Bernie Mac, the actor and comedian who teamed up in the casino heist caper "Ocean's Eleven" and gained a prestigious Peabody Award for his sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show," died Saturday at age 50.
"Actor/comedian Bernie Mac passed away this morning from complications due to pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital," his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

John Edwards didn't ruin his reputation by admitting on television to an affair. By the time he sat down to come clean, the damage had already been done in private conversations by political insiders.
Edwards' refusal to deny forcefully the charges of infidelity exposed by the National Enquirer and the private suspicions expressed by those closest to him left the widespread impression that he had ...

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) and the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses will recognize the significant contributions of three outstanding individuals in the visual and performing arts, as well as students pursuing careers and opportunities in those areas during the 12th Annual Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts. Legendary "King of the Blues" musician B.B. King, visual artist Betye Saar and noted Muhammad Ali photographer Howard Bingham will be feted at the event set for 8 to 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 24, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. ...

Legendary soul singer and arranger Isaac Hayes has died.
Relatives found Hayes, 65, unconscious in his home next to a still-running treadmill, said Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Department in Memphis.
Paramedics attempted to revive him and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m., the sheriff's department said. ... Family members said the singer, who had a history of high blood pressure, had recently been treated for various medical conditions ...

Did the lives and work of legendary singer and actor Isaac Hayes and/or comedian Bernie Mac make an impact on your own life? While their deaths have served to remind us all of their tremendous impact on our culture, the impact of their art left a much more personal imprint on their fans. Leave your parting words to either Mr. Hayes' or Mr. Mac's guest book online. You may find the Guest Books at ...

King County officials are urging voters to double-check their polling place before voting day, Tuesday, Aug. 19. Since 2004, 141 poll sites have been consolidated or closed either because the location was not accessible to people with disabilities or the site was underutilized, according to elections officials. "We're close to one week away from the primary and we want to make sure poll voters know where to vote on Aug. 19," said Sherril Huff, Elections director. Since the presidential primary held in February of this year, 20 sites were moved or in some cases demolished or impacted by construction, affecting 17,221 poll voters. ...

A top-ranking U.S. Army official formally delivered the government's apology on Saturday for wrongdoing in the conviction of 28 Black soldiers accused of rioting and lynching an Italian prisoner of war in Seattle during World War II. ...  Photo by Susan Fried

Forrest Pellum, Clay "Doc Q" Clayton, and Scott "Duck" Spaan stand in front of the barbecue of their new outdoor restaurant Out West BBQ on Northeast Alberta Street and 19th Avenue. The trio have been stocking the stomachs of Oregon Ducks fans for years and finally decided to bring their home crafted meats to Northeast Portland. ...

Urgent Care services for patients at Kaiser Permanente at Interstate will be sharply curtailed starting Aug. 1, Kaiser announced last week. The service – designed for patients who need prompt medical care rather than emergency services — was originally offered 24 hours a day for a $30 co-pay; now it will be available weeknights from 5 p.m. until midnight and on weekends. Switchboard operators, and a brief postcard mailed out last week to Kaiser members, advise patients to either call the advice nurse for an appointment or go to Kaiser Sunnyside Emergency Room in Clackamas – which charges a co-pay of $100 per visit. ...

A new report on North and Northeast families' eating habits shows that, although more good-quality food is available than ever, many – if not most – are having trouble bringing it home. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's Interfaith Food and Farms Partnership has released the report, "Everyone Eats! A Community Food Assessment for Areas of North and Northeast Portland," to identify local policy and community-based solutions to food insecurity and convince lawmakers to include the issue in city planning decisions. ...