(Photo: AP Photo, File)

In today’s top news, Nelson Mandela is hospitalized again, George Zimmerman’s lawyer Mark O’Mara believes Robert Zimmerman’s controversial tweets will harm defense and two Georgia teens have been indicted for the murder of a 1-year-old.

Nelson Mandela was hospitalized again for a lung infection. [BET]

George Zimmerman’s lawyer Mark O’ Mara believes Robert Zimmerman’s tweets about Trayvon Martin will harm the defense. [CNN]

Two Georgia teens have been indicted for the murder of a 1-year-old. [CNN]

A rally will be held in D.C. on Good Friday to increase national awareness of racial disparities in incarceration. [Afro American]

In the stop-and-frisk trial, a NYPD officer testified that he detained and taunted an innocent 13-year-old. [Wall Street Journal]

Search warrants say Adam Lanza killed 26 people and himself in five minutes in the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. [USA Today]

Miami Heat’s winning streak ends with loss to the Chicago Bulls, 101-97. [ESPN]

Jamie Foxx will play the president in the upcoming action film White House Down. [The Grio]

(Photo: Myspace via New York Post)

In today’s top news, Timothy Dluhos, an FDNY employee, was suspended after being exposed for racist tweets, the U.S. Supreme Court will take on affirmative action and the Miami Heat won their 26th consecutive game.

Timothy Dluhos, a FDNY employee, has been suspended after being exposed for racist tweets. [NY Post]

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take on a new case involving affirmative action. [NYTimes]

The Miami Heat won their 26th consecutive game against the Orlando Magic. [AP]

A 14-year-old suspected of shooting a baby in  Brunswick, Georgia, will appear in court. [CNN]

Jessica Upshaw, a Mississippi lawmaker, was found dead with a self-inflicted gun shot wound to her head. [MSNEWSNOW]

Residents of Newtown, Connecticut, said they are outraged over robocalls they’ve received from the National Rifle Association. [ABCNews]

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has become the second sitting U.S. senator in less than two weeks to endorse gay marriage. [CBS News]

A resident of New Jersey won the $338 million Powerball lottery ticket. [USA Today]

François Bozizé, the president of Central African Republic, fled to Cameroon after being overthrown by rebels. [ABCNews]

The U.S. has handed over to Afghanistan the only prison still under American control. [BBCNews]

(Photo: MPI/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, President Obama will declare a new national monument for Harriet Tubman, Obama has arrived in Jordan to meet with King Abdullah and Nigerian author Chinua Achebe is dead at 82.

President Obama will declare five new national monuments on Monday, including one for Harriet Tubman. [Washington Post]

Obama arrived in Jordan today where he will meet with King Abdullah. [Voice of America]

Chinua Achebe, Nigerian author and one of Africa’s most widely-known novelists, is dead at 82. [NYTimes]

Gen. Lloyd Austin became the first African-American to lead the U.S. Central Command. [BET]

The stop-and-frisk trial in New York City revealed a new tape recording of an officer demanding racially biased stop-and-frisk searches. [Village Voice]

Chicago parents are slamming 13-year-old rapper Lil Mouse’s appearance at a club that was recently shot up. [TheGrio]

The Sapphires, a Dreamgirls-like film about an Australian Aboriginal singing group, hits U.S. theaters. [LA Times]

A Marine shot and killed two of his fellow service members at a Virginia base Thursday night and then killed himself. [CNN]

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski, is stepping down. [AP]

President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Friday to purge Syria of “extremist forces.” [Reuters]

In today’s top news, President Obama nominates Tom Perez as next labor secretary; hundreds of New Yorkers will testify in trial challenging NYPD’s stop and frisk procedures; and Black farmers have still not been paid $1.2 billion from a 2010 settlement.

