Need A Date? How About 30 In One Night?
Marian Wright Edelman: Still Hungry in America
Kevin Eason
-
Completing a swift rise and fall from TV stardom, controversial host Glenn Beck will lose his once-popular Fox News show later this year, the network announced Wednesday.
Beck's 5 p.m. program, which earned scorn from liberals for its attacks on President Obama as well as its devotion to sometimes-obscure right-wing thinkers, was a top cable draw in 2009 and a signpost for the populist "tea party" movement in last year's midterm elections, which dealt a ballot-box rebuke to the White House.
But ratings plummeted and advertisers bailed as Beck - a cherubic, salt-and-pepper-haired longtime radio host who has compared himself to a rodeo clown - increasingly pursued a hard-to-follow agenda that many found too conspiracy-minded. He also chafed his bosses at Fox News, who faulted him for spending too much time on his far-flung business operations and not enough on honing his TV presentation.
Both sides cobbled together a diplomatically worded statement Wednesday that noted Beck would "transition off" his daily program but stressed that the host and Fox News had reached a new deal for future, as-yet-unspecified projects. Joel Cheatwood, a senior Fox News executive, was hired away to help run Beck's company, Mercury Radio Arts.
Fox News and Beck both declined to comment beyond the statement.
"The ratings drop was significant and couldn't be ignored," McCall continued. "The advertiser boycott didn't hurt the program or FNC as much in terms of dollars as it did in terms of bad publicity. Beck was no longer just a personality with a show on FNC. He became an easy target for Fox News critics to characterize him as representative of the entire channel."
Source: LA Times
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
In the midst of two-and-a-half wars, a prolonged recession and a possible government shutdown, Barack Obama officially kicked off his re-election campaign on Monday. It wasn't the most auspicious moment, and the low-key video the president sent in an e-mail to his supporters was a far cry from that dramatic announcement speech in Springfield, Illinois, in February 2007, when the upstart candidate invoked the idealism of Lincoln to begin his unlikely journey to the White House.
Obama's video featured interviews with his grassroots supporters, who formed the remarkable core of his 2008 campaign, but have not exactly been a top priority for the White House since. "Politics is at the grassroots level," says Katherine in Colorado. "It's individuals talking to other individuals and making a difference." Yet the video didn't really emphasize the actual practice of grassroots organizing, such a big part of Obama '08, and the words hope or change were not even mentioned. Those days, it seems, are over. The Democrats' message in 2010 was: "We're not as bad as those other guys," which didn't exactly inspire Obama supporters to rush to the polls. Obama kicked off his re-election campaign on Monday only to get a jump-start on raising money, mostly from wealthy donors. It's not clear yet how the grassroots organizers featured in this video will figure into the overall strategy of his campaign. And oddly, the video didn't mention Obama's record as president or legislative accomplishments, which one presumes will form the backbone of his re-election effort.
Source: NPR
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
While the Congressional agenda has been focused on the federal budget and spending cuts, the National Urban League's State of Black America report is focused on the same thing the 15 percent of black America (in some cases, 50 percent) is focused on: jobs.
The reports cover topics like education and health care, but each summary is connected by a common thread: jobs. The League is not responding to a new phenomenon, but instead calling attention to a consistent pattern of black unemployment that transcends the country's overall economic condition.
"The most cursory look at the job numbers for African Americans tells the grim reason for that assertion. The black jobless rate is still nearly double that of whites. The rate for young black males is far worse. In some urban areas, one out of three young blacks are unemployed. The chronic high jobless rate is not solely the result of the economic downturn of the past two years. During the 1990s, a boom time for the economy, the black jobless rate was still double that of white males," The Grio reports.
In their report, the League details "A Dozen Ideas for Putting Urban America Back to Work" and points to two "grave dangers" in the high unemployment rate for black men: It creates a permanent underclass within black communities and it drains the social services resources within the already underfunded communities.
The Grio reports that the League, the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus have pushed the Obama administration to make black unemployment a priority, but alas, it has escaped the president's purview.
Source: Atlanta Post
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
President Obama will deliver an address on the Libyan military operation Monday night.
The president will speak at 7:30 p.m. at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
The speech is designed to "update the American people on the situation in Libya," said the White House announcement, "including the actions we've taken with allies and partners to protect the Libyan people from the brutality of Moammar Gadhafi, the transition to NATO command and control and our policy going forward."
We suspect most, if not all, the television networks will carry the address.
