The Cafe' [Think Tank]

Most Americans think banks have grown too big, but many are uncertain about what to do about it, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. Sixty-one percent of respondents said that banks and other financial institutions have become too large and powerful, while only 17 percent said their size is appropriate. By a 38 percent to 22 percent margin, Americans were also more likely to favor than oppose a law to cap the size of banks and break the largest ones into smaller components. But another 40 percent said they were not sure about that proposal. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has said  that he will introduce legislation to split banks apart, declaring of the largest, "If an institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist." The opinion that many financial institutions have grown too big  was shared by  majorities of Democrats (68 percent), independents (61 percent) and Republicans (51 percent). But while Democrats and independents were more likely...

In addition to passing some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation so far this year, Republican lawmakers in North Dakota, Arkansas and Texas are now pushing bills that would defund comprehensive sex education programs for at-risk teenagers. The North Dakota legislature is currently  considering an amendment to an anti-abortion bill  that would effectively block a $1.2 million federal grant for a sex education program for teens who are homeless or in foster programs. Planned Parenthood and North Dakota State University were jointly planning to administer the program, which would have provided counseling and information about abstinence, contraception and sexually transmitted infections. But state Rep. Bette Grande (R-Fargo) proposed to kill the grant to keep Planned Parenthood out of teen sex education in North Dakota, even though the family planning provider does not operate any clinics in the state. "They're not a part of how we do business in this...

North Koreans punch the air during a rally at Kim Il Sung Square in downtown Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, March 29, 2013. Tens of thousands of North Koreans turned out for the mass rally at the main square in Pyongyang in support of their leader Kim Jong Un's call to arms. The placard reads "U.S. forces, get out!"  /   AP PHOTO/JON CHOL JIN North Korea is entering a "state of war" with South Korea, its state-run news service reports, further escalating the rhetoric against its southern neighbor and the United States. The statement, carried by the communist country's KCNA news agency, says inter-Korean relations will be dealt with in a wartime manner. "From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly," the statement said, according to Reuters. CBS News correspondent Major Garrett spoke to a top White House official Fri...

A senior Obama administration official told CBS News Friday that North Korea's belligerent words and war-like preparations are more bluff than bite. "North Korea is in a mindset of war, but North Korea is not going to war," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer insight into the latest administration thinking on the volatile situation on the Korean Peninsula. The official said North Korea is doing two things that signal it is not spoiling for war: maintaining continuous and unfettered access to the Kaesong Industrial Complex six miles north of the Demilitarized Zone and by continuing to promote tourists visits to North Korea, even amid its banging of war drums. "There is pot-banging and chest-thumping, but they have literature attracting tourists that explicitly says pay no attention to all that (public) talk about nuclear war or another kind of war," the official said. Kaesong is a hive of business activity an...

People watch a TV news report showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, and other leaders, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, March 30, 2013.  /   AP PHOTO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA A top North Korean decision-making body issued a pointed warning Sunday, saying that nuclear weapons are "the nation's life" and will not be traded even for "billions of dollars." The comments came in a statement released after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party. The meeting, which set a "new strategic line" calling for building both a stronger economy and nuclear arsenal, comes amid a series of near-daily threats from Pyongyang in recent weeks, including a vow to launch nuclear strikes on the United States and a warning Saturday that the Korean Peninsula was in a "state of war." A senior U.S. official told CBS News correspondent Major Garr...

Published on  March 27th, 2013 |  by Rap Rehab 0 The questions have been asked, Is Hip Hop Music Destroying America, Is Hip Hop A Threat To Our Children or Should Rappers Be Accountable For Their Lyrics? You be the judge.  Earlier this year the song “Karate Chop” leaked online featuring rapper Lil Wayne.  He raps, “Bout to put rims on my skateboard wheels/Beat that (expletive/woman genital) up like Emmett Till.”  A few weeks later a song by rapper Rocko featuring Rick Ross was release called “You Don’t Even Know It.”  Rick Ross raps, “Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it/ I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it.” Yes, we have our freedom of speech right, but when is freedom of speech taken too far? Many would say both rappers have taken their lyrical content too far and offended too many.  The family and estate of Emit Till have released a statement of disapproval over Lil Wayne’s disregard and disrespe...

Janet Hubert  did not respond nicely to  Wendy Williams ‘ questioning of  Tatiana Ali  during a recent taping of her daytime talk show,  Necole Bitche reports . Ali stopped by “The Wendy Williams Show” earlier this week and discussed a few small-talk topics like Drake and one-night stands. But, Williams got serious when she asked Ali why Hubert was replaced by the  Daphne Reid  to play “Aunt Vivian” On the “ Fresh Prince of Bel Air ” after three seasons. Ali said that she was a young child and in class whenever she was not on set, so she really did not know the details behind why Hubert was given the axe. She did admit there was “negativity” between Smith and Hubert. Want to Keep Up With NewsOne.com? LIKE Us On Facebook! What she did know was that there was an emotional void left after Hubert’s departure. “It felt like a divorce,” Ali said. “It felt like we had to get to know our new mom. Williams’ line of questioning did not sit well wi...