Man Bankrolls Initiative to Change 3-Strikes Law in CA.

He  spends $1.56 million in a bid that would mean fewer  long terms, offer  hope to his inmate son. An insurance company owner  has spent $1.56  million to foster a ballot initiative that would change  California's  three-strikes sentencing law -- and could free his son from  Folsom  prison, where he is serving eight years for crashing his Lexus  while intoxicated and killing two passengers. [more]

Families Protest Death of 3 Unarmed Black men at Police Hands

Houston-
Families of three Unarmed Black men shot and killed by Harris County Sheriff's deputies protest
The families of three men shot and killed by Harris County Sheriff's deputies protested today, decrying the number of unarmed black men killed by deputies. "I want to say today, gameover," said Pastor ChrisWright of Grace Temple Ministries. "The game of killing our young black brothers and sweeping it under the rug is  over." [more]

Oakland Police are tripping! Report cites a spike in strip-searches

Although the police department has made substantial progress with the reforms mandated by the Riders misconduct  case settlement, a new report also  raises alarms about a pattern of  potentially illegal street  strip-searches and long delays in reviewing officer-involved shootings. [more]

HIP-HOPPERS NOT WELCOME IN MIAMI BEACH

Especially this weekend. Just ask Luther Campbell.
It mayor may not be outright racism, but the  Miami Beachpolice  department is not hiding the  fact that it is not too fondof  hip-hoppers gettin'  their party freak  on over theMemorial Day  Weekend in their fair city. [more]

Kerry aims latest ads at Blacks, Hispanics

John Kerry made his first advertising push into Hispanic and black media as part of an $18 million, month long effort that also targets Republican strongholds. [more]

Kerry running mate: the Hispanic factor

Geraldine Ferraro, Joe Lieberman and now - maybe - Bill Richardson.
 Bill who? Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. You know, the state next door with the pretty yellow license plates. [more]

Obama Cruising in US Senate Race

Obama Cruising in US Senate Race
Democrat leads Ryan by 22 points
Though theU.S. Senate campaign in Illinois has months to go, a new Tribune/WGN-TVpoll finds Democratic nominee Barack Obama  holding a lopsided lead overRepublican Jack Ryan, who also must  overcome a  serious perception problemwith voters. [more] or [more]

Lawmakers raise concerns over shadowing Obama

Lawmakers raise concerns over shadowing of Ill. candidate -
Seek 'privacy zone' to bar videotaping
Anywhere  US Senate candidate Barack Obama went,it seemed Justin Warfel, video  camera in hand, was just a step away.Giving a speech,  shaking  hands with supporters, walking to the  men's room -- everywhere. [more]

Wilder Runs for Mayor of Richmond

Former  Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder  announced plans yesterday to return  to politics and run for mayor of his native Richmond. [more]

Villaraigosa considering jumping into LA mayoral race

Saying  he's getting a lot of pressure to run for  mayor, City Councilman Antonio  Villaraigosa is leaning toward jumping  into the race -- a move that  would scramble the election's dynamics and  threaten key support for Mayor James Hahn. [more]

Villaraigosa talks about the pitfalls and opportunities of running for mayor

In  Los  Angeles in this month of May, the working poor and theirfamilies still  constitute a majority of city residents. Gang violence continues to  surge. Millions of Angelenos lack any medical coverage. And13  years  after the Rodney King beating, the LAPD has still not managed to   put in place a system to track  violence-prone officers,though  the  department has been under a court order for several years todo  exactly  that. All of which is a roundabout way of saying the city still  needs  Antonio Villaraigosa as its mayor. [more]

Kwame Kilpatrick will face tag team in next year's election

Two  big names in Detroit politics, City Councilwoman Sharon McPhail and former Police Chief Benny Napoleon,announced an unusual partnership Sunday: They plan to run as a team against incumbent Mayor Kwame  Kilpatrick next year. [more]

In the War for the Hispanic Vote, Education Is the First Battle

Much  of the war over the nation's political future is being fought in a handfulof states and in a language most Americans  don't understand, Spanish.Among the swing states in which candidates  are focusing most of their attention, the Hispanic vote is growing and  could tip the balance  in fourof them -- Florida, New Mexico, Arizona  and Nevada. [more]

Kerry uses civil rights, military themes in appeal to black vets

Drawing  on military themes while trying to strengthen  support among a key Democratic constituency, presidential candidate John Kerry told black  veterans their sacrifices were part of an "unfinished journey" to ensure  that blacks need not fight as hard for  civil rights as their forebears  did when they returned home from war. [more]

Black Democrats discuss strategy

Young voters warned caucus members not to take them for granted come November. [more]