The ‘unfathomable’ arrest of a black scholar

Boris Kodjoe owns a mansion in Atlanta. But when he goes to answer his door, the black actor knows what it’s like to be an outcast. “When I’m opening the door of my own house, someone will ask me where the man of the house is, implying that I’m staff,” said Kodjoe, best known for starring in Showtime’s “Soul Food.” It’s a feeling some African-Americans say is all too common, even to this day in America: No matter your status or prominence in society, you’re still typecast

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Clerics: We don’t want to ban Facebook, we use it

Indonesian Islamic clerics say they have not called for a ban on popular social networking sites like Facebook, and that they are avid users themselves. According to media reports, the clerics in East Java had banned the faithful from gossiping and flirting on social networking Web sites such as Facebook and Friendster. They also demanded an end to “lewd and pornographic” content, the reports said.

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Fortunes Fade for Macau’s Casino Kings

For most of the past five years, the Chinese gambling mecca of Macau seemed a sure bet. After the local government ended a decades-old gaming monopoly in 2002, some of the biggest casino and hotel operators in the world rushed in with new projects, eager to tap into the hoards of wealthy Chinese who increasingly flocked to the “Asian Las Vegas.” The first American company to enter the market was Las Vegas Sands, which opened the Sands Macau casino in 2004 — and earned back its $285 million investment in only a year. U.S

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Donald Trump to get last word on Miss California USA

The Miss California USA controversy is playing out like one of Donald Trump’s highly rated reality shows, with viewers waiting to hear whether he’ll utter his famous phrase, "You’re fired!" While California pageant officials appointed Carrie Prejean’s runner-up to temporarily take over her public duties, Trump, who owns the Miss Universe pageant, is set to announce Tuesday the final decision on whether Prejean will lose her crown for breaching her pageant contract. The state organization’s officials — who appear eager to say farewell to Prejean — have sent their recommendation to Trump for his consideration, Miss California USA Co-executive Director Keith Lewis said

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The Portuguese Experiment: Did Legalizing Drugs Work?

Pop quiz: Which European country has the most liberal drug laws? Although its capital is notorious among stoners and college kids for marijuana haze–filled “coffee shops,” Holland has never actually legalized cannabis — the Dutch simply don’t enforce their laws against the shops. The correct answer is Portugal, which in 2001 became the first European country to officially abolish all criminal penalties for personal possession of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine

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