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Shirley Sherrod, who was forced to resign from her government job in Georgia based on incomplete and misleading reports of a speech she gave, has been offered a new job by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

But, she said Thursday she is “not so sure.”

“I’m not so sure that going back to the department is the thing to do,” Sherrod told CNN’s “American Morning.”

Sherrod said she was offered some type of civil rights position in the Office of Outreach at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and that she was expecting to receive something official in an email from the department.

“I need time to think about it,” Sherrod said, noting she wanted to see how committed the Agriculture Department was to addressing civil rights issues in the department. “I truly do need time to think about it.”

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Roy Barnes Wins Democratic Race For Governor, Republicans In Runoff

Denise Dunbar — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:00:36 +0000

From the AJC.com:

Former Gov. Roy Barnes successfully completed the first step of his political redemption tour Tuesday, handily winning the Democratic nomination for his old job.

Almost eight years after being ousted by Sonny Perdue and becoming the first Democrat to lose a governor’s race to a Republican in modern Georgia history, Barnes overwhelmed a field of six other Democrats Tuesday.

Now Barnes can raise money and bide his time, waiting for Republican voters to decide in the Aug. 10 runoff whom he will face in November.

“Tonight is the beginning to take our state back from the lobbyists and the special interests,” Barnes told a crowd of about 300 cheering supporters in Atlanta. “This is the end of building fish ponds and not paying teachers. This is the end of passing legislation that makes us the laughingstock of the nation.

“It’s time, my friends, to make Georgia work again.”

Barnes weathered a tough primary fight from Attorney General Thurbert Baker, a veteran campaigner who has been running and winning races for more than two decades.

In a short concession speech Tuesday night, Baker said, “We came up a little short but we gave it our all, and that’s all you could ever ask.” He pledged to support Barnes in the general election and “do all I can to make sure he becomes the next governor of our state.”

Dennis Pius, 63, a home inspector from Marietta, said he voted Tuesday for Barnes because “he’s got more experience” than the other candidates, having served as governor.

Barnes’ upset defeat in 2002 at the hands of Perdue signaled the collapse of Democratic Party control of state politics. Within two years, both chambers of the General Assembly were solidly in Republican hands.

Barnes lost in part because his push for school reforms left many of Georgia’s more than 100,000 teachers feeling that he blamed them for poor test scores, high dropout rates and other problems. He’s spent much of the past year apologizing to teachers. And he’s raised more money than any of the other candidates.

Read the full story here.

Shirley Sherrod Leaves USDA Over Racism Charge

Denise Dunbar — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:11:20 +0000

From MSNBC.com:

A black USDA official in Georgia has resigned after publicly admitting she didn’t help a white man trying to save his farm to the “full force” of her power and instead referred him to “one of his own.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he had accepted Shirley Sherrod’s resignation, saying there was “zero tolerance for discrimination at USDA.”

Click here to read more.

The snipped of the speech in question:

It’s Primary Election Day!

Denise Dunbar — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:20:12 +0000

Voters will have their say Tuesday on who they want to be their next governor. Fourteen people want to replace Republican Sonny Perdue, who can’t seek another term because of term limits. Polls remain open until 7 pm. Be sure to take appropriate identification such as state or government issued ID. Examples of acceptable identification include a Georgia Driver’s License (even if it’s expired), a US passport, military or tribal photo ID.

On the Democratic side, former Gov. Roy Barnes is the clear front-runner. The biggest question in this race is whether Barnes — who’s looking to reclaim the job he lost in 2002 — will earn the 50 percent plus one of the vote needed to avoid a runoff. The latest poll shows Barnes has 59-percent of voter support; therefore, the only thing that could hold him back is whether enough of his supporters turn out to for the election. Barnes’ stiffest competition is Attorney General Thurbert Baker, running to become Georgia’s first African-American governor.

The Republican race is considered a toss up. Karen Handel has bounced to the top because of the endorsement of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. The latest poll has her tied with former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, who captured the endorsement of former Congressman Newt Gingrich. Polls show State Insurance Commissioner, John Oxendine, is in third place. A runoff is a near certainty in the GOP contest.

