On Monday, NYPD chronicler Leonard Levitt (who is feared by the NYPD brass) reported, "An NYPD informant spied on the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network [NAN] as the group was organizing large-scale protests of the Sean Bell case acquittals, a police document shows. The confidential informant infiltrated a NAN meeting on May 3, 2008, and reported back to the NYPD's Intelligence Division, according to a document marked 'secret,' which was obtained by NYPD Confidential. The informant had attended the NAN meeting a week after a Queens judge had acquitted three detectives of the fatal 50-shot killing of Bell and the wounding of two of his friends in November, 2006." more ›

President Obama is trying to drum up support for the American Jobs Act, his $447 billion plan to "put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans." While there don't seem to be enough votes in the Senate to pass it, maybe this will change some politicians' minds: Bloomberg News asked economists about the plan and it turns out they think the program "would help avoid a return to recession by maintaining growth and pushing down the unemployment rate next year." more ›

The Reverend Al Sharpton is a busy guy—just look at his Twitter. He emphasized this point in a Tweet from earlier this morning, "I turned down DANCING WITH THE STARS, and people want to know why? I am busy, that's all. I am committed to NAN and our projects this year." Of course, he was more colorful when he explained this to TMZ. more ›

Yesterday, the Daily News reported that the Rev. Al Sharpton was upset at the apparent lack of diversity in Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo's transition team. Sharpton said, "They should have given a priority to send an early signal that they are going to have a diverse administration... We have not seen the signal we had wanted to see. I haven't seen any signal at all." However, Cuomo claims he doesn't have a transition team in place, so how can Sharpton even complain? Maybe Sharpton read this NY Times story about Cuomo's transition. more ›

Yesterday, conservative radio and Fox News host Glenn Beck held his "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington D.C. The Washington Post reports that, from the Lincoln Memorial, "he championed a religious brand of patriotism and called on the nation to recommit itself to traditional values he said were hallmarks of its exceptional past." Beck said, "Something that is beyond man is happening. America today begins to turn back to God." more ›

The Daily Politics' Celeste Katz reports, "The Rev. Al Sharpton just confirmed to me that he is endorsing state Sen. Eric Schneiderman in the five-way Democratic primary for state attorney general. I'm sure Team Schneiderman sees this as a real get as they continue to promote their campaign's supporters as the most racially and ethnically diverse group out there." There have been concerns about the Democratic party's all-white state ballot, so much so that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo contacted Sharpton. In recent days, Schneiderman has landed endorsements from the NY Times and the good government group the Citizens Union (rival Eric Dinallo received endorsements from the Daily News and Crain's). more ›

Mayor Bloomberg, the Democrat-turned- Republican-turned- Independent, is reportedly giving up on his quest to end political primaries. The mayor was hoping to convince the City Charter Revision Commission to allow voters to decide on it this fall, but apparently the Reverend Al Sharpton's support of partisan primaries helped kill the plan. more ›

Oh, Rush! Controversial right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh decided to pay tribute to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner during his show by espousing Steinbrenner's capitalist tendencies, "That cracker made a lot of African American millionaires."—uh, what about the white millionaires—"George Steinbrenner, the classic capitalist. Everyone around him became wealthy... And at the same time he fired a bunch of white guys as managers left and right." Hear his clip below. more ›

A Staten Island man has been charged with aggravated harassment over threatening phone calls he made to Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network office in April. Richard Maltese, 43, allegedly called Sharpton's Harlem office three times, threatening Sharpton and his employees after Sharpton organized a protest on Arizona's immigration law in Phoenix. Sharpton's lawyer Michael Hardy told the Daily News they take threats seriously, but Maltese's fiance seemed surprised at the arrest. She said, "[He's] not really political outside of the normal voting." Clearly, it's never too late to get involved. more ›

Now that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has selected Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy as his running mate and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli was backed to run for Comptroller, there are worries that the ballot is a little too white, especially when considering the five Democratic candidates for Attorney General are all white, too. Which is why Cuomo has reportedly called the Reverend Al Sharpton. more ›

The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Aiyana Jones, the 7-year-old girl killed during a Detroit police raid (they were looking for a murder suspect). The AP reports, "Sharpton questioned whether officers in the city's affluent suburbs would throw a stun grenade into a house before entering as Detroit officers did. But he said that while he could criticize Detroit police and political leaders, but... 'I'd rather tell you to start looking at the man in the mirror. We've all done something that contributed to this.'" Sharpton referred to Aiyana as "the breaking point," saying this was "a wake-up call not only for those in authority, but for those of us in the community who have allowed this violence and recklessness to go on too long." more ›

Arizona's new controversial immigration bill has raised the ire of many New Yorkers. The law will make being an undocumented immigrant in Arizona a state crime and police officers will be allowed to ask anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant for documentation. Immigrants and lawmakers alike are criticizing the law, , and the Reverend Al Sharpton is planning a protest, "We will go to Arizona when this bill goes into effect and walk the streets with people who refuse to give identification and force arrest." more ›

The Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network Convention attracted White House officials, Bill Cosby, Mayor Bloomberg and Mariah Carey and the Post's Andrea Peyser writes, "With pared-down hair and tailored suits"—track suits are 20 years ago—"Al Sharpton has emerged as the Lady Gaga of the civil-rights movement — undergoing a style makeover aimed at turning the Rev. into the thing he craves most: a player." Her reaction to his statements about "trying to bridge the illiteracy and entitlement gaps"? "Zzzz... This was a far cry from Sharpton, circa 1987, who promoted the Tawana Brawley rape hoax, and the ’90s Sharpton, who revved up anti-Semites in Crown Heights." Detectives union head Michael Palladino said, "Despite the change of clothes, my guard is not down. The true Al will come out during the next controversial police shooting.” more ›

After holding a second meeting about Governor Paterson, a group of influential black leaders reaffirmed their support of the embattled governor. The Reverend Al Sharpton said, "Most of those in the room tonight strongly felt that the Governor should continue. There are others with varying views. We all agree that the governor should be given the right to due process as any citizen of this state." more ›

Last Saturday, the Reverend Al Sharpton convened a meeting of Democratic leaders to discuss Governor Paterson's position. The group of mostly black leaders announced their support of the governor, who had just given up his gubernatorial campaign in the wake of his aide's abuse scandal, but now that there are more questions around Paterson's conduct, Sharpton is holding another meeting tonight. more ›

Yesterday, the Reverend Al Sharpton convened a meeting of Democratic leaders at Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem to discuss the Governor Paterson situation. Their stance: they should support Paterson to serve out the rest of his term. State Senator Eric Adams said, "We had a president that was able to lead in 50 states while he was being in a grand jury, while he was being under impeachment proceedings. If he can lead 50 states, then surely our governor can lead one state." more ›

On NY1's "Road to City Hall" last night, former Mayor David Dinkins, Rep. Charles Rangel and former NY Secretary of State Basil Paterson (yes, the Governor's dad), appeared to remember their friend and colleague Percy Sutton, the trailblazing lawyer turned politician turned media mogul who passed away last week. The four men, who became powerful in Harlem politics, were known as the "Gang of Four," and Dinkins, Rangel and Paterson credited Sutton. Dinkins said, "We three and others have always said everybody stands on somebody's shoulders. And we say that we stand on Percy's shoulders." more ›

With the City Council set to decide whether or not a Queens street should be renamed after Sean Bell, the Reverend Al Sharpton spoke out in favor of the renaming. In 2006, Bell was killed and two of his friends were injured when undercover police fired upon their car, thinking they were armed (they weren't). Yesterday, Sharpton, who was joined by City Councilman and City Comptroller-elect John Liu, said, "This has something to do with our community embracing and using as example a young man that was on his way to doing what was right and his community rallied around him. That's what streets are named for." more ›

The Daily News adds a new detail to the "road rage" arrests of Dominique Sharpton and Kathy Jordan—the daughter and ex-wife of the Reverend Al Sharpton. Apparently 23-year-old Dominque was pulled over by cops after allegedly driving through a red light, so she called her mother who "rushed to the scene to find Dominique in the back of a police car, Sharpton's attorney said." The women argued with the cops, eventually being taken to the stationhouse and charged with "disorderly conduct and obstruction of governmental administration." Their lawyer said, "It seems they were arrested simply because they asked why the ticket was being given." The Reverend Al, aside from his Tweets yesterday, remains quiet on the issue. more ›

According to the Post, the ex-wife and daughter of the Reverend Al Sharpton "were arrested [Friday] night after berating a pair of Harlem cops who pulled them over for running a red light in the wrong lane to get around their slow-moving, unmarked cruiser." The incident began at West 110th Street and 8th Avenue, when Dominique Sharpton, allegedly frustrated by the unmarked cruiser, "honked her horn and tailgated the vehicle" and then "furiously swerved across the double yellow line and sped through a red light to get past the cop car." more ›

This might be music to the Reverend Al Sharpton's ears: ESPN reports, "Rush Limbaugh is expected to be dropped from a group bidding to buy the St. Louis Rams, according to three NFL sources." more ›

Saturday's weekly meeting of Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network was a little extra spirited yesterday, the gathering being used as a birthday party for the Rev, who was turning 55. But the festive occasion didn't stop Bill Thompson from using it as a pitch to its attendees to make sure they lend a hand to a campaign that could use it. Thompson said, "We have 32 days until the election, 32 days. Over the next 32 days, I need each and everyone of you involved in the election, knocking on doors, grabbing your friends, saying to your neighbors, 'We can take this city back and put someone in City Hall who can stand up and fight for all of us.'" Hope he at least brought a card. more ›

