In today’s top news, today marks the start of Black History Month, the Black unemployment rate slipped to 13.8 percent in January and a student was taken into custody for the shooting of a 14-year-old student at an Atlanta middle school.

Today marks the start of Black History Month. [BET]

The Black unemployment rate slipped to 13.8 percent in January. [BET]

A student was taken into custody for the shooting of a 14-year-old student at an Atlanta middle school. [USATODAY]

At least three people are dead after a suicide bombing outside the U.S. embassy in Turkey. [CNN]

Beyoncé sang the national anthem live and admitted to lip-syncing at President Obama’s inauguration. [BET]

California’s Hispanic population is expected to outnumber whites by 2014. [Reuters]

The Arkansas senate approved a bill to ban some abortions as early as five weeks into the pregnancy. [Reuters]

A 5-year-old boy in Alabama has been held hostage in an underground bunker for four days, as of today. [NBCNews]

Gambia is giving public sector workers a four-day work week so citizens have more time to “pray, socialize and tend to fields.” [BBC]

French president Francois Hollande will visit Mali on Saturday. [AJE]

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]

(Photo: Mike Groll/AP PHOTO)

In today’s top news, New York became the first state to enact a revised gun control law since Newtown, Myrlie Evers-Williams says she is incredibly honored to deliver the invocation at President Obama’s inauguration and The NRA calls out President Obama for shunning armed guards in schools when his daughters have Secret Service.

New York became the first state to enact a revised gun control law since the Newtown school shooting. [Reuters]

Myrlie Evers-Williams says she is incredibly honored to deliver the invocation at President Obama’s inauguration. [BET]

The NRA calls out President Obama for shunning armed guards in schools when his daughters have Secret Service. [Grio]

ESPN host Stuart Scott says his cancer has returned. [USATODAY]

The Pentagon reports record numbers of military suicides. [CNN]

Chief Keef was taken into police custody for violating his probation. [BET]

Steve Harvey inks an expanded deal with Clear Channel to continue his radio talk show. [Reuters]

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s baby is due in July. [BET]

The U.S. is making plans to assist with the military intervention in Mali. [IPS]

A journalist in Somalia was arrested after reporting the story of a woman who says she was raped by government security forces. [AP]

In today’s top news, Don Cheadle and Django Unchained won Golden Globe awards, Colin Powell chided the GOP for its “intolerance” and Nas was hospitalized for vertigo.

Don Cheadle and Django Unchained won Golden Globe awards. [BET]

Colin Powell said there is a “darn vein of intolerance” running through some parts of the GOP. [BET]

Nas was hospitalized for vertigo. [BET]

A Missouri court has appointed a lawyer to protect the interests of the late Jovan Belcher’s 4-month-old daughter. [USATODAY]

Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa have decided to call off their divorce. [CNN]

Louis Farrakhan called Django Unchained “preparation for a race war.” [FOX]

An Ohio town will let some school employees bring guns to school once they have received tactical training. [Reuters]

Record low water levels in the Great Lakes are snarling commerce, tourism in the region. [CNN]

French fighter jets began bombing targets in militant strongholds of northern Mali this weekend. [AP]

Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki blocked a bid by legislators to give themselves $100K pay bonuses. [AP]

In today’s top news, Rep. Charles Rangel called the lack of diversity in President Obama’s cabinet “embarrassing as hell,” Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio was withdrawn from Obama’s inauguration over anti-gay remarks and Tyler Perry is offering a $100k reward for information in the case of two Florida men that went missing in 2003.

Rep. Charles Rangel called the lack of diversity in President Obama’s cabinet “embarrassing as hell.” [BET]

Atlanta pastor Louie Giglio was withdrawn from President Obama’s inauguration over anti-gay remarks. [BET]

Tyler Perry is offering a $100k reward for information in the case of two Florida men that went missing in 2003. [AP]

President Obama signed a law giving himself lifetime Secret Service detail. [Yahoo!]

