(Photo: AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Lauren McGaughy)

In today’s news, a shooting at a Mother’s Day parade in New Orleans left 19 people injured; the victims of the kidnapping in Cleveland have asked that they be allowed privacy; and Black and Latino lawyers are underrepresented in arguing before the Supreme Court.

Shooting at New Orleans Mother’s Day parade leaves 19 injured. [USA Today]

Cleveland kidnapping victims request privacy. [Wall Street Journal]

Black and Latino lawyers underrepresented in appearing at Supreme Court. [Fox News]

Florida A&M student pleads no contest in band hazing death. [BET]

Desmond Tutu said he will no longer vote for South Africa’s ANC. [Mail & Guardian]

Nigerian doctors shut down hospital in protest. [BBC]

There is a lack of Black pitchers and catchers in Major League Baseball. [Baseball Nation]

George Zimmerman’s lawyer wants jury sequestered in Trayvon Martin trial. [BET]

Malcolm X’s grandson killed in Mexico. [BET]

Minnesota is expected to become 12th state to adopt same-sex marriage. [Chicago Tribune]

(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: AP Photo/Federal Bureau of Investigation)

In today’s news, a hacker gained access to the Associated Press Twitter account and sent false news about President Obama, causing stocks to plunge briefly; The Boston bombing suspect appears to lack ties to terrorist groups overseas; and Congressman Charles Rangel of Harlem is suing to overturn his censure by Congress.

Hackers compromise AP Twitter account, sending false Obama news. [CBS]

Boston bombing suspects appears to lack ties to foreign terrorists. [Washington Post]

Charles Rangel sues to overturn censure by Congress. [BET]

Charges dropped against Mississippi man in ricin case. [Clarion Ledger]

A 15-year-old is shot near Obama Chicago home. [BET]

Rush Limbaugh compares Boston bombing suspect to Trayvon Martin. [Huffington Post]

French embassy in Algeria bombed. [BBC]

Nelson Mandela wants family to pave their own way. [The Telegraph]

Lauryn Hill pleads guilty in tax evasion suit. [Jet]

Lakers seek to cope with loss of Kobe Bryant. [LATimes]

(Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, Rutgers University fired head basketball coach Mike Rice, Nelson Mandela is making progress in seventh day at hospital and former superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools reported to jail and was released on bond in cheating scandal.

Rutgers University fired head basketball coach Mike Rice after ESPN broadcast a video showing him physically and verbally abusing players. [CNN]

Nelson Mandela is making progress as he spends the seventh day at the hospital. [BET]

The former superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools reported to jail on Tuesday for cheating scandal. She was released on bond on Wednesday morning. [CNN]

President Obama will attend this month’s dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library in Dallas. [USA Today]

Rev. Al Sharpton kicks off the National Action Network convention in New York City. [BET]

D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry hospitalized after experiencing a drop in blood sugar. [AP]

President Obama and Michelle Obama were moved after viewing 42, a movie about Jackie Robinson. [AP]

Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that will regulate the production, processing and sale of marijuana. [USA Today]

North Carolina lawmakers introduced a bill declaring that the state has the power to establish an official religion. [NBCNews]

Four sisters aged between 19 and 24 in north India received burns after two men on motorbike splashed them with acid. [Al Jazeera]

(Photo: AP Photo/Lulamile Feni-Daily Dispatch)

In today’s top news, Nelson Mandela is recovering positively in hospital; President Obama urged the nation and Congress into action against gun violence Thursday; and both suspects pleaded not guilty in the killing of Hadiya Pendleton.

Nelson Mandela is recovering positively after being admitted to the hospital yesterday for a lung infection. [BBC]

President Obama is shaming the nation and Congress into action against gun violence Thursday. [CNN]

Both men pleaded not guilty in the killing of Hadiya Pendleton. [BET]

The EPA plans to unveil a proposal that aims to clean up automobile emissions, a plan that may lead to higher gas prices. [Fox News]

7,000 patients who visited a Tulsa, Oklahoma, dentist may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis. [CNN]

Rep. Don Young of Alaska said he “meant no disrespect” when he used the term “wetbacks” to refer to the migrant laborers who worked on his father’s farm. [ADN]

(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: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, nationwide jobless claims fall to lowest levels in four years, a smaller crowd is expected in Washington, D.C. for President Obama’s second inauguration ceremony and Newtown residents are asking for a temporary halt of donations after being overwhelmed by gifts.

