(Photos from left: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images, Michael Kovac/Getty Images)

In today’s top news, Russell Simmons, other stars and elected officials are urging President Obama to reform the U.S. drug and criminal justice  policy; North Korea issued new war threats; and families of Newtown, Connecticut, victims want Congress to revive gun legislation that has stalled for almost four months.

Russell Simmons, Will Smith, other stars and elected officials are urging President Obama to reform the U.S. drug and criminal justice  policy. [BlackVoices]

North Korea issued new war threats on Tuesday. [CNN]

Families of Newtown, Connecticut, victims want Congress to revive gun legislation that has stalled nearly four months after the slaying at Sandy Hook Elementary School. [ABCNews]

The interest on U.S. Stafford student loans are set to double this summer. [NBCNews]

The Louisville Cardinals beat Michigan 82-76 to capture the NCAA men’s basketball title. [BET]

You can now follow former President Bill Clinton on Twitter @PrezBillyJeff. [NYDailyNews]

Organizers of the Scripps National Spelling Bee are adding multiple-choice vocabulary tests to the annual competition. [ABCNews]

A fake Cookie Monster is being charged for reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a two-year-old  tourist in Times Square Sunday. [USA Today]

A couple who kidnapped their two sons, who were in legal custody with their grandmother, have been found in Havana, Cuba. [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: Myspace via New York Post)

In today’s top news, Timothy Dluhos, an FDNY employee, was suspended after being exposed for racist tweets, the U.S. Supreme Court will take on affirmative action and the Miami Heat won their 26th consecutive game.

Timothy Dluhos, a FDNY employee, has been suspended after being exposed for racist tweets. [NY Post]

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take on a new case involving affirmative action. [NYTimes]

The Miami Heat won their 26th consecutive game against the Orlando Magic. [AP]

A 14-year-old suspected of shooting a baby in  Brunswick, Georgia, will appear in court. [CNN]

Jessica Upshaw, a Mississippi lawmaker, was found dead with a self-inflicted gun shot wound to her head. [MSNEWSNOW]

Residents of Newtown, Connecticut, said they are outraged over robocalls they’ve received from the National Rifle Association. [ABCNews]

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has become the second sitting U.S. senator in less than two weeks to endorse gay marriage. [CBS News]

A resident of New Jersey won the $338 million Powerball lottery ticket. [USA Today]

François Bozizé, the president of Central African Republic, fled to Cameroon after being overthrown by rebels. [ABCNews]

The U.S. has handed over to Afghanistan the only prison still under American control. [BBCNews]

(Photo: Courtesy Watkins Family via CBS News)

In today’s top news, Jonylah Watkins will be laid to rest, Lil Wayne was released from the hospital and graduation rates have improved for Black NCAA tournament players.

The funeral for Jonylah Watkins, the 6-month-old who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago, will be held today. [Chicago Tribune]

Lil Wayne has been released from a Los Angeles hospital where he was taken in after having seizures. [BET]

On the 10-year anniversary of the Iraq war, 57 people were killed in bombings throughout Baghdad.  [AP]

Graduation rates have improved for NCAA tournament players, especially African-Americans. [TheGrio]

Bobbie Smith, the former lead singer of the group the Spinners, has died. He was 76. [Billboard]

Officers involved in the shooting of Kimani Gray have previously been sued for civil rights violations. [WNYC]

At least seven U.S. Marines were killed and several others were injured at a Nevada training site. [USA Today]

The housing market has shown signs of improvement in February as the number of new permits for construction climbed to the highest level since 2008. [Reuters]

Two teenage girls were charged with menacing for allegedly threatening the victim in the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case via Twitter and Facebook. [ABC]

Two suicide bombers killed at least 22 people in an attack on a bus station in the Northern Nigerian city of Kano yesterday. [Bloomberg]

Pope Francis set the tone for a new, humbler papacy on Tuesday with a call for the defense of the weak and the environment. [Reuters]

(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]

(Photo: KASANDRAPERKINS VIA INSTAGRAM)

In today’s top news, the family of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher is still in shock after the  murder-suicide; Chris Brown returns to Twitter; and funeral services for slain 17-year-old Jordan Davis were held this weekend.
The family of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher is still in shock after the murder-suicide. [BET]

Chris Brown returns to Twitter. [BET]

Funeral services for slain 17-year-old Jordan Davis were held this weekend. [WOKV]

Five states announced that public schools  will add 300 hours of learning time in 2013. [AP]

Comedian Katt Williams was recently arrested for a bar fight and caught on tape slapping a Target employee. [Grio]

Pusha T disses Lil Wayne and Birdman on new Ludacris song. [BET]

Pope Benedict XVI has opened a personal Twitter account. [CNN]

Some fear a  prolonged strike of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports will have a negative effect on the country’s economy. [Reuters]

Israel has approved the construction of 3,000 new homes in Palestinian disputed territory. [BBC]

Congo’s M23 rebels withdrew from Goma but threatened to return if government negotiations don’t take place Monday. [AJE]

In today’s top news, state officials predict Jesse Jackson Jr.’s resignation could cost taxpayers $5.1 million, Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge to chair Congressional Black Caucus and retailers expect Americans will spend nearly $1.5 billion in online purchases this Cyber Monday.

