The nationwide Sprite Step Off competition will be the focus of a new docu-series hosted by rapper/actor Ludacris.
The six-part series, titled Sprite Step Off, will follow six step teams from fraternities and sororities across the country as they prepare for the regional rounds of the Sprite Step Off competition while learning steps and beats as well as juggling round-the-clock rehearsals and family, friends and school demands.
Each team will compete for a chance to win one of two $100,000 scholarships at the event’s national final. The Sprite Step Off is regarded as the largest national step team competition in history as it celebrates the creativity and originality of the multicultural college experience through stepping, scholarship and service.
The combined prize pool of the Sprite-sponsored event amounts to $1.5 million in scholarships. In addition to the competition, the Sprite Step Off competition promotes a national program called the Sprite Step Off Challenge, an effort designed to inspire youth nationwide to help their communities by donating a collective total of 1.5 million hours of volunteerism and service between September 12, 2009 and September 12, 2010.
For Ludacris, the chance to showcase teams in the Step Off as well as the merits of stepping provides a win-win situation for viewers and step enthusiasts.
"I love that MTV2 and Sprite are giving a Step competition national exposure and introducing this creative dance form to an audience outside of the urban college landscape," the entertainer said about the half-hour series, which was shot on location at college campuses around the country. "The teams competing on the show are not only dedicated but diverse and will take Step competitions to a new level."
Fraternities and sororities featured on Sprite Step-Off include Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; and Zeta Tau Alpha.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sprite to bring these student performances to television as part of our new original series lineup for MTV2 and to provide a platform for the rich and historic tradition of college stepping," added Chris McCarthy, senior vice president of Strategic Development and Digital TV Networks, MTV.
The Sprite Step Off docu-series featuring Ludacris will premiere Sunday (Jan. 31) on MTV2.
Hosted by Short Brown Dark Skin & Evil DJ, this seamless collaboration defies the general outline of a mixtape. Introducing new artists from Philly, this project delivers street anthems complimented with gritty tales of the hood.
The production carries a unique blend of import funk, mid 70's soul & heavy basslines, creating a nostalgic fusion. You put the two together, you create Manhole Entertainment.
Download: http://www.zshare.net/download/7139894237d83db1/
Pres. Obama explains how the $30 mil bailout was paid back and how he is investing it in small businesses. PAY ATTENTION!
OMAHA, Neb. — A 41-year-old Nebraska woman is accused of having sex nightly with her teenage son when he was in seventh and eighth grades, officials said Wednesday.
Omaha Police said the now 15-year-old boy reported the alleged abuse last week to a counselor, who notified authorities. The boy told police his mother was addicted to prescription drugs when the alleged abuse took place in 2008 and 2009 while he lived with her in Omaha.
The woman, who now lives in Fort Calhoun, was arrested Monday, according to Officer Michael Pecha. She made an initial appearance Wednesday in Douglas County Court and her bond was set at $30,000.
The Associated Press is not identifying the woman to protect her son's identity as a possible victim of sexual assault.
The teen has a younger brother, but authorities do not suspect the younger boy suffered any abuse, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.
The boy's father told Omaha television station WOWT this week that he had previously had a feeling something was wrong, but didn't learn about the alleged abuse until a few weeks ago. He said his son is receiving counseling.
The woman will be represented by the Douglas County public defender's office, but an attorney wasn't to be assigned to her case until Thursday. A preliminary hearing to discuss details of the charge against her was scheduled for Feb. 8.
Court records show the woman pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor after being charged in January 2009 with intentionally violating narcotics laws. The Washington County Sheriff's office said the woman had been trying to fill 15 different prescriptions from seven different doctors for 468 pills of the sleep aid Ambien or its generic equivalent.
The woman was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as part of a deal with prosecutors.
J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose “The Catcher in the Rye” shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.
Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author’s son said in a statement from Salinger’s literary representative. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H.
“The Catcher in the Rye,” with its immortal teenage protagonist, the twisted, rebellious Holden Caulfield, came out in 1951, a time of anxious, Cold War conformity and the dawn of modern adolescence. The Book-of-the-Month Club, which made “Catcher” a featured selection, advised that for “anyone who has ever brought up a son” the novel will be “a source of wonder and delight — and concern.”
VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and slept on the floor as acts of penitence and to bring him closer to Christian perfection, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading the late pontiff's sainthood case.
The book, "Why He's a Saint," also includes previously unpublished speeches and documents written by John Paul, including one signed memo from 1989 in which he said he would resign if he became incapacitated.
The book was written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the postulator, or main promoter, for John Paul's canonization cause and was released yesterday. It was based on the testimony of the 114 witnesses and boxes of documentation Oder gathered on John Paul's life to support the case.
At a news conference yesterday, Oder defended John Paul's practice of self-mortification, which some faithful use to remind them of the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
"It's an instrument of Christian perfection," Oder said, responding to questions about how such a practice could be condoned, considering that Catholic teaching holds that the human body is a gift from God.
In the book, Oder wrote that John Paul "frequently spent the night on the bare floor," messing up his bed in the morning so he wouldn't draw attention to his act of penitence.
"But it wasn't limited to this. As some members of his close entourage in Poland and in the Vatican were able to hear with their own ears, John Paul flagellated himself. In his armoire, amid all the vestments and hanging on a hanger, was a belt which he used as a whip and which he always brought to Castel Gandolfo," the papal retreat where John Paul vacationed each summer.
Behold, the iPad.
In a presentation today that bred more anticipation than tonight's State of the Union speech, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the company's new tablet computer, the touch-screen iPad.
In making the announcement today in San Francisco, Jobs noted that there are two main mobile computing devices now, laptops and smartphones. He dismissed netbooks as "cheap laptops" and then said, “We think we've got something that is better. We call it the iPad."
The tablet looks in many ways like a bigger version of the iPhone, which quickly made Apple a serious player in the smartphone market.
The iPad has thick black borders on the sides, it's a half-inch thick and features a 9.7-inch multi-touch display.
It comes with 6, 32 or 64 GB of flash storage and features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and an accelerometer and compass. The battery is billed as lasting 10 hours. It starts at $499 and the top model with 3G will cost $829.
The iPad has Wi-Fi and there are two wireless plans. For 250MB a month, you pay $14.99. For unlimited use, you pay $29.99. AT&T will provide the service. There's no contract.
The first models will ship in 60 days.
The iPad will run applications from the iPhone store and developers will get new tools to build apps for the bigger device.
Jobs said it’s a dream to type on, is a great way to use iTunes -- it has a built-in iPod -- and watch TV shows and movies, calling it more intimate than a laptop.
Browsing a newspaper site, he pointed out that the “whole Web site is in your hand,” according to the Journal. A newspaper app looks more like an actual newspaper than it does on the iPhone.
The iPad's e-book functionality builds on what the Kindle and other readers began, Jobs said. "We are going to stand on their shoulders and go a little bit further," he said.
The iPad has an iBookstore with five partners: Penguin, Harper Collins, Simon Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette.
Browsing through a book mimics turning the pages of a book. Books can use video and photos.
Electronics Arts showed off its "Need for Speed" game. With the additional screen space, the company added a shifter and rearview mirrors, Travis Boatman from EA said.
Apple has a challenge with the iPad. It'll have to show why consumers ought to pay for yet another Internet-connected screen, on top of the TVs, computers and smart phones they already have. Tablet computers have existed for a decade, with little success.
The device was introduced after weeks of rumors.
The best report came from The Onion under the headline “Frantic Steve Jobs stays up all night designing the tablet.”
Jobs finally “glued nine separate iPhones to the back of a plastic cafeteria tray. ‘OK, yeah, this will work. This will definitely work. Just need to write 'tablet' on this little strip of masking tape here and I'm golden.'"
Sean "Diddy" Combs was feeling royally ripped-off after losing the golden crown he rented for his son Justin's "Sweet Sixteen" party. Diddy -- who spared no expense entertaining 1,000 friends at M2 in Chelsea -- was said to be annoyed he'd have to pay $5,000 for the prop, rented from a theatrical agency along with two giant thrones. Justin, who was given a Maybach by his dad, wore the crown as he was unveiled to the crowd -- but by the end of the night it had disappeared. Fortunately, after an intense search, the headpiece was found in a stylist's car along with Justin's change of clothes, Diddy's rep confirmed. The expensive night didn't put Diddy off from handing out cash to a crowd at a birthday bash for DJ Enuff at Quo on Sunday, and then later donating more money to a homeless man outside.
