(Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In today’s news, President Obama offered a highly personal speech about the responsibility of men at a commencement address at Morehouse College; a young African-American film director is gaining a following at the Cannes Film Festival; and the NAACP’s protests of changes in North Carolina laws will continue this week.

Obama gets personal about race and manhood at Morehouse. [Washington Post]

Young African-American director creates buzz at Cannes. [France 24]

NAACP protests at North Carolina General Assembly over voting rights will continue. [WSOC-TV]

Train derailments in Connecticut could affect travel all week. [Wall Street Journal]

Despite troubles, Obama’s poll ratings remain steady. [Washington Times]

Ivory Coast massacre suspect held in custody. [BBC]

Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf defends record on good governance. [Reuters]

Former Congressman Allen West joins Fox News. [BET]

Two FBI agents killed in training accident. [ABC]

One winning ticket for $590.5 million Powerball sold in Florida. [Chicago Tribune]

Woman kicked off airplane for singing Whitney Houston song. [Jet]

(Photos from left: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images, Michael Kovac/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, Russell Simmons, other stars and elected officials are urging President Obama to reform the U.S. drug and criminal justice  policy; North Korea issued new war threats; and families of Newtown, Connecticut, victims want Congress to revive gun legislation that has stalled for almost four months.

Russell Simmons, Will Smith, other stars and elected officials are urging President Obama to reform the U.S. drug and criminal justice  policy. [BlackVoices]

North Korea issued new war threats on Tuesday. [CNN]

Families of Newtown, Connecticut, victims want Congress to revive gun legislation that has stalled nearly four months after the slaying at Sandy Hook Elementary School. [ABCNews]

The interest on U.S. Stafford student loans are set to double this summer. [NBCNews]

The Louisville Cardinals beat Michigan 82-76 to capture the NCAA men’s basketball title. [BET]

You can now follow former President Bill Clinton on Twitter @PrezBillyJeff. [NYDailyNews]

Organizers of the Scripps National Spelling Bee are adding multiple-choice vocabulary tests to the annual competition. [ABCNews]

A fake Cookie Monster is being charged for reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a two-year-old  tourist in Times Square Sunday. [USA Today]

A couple who kidnapped their two sons, who were in legal custody with their grandmother, have been found in Havana, Cuba. [CNN]

(Photo: John Goodwin/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored with a non-violence campaign; Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy will sign a tough gun control bill; and North Korea could be planning a missile launch soon.

The 45th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored with the “50 Days of Nonviolence” campaign. [Reuters]

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy will sign a tough gun control bill that will make over 100 weapons illegal. [CNN]

North Korea could be planning a missile launch soon, a U.S. official said. [CNN]

President Obama will return 5 percent of his salary to the U.S. Treasury. [BET]

The man who gunned down TV personality DJ Megatron was sentenced to 21 years in prison. [BET]

Exonerated football player Brian Banks signed with the Atlanta Falcons. [AP]

Assemblyman Eric A. Stevenson, a New York State lawmaker, was arrested on federal charges of accepting bribes and conspiring to defraud the state. [NY Times]

An Ohio judge sentenced Richard Beasley to death for the murder of three men who responded to an ad on the Craigslist website for a non-existent job. [Reuters]

Fast-food workers staged walkouts at McDonald’s, Burger King and other restaurants in New York City to protest wages that are “not enough.” [NBCNews]

(Photo: AP Photo/Lulamile Feni-Daily Dispatch)

In today’s top news, Nelson Mandela is recovering positively in hospital; President Obama urged the nation and Congress into action against gun violence Thursday; and both suspects pleaded not guilty in the killing of Hadiya Pendleton.

Nelson Mandela is recovering positively after being admitted to the hospital yesterday for a lung infection. [BBC]

President Obama is shaming the nation and Congress into action against gun violence Thursday. [CNN]

Both men pleaded not guilty in the killing of Hadiya Pendleton. [BET]

The EPA plans to unveil a proposal that aims to clean up automobile emissions, a plan that may lead to higher gas prices. [Fox News]

7,000 patients who visited a Tulsa, Oklahoma, dentist may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis. [CNN]

Rep. Don Young of Alaska said he “meant no disrespect” when he used the term “wetbacks” to refer to the migrant laborers who worked on his father’s farm. [ADN]

(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]

In today’s top news, President Obama visited Newtown, Connecticut, and offered victims the “prayers of the nation”; schools across the country plan to ramp up security after Friday’s school shooting; and  evidence shows the lead detective in the Trayvon Martin case  revised the police report four times.

President Obama visited Newtown, Connecticut, and offered ”prayers of the nation.” [BET]

Schools across the country plan to ramp up security after Friday’s school shooting. [GMA]

New evidence shows the lead detective in the Trayvon Martin case  revised the police report four times. [Orlando Sentinel]

A man was charged with threatening to massacre students and staff at an Indiana elementary school. [Reuters]

Sources say Obama may tap John Kerry to serve as secretary of state now that Susan Rice is no longer in the running. [CNN]

Jamie Foxx says violence in entertainment bears some of the responsibility for violence in real life. [AP]

Trey Songz was arrested for misdemeanor assault for throwing money at a woman. [BET]

Game calls for a boycott of Fox News after a reporter slammed his LP “Jesus Piece.” [BET]

Nelson Mandela underwent a successful gallstone removal procedure. [AJE]

South African police say they thwarted an ANC meeting bomb plot. [Reuters]

In today’s top news, George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, says she thinks George Zimmerman made a mistake in shooting her son and the Beverly Hills police have closed the investigation into Whitney Houston’s death, finding no foul play.

