job because she allegedly had a simple reason for helping her students cheat in her class two years ago: “They were dumb as hell.” Or at least, that is what another teacher alleges Smith said at a recent tribunal hearing that was spurred by the cheating scandal, reports The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Emmett Till Victim Of Kidnapping, Brutal Murder On This Day In 1955

Standing as one of the most-heinous, race-motivated crimes in America’s history, the kidnapping and savage lynching of 14-year-oldEmmett Till (pictured) in Mississippi still stirs embers of anger in the minds of many who have endured racism and injustice. Considered a transformative moment in the African-AmericanCivil Rights Movement, Till’s death shocked a nation and still resonates deeply in the minds of Mississippians and others abroad.

What You Should Know About Tuesday’s Republican Convention Speakers

As the GOP kicks off its convention in Tampa, Florida this week, ThinkProgress will keep you updated every morning on everything you need to know about the featured speakers and we’ll live blog the festivities every night starting at 7:00 PM. Here is a rundown of Tuesday’s luminaries:

REPORT: Rick Scott’s Anti-Voter Effort Grinds Democratic Registration To A Halt

Last July, a Florida voter suppression law — enacted by the state legislature’s Republican majority and signed by Gov. Rick Scott (R) — went into effect, putting major new restrictions on groups who work to register new voters. HB 1355 imposed harsh new restrictions on third-party voter registration groups, requiring them to turn in completed registration forms 48 hours — to the minute — after completion, or face fines. Though the bill was put on hold in late May by a federal judge, a new report shows the damage was done: Democratic voter registration in Florida ground to a virtual standstill.

EXCLUSIVE: As Hurricane Isaac Targets New Orleans, GOP Rep. Calls For Making Disaster Relief Contingent On Budget Cuts

TAMPA, Florida — Though many Republicans are fretting about the optics of holding their party’s convention as Hurricane Isaac slams into New Orleans, a leading Tea Party congressman is vowing to use the opportunity to extract budget cuts if Congress wants to dole out disaster funding to help victims.

Cannabis Crackdown Has Dire Economic Consequences

SAN FRANCISCO -- It's been less than a year since the Obama administration launched an aggressive crackdown on medical marijuana in California, and the government's actions have already taken a significant toll on the economy.

'2016: Obama's America' Fact-Check

WASHINGTON — "2016: Obama's America," a new conservative film exploring the roots of President Barack Obama's political views, took in $6.2 million to make it one of the highest-grossing movies of last weekend. The film, written and narrated by conservative scholar Dinesh D'Souza, argues that Obama was heavily influenced by what D'Souza calls the "anti-colonial" beliefs of his father, Barack Obama Sr., a Kenyan academic who was largely absent from the president's life.

Bill Nye, The Science Guy, Says Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scientist and children's television personality Bill Nye, in a newly released online video, panned biblical creationism and implored American parents who reject the scientific theory of evolution not to teach their beliefs to their youngsters.

Fuel Efficiency Standards: The Administration Finalizes New Regulations For Cars And Trucks

WASHINGTON (AP) — The average gas mileage of new cars and trucks will have to nearly double by 2025 under regulations that were finalized Tuesday by the Obama administration.

Limbaugh Alleges Obama Tampered With Isaac Forecasts To Get GOP To Cancel Convention

Rush Limbaugh had a typically unique take on the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac during his Monday show, appearing to suggest that the Obama administration had tampered with the forecasts of the storm to hurt the Republicans.

Murray Energy Miners Allege They Had To Give Up Pay To Attend 'Mandatory' Romney Rally

Would you give up a day’s pay to see Mitt Romney in the flesh? Workers at one Ohio coal mine might not have had a choice.

Hurricane Isaac 2012 Develops From Tropical Storm, New Orleans Threatened

CHAUVIN, La. — Isaac became a hurricane Tuesday that could flood the coasts of four states with storm surge and heavy rains on its way to New Orleans, where residents hunkered down behind levees fortified after Katrina struck seven years ago this week.

Man Killed While Posing as Bigfoot

A Montana man dressed up as what he hoped would be taken for bigfoot was struck by two cars and killed. Randy Lee Tenley, 44, was wearing a hard-to-see military-type "Ghille" camouflage suit and was standing along a highway near Kalispell as the light was fading when he was struck. He was hit a second time by another car as he lay in the highway. Friends told police Tenley hoped someone would mistake him for bigfoot, or sasquatch, and report a sighting. Alcohol may have been involved in the plan, said investigators. "He was trying to make people think he was Sasquatch so people would call in a sasquatch sighting," a state trooper told the Daily Inter Lake  newspaper. "You can't make this up. I haven't seen or heard of anything like this before. Obviously, his suit made it difficult for people to see him."

Michelle Obama Depicted As Slave On Spanish Magazine Cover

The August 2012 issue of Magazine Fuera de Serie, a supplement to Spanish newspaperExpansion, features a cover image guaranteed to turn heads.