Dang Diddy! I'm having a rent party this Friday, u comin' thru?
Straphangers on the uptown 6 train had to stand clear of the clucking poultry last night when a man wearing a shirt with an MTA logo began wrestling a live chicken.
Riders cleared out from their seats as the unidentified man, lying on the subway floor next to a grocery cart loaded with beer cans and junk, manhandled the fowl.
An intrepid rider posted a 1:15 minute video of the incident to his Web site that was later picked up by the blog Gothamist.
It depicts the man hugging and holding the chicken over his head in the middle of a subway car. Other riders are standing by snapping photos and recording the bizarre scene.
Live animals not in an "enclosed container" are not allowed on the subway, according to MTA rules.
If the animal is in a holder, it should be "carried in a manner which would not annoy another person," said New York City Transit Spokeswoman Deirdre Parker.
"Since the man with the chicken is wearing what looks like an MTA patch on his sweater, I have asked personnel at the Department of Subways to look at the photos to see if he can be identified," she added.
The Ohio Highway Patrol says 47-year-old Deborah McDonald of Crystal Rock had just left the bar near Sandusky on Tuesday night and was hit as she was walking along a road.
An Ohio Lottery spokeswoman says McDonald won $8,000 in the lottery's TV game show "Cash Explosion Double Play."
The show was taped Jan. 12 and is set to air at the end of the month.
Bar patrons say McDonald was with a group that had been celebrating her winnings and playing pool.
Patrol Sgt. Joe Wentworth says police are looking into whether alcohol was a factor, but they don't think the driver of the car was drinking.
Two Massachusetts high school students have been suspended following the suicide of a teen girl who was allegedly bullied at school and online, the BostonHerald.com reported.
Friends and school officials stated Phoebe Prince, 15, had been picked on since moving to Massachusetts from Ireland last fall. School bullies reportedly taunted the teen through text messages, Facebook and other social networking sites.
South Hadley High School superintendent Gus Sayer said there have been students "disciplined already in connection with the incident."
"There’s still an investigation going on, which may lead to disciplinary action against other students," said Sayer.
South Hadley High Principal Daniel Smith sent out a letter to parents of students at the high school. In the letter, he called Prince "smart, charming, and as is the case with many teenagers, complicated ... We will never know the specific reasons why she chose to take her life," Boston.com reported.
Smith said the bullying often surrounded arguments about "teen dating."
In the letter to parents, dated Jan. 20, Smith addressed the disagreements: "These disagreements centered on relationship/dating issues. School personnel immediately intervened ... and both counseled and provided consequences as the situations required. It is what happened after those incidents were over that is cause for significant concern.’’
Even after her death, bullies posted disparaging messages on her Facebook memorial page. The comments had to be removed from the page.
Local police and the Northwestern District Attorney are investigating. First Assistant District Attorney would not comment on whether any criminal charges would be brought against any students.
Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. said Tuesday it is asking dealers to temporarily suspend sales of eight models.
The company's sales suspension is part of a recall announced last week to correct a problem that could cause the accelerator pedal to stick.
"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," said Toyota USA group vice president Bob Carter. "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized."
About 2.3 million vehicles will be affected by the recall, Toyota said Tuesday in a statement.
The automaker also said that it will halt the production of vehicles in certain production facilities in Canada, Indiana, Kentucky and Texas during the week of Feb. 1 to "assess and coordinate activities."
The vehicles covered under the recall are:
2009-2010 RAV4, Corolla, Matrix,
2005-2010 Avalon,
certain 2007-2010 Camry,
2010 Highlander,
2007-2010 Tundra
2008-2010 Sequoia.
The new recall involving sticking accelerator pedals is separate from an on-going recall of 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles due to the risk of pedal entrapment because of a loose floormat.
About 1.7 million Toyota Division vehicles have been affected by both recalls.
Toyota owners with questions should call Toyota's customer service line at 800-331-4331.
A Democratic candidate for Cook County Assessor was hurt during a fight outside his home on the northwest side of Chicago.
Retired Cook County Circuit Court Judge Raymond Figueroa saw someone trying to take an election sign from his home near Addison Street and Avers.
He said he confronted the man who then tried to hit him.
Figueroa fought back and hit the man, who then took off.
Figueroa had some minor injuries to his hand, but refused to be taken to the hospital.
