Supreme Court cuts the string on Spider-Man toy inventor's patent

WASHINGTON — Even Spider-Man can't unravel the nation's patent laws, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The justices turned thumbs down on an effort by the inventor of a Spider-Man toy to pocket royalties beyond the expiration of his patent. The wristband toy, which shoots foam string, became the basis for Marvel Enterprises' popular Web Blaster.

Obama in new presidential podcast: US not cured of racism

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said the United States has not overcome its history of racism and is using the N-word to make his case. In an interview, Obama weighed in on the debate over race and guns that has erupted after the arrest of a white man for the racially motivated shooting deaths of nine black church members in Charleston, South Carolina.

11 shot, 1 fatally, on deadly night in Detroit

DETROIT — In two separate incidents, 11 people were shot in Detroit in a matter of hours Saturday, one fatally. Ten people were shot at a block party on a basketball court on the city's west side Saturday night. One of those victims died.

They died so we could vote: James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman

                                  FBI Photos of missing civil rights workers - Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney, and Michael Henry Schwerner

As the nation mourns for nine black Americans murdered in a Charleston, South Carolina, church, let us never forget that this most recent incident of domestic terrorism is part of a long series of murders, not only of blacks, but of whites who worked in solidarity with black activists. Today is the anniversary of the tragic deaths of three young civil rights workers, on the night of June 21 and 22 in Neshoba County, Mississippi, whose deaths brought the attention of the nation to the issue of voting rights, and whose murders influenced the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

WESTERN UNION, MONEY GRAM COMPENSATE SCAM VICTIMS

 Western Union and Money Gram compensate scam victims. The United States Government, with the help and aid of United Nations organized this scheme to enable victims of scam gets compensated.

After Charleston, the time has come for Republicans to denounce hate peddlers or be stained by them

We know why he did it. Exactly why. The terrorist Dylann Roof hated and feared African Americans, and that's why he murdered nine people in Charleston, South Carolina. He wanted to "start a civil war" for "the sake of the white race." Let's dispense with the banalities of Nikki Haley, who offered "we’ll never understand what motivates" such actions. How dare a governor of South Carolina make such an ignorant statement? And for God's sake (pun intended), Fox News and Republican elected officials need to stop—right now—pretending that these murders were about persecuting Christians. The time has come for some honest reckoning about why this evil, white supremacist terrorist did what he did, about who, other than Dylann Roof himself, bears responsibility, and about what those people will do going forward.

Teachers are professionals, and they deserve to be treated that way

When I look back at my youth, I am reminded of how teachers were a respected part of the community. My dad, who saw no use for education beyond high school, felt that teachers held the same social status as doctors and lawyers. My dad's milk route took him to every school in Madison, Wisconsin, public and parochial. It made things a little tough on me in high school, where the principal, Milt McPike, would take the time to chat with my dad as he unloaded his truck (until my dad lost his job due to union busting). Mr. McPike would remind me that he and my dad chatted every morning. Even with Mr. McPike keeping a close watch on me, I was not a very good student in high school. But, there were many teachers who influenced me at Madison East High School. Mr. McArdle (Aerospace), Mr. DuVair (Biology), Mrs. Bayer (English), Mr. Piddington (English), Mr. Sample (Auto Shop), Mr. Ross (World Civilizations), and many, many others.