Roland S. Martin's Blog, page 707

13 Shot In One Day In Newark, NJ

Source: MSNBC A 15-year-old was killed and 12 others were wounded in shootings across Newark, New Jersey, on Monday evening, according to local reports. Eight people in a residential driveway were shot, one fatally, at 10 p.m. after a car stopped and opened fire, The Star-Ledger reported. The surviving seven victims, aged 12 to 32, were taken to University Hospital in Newark, according to the newspaper. "It was definitely a targeted incident directed at these people in the driveway," Acting [...]

Intruder Arrested On Halle Berry's Property

Source: Courtney Hazlett / MSNBC After the harrowing experience of coming face to face with her stalker, the man who's been allegedly trespassing on Halle Berry's property has been arrested. The man returned to the actress's property around 11 p.m. Monday night, TMZ reports. "Law enforcement sources say the man jumped over the back wall at Halle's home … This time her private security — off-duty police officers — were watching the suspect on a security camera as he entered [...]

President Obama Says He Cannot Guarantee Social Security Checks Will Go Out An August 3

Source: Corbett B. Daly / CBS News President Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks. "I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it," Mr. Obama said in an interview [...]

LIVE VIDEO: President Obama awards Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor

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McConnell Says Democrats' Debt Ceiling Plan Is 'Smoke And Mirrors' (VIDEO)

Sen. Mitch McConnell calls the Democrats' plans for the debt ceiling "smoke and mirrors." WATCH:

Issa Launches Probe Of White House For "Potentially Illegal" Political Activities

Source: Lucy Madison / CBS News The House Oversight Committee is investigating a possible overlap between President Obama's official and political activities. In a Monday letter to White House lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler, Darrell Issa, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, requests a number of documents related to what he describes as "an array of potentially illegal fundraising behavior." The primary concerns as expressed in the letter include a March meeting at the White House between Mr. Obama, several DNC officials, [...]

McConnell Offers Backdoor Plan To Raise Debt Limits

Source: Frank James / NPR In a proposal that appears to be mostly about finding a way to raise the debt ceiling while protecting his fellow congressional Republicans from having to vote to do so, Sen. Mitch McConnell has suggested a way in which Congress could effectively give President Obama the power to raise the debt ceiling. But it would also seem meant to potentially put Obama on the defensive by having him take the political heat for raising the [...]

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's Half-Brother Assassinated

Source: CNN Kabul, Afghanistan - The half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai was shot dead at his home in Kandahar on Tuesday, authorities said. Ahmed Wali Karzai, the Kandahar provincial council chief, was killed during a gathering, said provincial governor Tooryalai Wesa. He did not know a motive. While the governor initially said a friend killed Karzai, his spokesman later clarified that the death was at the hands of a guard. Saidkhan Khakrezwal, a member of Kandahar provincial council, told [...]

First Ladies, Dignitaries Gather To Honor Ford

Source: AP / CBS News Palm Desert, California – Michelle Obama and three former first ladies were among dignitaries heading to Palm Desert to pay tribute to Betty Ford at a funeral focusing on her twin passions: politics and her world famous Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and alcohol treatment. Mrs. Ford, who died at the age of 93 on Friday, had mapped out plans for Tuesday's ceremony including who would deliver her eulogies. She chose former first lady [...]

Progressive Group Issues A Warning For President Obama

Source: Laura Klairmont / CNN Washington  – In the midst of ongoing debt talks, the liberal-leaning Progressive Change Campaign Committee is urging people not to donate their time or money to President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign if he "agrees to cuts in Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid." More than 160,000 people have pledged to withhold support for Obama in 2012 if concessions in Social Security or health care are made, according to the PCCC. Obama stressed the importance for negotiators [...]