Every statewide office is also up for grabs, along with the state House’s 180 seats and the state Senate’s 56 spots. For Congress, three Democrats are facing opposition in the primary. On the Republican side, newly elected Rep. Tom Graves faces five challengers. And eight GOP contenders are vying to replace Republican Rep. John Linder, who is retiring after nine terms.

To find out where you need to vote, log onto www.sos.ga.gov/elections/.

Free Discount Prescription Drug Cards

Denise Dunbar — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:13:27 +0000

Georgians can begin downloading a new discount prescription drug card which guarantees the lowest cost on prescriptions for the entire family. The Georgia Prescription Assistance Discount Drug Card Program was launched yesterday. The card is free and can be used at 60,000 pharmacies nationwide for both brand name and generic drugs. There are no enrollment forms, no restrictions and no age or income requirements. All people... Read more..

Justice Department To Sue Arizona Over Controversial Immigration Law

Denise Dunbar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:00:12 +0000

From the New York Times:

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Arizona to challenge a new state law intended to combat illegal immigration, arguing that it would undermine the federal government’s pursuit of terrorists, gang members and other criminal immigrants.

The suit, filed in federal court in Phoenix, had been expected since mid-June, when Obama administration officials first disclosed they would contest the Arizona law, adding to several other suits seeking to have courts strike it down.

The federal government added its weight to the core argument in those suits, which contend that the Arizona law usurps powers to control immigration reserved for federal authorities. The main suit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and other civil rights groups.

The Justice Department argues the law would divert federal and local law enforcement officers by making them focus on people who may not have committed crimes, and by causing the “detention and harassment of authorized visitors, immigrants and citizens.”

“Arizonans are understandably frustrated with illegal immigration,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said. “But diverting federal resources away from dangerous aliens such as terrorism suspects and aliens with criminal records will impact the entire country’s safety.”

The Justice Department suit is also aimed at stemming a tide of similar laws under consideration in other states. “The Constitution and the federal immigration laws do not permit the development of a patchwork of state and local immigration policies throughout the country,” the suit says.

Justice Department officials are “sending an unmistakable cannon shot across the bow of any other state that might be tempted to follow Arizona’s misguided approach,” said Lucas Guttentag, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project for the A.C.L.U.

The Justice Department asked for a court injunction to prevent the Arizona law from taking effect as scheduled on July 29. Hearings in the other cases are scheduled for July 15 and 22. The law, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on April 23, makes it a crime to be an illegal immigrant in the state and requires officers to determine the immigration status of people they stop for another offense based on a “reasonable suspicion” that they might be illegal immigrants.

Ms. Brewer assailed the federal lawsuit. “As a direct result of failed and inconsistent federal enforcement, Arizona is under attack from violent Mexican drug and immigrant smuggling cartels,” she said. “Now, Arizona is under attack in federal court from President Obama and his Department of Justice.”

White House officials said Mr. Obama was not involved in the Justice Department’s decision to sue. But the suit came after steps by Mr. Obama in an effort to frame the immigration debate in terms that will favor Democrats in advance of midterm elections in November, including a speech on Thursday when he restated his commitment to overhaul legislation that would give legal status to millions of illegal immigrants.

Read the full story here.

CNN Broadcasting Legend Larry King To Retire

Denise Dunbar — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:54:31 +0000

From CNN.com:

Larry King, the iconic TV interviewer, will step aside from hosting of his prime time CNN show later this year, he said Tuesday.

King, 76, made the announcement with a short posting to his Twitter account, citing his desire to spend more time with his wife and young children.

“I want to share some personal news with you. 25 years ago, I sat across this table from New York Governor Mario Cuomo for the first broadcast of Larry King Live. Now, decades later, I talked to the guys here at CNN and I told them I would like to end Larry King Live, the nightly show, this fall and CNN has graciously accepted, giving me more time for my wife and I to get to the kids’ little league games,” King wrote.

