Will Hillary Clinton be the next Secretary of State? Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is among the candidates that President-elect Barack Obama is considering for secretary of State, reports The Associated Press. The news comes from two Democratic officials close to the Obama transition team, AP says. Read the rest here.

No records set on Election Day. Turnout in last week’s election increased from four years ago but fell far short of some forecasts, largely because many Republican voters either stayed home or left blank the presidential section of their ballots. In states won by President-elect Barack Obama, turnout was more than 5 percentage points higher than in states won by Republican John McCain, according to a Globe analysis of data compiled by a pair of researchers who study voting patterns in U.S. elections, reports The Boston Globe. 

A foundation funds Black archives. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to the Kansas City Public Library to help finish the expansion and renovation of space for the Black Archives of Mid-America, reports the Kansas City Business Journal. The archives will be housed in a former administration building for the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department. To recognize the grant, the archives will designate a public space named after Ewing Kauffman to be used for research, exhibits, training and presentations. The building’s renovation is expected to be completed by the fall of 2009.

Entrepreneur’s financial, personal challenges mount

Damon Dash’s custody challenge continues. Damon Dash’s troubles seem to be increasing as 2008 progresses. Following widespread reports of home foreclosure action against him and the loss of his licensing agreement with Pro-Keds, the Roc-a-fella Records co-founder is dealing with ongoing child custody grief. Dash recently filed a motion to force the mother of his son, Damon “Boogie” Dash Jr., to return him to Damon Sr. The film and music entrepreneur has sole legal custody. A judge this week threatened to issue an arrest warrant for Linda Williams if Boogie wasn’t brought home. A lawyer representing the teenager says he wants to remain with his mother.

Why you gotta lie, Diddy?

 Score one for all the haters. If you were disgusted by Sean “Diddy” Combs complaining on video that he couldn’t afford to keep using his private jet because of gas prices, fret no more: Diddy lied. Federal Aviation Administration records show no aircraft registered to the Didster, Bad Boy Records or any of his other companies. The Palm Beach Post reports that, instead, Combs’ reps admit that he’s just one of thousands of wealthy travelers who use the services of NetJet, a company that sells air-travel hours. So when you see “your boy” Diddy making the supreme sacrifice he announced by sitting in commercial first-class, be sure to point and laugh at him – as you make your way to the coach section.

Americans, Jamaican compete in British Grand Prix.

Tyson Gay has won the 200-meter dash in 20.26 seconds, while Asafa Powell grabbed a 9.87 victory in the 100 at the British Grand Prix. The sprinters, who both missed individual golds at the recent Beijing Olympics, shined during Sunday’s competition in London . Powell had anchored Jamaica ’s world-record-breaking, gold relay team in China , but was disappointed with his fifth-place finish in the 100. American Lauryn Williams, who was involved in the baton-dropping fiasco of the women’s 4×100 relay at Beijing , beat Olympics champ Shelly-Ann Fraser in the Grand Prix’s 100, a race that featured five Beijing finalists.

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Damon Dash dropped from deal.

More bad news for the Roc-a-Fella Records co-founder who recently had news of his pending home foreclosure hit headlines: Damon Dash recently lost his licensing agreement with Pro-Keds. Dash had actually given the impression that he bought the old-school sneaker company. He spoke of plans to make the lesser-name brand hip for a new generation. But now the brand has terminated Dash’s deal. The entrepreneur has yet to strike gold as he did when he helped found the record label that helped make his ex-partner, Jay-Z, a superstar.

Former rap label boss accused of domestic violence attack on girlfriend

Suge Knight, former head of the bankrupt Death Row Records, faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of controlled substances and domestic violence after allegedly attacking his lady. Vegas cops arrested Knight after his girlfriend of three years said he punched her in the back of the head while he was driving early Wednesday. The alleged victim says she grabbed the steering wheel to draw attention to the car, in hopes that she’d receive help. The car jumped a curb and Knight allegedly chased her when she ran; police reportedly arrived just as he caught the woman. Cops say they witnessed Knight kicking the alleged victim and carrying a knife. With his prior record, if convicted, Knight seems a likely candidate to become the next rap industry figure to disappear for a while.

Sale of gangsta rap label is held up in legal

The recent purchase of Death Row Records has been canceled after a lawsuit by former CEO Suge Knight’s estate and the label’s trustees was filed. Global Music Group failed to consummate the purchase by July 23 or by an extension until July 29, according to the action. The suit states that “since July 29, GMG (Global Music Group) has continued to fail to forward the purchase money, instead making a number of requests for extension, none of which has been granted by the Trustees.” The deal was called off with a termination letter earlier this month. Trustees are asking the court to let them negotiate with new potential buyers for the sale of the bankrupt company that made superstars of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac in the 1990s.

A Jamaican sprinter makes Olympic history in Beijing

Winning by a full four body-lengths over American defending champ Shawn Crawford, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt made Olympic history Wednesday. Bolt became the first-ever sprinter to break world records and win gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter races during one Olympics. “I blew my mind and I blew the world’s mind,” Bolt says. His 19.30 seconds in the 200 made him the first man since Carl Lewis to sweep gold medals from both sprints. Lewis did so in 1984. Bolt also beat Michael Johnson’s 12-year-old record of 19.32 seconds. Not even Olympics legend Jesse Owens completed a 100, 200 sweep. Get the latest on how the Americans did and more at BET.com/Olympics ‘08.

Laurence Fishburne returns to television. Laurence Fishburne is set to make his first return to the cast of a TV series since the late-1980s when he played Cowboy Curtis on the children’s show “Pee Wee’s Playhouse.” Fishburne will portray a forensic scientist on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Calling the new gig a “wonderful collaboration,” Fishburne is set to appear in the show’s 10th season that begins in October. Show executive producers Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar said in a joint statement: “Without hesitation, we said (to CBS bosses) ‘Laurence Fishburne.’ He is a powerful and intense actor, with an incredible range.” Fishburne is best known for his film roles as Morpheus in The Matrix and Furious Styles from Boyz N the Hood.

Battery Records has urban focus. A new Sony music company will revive the practice of artist development, AllHipHop.com reports. Battery Records is to oversee early development among performers on the rosters of RCA and Zomba. “We started operation back in mid-June, so it’s a brand new division,” head man Neil Levine tells All Hip Hop. “It’s really an incubator imprint label. Our main focus is really taking developing artists that are signed to our frontline labels.” Artist development has been used throughout the recording industry to groom new label recruits in career longevity and preparation.

Label still owns Hip-Hop Classics like “The Chronic,” “Doggystyle and “All Eyez on Me”
Less than a month after Global Music Group acquired ailing Death Row Records for $24 million, venture capitalist Ron Goldberg is suing the infamous West Coast label for $25 million. Created in 1991 by Dr. Dre and Marion “Suge” Knight, Death Row’s assets include Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic,” Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle, Tupac’s All Eyez on Me” and a number of still unreleased Tupac tracks. According to AllHipHop.com, Goldberg claims co-investors he worked with, including Global Music Group president Anthony Marotta, to prepare the purchase of Death Row conspired against him and bought the company without his knowledge. The suit states that the label’s new owners relied on his “confidential know-how, data, techniques, and contacts” to make their bid. In 2006, Death Row, once one of the most lucrative Black-owned and operated businesses in the country, reported debts of more than $100 million and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In its heyday,notable Death Row artists included DJ Quick, The Lady of Rage and Tha Dogg Pound.