(Photo: AP Photo/ABC, Eric McCandless)

In today’s news, Jason Collins of the Washington Wizards became the first openly gay member of an NBA team; the appointment of Anthony Foxx as transportation secretary adds diversity to Obama’s cabinet; and the Congressional Black Caucus wants to end the expense of calls from prison.

Jason Collins is first openly gay NBA player. [Sports Illustrated]

Obama cabinet has the diversity of his first term. [Bloomberg]

Congressional Black Caucus wants to end expensive prison calls. [BET]

Karzai confirms accepting CIA cash monthly for 10 years. [Wall Street Journal]

South Africa’s ANC defends its filmed visit to Mandela. [BBC]

Colleges adapt online courses to ease burden for students. [NYTimes]

Darfur to host large soccer tournament. [BBC]

Michael Jordan marries ex-model. [Jet]

Hurricane Sandy dumped 11 billion gallons of sewage in waterways. [USA Today]

Harold Washington remembered 30 years after becoming mayor of Chicago. [BET]

(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Democrat and former Illinois state legislator Robin Kelly will replace Jesse Jackson Jr. after winning a special election Tuesday night. [BET]

Sean “Jay-Z” Carter is selling his stake in the Brooklyn Nets and will move forward as a sports agent. [BET]

Dylan Quick will undergo a psychiatric evaluation after being charged in the Lone Star College stabbing in Texas. [Houston Chronicle]

The postal service’s board said that it will continue to deliver mail six days a week.  [CNN Money]

A 6-year-old boy who was accidentally shot in the head by a 4-year-old playmate has died from his wounds. [Huffington Post]

A week after the death of “Buckwild” reality-TV star Shain Gandee, MTV has decided to cancel the series. [LATimes]

Former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner, who resigned after tweeting lewd pictures of himself, is considering a run for New York City mayor. [Reuters]

South Korea said there was a “very high” probability that North Korea would test-launch a medium-range missile at any time as a show of strength. [Al Jazeera]

Cuba handed over an American couple to U.S. officials who allegedly kidnapped their two sons and sailed to Havana. [CNN]

(Photo: AP Photo, File)

In today’s top news, Nelson Mandela is hospitalized again, George Zimmerman’s lawyer Mark O’Mara believes Robert Zimmerman’s controversial tweets will harm defense and two Georgia teens have been indicted for the murder of a 1-year-old.

Nelson Mandela was hospitalized again for a lung infection. [BET]

George Zimmerman’s lawyer Mark O’ Mara believes Robert Zimmerman’s tweets about Trayvon Martin will harm the defense. [CNN]

Two Georgia teens have been indicted for the murder of a 1-year-old. [CNN]

A rally will be held in D.C. on Good Friday to increase national awareness of racial disparities in incarceration. [Afro American]

In the stop-and-frisk trial, a NYPD officer testified that he detained and taunted an innocent 13-year-old. [Wall Street Journal]

Search warrants say Adam Lanza killed 26 people and himself in five minutes in the Newtown, Connecticut, massacre. [USA Today]

Miami Heat’s winning streak ends with loss to the Chicago Bulls, 101-97. [ESPN]

Jamie Foxx will play the president in the upcoming action film White House Down. [The Grio]

(Photo: AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

In today’s top news, President Obama visited the West Bank stressing the need for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians, Rev. Al Sharpton will lead an anti-violence rally in Harlem and Vice President Biden will meet with New York City Mayor Bloomberg to discuss new federal gun laws.

President Obama visited the West Bank on Thursday, stressing the need for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians. [NBC News]

Rev. Al Sharpton will lead an anti-violence rally today in Harlem. [DNAinfo]

Vice President Biden will meet with NYC Mayor Bloomberg today to discuss the need for new federal gun laws. [NBC New York]

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed the “Anti-Bloomberg” bill preventing any limits on soda sizes. [CNN]

Fashion retailer H&M debuts new Beyoncé campaign. [Black Voices]

Miami’s winning streak increased to 24 wins as they beat Cleveland last night. [ESPN]

Seven people were shot at a Chicago nightclub during a rap CD release party last night. [ABC Chicago]

Christian hip hop artist Amisho “Sho Baraka” Lewis is stirring controversy with raw lyrics about racism. [CNN]

South Korea has traced a cyber-attack that paralyzed more than 30,000 computers on Wednesday to a Chinese Internet address. [NPR]

North Korea said it would attack U.S. military bases on Japan and the Pacific island of Guam if provoked. [Reuters]

(Photo: Allison Joyce/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, a third protest has erupted in Brooklyn over the police killing of Kimani Gray; First Lady Michella Obama will cover Vogue’s April issue; and Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose has offered to pay for the funeral of Jonylah Watkins, an infant who was shot and killed in Chicago.

A third protest erupted Wednesday night in Brooklyn, New York, where police killed Kimani Gray. [BET]

First Lady Michelle Obama will cover the April issue of Vogue magazine. [BET]

Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose has offered to pay for the funeral of Jonylah Watkins, a 6-month-old that was shot and killed in Chicago. [NBC Chicago]

The White House said Tuesday that all criticism of the level of diversity in President Obama’s second-term cabinet should be held until he completes it. [Black Voices]

Lawyers suing the New York Police Department for its stop-and-frisk policy are calling it the “the trial of the century.” [Black Voices]

Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant will be out “indefinitely” after spraining his left ankle. [AP]

A New York woman plummets to her death from an 8th floor apartment with her baby, who survives. [Huffington Post]

Carnival Cruise Lines will fly their passengers on one of its cruises back to Florida after the ship’s generator failed while docked in the Caribbean. [AP]

Scientists are saying that embalming the body of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will be difficult. [CNN]

Xi Jinping was named China’s president Thursday by the country’s parliament. [Al Jazeera]

In today’s top news, President Obama called for concrete proposals on how to end gun violence by January, police are on the hunt for two escaped bank robbers in Chicago and Al Sharpton stressed the nation’s need to limit access to high-powered weapons.