Nationwide jobless claims fall to lowest levels in four years. [Reuters]

A smaller crowd is expected in Washington, D.C., for President Obama’s second inauguration ceremony. [BET]

Newtown residents are asking for a temporary halt of donations after being overwhelmed by gifts. [CNN]

President Obama and Michelle Obama release yearly Kwanzaa message. [WhiteHouse]

Several Black teachers are suing the Chicago Public School system alleging its turnaround program is discriminatory. [CBSChicago]

The Virginia Historical Society has launched a searchable database of slave names. [Progress-Index]

Janet Jackson is engaged to billionaire Wissam al Mana. [BET]

Brandy is engaged to music mogul Ryan Press. [BET]

Nelson Mandela is doing well after being released from the hospital but has not “fully recovered” yet. [Reuters]

South African President Jacob Zuma defended his comment that caring for pets is “white culture” by saying the statement was an attempt to “decolonize the African mind.” [SAPA]

In today’s top news, President Obama cut his holiday vacation short to work on a fiscal cliff solution, a Wednesday night storm is leaving many holiday travelers stranded and Spike Lee calls Django Unchained “disrespectful.”

President Obama cut his holiday vacation short to work on a fiscal cliff solution. [AtlanticWire]

A Wednesday night storm is leaving many holiday travelers stranded. [NBCNews]

Spike Lee calls Django Unchained “disrespectful.” [Grio]

Meek Mill is donating $10,000 to one Philadelphia high school. [BET]

George Zimmerman is being sued by a security firm for $27,000 in unpaid fees. [Grio]

Nelson Mandela said to be “looking better and in good spirits.” [AP]

The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville is struggling to gather start-up funds. [Tennessean]

Katt Williams defended his assault of a Target employee by saying he was called a racial slur. [BET]

ESPN suspended Rob Parker for 30 days for comments about Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. [BET]

International charity Oxfam says negative perceptions of Africa are affecting U.K. contributions to African causes. [BBC]

(Photo: Nadav Kander for TIME Magazine)

In today’s top news, TIME magazine names Barack Obama Person of the Year, Vice President Joe Biden will take the lead on working to reduce gun violence and reports say President Obama is eyeing American Express’s Black CEO to serve as treasury secretary.

TIME magazine names Barack Obama Person of the Year. [TIME]

Vice President Joe Biden will take the lead on working to reduce gun violence. [Reuters]

Reports say President Obama is eyeing American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault to serve as treasury secretary. [Bloomberg]

A Utah boy who said he feared for his life following the Newtown school shooting was charged with bringing a gun to school. [Reuters]

Evelyn Lozada drops the restraining order she had against ex-husband Chad Johnson. [BET]

Kendrick Lamar makes a personal appeal to Janet Jackson, asking her to appear in his “Poetic Justice” video. [BET]

Singer Mike Posner pens a song for Sandy Hook victims. [BET]

Marion Barry says D.C. police need to go to the gym and get on a diet. [Grio]

Doctors are in no hurry to send Nelson Mandela home from the hospital. [BBC]

China has detained over 500 members of a religious group for spreading rumors about doomsday. [AP]

In today’s top news, President Obama visited Newtown, Connecticut, and offered victims the “prayers of the nation”; schools across the country plan to ramp up security after Friday’s school shooting; and  evidence shows the lead detective in the Trayvon Martin case  revised the police report four times.

President Obama visited Newtown, Connecticut, and offered ”prayers of the nation.” [BET]

Schools across the country plan to ramp up security after Friday’s school shooting. [GMA]

New evidence shows the lead detective in the Trayvon Martin case  revised the police report four times. [Orlando Sentinel]

A man was charged with threatening to massacre students and staff at an Indiana elementary school. [Reuters]

Sources say Obama may tap John Kerry to serve as secretary of state now that Susan Rice is no longer in the running. [CNN]

Jamie Foxx says violence in entertainment bears some of the responsibility for violence in real life. [AP]

Trey Songz was arrested for misdemeanor assault for throwing money at a woman. [BET]

Game calls for a boycott of Fox News after a reporter slammed his LP “Jesus Piece.” [BET]

Nelson Mandela underwent a successful gallstone removal procedure. [AJE]

South African police say they thwarted an ANC meeting bomb plot. [Reuters]