Members of Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, have criticized Obama for not consulting them more before the Libya operation began Saturday. Boehner has also questioned Obama about the potential length of the engagement and what the administration plans to do to dislodge Gadhafi from power.
White House aides said Obama conducted a conference call with members of Congress. Throughout the day, aides also said that Obama would be speaking with the public in the near future about the reasons behind the Libyan operation.
"He believes it's vitally important, it's part of his role as president and commander-in-chief, to speak to the American people about an operation like this," said spokesman Jay Carney.
Source: USA Today
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
Donald Trump will believe it when he sees it.
The loud-mouthed billionaire called out President Obama during an appearance on 'The View' Wednesday, demanding the nation's leader put an end to the debate over whether or not he was actually born in the United States.
"I want him to show his birth certificate. I want him to show his birth certificate," Trump shouted to the show's five co-hosts. "There's something on that birth certificate that he doesn't like."
Trump, who was on the show to discuss his own potential presidential run in 2012, said he felt Obama was probably born in the U.S.
"I really believe there's a birth certificate," Trump said. "Why doesn't he show his birth certificate? And you know what? I wish he would. I think it's a terrible pale that's hanging over him."
Trump's pleas seem unnecessary, as Obama's birth certificate has been widely available on the Internet for years.
Many news organizations requested in 2008 that the then-Illinois senator provide a copy, which his campaign readily produced.
The ladies of 'The View,' most notably Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg, were dismayed by Trump's statements.
"I think that's the biggest pile of dog mess I've heard in ages," Goldberg quipped.
While several Republican candidates have strongly hinted they'll be running in 2012, Trump said he won't know for sure until later this spring.
"I'm going to make a decision sometime prior to June," he said. "I'm thinking about it very strongly. I think I'd do a really good job. I think I'd protect this country like it's not being protected."
Source: NY DailyNews
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
Even after Chris Brown stormed off their set and allegedly smashed a window after his interview with Robin Roberts, 'Good Morning America' is extending an invitation to Chris to come back on the show!
Continue reading Robin Roberts Invites Chris Brown Back to 'Good Morning America'
The Canyons School District launched an investigation Monday into an allegation of racism at Alta High School.
The incident happened last Thursday at a Spirit Bowl in the school gym. The junior class was supposed to wear white. One junior came in a white hood that covered his face. Witnesses said he also went around giving a stiff-armed salute, mimicking how the Nazis saluted Adolf Hitler.
He did all of this right in front of fellow junior Larz Cosby, who identifies himself as "mixed race." Cosby recalled, "So everyone is like, 'Oh Larz, look at him, What are you going to do?' You know, they're looking at me like I'm going to do something. And I say, 'Really,' and I take his hood off. I grab it and throw it behind me. And I said, 'Come on, dude."
He said his first instinct was to throw a punch. "Honestly, that's what I wanted to do. But I didn't, because I thought what would my dad do, what would he say."
"I've never seen this before. Never. I've been discriminated against because of my color. But no one has ever run around with a white hood on," Cosby said.
Other students applauded Cosby for taking away the white hood. Alta senior Brett Paulsen said, "If I was close to the kid, I think I would have done the same, and I'd expect other people to do the same." Senior Chase Hudson said of the hood student and those who laughed at him, "I don't know what they were thinking. I guess they weren't thinking, just trying to be funny. But it's not something to laugh about."
White hoods are no laughing matter. Worn by members of the KKK, they have long been a symbol of oppression, violence and terror for minorities. The Nazi salute represents more of the same.
Jennifer Toomer-Cook, a spokeswoman for the Canyons School District said, "The allegations did cause us concern, so we did launch the immediate investigation and we're fact-finding right now to see what did happen."
Some students who talked with ABC 4 said they'd heard that the student who put on the white hood had been suspended. Toomer-Cook would not confirm any disciplinary action.
Source: ABC News
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
Chris Brown may need a few more anger management lessons.
Even though a Los Angeles judge has commended him for turning his life around since pleading guilty to felony assault in 2009, the R&B artist had a massive meltdown at the 'Good Morning America' studios in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Brown, 21, became angered during his live interview with co-host Robin Roberts, who asked repeated questions about his domestic violence incident with Rihanna, even though he was there to promote his new album, "F.A.M.E.," which was released on Tuesday.
After the interview, Brown allegedly took his rage out in his dressing room, where he yelled loud enough to warrant a visit from security and broke a window. Shattered glass fell onto 43rd St. and Broadway, reported TMZ.com, which posted a picture of the smashed window.