Colorado Springs, CO-- A guy walked into a little corner store with a shot gun and demanded all the cash from the cash drawer. After the clerk put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of gin that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the clerk to put it in the bag as well, but the clerk refused and said "I don't believe you are over 21." The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he didn't believe him. At this point the robber took his driver's license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over, and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and he put the gin in the bag. The robber then ran from the store on foot. The clerk promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later. In the voice of Fred Sanford....YA BIG DUMMY!!!!
(CNN) -- A Tennessee man -- accused in a fatal attack at a military recruiting center in Arkansas in June -- wants to plead guilty and claims to have ties to al Qaeda in Yemen in a letter he wrote to the judge presiding over his case.
In the handwritten letter dated January 12, Abdul Hakim Muhammad said he did not want a trial and insisted the shooting was "justified" under jihad.
"This was a jihadi attack on infidel forces that didn't go as plan," he wrote. "Flat out truth."
It was not immediately clear whether the judge, Herbert Wright Jr., would accept the plea. Muhammad's lawyer, Claiborne Ferguson, called the letter "highly inappropriate."
"If my client had the intention of pleading guilty, it is misguided and misinformed as to Arkansas law," Ferguson said from Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday. "He can't plead guilty to a capital crime."
That response is why Muhammad said he decided to bypass his lawyer with a letter to Wright. He wrote that he believed it was "a lie" that he could not plead guilty.
Muhammad, formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe, is charged with killing Pvt. William Long, 23, and wounding Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18. The attack happened on June 1 at a recruiting center in Little Rock, Arkansas. In June, Muhammad pleaded not guilty to one count of capital murder and 16 counts of engaging in a terrorist act.
Before pleading not guilty, Muhammad waived his Miranda rights and gave a video statement indicating political and religious motives, authorities said.
He "stated that he was a practicing Muslim ... that he was mad at the U.S. military because of what they had done to Muslims in the past," Detective Tommy Hudson wrote in a police report at the time. Muhammad told police "he fired several rounds at the soldiers with the intent of killing them," according to Hudson's report.
In his letter to the judge, Muhammad claimed he had links to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, a group that has claimed responsibility for the attempting bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day. "My lawyer has no defense," he wrote. "I wasn't insane or post traumatic nor was I forced to do this act. Which I believe and it is justified according to Islamic laws and the Islamic religion jihad -- to fight those who wage war on Islam and Muslims."
That's likely what crowds at the Australian Open have been asking themselves since tennis legend Venus Williams took to the court and appeared to flash her backside last week.
However, the 29-year-old star was quick to put any rumors to rest via Twitter.
"I am wearing undershorts the same color as my skin, so it gives the slits in my dress the full effect!" she wrote on Thursday.
For the last few days during the tournament, Venus has donned a bright green one-piece, with undergarmets that match her dark skin. This sparked debate online that she had elected to battle her opponents commando style.
"Please put on some decent panties. I do not watch tennis to see your exposed buttocks!" wrote one fan on her website, venuswilliams.com.
Reaction to the ensemble has been mixed, based on the posts.
"I just love her dress it has flare and it has imagination," wrote "margaret joyce." However, "Susan A. Yeck" had a different reaction.
"Your choice of outfit at a Grand slam tournament (or any tournament) was disgusting," she posted. "People really do not want to see your body parts exposed."
Although the mixed response may have come from the illusion she was naked, photos (like the one above) clearly show she was thoroughly covered. Venus indicated via Twitter that she was pleased with her choice to wear the outfit.
"My dress for the Austrailian Open has been one of my best designs ever! Its all about the slits and V-Neck," she wrote.
Whatever she may wear, the famous sibling has been burying her opponents at the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific. She defeated Casey Dellacqua on Saturday in the second set.
Venus will play along side her sister on Sunday against Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
That's likely what crowds at the Australian Open have been asking themselves since tennis legend Venus Williams took to the court and appeared to flash her backside last week.
However, the 29-year-old star was quick to put any rumors to rest via Twitter.
"I am wearing undershorts the same color as my skin, so it gives the slits in my dress the full effect!" she wrote on Thursday.
For the last few days during the tournament, Venus has donned a bright green one-piece, with undergarmets that match her dark skin. This sparked debate online that she had elected to battle her opponents commando style.