President Obama nominated Tom Perez to be his next labor secretary. [Politico]

Hundreds of New Yorkers will testify in a trial beginning Monday that will challenge the NYPD’s stop and frisk procedures. [AP]

Black farmers have still not been paid their $1.2 billion discrimination settlement from the USDA. [Monroe News Star]

Prosecutors are considering murder charges against Winnie Mandela following the exhumation of bodies of two young activists last seen at her home 24 years ago. [AP]

CNN is under fire for coverage of the Steubenville rape trial that was biased towards the convicted rapists and not the victim. [Huffington Post]

Dr. Conrad Murray, who was Michael Jackson’s personal physician, is refusing to testify in trial for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson’s mother. [CNN]

An ex-Oklahoma QB was killed in a plane crash Sunday that claimed the life of one other person. [Chicago Tribune]

(Photo: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

In today’s top news, Carol Gray, the mother of Kimani Gray, wants to know why the police had to kill her son; Jonathan Watkins, the father of slain infant Jonylah Watkins, is in talks with Chicago police; and rapper Jay-Z will co-produce and perform on the soundtrack for The Great Gatsby.

Carol Gray, mother of Kimani Gray, wants to know why the police had to kill her son. [AP]

Jonathan Watkins, father of slain infant Jonylah Watkins, is in talks with Chicago police. [ABC Chicago]

Rapper Jay-Z has teamed up with Australian director Baz Luhrmann to produce and perform on the soundtrack for The Great Gatsby. [Reuters]

The two officers now under scrutiny for fatally shooting Brooklyn teen Kimani Gray are decorated cops who had fired their weapons before. [NY Daily News]

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is being asked to apologize for referring to the first Black female leader of the state Assembly by race and gender, and not by name. [AP]

Antron Brown is the first African-American to win a major driving title in the U.S. [Jacksonville.com]

Ohio conservative Sen. Rob Portman is changing his stance on gay marriage after finding out his son is gay. [CNN]

Another Carnival Cruise ship is having technical difficulties that are affecting its sailing speed. [Huffington Post]

The UN and human rights groups are warning of a rise in sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [Al Jazeera]

An alleged victim described abuses she says were committed under former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier’s rule. [BET]

In today’s top news, President Obama urged lawmakers to help him create jobs in last night’s State of the Union address, police believe rogue ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner was burned to death after a shootout and two men held for the death of Hadiya Pendleton say they mistook Pendleton and her friends for rival gang members.

President Obama urged lawmakers to work with him on creating jobs in last night’s State of the Union address. [BET]

Police believe rogue ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner was burned to death after a shootout with police in Big Bear Lake, California. [BET]

The two men held for the death of Hadiya Pendleton say they mistook Pendleton and her friends for rival gang members. [CBS]

Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake are planning to co-headline a 10-city tour this summer. [BET]

The Senate voted to renew the Violence Against Women Act. [AP]

Barry Bonds is asking a federal appeals court to throw out his felony conviction. [AP]

An Ohio mother was charged with helping her teen daughter beat up a girl at school. [HuffPo]

Stranded passengers on the Carnival Triumph cruise ship face an extra day at sea. [NBCNews]

South Sudan says Sudan is suspiciously bulking up its military along the countries’ contentious border. [AJE]

Canada will not send troops to Mali over worries that the country may become “another Afghanistan.” [Reuters]

(Photo: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/GettyImages)

In today’s top news, President Obama is expected to announce the return of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan in tonight’s State of the Union address; Rep. Keith Ellison called the GOP’s makeover efforts “putting lipstick on a pig”; and some Black L.A. residents are on guard as the manhunt for Chris Dorner continues.

