Attorney General Eric Holder Admits Drone Strikes Have Killed Four Americans Since 2009

the obama administration reluctantly acknowledged drone strikes killed four americans overseas since 2009. one of whom, anwar al-aulaqi, was targeted in yemen - he'd planned and was planning terrorist attacks on the united states: principally the plot to blow up an airliner over detroit on christmas eve 2009.

the revelation came in a letter from attorney eric holder to congressional leaders and chairmen of key congressional committees. holder wrote, "the president has directed me to disclose to you certain information," about the number of americans killed by u.s. counter-terrorism operations outside of areas of active combat such as afghanistan.

holder said the u.s. government was "aware of three other u.s. citizens who have been killed in such u.s. counter-terrorism operations over that same time period (since 2009): 'abd al-rahman anwar al-aulaqi, samir khan and jude kenan mohammed. these individuals were not specifically .targeted by the united states."

mohammed was on the fbi's most wanted list. an fbi notice said, "on july 22, 2009, a federal grand jury in north carolina indicted jude kenan mohammed for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons in a foreign country. mohammed is at large and a federal warrant was issued by the united states district court, eastern district of north carolina, raliegh, north carolina, for his arrest." 

on al-aulaqi, holder said, "it was al-aulaqi's actions - and, in particular, his direct personal involvement in the continued planning and execution of terrorist attacks against the u.s. homeland  - that made him a lawful target and led the united states to take action."

the origins of this information is being kept secret to protect u.s. intelligence methods and sources. holder also wrote, "today's disclosure builds on the administration's effort to pursue greater transparency around our counter-terrorism operations, including the president's commitment in this year's state of the union. this disclosure was also intended to coincide with the speech the president will give tomorrow, in which he will discuss our broader counter-terrorism strategy."

2013 NBA Post-Season Award Winners

the national basketball association recently announced their post-season award winners for the 2012-2013 season. listed below are the worthy recipients & their respective accolade:

most valuable player - lebron james, miami heat.
rookie of the year - damian lillard, portland trailblazers.
sixth man of the year - j.r. smith, new york knicks.
defensive player of the year - marc gasol, memphis grizzlies.
most improved player - paul george, indiana pacers.
coach of the year - george karl, denver nuggets.
executive of the year - masai ujiri, denver nuggets.
community assist award - chris paul, los angeles clippers.

all-defensive team:

centers - tyson chandler, new york knicks; joakim noah, chicago bulls.
forwards - paul george, indiana pacers; lebron james, miami heat.
guards - tony allen, memphis grizzlies; chris paul, los angeles clippers.

all-rookie team:

center -      anthony davis, new orleans hornets.
guards -     bradley beal, washington wizards;
                  damian lillard, portland trailblazers.
forwards -  harrison barnes, golden state warriors;
                  dion waiters, cleveland cavaliers.

we extend our heartfelt congratulations & godspeed to each honoree!

State of Mississippi to Execute Willie Manning Tonight After Rejecting DNA Tests & FBI's Own Admission of Error

the state of mississippi is preparing to execute a prisoner of african descent tonight, despite an usual admission from the fbi: its original analysis of the evidence contained errors. willie jerome manning was convicted of murdering tiffany miller & jon steckler, two white college students, in 1992.

the execution will proceed, even after prosecutors & state courts refused to allow new dna testing which could prove manning's innocence. the justice department sent a letter saying one analyst's testimony at trial "exceeded the limits of the science & was, therefore, invalid." 

manning's attorneys argue no physical evidence ties him to the murders - testing hair samples & other evidence could identify a different killer. but in a 5-to-4 decision last month, mississippi's state supreme court refused to grant a new dna test, citing what it called "conclusive, overwhelming evidence of guilt."

in addition to the new dna test, which was denied, manning's attorneys say prosecutors relied on two key witnesses whose credibility has since come under question. also, concerns have been raised about alleged racial bias in the selection of the jury whom found manning guilty. 

vanessa potkin, a senior staff attorney at the innocence project said, "we need someone to step in. it is unconscionable that an execution would go forward where there is biological evidence that can cut to the truth & show whether or not he did the crime. what is anybody afraid of?"     