President Obama called for concrete proposals on how to end gun violence by January. [NBCNews]

Police are on the hunt for two escaped bank robbers in Chicago. [GMA]

Al Sharpton stressed the nation’s need to limit access to high-powered weapons. [BET]

Wacka Flocka Flame was ordered to pay $500,000 to a shooting victim. [BET]

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is launching a vodka line soon. [BET]

HBO has plans to adapt the Alicia Keys-produced play Stick Fly into a film. [Grio]

An Australian resort owner has banned Tiger Woods. [Yahoo!]

A Texas state trooper has been suspended for subjecting two women to roadside cavity searches. [NBCNews]

Ben Affleck testified before Congress, urging action in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [VOA]

A group of extremely tall Sudanese basketball players have been cleared to play at an Illinois high school. [NBCChicago]

(Photo: Lexey Swall/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, President Obama honors veterans on Veteran’s Day, citizens in 19 states file petitions to secede from the U.S. following Obama’s re-election and Rihanna donated 1,000 sleeping bags to victims of Hurricane Sandy.

President Obama honors veterans on Veteran’s Day. [Reuters]

Citizens in 19 states file petitions to secede from the U.S. following Obama’s re-election. [Gawker]

Rihanna donated 1,000 sleeping bags to victims of Hurricane Sandy. [BET]

Usher was allowed to breeze past a long line of voters on Election Day. [BET]

A California woman was fired and reported to the Secret Service after posting Facebook comments about an Obama assassination. [Turlock Bee]

Many Long Island residents are still without power following Hurricane Sandy. [Reuters]

Kevin Clash, the voice of Elmo, has been accused of having sex with an underage boy. [TMZ]

Fantasia dismisses rumors that she recently had a nose job. [BET]

A Nigerian NBA manager is seeking to mine talent from his homeland. [CNN]

Ghana ends its search for people trapped in last week’s mini mall collapse. [BBC]

In today’s top news, today is National Voter Registration Day, a court ruled the Army Corps of Engineers was not responsible for the flooding of New Orleans and President Obama addresses the United Nations.

Today is National Voter Registration Day. [BET]

An appeals court ruled the Army Corps of Engineers was not responsible for the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. [CNN]

President Obama is slated to give a stern warning to Iran before the United Nations today. [Reuters]

Judge exonerates former L.A. gang member of murder after 19 years in prison. [AP]

George Zimmerman’s brother has spoken out in defense of his family. [FOX]

Home prices rise for the sixth straight month. [Reuters]

Stephon Marbury’s wife will join the cast of Basketball Wives. [BET]

Chris Brown failed a drug test and now faces a probation hearing in November. [BET]

Kenyan public schools have reopened after a three-week teacher strike. [BBC]

Over 20,000 South African road freight employees are on a pay strike. [AP]

In today’s top news, a Washington man accused of making an email threat against President Obama was arrested, Nike will sell its latest LeBron James sneakers for $300 and Rep. Todd Akin says he will remain in the Missouri senate race after his “legitimate rape” comments.

The Secret Service arrested a Washington man accused of making an email threat against President Obama. [NBC News]

Nike will sell its latest LeBron James sneakers for $300. [ESPN]

Congressman Todd Akin says he will remain in the Missouri senate race after his “legitimate rape” comments caused a firestorm. [Reuters]

Kanye West is rumored to be considering a seat at the American Idol judges table. [BET]

A poll shows New Yorkers opinions about Stop-and-Frisk are divided along racial lines. [BET]

A woman held captive in a Philadelphia basement for a decade sues the city. [CNN]

A referee at the U.S. Open has been charged for allegedly murdering her husband with a coffee cup. [GMA]

Mike Tyson sympathizes with Chad Johnson amid his swirl of domestic violence related issues. [BET]

China has replaced the U.S. as Nigeria’s top crude oil importer. [This Day]

Federal authorities destroyed more than $1 billion worth of marijuana plants found growing on federal lands. [CNN]

A South African farm worker is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Rep. Charles Rangel’s victorious primary win now hangs in the balance, Rep. Allen West accused President Obama of wanting Americans to “be his slave” and Rick Ross is off the hook for child support.

Rep. Charles Rangel’s victorious primary win now hangs in the balance as the New York Board of Elections says there are nearly 2,000 uncounted absentee and affidavit ballots. [BET]

Rep. Allen West accused President Obama of wanting Americans to “be his slave.” [LATimes]

Rick Ross is off the hook for child support after a paternity test proved he did not father a child with the Florida woman who took him to court. [BET]

Kelis owes $300,000 in back taxes. [Daily Mail]

No. 1 NBA draft pick Anthony Davis’s sprained ankle may keep him out of the Summer Olympics. [SI]

Eminem and Dr. Dre are working on a new album together. [BET]

Report shows probation fees are rising and private companies are profiting. [NYT]

Scientists say our sweltering summer heat and accompanying dangerous storms are the result of global warming. [AP]

Twitter says the number of user information requests from governments has increased over the past year. [AJE]

Time is running out to save an 8,000 piece collection of African-American memorabilia from being auctioned off. [CNN]

Nigeria signed a $4.5 billion deal with a U.S. based oil company to build six refineries in the country. [BBC]