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On Jackie Robinson's 60th Anniversary, Where Are the Black Players?

Major League Baseball (MLB) will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the league's color barrier in 1942 when he became the first black American player to play in the major leagues. However, MLB, while being very accepting of black players, is struggling to attract black athletes to play the game. Only 8.4 percent of big-league players last season were black, which is the lowest number in at least two decades. In 1995, 19 percent of major-league players were black, according to the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. On the other hand, MLB has seen an upswing in players from Latin America and Asian countries such as Japan, according to Trib.com.

Clinton's Richer, But Obama's Got Broader Appeal

While Hillary Clinton has raised more money than Barack Obama in their quests to be the next Democratic presidential nominee, Obama's donor list is a lot broader, drawing twice as many donors, Obama representatives said Thursday. Campaign veterans are saying that Obama's reach will make him the long-term winner because his $25 million, which was $1 million less than Clinton's $26 million raised from 50,000 donors, came mostly from small donors via the Internet who were expected to make multiple contributions over the course of the year. Of Obama's 100,000 donors, about 90,000 gave him less than $100, which means he can go back to those people 22 more times, said Joseph Trippi, who managed Howard Dean's 2004 presidential bid. Read more.

After Whore-Comment Accusation, Latina Congresswoman Quits Caucus

A second Latina congresswoman is quitting the Congressional Hispanic Caucus because of its male leadership. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., quit in protest of the Caucus' male leadership, following her sister Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., who left the caucus in January after she accused the group's leader of calling her a whore. "I believe that the current leadership has not made needed structural reforms to ensure that the caucus is more equitable and inclusive of all its members," said Sanchez, states The Associated Press.

Stem-Cell Bill Approved by Senate, Awaits Bush Veto

In what is sure to be vetoed by President Bush, the U.S. Senate approved a stem-cell bill. The 63-34 vote was shy of the margin that would be needed to enact the measure over presidential opposition. Mostly Democratic senators support the bill, calling it a noble cause, while mostly Republicans oppose it and say it provides federal money to destroy embryos, which echoes President Bush's objections. The House, which passed similar legislation earlier in the year, is expected to adopt the Senate's version in the next several weeks. Read more.

N.J. Governor in Critical Condition Following Car Crash

New Jersey Gov. John Corzine is in critical condition, suffering from a broken leg, breastbone and six ribs on each side after his motorcade was hit on the Garden State Parkway Thursday night. His vehicle crashed into a guardrail en route to a meeting with Don Imus and the Rutgers University women's basketball team. A pickup driver is suspected to have caused the crash and authorities are searching for the driver and vehicle. Corzine, 60, won't be able to resume his duties as governor for several days, if not weeks, and he won't walk normally for months, his doctor told The Associated Press, which first reported the accident. Fortunately, he did not suffer any brain damage in the crash, said Dr. Robert Ostrum, who performed two hours of surgery on the governor Thursday night at Cooper University Hospital, reports CNN.com.

Gallaudet University Prepares Future Business Leaders

Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., features a specialized program for the deaf and hard of hearing that turns out roughly 30 undergraduate business majors per year. Isaac Agboola, who is hearing impaired, has been the chair of the business department for 13 years. Agboola sat with Businessweek.com to discuss the school's accomplishments and goals. Deaf organizations still appear to be the easiest places for Gallaudet graduates to get work. Agboola is not aware of any special incentives being offered by corporate America to hire deaf or hearing-impaired executives, and he doesn't support that effort either. "We shouldn't have to offer incentives," Agboola told Businessweek.com. "Students don't need any special treatment other than being provided with communications support, such as interpreters." Read more.

Australia Says 'No' to HIV-Positive Immigrants

This week's "heartless" award goes to Australia's Prime Minister John Howard, a staunch conservative, who said he does not want HIV-positive immigrants coming to the continent. "My initial reaction is no," said Howard when asked if people with HIV should be allowed into Australia. Howard was asked about the issue during a visit to Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, where the state health minister said this week that 70 of the 334 new HIV-infection cases reported in Victoria in 2006 were among immigrants who had arrived in the country with the virus, states Yahoonews.com.

Texas Home to Largest Latino Museum

"It's the Latino experience in art, culture and history, but it's about the American experience," said Ruth Medellin, executive director of the Museo Alameda, a partnership between the Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture and the Smithsonian Institution. The Museo Alameda is the nation's largest Latino museum, measuring 39,000 square feet. It's located in San Antonio, blocks from the Alamo and the San Antonio Riverwalk, and is expected to attract more than 400,000 visitors a year. One exhibit on display when the museum opens today is a 6-by-26-foot digital mural titled "Somos," or "We Are," by George Cisneros. Other exhibits include pre-Colombian vessels from Peru, an emerald ring that belonged to Mexican Emperor Maximilian and a pearl and gem necklace designed by Paloma Picasso. Read more.

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