(Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, Michelle Obama went home  to Chicago to discuss gun violence; Ben Carson has withdrawn as Johns Hopkins Medical school’s commencement speaker; and Anthony Weiner hints that he may run for mayor of New York.

Michelle Obama traveled to her hometown of Chicago to give an emotional speech about gun violence and the need for youth programs. [BET]

South Korea, U.S. remain on edge over North Korea missile crisis. [Reuters]

Ben Carson, the African-American pediatric neurosurgeon, has withdrawn as commencement speaker at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine after negative reaction to derogatory comments he made about marriage equality. [The Washington Post]

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg launches immigration lobby group. [The Guardian]

Django Unchained opening cancelled in China. [BBC]

After resigning from Congress in an internet sex scandal, Anthony Weiner is hinting that he is interested in running for mayor of New York City. [NYTimes]

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are displeased by the prospect of President Obama’s budget plans calling for reductions in entitlement programs. [BET]

Duke student wrote Kenya’s President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta’s victory speech. [NYAmsterdamNews]

Officials in Major League Baseball are looking for ways to increase the participation of African-American fans, whose support has sunk to a record low. [USAToday]

2,000 invited to Margaret Thatcher funeral, but not Argentina’s president. [Yahoo News]

A year after George Zimmerman was arrested for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman’s mother has written a letter of thanks to supporters of her son. [WESH.com]

The Midwest is being hit hard by storms, with tornadoes creating hazardous conditions in the St. Louis area. [USAToday]

(Photo: Courtesy Watkins Family via CBS News)

In today’s top news, Jonylah Watkins will be laid to rest, Lil Wayne was released from the hospital and graduation rates have improved for Black NCAA tournament players.

The funeral for Jonylah Watkins, the 6-month-old who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago, will be held today. [Chicago Tribune]

Lil Wayne has been released from a Los Angeles hospital where he was taken in after having seizures. [BET]

On the 10-year anniversary of the Iraq war, 57 people were killed in bombings throughout Baghdad.  [AP]

Graduation rates have improved for NCAA tournament players, especially African-Americans. [TheGrio]

Bobbie Smith, the former lead singer of the group the Spinners, has died. He was 76. [Billboard]

Officers involved in the shooting of Kimani Gray have previously been sued for civil rights violations. [WNYC]

At least seven U.S. Marines were killed and several others were injured at a Nevada training site. [USA Today]

The housing market has shown signs of improvement in February as the number of new permits for construction climbed to the highest level since 2008. [Reuters]

Two teenage girls were charged with menacing for allegedly threatening the victim in the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case via Twitter and Facebook. [ABC]

Two suicide bombers killed at least 22 people in an attack on a bus station in the Northern Nigerian city of Kano yesterday. [Bloomberg]

Pope Francis set the tone for a new, humbler papacy on Tuesday with a call for the defense of the weak and the environment. [Reuters]

(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, the African-American unemployment rate has held steady at 13.8 percent, Michael Jordan applied for a marriage license and Philadelphia officials have voted to close 23 public schools.

The national unemployment rate dropped to 7.7 percent as the jobless rate for Blacks held steady at 13.8 percent. [BET]

Philadelphia officials have voted to close 23 public schools; 10 percent of the city’s total. [NYTimes]

A college education is linked to lower divorce rates for white women, but not for Black women. [Futurity]

The late August Wilson’s plays are being brought back to life by high school students in a national monologue contest. [NPR]

Facebook showed off a new home page redesign that will include bigger pictures. [NYTimes]

Apple is looking to make iOS the operating system for cars made by other companies. [Business Insider]

Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will be laid to rest today. [CNN]

Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, Suleiman Abu Ghaith, has been brought to New York to stand trial for conspiracy to kill Americans. [Reuters]

Michael Jordan applied for a marriage license in Florida. [ESPN]

In today’s top news, President Obama and Mitt Romney throw down in the first debate of the election season, a new campaign ad pits African-Americans against immigrants and the Chicago Teacher’s union approved a new contract.

President Obama and Mitt Romney throw down in the first debate of the election season. [BET]

A new campaign ad pits African-Americans against immigrants. [The Hill]

The Chicago Teacher’s Union approved a new contract ending their dispute with the city that led to strikes. [NBCNews]

A New Orleans city attorney  is cited after a joint falls of his pocket in court. [NBCNews]

Rihanna and Chris Brown were spotted attending a Jay-Z concert together. [BET]

Production of the Aretha Franklin biopic is back on. [BET]

Facebook hits 1 billion users. [CNN]

South Africa gets ready for an HIV vaccine trial. [AllAfrica]

A group of 60 Liberian prisoners staged a massive jailbreak. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Rodney King’s autopsy results showed that drugs and alcohol contributed to his death, Mitt Romney is shy about releasing his tax returns because he doesn’t want to reveal how much he tithes to the Mormon Church and Alabama raises a monument to a Ku Klux Klan leader.

Rodney King’s autopsy results showed that drugs and alcohol contributed to his death. [LATimes]

Mitt Romney says he is reluctant to release his tax returns because he doesn’t want to reveal how much he tithes to the Mormon Church. [AP]

Alabama raises a monument to a Ku Klux Klan leader and draws the ire of residents. [NBC News]

George Zimmerman’s attorney has shut down his client’s Facebook page because it led to “unhelpful discussions.” [AP]

Previously undiscovered tapes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. captures his views on civil rights and Africa. [BET]

Lil Wayne says he found the now infamous club brawl between Drake and Chris Brown funny. [BET]

BET’s T.J. Holmes made it on to Vibe’s Juice Crew list. [BET]

Tropical storm Issac will hit Haiti and the Dominican Republic Friday and Florida residents urged to prepare for its arrival on Monday. [Weather.com]

Best Buy’s new CEO is slated to be paid $6.25 million if he doesn’t take the job. [NBC News]

Norway finds mass killer Anders Breivik sane, sentences him to 21 years in prison. [BBC]

In today’s top news, George Zimmerman’s lawyers are expected to request his release from jail after his bond was revoked Friday, a deadly plane crash kills 163 in Nigeria and Nicki Minaj is boycotting the 2012 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert after a diss from a radio personality.

