Roland S. Martin's Blog, page 740

A Federal Grand Jury Has Indicted John Edwards

Source: The Huffington Post John Edwards was indicted by prosecutors on Friday in a more than two-year investigation into alleged campaign finance violations. The AP relays background on the case: Edwards' attorneys have denounced the investigation as a waste of resources and contend he did not violate the law. … The case against Edwards focused on the private money used to keep Edwards' mistress in hiding. Andrew Young, a former aide to Edwards, initially claimed paternity of mistress Rielle Hunter's child [...]

Dr. Jack Kevorkian dead at 83

Source: CNN Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the Michigan pathologist who put assisted suicide on the world's medical ethics stage, died early Friday, according to a spokesman with Beaumont Hospital. He was 83. The assisted-suicide advocate had been hospitalized in Michigan for pneumonia and a kidney-related ailment, his attorney has said. The 83-year-old former pathologist had struggled with kidney problems for years and had checked into a hospital earlier this month for similar problems, his lawyer, Mayer Morganroth, told CNN last month. [...]

Yemen President Wounded In Deadly Palace Attack

Source: AP / CBS News SANAA, Yemen – Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded when opposition tribesmen determined to topple him hammered his palace with rockets Friday in a major escalation of nearly two weeks of fighting with government forces. At least four guards were killed and seven top officials were also wounded, an official said. The official said Saleh suffered light injuries to the neck and was treated in the palace. Yemeni state TV quickly aired a statement [...]

Treasury Sells The Rest Of Its Chrysler Stake To Fiat

Source: Aaron Smith / CNN Money New York – The U.S. Treasury said it has agreed to sell its last remaining stake of Chrysler Group LLC to the Italian automaker Fiat, wrapping up the 2009 bailout. The Treasury said Thursday that it will sell its 6% stake, of 98,461 shares, to Fiat for $500 million. While the repayment closes the book on the bailout, taxpayers are still about $1.4 billion short of recouping all the money given to Chrysler in [...]

Michelle Obama To Travel To Africa This Month

Source: David Jackson / USA Today First lady Michelle Obama will travel to South Africa and Botswana later this month. The solo trip is scheduled for June 21-26, with stops in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana. Mrs. Obama, the nation's first African-American first lady, will be accompanied by her mother and two daughters. The official trip will be focused on "youth leadership, education, health and wellness," Mrs. Obama's office announced. "The trip is a continuation of [...]

Just 54,000 Jobs Created In May; Unemployment Rate Now At 9.1%

Source: Paul Davidson / USA Today Employers added 54,000 jobs in May, smallest gain in eight months, as high oil prices and Japanese supply disruptions appeared to dampen hiring. The nation's unemployment rate rose to 9.1% from 9% as a 272,000 increase in the labor force — including many formerly discouraged workers who resumed their job search — far outpaced the small gain in the number of Americans employed. The disappointing Labor Department report Friday was largely expected after the [...]

Details On The John Edwards indictment

Source: CBS News The federal grand jury indictment handed down Friday against former North Carolina Senator John Edwards charges the two-time Democratic presidential candidate of four counts of illegal campaign contributions, conspiracy and making false statements in connection with a cover-up of his extramarital affair. "Person A" appears to reference former staffer Andrew Young, who for a time claimed Edward's illegitimate child as his own; "Person B" is Rielle Hunter, a videographer covering the Edwards campaign with whom the candidate [...]

Mitt Romney Launches Bid For 2012 GOP Nomination

Source: Paul Steinhauser / CNN It was all about the economy and about New Hampshire when Mitt Romney made it official Thursday. The former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate formally announced his second bid for the White House, declaring his candidacy at an event in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary in the presidential caucus and primary calendar. The man who many consider the early front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential nomination sharply [...]

Man Bit Off Wife's Eyelid, Chased Her With Steak Knife

Source: Edecio Martinez / CBS News St. Clair Shores, Mich. – Rahsaan Thedford could face up to 10 years in jail for allegedly biting off his estranged wife's eyelid and chasing her with steak knife during a Mother's Day argument at her suburban Detroit home. The Detroit Free Press reports that the 32-year-old Clinton Township man's arraignment on assault with intent to maim is scheduled for June 13 in Macomb Circuit Court. Police said the argument began May 8 when [...]

Donald Trump: Weiner Is 'Lying' (VIDEO)

Source: Gabriella Schwarz / CNN Donald Trump weighed in on "Weinergate" Wednesday, saying New York Rep. Anthony Weiner is either "incompetent" or "lying." "He obviously knows it's him and the way he's handled it is either lying or incompetent," Trump said on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight." "It was him because otherwise he would have said it wasn't me … who would not know if that rather terrible position was or wasn't taken?" Trump, said Weiner has handled the situation "horribly." [...]