The 10 Smartest People Alive Today (Where Are The Black Geniuses)

Judging how smart a person is can be a very subjective matter. Does their IQ score make them the smartest? Or is it more about accomplishments? The debate over this likely will never cease. Below, though,SuperScholar.org took a look at 10 people (in no particular order) nobody would deny are worthy of being called some of the smartest people alive today.

Team Romney White-Vote Push: ‘This Is the Last Time Anyone Will Try to Do This’

A Republican strategist said something interesting and revealing on Friday, though it largely escaped attention in the howling gusts of punditry over Mitt Romney’s birth certificate crack and a potential convention-altering hurricane. The subject was a Ron Brownstein story outlining the demographic hit rates each party requires to win in November. To squeak out a majority, Mitt Romney probably needs to win at least 61 percent of the white vote — a figure exceeding what George H.W. Bush commanded over Michael Dukakis in 1988. The Republican strategist told Brownstein, “This is the last time anyone will try to do this” — “this” being a near total reliance on white votes to win a presidential election.

GOP Casino Baron Sheldon Adelson Pledges $500,000 To Buy A Single House Seat

Sheldon Adelson, the multi-billionaire casino mogul who already spent at least $5 million to help keep Republicans in control of the House next year, reportedly pledged $500,000 to just one House candidate, New Jersey Republican candidate Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

Republican Convention Taking Place In City With America’s Highest Homeless Rate

As they kick off the Republican National Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida, this week, Republicans will be descending upon the city with the nation’s highest rate of homelessness, as CBS News noted:

US Arms Sales Hog 75% of Global Market

America's weapon sales abroad last year skyrocketed to $66.3 billion, triple the 2010 figure of $21.4 billion, according to a nonpartisan report. US sales accounted for more than three-quarters of the $85.3 billion market and marked a record high for sales in a year, blowing away 2009's $31 billion. The US windfall stemmed largely from hefty purchases by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman; the countries bought warplanes and missile defense equipment amid rising concern over Iran, the New York Times reports.

Chris Matthews Confronts RNC Chairman: ‘Obama Being A Foreigner Is The Thing Your Party Has Been Pushing’

Chris Matthews tore into RNC Chairman Reince Priebus during an appearance on Morning Joe on Monday, accusing the Romney campaign of “playing that little ethnic card” in its false attacks against welfare reform and jokes about birtherism. “You can play your games and giggle about it….[but] Obama being a foreigner is the thing your party has been pushing. [Campaign co-chair John] Sununu pushed it, everyone is pushing it in your party,” Matthews declared.

The Truth About Obama’s Abortion Record

Defenders of senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) have come out of the woodwork in the week following his assertion that women can’t get pregnant from “legitimate rape.” Among those who have rushed to Akin’s defense are former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, both using the conversation as a launching pad to argue that President Obama supports infanticide.

Republicans Held Disaster Relief Funding Hostage Several Times In 2011

Tropical Storm Issac continues to bear down on the Gulf Coast on Monday, with the National Hurricane Center predicting that it will become a Category 1 hurricane before it makes landfall. There’s a chance that the storm will hit New Orleans nearly seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina decimated the city.

GOP Group Courts Women At Convention With ‘Hair And Makeup Touch Ups’

In case the female Republicans in Tampa for the GOP convention aren’t feeling quite glamorous enough to listen to policy platforms, conservative group YG Network has created a pop-up salon near the convention hall that promises to help them “woman up.”

Arctic Sea Ice Melted To Record Low Levels This Summer, National Snow and Ice Data Center Reports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say critical ice in the Arctic Ocean melted to record low levels this overheated summer.

Apple Stock Jumps On $1 Billion Samsung Verdict

Apple's $1 billion court win against Samsung is translating into a much bigger jump in its market value.

Apple shares were up $15.48, or 2.3 percent, at $678.70 in premarket trading Monday.

Military Terror Plot: Murder Case Uncovers Terror Plot By 'Militia' Within U.S. Military

LUDOWICI, Ga. -- Four Army soldiers based in southeast Georgia killed a former comrade and his girlfriend to protect an anarchist militia group they formed that stockpiled assault weapons and plotted a range of anti-government attacks, prosecutors told a judge Monday.

Tropical Storm Isaac: Gulf Coast Braces For Possibility Of Storm Strengthening Into Hurricane

NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Storm Isaac targeted a broad swath of the Gulf Coast on Monday and had New Orleans in its crosshairs, bearing down just ahead of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Student Shot at Baltimore High School

A 17-year-old Baltimore high school student was shot today on the first day of school. Police tell the Baltimore Sun that the male Perry Hall High School student, whose condition was not available, was taken to a hospital. The suspect is in custody and the rest of the students have been evacuated. "It's horrifying," says a Baltimore County councilman who lives next to the school. "This is a very peaceful community."

Black Boys Rock! By Tommy Sotomayor (Great Stuff If You Can Hear The Message)

This is another one of Tommy's Gems. I think this is a one of his video's that really tells the truth. Black men and Black Boys get no respect or mention of the things that they do right. You are told quick you are nothing, or that you will be nothing in life, but still if you are a Black male reading this you made it.

