In today’s top news, students returned to school in Newtown, Connecticut, today, but Sandy Hook Elementary remained closed; members of the Electoral College cast final votes confirming President Obama’s re-election; and a fake Morgan Freeman post about the Newtown school shooting went viral.

Students returned to school in Newtown, Connecticut, today, but Sandy Hook Elementary remained closed. [BET]

Members of the Electoral College cast final votes confirming President Obama’s re-election. [AP]

A fake Morgan Freeman post about the Newtown school shooting went viral. [Grio]

Baltimore’s gun buyback program took in 461 firearms in the weekend after the Newtown shooting. [Baltimore Sun]

A sporting goods store has suspended the sale of certain semi-automatic weapons. [CNN]

Black GOP Rep. Tim Scott has been tapped to replace Jim DeMint in the U.S. Senate. [BET]

The FBI says hate crimes declined in 2011. [Grio]

Gas prices have reached a two-year low. [CNN]

Katt Williams canceled a show 15 minutes before showtime. [BET]

South African President Jacob Zuma is re-elected as head of the African National Congress political party. [AJE]

The International Criminal Court acquitted former Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui. [BBC]

In today’s top news, President Obama and Mitt Romney will face off in the final presidential debate tonight, Trayvon Martin’s parents say his school records aren’t as relevant as George Zimmerman’s medical records and Ohio’s controversial voter fraud billboards will come down.

President Obama and Mitt Romney will face off in the final presidential debate tonight. [CNN]

Trayvon Martin’s parents say his school records aren’t as relevant as George Zimmerman’s medical records. [BET]

Ohio’s controversial voter fraud billboards will come down. [Reuters]

A Wisconsin man opened fire in a salon, killing three women before taking his own life. [NBCNews]

Voters in three states are set to vote on whether marijuana should be fully legalized and taxed. [NBCNews]

Marlon Wayans says he has “Democratic skin, but a Republican pocket.” [BET]

Flavor Flav is out on bail after a domestic violence arrest. [BET]

Venus Williams wins the Luxembourg Open. [USATODAY]

South African police admit to “overreacting” during August’s deadly platinum mine protest. [AJE]

Pope Benedict XVI named the first Native American saint. [CNN]

(Photo: Allan Tannenbaum-Pool/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, President Obama’s re-election campaign confirms it set the record for a single day of fundraising earlier this week, Michelle Obama wrote an open letter to women, encouraging the bloc to vote for her husband, and a new study shows that humans are not naturally racist.

President Obama’s re-election campaign confirms it set the record for a single day of fundraising earlier this week. [CNN]

Michelle Obama wrote an open letter to women, encouraging the bloc to vote for her husband. [Elle]

A new study shows that humans are not naturally racist. [Atlantic]

The St. Louis Zoo removed a Halloween ghost display after many said it looked like a lynching. [HuffingtonPost]

Kimora Lee Simmons calls Stacey Dash’s Romney endorsement a publicity stunt. [BET]

Meshell Ndegeocello says the public shouldn’t pre-judge Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic. [BET]

Chris Rock hinted at a possible collabo tour with Dave Chappelle. [BET]

Diddy was honored by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. [SP]

South Africa’s striking gold field miners return to work. [BBC]

South Sudan resumes oil production after historic deal. [BBC]

In today’s top news, a judge has set George Zimmerman’s trial for June 2013, Rev. Jesse Jackson says he’s disappointed that the presidential debates have not focused more on poverty and gun control and Flavor Flav was arrested for assault and domestic violence.

A judge has set the trial of Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman for June 2013. [BET]

Rev. Jesse Jackson says he’s disappointed that the presidential debates have not focused more on poverty and gun control. [Politico]

Flavor Flav was arrested for assault and domestic violence. [BET]

An 80-year-old woman was arrested for taking down posters that depict President Obama as Hitler. [NBCNews]

A Republican congressman says today’s conditions are worse than slavery. [HuffPo]

Drake receives his high school diploma at age 25. [Daily Mail]

Willow Smith has launched a fashion blog. [BET]

Awkward Black Girl’s Issa Rae landed a network sitcom deal. [BET]

Human rights groups say nearly 28,000 people have been kidnapped in Syria. [BBC]

Uganda plans to increase social media surveillance to curb crime and terrorism. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Jay-Z urges voters to choose Obama in a new video spot, President Obama and Mitt Romney will face-off in the second presidential debate Tuesday night and Nelly speaks out for the first time since his Texas tour bus drug bust.

Jay-Z urges voters to choose Obama in a new video spot. [BET]

President Obama and Mitt Romney will face-off in the second presidential debate Tuesday night. [CNN]

Nelly speaks out for the first time since his Texas tour bus drug bust. [BET]

Trayvon Martin’s parents launch website dedicated to increasing awareness on ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws. [Orlando Sentinel]

Jennifer Hudson says she’s not buying the American Idol drama between Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey. [BET]

Police released the names of 21 men accused of paying for sex with a Zumba instructor in Maine. [AP]

Nas’ Georgia home was recently foreclosed and sold via auction. [E! News]

Birdman of Cash Money recently shelled out $14.5 million on a Miami mansion. [Yahoo!]

