[UPDATE BELOW] Whitney Houston's ex-husband and New Edition front man Bobby Brown briefly entered Houston's funeral at New Hope Baptist Church earlier today before leaving looking "visibly upset." According to the Star-Ledger, Brown arrived with "an entourage of nine people" and requested to sit in the family's section with the child he had with Houston, 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina. "They were asked to leave," a source told the paper, referring to Brown's entourage," but Brown "left with the other people." more ›

In a 13-minute interview with their attorney, the parents of Ramarley Graham, the unarmed 18-year-old who was shot and killed in his Bronx home by an NYPD officer say they want justice for their slain son."I want the person or the persons that is responsible for taking my son away from me, taking our son way from us, to be held responsible and brought to justice to the full extent," Franclot Graham says. "As far as I'm concerned, a criminal is a criminal…I don't care if you wear a uniform or baggy pants, a hoodie, you are wrong." more ›

The revelations from Sharon Bialek that Republican frontrunner Herman Cain allegedly grabbed her genitals, pushed her head toward his crotch and said, "You want a job, don't you?" back in 1997 have provoked the NY Post's Andrea Peyser to paint the blond mother as a gold digger AND harsh on her make-up: "Sharon Bialek is 50, out of work and, according to one who knows her, she’s a smooth operator living way above her means. From the look of her heavily painted face, she’s also soon to be in acute need of a new tub of eyeliner." more ›

Speaking at the funeral of Denise Gay, the 56-year-old Crown Heights woman who was killed by a stray bullet on her stoop, Reverend Al Sharpton issued a stern plea for the seemingly senseless violence to stop. "Somehow you must reach inside you and stand up for what's right." Gay may have been killed by one of the 73 bullets fired by NYPD officers in their attempt to subdue shooter Leroy Webster, who had killed Eusi Johnson around 9 p.m. on Labor Day. Ballistics results remain pending. According to the Daily News, Sharpton said, "Whatever the results of that investigation, there's no doubt you must stop shooting." more ›

The Reverend Al Sharpton has vowed to find out who killed 56-year-old Denise Gay, an innocent bystander who was shot and killed in a fierce Crown Heights shootout on Labor Day. "We don't know where the bullet was from," Sharpton said as he stood with the Gay family on Friday, "We know where it wasn't from—the guy at the shootout. We will not give up until we find out what happened to Denise." more ›

As was expected, the Reverend Al Sharpton confirmed that he will join MSNBC starting in less than a week. Sharpton will be hosting "PoliticsNation," which airs weeknights at 6 p.m.; he will be replacing Cenk Uygur, who left the network in July. And Sharpton is already spouting team-speak about the show: "I am very happy and honored to join the MSNBC team as we collectively try to get America to 'Lean Forward." more ›

Friday was the 20th anniversary of the divisive Crown Heights riots, three days of violence and chaos which were spurred by the death of a 7-year-old black boy—killed by a Hasidic driver—and then, three hours later, the death of a 29-year-old Orthodox Jewish scholar, who was stabbed by a black man. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently decided to bow out of a panel about the riots, has an opinion piece reflecting on the tumultuous incident in the Daily News, which also published a 1991 photograph of Sharpton in one of his colorful track suits to go with the essay. And Sharpton admits he made some missteps, "I'd like to share a few of my reflections about the choices I made, including the mistakes, with an eye toward advancing racial understanding and harmony." more ›

After a few days of uproar over his possible participation at a panel about the 1991 Crown Heights riot, the Rev. Al Sharpton has decided not to attend. He sent a letter to organizer Rabbi Marc Schneier, explaining his decision, but also took a few shots at critics. In praising Schneier as "One who can provide a fair forum even if your congregants may question or disagree with the speaker, whether it's Hillary Clinton coming to your Synagogue after kissing Arafat's wife's cheek or Glenn Beck last week," Sharpton said, "Please do not let shallow petty people reduce you from your coveted role in this nation. However, there are those who want to distort and rewrite history for their own purposes." more ›

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the Crown Heights riot, which erupted after a 7-year-old black boy, Gavin Cato, was killed by a Hasidic driver and, three hours later, a 29-year-old Australian Orthodox Jewish scholar, Yankel Rosenbaum, was fatally stabbed. A Long Island rabbi invited a number of figures to speak at a panel this weekend, but one invitee—the Reverend Al Sharpton—has various Jewish groups, as well as Rosenbaum's relatives, up in arms. more ›

Rachel Maddow will remain on MSNBC for years to come. more ›

While nothing has been officially announced, conventional wisdom—or at least media gossip—says that the Rev. Al Sharpton will be hosting the 6 p.m. hour of MSNBC. Which now means donations that Comcast (which owns NBC, MSNBC) made to Sharpton's organization, National Action Network, and his lobbying on behalf of the cable provider look at least a little interesting. more ›

No stranger to controversy, the Reverend Al Sharpton looks he'll be like the newest member of MSNBC's left-leaning talk show crew. Last week, TV Newser reported that Sharpton, filling in for usual 6 p.m. host Cenk Uygur, had higher ratings in a key demographic and now the NY Times says, "Mr. Sharpton’s imminent hiring, which was acknowledged by three people at the channel on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been signed, is significant in part because MSNBC and other news channels have been criticized for a paucity of minority hosts in prominent time slots." more ›

