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Women Earn Less After College

If you're a female college graduate, chances are you will earn 20 percent less than your male counterpart one year after graduation. A new study by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation found that this pay gap seems to be widening, and 10 years after college, women will earn only 69 percent of what men earn. The group expressed that sex discrimination is partially to blame for this gap. After controlling for hours, occupation, parenthood and other factors known to affect earnings, the study found that one-quarter of the pay gap remains unexplained, reports The Associated Press.

Female NYPD Officers Called 'Nappy-Headed Hos'

Two weeks later and the Don Imus controversy persists to strike new nerve endings, extending all the way down to the NYPD. (See also: 'Nappy-Headed Hos': Don Imus Apologizes for Slur Aimed at Rutgers Team) Three female police officers have come forward claiming their male sergeant called them "hos" during a recent roll call at a stationhouse. Officer Tronnette Jackson spoke on behalf of all three women, two of whom were black and one who was Latina, describing the incident as humiliating. Another officer was said to have called the women "nappy-headed hos." Police officials responded to the claims by transferring the sergeant and the officer out of Brooklyn's 70th Precinct. Commissioner Raymond Kelly, a spokesperson for the NYPD, condemned the racist and sexist remarks, calling it "unacceptable under any circumstances and even more egregious when it comes from individuals in positions of authority." Read more.

Housing Discrimination at Co-Ops?

The New York City Council is requesting that co-op boards reveal why some applicants are often rejected from renting co-op-owned apartment houses. In doing this, two-thirds of the city's council members are cosponsoring a bill that would help shed light on the mysterious application process. They're asking that board members be required to give their reasons for rejecting an applicant, and to do so in writing within five days of the rejection. According to the bill's prime sponsor, Hiram Monserrate is not satisfied with the progress so far. Monserrate feels it is taking too long to get a council hearing. Read more.

Ward Connerly Spreads Anti-Affirmative-Action Plan

Ward Connerly is trying to end affirmative action in four states. Connerly launched a four-state campaign yesterday in Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, aimed at ending government programs that give a leg up to historically disadvantaged groups, primarily people of color and women. Valery Pech Orr, executive director of the so-called Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, who helped announce the first of four proposed ballot measures, said, "We're calling it the Super Tuesday of Equality." The proposed language of Colorado is similar to Connerly's infamous 1996 proposal, Proposition 209, outlawing race and gender-based preferences in state hiring and state university admissions. For more on Connerly and other foes of affirmative action, read the April issue of DiversityInc magazine, Read more.

Overweight Workers Cost More

A new study suggests that overweight and obese employees cost their bosses more in injury claims than their leaner colleagues. The study conducted by Duke University found that the heaviest employees in the United States had twice the rate of workers' compensation claims as their fit coworkers. The average workers'-compensation medical-claims cost per 100 employees was $51,019 for obese workers and $7,503 for non-obese workers, according to the study. The findings come as employers continue to grapple with rising healthcare and workers'-compensation costs. The study may also encourage more employers to focus on wellness programs and other ways to create a healthier work force and reduce medical expenses. Read more.  

Sarkozy Unpopular Among French Blacks, Muslims

It's unlikely Nicolas Sarkozy will receive the French black and Muslim vote this year. Members of this community say they don't want someone who is harsh against noncitizens as president. Sarkozy, who is considered one of the poll's frontrunners, is deeply unpopular in housing projects heavily populated by second- and third-generation Muslims, many of whom hail from North African colonies and mostly live in poverty. Instead, many blacks and Muslims in these areas favor Segolene Royal, the socialist campaigning to be France's first female president. She was second in the overall vote, finishing ahead of 10 other candidates and earning a spot in a runoff election against the conservative Sarkozy. Read more.

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