More than 100 inmates have escaped from a jail in Tripoli, Libya. [BBC]

Hillary Clinton accepts responsibility for last month’s Libyan attacks on a U.S. diplomatic mission. [AJE]

In today’s top news, President Obama is expected to step up his energy level in the next presidential debate Tuesday, the Florida State Board of Education set learning goals for students based on race and a Maryland community is hosting a belt drive to combat sagging pants.

President Obama is expected to step up his energy level in the next presidential debate Tuesday. [CNN]

The Florida State Board of Education set learning goals for students based on race. [CBSNews]

A Maryland community is hosting a belt drive to combat sagging pants. [WashingtonTimes]

A poll shows Obama has taken the lead among early voters. [Reuters]

A gunshot was fired at an Obama campaign headquarters in Denver. [CNN]

Thousands gathered in Charlotte, NC, for the 17th anniversary of the Million Man March. [WSOC]

50 Cent recorded a new song with nascent rapper Chief Keef. [BET]

Shyne slams Drake as an “actor from Canada.” [BET]

A rep. for Bobbi Kristina says she is no longer engaged. [CNN]

Paris debuts first Black Fashion Week. [BET]

(Photos from left: Mark Wilson/Getty Images, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will square off in the first presidential debate tonight, a Black high school student in Arkansas is hazed with a noose and Nicki Minaj tells Mariah Carey “I’m gonna knock you out” during American Idol auditions.

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will square off in the first presidential debate tonight. [CNN]

A Black high school student in Arkansas is hazed with a noose. [CNN]

Nicki Minaj tells Mariah Carey “I’m gonna knock you out” during American Idol auditions. [BET]

President Obama is outspending Mitt Romney on television ads. [NYT]

Both Romney and Obama rejected an invitation to participate in a forum on Black issues. [NNPA]

The Congressional Black Caucus takes on the stereotype that Black males aren’t college material. [NationalJournal]

Lawsuit may halt airing of Lifetime’s all-Black Steel Magnolias remake. [BET]

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Sahara Davenport dies at age 27. [BET]

South Africa strike spreads to an iron ore mine. [Reuters]

The U.S. is gathering information about possible targets in Libya. [CNN]

(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, billionaire George Soros donates $1 million to Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, Lil’ Wayne breaks Elvis Presley’s Billboard record and Jay-Z shuts down rumors that Beyoncé is pregnant with baby No. 2.

Billionaire George Soros donates $1 million to Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. [CBS News]

Lil’ Wayne breaks Elvis Presley’s Billboard record. [Reuters]

Jay-Z shuts down rumors that Beyoncé is pregnant with baby No. 2. [E!]

The National Fair Housing Alliance filed a complaint against Bank of America for discrimination. [BET]

Brooklyn Nets cheerleader outfits get a streetwear makeover. [BET]

The man behind the infamous anti-Muslim film was jailed for probation violations. [AP]

A chef who cooked his wife was convicted of murder. [People]

Kanye West’s Cruel Summer sandals made at splash at Paris Fashion Week. [BET]

Nigeria suspends all flights to Saudi Arabia for Hajj after 1,000 women were deported. [BBC]

Kenyan fighters corner Somalia’s last al-Shabab stronghold. [AJE]

(Photo: AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

In today’s top news, Michelle Obama calls voting rights activism the “march of our time,” voting laws in 23 states may keep more than 10 million Latino voters from the ballot and polls show President Obama is leading Mitt Romney in key battleground states.

Michelle Obama calls voting rights activism the “march of our time.” [Politico]

New voting laws in 23 states may keep more than 10 million Latino voters from the polls. [Reuters]

Polls show President Obama is leading Mitt Romney in key battleground states. [CNN]

Gas prices drop for the first time since July. [Reuters]

A draft of the Emancipation Proclamation was put on display at President Lincoln’s Cottage. [AP]

Jamie Foxx says he is ready to get behind the camera and try his hand at directing. [BET]

DMX says that he doesn’t want to beat up Drake. [BET]

Kanye West is worried about the possible release of a sex tape with a Kim Kardashian look-alike. [BET]

A suicide bomber attacked a northern Nigerian church, killing two and injuring 48. [BBC]

Sudan and South Sudan seek peace at a U.N. brokered summit. [AJE]

(Photo: Courtesy of Burnt Orange Report)

In today’s top news, people are lynching empty chairs that symbolize President Obama, prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin case are trying to prevent the release of  the teen’s school records and Jamaica plans to use the teachings of native son Marcus Garvey to cure societal ills.

People are lynching empty chairs that symbolize President Obama. [NBCNews]

Prosecutors in the Trayvon Martin case are trying to prevent the release of the teen’s school records. [OrlandoSentinel]

Jamaica plans to use the teachings of native son Marcus Garvey to cure societal ills. [AP]

Mitt Romney is accused of dying his face brown to appeal to Latino voters. [Gawker]

Six million uninsured Americans to be hit with tax penalty. [AP]

Roscoe Dash says he wrote for Kanye West and Wale but didn’t get credit. [BET]

Beyoncé and Tina Knowles have designed a collection of baby clothes in support of Obama’s re-election. [BET]

T.I. jumps on the “I Hate New York” bandwagon. [BET]

Former Apple employees and retailers in France protested as customers waited to buy the iPhone 5. [CSM]

Strikes spread at South Africa’s gold mines. [BBC]