Five Dumbest Drug Laws in America

Local and state legislators have a long and storied history of overreacting to trends in drug consumption by quickly drafting and passing regulations and criminal laws meant to hinder access to illicit consumer goods. Historically, these laws — many of which transcend simply outlawing the sale and possession of illicit substances — have fueled the spread of black markets, incentivized the creation of dangerous drug substitutes, induced headaches for above-board businesses, and raised questions about Constitutional rights. Many of them make federal drug laws seem downright soft and/or reasonable.

New Wind Turbine Makes Drinking Water

A French inventor may have an answer for the millions of people who scramble to find fresh drinking water each day: a wind turbine that literally pulls H2O from the air. Marc Parent, head of Eole Water, designed the turbine while living in the Caribbean and enduring water shortages. His solution is called the WMS1000; it gathers moisture from the air and turns it into drinking water, ABC News reports.

Greg Suhr, San Francisco Police Chief, Highest-Paid Cop In Nation

San Francisco's Greg Suhr is the highest paid police chief in the nation, according to recent reports. And come September, his pay will rise even higher.

Target Cheaper Than Walmart In August: Bloomberg

Target is now cheaper than Walmart.

According to study conducted by Bloomberg, Target's prices were cheaper than Walmart's by 0.46 percentage points in August, meaning that $100 worth of goods at Walmart cost $0.46 less at Target.

Jeb Bush: GOP ‘Needs To Change… Reach Out To A Much Broader Audience Than We Do Today’

This morning on NBC, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush delivered a pointed critique of the modern Republican party. Bush acknowledged that that the GOP “needs to change” and “reach out to a much broader audience.”

How Ending The High End Bush Tax Cuts Saves Nearly $1 Trillion

President Obama has promised to end the Bush tax cuts on income in excess of $250,000 when they expire at the end of the year, with his aides saying that he is “100 percent committed” to preventing another extension. Of course, Republicans are again saying that all of the cuts should be extended, even as they claim that the federal deficit is too high.

Hurricane Isaac Threatens Florida Keys, Northern Gulf Coast

KEY WEST, Fla. — Tropical Storm Isaac barely stirred Florida Keys residents from their fabled nonchalance Sunday, while the Gulf Coast braced for the possibility that the sprawling storm will strengthen into a dangerous hurricane by the time it makes landfall there.

'Superbug' Killed 6 at NIH Hospital Last Year

A "superbug"—deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacteria—rampaged through a Maryland hospital last year, killing six patients. The revelation was not made public until today, notes the Washington Post. It all began in June 2011, when a patient harboring the superbug known as Klebsiella pneumoniae checked into the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center. Staff at the research hospital took extreme measures to isolate her and contain the bacteria. Everything seemed fine when she left the next month, until a few weeks passed and another patient tested positive for the superbug. And then a third and fourth, all of whom died.

Neil Armstrong Dead at 82

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon and possibly the most famous astronaut in history, died today at age 82, NBC News reports. He had undergone heart surgery just a few weeks ago. Armstrong led the Apollo 11 team that reached the moon on July 20, 1969, and famously told NASA mission control he was making "one giant leap for mankind." He then stepped on the lunar surface and walked around for about two hours with astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, ABC News reports.

STEVE KING: VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION MUST STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND ‘TAKE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY’ (Translation: You bought Racism and Racist on yourself!) Keep in mind this person gets Gov Healthcare, Pension, and was elected to Public office!

Earlier this week, during a recent town hall in Le Mars, Iowa, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) characterized minority students as people “who feel sorry for themselves,” and worried about impressionable students being “brought into a group that have a grievance against society.” Despite widespread criticism, the Tea Party Congressman doubled down on the claims in an appearance on “The Final Say” radio show this Thursday. “It’s not the multiculturalism that’s wrong, it’s the victimology, which has been the core of multiculturalism,” King reiterated. “People are being told that it’s not their fault, that it’s somebody else’s…That’s the excuse path. We need to have individual responsibility, a culture that supports it — that celebrates it — and one that discourages the slackers from lining up at the public trough and accepting the benefits of the sweat of someone else’s brow.”

Angola Kicks Out China 'Gangsters'

Chinese police today brought back 37 suspected Chinese gangsters from Angola, where they were arrested for alleged crimes against other Chinese such as kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion, human trafficking, and forced prostitution. Such crimes are a major concern for China, which has become Africa's main trading partner and a major source of infrastructure investment. As a result, many Chinese work in Africa, and their presence has brought problems such as crime among Chinese, especially in politically volatile countries that provide fertile ground for criminals.

Apple-Samsung Lawsuit: What You Need To Know About The Verdict

The verdict in the high-stakes patent infringement lawsuit between Apple and Samsung is in. The jury's decision? Samsung did infringe D’087 patent -- and a host of others.