Entertainment companies agree to hold dialogue on gun violence. [L.A.Times]

A student was shot at a Taft, California, high school Thursday. [AP]

Beyoncé announces new Destiny’s Child music. [BET]

Donald Trump crowns a Black Miss USA, Nana Meriwether. [E!News]

Rebels in the Central African Republic have agreed to a one-week truce with the government. [BBC]

France says its ready to intervene in Mali to stop militants in the country’s north. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Trayvon Martin’s mother speaks out about gun violence; Sandy Hook students return to school; and a tax increase ignored by the fiscal cliff deal will raise payroll taxes for an estimated 160 million Americans.

Trayvon Martin’s mother speaks out about gun violence in the wake of the Newtown school shooting. [BET]

Sandy Hook students return to school today. [NBCNews]

A tax increase ignored by the fiscal cliff deal will raise payroll taxes for an estimated 160 million Americans. [L.A.Times]

Philadelphia plans to close nearly 40 schools amid financial trouble. [BET]

A Wisconsin state senator dubs Kwanzaa a fake holiday that Blacks don’t care about. [BET]

A Wisconsin ninth grader was arrested for giving a noose and a KKK symbol to a Black classmate. [Daily Caller]

A Maryland school suspended a 6-year-old boy for making a gun gesture with his hands and saying, “Pow.” [Daily Caller]

Metrics show that large numbers of Black moviegoers are supporting Django Unchained. [Hollywood Reporter]

Blue Ivy was voted 2012’s worst celebrity baby name. [Grio]

Central African Republic awaits the outcome of talks between rebels and the government. [AP]

In today’s top news, lawmakers agreed to an 11th hour deal that kept the tax-raising fiscal cliff at bay, President Obama resumed his Hawaii vacation following resolution of the fiscal cliff crisis and doctors are confident Hillary Clinton will make a full recovery from the blood clot she suffered.

Lawmakers agreed to an 11th hour deal that kept the tax-raising fiscal cliff at bay. [BET]

President Obama resumed his Hawaii vacation following resolution of the fiscal cliff crisis. [ABC News]

Doctors are confident Hillary Clinton will make a full recovery from the blood clot she suffered as the result of a concussion. [BET]

Ten states raised the minimum wage between 10 to 35 cents an hour. [Reuters]

Sandy Hook students and teachers prepare to return to class for the first time since the horrific school shooting. [NBCNews]

Jay-Z has beeb tapped to score upcoming film The Great Gatsby. [MTV]

Shawty Lo’s reality show All My Babies’ Mamas is being boycotted. [MTV]

Celebs rally behind Django Unchained after harsh criticism. [BET]

Ivory Coast called for three days of mourning after a New Year’s Eve stampede killed 61 in Abidjan. [BBC]

Regional troops have intervened in the Central African Republic where rebels have advanced toward the capital, Bangui. [AJE]

(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, Michelle Obama writes an open letter to Newtown, church bells in Newtown chimes 26 times in honor of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, and Fat Joe pleads guilty to tax evasion.

Michelle Obama writes an open letter to Newtown. [BET]

Church bells in Newtown chimes 26 times in honor of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. [NBCNews]

Fat Joe pleads guilty to tax evasion. [BET]

Sarah Palin bashed President Obama’s TIME Person of the Year win. [CNN]

The CDC reports that new infections of HIV among African-American women have declined. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Singer Frank Ocean is facing a $1 million lawsuit from his estranged father. [BET]

Katt Williams was detained in front of a Subway restaurant. [TMZ]

Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Williams and Cicely Tyson will star in the Broadway play “The Trip to Bountiful.” [Grio]

ESPN suspends host Rob Parker for RGIII comments. [Grio]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu likens Uganda’s anti-gay laws to apartheid. [Sapa-AFP]

Humanitarian groups warn that a Mali intervention will harm civilians. [VOA]

(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]