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, many Americans are commemorating  11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a group of Black ministers is demanding that both sides put an immediate end to Chicago’s teacher strike and GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan says he sides with former Obama aide, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, in Chicago’s teacher strike standoff.

Many Americans are commemorating  11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. [NBCNews]

A group of Black ministers is demanding that both sides put an immediate end to Chicago’s teacher strike. [WLS]

GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan says he sides with former Obama aide, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, about the Chicago public school strike. [CNN]

A group of Black pastors claim that Democrats don’t serve Black interests. [CNA]

Jennifer Hudson says she forgives the killer of her sister, mother and nephew. [BET]

The NAACP is calling for the release of a Black man who says he killed a white man in self-defense. [BET]

President Obama responds to Nicki Minaj’s Mitt Romney lyric. [BET]

Nicki Minaj confirms that her lyrical nod to Mitt Romney was not an endorsement, but display of wit. [AP]

Air Nigeria made its final flight yesterday. [BBC]

A new strike hits a South African gold mine. [CNN]

In today’s top news, the names of six “secret” witnesses in George Zimmerman’s case are revealed, President Obama announces a new education program, and Katherine Jackson is no longer the guardian of Michael Jackson’s children.

President Obama announces a new initiative for Black academic excellence. [BET]

The judge reveals the names of six “secret” witnesses in George Zimmerman’s case. [News One]

Katherine Jackson is no longer the guardian of Michael Jackson’s children. [BET]

The top 10 African athletes to watch this Olympics. [BBC]

Authorities arrest James Brown’s daughter for a hit-and-run incident. [The Grio]

The “Black Madam” is charged with murder for lethal butt injections. [AP]

Somalia is close to creating its first legitimate government in more than 20 years. [ALJ]

In today’s top news, the seller of Trayvon Martin gun range targets said he sold out of his entire inventory in just two days, Newsweek magazine crowns Obama America’s first gay president and Black churches wrestle with allegiance to Obama and stance on gay marriage.

Seller of Trayvon Martin gun range targets said he sold out of his inventory in two days. [WKMG]

Newsweek magazine crowns Obama America’s first gay president. [ABC]

Black churches wrestle with allegiance to Obama and stance on gay marriage. [USATODAY]

After 42 years in the House, some predict Rep. Charles Rangel may lose his next primary. [Kansas City Star]

Rapper Lil Boosie found not guilty in murder trial. [BET]

A jury convicted William Balfour of killing Jennifer Hudson’s family. [BET]

Tennis champion Serena Williams makes her rap debut. [BET]

Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, to star in new Lifetime reality show. [Reuters]

A Panamanian castaway is suing Princess Cruises for not coming to his rescue at sea. [AP]

Uganda captures a senior LRA commander and says Kony capture not far off. [MSNBC]

Human rights lawyer calls Niger Hunger Games “on steroids.” [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, Jennifer Hudson takes the stand in her family’s murder trial, the DOJ is suing Jacksonville, Florida over allegedly discriminatory firefighter exams and the resignation of the Sanford police chief in the Trayvon Martin case is rejected by the city commission.

Jennifer Hudson takes the stand in her family’s murder trial. [BET]

The DOJ is suing Jacksonville, Florida over allegedly discriminatory firefighter exams. [Reuters]

The resignation of the Sanford police chief in the Trayvon Martin case is rejected by the city commission. [BET]

An Alabama white man is beaten by a group of African-Americans after taunting a group of Black teens. [Local 15]

Essence sacks white male editor over offensive Facebook post. [Journal-isms]

A college student launches “African-Americans for Mitt Romney” Website. [The Hill]

A 13-year-old girl died during a shooting in a Harlem housing project. [NBC]

Dr. Dre shuts down rumors of a Tupac hologram tour. [BET]

T.I. steps in between the growing beef between rappers Iggy Azalea and Azealia Banks. [BET]

South Sudan’s leader says Sudan has declared war. [AP]

In today’s top news, George Zimmerman is released on bail, trial begins in Maryland for two white brothers accused of beating a Black teen and trial also begins today for William Balfour, the accused murderer of Jennifer Hudson’s family.

