Lee Saunders, AFSCME's first African American leader

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is America's largest union, and Lee Saunders is the first African-American president in its 80-year history.

According to Saunders, while AFSCME's members are only 16 to 18 percent black, its ties to the African-American struggle for economic equality run deep.

On the 45th anniversary of the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968, The Root spoke to him about the significance of the landmark civil rights event in the labor movement's history, the import of his organization's efforts for the African-American community and what he hopes to see from President Obama's second term.

Police Declare Christopher Dorner Investigation 'Over'

(CNN) -- Authorities said Wednesday they are reasonably sure that the body found inside the burned cabin near Big Bear Lake, California, is that of Christopher Dorner, the rogue ex-cop who had been pursuing a vendetta against his fellow officers.

Black Americans: The new face of HIV/AIDS

Read more http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php/featured-news/metro/10538-black-americans-the-new-face-of-hiv-aids

Last Minute Gift Ideas For Your Valentine

Highlights from the State of the Union address

Whether you missed President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address Tuesday evening or just need a refresher, here are some of his main points:

- Noting that more than 1,000 people have died from gun violence since the Connecticut school massacre, President Obama said proposals ranging from expanded background checks to limiting the size of ammunition magazines should receive a vote in Congress. "They deserve a simple vote," Obama repeated to sustained applause in what was the evening's most emotional moment with the families of gun violence victims in attendance.

Overtime for checking work email off the job?

A federal lawsuit in Chicago claims that answering calls and emails from bosses on one's smartphone after hours constitutes overtime.

According to the Huffington Post, Chicago police Sgt. Jeffrey Allen claims in his suit that the city owes him and other officers millions in overtime pay for work performed on their BlackBerry phones.

"A culture has developed where police officers feel compelled to work for free in order to possibly gain a promotion and/or maintain their coveted assignment," according to a plaintiff filing.

Could the next pope be from Africa?

Hours after Pope Benedict XVI's resignation announcement Monday, speculation was surging over who might be his successor – and what part of the world the new pontiff could be from.

The 118 cardinals who will pick the next pope are also in the running for the job. Those cardinals are from around the globe, but more than half of them hail from European nations, according to Vatican statistics.

Worldwide, the demographic trends among the Roman Catholic Church's nearly 1.2 billion members show a different breakdown, with the church seeing only a trickle of new members in Europe while membership numbers have grown significantly in Africa, according to Vatican statistics.

Chris Dorner and the roots of his LAPD war

What authorities are calling Chris Dorner's campaign of guerrilla warfare against his former comrades in the Los Angeles Police Department has its roots in a hotel lobby in San Pedro, the city's port district.

In July 2007, the former Navy officer was an LAPD probationary officer, riding patrol with a veteran of the force, when they were dispatched to check out a report of a disturbance at the DoubleTree Hotel. A man had refused to leave the premises and was sitting on the bench outside the lobby when they arrived.

Does Google’s ad placement on black-related news amount to racial bias?

Have you ever wondered why when you search for black-related news using Google, several ads selling access to criminal history and arrest records pop up?

According to Harvard professor Latanya Sweeney, that happens more often than we think and may expose society's racial bias.

BBC reports:

Rainbow PUSH Coalition Economic Summit – a post mortem

The mood was both festive and businesslike at this year's Wall Street Project Economic Summit, hosted by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, in New York City.

"For the first time," former U.S. President Bill Clinton opined during his speech last Thursday afternoon, "(minorities) are in a position to persuasively argue that the economic inequality, which exists in America today, is a severe strain on the economic future of all Americans."

Clinton was among a plethora of luminaries, politicians, and businessmen who gathered for the Rev. Jesse Jackson's three-day summit, which ran at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan from Jan. 30 through Feb 1.

African American History Month – by the numbers

The U.S. Census Bureau has released the following figures about Black America to coincide with African American History Month. I found them interesting enough to share.

Population

43.9 million – The number of blacks, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, on July 1, 2011, up 1.6 percent from the census on April 1, 2010.

The power of a nap

Need to recharge? Don't depend on a cup of coffee – a power nap will boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity, and energy level. A short snooze is an economical (and easy) way to boost mental and physical health.

To combat fatigue and stay on top of things at work and at home, make power naps a regular part of your routine. Say goodbye to a lack of drive and hello to simple a healthful boost in energy!

What are the benefits of a nap?