  

NBA Veteran Jason Collins Admits He's Gay

"i'm a 34 year old nba center. i'm black. and i'm gay."

jason collins, a 12-year veteran and current reserve center for the washington wizards, became the first active, professional male athlete from one of the four major u.s. sports leagues to publicly admit he's gay. collins wrote a first-person article, which was posted on sports illustrated's website monday. "I think the country is ready for supporting an openly gay basketball player," collins told abc's good morning america, in an interview which aired tuesday morning.  

collins plans to be in boston on june 8, marching alongside his friend and stanford university roommate, u.s. rep joseph kennedy III, at the city's gay pride parade. kennedy, a massachusetts democrat, told the associated press, "i didn't doubt for a second, knowing he was gay, that he would be the one to do it. i've never known him to look for publicity, or to look for the spotlight, but given that no one else would raise their hand, i knew he would do it."

despite hiding his sexuality, collins quietly made a statement for gay rights by wearing number 98 with the celtics and wizards, two of the six teams he's played for in his career. 1998 was the year matthew shepard, a gay, white male student from wyoming, was killed - sparking public outrage & political legislation. the trevor project, a suicide prevention organization, was also founded the same year. 

this historic announcement drew widespread praise from family members, friends, current teammates, fellow & former nba players, nba coaches, general managers, other athletes (some of whom are openly gay & lesbian), celebrities, the nba itself, and a sponsor. collins also received support from president barack obama, first lady michelle obama and former president bill clinton. 

doc rivers, collins' celtics coach, linked collins to jackie robinson's role when he broke the major league baseball color barrier in 1947 with the brooklyn dodgers. said rivers, "i am extremely happy and proud of jason collins. he's a pro's pro. he is the consummate professional and he is one of my favorite team players i have ever coached. if you have learned anything from jackie robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. it will be society who has to learn tolerance."

nfl players brendan ayanbadejo and chris kluwe publicly supported state same-sex marriage amendments during last year's elections. obama, who also supports same-sex marriage, included stonewall - the site of a 1969 rebellion at a gay bar on christopher street in new york city - in his inauguration speech this past january. 

same-sex marriage, now legal in nine american states, including washington, d.c., stirred additional controversy during the super bowl. chris culliver, a starting cornerback for the san francisco 49ers, said he wouldn't welcome a gay member on his team. although he was quickly admonished by his team and the league to apologize, which he did, ayanbadejo estimated at least half of the nfl's players would agree with culliver's views, at least privately.    

on monday, nfl commissioner roger goodell  sent a memo to teams reiterating the league's anti-discrimination policy about sexuality. the policy includes a section on questions teams cannot ask  prospective draft picks and free agents. after the nfl combine in february, three players said officials posed questions about sexual orientation.   

earlier this month, the nhl and its players' union partnered with the you can play project, an advocacy organization fighting homophobia in sports. nhl commissioner gary bettman said the project underlines "the official policy of the nhl is one of inclusion on the ice, in our locker rooms and in the stands."  

washington capitals forward joel ward, one of the few blacks in the sport, weighed in. said ward, "i would say the nhl has been a force to kind of embrace & encourage. what collins did, i think its definitely good for basketball, and the same for hockey, too. its going to be encouraging for more guys to step up and just be open about themselves." 

living in the nation's capitol while the u.s. supreme court heard arguments about same-sex marriage had a profound effect on collins. he said, "the strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable. less than three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future. here was my chance to be heard, and i couldn't say a thing."   

while collins intends to keep playing, several other male athletes, including nba player john amaechi, nfl player esera tuaolo and mlb player billy bean, spoke about being gay - after they retired. amaechi told the ap, "i think he is immensely brave. i think its a shame in this day and age he has to be immensely brave, but he is. he's going to be a remarkable and eloquent spokesperson for what it is to be a decent, authentic human being, never mind just for gay people."

rick welts, president and chief operating officer for the golden state warriors, is gay. said welts, "he probably knows what he signed up for. there'll be a whole bunch more television reporters and cameras than he's probably had in the past. there had been a long bit of speculation about when, who, how. i think that speculation has been put to rest now, and we'll always remember that jason collins was the first man to do this."

female athletes tend to experience more societal acceptance when they publicly admit their sexuality. basketball players nancy lieberman, sheryl swoopes, chamika holdsclaw & britney griner made few ripples when they acknowledged their same-sex relationships. tennis players martina navratilova, billie jean king, amelie mauresmo, lisa raymond & renae stubbs are open about their lesbianism. 

navratilova, hall of famer & current analyst on the tennis channel, tweeted on monday, "collins is a brave man. 1981 was the year for me. 2013 is the year for you." ironically, collins told abc's good morning america, navratilova was his role model. he said, "i look at her as one of my heroes. hopefully going forward i can be someone else's role model."

in 1994, four-time olympic diving gold medalist greg luganis revealed he was gay, a year before also admitting he was hiv-positive. canadian swimmer mark tewksbury, six years after winning a gold medal at the 1992 barcelona games, stated he was gay. former olympic skiing gold medalist anja peterson of sweden, after retiring in 2012, said she was in a long-term relationship with a woman. orlando cruz of puerto rico became the first professional boxer to admit he was gay, last october.

in his very candid sports illustrated article, collins wrote, "some people insist they've never met a gay person. but three degrees of jason collins dictates that no nba player can claim that anymore. pro basketball is a family. and pretty much every family i know has a brother, sister or cousin who's gay. in the brotherhood of the nba, i just happen to be the one who's out."