President Obama is expected to announce the return of 34,000 troops from Afghanistan in tonight’s State of the Union address. [CNN]

Rep. Keith Ellison compared the GOP’s makeover efforts to “putting lipstick on a pig.” [BET]

Some Black, male residents of Los Angeles are wearing”don’t shoot” T-shirts after the manhunt for former cop Chris Dorner led to fatal cases of mistaken identity. [Newsone]

A 10-year-old was killed and two adults were injured when a Minnesota gunman opened fire in what authorities believe to be a “random shooting.” [Reuters]

Food stamp benefit amounts may be decreased soon if Congress doesn’t act. [NBCNews]

A Michigan attorney is running a free divorce sweepstakes for Valentine’s Day. [GMA]

In the wake of the pope’s resignation announcement, two African cardinals may be considered for the post. [BET]

Rapper Lil Mama will play the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in a new biopic. [BET]

Mali is hesitant about allowing U.N. peacekeepers on its soil. [BBC]

South Africa seeks justice for the teenage rape victim who was found dead last week. [Reuters]

In today’s top news, police have taken two men into custody in the case of slain Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton, the manhunt for renegade ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner enters its second week and President Obama is expected to be more aggressive in this year’s State of the Union address.

Police have taken two men into custody as “persons of interest”  in the case of slain Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton. [BET]

The manhunt for renegade ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner enters its second week. [CNN]

President Obama is expected to be more aggressive in this year’s State of the Union address. [Politico]

Pope Benedict XVI resigned from his position because of his age. [CNN]

Chris Brown crashed his car while trying to evade paparazzi after the Grammy Awards. [AP]

Rapper Ab Soul called fugitive Christopher Dorner’s revenge killing rampage a “necessary evil.” [Grio]

New York City’s Central Park Five may be closer to receiving a settlement from the city. [BET]

U.S. teen births have hit a record low. [NBCNews]

Kenya is set to hold its first presidential debate ahead of this year’s general elections. [BBC]

Guinea’s military chief and nine others were killed when their plane crashed in Liberia. [AJE]

In today’s top news, the U.S. Postal Service will end Saturday mail service to cut costs; a Florida judge denied George Zimmerman’s request to delay his murder trial; and Home Depot announces plans to hire 80,000 more employees for spring.

The U.S. Postal Service will end Saturday mail service to cut costs. [BET]

Home Depot announced plans to hire 80,000 more employees for spring. [CNN]

A Florida judge denied George Zimmerman’s request to delay his murder trial. [BET]

Florida congresswoman Frederica Wilson introduced a resolution honoring Trayvon Martin on his 18th birthday. [Grio]

A proposed bill in Alabama would exonerate the wrongly convicted Scottsboro Boys. [BET]

The city of Detroit may lose up to 51 of its public parks. [Yahoo!]

Students at Duke University are planning to protest a racist, Asian-themed fraternity party. [Yahoo!]

A pregnant prison guard was arrested for having sex with an inmate who faces the death penalty for murder. [NBCNews].

French officials say they are in a “real war” with terrorists in Mali. [BBC]

The U.N. condemned Somalia for convicting a journalist and the rape victim he interviewed. [AJE]

In today’s top news, a DOJ memo reveals the U.S. can order drone strikes on Americans; the NFL says Beyoncé did not cause the Super Bowl blackout; and lawyers in the Trayvon Martin case continue to argue over when George Zimmerman’s murder trial will begin.

A DOJ memo shows that the U.S. can order drone strikes on Americans it believes are connected to al-Qaeda. [NBCNews]

The NFL says Beyoncé did not cause the Super Bowl blackout. [BET]

Lawyers in the Trayvon Martin case are arguing over when George Zimmerman’s murder trial will begin. [BET]

A $400k reward has been announced for information about the Hadiya Pendleton shooting. [BET]

Pakistan’s tourism board plans to build an amusement park in the town where Osama bin Laden was killed. [NBCNews]

Malcolm X’s grandson was arrested by the FBI while en route to Iran. [PressTV]

A study shows Google displays more ads related to criminal activity when “Black names” are searched. [BBC]

The NYPD is defending its undercover spying on Muslims. [AP]

A Chinese tech company has unveiled a new Windows smartphone made specifically for use in African countries. [BBC]

Malian forces captured al-Qaeda fighters in Northern Mali. [AJE]