Chicago officials predict Jesse Jackson Jr.’s resignation could cost taxpayers $5.1 million. [ABCNews]

Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge to chair Congressional Black Caucus. [Plain Dealer]

Retailers expect Americans will spend nearly $1.5 billion in online purchases this Cyber Monday. [ABCNews]

Chris Brown deleted his Twitter account after a nasty exchange with a female comedian. [BET]

A Georgia man suspected of shoplifting at a Walmart dies after a scuffle with employees. [NBCNews]

A seven-year-old girl becomes the country’s youngest medical marijuana patient. [NBCNews]

Chris Brown and Drake won’t face criminal charges for their infamous club brawl. [BET]

Halle Berry’s ex was arrested after an altercation with her new beau on Thanksgiving. [BET]

Millions of Egyptians are called to protest against President Mohamed Morsi. [Times]

Ugandan parliament drops the death penalty from its proposed anti-homosexuality bill. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Nicki Minaj says she has smoothed things over with fellow American Idol judge Mariah Carey, the U.S. Embassy in Athens issued a warning for African-Americans traveling to Greece citing racial attacks and fighting intensifies in Gaza as war looms.

Nicki Minaj says she has smoothed things over with fellow American Idol judge Mariah Carey. [BET]

The U.S. embassy in Athens issued a warning for African-Americans traveling to Greece citing racial attacks. [AP]

Fighting intensifies in Gaza as war looms. [BBC]

A source says the FBI is drilling down into the probe of Jesse Jackson Jr. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Atlantic City mayor Lorenzo Langford called N.J. Governor Chris Christie “racially insensitive.” [Grio]

Meek Mill and Cassidy trade jabs on Twitter. [BET]

O.J. Simpson is slapped with a tax lien. [TMZ]

Jennifer Hudson says she’s done losing weight. [BET]

Scientists believe that a new strain of Ebola may be airborne. [BBC]

In today’s top news, President Obama was elected to a second term in office, Maine voted in favor of legalizing gay marriage within the state and a nor’easter threatens to dump snow on the East Coast one week after Hurricane Sandy.

President Obama was elected to a second term in office. [BET]

Maine voted in favor of legalizing gay marriage within the state. [BET]

Just one week after Hurricane Sandy ripped through the East Coast, a nor’easter threatens to dump snow on the region. [NBCNews]

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was reelected while on medical leave. [AP]

Donald Trump calls on Americans to revolt in the wake of Obama’s win. [Yahoo!]

Black GOP star Mia Love loses Utah congressional race. [Grio]

World stock prices rose after Obama’s re-election. [AP]

Cleveland’s infamous “uppercut” bus driver was fired from his job as a result of the incident. [Plain Dealer]

Too Short and E-40 announce collab album 10 years in the making. [BET]

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said he looks forward to working with Obama in the future. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Louisiana police say 20-year-old Sharmeka Moffitt lied about being burned by the KKK, reports say Donald Trump has evidence that President Obama and Michelle Obama once filed for divorce and Mitt Romney’s son Tagg apologized for stating that he wanted to “swing” on Obama.

Louisiana police say 20-year-old Sharmeka Moffitt lied about being burned by the KKK. [CBSNews]

Reports say Donald Trump is gearing up to reveal evidence that President Obama and Michelle Obama once filed for divorce. [DailyMail]

Mitt Romney’s son Tagg apologized for stating that he wanted to “swing” on Obama during the presidential debates. [CNN]

A friend of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. says its unclear whether the congressman will return to work. [CNBC]

A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Indiana said when pregnancy results from a rape, “God intended” it. [Reuters]

Amber Rose slipped and told Twitter fans she will be having a baby boy. [BET]

Vivica A. Fox is the latest celeb to weigh in on Stacey Dash’s endorsement of Mitt Romney. [BET]

Lil Wayne says Kanye helped with new album. [BET]

Syria agrees to a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid. [BBC]

Officials from Western nations say an offensive against Mali rebels will not happen until 2013. [AJE]