Politics. On Point.

In what could be considered an out-of-touch-with-regular-folk moment, Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters Friday he was shocked that law enforcement uses citizens to generate revenue. "The notion that you would use a law enforcement agency or law enforcement generally to generate revenue, and then the callous way in which that was done and the impact that it had on the lives of the ordinary citizens of that municipality, was just appalling." Example of fees and costs generated by courts and law enforcement. ( Source ). Holder was referring to the findings of the Department of Justice investigation of the Ferguson, MO police department.  The investigation found that the department "engaged in or practiced a pattern of conduct that violates the Fourth, Fifth, and 14 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. See also:  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness “Our investigation showed that  Ferguson  police officers routinely vi...

President Obama, as promised to Congress on several inferences, has vetoed a bill blocking the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. In the president's veto message to Congress, the president writes, "I am returning herewith without my approval S. 1, the "Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act."  Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest." The Keystone XL pipeline has been a point of contention between Congress and the president for some time.   Congress, with glaring approval from the House speaker John Boehner, claims that building the pipeline would create hundreds of job.  He has called the presidential veto a "national embarrassment ." Said the speaker in a You Tube address , "It;s embarrassing when Russion and China are plowing ahead on two massive pipelines and we ca...

First Lady Michelle Obama announces Easter Egg Roll 2015 using the # Gimme5 theme. In the spirit of the first lady's Let's Move! campaign, Mrs. Obama is challenging Americans to implement five things they are doing to be healthy. The 2015 Easter Egg Roll will be held this year on April 6th.  The ticket lottery begins Monday, February 23 and will close Thursday, February 26 at noon.  

Reggie Love's new book "Power Forward:My Presidential Education" shares light on his relationship with President Obama while he was the right-hand man to the most powerful man in Washington, D.C. Love left the White House on 2012 to "go back to school", but spoke to ABC's Robin Roberts Thursday on an array of topics to include (obviously) his new book, the physical demands required to keep up with his former boss, a 'primary' misstep, basketball, and making the first African American U.S. president "generationally relevant". Here's the exchange below.

from the White House press office. THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 4, 2015 Readout of the President’s Meeting with American Muslim Leaders The President this afternoon met with American Muslim leaders to discuss a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.  The President thanked the participants for their work in a variety of fields and for coming together to offer views on issues of importance to their communities, noting that his regular interactions with different faith communities provided him with valuable insights and feedback.  Among the topics of discussion were the community’s efforts and partnerships with the Administration on a range of domestic issues such as the Affordable Care Act, issues of anti-Muslim violence and discrimination, the 21 st  Century Policing Task Force, and the upcoming White House Summit on Countering Violence Extremism.   The President reiterated his Administr...

from today's White House press release THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 30, 2015 FACT SHEET: President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative Building on President Obama’s announcement in his State of the Union Address, today the Administration is unveiling details about the Precision Medicine Initiative, a bold new research effort to revolutionize how we improve health and treat disease.  Launched with a $215 million investment in the President’s 2016 Budget, the Precision Medicine Initiative will pioneer a new model of patient-powered research that promises to accelerate biomedical discoveries and provide clinicians with new tools, knowledge, and therapies to select which treatments will work best for which patients. Most medical treatments have been designed for the “average patient.” As a result of this “one-size-fits-all-approach,” treatments can be very successful for some patients but not for other...

Hall of Fame baseball legend Ernie Banks passed last Friday. We are remembering the special time that he gave to us in 2013 after accepting his prestigious Medal of Freedom award from President Obama. Mr. Ernie Banks, (a.k.a. Mr. Cub) during the 2013 Medal of Freedom award ceremony.  Photo/CD Brown. The famed major league baseball player (1953-1971) chatted lightheartedly with many of us in the media that day, even going as far as saying hello to my three grandchildren via video.  Also remembered, perhaps, was a favorite from one of his quotes when he sounded so grateful just...to be. "This is a great world", he said. "It really is. I'm just happy to be here, in Washington." Mr. Banks died of an apparent heart attack, leaving behind a wife, his storied Chicago Cubs baseball legacy, and the thoughts of kindness and humility to those meeting him for the very first time; reminding us all to "just be nice to people." Audio: CD Brown for Poli...