During the entire year prior to this edition, we are looking  for people who are doing great things in our community.  They may or may not be on your radar but to The New Citizens Press they provide value to our community.  We also realize that there are others who you think belong in “The Most Influential and Interesting” column.  We are willing to consider anyone regardless of race, affiliations, education or socioeconomic background.

 The First Lady joined the dress’ 27-year old designer Jason Wu for the ceremony , which welcomes the one-of-a-kind one shoulder ivory gown in "The First Ladies at the Smithsonian" exhibit.

Above: Jason Wu and First Lady Michelle Obama

Journalists and citizens who file Freedom of Information Act requests often expect delay or denial, unfortunately, that can impact  your daily life. Oftentimes, the lack of information provided by governmental agencies limit the ability to investigate issues, protect individuals or open the doors of justice. istockphoto

Did you know that you can ask for the documents below under FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)?

 In recent years, modeling shows and modeling contest that attract hopefuls from all over the nation are the “reality television show rage”.  One of the most popular shows is Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model.  Tyra.com is holding an exclusive America’s Next Top Model search just for those young hopefuls.  Photo of Tyra Banks

“It's not the towering sail, but the unseen wind that moves the ship”     - a Proverb

An earthquake survivor removes debris from a devastated road in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on February 2, 2010. The Jan. 12, 2010, 7.0-magnitude earthquake left thousands of Haitians displaced and without access to food, water and vital medical care. Photo by MC2 Todd Frantom

Mother and daughter spending a day at the beach. 

 The powerful Dodge Ram HD gives you options.

Angela Martin (above), an “American Idol” auditioner in Chicago who wowed all four judges with her rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine” , continues to search for her missing mother, who was last seen leaving a family dinner on Christmas day.

Feeling overwhelmed with junk mail? Sorting through it is easier than you think.

Corrections and law enforcement officials will now have the capability to search tattoo image databases to help identify suspects, criminals and victims

A group of Haitian American leaders, state and local officials met to map out a humanitarian relief efforts as the extent of the damage from a category 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti.

 Not All Charities are Equipped to Help and Some Might be Fraudulent, Warns BBB

The Mutallabs: contrasting terror-bound son Farouk Abdul Mutallab and business mogul father Alhaji Umaru Mutallab (above). On December 25, 2009 Farouk attempted to blow up a plane that was travelling from Amsterdam to Detroit, MI

Photo www.usafricaonline.com

'Madea's Big Happy Family' marks character's first stage outing in  five years 

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time in a village full of ninjas there lived an orphan named Naruto. When he was born, the chief of the village sealed a powerful and malevolent spirit of a nine-tailed fox inside thee child’s belly.

Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her U.S. Open outburst against a lineswoman and could be suspended from the annual New York event if she has another "major offense" at any Grand Slam in the next two years.    

Tips to help you keep your money safe during the holiday season.

NBA player describes 'nerve-racking' wait for biopsy results

The first nasty inkling that even the King of Pop can stir racial divides came with the Mt. Everest-sized list of postings on blogs, chat rooms, and Web sites the week after Michael Jackson’s death. Many writers dredged up all of the old drug, child molestation and other dirt digs on Jackson.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Fredrick Santucci, attached to 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and an Iraqi army officer plan a patrol route through the city of Abu Ghraib, Nassir Wa Salam province, Iraq, on May 17, 2009.   DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Whelan, U.S. Navy

BBB Warns Against Swine Flu Scams: Scammers are creating their own epidemic of spam e-mails
 

Former Secretary of State to appear on ABC show to thank a disabled Gulf War vet

The father of pop star Rihanna is blaming the Los Angeles Police Department for the leak of a photo showing his daughter's battered and bruised face following a domestic dispute with Chris Brown.     

