Jay-Z claims ‘hip-hop has improved race relations’

September 23rd, 2009 VA IG says too many vets wait a year for claimWASHINGTON — The Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general says too many veterans' disability claims take more than a year to process. An audit released Wednesday has shown that a year ago, 11,000 veterans had claims pending more than a year.

September 23rd, 2009 Report: Too many vets wait a year for claimWASHINGTON — Too many veterans' disability claims take more than a year to process, the Veterans Affairs Department's inspector general said Wednesday. An audit released by the VA showed that a year ago, 11,000 veterans had claims pending more than a year.

September 16th, 2009 White House: Criticism of Obama not based on raceWASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama doesn't believe he's being criticized because of his race. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Obama — the nation's first black president — doesn't think that criticism of his policies is "based on the color of his skin." Gibbs was asked about the topic following comments on Tuesday by former President Jimmy Carter.

August 19th, 2009 White House hopeful about North KoreaWASHINGTON — The White House is hopeful about improved relations with North Korea after a delegation from the communist country met in the U.S. with New Mexico Gov.

August 13th, 2009 New jobless claims rise unexpectedly to 558,000WASHINGTON — The number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly last week, while the tally of continuing claims fell. Despite the increase in new claims, they remain below peak levels above 600,000 where they were stuck for most of this year.

August 3rd, 2009 Singer claims racial slurs, pen stabbing on flightMIAMI — A Brazilian singer's lawsuit claims flight attendants called him racial slurs on a trip from New York to his home county and that his producer was stabbed with a sharp pen. Dudu Nobre, his wife and the producer filed the lawsuit against American Airlines last week, seeking $4 million in damages.

July 24th, 2009 Spike Lee defends free speech on Venezuela visitCARACAS, Venezuela — Filmmaker Spike Lee championed a free press Friday during a visit to Venezuela, where broadcasters are under pressure to avoid criticizing President Hugo Chavez's leftist government. The director didn't directly refer to the dispute in Venezuela, but he said there are "no circumstances" under which news media should be silenced.

July 18th, 2009 LONDON - Terry the snail was declared the World's fastest of his kind Saturday, slithering to victory in an annual race in eastern England, taking two minutes 49 seconds to cover 33 centimetres. His owner, 27-year-old nurse Claire Hopkins, had purchased him for 20 pence (around $0.35) shortly beforehand from race organiser Neil Riseborough.

July 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - With India playing a "vastly more significant role" in global issues, the US looks at Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's India visit as "a tremendous opportunity" to deepen bilateral ties and expand New Delhi's role. As Clinton herself noted a couple of days ago, "relations between the world's largest democracy and the world's oldest democracy have improved significantly over the last 20 years," State Department spokesman Philip J.

July 2nd, 2009 Initial and continuing jobless claims fallWASHINGTON — The government says the number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment insurance dropped last week, a sign job cuts are easing. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless benefit claims fell by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 614,000.

June 2nd, 2009 US trade rep says China to de-emphasize exportsWASHINGTON — The trade representative for the United States says that, because of the recession, China has determined it should become less dependent on exports and stimulate demand in its domestic market. Trade representative Ron Kirk says the Obama administration sees in China's point of view what he calls "a great opportunity for American farmers, ranchers, producers and workers." President Barack Obama's top trade adviser, Kirk spoke Tuesday to the U.S.-China Business Council.

May 3rd, 2009 Obama: Kemp's commitment to race, class equalityWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says Jack Kemp's work in politics shaped not just his Republican Party, but also the country. Obama remembers the quarterback-turned-politician as someone who held strong beliefs and who learned valuable lessons on the football field.

May 2nd, 2009 Morales, Carter eye improved Bolivia-US tiesLA PAZ, Bolivia — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Bolivia's Evo Morales said Saturday they hope their countries are on the road to repairing badly strained relations.

April 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Supermodel Kate Moss has rebuffed reports suggesting that she would be penning her own cookbook. It was reported that Kate would be penning a book on her favorite recipes, which would reveal the secret behind her slim body.

March 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Disney family adventure 'Race to Witch Mountain' has topped the weekend box office after raking in 25 millionollars. According to studio estimates, 'Watchmen' landed the second spot with 18.1 million dollars, reports E! Online.