       

2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

the 28th annual rock & roll hall of fame induction ceremony took place thursday at the nokia theatre in los angeles, california. this year was the first time since 1993 the esteemed institution - based in cleveland, ohio - held its event on the west coast.

listed below are the individuals & groups who will be honored: 

lou adler - producer.
heart - rock group.
quincy jones - arranger, composer, musician & producer.
albert king - blues guitarist.
randy newman - singer/songwriter.
public enemy - hip hop group.
rush - rock group.
donna summer - pop/r&b singer.
    

Scottsboro Boys Pardoned by Alabama Legislature 80 Years Later

alabama lawmakers voted unanimously to give posthumous pardons to the scottsboro boys monday. nine black teens were wrongly convicted of raping two white women in 1931. the state house voted 103-0 & the senate voted 29-0. governor robert bentley signed the bill, which amended one of america's greatest racial injustices.

"this is great for alabama, it was long overdue," said democratic state rep. laura hall of hunstville, who sponsored the bill in the house. the state sponsor, republican arthur orr, said it's unfortunate the pardons came after all the scottsboro boys have died - but the bill lets alabama write "a better chapter." orr said, "their lives were ruined by the convictions. by doing this it sends a very positive message nationally & internationally that this is a different state than we were many years ago." 

all but the youngest member of the group, whose ages ranged from 13 to 19, were imprisoned on death row after convictions by all-white juries. all were eventually freed without executions, although several suffered for many years in prison. the last of the men died in 1989. 

the scottsboro boys' case has been memorialized in books, films, museums, songs & a 2010 broadway play. their oppressive legal saga set important precedents, including supreme court decisions outlawing the practice of systematically excluding black people from juries & guaranteeing the right to effective counsel.

house speaker mike hubbard, a republican, said, "you can't change history, but you can take steps to right the wrongs of the past. the fact that this passed unanimously shows that today's 21st century alabama is far removed from the one that caused such pain for so many so long ago."

benjamin todd jealous, president & ceo of the naacp, applauded the correction of "an historic miscarriage of justice." but he also noted alabama is involved in a supreme court case over the voting rights act & the state has passed laws critics say discriminate against immigrants in the country illegally. 

jealous said, "like so many communities that have tried to move beyond their ugliest chapters, alabama has learned you can only move forward if you are honest about your past. it's heartening that this was a unanimous vote. unfortunately, alabama still needs to confront its present."

susan glisson, executive director of the institute for racial reconciliation at the university of mississippi, was grateful for the measure. glisson said, "it is an opportunity for us to understand that period, especially the ways in which blacks were deemed inferior & therefore not worthy of equal treatment before the law."

the scottsboro boys' tragic episode began on a freight train traveling through alabama during the great depression - many people would sneak aboard for free rides between cities. there was a fight between blacks & whites on the train. the two women made false rape accusations in hopes of avoiding arrest. 

lynch mobs gathered outside the jail, but were warned off by the white sheriff & rebuffed by national guardsmen called in by the governor. after the conviction, the communist party seized the case as an opportunity to appease black people & liberals. the party got one of its lawyers named as defense counsel & also secured the services of famed defense attorney samuel liebowitz. there were years of appeal, some successful, as one of the women recanted & said their claim was dishonest.

decades later, when the idea of pardons was raised, the governor & parole board said they didn't have the legal authority to pardon the deceased. but sheila washington, founder of the Scottsboro boys museum, which opened in 2010, pursued the legislation. washington said the pardons would finally shine a light on "this dark injustice."  