This Sunday, the Rev. Al Sharpton will be featured on 60 Minutes. Telling interviewer Lesley Stahl to call him a "refined agitator" (hey, he has been working with Mayor Bloomberg and Newt Gingrich), he says, "I've learned to pick my fights and also to be more strategic about my fight plan. Doesn't mean it's not the same fight, but it means I'm a different and I'm a more seasoned fighter." Of course, one of the main things Stahl wants to talk about is the Tawana Brawley incident. more ›

Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden sought to harm the US by "attempting to inflame race and class tensions in hopes of tearing down the country from the inside out," sources who have seen the evidence recovered from Bin Laden's compound have told ABC News. In addition to traditional terrorist attacks, Bin Laden wished to "create a divisiveness that would cause more damage than al Qaeda could ever do on their own." This included recruiting blacks in the US, "to capitalize on them to further the jihadi cause." more ›

President Obama is going to be speaking at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network Conference at 6 p.m. (NY1 will have live coverage) in what will be a homecoming of sorts—he appeared at the 2007 NAN Conference, which is sometimes called the "Sharpton primary" because of its importance among Democratic candidates. While the White House claims that this is not a reelection campaign appearance, everyone basically knows it it. Assemblyman Keith Wright (D-Harlem), who is the chair of the Manhattan Democratic Committee, told the Wall Street Journal, "Anytime you run for re-election, the first places you go are your base and your foundation of support—you try to make sure that's tight. If your base and foundation are not solid, there's a chance there could be some chinks in the armor." more ›

Yesterday, the NYPD held a gun buyback at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem. People received $200 for each gun they turned in, and 350 guns were dropped off. Sharpton denounced the gun violence and how some embrace it, "This culture where they walk around with 'Scarface' on their chest and romanticizing thug life is no longer acceptable." And Police Commissioner Kelly said of stats where 98% of shooting victims are black or Hispanic, "Now this is I find deeply disturbing. The society should not accept it, the community should not accept it, this police department should not accept it." more ›

Yesterday, the Rev. Al Sharpton, continuing his promise, led a protest against Arizona's immigration bill in Phoenix, and told the crowd, "I want you to know tonight that if those challenges don’t stop this law, if the federal government will not intervene ... then I want you to know that from all over this country we will bring people into Arizona... We will bring them in the spirit of the Freedom Riders... If you lock up one, you’ll have to lock us all up." more ›

Yesterday, the Rev. Al Sharpton kicked of the three-day National Action Network Convention in Midtown, welcoming Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Steele gave the keynote address, "One thing I've learned is that you can't please everyone. But you can certainly make them all mad at you at the same time." more ›

Rev. Al Sharpton's ex-wife and daughter are off the hook on charges of obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, harassment and disorderly conduct, after unleashing a string of curse words at cops in Harlem. Today they received an dismissal of charges, provided they aren't arrested in the next six months (23-year-old Dominique Sharpton was recently involved in an alleged domestic abuse incident), reports the Post. "In America, you have the right to object to police action," said the women's lawyer. "And certainly you should not be arrested and prosecuted for objecting if you've committed no crime." more ›

Gov Paterson isn't the only one with aides who act out—this week the Rev. Al Sharpton's number one helper was arrested for assaulting another woman in the home of her boyfriend, Hassaun McFarlan. Rachel Noerdlinger, media strategist for Sharpton, fought with her boyfriend's ex-flame, who her lawyer says is "delusional in that she’s told police that she’s dating Hassaun." But police reported that Noerdlinger was at fault: "There was pushing and shoving, and [Layne] fell to the ground there was cursing back and forth —‘You’re a bitch.’ ‘You’re a ho’—all that nonsense. Rachel was the primary aggressor ... It was a cheesy catfight." more ›

Rev. Al Sharpton said today that federal prosecutors will not pursue a civil rights case against the police officers who shot and killed Sean Bell in a barrage of 50 bullets outside a strip club on the day of his wedding. According to 1010WINS, after reviewing the shooting, federal attorneys decided against pressing charges. Though the police officers involved in the incident were acquitted of manslaughter charges in 2008, friends and family of Bell—who recently had a street renamed in his honor—urged authorities to take the cops to court for violating the 23-year-old's civil rights. But Sharpton said Bell's family has been informed that there will be no federal case. more ›

Rev. Al Sharpton says police had no reason to arrest his ex-wife and daughter after they swore at officers during a Harlem traffic stop last month. In a message spanning three consecutive Tweets, the president of the National Action Network said police erred in cuffing Kathy Jordan and Dominique Sharpton: "The court hearing on the traffic arrest of kathy and dominique got some media attention. Now the police says they cursed at them. One Problem with the new police story. It is not illegal to question a traffic ticket or even use profanity. They deny using profanity and I Don't condone cursing at police. However people have the right to question a traffic ticket. This is absurd." more ›

On November 25, 2006, groom-to-be Sean Bell and his friends were leaving the Kalua nightclub in Queens when undercover police confronted them. In the ensuing confusion (the police thought the men were armed or were retrieving a gun, uncertainty over whether the police identified themselves and whether Bell and his friends thought they were being carjacked) five undercover cops fired 50 times at Bell's car. His friends were wounded and Bell, who was to be married the next day, was killed. Earlier this morning, his family, friends, and supporters held a vigil marking the second anniversary of his death. While three police officers were found not guilty in April, Bell's family has met with federal authorities, who may pursue a civil rights case. The Reverend Al Sharpton said, "They've assured them they were doing a full investigation. We don't know what the outcome will be but ... the family is still demanding justice in this matter." more ›