"Please put on some decent panties. I do not watch tennis to see your exposed buttocks!" wrote one fan on her website, venuswilliams.com.
Reaction to the ensemble has been mixed, based on the posts.
"I just love her dress it has flare and it has imagination," wrote "margaret joyce." However, "Susan A. Yeck" had a different reaction.
"Your choice of outfit at a Grand slam tournament (or any tournament) was disgusting," she posted. "People really do not want to see your body parts exposed."
Although the mixed response may have come from the illusion she was naked, photos (like the one above) clearly show she was thoroughly covered. Venus indicated via Twitter that she was pleased with her choice to wear the outfit.
"My dress for the Austrailian Open has been one of my best designs ever! Its all about the slits and V-Neck," she wrote.
Whatever she may wear, the famous sibling has been burying her opponents at the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific. She defeated Casey Dellacqua on Saturday in the second set.
Venus will play along side her sister on Sunday against Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka and I'm sure they will do what they do best underwear or not!!
In a world where competition for stupidity never ends, these clowns (no pun intended)are almost in first place. Do you really think McDonald's is endorsing them?
Port-au-Prince, Haiti-- Two weeks after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, the numbers have mounted. The numbers tell stories of death and destruction, as well as a global outpouring of aid.
Below is a compiled list with the most reliable figures available as the devastation continues to unfold:
THE TOLL
150,000: Latest estimate of the death toll, from the Haitian Health Ministry. The European Union and the Pan American Health Organization, which is coordinating the health-sector response, have estimated the quake killed 200,000 people.
194,000: Number of injured
134: Estimated number of people rescued by international search teams since the quake
THE EFFECT
9 million: Population of Haiti
3 million: Estimated number of people affected by the quake
1.5 million: Homeless people living on streets, including the thousands who lived in slums or makeshift homes prior to the quake
235,000: People who have left Port-au-Prince using free transportation provided by the government. The number who left by private means is undetermined.
At least 50: Aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or higher that have hit Haiti since the January 12 quake
THE CHILDREN
300,000: Children younger than 2 who need nutritional support
90: Percentage of schools in Port-au-Prince that have been destroyed
497: Haitian orphans who have been evacuated
THE RESPONSE IN DOLLARS
$1.12 billion: International aid pledges
$783 million: Funds received as of Tuesday
$317 million: U.S. assistance as of Monday
THE RESPONSE IN MANPOWER
17,000: U.S. military personnel in and around Haiti
8 million: Meals the World Food Programme has delivered to nearly 400,000 people
300: Aid distribution sites that are up and running
130 to 150: Flights arriving every day at the single-runway Port-au-Prince airport with aid
Huge crowd of Haitians lines up for rice
EFFECT ON FOREIGNERS
12,000: U.N. workers in the country at the time of the quake
53: U.N. workers still missing
At least 82: U.N. workers confirmed dead
27: U.N. workers injured or hospitalized
11,500: Americans and family members who have been evacuated
4,800: Americans unaccounted for
60: Americans confirmed dead
Sources: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Red Cross, the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. State Department and the World Food Programme, Haiti Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive
Angela Glover Blackwell: Beyond the Noise -- 12 Quiet Ways Obama is Building a More Equitable America
The first year of the Obama Era has been defined by noise-voracious political pundits, screaming Tea Partiers, and cries of "too left" and "not left enough" from competing corners of political world. With the surprise election of Scott Brown yesterday following a loud and boisterous campaign built on voters' anger at a still-stagnant economy, the noise isn't likely to ebb soon.
But quietly, under-the-radar and away from the cameras, the Obama Administration has been diligently working to lay the foundation for a more vibrant and equitable America. Of course, not all of these projects and proposals have had time to show results yet -- but, over the long-term, they will significantly improve the lives of low-income people of color.
These are the twelve vital ways Obama is building a more equitable nation for you and your kids.
1. Created the White House Office of Urban Affairs Our first truly urban president in generations has put the unique challenges of cities and city residents at the forefront of his domestic agenda. During a national listening tour last year, several cabinet secretaries joined some of the nation's top urban policy thinkers and advocates to highlight the most innovative and promising local community-building efforts. Our best ideas come from the communities closest to our challenges. The Office of Urban Affairs gets that.
