CIVIL RIGHTS

For a denomination born from slavery and racism, the Southern Baptist Convention is poised for an a historic election.

Attorney General Eric Holder will give a speech Monday outlining the legal justification for use of deadly force in the assassination of U.S.-born al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, according to an official in President Barack Obama's administration.

A secret surveillance program by the New York Police Department in 2007 has lead New Jersey Muslim leaders to meet with law enforcement officials in the Garden State. The meeting stems from the Associated Press revelations that the NYPD had been monitoring New Jersey Muslims. Activities from the NYPD reportedly include the mapping out of mosques in Newark, as well as the monitoring of Muslim student groups.

The Dallas Independent School District could be facing federal violations for sex discrimination and improper use of federal funds for a World War II lesson plan that separated fifth grade boys from girls.

Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police two decades ago led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving on Monday and was sentenced to 20 days of house arrest. He was also fined $500 in connection with the Moreno Valley arrest last summer.

Michigan is not the only state going to the voting booth on Tuesday. Arizona's 29 delegates are also up for grabs. While recent polls have shown Mitt Romney breaking away from Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator could still present a formidable challenge to Romney's presidential aspirations.

The Academy Awards is the biggest night of the year for the movie industry. It is a night to honor the crowning achievements for the films, actors and crew of the preceding year.

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum doubled down on his religious rhetoric on Sunday, reiterating on two talk shows his criticism of a strict separation between church and state.

The Academy Awards is the biggest night of the year for the movie industry. It is a night to honor the crowning achievements for the films, actors and crew of the preceding year. Check out the full list of Academy Award winners.

Hollywood's biggest fashion parade, the red carpet outside the Oscars, began heating up on Sunday afternoon ahead of the world's top film awards where silent movie The Artist is widely seen as the choice for best movie.

Here is a full list of the 2012 Oscar nominations for the 84th Academy Awards.

The countdown for the much-awaited Oscar/ 84th annual Academy Awards has begun. It will be aired from Kodak Theatre, Calif., Feb. 26.

H.R. 1981 is U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith's SOPA (Stop Online Privacy Act) clone.

Of all the issues likely to surface at Wednesday night's Republican debate in Arizona, immigration is a fairly safe bet. That's because Arizona has come to embody the GOP's approach to immigration, in 2010 passing a controversial immigration law that became the model for similar bills passed by Republican-controlled legislatures in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Utah.

A new report confirms what many have long suspected: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is sorely lacking in diversity, and the film industry's most prestigious awards depend disproportionately on the opinions of middle-aged white males.

On the heels of sulking in shame at the water cooler for epically losing that Super Bowl office pool you were forced to engage in, why not try your luck at an Oscar pool for the 84th Academy Awards? Here is a guide for setting up the betting pool, tips for how to win and a guide for selecting the best of the nominations on the 2012 Oscars ballot.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has defended monitoring Muslim college students beyond the city limits to collect details including how many times they prayed.

Stars, family and friends gathered to mourn Whitney Houston at her funeral on Saturday, a week after the sudden death of the singer whose spectacular voice and best-selling albums made her one of biggest pop stars of her era.

The Help, the wildly successful film about African-American house maids during the civil rights movement, took home three major awards at the NAACP Image Awards Feb. 17.

Maryland's House of Delegates on Friday approved by a razor-thin margin a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry, putting it on the road to joining six other states where gay and lesbian nuptials are legal. The Maryland vote came shortly after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a similar measure.

The feel-good Civil Rights drama is almost sure to pick up an acting trophy, but a Best Picture Oscar is a long shot