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Oprah to Launch Reality TV Show

Oprah is known for giving her daytime talk-show audiences lavish gifts such as cars, and in March she'll take that practice to primetime with a new reality TV show, "Oprah's Big Give." Premiering March 2 on ABC, the show's judges will include celebrities known for their charitable endeavors, including "The Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver, NFL's Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, and Malaak Compton-Rock, wife of comic Chris Rock, reports Buddy TV. Buddy TV also asks if a television show, which sells commercial space, about charity is the right thing to do. "The contrivance of surprising strangers with charity in front of TV cameras so Oprah and Disney [owner of ABC, which will air the show] can make advertising revenue feels a bit wrong," writes Buddy TV.

Winfrey helped boost political support for Barack Obama by attending rallies across the country; her daytime talk show is the highest rated in television history. Can the "Oprah effect" make it on reality TV?

Will N.J. Hate-Crimes Bill Include Gender Identity?

New Jersey senators approved legislation that would add "gender identity or expression" to the existing hate-crime law. In addition, the bill requires all new police officers in the state to undergo two hours of training on hate crimes and offers sentencing options to judges, such as anti-hate sensitivity training for convicted defendants, reports 365gay. The bill still needs a vote in the Assembly before it can be ratified by New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. This moves comes at a time when hate crimes in America are on the rise and a federal law to prevent employment discrimination on the basis of orientation stalled in the Senate. A previous version of the bill would have included protections for transgender people as well.

No Child Left Behind Up for Review, But Going Nowhere

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is up for reauthorization, but National Public Radio reports the law probably won't see any changes for another three years. Critics of NCLB are most unhappy that it forces schools to raise achievement standards each year, including the achievement of special-education students and recent immigrant students who might have learning issues. Critics also decry that schools can be put on a needs- improvement list if only one or two kids fail to pass the test. But getting rid of the act would give the impression that a legislator doesn't want schools held accountable. A bipartisan commission came up with 75 recommendations, some of which include changing how each student improves rather than how a school improves, focusing more on training teachers and giving schools more room to fail and time to improve. Schools with lacking resources prepare students for college poorly, which gives those from low-income communities a distinct disadvantage--one of the reasons affirmative action is necessary.  

Also, find out how to get a free education at Harvard and get debt-free educations from Princeton or Yale.

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