In an America that elected Barack Obama its first African-American president who appointed Eric Holder as its first African-American Attorney General, is there still a need for civil rights protections?  All one has to do is look at the current docket of civil rights cases before the Supreme Court to realize the answer to that question is a resounding, ''Yes.''  In several important cases to be heard by the Court this month, we find civil rights under assault. . . .

The most important moment of the 2008 presidential debates was one that was little remarked upon at the time. It was in the second debate that the candidates were asked whether health care was "a privilege, a right or a responsibility." Senator McCain said it was a responsibility -- of government and business. But Sen. Obama said that it "should be a right for every American" and cited as "fundamentally wrong" his mother's experience of being denied payment for her treatments as she lay dying of cancer . . .

Marc Morial wants to see Portland become a symbol of this nation's commitment to green job training. . . .

Three unconfirmed but "probable" cases of swine flu were identified yesterday in King County, Wa., and one in Multnomah County, with laboratory samples on their way to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for official evaluation.
Meanwhile, Madrona K-8 school in Seattle has been closed down by school district and health officials.
"As a result of Public Health's ongoing overnight investigation into the swine flu infection of a child at Madrona K-8 in Seattle, additional information from school officials has lead local health officials to believe that the infected student may have been ill during school last Friday," officials said today in a statement.
"Out of an abundance of caution, Public Health and Seattle Public Schools jointly decided that the best course of action is to close the school for seven days, starting today, to reduce the ability of the infection to spread.". . .

What's happening for you in your city this week? Read here a day-by-day diary of community events to fill your spare time. For a full calendar please click on "Read the complete article" below . . . .

Pictured, from left: Merkeycia Carter, Richard Gallion, and Petal Munroe.
On Friday April 24 the hippest, hottest and newest runway fashion was at the Portland Convention Center for the 51st annual Ebony Fashion Fair. On display were some of the hottest designers, such as Luca Luca, Gianni Calignanos, Rubin Singer, Giles Montezin, Marc Bouwer, Missoni, Kevin Hall, and Emmanuel Ungaro. Showcasing some of the best designers across the world, the crowd was engulfed in the beaded, sleek, sultry looks of the runway. . . .

• Learn to Prevent Foreclosure
• Find a Safe Bike Route to Work
• Dinner Supports Youth Police Activities League
• Neighborhood Job Seeking Skills Workshop
• WSU Holds College Day for Young Students

William James Adams, aka Will.i.Am, was born on March 15, 1975, in the City of Los Angeles where he attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. But by the time he got around to launching his own clothing line ("i.am") in 2005, the talented Renaissance man had already found fame as front man for the Black Eyed Peas, the multiple Grammy-winning hip-hop group with hits like "Let's Get It Started" and "My Humps."  A versatile musician, Will not only plays various keyboards, the bass and drums, but also sings and raps as well. . . .

Great offerings are on tap at this year's Art Beat Festival from May 11-15 at Portland Community College in Northeast and Southwest Portland:

• Arvie Smith - Artist Talk
• Grandma Zula's Legacy - Film and Discussion
• Jujuba - Music Performance

To celebrate the 150^th Anniversary of Oregon's statehood, the Oregon Department of Education wanted educators to share their knowledge of the state's varied history. With the help of the Oregon Virtual School District, a website was set up to compile lesson plans from around the state ... the website serves as a grassroots effort to get teachers to share effective lesson plans with other teachers. . . .