Congress is trying its hand at regulating tobacco, and the first order of business is legislation that, in an attempt to decrease the allure of smoking among young people, bans flavored cigarettes like cloves. While it's unknown how this whole legislation experiment will pan out, one thing is clear in Big Tobacco's uncertain future — black folks won't have to give up their Newports or Kools anytime soon.

A glaring omission in this ban on cigarette flavorings is menthol, which will remain just as legal as ever. Those in the tobacco regulation business see this as a very obvious — and potentially dangerous — example of legislators bowing under pressure from big tobacco. A loss of menthol cigarettes, which make up a quarter of cigarette sales, would mean a loss of big money… and black consumers. While a quarter of white smokers smoke cigarettes with menthol, a whopping 75 percent of black smokers do.

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The congressional hearings on hip hop didn't get very much press, and, based on the footage provided by the Daily Show I can see why. Watch older, white legislators gamely try to understand that which is over (or under, depending on your viewpoint) their heads.

Also checkout the rundown of the black issues debate at Morgan State here.

Who says everything in Washington is partisan? The "war on hip hop" is certainly a bipartisan effort, with Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) spearheading a congressional hearing on the lyrical content and imagery associated with rap music.

"I want to engage not just the music industry but the entertainment industry at large to be part of a solution," said Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, which will hold the hearing.

Rush hopes to summon record label and entertainment company executives that control the distribution and content of rap music in an effort to examine industry practices as it relates to explicit and controversial content.

"I want to talk to executives at these conglomerates who've never taken a public position on what they produce," contends Rush. "But it's been surprisingly very difficult to get them to commit to appearing."

Obviously, I don't think that hip hop is in any way above reproach, and the degradation of women in the music and the surrounding culture has got to go. This is a dialogue that must be had. But is this the place? It makes me cringe when older, out of touch white men try to understand something they can't and never will. Totally unproductive — just ask Nas and Bill O'Reilly (although he has succeeded in getting Ludacris fired from endorsements in the past).

So far, Master P is the only artist to agree to show up — a decision that is likely based partly on his honest desire to improve hip hop and partly on his honest desire to remain in the news.

The hearing is tentatively set for September 25 — if they can get anyone to show up.

[SOHH]