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, Beyoncé will sing the national anthem at the 57th presidential inauguration, 22 candidates have stepped up to fill the seat vacated by former Illinois congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and cable network MSNBC saw a 60 percent jump in Black viewership during 2012.

Beyoncé will sing the national anthem at the 57th presidential inauguration. [Grio]

Twenty-two candidates have stepped up to fill the seat vacated by former Illinois congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. [BET]

Cable network MSNBC saw a 60 percent jump in Black viewership during 2012. [ShadowandAct]

A N.Y. federal judge ruled stop-and-frisk unconstitutional in the Bronx. [BET]

New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo will propose a ban on assault weapons. [AP]

Laurence Fishburne got a restraining order on an alleged stalker who has tried to evict him from his own home. [BET]

The CDC says 1 in 5 high school girls binge drink. [CNN]

2012 was the U.S.’s hottest year on record. [Reuters]

Uganda returned $5 million in embezzled aid to Ireland. [Reuters]

South Africa’s farm workers stage mass strike over unfair wages amid “naked racism and white arrogance.” [BBC]

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]

In today’s top news, a judge halts Pennsylvania’s controversial new voter ID requirement, Usher orders his ex-wife out of his mansion and Oprah’s OWN is slated to partner with Tyler Perry.

A judge halts Pennsylvania’s controversial new voter ID requirement. [BET]

Usher orders his ex-wife out of his mansion. [BET]

Oprah’s OWN to partner with Tyler Perry. [LATimes]

A Philly police officer was caught on tape punching a woman at a Puerto Rican Day Parade. [AP]

Jay-Z reflects on the anniversary of his Hard Knock Life album. [BET]

Study shows Black children are exposed to more background television. [CSM]

Winter storms will now receive names, courtesy of the Weather Channel. [Weather]

Twenty-five students were killed in northern Nigeria by an unknown gunman. [BBC]

A Dutch “abortion boat” is sailing to the coast of Morocco to provide offshore abortions. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Cissy Houston paid tribute to her legendary daughter at this year’s BET Awards, Rev. Al Sharpton called Rodney King a “symbol of forgiveness” at King’s memorial service this weekend and Lauren London joins the cast of The Game.

Cissy Houston paid tribute to her legendary daughter at this year’s BET Awards. [BET]

Rev. Al Sharpton called Rodney King a “symbol of forgiveness” at King’s memorial service this weekend. [AP]

Lauren London joins the cast of The Game. [BET]

Tiger Woods reached the 74th win of his career this weekend at the AT&T National golf tournament. [AP]

Lauryn Hill pleads guilty to tax evasion. [BET]

Television personality Wendy Williams and Suzanne de Passe are linking up to create multi-cultural films. [PRNewswire]

Millions of Americans were left without power over the weekend amid record heat surges. [Reuters]

Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson says Caribbean and American descendants of slaves have a “superior athletic gene” that allows them to excel at sports. [Daily Mail]

Four kidnapped foreign aid workers were released in Somalia overnight. [AFP]

One thousand anti-government protesters were arrested in Khartoum, Sudan, on Sunday. [AllAfrica]

In today’s top news, Congress voted to hold Eric Holder with contempt following the Fast and Furious fallout, George Zimmerman has his second bond hearing today and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are slated to speak at Rodney King’s funeral Saturday.

Congress voted to hold Eric Holder in contempt following the Fast and Furious fallout. [BET]

George Zimmerman will find out if he will be released from prison ahead of the Trayvon Martin trial. [ABC News]

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are slated to speak at Rodney King’s funeral Saturday. [LATimes]

Rhymefest slammed newbie rapper Chief Keef, calling his music “senseless savagery.” [BET]

Hundreds of Colorado homes have been lost to a raging wildfire. [MSNBC]

A California couple seeking to adopt children in Ghana has been detained as officials suspect they may have forged documents. [CNN]

Snoop Dogg was busted for marijuana possession in Norway. [BET]

Much of the U.S. is bracing for an extreme heat wave. [Reuters]

Venus and Serena Williams will represent the U.S. during this year’s summer Olympics. [BET]

Report says Nestle has turned a blind eye to child labor in its cocoa supply chain. [BBC]

In today’s top news, Nicki Minaj deletes her Twitter account after fans leak music, the number of Blacks in major league baseball has dipped to the lowest point since the sport was newly integrated and a British peer Lord allegedly offered a ten million pound bounty for the capture of Presidents Obama and Bush.

