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Sen. Craig: 'I Am Not Gay'

Sen. Larry Craig, a third-term senator up for reelection next year, defended himself against a police report alleging he attempted to engage in a "homosexual encounter" with an undercover officer inside a Minneapolis airport men's room. During a press conference yesterday, with his wife by his side, Craig apologized for his behavior and emphatically denied allegations that he is gay. "While I was not involved in any inappropriate conduct at the Minneapolis airport or anywhere else, I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away," says Craig. He is also hoping to convince GOP leaders that his political career may be worth sparing. James Weatherby, a professor emeritus at Boise State University who knew Craig while they both attended the University of Idaho, said it's difficult to predict how Idaho, a Republican state, will react to the charges against Craig. Reports The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

La. School Bans Jena 6 T-Shirts

School officials at a central Louisiana high school have banned students from wearing T-shirts supporting the six black students accused of beating of a white schoolmate in December 2006, calling the shirts too disruptive. About nine students at Jena High School wore the "Free the Jena 6" T-shirts Tuesday. LaSalle Parish Schools Superintendent Roy Breithaupt said the slogan caused too much of a stir on the school's campus. But John Jenkins said his three daughters wore the shirts to make a statement, not to cause trouble. "They weren't doing anything other than wearing the shirts," said Jenkins. "The school doesn't have a dress code. They were covered. They're trying to tell them what they can and can't wear." Jenkins' son, Carwin Jones, is one of the six students charged with attempted murder of 18-year-old Justin Barker, who was treated for a swollen and cut face and released the same day. States The Houston Chronicle.

Castro Calls Clinton, Obama Invincible

In an op-ed in Cuba's communist party newspaper, called Granma, ailing Cuban dicator Fidel Castro called the pairing of Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton "invincible." However, Castro made it clear that he disagrees with both Democrats' support of democratic reform in Cuba. "Both of them feel the sacred duty of demanding 'a democratic government in Cuba,'" said Castro. "They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon." But Obama and Clinton hold very different objectives when it comes to Cuban reform. Obama wants to grant Cuban Americans "unrestricted rights to visit family and send remittances to the island," while Clinton said that "we cannot talk about changes to U.S. policy unless and until Castro passes from the scene and a new government demonstrates its intentions." Read more.

Are the SATs in Trouble?

Average scores on the SAT fell this year in critical reading, mathematics and writing. According to College Board officials, this year's scores marked back-to-back years of score declines, something that has not happened since 1991. Other figures released earlier this week illustrate an already growing gap between black students and other students on the SAT, a correlation between SAT scores and family income. During a Washington press conference of College Board officials, Laurence Bunin, general manager of the SAT, described this year's scores as "within the expected range." Yet Bunin did urge reporters to take a "long-term perspective" and not focus on short-term drops. On the positive side, Bunin said the "extremely exciting news" can be characterized by the increase in the diversity of students taking the SAT over time. Read more.

For more information on affirmative action and the SATs, read DiversityInc magazine's April 2007 issue.

White Man Granted $150,000 in Racism Lawsuit

Mark Pasternak was awarded $150,000 in a racism lawsuit brought against his state job, Division for Youth, in which Pasternak says he was constantly discriminated against by fellow employees because he is white. A seven-member all-white jury found that Tommy Baines, who is black, discriminated against Pasternak and created a hostile work environment by calling him names like "cracker," "Polack" and "stupid white boy." During an interview with The Buffalo News, Pasternak expressed a sigh of relief. "I'm elated and overwhelmed," said Pasternak. David Seeger, Pasternak's attorney, said his client took abuse from Baines for three years while the two men worked with the youth agency. The facility is no longer in operation. Read more.

Stereotypes Discourage Girls From Math, Science

It turns out gender-based stereotypes are more hurtful than helpful, especially for young girls with the potential to pursue careers in math and science. According to the National Science Foundation's Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE), contrary to what people may think, just as many girls as boys start off liking math and science at a young age, but stereotypes and biases that suggest girls are only interested in makeup and shopping often turn them off to the subjects later. Jolene Kay Jesse, GSE program director, says educators and parents can combat stereotypes' effects on girls by keeping them engaged. The GSE's mission is to broaden the participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education fields by supporting research that will help lead to a larger and more diverse domestic science and engineering work force. Read more.

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