    
  

Louisville & UConn Win NCAA Titles

louisville defeated michigan 82-76 to win the 2013 ncaa championship game monday night. luke hancock came off the bench for the cardinals & scored 22 points. he hit four consecutive three-pointers to offset a 12-point lead for the wolverines with less than four minutes to go in the first half. hancock was named the tournament's most outstanding player - the first sub to ever win the award.

rick pitino becomes the first coach in ncaa history to win championships with two different teams. in 1996, he coached kentucky to a national title. louisville (35-5) emerged victorious the same day pitino was announced as one of the 2013 hall of fame members. two days prior, his horse won the santa anita & will run in the kentucky derby. a few days ago his son, richard, was named coach of the university of minnesota.  

guard peyton siva finished with 18 points, six assists & four steals. forward chane behanan had 15 points & 12 rebounds. but their team & the nation was inspired by guard kevin ware. he suffered a grueling injury against wichita state in the final four, leaving him on crutches & unable to play for at least nine months. undaunted, ware put on a championship hat & cut a strand of the net when they lowered the basket. he said, "these are my brothers. they got the job done. i'm so proud of them. i'm so proud of them."

the university of connecticut won their record-setting eighth national title with a 93-60 victory over louisville. it was the most lopsided victory in ncaa women's championship history. huskies freshman breanna stewart scored 18 of her 23 points in a dazzling first half. she finished the tournament with 105 points & was named most outstanding player.

coach geno auriemma & connecticut (35-4) is now tied with pat summit & tennessee for the most titles in women's basketball history. said auriemma, "the fact that i tied pat summit's record puts you in the category of the greatest women's basketball coach that ever lived. i'm just thrilled for our seniors. this team accomplished an amazing feat this month."

with the huskies victory, the big east conference won a ninth national championship. the conference, which will split apart after this season, was the most dominant in women's basketball over the past decade. both teams vying for a title was a fitting end to its current configuration. neither team will be in the new big east next season as both will be in the american athletic conference. lousiville will play in the acc the year after.          

2013 NBA Hall of Fame Inductees

last wednesday, john doleva, the president of the naismith memorial hall of fame, called seven people to tell them they were inducted into the class of 2013. university of louisville head coach rick pitino was one of the lucky seven. louisville will play michigan for the national championship monday.

said pitino, "when i got the call I was trying to call my wife over so she could hear it & i'm trying to put it on speaker phone & a text keeps beeping as i'm getting this special call. i saw the text. go gophers. i got the job." it was his son richard, who had just found out he was chosen to be the head coach at minnesota.

overall, 12 people are being given the nba's most precious & prestigious award. the announcement came during a ceremony held in atlanta: the site of this year's final four. among those honored are former nba stars bernard king & gary payton, former university of virginia star dawn staley, college coaches sylvia hatchell of north carolina, guy lewis of houston & jerry tarkanian of unlv.

others announced previously are roger brown, indiana pacers guard; russ granik, longtime assistant commissioner of the nba; richie guerin, new york knicks star in the 1950's; edwin e.b. henderson, a direct elect by the early african pioneer committee, & oscar schmidt of brazil, the leading scorer in olympic history. the inductions will take place in springfield, massachusetts on september 8.

as a young assistant with the knicks from 1983-85, pitino forged a relationship with king, who was one of the most feared scorers in the game. said king, "i remember rick as a very young coach, a coach starting his career, a coach who knew the game." king averaged 22 points in his 15-year nba career, including 34.8 points in the 1984 nba playoffs.

king said, "i remember rick came with me to the nba all-star game & we were flying from denver to san antonio. we talked a lot about that even though we had some injuries we had to get off to a good start. that first game in san antonio i scored 50 points. the next night in dallas i had a milk shake & a turkey sandwich & scored 50 points again. i guess you can say this is the culmination of my life in basketball."            

payton was known as "the glove" for his defensive prowess in his years with the seattle supersonics. he was a two-time olympic gold medalist. said payton, "i was an offensive-minded guy when i went to oregon state & coach ralph miller pulled me to the side & said 'you'll be one of the greatest defensive point guards ever' & i said to myself, yeah right. i'm shooting every time i get the ball. i got really good at it & started liking it & took it from there."

lewis led houston to five final fours in his 30 years with the cougars. his teams featured three future hall of famers: clyde drexler, elvin hayes & hakeem olajuwon. tarkanian took three different schools to the ncaa tournament, but he will always be known for biting his towel & his teams at unlv - they made four final four appearances, including their title in 1990.

hatchell joins tar heels men's coaches dean smith & roy williams as hall of famers. one of three women's coaches to win 900 games, she won championships on three levels - aiaw, naia & ncaa. staley was a three-time olympic gold medalist, five-time wnba all-star & two-time national college player of the year with virginia. she's the only women's college basketball player with 2,000 points, 700 assists & 400 steals.