President Michael Lomax wants Congress to guarantee education for all

The United Negro College Fund wants America to guarantee that students of color – poor and otherwise – get an opportunity to  students get an opportunity to go to college and graduate.  On Tuesday, one of the nation’s oldest minority education advocacy groups issued “The ABC Agenda for Higher Education,” which calls for increased access and affordability. “If ever there was a time to push for what our students and colleges need, this is it,” said UNCF President Michael L. Lomax.  Find out more about the plan at BET.com/News.

Judge rules in Kwame Kilpatrick’s favor this time around

Embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick remains free after facing the same judge on Tuesday who ordered him to jail last week on a bond violation. A Detroit news outlet had published a photo of Kilpatrick at his mother’s home at the same time that his sister visited the house, raising questions of whether his presence there violated court restrictions.  Get the latest details at BET.com/News.

Money for MLK Memorial pours in.

The money keeps on pouring in for the historic Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, organizers announced that donors, including $3 million from Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, had compelled them to raise the fundraising goal from $100 million to $120 million. Contributions for the memorial, which will be built on the National Mall, already has reached $99 million, according to Harry E. Johnson, Sr., president of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, the private group in charge of the effort. So why the new money goal? There are “a number of variables,” including changes in the structural plan, the addition of a bookstore and security costs as well as inflation for the rising cost estimate, Johnson says. After a stormy past few months over the design of the 28-foot statue of King, to be sculpted by Chinese artist Lei Yixin, the project appears on a positive track. Still, the project must win final approval for all aspects of the memorial site before construction can begin. The memorial is expected to take about 18-20 months to complete.

Muslim hate-crime victim leaves the hospital. The Muslim native of Uzbekistan, who was shot repeatedly while pumping gas at a Cleveland gas station, left the hospital Monday, nearly eight weeks after the tragic episode was captured on videotape. Police have been investigating the incident as a hate crime. As he left the MetroHealth Medical Center, 49-year-old Fazliddin Yakubov offered “a million, million thanks” for all the support he has received, The Plain Dealer newspaper reported Tuesday. He had been shot three times in the abdomen while his son was pumping gas. The video led to the arrest of 18-year-old William Neal of Cleveland, who’s charged with felonious assault and attempted murder. He’s being held in a Cuyahoga County jail on $250,000 bond.

Kilpatrick defense fund’s cash flow is reportedly running low

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s support from major donors to his legal defense fund is dwindling, according to records. Kilpatrick faces possible prison time if he’s convicted of numerous felonies for allegedly having lied under oath at a civil trial involving two ex-cops last year and for allegedly having fired the officers to keep them from uncovering an apparent Kilpatrick affair with his aide. The married Kilpatrick has ignored calls that he step down from office in the wake of the criminal allegations that he misused police security to hide secret meetings with Christine Beatty. Beatty, who also faces felony charges, resigned this year. Get more Kwame Kilpatrick updates at BET.com!