In the News: Obama Announces Re-Election Bid; MLK III Launches Bounce TV; Maya Moore Named AP Player of Year

 

• President Obama Announces Plans to Run for Re-Election

President Obama announced his plans to run for re-election early Monday; filing papers with the Federal Election Commission to begin fundraising efforts.

The president’s reelection team–comprised of many of the same campaign committee members from the 2008 election–is charging campaign bundlers to collect $350,000 each, in hopes of meeting their overall goal of $1 billion, according to CNN. The network’s sources claim Obama has placed calls to big donors and has scheduled conference calls to supporters and focal Democratic groups later this week. Obama’s team hopes bundlers will raise $500 million towards campaign efforts, leaving the campaign to raise another $500 million more.

Click here to see the 2012 campaign video.

• MLK III and Andrew Young Launch Bounce TV

The son of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and former UN Ambassador Andrew Young announced Monday they are teaming up to launch Bounce TV

, a new over-the-air television network geared towards African American adults 25-54 years old, this fall.

The network has obtained television rights to 400 African-American focused films from Codeblack Entertainment and Image Entertainment to Sony Pictures and NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.

“My father envisioned the day that African Americans would play major roles in entertainment within ownership, not just serve as entertainers on the stage or in front of the cameras,” said King, in an interview with Broadcasting and Cable

. “That’s what makes this even more exciting to me as we embark on this new endeavor of an independently owned and operated broadcast television network featuring African Americans.”

• The Huskies’ Maya Moore Named AP Player of the Year

There’s little doubt that University of Connecticut‘s senior player Maya Moore is at the head of her class. Moore was awarded The Associated Press player of the year for the second time last Saturday, first winning the award as a sophomore. The four-time All-American

finished second in the voting both her freshman and junior years.

Her skills shined forth each game, ultimately leading her team to the Final Four for the fourth straight season, putting the Huskies in position for a third straight title. However, the Maya Moore era at UConn came to an end when the team lost to Notre Dame Sunday.

“She’s a once-in-a-lifetime player,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “We’re fortunate to have had her.”