The Cafe' [Think Tank]

New America Media , Commentary,  Earl Ofari Hutchinson ,  Posted:  Feb 22, 2011 Thanks to a CNN documentary airing this week, the tale of FBI informant Ernest Withers is now well known. The black photographer spent years busily documenting the civil rights movement and capturing candid images of its leaders, most notably Martin Luther King, Jr.  Whether through flattery or the naiveté of his subjects, Withers and his camera were able to get close— very close— to the movement’s inner circles. He got so close that King and others trusted him to record their most intimate moments—ones that Withers would dutifully report back to his FBI handlers. Withers’s case was not exceptional. At that time, the woods were full informants, both men and women. Their existence was possible not only because of a corrupt, paranoid FBI that was intent on making life hell for civil rights leaders and others during the turbulent 1960s, but because they had the tacit blessing of three U.S. presidents

President Ronald Reagan unveils a new tax program, calling it "a second American Revolution for hope and opportunity." Upon taking office, Reagan called for a phased 30% tax cut, but Congress would only agree to a 25% cut. The media coined it Reaganomics. During the campaign of 1980, Ronald Reagan announced a recipe to fix the nation's economic mess. He claimed an undue tax burden, excessive government regulation, and massive social spending programs hampered growth. Reagan proposed a phased 30% tax cut for the first three years of his Presidency. The bulk of the cut would be concentrated at the upper income levels. The economic theory behind the wisdom of such a plan was called  SUPPLY-SIDE  or TRICKLE-DOWN ECONOMICS . By using laser-equipped satellites, Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative hoped to shield the United States from a Russian missile attack. Here, a rocket sends a military satellite into the heavens. Tax relief for the rich would enabl

Chances are the protesters who shut down the Bay Bridge on Monday won’t pay too high a price — if any — for their actions. The California Highway Patrol cited 25 protesters for chaining themselves to five cars that they parked across the westbound direction of the eastern span. They were booked on suspicion of creating public nuisance, unlawful assembly and obstructing free passage. But if history is any indication, the charges will ultimately be reduced — or even dropped — as they make their way through the legal system. Alameda County District Attorney  Nancy O’Malley , for example,  dismissed all charges  against the 14 Black Lives Matter protesters (read rest of story at  SF Chronicle  here) One of the protesters who chained themselves to cars on eastern span of the Bay Bridge on Monday. Photo: Joel Angel Jurez Chances are the protesters who shut down the Bay Bridge on Monday won’t pay too high a price — if any — for their actions. The California

Michigan state officials clarified in a press release late Friday that Flint residents are not, in fact, required to show identification in order to receive free water sources being distributed by the National Guard, the Red Cross, and other volunteers in response to the city’s water contamination crisis.  Identification “is not required, it's just requested,” Lt. David Kaiser, a spokesperson for the Michigan State Police’s field services bureau, told Yahoo News.  Kaiser said addresses were being used as part of the “long-term recovery effort” to track exactly where the water filters and other supplies are going.  Flint residents’ frustrations, fears evident at emergency water stations This was apparently not made clear to the many people who have been asked for identification while picking up free water bottles, filters, replacement cartridges, and testing kits at some of the five resource stations that have been set up across the city in r

I am part of the fellowship of the Unashamed! I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast! I have stepped over the line . . . The decision has been made . . . I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still . . . Yes! My past is redeemed, my presence makes sense, my future secure . . . I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, and cheap living! Yes! I no longer need preeminence, position, promotion, or popularity. I don’t have to be praised, recognized, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence. I walk by patience. I live by prayer. I labor by power. My face is set. My gate is fast. My mission is clear. My goal Heaven. My road narrow. My way rough. My companions few. But . . . my God is RELIABLE! With God’s help, I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in t

Michael Rubens Bloomberg   KBE   (born February 14, 1942) is an American   business magnate , politician, and philanthropist. He served as the   108th   Mayor of New York City , holding office for three consecutive terms beginning with   his first election in 2001 . With a net worth of $41 billion, he is the 7th-richest person in the United States   and the 13th-wealthiest in the world. He is the founder, CEO, and owner of  Bloomberg L.P. , the global financial data and media company that bears his name and is notable for its  Bloomberg Terminal , which is widely used by investment professionals around the world. Bloomberg began his career at the securities brokerage  Salomon Brothers  before forming his company in 1981 and spending the next twenty years as its chairman and CEO. He also served as chairman of the board of trustees at his alma mater  Johns Hopkins University  from 1996 to 2002. A  Democrat  before seeking elective office, Bloomberg switched his party registration in