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Jet, Oct 27, 2003 by Simeon Booker

Confidential: In a remarkable breakthrough to alleviate the Mid-East oil crisis, the World Bank successfully developed the first oil business in sub-Sahara Africa to compete in the world market. The first tanker recently left a Cameroon port with crude oil from a $3.7 billion pipeline extending 665 miles to Chad.

The Bush administration quietly pushed the project which economic writers insist well may transform West Africa into the next oil giant ... America's fast-growing homeless population now comprise nearly 3.5 million with families and unemployed men and women forced to sleep on the streets, in shelters and in hotels because of the lack of affordable housing. "A national disgrace," say Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Julia Carson (D-IN) who introduced legislation to solve the housing shortage ... The University of North Carolina's groundbreaking commitment to allow students from low-income families who work their way through college to graduate without debt has gained national attention. North Carolina Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), a presidential candidate, carried the idea into the political field hailing the thought of "a debt-free diploma." ... Proposition 54, the proposal of Ward Connerly to outlaw reference to race, ethnicity or national origin in public record, was soundly whipped in California.... The House overwhelmingly voted to honor baseball star Jackie Robinson, who broke Major League Baseball's color line, by awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) led the drive. In the Senate, presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) sponsored the bill ... Welcoming Kenya President Mwai Kibaki to a state dinner in Washington took a lot of courage for President Bush. Although Kibaki promised to quell activities of al-Quada in his country, the U.S. still warns citizens of the dangers of travel in Kenya. In 1998, the U. S. Embassy there was bombed with a loss of 219 persons.