The News

People of color, regardless of class, get higher interest rates; Former health official confesses

Study: Wealth doesn’t stop minority loan bias. So if race trumps class…
Higher income does not protect blacks and Hispanics from receiving mortgage loans with above-market rates, a new study by a group pushing for reforms to lending laws says.—AP

Surgeon General Sees 4-Year Term as Compromised. This is not a test.
Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations….The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.—NYTimes.

TMZ Denies Beyonce Racial Slur. “Roboho,” an issue of semantics?
Sharpton interpreted the comment as racism and wrote to the Website, saying, “It is intolerable to think that TMZ.com would find humor in calling Beyonce — someone who symbolises the strength, dignity and uplifting of black women — a ‘Roboho,’ and they should be denounced by the entire community for glorifying the continued oppression of women with this derogatory term. Racism in America is perpetuated by ignorance and hate and using one’s airwaves or media entity to promote it is a blatant setback to civil rights and the advancement of equality.”
However, bosses a TMZ.com insist race had nothing to do with the comment, telling Sharpton: “In response to your statement questioning TMZ’s use of the term ‘roboho’, first and foremost, please note that we called Beyonce’s performance outfit ‘roboho,’ not Ms. Knowles herself. There is a difference.
—San Francisco Chronicle

How Bush’s AIDS Program is Failing Africans. Read feedback at Feministing.
Like many in attendance, Were contracted HIV from her husband, a common occurrence in a region where women make up the majority of new infections and marriage is a primary risk factor. For those like her, the White House’s AIDS prevention mantra — which prescribes abstinence and marital fidelity, with condoms only for “high risk” groups like prostitutes and truck drivers — is a sick joke. —The American Prospect

The Best Health Care Is Reserved for Congress. “Practicing Medicine Without a License”- an excerpt
The WHO report stated that Native Americans, rural African-American males, and much of the inner city poor have numbers that match many Third World nations. Shamefully, our U.S. is the world’s only nation that reports its healthcare statistics in two categories, one for black and the other for white citizens. The differences are that stark.—Alternet

Mathew Knowles Partners With Planet Toys to Co-Create and Launch the First Ever Hip-Hop/Rhythm Inspired Toy Line for Babies and Preschoolers. The next level of hip-hop!
Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment has partnered with Planet Toys to launch the first ever hip-hop/rhythm inspired preschool toy line promoting creativity, learning and movement through music.—Earth Times

Posted at 6:57 AM, Jul 11, 2007 in News | Permalink | View Comments