George Zimmerman’s lawyers are expected to request his release from jail after his bond was revoked Friday. [BET]

A deadly plane crash kills 163 in Nigeria. [CNN]

Nicki Minaj boycotts the 2012 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert after a diss from a radio personality. [BET]

A white Tennessee Baptist’s radio show is canceled over insensitive comments about the Trayvon Martin case. [USATODAY]

Lauryn Hill gets rave reviews for her comeback concert in New York this weekend. [BET]

Facebook may soon allow children under age 13 to set up profiles on the site. [BBC]

Jobless rate for Americans is four points below the average. [USATODAY]

A tragic car crash in Ohio killed the car’s teen driver and two teen passengers just hours before the driver’s high school graduation. [MSNBC]

Mother of a 5-week-old baby is in police custody today after she placed the baby on the roof of her car and drove off. [MSNBC]

The child abuse case of former Penn State football coach, Jerry Sandusky, is slated to begin tomorrow. [Reuters]

In today’s top news, BET.com takes a look back at the contributions of the late, legendary Donna Summer, Trayvon Martin’s autopsy results show that he has marijuana in his system and police say Trayvon Martin’s death was “ultimately avoidable.”

BET.com takes a look back at the contributions of the late, legendary Donna Summer. [BET]

Trayvon Martin’s autopsy results show that he had marijuana in his system. [BET]

Police say Trayvon Martin’s death was “ultimately avoidable.” [CNN]

The Game stars Tia Mowry and Pooch Hall not returning for season 6. [BET]

Satirical cartoon The Boondocks will be returning for another season. [HipHopWired]

Facebook prepares to debut on Wall Street. [Reuters]

Michelle Obama reportedly talked divorce. [New York Post]

Notorious 1980’s drug dealer is arrested in NYC. [AP]

The U.S. to assign an Army brigade to various countries in Africa for training. [AP]

Obama to announce a $3bn plan to boost food security and farm productivity across Africa . [BBC]

In today’s top news, Obama’s support of gay marriage causes campaign contributions to soar, the NAACP is looking to register a record number of teen voters and sponsors have begun backing out of Basketball Wives as show boycott gains steam.

Obama’s support of gay marriage causes campaign contributions to soar. [Buzzfeed]

The NAACP is looking to register a record number of teen voters. [BET]

Sponsors backing out of Basketball Wives as show boycott gains steam. [BET]

Rihanna responds to her Saturday Night Live dress rehearsal controversy. [BET]

Proposed bill would make employer’s Facebook snooping illegal. [MSNBC]

Sony posts a record loss of $5.7 billion. [MSNBC]

A study says that having a  ”pot belly” may put you at an increased risk for sudden cardiac death. [HealthDay]

Russian president Vladimir Putin will skip this year’s G-8 summit chaired by President Obama. [FT]

Africa’s two female presidents have banded together to elevate women on the continent. [IPS]

Charles Taylor fights his 80-year sentence recommendation for war crimes conviction. [CNN]

In today’s top news, Obama says he supports same-sex marriage, closing arguments begin in Jennifer Hudson family murder trial and a group of white supremacists are accused of planning a race war in Florida.

Obama says he supports same-sex marriage. [BET]

Closing arguments begin in Jennifer Hudson family murder trial. [BET]

A group of white supremacists are accused of planning a race war in Florida. [MSNBC]

SEC charges ex-Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in investment scheme. [MLive]

Former Bad Boy rapper G-Dep is sentenced to 15 years in prison for a 1993 murder. [BET]

Former Miss USA Kenya Moore is rumored to be joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. [BET]

Cornell suspends a fraternity over Trayvon Martin racist harassment incident. [Ithaca Independent]

Facebook looks out for the emotional needs of America’s veterans and service members. [MSNBC]

A U.K. man has found himself accused of a massacre in the Central African Republic. [BBC]

Sudan accused of more border attacks on South Sudan. [BBC]

In today’s top news, 13 have been charged in the hazing death of FAMU band member Robert Champion, Trayvon Martin’s social media posts may be used at George Zimmerman’s murder trial and Rapper 2 Chainz will educate voters about felon’s voting rights for “Respect My Vote!” campaign.

Thirteen charged in the hazing death of FAMU band member Robert Champion. [BET]

Trayvon Martin’s social media posts may be used at George Zimmerman’s murder trial. [Miami Herald]

Rapper 2 Chainz to educate voters about felons’ voting rights for “Respect My Vote!” campaign. [BET]

Newt Gingrich suspends his presidential campaign. [BET]

Beyoncé wins writing award from the New York Association of Black Journalists. [NYDN]

Singer Omarion joins Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group. [BET]

A student files a $20 million claim against the DEA for being left in a holding cell for four days. [NBC]

Facebook privacy problems are on the rise. [MSNBC]

Jobless numbers see biggest dip in the last year. [Reuters]

Dozens are killed in a raid on a cattle market in northern Nigeria. [BBC]