“I’m incredibly proud that we recently made the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest running show with the same host in the same time slot. With this chapter closing I’m looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it’s time to hang up my nightly suspenders.”

“He will end his run with Larry King Live on his own terms, sometime this fall,” said Jon Klein, president of CNNUS. “Larry is a beloved member of the CNN family and will continue to contribute to our air with periodic specials.”

During his Tuesday night show, King told guest Bill Maher “there’s a freedom” that came with his decision.

“I want to expand,” King told the comedian. “I want to do other things that I haven’t been able to do.”

The idea to step aside came to him after he completed his week-long 25th anniversary celebration, he said.

“I’m thinking to myself, I’ve done 50,000 interviews,” he said. “I’m never going to top this.”

King said he would exit the host’s chair “maximum November.” But, he told Maher, “Then I’ll be doing specials. You’ll see me in other places.”

Asked whom he wants to replace him, King cited “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest. “He’s curious, he’s interesting, he’s likable,” King said. “If he has a great interest in politics, I would recommend him. But I’m sure there’s a ton of people who could do it. Come on. It’s Q and A.”

“It’s not easy,” Maher responded. “That’s the trick.”

In a telephone call to the program, former first lady Nancy Reagan told King, “I couldn’t let you do this without my calling you. You didn’t call me and ask my permission.”

King said he had made no plans about his future, but added, “I’m looking forward — I feel open to so many things. Life will be better.”

ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer chimed in: “I just want to say, Larry, what a monument of vitality you have built for all of us and I cannot wait to see your specials because everybody in the world wants to talk to you and to see you do them in a concentrated way — when you choose to do them it’s going to be a thrill.”

King’s decision followed months of media speculation about his future as his ratings declined.

King was hosting a nationally syndicated overnight radio talk show when CNN founder Ted Turner persuaded him in 1985 to try his interviewing skills on cable TV.

“All I had to do was everything I’d been doing since I was a kid,” he wrote in his best-selling 2009 autobiography, “My Remarkable Journey.”

Read the full story here.

MARTA Board Approves Major Service Cuts

Denise Dunbar — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:24:15 +0000

From the AJC.com:

Come fall, MARTA will be a changed system.

In budget cuts the agency’s board approved unanimously Monday, 40 bus routes are going away. Trains will add wait times up to five minutes more each. Bathrooms will close to the public at 29 stations across the system. This will be the last year for shuttles to Braves games and the Lakewood Amphitheatre.

For the bus routes that do survive, there will often be longer rides because of detours to pick up stretches from eliminated routes. Altogether bus and rail service will decline by more than 10 percent.

MARTA CEO Beverly Scott called it “what I would venture to say was the most difficult budget this agency and this board has ever had to face.”

In addition, more than 300 MARTA employees will lose their jobs, starting Tuesday. Between them and vacant positions, MARTA’s workforce is shrinking by 14 percent. Two of MARTA’s four ride stores are closing, at Lenox and Lindbergh stations. Customer call center hours are cutting back, and there will be fewer agents at stations.

On weekends, trains will start at 6 a.m., not at 4:45 a.m.

MARTA receives much of its operating revenue from a sales tax levied in Fulton and DeKalb counties, and those revenues have declined in the sour economy.

The cuts approved Monday, however, are only half as bad as those proposed earlier this year. MARTA has scaled back the slicing a number of times: As early as a month ago it was planning to close all bathrooms but those at Five Points station. Now it intends to leave nine open, at some end-of-the-line and transfer stations. A small amount of bus and train service is being restored too.

Read the full story here.

Mayor Kasim Reed Takes HIV Test

Denise Dunbar — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:22:46 +0000

From the AJC.com:

Kasim Reed walked into City Hall’s familiar Conference Room 2 Wednesday afternoon to jump a new hurdle.

The Atlanta mayor usually comes into the room to meet with a sometimes-testy city council. But this time he was met by a man trained in administering rapid HIV tests.

“This is a disease that impacts all of the city,” Reed had said at a press conference earlier to urge widespread testing. “That is why I am going to participate and be tested as well.”