Another Defining Black History Moment – Pittsburgh Steelers’ NFL Super Bowl Championship - African American Head Coach, Youngest Ever, and MVP Takes Top Honors -

 Lawrence Taylor also among cast of new hoofers for ABC's competition series

House vs. Senate

The Regional Inaugural Balls are an inaugural tradition that President-elect Obama  continued, inviting guests from the Midwest, the West, the East, the South, and the Mid-Atlantic regions to their own celebrations.   It is one of the 10 balls that the president and Michelle attended. Photo by Barbara Roberts Mason

In the days after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans fractured along racial fault lines as its government collapsed. Read about it in our next edition. White vigilante gunmen nearly killed Donnell Herrington.
Photo by Chandra McCormick & Keith Calhoun

The way Donnell Herrington tells it, there was no warning. One second he was trudging through the heat. The next he was lying prostrate on the pavement, his life spilling out of a hole in his throat, his body racked with pain, his vision blurred and distorted.

(BPRW) In January, Washington, D.C. will experience heavy tourism due to the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. If your only knowledge of the D.C. area comes from watching political news coverage, there’s more to learn. An inauguration is not the only reason to visit this city, and the D.C. area has much to offer travelers of all ages and interests beyond politics.

Bullying has affected many students negatively.  Unfortunately, some adults don’t take it seriously. The student in the story inside decided to fight the system.

Boxing promoter Don King is raving over President George W. Bush's cat-like reflexes as he dodged two shoes hurled at his face by an Iraqi journalist during a press conference Sunday in Baghdad.

While 50 Cent may not literally see his net worth dwindle down to the amount of his rap moniker, the mogul is worried about his financial assets as stock markets and real estate values continue to plummet.      

World AIDS Day is on December 1st.  It's an important day of commemoration throughout the world to remember those who have died, to pray for those still suffering, and to come together in solidarity to fight the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Still reeling from the murders of her mother, brother and nephew, Jennifer Hudson says she wants to use the tragedy to speak out against crime and gun violence in the urban community.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Bill Zwecker reported Tuesday of Hudson's plans to "use the newly formed foundation she established with her sister Julia to try to reduce the daily killings in inner-city communities across the nation."     

 Panelists say decision  influenced heavily by secret audio tapes

Seven jurors from the O.J. Simpson trial say their guilty verdict was influenced more by secret audio tapes and surveillance video than eyewitness accounts, reports the Associated Press.

The childhood photos of former Boys & Girls Clubs of America" members Denzel Washington, Shaquille O'Neal, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and others are featured in a new ad campaign for the organization, titled "BE GREAT."

LANSING, MI -- At the end of September one lucky family will be surprised when ABC's “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” crew knocks on their door.   One of five families that live close to or in Lansing were nominated for the TV show.  This will be the third home built in the state.

Some young men and women currently going as soldiers into the Bush Iraqi war were born during the first Iraqi war and now old enough to vote.  Iraq had marched its army into Kuwait stealing a huge oil field.  George Bush, Sr., an experienced diplomat, rallied support though the United Nations for a swift and decisive counter-attack driving the Iraqi army back into Iraq.

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
New Energy for America
Michigan State University
Monday, August 4th, 2008
Lansing, Michigan
 

 Presidential hopeful turns down request to sponsor car in Sprint Cup series

                    _{Obama seen with Governer Granholm}

MICHIGAN -- Michigan has had more than its share of economic hardships in recent years, but when Michigan voters were asked the biggest economic problem facing their family, the cost of fuel trumped everything. Gas prices have risen to $4.15 across the nation. 

Before you sign on the dotted line, check it out before you check in:
 
Would-be travelers are spending  thousands of dollars to take advantage of travel deals that didn’t exist.

One company was also ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

When Walter Swift was freed after being wrongly imprisoned for 26 years he told the crowd that he feels like a bird has been let out of a cage.  He is shown with lawyers from the Innocence Project, a group that works to free those who are wrongly imprisoned.  Courtesy Photo

The Case of Claude Mc Collum: Attorney Hugh B. Clarke,Jr.; Cheryl Bartz, who is on the Committee for Social Justice at Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing and Claude McCollum who was recently released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit.  TNCP Photo.

