Roland Burris: 'I Ain't Do It!'
The Washington Post reports that Sen. Roland Burris has responded to recordings of he and Rob Blagojevich discussing campaign funds and the Illinois Senate seat. His claim? That the tapes and transcripts prove he was not involved in any pay-for-play collusion and that the accusations of such are a bunch of mularky. If you consider the information within the transcript, Burris' claim, though fishy,is somewhat plausible. What he hasn't yet explained is why his story has changed so many times if he indeed was not involved in a payola-type scheme for Barack Obama's vacated Senate post.
Zimbabwe Experiencing Life in the Time of Cholera
This week, cholera infections in Zimbabwe should reach the 100,000 mark in Africa's worst outbreak of the disease in 15 years Al Jazeera reports. The Red Cross claims that though the spread of the disease is slowing, it still poses a serious threat to the nation. The risk of infection has been exacerbated by the lack of fresh water and poor sewage systems. The Red Cross has asked the international for $3.5M in order to build toilets and repair existing water systems.
History Defended: Artifacts from Historic Black Paper Find a Home
With the help of University of Chicago scholar Dr. Jaqueline Goldsby and the blessing of paper heir Robert Sengstacke,artifacts and memorabilia from The Chicago Defender will be housed in a Chicago Public Library The New York Times reports. The collections includes over 4,000 photographs as well as letters from every President from Truman to Clinton. Founded in 1905 by Robert Abbott, The Defender was the premiere Black newspaper of the day and,at its peak in the 1920, had a daily circulation of 250,000.
Prosecutors Believe Former Hoops Star Should Spend Some Quiet Time in a Correctional Facility
ESPN reports that New Jersey prosecutors cited the recent erratic behavior of former Nets star Jayson William as grounds for sentencing him for the cover up of a fatal 2002 shooting in his New Jersey mansion. In 2004, Williams was acquitted of manslaughter charges, but four cover-up counts still loom over him and his recent altercations—a police tasing incident in New York last month and him fighting outside a North Carolina nightclub last week—have compelled prosecutors to file a motion.