Yesterday, music legend Michael Jackson was buried at Forest-Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, ten weeks after his death. While the attendees were limited to two hundred family members and friends (including ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Corey Feldman, Macaulay Culkin, Barry Bonds, and Chris Tucker), the Reverend Al Sharpton kept his Twitter followers appraised of the services, Tweeting, "I am sitting at the burial services of michael jackson. I am talking to actress lisaraye mc coy who was at NAN when MJ came and tom mesereau," "What MJ went through was so unfair, yet he succeeded. In the end, he was the biggest artist ever. He faced the headwinds but he made it," "I just spoke at the conclusion of tributes. Gladys knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him top rest," and "MICHAEL JACKSON HAS BEENb LAID TO REST." Sharpton has defended Jackson's reputation and was at the Brooklyn MJ celebration last weekend. more ›

Last week, noted Harvard academic Henry Louis Gates was arrested in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after a neighbor described a man trying to "pry" open a home's front door. It turned out that Gates had locked himself out his house; cops claim Gates was belligerent and refused to show ID while Gates claims he did show ID yet was still arrested for disorderly conduct (apparently for allegedly being belligerent, which he denies). The charges were dropped, but Gates wants an apology from the cop, "If he apologizes sincerely, I am willing to forgive him. And if he admits his error, I am willing to educate him about the history of racism in America and the issue of racial profiling." And the Reverend Al Sharpton was incredulous, "I’ve heard of driving while black, and I’ve heard of shopping while black. But I’ve never heard of living in a home while black." The Harlem minister added he would fight for Gates, "If this can happen at Harvard, what does it say about the rest of the country? Henry Louis Gates is the pre-eminent African-American scholar in the country. If they can do this to him, imagine what they can do to a kid in Roxbury." more ›

Congresswoman and likely Senate candidate Carolyn Maloney may have stepped in some serious S-word. While giving an interview to the publication City Hall, Maloney was discussing Kirsten Gillibrand's stances being all over the map and relayed a story from a voter on the issue of language in the schools: "I got a call from someone from Puerto Rico, said [Gillibrand] went to Puerto Rico and came out for English-only [education]. And he said, ‘It was like saying n—r to a Puerto Rican.’” City Hall emphasizes that Maloney used the "full racial slur." Talk about bad PR! Well, if Jesse Jackson wasn't going to let Nas use the N-word, you knew Al Sharpton would waste no time in having words for Maloney. The Reverend, who has already endorsed Gillibrand, said the utterance was "alarming and disturbing at best" and wants her to out the person who said this "so we know that in fact this conversation did occur and the way in which it occurred." Maloney was quick to back away from the comment, saying, "I apologize for having repeated a word I find disgusting. It's no excuse but I was so caught up in relaying the story exactly as it was told to me that, in doing so, I repeated a word that should never be repeated." more ›

Just over a week after an undercover NYPD officer fatally shot 49-year-old Shem Walker, loved ones and community leaders gathered around his mother's Clinton Hill stoop, the site of the deadly altercation in which the details still remain unclear. Bitterness over the incident was clearly in the air yesterday with the harshest words coming from Councilwoman Letitia James, who said, “I say to the NYPD, get your lies straight." The Brooklyn DA's office is currently investigating the shooting as the identity of the officer remains unknown—just that he is a seven-year NYPD veteran and is also black. A minister at the vigil yesterday said, "Police officers are paid to protect and serve, but they are also paid for their judgment. Too often it is the case that their judgment is off with people of color." Tonight a funeral will be held for Walker at Full Gospel Assembly of God with Reverend Al Sharpton delivering the eulogy. more ›

Last night, Bill O'Reilly had two very vocal figures discuss Michael Jackson on his show last night—Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island), who blasted the media attention devoted to a "pedophile" "lowlife", and Rev. Al Sharpton, who told Jackson's children that there was "nothing strange" about their father. First, O'Reilly had King on; O'Reilly pointed out that Jackson was acquitted of molestation charges and that settling the other case "doesn't mean you're admitting anything" (which the talk show host knows about first hand). King responded:

Bill, I would say an adult male who sleeps with young boys is a child molester. If nothing else, he's molesting and abusing their psyche. How are those children going to possibly grow up normal after spending nights in bed with Michael Jackson? So — and I would say also there's not a daycare center in the United States that would be allowed to hire him... more ›

Yesterday, millions of people watched the Michael Jackson memorial—whether at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, at screenings around the country (including a few in NYC), or online. One woman in Times Square told the Post, "It's such a sad day, but it's nice to be with people who feel like I do," while another said, "This is like someone in my family has died. I've just been a wreck all week. I can't stop shaking." And the Reverend Al Sharpton delivered strong words at the memorial in L.A., telling Jackson's children, "There weren't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with but he dealt with it," which brought Sharpton a standing ovation. more ›

Last night, Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater was dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson, one of the biggest stars to be discovered at the legendary West 125th Street venue. Impersonators and fans took turns showing off MJ moves. Here's video from USA Today of some of the highlights: more ›