After a battery of medical questions, the technician handed the mayor an oral swab and instructed him on how to conduct the test – basically gathering saliva.

“Oh,” Reed said. “It is like brushing my teeth.”

And with that, it was over.

Twenty minutes later, the mayor would learn his status. So would dozens of others.

As part of events leading up to National HIV Testing Day on Sunday, Reed opened City Hall on Wednesday for anyone interested in getting tested. Atlanta has one of the highest HIV rates in the country and Reed’s test served as a huge symbolic gesture to help reduce the stigma of testing.

“It is the first step in creating awareness,” said Councilman Alex Wan, the development director for Jerusalem House, which provides housing and support services for people affected by HIV. “We need to do something to jump- start awareness. It is a selfish decision not to get tested.”

To find out other locations were HIV tests are conducted, call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Or text knowit to 566948

Or log in to www.hivtest.org or www.actagainstaids.org.

Read the full story here.

Campbell Soup Recalls 15 Million Pounds Of SpaghettiOs

Denise Dunbar — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:55:54 +0000

From CNN.com:

Campbell Soup Co. is recalling nearly 15 million pounds of canned SpaghettiOs with meatballs because of possible under-processing, the U.S. agriculture department said.

The recall includes 14.75-ounce cans with a use-by date between June 2010 and December 2011 of three varieties of the product: “SpaghettiOs with Meatballs,” “SpaghettiOs A to Z with Meatballs” and “SpaghettiOs Fun Shapes with Meatballs (Cars).”

Consumers who have purchased those products with a plant code of “EST4K” should not eat them and should return them to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or full refund, Campbell Soup said.

The company said in a statement that it was voluntarily recalling the products “in an abundance of caution,” and that there was “no information indicating that any under-processed product has reached consumers.”

Read the full story here.

McDonald’s Recalls Shrek Glasses

Screen On The Green To Resume Tonight With Tighter Security

Denise Dunbar — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:32:32 +0000

From the AJC.com:

Atlanta police and sponsors of the popular Screen on the Green at Piedmont Park plan to use lessons learned from the last movie viewing when they show “Dreamgirls” tonight.

The perennial summer movie series hopes to keep things quiet since the showings were temporarily suspended after marauding teens took over the park during the June 3 screening of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

That night there were only 23 off-duty officers watching over the crowd of about 10,000.

That won’t be the case tonight.

First of all, organizers hope the movie scheduled for tonight will draw a less disruptive crowd the people who came to the park to see the “Transformers” sequel earlier this month” and “National Treasure” the first week.

Still there will be increased security.

On-duty police officers, some on horses, will patrol Piedmont Park for the remainder of this year’s Screen on the Green.

“The Atlanta Police Department will be prepared to ensure the safety and security of all movie-goers tonight,” APD spokesman Carlos Campos told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday.

APD will establish a command center to quickly mobilize help if there is trouble. The commander in charge will be at 10th Street at Charles Allen, just yards from the lawn where movie-goers will sit.

And the APD’s School Detective Unit will be used to deal specifically with problems caused by teens trolling the grounds.

“The new public safety plan incorporates increased security personnel, including on-duty and off-duty Atlanta police officers and staffers from a private security firm that regularly handles events in Piedmont Park,” Mayor Kasim Reed’s office said in a news release earlier this week. “In addition, representatives from MARTA Police and Midtown Blue are participating in this coordinated effort.”

Series sponsors Peachtree TV and the Piedmont Park Conservancy have hired a new firm to provide more security to quiet disturbances within the crowd.

A bigger test will be next week, however, when “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” is expected to attract a larger and younger testosterone-heavy audience. Next week’s showing will be the last of 2010. The final movie in the series, “Jurassic Park,” has been canceled due to last week’s cancellation.

Read the full story here.

Screen On The Green Not Unprecedented

Piedmont Park’s Screen On The Green Turns Violent, Reports Of Gunshots

In Oval Office Speech, Obama Puts Focus On Energy Policy

Denise Dunbar — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:45:32 +0000

From New York Times:

President Obama summoned Americans on Tuesday to a “national mission” to move away from reliance on oil and develop alternative sources of energy, demanding that Congress move quickly to overcome “a lack of political courage and candor.”