How Romney & Ryan Will Rob Your Retirement

As you know, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have a plan to end Medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher program. This won’t do a thing to control health care costs, it will simply shift them onto seniors now and well into the future.

NAACP Backs Marijuana Legalization In CO, Citing Drug War’s Toll On People Of Color

Colorado voters will decide whether to legalize marijuana in their state this fall after supporters turned in twice the number of required signatures to get the issue on the November ballot. That state-level push for marijuana legalization picked up an endorsement from the NAACP yesterday when the local chapter of the organization endorsedAmendment 64 — not because the NAACP necessarily endorses drug use, but because its leaders are concerned about the Drug War’s disproportionately negative impact on the African-American community.

GOP Federal Election Commissioners: Corporations Can Compel Employees To Campaign For Political Candidates

Three Republican Federal Election Commissioners have found that unions or corporations can compel employees to campaign for political candidates in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’sCitizens United ruling.

MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR BLOCKS BENEFITS FOR IMMIGRANTS GRANTED DEFERRED ACTION

Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS) has ordered state agencies to prevent undocumented immigrants who benefit from President Obama’s deferred action directive from receiving any state public benefits. He said his executive order stopping the state from granting benefits to DREAM Act-eligible youth who qualify for the federal policy follows current state law. Mississippi already bans state agencies from providing benefits like unemployment payments or food stamps to people who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents. Republican governors in Arizona and Nebraska issued similar orders after the deferred action policy went into effect August 15.

Obama: Mitt Romney Holds 'Extreme Views,' Would Make Things Worse For The Middle Class

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Mitt Romney has locked himself into "extreme positions" on economic and social issues and would surely impose them if elected, trying to discredit his Republican rival at the biggest political moment of his life.

NYPD Gunfire In Empire State Building Shooting Wounded All Nine Bystanders, Says Ray Kelly

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said all nine bystanders wounded in Friday's Empire State Building shooting had been hit with police gunfire, CNN reported Saturday morning.

The Empire State Building Shooting Was Not The Only Mass Shooting To Occur In The Last 24 Hours

This morning, a recently-fired man went to his former workplace near the Empire State Building in New York City, shot his former boss in the face, and then opened fire on eight more people before he was shot and killed by police. This tragedy follows three other high profile shootings, the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado last month, the Sikh temple shooting in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and a gunman’s invasion of a far right advocacy organization in Washington, DC.

Romney Invested In Company That Is Outsourcing Jobs, Forcing Workers To Train Their Chinese Replacements

Workers at Sensata Technologies, a business based in Freeport, Illinois, have been protesting Mitt Romney’s campaign stops across the country all summer because the company, which is owned by Bain Capital, is laying off workers in order to hire employees in China. Bain took control of Sensata in 2006; last year, it took over the Freeport plant and announced that it would layoff 165 workers and close it.

Apple-Samsung Patent Lawsuit: Samsung Ordered To Pay Apple $1.05 Billion

SAN JOSE, Calif. — After a year of scorched-earth litigation, a jury decided Friday that Samsung ripped off the innovative technology used by Apple to create its revolutionary iPhone and iPad.

Canadians Hopping the Border to Shop In The US

Canadians are infiltrating the US in record numbers on brief missions to buy milk and vacuum cleaners. Why the sudden spike in "shopping vacations"? The Canadian dollar is strong, Canadian law now permits a larger allowance for duty-free goods, and post-9/11 border control has gradually relaxed, reports USA Today. Canadians journeyed to the US for 1.9 million overnight visits in June, the highest level in 40 years.

Richard III Might Be Buried Under Parking Lot

British drivers may be parking their cars on top of a king's bones. Archaeologists believe that Richard III, monarch of England from 1483 to 1485, could be buried underneath a parking lot in the city of Leicester. Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, and his corpse was either interred at a medieval church or thrown into a river. Five centuries later, the site of the church serves as a car park, reports the Guardian.

Seniors Will Pay $60,000 More For Medicare Under Romney/Ryan Plan

The Romney/Ryan proposal to transform Medicare’s guaranteed benefit into a “premium support” structure for future retirees could increase costs by almost $60,000 for seniors reaching the age of 65 in 2023, a new report from the Center for American Progress finds. Current seniors would also have to pay more for preventive, hospital, and physician services should Romney and Ryan repeal the Affordable Care Act, facing an increase in health spending of between $7,900 and $18,600 over the course of their retirement.

7 Birthers Speaking At The Republican Convention

Mitt Romney’s invocation of birtherism on Friday took his campaign to a new level of involvement with the bogus idea that President Obama is actually Kenyan-born and therefore ineligible to serve as Commander-in-Chief. But that dog-whistle theory has already been embraced by many major Republicans with whom Romney has long been happy to consort.

