BET Wire: Two Steps Forward for Voting Rights

Congress crafts remedy for Voting Rights Act.

In Case You Missed It - Republicans leave President Obama scratching his head; Ben Carson kind of blames the spread of measles on immigrants; one lawmaker thinks it's OK if your food service worker doesn't wash his hands after a bathroom break — and more. — Joyce Jones (@BETpolitichick)

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In Case You Missed It - House Republicans are still targeting Obamacare; Rev. Jeremiah Wright blasts President Obama; voting rights activists celebrate court victory – and more. –  Joyce Jones (@BETpolitichick)

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Full Disclosure - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Jan. 16 requiring weekly reports on how the Affordable Care Act exchanges are working. The information would include the number of unique visitors, web chats, new account registrations and enrollees in private exchange plans and Medicaid. Thirty-three Democrats supported the legislation, but it's not expected to go far in the Senate.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Jeremiah Wright, , Joe Ricketts

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Droning On - Have commentator Cornel West and Rev. Jeremiah Wright been comparing notes? The president's former minister reportedly spoke out against Obama's drone program during a speech delivered at an event honoring Martin Luther King Jr. "We need to teach the truth about our politicians, from Bush to Barack. Because very clearly it is not about the person, it is about the policies of this government. King said 'I have a dream.' Barack said, 'I have a drone,'" Wright said. (Photos from left: Jason Reed, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Breaking Barriers - Obama has nominated Staci Yandle to serve as a judge on the district court for the Southern District, which covers Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. If confirmed, Yandle would be the first African-American to serve on that court and the first openly gay judge in the circuit. (Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP Photo)

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Breaking Barriers - Obama has nominated Staci Yandle to serve as a judge on the district court for the Southern District, which covers Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. If confirmed, Yandle would be the first African-American to serve on that court and the first openly gay judge in the circuit. (Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP Photo)

Voting Rights - "President Obama is to be commended for noting the importance of ‘standing up for everyone’s right to vote,’” said Lawyers’ Committee president and executive director Barbara Arnwine.(Photo: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images)

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One Step Forward - A Pennsylvania judge has struck down a two-year-old law requiring voters in the state to produce photo identification before casting ballots. “Voting laws are designed to assure a free and fair election; the voter ID law does not further this goal,” he wrote in his ruling. His decision will likely be challenged in the state's supreme court. (Photo: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images)

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Throwing His Hat In - Niger Innis, son of civil rights legend Roy Innis, has announced plans to seek the Republican nomination to represent Nevada's 4th District in Congress. If successful, the spokesman for the Congress on Racial Equality would face Rep. Steven Horsford, the Black Democrat who currently holds the seat.(Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

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Throwing His Hat In - Niger Innis, son of civil rights legend Roy Innis, has announced plans to seek the Republican nomination to represent Nevada's 4th District in Congress. If successful, the spokesman for the Congress on Racial Equality would face Rep. Steven Horsford, the Black Democrat who currently holds the seat.(Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Jagged Edges - The legality of the district represented by Rep. Corrine Brown is being challenged in federal court by two voters who are arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. A failure "to utilize existing political and geographical boundaries," they argue, "shows that race played a predominant role in the drawing of Congressional District 5."(Photo: Wiki Commons)

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Jagged Edges - The legality of the district represented by Rep. Corrine Brown is being challenged in federal court by two voters who are arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. A failure "to utilize existing political and geographical boundaries," they argue, "shows that race played a predominant role in the drawing of Congressional District 5."(Photo: Wiki Commons)

A New Chapter for Voting Rights - Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) and John Conyers (D-Michigan) have introduced a voting rights bill in response to the Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act. It "is not a perfect bill," Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) told National Public Radio. "But it is a necessary and good beginning." (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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A New Chapter for Voting Rights - Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) and John Conyers (D-Michigan) have introduced a voting rights bill in response to the Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act. It "is not a perfect bill," Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) told National Public Radio. "But it is a necessary and good beginning." (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Moral Mondays Come to Georgia - Hundreds of demonstrators turned up at the Georgia state capitol on Jan. 13 for the first Moral Monday event. They are protesting Gov. Nathan Deals' refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which Rep. John Lewis told BET.com could help more than 400,000 people, many of them children in urban and rural communities. He also believes the Moral Mondays in the South could one day spark a national movement. (Moral Monday GA)

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Moral Mondays Come to Georgia - Hundreds of demonstrators turned up at the Georgia state capitol on Jan. 13 for the first Moral Monday event. They are protesting Gov. Nathan Deals' refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which Rep. John Lewis told BET.com could help more than 400,000 people, many of them children in urban and rural communities. He also believes the Moral Mondays in the South could one day spark a national movement. (Moral Monday GA)