Killed in His Prime: An American Tragedy

NFL Washington Redskins' safety Sean Taylor died early Tuesday after being shot in his Palmetto Bay home, an upscale Miami suburb, Monday morning. Taylor, who entered the NFL in 2004 after playing with the University of Miami under a seven-year $18-million contract, was in his home at the time of the shooting with his 18-month-old daughter and girlfriend who both were unharmed, reports The New York Times. Although at one point he showed some signs of responding to a request to squeeze an attendant's hand, Taylor remained unconscious most of the day Monday. He was 24.

Who Should Teach Students With Disabilities?

A rift is widening among parents of children with disabilities over inclusion in mainstream classrooms. Advocates for people with disabilities say special-education students benefit both academically and socially by being taught alongside typical students. Legislators often side with them, arguing that mainstreaming is productive for students and cost-effective for taxpayers, reports The Wall Street Journal. Others say mainstream teachers lack the training and time to properly care for students with severe special needs.

(See also:  'But You Look So Good!' and 7 Other Things NOT to Say to a Person With a Non-Visible Disability and A Different Kind of Prejudice: An Odyssey of Accomplishment (Part I))

Subprime Credit Cards Bite Borrowers

When the subprime mess narrowed the credit pipeline, especially for those with bruised credit, many turned to the subprime credit card. Unfortunately, as with their loan, the card is eating away at their finances. The cards offer only a slight amount of credit yet charge steep fees. Among their targets: young adults with little credit history and families struggling to climb out of debt, reports USA Today.

(See also: Blacks, Latinos Remain Top Targets for Subprime Lenders and Subprime Mortgage Mess: The Diversity Link)

Salt-N-Pepa Fight for Jena 6

From '90s pop stars to reality-television stars, Salt-N-Pepa have done it all. Now, the pop duo are taking on another issue--the Jena 6. Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandy "Pepa" Denton, along with their families, ventured to Jena, La., to march alongside the 30,000 protestors descending on the small town. "I was surprised that they wanted to come and was very, very happy about it," James told The Associated Press. "It's nice to entertain, but it's also nice to use your platform to bring awareness to different issues." Their trip was to be featured in an episode of "The Salt-N-Pepa Show" airing Monday night (10 p.m. EST).

(See also: No More Nooses: Thousands Storm Louisiana Town to Free Jena 6)

Why Are Religious Orgs. Protesting Peace Summit?

Jewish, Palestinian and Christian activist groups planned demonstrations outside the U.S. Naval Academy gates where the Mid-east peace summit was happening, hoping to make enough public noise to influence negotiations going on inside. Earlier Monday, a pro-Israel demonstration just outside the academy's main entrance drew about 15 protesters calmly waving signs in light rain. They said they were concerned that the conference would lead to concessions that would result in the loss of Israeli land, reports The Associated Press.

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