Speaking to a national television audience from the Oval Office, Mr. Obama also promised a long-term plan to make sure that the gulf states suffering from the oil spill are made whole again. He said he was appointing Ray Mabus, the secretary of the Navy and the former governor of Mississippi, to develop a Gulf Coast restoration plan in cooperation with states, local communities, tribes, fishermen, conservationists and gulf residents.

“Today, as we look to the gulf, we see an entire way of life being threatened by a menacing cloud of black crude,” Mr. Obama said. “We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.”

Click here to read more.

UPDATE: On-Duty Cops To Patrol Screen On The Green

Denise Dunbar — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:58:18 +0000

From the AJC.com:

On-duty police will be patrolling Piedmont Park for the remainder of this year’s Screen on the Green features — a first for the outdoor film series.

More off-duty cops also will be hired as part of a new security plan unveiled Monday by city and park officials. The changes come 11 days after marauding teens took over the park, interrupting the screening of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Estimates had the crowd at 10,000 the night, with only 23 off-duty officers providing security. There also were reports of disruptions at the previous week’s screening of “National Treasure,” with one attendee comparing the atmosphere to a bar brawl.

“The new public safety plan incorporates increased security personnel, including on-duty and off-duty Atlanta police officers and staffers from a private security firm that regularly handles events in Piedmont Park,” said a release from Mayor Kasim Reed’s office. “In addition, representatives from MARTA Police and Midtown Blue are participating in this coordinated effort.”

An APD incident commander will be on hand to mobilize additional security personnel. Police officers on horseback will maintain a presence around the park’s perimeter. And the APD’s School Detective Unit is being called in to deal specifically with problems caused by teen patrons.

Sponsors Peachtree TV and the Piedmont Park Conservancy also announced that they have hired a new firm to provide more “T-shirt” security responsible for quieting any disturbances within the crowd. They will also relocate the screen, vending stations and portable toilets to “improve pedestrian traffic flow.”

In addition to the enhanced safety measures, Reed and interim Police Chief George Turner will preside over a town hall meeting Tuesday night to launch the “Respect Yourself, Respect the ‘A’” initiative, which is aimed at reaching the rowdy youth blamed for disrupting previous Screens on the Green. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The film series resumes Thursday night with “Dreamgirls,” likely to draw a tamer crowd than “Transformers.” A bigger test follows on June 24 with a showing of “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” sure to attract a bigger and younger audience.

Piedmont Park’s Screen On The Green Turns Violent, Reports Of Gunshots

Top Cities To Find Work As A Black Woman

Denise Dunbar — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:44:42 +0000

We recently found out that unemployment in the month of May saw the biggest decline in unemployment for black women compared to other racial and gender demographics. In 1890, for example, before the arrival of many migrant communities, 40 per cent of all black women were employed – more than any other racial group. But we ask, where exactly are these jobs?

Firstly, there are some parts of the country that are less favorable for black job seekers. On June 8, the Economic Policy Institute – a research organization based in Washington D.C. – revealed that black unemployment in Detroit and Minneapolis was at a rate of over 20 per cent. St Louis, Las Vegas and Memphis were not far behind.

The South in general can also be particularly difficult for black female workers. Because there is a concentration of black communities in the South, much seasonal and agricultural work means employment levels fluctuate for black workers.

The financial crisis was also still problematic for black women. The secondary labor market that support many black women in employment was severely hit by high rates of bankruptcy and job losses.

There is good news for black women though. Improvements to organizational structures have allowed for an increase in the amount of black women in positions of higher employment.

A few years ago Essence Magazine’s Jayme S. Gayney profiled America’s top 25 Greatest Companies for Black Women. Some standouts included Coca Cola, Colgate, Citigroup and Comcast at various locations across the country.

Companies surveyed were reviewed on their treatment of diversity through policy implementation and general treatment of all workers. These policies were tested in practice by research from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

To find out where Atlanta ranked on the list, visit BlackCareers.com.