Al-Qaeda Websites Post Bin Laden Raid SEAL’s Name And Photo, Vowing Revenge

NBC News reports that users on websites affiliated with al-Qaeda have posted the name and photo of an American Navy SEAL who led the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The New York Times reported this week that the SEAL, writing under the pseudonym Mark Owen, wrote a book documenting the events of the raid — news that came as a surprise to the industryand even the U.S. government

Bird 'Bermuda Triangle' Claims Hundreds of Pigeons

(NEWSER) – There's a new Bermuda Triangle—but this one's for the birds. Racing pigeons, who are supposed to rush home when released far away, are disappearing in northern England, the Telegraph reports. Just 13 of 232 birds released in North Yorkshire last weekend made it to their destinations, and more had already disappeared in the same area. Many shocked pigeon racers have lost more than half their animals, and the birds aren't cheap: They can be worth more than $300,000 each.

Romney Covertly Collecting Voters’ Personal Information To Find Wealthy, Church-Going Donors

If you’ve gone to church or bought anything at a store in the last three months, Mitt Romney might know about it.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS DROPPED 11 PERCENT SINCE END OF RECESSION

American household income has declined since the end of the Great Recession even as corporate profits have rebounded past their pre-recession levels, and the declines for African-Americans has been particularly steep. Overall household income dropped 7.2 percent, according to a study from Sentier Research, but for black households, the decline was 11.1 percent. That adds to the pain of the recession for blacks, who were disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and have dealt with persistently high unemployment. Other races, all of which started with higher household incomes than blacks, lost substantially less income than blacks, as this chart from the New York Times illustrates:

GOP Attorneys General: Voting Rights Act Should Be Struck Down To Boost Laws Suppressing Minority Vote

The Republican attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina, North Dakota and Texas filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court arguing that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. Significantly, the brief points to the fact that the Voting Rights Act impedes laws intended to make it more difficult for racial minorities to cast a ballot as a reason why Court should cast a skeptical gaze on the landmark voting rights law responsible for breaking the back of Jim Crow:

Friends Save Girl From Being Kidnapped In Atlanta

Police put out an alert Thursday for a man driving a black pickup truck who allegedly tried to kidnap a 7-year-old girl from a street corner in northeast Atlanta.

Michelle Obama To Promote Her ‘Let’s Move!’ Campaign On ‘The Dr. Oz Show’

NEW YORK — Michelle Obama is making a house call on “The Dr. Oz Show.”

The show’s producers say the first lady will tape an appearance Wednesday to discuss new provisions of her “Let’s Move!” campaign and the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.

Obama Campaign Introduces Stronger Education Plan For Black Students

Although the presidential fight between Barack Obama and his opponent Mitt Romney has been almost universally focused on jobs and the economy, education is another campaign talking point that voters are paying close attention to as November approaches. On Thursday (August 23), a nationwide conference call was held by the Obama campaign to shift the focus away from jobs for a moment and take Romney to task for his stance on education.

Ex-Supporter Artur Davis Calls Obama ‘Disappointment,’ But Falters On If GOP Will Help Blacks

Ahead of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa this coming Monday, White House correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief for American Urban Radio Networks April Ryan filled in forRoland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show this week and snagged an interview with Ex-Obama supporter and former Democratic Congressman Artur Davis, now a Republican and highly anticipated keynote speaker for the RNC’s opening night. Davis famously supportedBarack Obama during the president’s historic ascent to the White House in a speech at the 2008Democratic National Convention but has since switched his support to Republican hopefulMitt Romney.

Samsung Didn't Violate Apple Design, South Korean Court Rules

SEOUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co's flagship Galaxy smartphone looks very similar to Apple's iPhone, but the South Korean firm has not violated the iPhone design, a Seoul court ruled on Friday.

Mr. Marcus Admits Starting Porn Syphilis Outbreak By Altering His Test Results

Every outbreak has a patient zero.

Porn actor Mr. Marcus has come out and identified himself as the performer responsible for the current syphilis outbreak that has shut down production in the San Fernando Valley.

Anders Behring Breivik, Norway Killer, 'Apologizes' For Not Killing More People

OSLO, Norway — Accepting a sentence that could keep him imprisoned for life, Anders Behring Breivik regretted not killing more people in a bomb and gun massacre that left 77 people dead.

My New Rule for Todd Akin and the Republican Party

By Bill Maher

New Rule: If your entire party tries to get rid of you, and you stay in, you can't talk about how easy it is for a woman to push a stupid prick out of her body.

Chicago Shootings: At Least 19 Wounded By Gun Violence Thursday, 13 Over 30 Minutes

CHICAGO -- Police say 13 people were shot and wounded in a 30-minute spate of violence in Chicago, including eight gunned down on a single street.

Lance Armstrong Ends Fight Against USADA, Faces Loss Of 7 Tour De France Titles

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles Friday, erasing one of the most incredible achievements in sports after deciding he had used performance-enhancing drugs to do it.

Empire State Building Shooting: Multiple Wounded After Gunman Opens Fire

NEW YORK (AP) -- A recently fired store worker shot a former colleague to death and then randomly started shooting others near the Empire State Building before he was shot by police officers, law enforcement officials said.

A very dangerous lie

Dear Readers,

You hear it again and again. "America is broke."