George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Trayvon Martin. [BET]

Trayvon Martin’s mother says she thinks George Zimmerman made a mistake in shooting her son.  [MSNBC]

The Beverly Hills police have closed the investigation into Whitney Houston’s death, finding no foul play.  [BET]

Bobbi Kristina reportedly plans to star in a new reality show. [BET]

U.S. Justice Department is suing Apple for conspiring with publishers to rig e-book prices. [MSNBC]

An independent report on the Hardest Hit Housing Markets program says more could be done to aid struggling homeowners. [CNN]

Connecticut plans to repeal the death penalty. [CNN]

April is National STD Awareness Month. [BET]

South Sudan ignores U.N. calls to remove troops from disputed oil field. [BBC]

Protests break out in Syria as troops withdraw in compliance with ceasefire. [AJE]

In today’s top news, Whitney Houston’s autopsy report confirms “white powder” found in hotel room, five former New Orleans police officers sentenced for Hurricane Katrina shootings and a new study shows that many whites and republicans are tired of Trayvon Martin coverage.

Whitney Houston’s autopsy report confirms “white powder” found in hotel room. [BET]

Five former New Orleans police officers sentenced for Hurricane Katrina shootings. [BET]

Study: Whites, republicans tired of Trayvon Martin coverage. [CNN]

Tyler Perry claims he was racially profiled by police. [BET]

Jesse Jackson’s daughter to work for FOX News. [Examiner]

Congressional Black Caucus members introduce Trayvon Martin legislation. [BET]

KKK accidentally sends membership letter to Black person. [CBS]

Connecticut senate repeals the state’s death penalty. [MSNBC]

Syria violence continues as U.N. peace team arrives. [BBC]

Mali’s rebels declare ceasefire. [BBC]

Connecticut Ponders Slavery Apology

Lawmakers in Connecticut are considering following the footsteps of five other states by apologizing for its role in the slave trade and other government-sanctioned racist policies of the past. On Monday, a legislative committee pondered a resolution that would issue a formal, general apology and express the General Assembly’s “profound contrition” for the official acts that sanctioned and perpetuated slavery hundreds of years ago. Read the rest.

A Renowned “Modern-day Griot” Dies William H. Smith, lauded by admirers as a “modern-day griot” for the way he handed down to future generations essential cultural elements, has died of heart failure. He was 88. Smith, a painter, sculptor, and advertising professional, passed away at Silver Lake Center, a nursing home in Bristol, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. It was as a teen that Smith first gained notoriety, having painted a series of murals on African-American history at Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore, from which he graduated in 1939, Philly.com reports. Smith’s acrylic, oil, pastel and pencil works had been exhibited at the U.S. embassy in Oman, the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Pennsylvania, according to his daughter, Claire, a former sports columnist for The Inquirer and the New York Times. “He was a modern-day griot,” she said, “an African storyteller, historian and entertainer.” His sculpture of Harriet Tubman, commissioned by the African American Historical and Cultural Society of Bucks County, stands in Bristol Lions Park, Philly.com reports.

Prudential Names First Black CEO West Africa native Tidjane Thiam is the first Black CEO ever to run a FTSE 100 company after he was named to head Prudential. Read more.

A Georgia boy dies after being shot by a little girl. A Georgia teen died Saturday after being accidentally shot in the head by a 12-year-old girl late Friday. Police said that 17-year-old Trevayne R. Cozart was pronounced dead at the Gwinnet Medical Center in suburban Atlanta. He had been playing with a friend when the friend’s little sister fired a weapon. Although the girl’s mother was home at the time, she was not in the room where the shooting to place, police said. No charges have been filed against the parents or the child.

NAACP will protest police actions in Conn. town.

The Stamford, Conn., branch of the NAACP, saying that police are “mentally abusing” Black youths, will hold a protest against local law enforcement on Aug. 31. The mass action will mark the first demonstration under NAACP President Jack Bryant, who took over the helm of the chapter five years ago. “I feel this plan of action is necessary as the need to begin policing our police department,” Bryant told Mayor Dannel Malloy and Public Safety Director William Callion in an e-mail a week ago. The mayor responded that he was willing to meet with Bryant, who told The Advocate newspaper that the “the time for meetings is over. This issue has been exhausted with meetings between the police department and the community. I think it’s time for action now.” Bryant says that the complaints from the African-American community have been pouring in. He says that he even witnessed one “disturbing” incident earlier this month but declined to offer details, The Advocate reported. “I approached the officers and they said it’s an investigation and they couldn’t give me any details,” he said. The incident didn’t involve a beat-down, but it was troubling, he added. “It wasn’t physical police brutality but I think mentally it was police brutality … I don’t want this to seem like we’re singling out the whole police department. I’m sure there are a lot of good police officers on the force. There’s just a few who make it seem bad for those whole police force.”