1. Black Women Bear the Brunt of Premature Births in the U.S.
Findings from a new international report may startle you: The U.S. has a higher rate of premature births, ranking above 125 countries such as Rwanda, Uzbekistan and China.

Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth arrives after an exhaustive joint effort from about 50 lead international, regional and national organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the March of Dimes, Save the Children, and The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. Twelve percent of all American babies are born premature — before 37 weeks — and that translates into roughly half a million babies a year. [MORE]

2. Report: Kenya Moore to Join Real Housewives of Atlanta
Does Atlanta have a new resident housewife? RadarOnline.com reports that former Miss USA Kenya Moore could be the latest diva to hold a peach in Bravo’s hit series Real Housewives of Atlanta. Moore would fill the slot recently emptied by Sheree Whitfield, who quit (or was fired, depending on who you ask) the reality show last month. [MORE]

3. Obama’s Silence on Gay Marriage Is Not Golden
Vice President Joe Biden put his foot in President Obama’s mouth on Sunday when he said, “I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties,” on this week’s edition of Meet the Press. It’s not the fact that he announced support for same-sex marriage that has tongues wagging, but how his remarks have drawn attention to the fact that the president has not. In addition Education Secretary Arne Duncan also declared his support during a Monday morning interview on MSNBC. [MORE]

4. Taking Trayvon Martin’s Name in Vain
Is Trayvon Martin’s name the new N-word?

According to reports, people at the Sigma Pi fraternity house at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, racially taunted Black students as they walked past the frat house early Sunday morning, calling a woman “Trayvon” in an insulting manner.

Cornell Chief of Police Kathy Zoner said “people were reportedly making racial references,” writes the Cornell Daily Sun, and throwing objects at pedestrians from the roof of the house. [MORE]

TAGS: "Premature", Arne Duncan, babies, births, black women, Born Too Soon, BRAVO, Civil Rights, Cornell University, death, gay marriage, Kenya Moore, March of Dimes, Meet The Press, Miss USA, MSNBC, President Obama, Radaronline.com, REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA, same-sex marriage, Save The Children, Sheree Whitfield, Sigma Pi fraternity, The Global Action Report of Preterm Birth, Trayvon, US, Vice President Joe Biden, World Health Organization