2. Funded the "Pathways Out of Poverty" programThe Department of Labor ensured disadvantaged communities will have a prominent role in the coming wave of green jobs. The program has already awarded $150 million in grants to job-training and job-placement programs across the country, from St. Louis, Mo., to Ocala, Fla., to Apache Junction, Ariz. This is part of a larger $650 million job training effort funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
3. Improved Our Health by Investing in Community-Level Prevention Efforts
The Recovery Act set aside $1 billion for prevention and wellness programs. This money helps fund traditional health-care efforts like community clinics and immunizations. But it also goes beyond health-care to include expanding access to healthy foods in our schools and communities and ensuring residents have healthy and safe places to live and play.
4. Gave the Gulf Coast the Resources They Need to Rebuild - And the Space to Do It
When Obama took office more than three years after Hurricane Katrina, local residents were still facing myriad frustrating and indefensible challenges to rebuilding. Red tape and misdirected programs still prevented many people from rebuilding their homes and moving back to the city. Entire communities remained empty. Obama put people on the ground with authority to help local leaders cut through the bureaucracy. They redirected resources to meet housing needs for the most vulnerable. They authorized plans to rebuild safer community facilities. And just last week, Vice President Joe Biden announced that more than 100 communities that received $1.2 billion in disaster loans after the storm could apply to have those loans forgiven.
5. Forged the Sustainable Communities Initiative
A joint effort by HUD, the Department of Transportation, and the EPA, the Sustainable Communities initiative seeks to "improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide." This rare cross-agency collaboration is a promising attempt to break down the stovepipes and silos we see far too often in government.
6. Hosted the first White House meeting with all Tribal Nations leaders in 15 years
Leaders of all 564 federally recognized tribes came to the White House in November to meet with Obama and several cabinet secretaries to discuss issues of economic development, natural resources, public safety, housing, education, and health. This was the first such summit since the early 1990s - a sign of the administration's significant commitment to Tribal Nations.
7. Got the Ball Rolling on Promise Neighborhoods
Since his days on the campaign trail, the president has trumpeted the remarkable success the Harlem Children's Zone has had in breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty. The Administration has already invested $10 million in planning dollars to help other communities develop their own neighborhood-based approaches to child poverty.
8. Connected Housing and Economic Opportunity through Choice Neighborhoods
Where you live determines the access people have to opportunity. By improving and expanding upon HUD's HOPE VI program, Choice Neighborhoods would ensure that housing was linked to school reform, early childhood innovations, and supportive social services. Here, Obama saw a program that was showing some results and promise...and made it better.
9. Built on Successes of the Nonprofit Sector through the Social Innovation Fund
The Obama Administration has repeatedly recognized the crucial role the nation's nonprofit infrastructure plays in ensuring all Americans have access to social and economic opportunities. In setting aside $50 million in seed money for the Social Innovation Fund, the administration made a commitment to expanding the capacity of the nonprofit sector and bringing the most proven, results-oriented innovations to scale.
10. Encouraged Access to Quality Jobs in Infrastructure Projects
We know the administration has made historic investments in our nation's infrastructure. But what few people realize is that - through executive orders and new Office of Management and Budget guidelines - the administration has encouraged that investment will help create quality, well-paying jobs and guided those jobs to local residents.
11. Cracked Down on Mortgage Abuses that Tanked the Economy in the First Place
Unscrupulous lenders and poor-quality mortgage products have decimated the financial foundation of countless low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. By proposing the Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate consumer financial products, Obama has shined a much-needed light on the unfair and uneven impacts of a broken financial sector - and may help stop the next downturn before it starts.
12. Proposed Major investments in our community college system
Increasingly, community colleges are the most accessible and cost-effective way for young people (and older people) to get the beyond-high-school training you need for almost any good-paying job these days. In proposing a remarkable $12 billion investment to improve our community college system and help 5,000,000 additional people earn degrees and certificates by 2020, Obama demonstrated a commitment to helping lift up all people, including low-income people and people of color who are too often shut out of the cutting-edge economy.
Obama hits his one-year mark at a bumpy time, no doubt. But I hope he continues his quiet campaign to make America work for all people. Years from now, we will look back on the first year of the Obama Era as one when tough, smart choices got made. It may not pay off politically right now, but it will pay off in years to come in the form or a stronger, more equitable nation for all Americans.
