Gun advocates and the ghetto mentality – a love story
Where the NRA, in refusing to hold itself to account for legally owned guns used by a supposed lunatic in the Connecticut massacre, we in Baltimore still ignore so many of the warning signs, such as addicted, absentee parents who have the greatest …
Read more on Baltimore Post-Examiner

Harper's need for speed meets First Nations reality
The Ojibwa community of 1,400 built along the Albany River declared a state of emergency in 2010 because of the widespread addiction to prescription painkillers such as OxyContin. … Around them, the signs of poverty are everywhere. Laundry is strung …
Read more on Hamilton Spectator

Bobbi Kristina Brown struggling to cope following mother Whitney Houston's death
The 19-year-old daughter of legendary soul diva Whitney and American rap star Bobbi Brown has apparently not shown signs she is getting over her loss following her mother's death in February this year. Bobbi Kristina recently got engaged to Nick Gordon …
Read more on Irish Independent

2012 review: notable deaths in music
She sold more records and received more awards than almost any other female pop star of the 20th century, but spent most of her last years mired in a drug addiction that sapped her will to sing and left her in a shambolic state. Read the full obituary …
Read more on The Guardian (blog)