Newport

The Hanged Census Worker: Why Appalachia Hates Feds

Gail McGowan Mellor | Posted 11.26.2009 | Politics


Gail McGowan Mellor

The U.S. government began its life back in 1791 by shafting the Appalachian area. People have not forgotten it, perhaps because it has yet to stop happening.

A House in the Hamptons?: Historic Vacation Spots of the Black Elite

Michael Henry Adams | Posted 10.19.2009 | New York


Michael Henry Adams

Some African-Americans, seemingly born under an auspicious star, apparently have always gathered to share their leisure pursuits with others who were similarly favored.

Dreams of My Absent Father

Don McNay | Posted 09.18.2009 | Living


Don McNay

When I read the Obama quote about fathers, it made me wonder what side of the equation I fell on. Was I living up to my father's expectations or making up for his mistakes?

Newport: Yesterday's Seaside Paradise, Part I

Michael Henry Adams | Posted 09.06.2009 | Style


Michael Henry Adams

The Obamas aren't coming to Newport to vacation, but one hundred or even fifty years ago they would have. An idyllic spot, it's about to become the subject of several new books.

FTC, 18 states act to stop sham loan consultants

AP | JACOB ADELMAN | Posted 08.15.2009 | Home


Prosecutors nationwide filed 189 legal actions Wednesday against loan modification consultants accused of bilking homeowners who are desperate to make their mortgage payments more affordable.

The lawsuits and cease-and-desist orders announced by Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz and California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown were part of a nationwide sweep of alleged sham consultants by the federal agency and officials in 18 states.

Leibowitz used the announcement to put scam artists on notice and urged homeowners to protect themselves from being exploited.

He said fraudulent loan modification consultants are "full of hollow promises designed to fatten the pockets of criminals and con men."

The lawsuits filed by the FTC included allegations that Aliso Viejo-based Lucas Law Center persuaded distressed borrowers to stop paying their mortgages in order to pay the firm's fees of up to $3,995.

Reading Amanda: One Black Man's Burden

Michael Henry Adams | Posted 06.13.2009 | Style


Michael Henry Adams

Reputedly she is known by friends and family as "Ba"; habitually, as a uniform, she sports sober Calvin Klein suits and subsists on tuna or grilled...