President Barack Obama embraces Myrlie Evers-Williams during her visit in the Oval Office June 4. The President met with the Evers family to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Medgar Evers’ death, June 12. PETE SOUZA/OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO ...

The long-awaited Florida trial of the Neighborhood Watch captain accused of gunning down teenager Trayvon Martin in cold blood began June 10. It is expected to focus the nation on Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground law. The law allows a person to use deadly force against an attacker in self-defense without any obligation to retreat first. ...

President Obama named “trusted adviser” Susan Rice as his national security adviser June 5, defying Republican critics who had decried her handling of the attack on a U.S. embassy in Libya that left four Americans dead. Rice will replace Tom Donilon, who retires July 1. ...

Last week, Chokwe Lumumba won the general election for mayor in Jackson, Miss., receiving 87 percent of votes. After receiving the news, Lumumba said, “I’m just delighted. I feel wonderfully well about the people and their vote. Our slogan has been the people must decide, and the people gave us an outstanding mandate today for positive change in the city of Jackson.” ...

“This is a great step for Virginia, and we look forward to working with the Commonwealth … on expanding the vote,” stated Benjamin Todd Jealous, national president and CEO of the NAACP. “Anyone who has made a mistake, done their time and paid their debt to society should be able to join their neighbors at the voting booth.” ...

LANSING — Senator Tupac A. Hunter, D-Detroit, introduced legislation last week that would give local governments the power to regulate the use of fireworks on any day and at any time during the year. While Michigan law was amended to expand the sale and use of once-illegal fireworks in the state, there are currently no state laws that regulate their use the day before, day of and day after federal holidays. ...

A new Education Trust-Midwest (ETM) analysis of charter schools scheduled to open in Michigan this fall shows chronically low-performing operators are continuing to expand rapidly in the state, regardless of what’s best for students. The data demonstrate Michigan needs to seriously consider holding charter authorizers more accountable for school quality. ...

Congressional leaders and anti-hunger advocates expressed outrage over a U.S. House committee’s passage of a bill that includes a $21 billion slash in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. The bill, formally known as the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, passed out of committee by a vote of 36-10 on May 15. A day be ...

After a long battle, the District of Columbia will finally have representation among the statuary on Capitol Hill. The House voted May 21 to authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of the District’s statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a former resident, on June 19. The House vote was the final step in the process because the resolution was already passed ...

Next mayor on Mackinac? By Sam Riddle Special to the Michigan Citizen Who’s who is packing for Fudge Island to discuss public policy already decided upon with no real need to do anything but dodge horse poop in between drinks, meals and more drinks, and to see if Jeb has really gained as much weight as they say. The next Republican presidential primary may be between the really big boys if Christie doesn’t ...