M.I.A.

• CNN suspends Roland Martin for his homophobic tweets during the Super Bowl. 
• Civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due died at 72 this week. 
• NPR Fresh Air's interview with Meryl Streep covers her latest role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. 
• Oklahoma Democratic State Senator Constance Johnson offered up a "spilled semen" amendment to the Personhood Bill to "draw attention to the absurdity, duplicity and lack of balance inherent in the policies of this state in regard to women." 
• Racialicious covers the new reality show, Shahs of Sunset, which follows the lives of Iranian-Americans. With the show's producer Ryan Seacrest, it is purpoted to be the "Persian Version" of Jersey Shore. 
• Ellen DeGeneres stands up to One Million Moms who have pressured JC Penny to not use her as a spokeswoman because of her sexual orientation. 
• Nichelle Nichols speaks out about what it was like to be black actress on Star Trek in the '60s. 
• Delta had the first all female African-American flight crew last week. 
• California Proposition 8 was struck down by the three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 
• End on a Good Note responds to the backlash M.I.A. received from flipping the bird during her Super Bowl halftime performance. 

Tell us what you have been reading in the comments!

Monday marked the release of the music video for M.I.A.'s "Born Free," the lead single off the British rapper/singer/visual artist's forthcoming third album, and yet another clip from a female pop star this year that caused quite a stir. Continuing the discussion begun by the open thread Kjerstin started yesterday, I thought I'd share my thoughts.