A view of the window Brown allegedly shattered during a violent outburst at 'GMA' studios. (INFphoto.com)
Brown reportedly then took off his shirt and confronted a 'GMA' producer before leaving the building and skipping a planned second performance, which was to air on the 'GMA' Website.
Brown tried to redirect all the Rihanna questions from Roberts by talking about his new album.
According to TMZ, Roberts insists that both she and other 'GMA' staff members asked Brown pre-interview if he would be okay with being asked "a few questions" about Rihanna. Brown reportedly agreed, however apparently changed his mind soon after.
A short time after his exit, Brown took to his Twitter account to express his displeasure over the interview and thank his fans for their continued support.
"I'm so over people bringing this past sh-t up!!!" he tweeted. "Yet we praise Charlie sheen and other celebs for there [sic] bullsh-t!"
Roberts has yet to officially comment on the incident, however the host made a slight reference on her new Twitter account.
"Sure has been an interesting AM @GMA. Still sorting thru everything myself. Just my 2nd day on twitter, wonder what tomorrow will bring?" she wrote.
A rep for Brown has yet to comment on the matter.
Source: NY Daily News
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
A Brooklyn man says he was left with a painful reminder from an encounter with NYPD cops: A prong from a Taser had to be surgically removed from his back.
Jonathan Zimmerman, 26, is suing the city and the two officers, saying that after he double-parked, he suffered through an excruciating Tasering that left him with a dime-sized scar.
"I was hurt because I don't think I should have gone through what I went through that night," he said of the April 2010 ordeal.
Zimmerman, a security guard, said he was sitting in his car with a female friend outside her Bedford-Stuyvesant home when uniformed cops wrote him a ticket for double-parking.
After he and the woman started to argue with the cops about the summons, one officer ordered him out of the car. He refused.
He says the cop yanked the keys from the ignition and Maced him while he was still strapped in his seat belt. Next Zimmerman felt something "very, very painful," he recalled. He was zapped, pulled out of his car and Tasered two more times, he said.
An NYPD spokesman said cops ordered Zimmerman to move his car but he instead talked back and had to be restrained. Doctors later dislodged an inch-long spur from his back. All charges against him, including resisting arrest and disorderly conduct,were dismissed.
Zimmerman, of Brownsville said cops routinely stop black men for no good reason: "I see stuff like this a lot," he said, "and I've never seen anybody go through this for a parking ticket."
Source: NY DailyNews
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
Re
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who made an "offensive and inappropriate" reference to the Ku Klux Klan while presiding over a robbery trial involving two African-American defendants was publicly admonished Wednesday by a state agency overseeing judges' discipline.
Judge Harvey Giss of the San Fernando Courthouse made the comments in July during an off-the-record discussion with attorneys about a possible plea agreement in the case, according to the State Commission on Judicial Performance.
Neither of the defendants was present, but a family member was in the courtroom, according to the commission. Giss told the commission that he remarked the only thing that would make the defendants agree to a plea was for the judge to "come out in a white sheet and a pointy white hat," according to the panel's statement of facts.
Two days later, when the defense asked the judge to recuse himself because of the remark, Giss conceded that he had made a "bad statement" but added, "People don't have a sense of humor anymore," according to the statement of facts.
Giss, a former deputy district attorney who has been on the Superior Court bench since April 2001, eventually withdrew from the case.
Source: L.A. Times
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who made an "offensive and inappropriate" reference to the Ku Klux Klan while presiding over a robbery trial involving two African-American defendants was publicly admonished Wednesday by a state agency overseeing judges' discipline.
Judge Harvey Giss of the San Fernando Courthouse made the comments in July during an off-the-record discussion with attorneys about a possible plea agreement in the case, according to the State Commission on Judicial Performance.
Neither of the defendants was present, but a family member was in the courtroom, according to the commission. Giss told the commission that he remarked the only thing that would make the defendants agree to a plea was for the judge to "come out in a white sheet and a pointy white hat," according to the panel's statement of facts.
Two days later, when the defense asked the judge to recuse himself because of the remark, Giss conceded that he had made a "bad statement" but added, "People don't have a sense of humor anymore," according to the statement of facts.
Giss, a former deputy district attorney who has been on the Superior Court bench since April 2001, eventually withdrew from the case.
Source: L.A. Times
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.
Follow Us
Daily Drama
Find a Message Board
Discover conversations on everyone from Barack to Beyonce. There are nearly 50 forums, so click on a category below and find the right one for you.