Presumptive Republican nominee talks about views on Obama and plans for black America

Elizabeth handing Pat a coupon from Kroger for dry cleaning services at Sunshine Laundromat & Dry Cleaners.
Photo TNCP.

     We have to give Hilary Rodham Clinton her props. In spite of the odds, she's found a way to hang in there.

This April the theme is "Put a Poem inYour Pocket." 

Black History Month Events at Lansing Community College,  New Era Canning Company Expands Nationwide Recall Risk of botulism from additional canned vegetable products

As Hillary and Bill Clinton continue to catch heat for remarks criticized as reducing her Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama to "the black candidate," the former president was a guest on the ABC Radio-syndicated Doug Banks and DeDe McGuire Show and spoke about the issue of race becoming a factor in the two campaigns.

The Mercedes-Benz C Class was chosen as “Car of the Year” by an independent panel of automotive journalists for th “Urban Wheel Awards” that will be held in Detroit,MI On January 15, 2008.  Other winners in  the “Car of the Year” category are the Chevrolet Malibu and the Honda Accord.  Co-hosts will be Actress Rosie Perez, and Kevin Frazier, of Entertainment Tonight. 

STATES REPORTED MORE THAN 2,000 ARREST-RELATED DEATHS FROM 2003 THROUGH 2005

TMZ.com is reporting that a former producer on the court show "Judge Judy" says he was fired after complaining about a supervisor's order to halt the booking of black litigants.     

A real estate developer who had purchased Michael Vick's former dog fighting headquarters in Virginia with plans to flip it for a quick profit experienced a rude awakening on December 15 when the property failed to sell at auction.

Legendary daredevil Evel Knievel died on November 30, 2007  just days after announcing his meeting with Kanye West that led to a settlement over the rapper's video for "Touch the Sky."

A  state lawmaker in a runoff election in Louisiana called a black civil-rights veteran who had helped her campaign "Buckwheat," angering the NAACP, which urged voters to kick her out of office, reports the Associated Press.    

Rapper leaves European tour to attend services; Jay-Z, Beyonce, Anita Baker, John Legend among mourners.

Stanley O’Neal, forced out of the top job at Merrill Lynch, is the highest ranking casualty of the sub-prime loan fiasco -- even as diversity in corporate America is still an issue.

The presidential election of 2008 will be historic in several ways. For the first time ever, a woman and an African American both have a viable shot at being the Democratic nominee.

Team owner said it’s not in the team’s ‘best long-term interest.’

Black on black murder rates are off the charts, capped by the recent killing of three students in New Jersey, but there are few witnesses willing to testify. The lack of witnesses helps increase the spiral of violence in poor black neighborhoods, notes NAM editor Earl Ofari Hutchinson. Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

“I kept seeing reports about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur that were so cruel it made my body cringe. ”
- Tashmica Torok, Founder of The Whisper Campaign-

    The Vietnam War (known in Vietnam itself as "The America War") was a military conflict in present day Vietnam occurring from 1959 to April 30, 1975.

U.S. immigration authorities deported her parents to Mexico. Now Leslie Muñoz takes care of her younger siblings while she balances bill paying, tax season, and mortgages with her honors classes.

Want to get into the excitement of the Kentucky Derby without going to Louisville?

 Michigan Army National Guard Maj. Shawn Harris and Sgt. Maj. David Marshall observe firing on an M-203 grenade launcher range at Camp Grayling, MI as part of training for a deployment to Afghanistan to serve with an  Embedded Training Team to train the Afghan National Army on September 20, 2006.  The ETT has the mission to train the Afghan Nation Army in U.S. doctrine and tactics to enable the ANA to take over military operations in Afghanistan from U.S. and NATO forces.  Photo by  Sgt. 1st Class Wilson Tang

LANSING, MI --  The Lansing Police Department is warning the public of a new twist to an old scam.  It appears con artists are using legitimate business opportunities to try and scam people looking to make extra money during the holidays working part time.

