In today’s top news, Usher’s stepson was declared brain dead after a Jet Ski accident, George Zimmerman is at a safe house in Florida after posting $1 million in bail and a court battle over a Texas voter ID law is set to take place this week.

Usher’s stepson was declared brain dead after a Jet Ski accident. [BET]

Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman relocates to a safe house in Florida after posting $1 million in bail. [AP]

A controversial court battle over a Texas voter ID law is set to take place this week. [Reuters]

Hundreds of thousands of Internet users will lose access today because of a nasty virus. [CNN]

The Williams sisters took home the Wimbledon doubles title this weekend. [BET]

Morgan Freeman says President Obama’s white “mama” makes him America’s first mixed-race president — not the first Black president. [BET]

Study: The HPV vaccine is helping even those who skip it. [HealthDay]

South Sudan celebrates its first year of independence. [AFP]

South Africa desperately seeks to boost Black oil company ownership in the country. [Reuters]

Libya held its first democratic election this weekend. [Guardian]

In today’s top news, Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee was sacked amid Trayvon Martin case criticism, Attorney General Eric Holder was found in contempt of Congress for his handling of the “Fast and Furious” gun trafficking program and the Southern Baptist Convention declares gay rights are not civil rights.

Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee was sacked amid Trayvon Martin case criticism. [BET]

Attorney Genral Eric Holder was found in contempt of Congress for his handling of the “Fast and Furious” gun trafficking program. [BET]

The Southern Baptist Convention declares gay rights are not civil rights. [AP]

New York City’s Black residents left out of the city’s jobs rebound. [NYT]

Half of all new HIV diagnoses occur in the South. [BET]

Exposure to traffic noise has been linked with heart attacks. [WHAM]

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has replaced Tiger Woods as the highest paid athlete. [LATimes]

A judge has thrown out three of 51 child sex abuse charges lodged against former Penn. State football coach Jerry Sandusky. [AP]

The Ugandan government bans 38 NGOs it has accused of promoting gay rights. [CNN]

Two South African hostage, captured by Somali pirates, have been freed after 20 months of captivity. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou are reportedly calling it quits, there is now an app to help New York residents record and report stop and frisks and a report shows that a stand your ground defense is more likely to succeed if the victim is Black.

Kimora Lee Simmons and Djimon Hounsou are reportedly calling it quits. [BET]

Rep. Maxine Waters’ ethics investigation to move forward. [BET]

There is now an app to help New York residents record and report stop and frisks. [BlackWeb2.0]

Report shows that a stand your ground defense is more likely to succeed if the victim is Black. [TampaBayTimes]

George Zimmerman’s next bond hearing is set for June 29. [NBC News]

A Dallas elementary school is criticized for giving students awards based on race. [GMA]

A drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea is spreading worldwide. [TIME]

Nas gives his two cents on the Nicki Minaj, Summer Jam boycott controversy. [BET]

Another Syrian massacre shocks the world. [BBC]

The U.S. is offering millions for information leading to the capture of Al-Shabab leaders. [BBC]

In today’s top news, George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Trayvon Martin, Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, says she thinks George Zimmerman made a mistake in shooting her son and the Beverly Hills police have closed the investigation into Whitney Houston’s death, finding no foul play.

George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Trayvon Martin. [BET]

Trayvon Martin’s mother says she thinks George Zimmerman made a mistake in shooting her son.  [MSNBC]

The Beverly Hills police have closed the investigation into Whitney Houston’s death, finding no foul play.  [BET]

Bobbi Kristina reportedly plans to star in a new reality show. [BET]

U.S. Justice Department is suing Apple for conspiring with publishers to rig e-book prices. [MSNBC]

An independent report on the Hardest Hit Housing Markets program says more could be done to aid struggling homeowners. [CNN]

Connecticut plans to repeal the death penalty. [CNN]

April is National STD Awareness Month. [BET]

South Sudan ignores U.N. calls to remove troops from disputed oil field. [BBC]

Protests break out in Syria as troops withdraw in compliance with ceasefire. [AJE]

In today’s top news, Feb. 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Beyoncé makes her first public appearance since the birth of Blue Ivy and Super Bowl Champions the New York Giants return home to a parade in their honor.

Feb. 7th is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. [BET]

Beyoncé makes her first public appearance since the birth of Blue Ivy. [BET]

New York Giants return home to a parade in their honor. [AP]

Al Sharpton is very concerned about the NYPD and muslims. [CapitalNewYork]

Santorum calls Obama “hostile” toward people of faith. [Politico]

Valerie Jarrett says much more needs to be done about Black unemployment. [BET]

Wal-Mart Foundation donates $9.5 million in grants to promote healthy eating among minorities. [BET]

LGBT advocacy group GLAAD wants Roland Martin fired over his Super Bowl tweets. [LATimes]

SAG Award winner Viola Davis gets glam for LA Times. [BET]

DNA testing manufacturer says one in ten Americans have questions about paternity. [MSNBC]

(Photo: John Ricard)

In today’s top news, Obama blasts GOP critics with a snarky comeback, Jay-Z prepares to raise cash for the United Way, and Oprah’s TV network may be getting a lot more color.

Obama tells critics to  “ask Bin Laden” if he’s an appeaser. [CBS]

NBC will approve Questlove’s future Fallon show selections. [AP]

Jay-Z to perform for charity. [BET]

FAMU president punished after hazing death. [Orlando Sentinel]

Scientists discover nature’s own STD test. [MSNBC]

Sandusky’s wife stands by her man. [ABC]

Despite the achievement gap, Black parents do care about education. [BET]

Eddie Murphy eyes role of ex-D.C. mayor Marion Barry in upcoming HBO film. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oprah’s OWN network may shift its aim to Black viewers. [NYPost]

Black atheists in the south share stories. [CNN]

D.C. school officials are planning to offer tests for sexually transmitted diseases to all high school students in the coming school year, expanding a pilot program that uncovered a significant number of infected children. The program conducted last year at eight high schools found that 13 percent of about 3,000 students tested positive for an STD, mostly gonorrhea or chlamydia, according to the D.C. Department of Health. The expansion places D.C. public schools in the vanguard of a growing number of urban school districts that test adolescents for STDs. About 12,000 students attend public high schools in the District.  STDs are of particular concern to AIDS activists because they increase the risk of contracting HIV. The testing program was hailed in a report released Wednesday by the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice as a positive step in the city’s effort to arrest its growing AIDS rate, which is the highest in the nation and is considered an epidemic. Half of the city’s cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea are among adolescents.

Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rapid rise throughout the United States, reports Mary Engel of The Los Angeles Times. She writes in Wednesday’s edition that: “Rates of the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia are climbing in the U.S., and rates of syphilis – once on the verge of elimination – rose for the seventh consecutive year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in its annual report on STDs. Read the rest here.