Headlines: Obama Gets Backing on Iraq Plan

Obama's Views Resonate in Iraq
As Barack Obama nears the end of his trip through Iraq, the effects of his presence there are already being felt at home and abroad. Despite John McCain's repeated insistence that setting a date for withdrawal from Iraq is dangerous, Iraqi government official Ali Dabbagh seemed to be supportive of Obama's stance.

Mugabe, Foe Shake Hands, Will Hold Talks
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change Morgan Tsvangirai shook hands in Harare along with Arthur Mutambara -- leader of a breakaway faction within the MDC. The three leaders have agreed to discuss working towards an "inclusive government."

Anti-Obama Movie Campaign Starts
The conservative research organization Citizens United plans to debut their new film in September. The movie is called Hype: The Obama Effect. Their recent press release describes it as "a full-length, feature documentary that goes beyond the media adulation surrounding Barack Obama's meteoric and unexamined rise to the national spotlight."

Secretary Rice Knows Who She's Voting For, But She's Not Telling
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Sunday that she has decided which presidential candidate she will be voting for in November, but she does not want to say which. Rice, who is a Republican, commented on the historic significance of Barack Obama's candidacy, and gave no indication of support for her party's presumptive nominee, John McCain.

Women Are Now Equal as Victims of Poor Economy
For the first time since the women's movement, an economic recovery has come and gone, and the percentage of women at work has fallen. When economists first started noticing this trend two or three years ago, many suggested that the pullback from paid employment was a product of "the motherhood movement. " But now research shows that downturns, layoffs, outsourcing, stagnant wages or pay cuts are to blame.

Huge Math Error in Katrina Supply Giveaway
A recent CNN investigation revealed that materials supposed to be delivered to people whose homes were destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita never actually made it to storm victims. The General Services Administration over-counted items and vastly overestimated the value of hurricane relief supplies given away early this year. The original GSA estimate of $85 million should have been $18.5 million, according to figures released by GSA and FEMA.

Common Wisdom About Troubled Youth Falls Apart When Race Considered
One of the most widely accepted beliefs about the differences between troubled boys and girls may need to be revised, according to new research. According to study author Stephen Gavazzi, the new study, involving thousands of young people who appeared before juvenile court, revealed that "family issues affect children in African-American families differently than they do in white families."

The AASEC Hosts Professional Services Business Symposium
The African American Supplier Engagement Collaboration on Monday began its first Professional Services Business Symposium in Los Angeles. Their goal is to encourage stronger business relationships by pooling knowledge and strategies among their members.

Sports
Kobe's Passion Reignited
Monday marked the beginning of the final week the U.S. Olympic Basketball team will be training in Las Vegas before heading to Beijing. Basketball star Kobe Bryant seems to have gotten over his crippling loss in the NBA Finals and is instead looking ahead to winning a gold medal.

Serena Williams Sounds as if it's a 'Go'
Despite protests from both her doctor and her father, Serena Williams plans to play at Carson. She had to stop playing in the middle of her semifinal match on Saturday at Stanford, but seemed much more positive on Monday. "It's the first time all year I pulled out with a knee injury and I've been doing really well all year. Maybe it's just saying, 'Serena, take a three-day vacation.'"

Entertainment
Talk Show Is Less Talk, More Alpha-Female Action
Wendy Williams, a radio DJ who last week began a four-city tryout as the host of her own daytime talk show on Fox, may be changing the face of television gossip. The Wendy Williams Show features merciless mocking of celebrities and insult-heavy sparring with female guests, like The Apprentice's Omarosa, who appeared on the show Monday.

Blake Bishton

Tags: Barack Obama | Condoleezza Rice | Iraq | Katrina | Kobe Bryant | Serena Williams | Wendy Williams | Zimbabwe

2:24 PM ET | 07-22-2008 | permalink

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