HALF OF HOME BORROWERS UNDER AGE 40 ARE UNDERWATER ON THEIR MORTGAGE

The percentage of Americans who owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth fell last month as home prices rose, but younger borrowers are still struggling to keep up on their loans. Among borrowers under age 40, 48 percent are underwater on their mortgage, twice the rate of older borrowers, according to a report from Zillow. “Negative equity is trapping young people in their homes, preventing them from selling. These homes are like the very starter homes potential first-time homebuyers are seeking,” Zillow chief economist Stan Humphries told CNN Money. This week, the Federal Housing Administration announced new rules on short sales that will make it easier for underwater borrowers to sell their homes.

GEORGIA TO ISSUE DRIVER’S LICENSES TO SOME UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

Undocumented immigrants who qualify for temporary work permits under the Obama administration’s deferred action directive will soon be allowed to get driver’s licenses in Georgia. Sam Olens, the state’s Republican attorney general, wrote in a letter to Governor Nathan Deal (R-GA), “While I do not agree with the actions of the President in issuing the directive, it has been implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS, and state law recognizes the approval of deferred action status as a basis for issuing a temporary driver’s license.” The Department of Homeland Security left the decision to give the eligible immigrants driver’s licenses and benefits to each state.

BREAKING: Major Victory For Voting Rights Advocates As California Legislature Approves Election Day Registration

As voter suppression laws spread across the country, voting rights advocates can take heart: the biggest state in the nation is on the cusp of passing a major voter protection initiative.

STUDY: Middle Class Suffered ‘Worst Decade In Modern History’ As Wages Stagnated, Share Of Income Fell

The middle class is shrinking, and so is its share of America’s income and wage growth, according to a new study released Thursday. The study from the Pew Research Center found that the middle class — defined as Americans with incomes between $39,000 and $118,000 — fell backward in incomefor the first time since the end of World War II, and the number of Americans who fit into that category shrunk from 61 percent in 1971 to just 51 percent in 2011.

Rodney King Autopsy: PCP, Cocaine, Marijuana And Alcohol Contributed To Drowning

Rodney King was under the influence of cocaine, PCP, marijuana and alcohol at the time of death, according to the death report released Thursday, TMZ reports.

Walmart, Target And Other Big Retailers Lobbied Successfully For Exemption From SEC Conflict Mineral Rule

Major retailers like Target and Walmart may be able to keep the connection between their products and a war-torn African country under wraps.

For-Profit College Group Fights To Keep Students In Dark On Debt

For-profit college representatives are fighting in federal court for the right to avoid telling students if they are likely to afford their debts after attending school.

Tampa Authorities Empty Jail In Anticipation Of Mass Arrests At GOP Convention

Thousands of Republicans from around the country will descend upon Tampa, Florida next week for the Republican National Convention, and if recent history is any guide, so too will hundreds of protesters.

MITT ROMNEY TO ANTI-ABORTION DOCTOR BEHIND AKIN’S ‘LEGITIMATE RAPE’ CLAIM: ‘WE AGREE ON ALMOST EVERYTHING’

try to distance themselves from Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) and his explosive comments about “legitimate rape,” more evidence has emerged linking Mitt Romney himself to the controversial doctor and anti-abortion activist behind Akin’s discredited claim that rape does not often result in pregnancy. Dr. John Willke, one of the founders of the anti-abortion movement and Akin’s source, told the Daily Telegraph today that he had a private meeting with Romney in Cincinnati last October. Willke said that Romney thanked him for his support and told him, “we agree on almost everything.” It was revealed earlier this week that Romney had also touted Willke’s support during his 2008 presidential campaign, even referring to him as an “important surrogate.” The Romney campaign declined to comment to the Daily Telegraph about Dr. Willke’s comments.

Texas Judge Suggests He Will Join ‘Civil Unrest, Civil Disobedience, Civil War Maybe’ If Obama Is Reelected

Judge Tom Head, a county judge in Lubbock, Texas, announced on a local television station that he wouldpersonally join the resistance against a United Nations’ takeover of American sovereignty, which he says will occur if Obama is reelected:

GOP Approves ‘Most Conservative Platform In Modern History’

A week from the 2012 Republican National Convention, Republican committee members spent Tuesday articulating and affirming the principles they stand for in a draft of the official party platform. Led by Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) and featuring other Tea Party stars like Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), the committee approved a draft of the platform McDonnell said “will reflect the heart and soul of the Republican Party” and one committee member called “the most conservative platform in modern history.”

Ryan Refuses To Say Abortions Should Be Available To Women Who Are Raped

This morning, Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) revealed that GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryanurged him to drop out of his U.S. Senate raceafter Akin’s “legitimate rape” comments made him a liability to Republicans nationally. Yet Ryan’s attempt to stick a knife into the increasingly toxic senate candidate cannot be squared with Ryan’s long record of working with Akin to curtail reproductive freedom and redefine rape. Ryan and Akin cosponsored a “personhood” bill that would not only prohibit rape survivors from seeking an abortion, but would likely treat terminating a pregnancy that results from rape as a homicide crime. Similarly, Ryan and Akin partnered on a bill seeking to prevent Medicaid recipients who are raped from obtaining an abortion unless they are victims of “forcible rape.”