(BPRW)  -- The 2006 elections are barely over and the race for the 2008 presidency has begun in earnest.

Playskool Voluntarily Recalls Toy Tool Benches after the Death of Two Toddlers

We Remember:  Emily Perez - First Female West Point Cadet to Die in Iraq

China is rushing to get ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics. But for millions of Chinese in the interior of the country, far away from Beijing and the other cities on the east coast, the Olympics will have little relevance to their lives. Changsha in Hunan province is the birthplace of Mao’s revolution but as NAM contributor Rian Dundon finds out, the Olympics seem very distant from Changsha.

CHANGSHA, Hunan – Mao launched his revolution from Changsha, but from this provincial capital of 2 million the Olympics seem very distant. Beijing and other cities are frenziedly transforming themselves into showcase cities for the 2008 Olympics, but in China's interior, where 60 percent of the population lives, the Olympics are just something you watch on television.

Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Olympics is on Friday, August 8, 2008

The Closing Ceremony is on Sunday, August 24, 2008
  

In order to be a successful small or micro business owner, you have to make sure that you have the right tools in order to succeed.

Charles Barkley is not playing around when he says he wants to be the future governor of Alabama. The former NBA player is currently making moves to ensure that he will indeed take over the position as soon as he becomes eligible.

Rapper creates limited edition Air Max sneakers to raise funds for disadvantaged youth.

‘Death of a President’ is supposed to make a point about ‘rushing to judgment.’  Imagine this: President George W. Bush gets assassinated and a black man is eventually discovered to be the murderer.

Reform legislation could help bring even more choices.  It’s no longer the digital home – it’s the digital lifestyle.

LANSING, MI --   The Mexican Consul, Vincente Sanchez-Ventura, will bring his Mobile Consulate Office to Cristo Rey Community Center located at 1717 North High Street on September 9, 2006 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Any Mexican citizen needing to renew a passport, or an ID card (Matriculas Consulares) may apply for one on this date at Cristo Rey Comminty Center.

On Thursday, July 27, 2006 at a White House ceremony attended by NAACP leadership, members of the Board of Directors, staff and Civil Rights coalition partners, President Bush signed H.R. 9, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 into law.

Summer Thompson from Georgia visits the Junkanoo Museum in the Bahamas. Her father Rodney Thompson has Bahamian roots.TNCP Photo.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS -- Almost every visitor to the Bahamas is exposed to junkanoo.

Rock star Tommy Lee posted a message on his official Web site explaining his scuffle with Kid Rock during MTVs Video Music Awards, and apologizing to Alicia Keys for the incident taking place during her performance.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau  and  quite contrary to what is usually reported, 79% of Mexicans speak Spanish at home. Of this group, about half speak English “very well.” Thirty-seven percent of Mexican-origin residents are under 18, the highest percentage of that age group among Latino groups.    Source: U.S. Census Bureau.  Image U.S. Census Bureau Annual Demographic Supplement to the March 2002 Current Population Survey

  The nomination and confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as President Bush's replacement for outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft proved a lightning rod for criticism of many Bush Administration policies.

   The final nail in Biggie’s coffin was hammered down last week as the FBI has decided to close its investigation into the rapper’s 1997 murder. Federal prosecutors reviewed the evidence and concluded there was no basis for prosecution, Louis J. Caprino Jr., acting head of the criminal division of the FBI's Los Angeles office, said in Friday's editions of the “Los Angeles Times.”

LANSING, MI -- Some may have been shocked by the devastation of the tsunami in Thailand but were dumfounded when reports of human traffickers preying on the children l

   There are so many Americans who don’t have access to a bank account,” begins Russell Simmons, whose desire to help folks claw their way out of debt and despair has led the Def Jam co-founder to launch UniRush Financial Services – a company that offers a world of banking opportunities, only without the bank.