Nation Ready for Black President, Says Poll

Most Americans believe the country is ready for a Black president, reports CNN. Seventy-six percent of respondents to a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corp. poll said the country is ready for a Black president. "We're not asking this question in a vacuum. In many cases, respondents must have had [Barack] Obama in mind when giving their answer, even though he is not mentioned anywhere in the questionnaire," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director. Of the white Americans who responded, 78 percent said the country is ready, as opposed to 69 percent of Black respondents. Both numbers are up substantially from December 2006, reports CNN. In another poll, American economic dissatisfaction has hit its highest marker since The New York Times and CBS News first asked people their opinion about the country's direction in the early 1990s, reports The New York Times.

Virginian-Pilot to Become Largest Newspaper With Black Publisher

Maurice Jones, 43, will take over as publisher of the Virginian-Pilot on April 14, making the newspaper the country's largest daily with a Black publisher, reports PilotOnline.com. The Norfolk-based Landmark Communications owns the Virginian-Pilot. Jones will be the first Black publisher in Landmark's history, but he doesn't want the racial significance of his appointment to be his lone legacy. "I hope that in whatever period of time I have to do this job, I won't be remembered as just the first Black publisher," Jones said to PilotOnline. "I hope people will say, 'This guy made a positive contribution to this place.'"

Pope to Meet U.S. Jewish Leaders in First U.S. Synagogue Visit

Pope Benedict XVI plans to visit the Park East Synagogue in New York on April 18, the first time a pope has ever visited a synagogue in the United States and only the third visit by a pope to any synagogue. Prior to this visit, the pope will meet with about 50 Jewish leaders in Washington, D.C.'s John Paul II Polish Heritage Room, reports The New York Times. "The relationship between the church and the Jewish people is theologically significant, and not simply a matter of intercultural exchange or trying to find common ground on issues of justice and peace," Rev. James Massa, executive director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told The Times. "Judaism is internal to Catholicism. It's different from any other kind of relationship with another religion." Read why Pope Benedict met with Muslim leaders.

Citigroup to Pay Former, Current Female Brokers $33M to Settle Suit

Citigroup's Smith Barney subsidiary is costing the financial firm $33 million after Citigroup agreed to pay that amount to settle a discrimination lawsuit to about 2,500 current and former female Smith Barney brokers. Citigroup also agreed to change its method of giving bonuses and partnerships and agreed to alter how accounts are assigned, according to court documents, reports The Wall Street Journal. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2005 by four women who accused Smith Barney of passing over women for high-profile accounts. Read about other recent lawsuits.

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