Roland S. Martin's Blog, page 241

Jobless Rate Falls To 7.6%, Just 88K New Jobs

Source: Paul Davidson / USA Today Employers added a disappointing 88,000 jobs in March after adding 268,000 jobs in February, confirming fears of a hiring slowdown that economists say could persist for several months. The number of new jobs is fewer than half what economists had forecast. The unemployment rate fell to 7.6% from 7.7%, largely [...]

Report: Auburn Bribed Players (VIDEO)

Source: ESPN Auburn‘s football program changed players’ grades to secure eligibility, offered money to potential NFL draft picks so they would return for their senior seasons, and violated NCAA recruiting rules under former coach Gene Chizik, according to a report by former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts. The report appears on [...]

Rutgers Athletic Director Out After Video Scandal

Source: CBS Sports / CBS News Tim Pernetti is out as Rutgers athletic director, a source confirmed to CBSSports.com. It was not immediately clear whether Pernetti resigned or has been fired. Pernetti dismissed coach Mike Rice after a videotape aired on ESPN showing the coach using gay slurs against players during practice as well as shoving, [...]

Legendary Film Critic Roger Ebert Was A Champion Of Black Film

Source:  Adam Howard / theGrio Roger Ebert, twho is survived by his African-American wife, Chaz Hammelsmith Ebert, was a champion of black filmmakers and cinema. For instance, Ebert was an early and vocal supporter of director Spike Lee’s. He would name Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X the top films of the year in 1989 and 1992 respectively. Ebert was [...]

Murder Suspect Shoots Police Officer Inside Miss. Headquarters

Source: Jeff Amy / The Huffington Post JACKSON, Miss. — Police say a murder suspect fired at an officer inside the Jackson, Miss., police headquarters and that both have been found dead. Police Chief Rebecca Coleman told reporters Thursday the suspect had been arrested and was being interviewed on the third floor when the shooting [...]

Roger Ebert, Famed Movie Critic, Dies At 70

Source: AP / CBS News CHICAGO – Roger Ebert had the most-watched thumb in Hollywood. With a twist of his wrist, the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic rendered decisions that influenced a nation of moviegoers and could sometimes make or break a film. The heavy-set writer in the horn-rimmed glasses teamed up on television with Gene Siskel [...]

Members Of Rutgers Faculty Demand That University President Robert Barchi Resign

Source: ESPN NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A group of 13 Rutgers faculty members is demanding that university president Robert Barchi resign for his “inexcusable handling” of the mistreatment of players under men’s basketball coach Mike Rice. Rice was fired Wednesday after a video surfaced showing him shoving players and berating them with gay slurs, but [...]

McDonald’s Workers, Others Demand Higher Pay In NYC Strike

Source: Leslie Patton / Bloomberg About 400 workers from McDonald’s Corp. (MCD), Wendy’s Co. (WEN) and Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) are striking today in New York City as they call for higher wages. “By far, it will be one of the biggest actions that fast- food workers have taken in this country,” Jonathan Westin, executive director of advocacy group and organizer New York Communities [...]

In A Budget Gesture, Pres. Barack Obama Will Return 5% of His Salary

Source: Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear / The New York Times President Obama plans to return 5 percent of his salary to the Treasury in solidarity with federal workers who are going to be furloughed as part of the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester, an administration official said Wednesday. The voluntary move would [...]

North Korea Approves Nuclear Attack On U.S.? ‘Merciless’ Strike ‘Ratified,’ According To Rhetoric

Source: Reuters / The Huffington Post LONDON – North Korea said it had “ratified” a merciless attack against the United States, potentially involving a “diversified nuclear strike”. “We formally inform the White House and Pentagon that the ever-escalating U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK (North Korea) and its reckless nuclear threat will be smashed by [...]