Does Race Affect Your Intelligence?

Author and psychologist Richard Nisbett is countering the notion that I.Q. is determined by race, as suggested by Nobel Laureate James Watson or brain size. "What do we know about the effects of environment? That environment can markedly influence I.Q. is demonstrated by the so-called Flynn Effect," writes Nisbett in The New York Times.  Nisbett also says "intervention at every age from infancy to college can reduce racial gaps in both I.Q. and academic achievement."

(See also: Nobel Prize Winner Apologizes for Calling Blacks Intellectually Inferior)

Michael Vick Gets 23 Months

Atlanta Falcons ex-quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his role in a Virginia-based dogfighting ring. Vick could have been sentenced up to five years by District Judge Henry Hudson, reports The Associated Press. As a part of the agreement, Vick admitted to funding the dogfighting ring on his 15-acre property in rural southeastern Virginia. 

(See also: Vick Saga Ends With Plea Deal: 'I Am Totally Responsible')

Jesse Jackson Marches on Wall Street Against Subprime Mortgages

The Rev. Jesse Jackson will lead a national protest against the subprime-mortgage mess and the new plan to freeze loans for qualifiying Americans, saying the temporary solution does not go far enough to help the 1.8 million Americans facing interest-rate hikes as soon as Jan. 1. The biggest of the marches, scheduled to begin at noon, is planned in New York on Wall Street, reports Black America Web. On Friday, the Rev. Jackson wrote an editorial in The Wall Street Journal calling for a more hands-on solution to the subprime-mortgage mess.

(See also: Is the New Mortgage Bailout a Financial Life Raft For You? and Subprime Mortgage Mess: The Diversity Link)

Federal Delays Hurt People With Disabilities

A backlog in the Social Security Administration has many people with disabilities painfully awaiting financial assistance from the agency. The wait has forced many to declare bankruptcy and has cost others their homes and some even their lives. The agency's new plan to hire at least 150 new appeals judges to whittle down the backlog, which has soared to 755,000 from 311,000 in 2000--a 143 percent increase--will require $100 million more than the president requested this year and still more in the future, reports The New York Times.

(See also: Since ADA, How Far Have We Come?)

First Asian Tony Award Winner Tackles Race/Identity in 'Yellow Face'

David Hwang, the only Asian American to ever win the Tony Award for best play, is tackling the issue of race with his new semi-autobiographical play "Yellow Face," reports National Public Radio. The play, a comedy that discusses race and the politics of identity, opens tonight in New York's Public Theater.

(See also: AsianWeek's Most Infamous 'Yellow Face' Films [scroll down])

Job Creation Signals Credit Storm May Be Ending

The United States added jobs last month despite the housing downturn and credit crisis. The sustained but slowing growth in jobs suggests that consumer spending is set to be resilient and is likely to help prevent the spread of credit problems from housing into credit cards and auto loans, reports Financial Times. Employment fell in the construction, real-estate and financial-services industries.

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