(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]

(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, Black unemployment dropped to 13.3 percent, President Obama will propose cutting Social Security, Medicare and other government benefits in new budget and a federal judge ruled to make a common morning-after pill available over the counter for all ages.

The national unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent, while Black unemployment dropped to 13.3 percent. [BET]

As part of his new budget, President Obama will propose cutting Social Security, Medicare and other government benefits. [LA Times]

A federal judge ruled Friday that the government must make the most common morning-after pill available over the counter for all ages. [NY Times]

Attorney General Eric Holder said Martin Luther King Jr. “would not yet be satisfied” with the progress the nation has made on protecting voting rights. [Black Voices]

A murder suspect in Mississippi was found dead after he shot and killed Eric Smith, a homicide detective, inside an interrogation room on Thursday. [CBS]

Ex-Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll opened up about her resignation after being tied to a veterans charity that is under federal investigation for gambling. [BET]

Roger Ebert, who died at the age of 70 Thursday, was a champion of Black film. [The Grio]

Two missiles have been loaded onto mobile launchers in North Korea and are ready to be launched, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Friday. [CNN]

A building collapsed in the Mumbai suburb of Thane, India, leaving 45 people dead. [USA Today]

(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: Allison Shelley/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, the White House says President Obama supports women in combat, the battery charge lodged against mega-church pastor Creflo Dollar after a fight with his daughter was dropped and witnesses have been called to make statements in the George Zimmerman murder trial.

The White House says President Obama supports women in combat. [AP]

The battery charge lodged against mega-church pastor Creflo Dollar after a fight with his daughter was dropped. [AJC]

Witnesses have been called to make statements in the George Zimmerman murder trial. [BET]

A federal judge says families of those killed in the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting should not be allowed to sue the theater for wrongful death. [NBCNews]

Martin Luther King III says he was deeply moved that President Obama was sworn-in on his father’s bible. [BET]

Whitney Houston’s mother says she questions her own parenting skills. [Reuters]

Tina Turner will soon become a citizen of Switzerland. [AP]

Chief Keef stands to earn $6 million from his record deal with Interscope. [BET]

The U.S. military admits to mistakes in the training of Malian troops. [BBC]

Al Shabab’s Twitter account was disabled after the militant group threatened to kill Kenyan hostages. [BBC]

In today’s top news, two men have been arrested for a shooting at Texas’ Lone Star College that left three people wounded; Colin Powell railed against the GOP over voter ID laws; and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended her handling of the attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi.

Two men have been arrested for a shooting at Texas’ Lone Star College that left three people wounded. [CNN]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended her handling of the attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, before Congress. [Reuters]

Cornell West says it was wrong for President Obama to be sworn in on MLK’s Bible. [Newsmax]

Sen. Frank Lautenberg suggested that Newark Mayor Cory Booker should be spanked. [USATODAY]

Beyoncé is caught in an inauguration lip-synching controversy. [BET]

A statue of Rosa Parks will be erected on Capitol Hill. [BET]

Georgia authorities are investigating Ku Klux Klan fliers that were placed outside some homes. [AP]

A Georgia man is suing the state after his “GAYGUY” license plate was rejected. [NBCNews]

South African President Jacob Zuma said his government is not threatening local mining companies. [Reuters]

In today’s top news, President Obama signed 23 executive orders related to gun violence; the president nominated African-American U.S. attorney B. Todd Jones for ATF director; and George Zimmerman’s defense team says they have Trayvon Martin’s school records.

President Obama signed 23 executive orders related to gun violence. [BET]

The president nominated an African-American U.S. attorney from Minnesota, B. Todd Jones, for ATF  director. [Star-Tribune]

George Zimmerman’s defense team says they have Trayvon Martin’s school records. [Orlando Sentinel]

Frank Ocean was nominated for a GLAAD award. [BET]

Shawty Lo is petitioning to have his All My Babies’ Mamas show air. [BET]

The estate of Martin Luther King Jr. is suing his former secretary over historical documents. [CharlotteObserver]

Fewer homes were repossessed in 2012. [AP]

A government study calls energy drinks a “rising public health problem.” [ABCNews]

Jailed former president of Liberia, Charles Taylor, demands his pension. [BBC]

The first Nigerian troops are expected to arrive in Mali on Friday. [BBC]

In today’s top news, George Zimmerman’s request to remove his monitoring device was denied, Attorney General Eric Holder suggests automatic voter registration and Michigan’s union-weakening “right to work” bills were signed into law.

A Florida judge denied George Zimmerman’s request to remove his monitoring device. [BET]

Attorney General Eric Holder suggests automatic voter registration. [Bloomberg]

Michigan’s union-weakening “right to work” bills were signed into law. [CNN]

The controversial “drum major” inscription on the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will be removed. [CNN]

A masked gunman opened fire in an Oregon shopping mall, killing two people before taking his own life. [USATODAY]

A Black meteorologist was fired after responding to a racial remark on her employer’s Facebook page. [Maynard Institute]

T.I. has organized a charity in support of homeless veterans. [BET]

Legendary hip hop group Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [BET]

Ghana’s opposition party affirmed that it will contest the results of last week’s presidential election. [AP]

Lagos, Nigeria is the first African city to get a Monopoly board. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Michelle Obama says she’ll pass on watching coverage of the Republican National Convention, the MLK Memorial inscription has still not been changed one year after its dedication and Olympian Gabby Douglas is launching a gymnastics tour.

Michelle Obama says she’ll pass on watching coverage of the Republican National Convention. [AP]

After a year, the MLK Memorial inscription has still not been changed. [BET]

Gabby Douglas is launching a gymnastics tour. [AP]

Republican Gov. John Kaisch says, “We have to convince African Americans that they can start and own businesses.” [HuffPo]

A Black entrepreneur acquires a state-of-the-art telecom firm in Detroit. [PRWeb]

Beanie Sigel was arrested after drugs and a gun were found in his vehicle during a traffic stop. [BET]

A remake of the classic Diana Ross movie Mahogany is in the works. [BET]

The GOP is building a Black power base. [BET]

A Black pro-life group is blaming a Chicago Planned Parenthood for the death of a Black woman. [LifeNews]

South Africa’s protesting platinum miners will be charged with the murder of their 34 colleagues, who were shot by police. [BBC]

Nigeria is now on the priority list in terms of U.S. visa issuance. [Daily Trust]

In today’s top news, music exec and manager Jimmy Henchman is found guilty of 13 drug charges, Marvel Studios plans to produce Black Panther action hero movie and a new report shows the racial gap in life expectancy is shrinking.

Music exec and manager Jimmy Henchman is found guilty of 13 drug charges. [BET]

Marvel Studios plans to produce Black Panther action-hero movie. [MTV]

A new report shows the racial gap in life expectancy is shrinking. [WebMD]

Spike Lee is in talks to produce boxer Mike Tyson’s Broadway show. [BET]

Rapper turned pastor Mase may be the newest artists to join Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label. [BET]

A South Carolina mother was arrested for cheering too loudly at her daughter’s graduation. [MSNBC]

Condoleezza Rice is back on the political scene fundraising for Republican women. [MSNBC]

Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn district, birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., has been placed on the “most endangered placed list.” [MSNBC]

An official at Nigeria’s Dana Airline says the company knew the plane wasn’t fit to fly before Sunday’s ill-fated voyage. [Vanguard]

A bomb targeted the U.S. embassy in Libya. [Reuters]

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]