Nicki Minaj deletes her Twitter account after fans leak music. [BET]

The number of Blacks in major league baseball has dipped to the lowest point since the sport was newly integrated. [USATODAY]

British peer Lord allegedly offered a ten million pound bounty for the capture of Presidents Obama and Bush. [Telegraph]

GOP donor says he wonders if President Obama’s “teleprompters are bullet-proof.” [LATimes]

President Obama raised $53 million for his campaign and the democratic party in March. [NPR]

Several U.S. Secret Service officers are on leave today after allegedly hiring prostitutes while on detail in Colombia with the president. [CBS]

A deadly weekend tornado in Oklahoma claimed six lives. [CNN]

Three elite NYPD gun-unit officers accused of treating Black suspects like “animals.” [NYDN]

The world’s armies are eying control of the natural resources buried under the melting arctic circle. [AP]

Nigeria is the third fastest growing economy in the world. [Vanguard]

In today’s top news, Nick Cannon says he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, former child star Brandy says her daughter will have to wait to hit the stage and Oprah Winfrey is set to interview Whitney Houston’s family.

Nick Cannon says he has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. [BET]

Former child star Brandy says her daughter will have to wait to hit the stage. [BET]

Oprah to interview Whitney Houston’s family. [AP]

President Obama on Sunday warned of “loose talk of war” with Iran.  [AFP]

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to address the “targeted killing” of Americans abroad. [FOX]

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi endorses Jesse Jackson Jr. for r-eelection. [AP]

Seven-year-old boy survives tornado after being dropped on a highway. [MSNBC]

Scientists are testing out an artificial pancreas for diabetics. [CNN]

Designer drug “Spice” linked to kidney failures. [Reuters]

Congo explosions kill 200 and wound nearly 2,000. [CNN]

In today’s top news, a new study shows a sharp increase in mosques in the U.S., an Alabama prison bans inmate from reading Slavery by Another Name, citing security risk and more Black juveniles sentenced to life without parole.

Study shows a sharp increase in mosques in the U.S. [BET]

Prison bans inmate from reading Slavery by Another Name, citing security risk. [CNN]

More Black juveniles sentenced to life without parole. [Miller-McCune]

Rick Ross to be questioned in a murder investigation. [BET]

Maryland to allow same-sex marriages. [CNN]

Damaging tornadoes rip through the Midwest. [Yahoo]

U.S. judge apologizes over racist Obama email. [AFP]

U.S. troops stationed abroad claim they are being ripped off by phone companies. [MSNBC]

Target pulls greeting cards that mocked the late Whitney Houston. [BET]

Ongoing fighting displaces thousands in Mali. [IRIN]

(Photo: AP Photo/Longmont Times-Call, Richard M. Hackett)

In today’s top news, chilly weather kills several out west; in New York, investigators are puzzled by a hanging Black baby doll and Washington state’s MLK day bomber finally gets sentenced.

Deadly western blizzards claim the life of at least seven. [Reuters]

Black doll hung by a noose is found at a New York parks department office. [NBC]

ATF agents used fake rap label to make a massive weapons and drug bust. [BET]

Study: Blacks less likely to be diagnosed with depression than whites. [Rutgers]

U.S. to reduce troops on border. [CNN]

White supremacist bomber who planned an MLK day attack gets 32 years in prison. [BET]

Dutch magazine editor resigns following Rihanna n-word controversy. [BBC]

Eight soldiers charged in the death of a fellow Asian G.I. who faced daily racist taunts. [MSNBC]

Egyptian women protest military attacks on female demonstrators. [CNN]

Underwear bomber asks for a new lawyer ahead of sentencing next month. [Reuters]