Will U.S. financial industry trouble mean disaster?
CHARLENEM Taxpayers to pay $700 billion for bailoutRelief for Wall St., still suffering on Main St. (FinalCall.com) - Irma Hallwood, a retired Los Angeles County health services worker, is about to lose her home to foreclosure and she has already lost some of her Social Security benefits. When President George Bush asked Congress for authorization to use taxpayer money to buy...
‘Sagging’ pants law unconstitutional
(FinalCall.com) - Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle ruled Sept. 15 that a “sagging pants” ordinance in Riviera Beach, Fla., was unconstitutional after a 17-year-old was arrested and held overnight in jail. “We’re not talking about exposure of buttocks. No! We’re talking about someone who has on pants whose underwear are apparently visible to a police officer who then...
Bush administration expands secrecy
NEW YORK - The administration of President George W. Bush has steadily expanded government secrecy across a broad array of agencies and actions, according to a coalition of groups that promote greater transparency. Dr. Patrice McDermott, director of Open the Government, a watchdog group, said, “The federal government under the Bush administration has shown its commitment to secrecy by...
A salute to a few good men
ASKIAM andNisa Islam Muhammad WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com) - Thousands of worshipers packed into Union Temple Baptist Church for the African-centered church’s annual Men’s Day celebration September 21. The celebration inside the main sanctuary, honoring of “A Few Good Men” was so joyous that the building itself could be felt swaying in rhythm to the spirited praise songs. There were tears in...
Poverty in America, a national disgrace
CHARLENEM Times are getting tougher in the United States, but ending poverty isn’t high on agenda (FinalCall.com) - The number of Americans living in poverty increased last year, but advocates for the poor say the situation is more desperate than the rising numbers. Poverty is increasing as the country’s social safety net continues to erode and the government uses outdated measures...
Civil rights reunion brings memories of struggle
ASKIAMSenior Correspondent INDIANOLA, Miss. (FinalCall.com) - Veterans of the historic Mississippi “Freedom Summers” of the early 1960s gathered for their fourth Sunflower County Civil Rights Reunion in this small Delta town September 12. Their hair now beginning to gray, most of the three dozen alumni were teenagers when they answered the call, putting their very lives on the line to face...
Fathers march connects dads with children’s schools
NEW YORK (FinalCall.com) - The first day of school in New York City turned out to be much more than a day of getting back to the three “R’s” for men participating in this year’s Million Father March. Fathers across the U.S. were encouraged to escort their children to school on the first day of the 2008-2009 academic year and...
Will ‘shot-gun’ wedding work for GOP?
ASKIAMSenior Correspondent (FinalCall.com) - When there is no incumbent running for president, the first decision either major party nominee makes is choosing his or her running mate. Some are sharply criticizing Sen. John McCain’s surprise selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be the Republican Party’s vice-presidential choice calling it a “shotgun wedding,” and a longshot, “Hail Mary pass,” intended to...
Muslim charities negotiate a minefield
NEW YORK (IPS/GIN) - As Muslims began one of their most sacred holidays–the month of Ramadan–charitable organizations serving the American Muslim community were taking what some observers believe is a desperate last step to keep the U.S. government from shutting them down. Muslim Advocates (MA), a San Francisco-based national educational and advocacy organization established by a 500-plus network of...
American Muslims want seat at political table
DENVER (FinalCall.com) - American Muslims from around the country met with Joshua Dubois, director of religious affairs for the Barack Obama presidential campaign, during the Democratic National Convention, to address concerns that the Muslim community was being marginalized by the campaign. “It’s not a smear to be called a Muslim. We have Muslim staffers all over the country,” said...