links for 2008-09-07

"Some residents in Council Bluffs are thankful that a racially disturbing object has been removed from their neighborhood. A black baby doll tied to a cross was hanging from the eave of a home."

"Palin's conservative Christian views have energized that part of the GOP electorate, which was lukewarm to John McCain's candidacy before he named her as his vice presidential choice. She is staunchly anti-abortion, opposing exceptions for rape and incest, and opposes gay marriage and spousal rights for gay couples."

"Mr. Thomas, 29, who works as a deputy director for City Futures, a nonprofit urban policy organization, said that while he worries his presence might be harming longtime residents because of the rent he is willing to pay to live in Harlem, he believes the neighborhood needs an infusion of middle-class black residents like himself. “We’re part of gentrification too,” said Mr. Thomas, who has become a self-taught student of Harlem history. “I’m torn about it because I can afford to live in Harlem.”