Headlines: Haitian Immigrant Dies in Detention Center

Group Calls for Inquiry Into Death of Detainee
The Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center is calling for an investigation into the death of Valery Joseph, 23, a disabled Haitian immigrant who arrived in the US as a young boy and died last month while being held at a detention center in South Florida.

Push for Sudan Warrant Gets a Mixed Response
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court filed charges against President Bashir of Sudan. He called Bashir's motives "largely political". He said, "His alibi was counterinsurgency, his intent was genocide." However, many feel that this will only further impede the progress towards peace in Darfur. The U.N. Ambassador to Sudan said, "This would lead to disastrous consequences for the entire region. Without a head of state, with whom are you going to talk?"

Bush Lifts Offshore Drill Ban, Urges Congress to Follow Suit
President Bush, on Monday, officially lifted the ban on offshore drilling that was put in place by his father and re-enforced by Bill Clinton. However, this will not change anything unless Congress withdraws their bans as well. Critics of this move by Bush suggested that instead of drilling for oil that won't have a noticeable affect on the market for years, why not tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Bush refused, claiming that the reserve was put in place in case of a national emergency.

Obama Re-admonishes Blacks
Despite various criticisms, most notably from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Obama stood by the message he has been espousing to African Americans at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati on Monday: African Americans need to take responsibility for their homes, families, and lives. While some feel this further damaged his standing with Black voters, most feel it was a smart move on the Senator's part.

Economy Will Stay Sluggish, Bernanke Tells Congress
Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, offered a gloomy assessment today of any immediate prospect for improvement in American economic difficulties, including energy prices and instability in financial markets.

Stocks Are Volatile as Oil Prices Fall
Stocks churned this morning as a darker outlook for the economy clashed with a surprise $10 dip in the price of oil. The dollar fell to a record low against the Euro, GM said it would slash jobs, and reports showed a greater slow in consumer spending than economists had anticipated.

African-American Rodeo in Castro Valley Honors Heritage
Seeking to fill what they view as a void in American history, organizers of an African-American rodeo took over East Bay Hills this weekend for the annual Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. The rodeo, named after the first African-American cowboy to be inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, honors the contribution of African-Americans to America's Western heritage.

Entertainment

Whoopi to Join 'Xanadu'
Whoopi Goldberg has signed on for the role of Calliope in the Broadway musical "Xanadu." "The View" will be on hiatus during most of Whoopi's six-week run, to begin July 29.

Wanna 'Meet Dave'? Nope.
According to LA Times film critic Patrick Goldstein, Eddie Murphy's new film "Meet Dave" is a contender for biggest flop of the year, along with "Speed Racer". Goldstein points to Fox's failure to market the movie well as a chief reason the film fizzled.

From an Oscar to a Felix
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx's new reality show premieres tonight on MTV. The show "From G's to Gents" pits 14 young "G's" against each other to see who can be transformed into the most refined old-fashioned gentleman.

Blake Bishton

Tags: Barack Obama | Darfur | Eddie Murphy | Jamie Foxx | Whoopi Goldberg | offshore drilling