anthony's blog

Was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton having a bad day? While on a visit to the Congo, the former Senator from New York turned America's chief diplomat, was asked a question about the financial influence of the Chinese in Africa.

However, the translator mistakingly interpreted the question "what does President Obama think..." to "what does the former President Mr. Bill Clinton think..." and Secretary Clinton responded with some choice words about who runs America's foreign policy.

Over the weekend Congressman David Scott of Georgia lost it! A town hall meeting on a highway project became the latest target of anti-Obama, pro-big insurance company protestors. These sorts of outbursts have been happening all over the country. Think that's a coincidence?

These protests have gotten physical at several town hall meetings and extra security is being hired by elected officials for future discussions on this issue.

On Saturday, August 8, 2009 Chief Justice Roberts swore in Sonia Sotomayor as the newest associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Her elevation makes her the first Hispanic to serve on the high court. During the confirmation hearings she conducted herself with grace, dignity and with an extraordinary knowledge of her place in history and on the court.

The recent polls claiming to see major slips in President Obama's job approval are interesting but not that important just 200 days into his administration. An important snap shot of what Americans are thinking - yes, but in a few days, all that could change with one major speech or with an international crisis handled well. That being said, President Obama needs a game changer...badly.

C'mon, admit it...everybody loves beans and franks! Now you can have them and support a good cause as well by attending the annual Beans and Frankly Yours fundraiser for the Summer Peace Camp for Kids at St. Frances Academy. For $5 you get great food (including ice cream!) and help some outstanding kids attend a two-week day camp that treats Baltimore third, fourth and fifth graders to the arts, computer science and recreation, plus breakfast and lunch each day. From 4 - 8 p.m. in the 500 blk of East Chase Street. See you there!

Ok. I'm finished laughing now.

Baltimore's Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld went to the city's Inner Harbor on Monday to dispute a Baltimore Sun report that shows stark increases in violence at the popular tourist destination.

As my colleagues and I discussed it, we wondered aloud about the last time the police commissioner visited Park Heights, Pennsylvania Avenue or the many other sections of the city where there have been spikes in violence...if he has, he did invite television cameras and print reporters to join him.

I Can't We Can was founded by recovering heroin addict Israel Cason 13 years ago and since that time has saved thousands of lives.

The organization received word last week that it would not be funded by BSAS, the city's quasi-private/public organization which distributes the state and city's drug recovery money, for the new fiscal year.

The $350K I Can't We Can gets from BSAS was the bulk of its budget and without this funding the organization may have to shut it's doors.

It started a few weeks ago. Emails and calls to my show's website and to our studio from angry and frightened residents sharing their stories of violent and questionable interactions with Baltimore police officers.

The first email was from a man who said he was stopped for expired tags and ended up with a swollen lip and a three day stay in one of the district holding cells - note: he claims he wasn't taken to Central Booking but to one of the district command posts where he was repeatidly assaulted and taunted by officers.

Wayman Tisdale, basketball All-American and NBA great and musical genious, has died from cancer.

I met Wayman last year at a conference in DC. He had one of his lower legs amputated after finding a cancerous cyst. Even as he fought the disease, he was a bundle of energy, singing around the country, doing motivational speeches and reaching out to others fighting cancer.

Last night the Baltimore NAACP branch and artist/student Faith Bocian held a rally to draw attention to the 80 murders that have taken place in Baltimore since the New Year. They unveiled a memorial of 80 teddy bears on the steps of the branch office. Each bear wore a tag with the name, age and location of each murder victim. It was shocking and beautiful at the same time.

Kudos to Israel Cason and the staff and clients of I Can't We Can, a drug recovery program in Park Heights, for bringing three vans of people.