George Zimmerman, shooter of Trayvon Martin, is released on bail at midnight Sunday. [BET]

Trial begins in Maryland for two white brothers accused of beating a Black teen while patrolling an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. [AP]

Trial also begins today for William Balfour, the accused murderer of Jennifer Hudson’s family. [AP]

The Supreme Court prepares to take a look into the validity of Arizona’s controversial immigration law. [ABC]

Issac Farris, nephew of Martin Luther King Jr., will step down from his post as head of the SCLC. [AJC]

Think Like a Man took the number one spot at the box office this weekend. [NYT]

Suge Knight suggests Tupac might still be alive. [BET]

Nicki Minaj said a voice in her head instructed her to shut down her Twitter account. [BET]

Two Kenyan runners dominated this weekend’s London Marathon. [CNN]

Sudanese war planes reportedly bombing South Sudanese border towns in fresh attacks. [CNN]

In today’s top news, lawyers for George Zimmerman, the shooter of Trayvon Martin, have withdrawn from the case, eight Black New York college students reported being “stopped and frisked” by the NYPD a total of 92 times and a white man is attacked and robbed by a group of Black men in Baltimore.

Lawyers for the shooter of Trayvon Martin have withdrawn from the case. [BET]

Eight Black New York college students reported being “stopped and frisked” by the NYPD a total of 92 times. [NYT]

White man attacked and robbed by group of Black men in Baltimore. [CNN]

Final jurors chosen for the trial of William Balfour, alleged killer of Jennifer Hudson’s family. [ChicagoTribune]

Five-year-old boy brings heroin to school for show-and-tell. [MSNBC]

Rick Ross forced to cancel two shows after suffering a seizure. [BET]

Nicki Minaj’s new album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, debuts at No. 1. [BET]

Hospitals hosting McDonald’s chains under pressure to cut ties. [USATODAY]

Syria gives Kofi Annan another promise that it will comply with ceasefire despite continued violence. [BBC]

Sudan vows to retake lucrative oil fields from South Sudan. [BBC]

As filming will soon begin on a movie about the life of Winnie Mandela, a group of South African actors and Mandela herself are working to stop the film unless a South African actress plays the lead role.

Jennifer Hudson was selected for the lead role.

From TimesOnline

At a stormy weekend press conference, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa said that using foreign actors to tell the country’s stories undermined efforts to develop a national film industry. “It can’t happen that we want to develop our own Hollywood, and yet we keep bringing in imports,” said Mabutho Sithole, the union’s president.

South Africa has lost thousands of jobs as a result of the global recession, while a strong rand, driven by soaring gold prices, has increased costs and badly hit the film industry. “This decision must be reversed. It must be stopped now,” Oupa Lebogo, the union’s secretary-general, told The Times. Udo Froese, a close friend of Madikizela-Mandela, agreed: “There’s a lot of good local talent, why not use them? Winnie herself is not involved in this, and in no way has given any sort of green light.”

What are your thoughts? Should an African actress play Winnie Mandela.

Saying she’s “in a very good place” emotionally, Jennifer Hudson has given her first full-fledged interview since losing three family members to murder. The award-winning actress and singer told Oprah Winfrey that she’s glad to be doing what she loves, performing after months of grief. “It’s like therapy,” Hudson told Winfrey of the decision to resume her career. Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew were all found shot to death within two days last fall, causing the singer to cancel appearances and go into seclusion. Hudson, whose engagement was announced before the tragedy, says she’s moving forward with her wedding plans. She also sang for Winfrey’s studio audience Friday in the latest of a series of February events. Hudson’s estranged brother-in-law has been charged with the killings. He has denied any involvement.