Black racism: A real problem, or pure politics?

Is black racism a real problem? Or is it pure politics? Shirley Sherrod was dismissed from her Agriculture Department job because remarks she made about her dealings with a white farmer almost a quarter century ago were perceived as racist. She was offered her job back last Wednesday because a full viewing of that speech showed it to be a tale of racial reconciliation. More »

Sherrod aside, black farmers denied again

WASHINGTON - Black farmers, due $1.2 billion for a legacy of discrimination by the U.S. Agriculture Department, suffered a new and disheartening setback this week, despite the national spotlight provided by the quickly disavowed firing of a black department worker. More »

Poll: US Hispanics mix hopes, strains

MIAMI - Yadilka Aramboles eyes her three young children playing on the sidewalk and sees college in their future - even though her husband's modest accountant's income barely covers the family's most basic expenses. More »

Ousted USDA official unsure about returning to work

ALBANY, Ga. - Former Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod, who was forced to resign after a blogger posted comments she made to an NAACP audience about race, is unsure about returning to a government job, she said last week. More »


Gov. Patrick praises U.S. troops during trip

Gov. Deval Patrick and four of his fellow state leaders received a briefing last Friday from Gen. David Petraeus as they stopped in Afghanistan amid a tour of the Middle East war zone. More »

FDA panel wants more restrictions on painkillers

WASHINGTON - Federal health advisers said Friday a government proposal to curb misuse of powerful painkillers does not go far enough to fix a problem linked to hundreds of fatal overdoses annually. More »

A summertime passion

Herbert G. Simmons Jr., former chief pharmacist for health and hospitals, city of Boston, died on July 12 after a long illness. He was 75. More »


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