Will Romney Support Providing Abortion Coverage To Servicewomen Who Have Been Raped?

Following Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) comments about “legitimate rape,” the Romney campaign issued a statement claiming that it will support abortion in cases of rape and incest. The policy undermined Paul Ryan’s longstanding opposition to abortion services and set Romney apart from the views of most Republican lawmakers.

Mom Decapitated 2-Year-Old Child, Killed Self: New Jersey Police

CAMDEN, N.J. — A woman who had previously admitted blacking out from drug use decapitated her 2-year-old son and put the boy's head in her freezer before killing herself, just five months after having regained custody of the boy from the state's child welfare agency, authorities said Wednesday.

West Nile Virus: Alarming Increase In Cases This Summer

ATLANTA — U.S. health officials reported Wednesday three times the usual number of West Nile cases for this time of year and one expert called it "one of the largest" outbreaks since the virus appeared in this country in 1999.

U.S. Will Enter Recession If 'Fiscal Cliff' Not Avoided: CBO

The U.S. economy will sink into a deep recession and unemployment will jump back above 9 percent if Congress does not avoid a "fiscal cliff" waiting at the end of the year, according to a Congressional Budget Office study published Wednesday.

Republican Immigration Policy Grab Bag Could Become Party Platform

On Tuesday, Republican party platform drafters agreed to include language calling for a foreign guest worker program that could provide more American businesses with a font of legal and willing employees.

REPORT: How America’s Falling Share Of Global College Graduates Threatens Future Economic Competitiveness

The United States’ share of global college graduates fell substantially in the first decade of the 21st century and stands to drop even more by 2020 as developing economies in China and India have graduated more college students, presenting challenges for American workers’ ability to remain competitive in a global economy in the future. The U.S. share of college graduates fell from nearly one-in-four to just more than one-in-five from 2000 to 2010, according to “The Competition That Really Matters,” a report from the Center for American Progress and The Center for the Next Generation:

Thai Mother Allegedly Kills, Eats Sons

A Thai mother has been accused of killing, cooking and eating her sons because she thought they were pigs, the Bangkok Post reports. Hallucinations may have played a role in the tragic crime.

The Number One Smartphone Use? Checking The Weather, According To One Study

Does it surprise you that over two-thirds of smartphone owners say they could not "live without" their devices?
Probably not, particularly if you own a smartphone yourself. Something you might find more interesting is what we tend to do with our mobiles.

Best Buy Earnings 2Q 2012: Electronics Giant's Profit Plunges 90 Percent

NEW YORK -- The news just keeps getting worse at Best Buy each day.

To top off an already eventful several days for the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy Co. withdrew its full-year earnings guidance Tuesday after reporting a 90-percent drop in net income during the second quarter, dragged down by restructuring charges and weak sales.

Ryan Adviser Calls On Congress To Authorize War With Iran

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) isn’t exactly the most sophisticated observer of international politics. As such, he was treated to a crash course in foreign policy by the Romney campaign prior to his selection as the GOP Vice Presidential nominee. Now, one of Ryan’s key advisers during that briefing period is calling for congressional authorization for war with Iran.

Limbaugh Dismantles Akin’s Junk Science, While Competitor Huckabee Guilts Rape Victims Who Have Abortions

When Mike Huckabee’s radio show debuted in April, one of the ways Cumulus Media positioned his entry into the market was as a classier alternative to Rush Limbaugh. At the time, Limbaugh was in the midst of a controversy over his nasty attacks on then-Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke, who he’d attacked for her testimony on coverage of contraception, and he looked like a viable target.As I noted at the time, “Cumulus Media’s seized that opportunity, telling stations that don’t have Limbaugh now and that might choose not to reup their contracts to carry him in the future, that in Huckabee, they’ve got a better alternative. The company’s distributed a list of 31 advertisers who have asked that their spots not be affiliated with any Limbaugh-related programming. And they’re pitching Huckabee’s show by telling stations it’ll offer ‘more conversation, less confrontation.’”

TEXAS INMATES FED DOG FOOD AFTER LABELING MIX-UP (Keep in Mind This Is Texas, A Mix up!)

A Texas meat manufacturer agreed to a nearly $400,000 settlement with the Department of Justice after a labeling mistake led to inmates being fed dog food. A USDA inspection concludedthat the Federal Bureau of Prisons purchased “meat trimmings” intended for animals and served them to prisoners at an East Texas jail in place of fajita meat. Although John Soules Food Inc. will have to change its food safety procedures and compensate the government for its three-year-long investigation into the mix-up, “there is no evidence that anyone who consumed any of the ‘beef trimmings’ product suffered any ill effects.”

