Free Republic

A powerful earthquake struck near the Pacific resort city of Acapulco on Tuesday night, causing buildings to rock and sway in Mexico City nearly 200 miles away. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered was centered 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) northeast of Acapulco.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid “Shad” Khan has bought a majority stake in Black News Channel, a cable-and-satellite network that’s set to launch Nov. 15 in 33 million US households. Khan didn’t disclose the size of his investment, but a source familiar with the deal said it exceeded $25 million. Another called it “open-ended,” adding that “whatever Khan gets involved in, he’s in all the way.”

Oklahoma City (AP) -- J.C. Watts thinks the uproar over statements by Barack Obama's one-time pastor illustrates the need for a national black TV news channel. Watts, who hopes to get one running by the summer 2009, tells The Associated Press that the voice of blacks is often missing from political debates, including the one over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. "We hope to be the single destination for reliable, credible, informational resources for the African-American community," Watts says. "The critical thing is to allow the community to create a platform to be involved in the economic, social and political debates...