64 Percent Of New Yorkers Think Police Favor Whites

The New York Police Department’s controversial stop-and-frisk initiative may not be getting guns off the street or reducing crime, but it is certainly making an impact on public opinion. A new poll by the New York Times found that a significant majority of New Yorkers think police favor whites over blacks. The sentiment is especially strong within the African American community; 80 percent of the respondents agreed that police favor whites, compared to 48 percent of white New Yorkers. The poll also found that a majority of black New Yorkers think stop-and-frisk has led to the harassment of innocent people.

Nat Turner Slave Rebellion Happened On This Day In 1831

Embittered slave Nathaniel “Nat” Turner led a rebellion of slaves known as the“Southampton Insurrection” against their White owners on this day in 1831, leading to the death of more than 160 people in total. The rally would be the largest to ever be recorded by way of an uprising during the American Civil Warin the southern United States.

Syphilis Scare In The Porno Industry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A pornography trade group has called for a nationwide filming moratorium while performers are tested for syphilis and Los Angeles County public health officials investigate a possible outbreak of the sexually transmitted disease.

13-Year-Old’s Gangsta Video Spurs Outcry From Community

Released a month ago with already nearly half-a-million page views, rap song “Lil Mouse Get Smoked” has created quite a stir. The song, which celebrates violence and murder, was penned by a 13-year-old Lil Mouse who lives on the South Side of Chicago. While the song continues to pick up steam, NewsOne spoke with violence and mental health expert Terrie Williams as well as Lil Mouse’s producer, P. Noble, about whether this type of music — in light of what’s happening in our communities — is acceptable.

The influence of money in national politics is a big problem

Find out how much Congress, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are worth in this infographic

2012 Republican Platform To Advocate Abortion Ban Without Rape Exception

Republican politicians have been falling over themselves to condemn from Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican Senate candidate in Missouri, who said Sunday that women who have experienced “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” The Romney-Ryan campaign called Akin’scomments “insulting, inexcusable and frankly wrong,” in spite of Ryan’s close working relationshipwith Akin on a number of radical anti-abortion and contraception bills. A Romney spokesperson added that the “Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”

Top Republican Criticizes Akin’s Rape Comments But Took Thousands From Another Notorious Rape Defender

As chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) — the campaign arm of the Senate Republican minority — Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was among the first in his party to suggest Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) ought to get out of the Senate race after his Sunday comments that victims of “legitimate rape” are unlikely to become pregnant. But as a candidate and as NRSC chair, Cornyn has been only too happy to take money from former Texas Republican gubernatorial nominee Clayton Williams Jr., who lost his 1990 race to then-State Treasurer Ann Richards (D) after making infamous comments defending rape.

Renewed String Of Anti-Islam Attacks Threaten U.S. Muslims During Ramadan

Muslims recently concluded their holy month of Ramadan. However, this year’s Ramadan has been overshadowed by an uptick in Islamophobic attacks against American Muslims in their schools, homes, and places of worship. In the wake of the massacre in a Sikh temple in Wisconsin earlier this month, hate crimes threatening Muslims or members of other faiths who are mistakenly confused with Muslims have been on the rise:

Apple Becomes Most Valuable Public Company Ever A Year After Dodging $2.4 Billion In Taxes

Before the stock market opened Monday, Apple was already the world’s most profitable tech company and it was already bigger than the entire American retail market on its own. By the time the market closed yesterday, the company had another feather to add to its cap: it is now the most valuable publicly-traded company ever, as its closing $665.15 share price gave it a market value of $623.52 billion, pushing it past Microsoft’s 1999 record number (though, adjusted for inflation, Microsoft’s value at the time was higher).

Meles Zenawi Dead: Ethiopian Prime Minister Reportedly Dies At 57 (He was seen as a Dictator, lets keep it Real)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's long-time ruler who held tight control over this East African country but was a major U.S counter-terrorism ally, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in public for weeks, Ethiopian state television said Tuesday. He was 57.

Rep. Todd Akin's Rape Remark At Odds With Science Of Pregnancy

When a viable sperm penetrates a viable egg inside a woman's reproductive tract, the result is a fertilized egg that can then implant in the uterus. That fact of life is consistent regardless of how that sperm and egg met up, including whether or not the sperm was ejaculated during rape.

Jennifer Gallagher, Nurse Who Cared For Aurora Shooting Victims, Drowns In Iowa At Lake Okoboji

An already wounded community is mourning the death of Jennifer Gallagher, a nurse who cared for Aurora shooting victims at the University of Colorado Hospital last month.

Richest Members Of Congress Are Mostly Republicans

With a net worth of at least $290 million, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is the wealthiest member of Congress, followed by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), with $199 million, in second place and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), with $141 million, in third.

Dear Mr. Akin, I Want You to Imagine...(Letter From a Rape victim)

Dear Todd Akin,

I am writing to you tonight about rape. It is 2 AM and I am unable to sleep here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am in Bukavu at the City of Joy to serve and support and work with hundreds, thousands of women who have been raped and violated and tortured from this ceaseless war for minerals fought on their bodies.