Diversity Chat

Diversity Chat for the Week of April 30th, 2006

Download diversity_chat_043006.mp3

(This may take a few minutes...)

Welcome to Diversity Chat for the week of April 30th, 2006! This week, Tony Wade and I discuss why this week's commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day directly applies to the ongoing genocide in the Dafur region of Sudan, what the best approach is to dealing with the continued disparity between pay for women and men in America, and whether or not the immigration reform movement is transforming into a new civil rights movement.

Plus, it's "About" this week on "Out or About" - as we discuss the Deborah Tannen book on mother-daughter communication, You're Wearing That?

And we talk this week in our interview segment with Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, the lead author of the Americans with Disabilities Act and a champion of equal pay for women, about prospects for his bill that would mandate equal pay, and about how disabled people were left to fend for themselves before, during and after Hurricane Katrina.

First, here are some of the week's top stories in human relations, equal opportunity, and diversity:

Turn out at nationwide protests in support of fair treatment for undocumented American residents is expected to top a million people Monday - half a million are expected to protest in Los Angles alone. Monday's protests come as immigrant rights activists are urging immigrant workers to stay away from their jobs Monday. Organizers are calling Monday's events "A Day Without an Immigrant."

A group of British artists this week released a Spanish version of the national anthem. President Bush said the national anthem should be sung in English.

Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander said he plans to introduce a resolution in the U.S. Senate reminding Americans why the national anthem is sung in English. Alexander cited the national motto, E Pluribus Unum, which means "from many, one", as the reason important national symbols should stay English-only. Ironically, the national motto isn't in English, but Latin.

Meanwhile - U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao traveled to Houston Friday to take part in events celebrating and promoting workplace diversity. But Chao didn't address the ongoing debate over immigrant labor.

An on-line video game called Border Patrol is raising the ire of Hispanic and human rights groups. The object of the game? Shoot Mexican immigrants as they attempt to cross the border. The game is one of five targeting racial groups on a Web site run by a group called the White Aryan Resistance.

Tuesday, April 25th marked Yom Hashoa - Holocaust Remembrance Day. Observances were held worldwide to remember the 12-million victims of Nazi death camps - six-million of whom were Jews. Observances took a number of forms - New York City's Museum of Jewish Heritage lit six-million candles representing the six-million Jewish Holocaust victims.

Tuesday also marked Equal Pay Day. April 25th is how far into this year the average woman would have had to work to earn as much as a man did by the end of last year. American women earn - on average - about 77 cents on the dollar compared to American men. Some - like Evelyn Murphy - an economist and a former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts - say the answer to closing the pay gap between men and women lies with the grassroots action of women themselves.

But Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin says the pay gap between men and women requires a legislative solution. He's introduced a bill that would mandate equal pay for women. Eleanor Holmes Norton - the District of Columbia's Delegate to Congress - has introduced companion legislation in the House.

A federal court this week ruled the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission could proceed with a lawsuit against Universal Studios. The EEOC filed suit against Universal in 2003 after the studio fired Frank Davis from his job as first assistant director of "2Fast 2Furious". The lawsuit says Universal fired Davis from the film solely because he is an African American.

For the first time - the Department of Justice this week filed a sexual harassment lawsuit under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The DOJ lawsuit charges the First National Bank of Pontotoc, Mississippi with engaging in a pattern of sexual harassment against female borrowers and credit applicants.

Maury Povich and the company that produces his talk show are facing a 100-million dollar sexual harassment lawsuit. The suit's being brought by former show-producer Bianca Nardi - who says she was forced to watch pornographic videos and dress provocatively - among other allegations.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors this week said diversity in newsrooms improved slightly in 2005 - but not as much as hoped. ASNE's annual newsroom census found the number of minorities working in American newsrooms increased to 13.87 percent in 2005 - up from 13.42 percent the year before - but still nearly five percent behind a goal ASNE set six years ago.

By a margin of 99 to one - shareholders of Kraft Foods voted down a request by a tiny group of shareholders that asked Kraft to disassociate itself from the Gay Games Sports and Cultural Festival in Chicago - which Kraft is supporting with a 25-thousand dollar sponsorship.

Meanwhile - Ford Motor Company this week urged shareholders to vote against a shareholder request to exclude sexual orientation from the company's policy on discrimination. Both Kraft Foods and Ford enjoy a perfect Corporate Equality Index Score from the Human Rights Campaign.

The University of Missouri at Kansas City got a poor report card in a diversity audit released this week. The audit found - among other things - the classroom is the most racist place on campus - and that African American and Hispanic students felt isolated on campus. The audit also cited a lack of diversity among UMKC's faculty.

Hector V. Barreto is stepping down as administrator of the Small Business Administration to become national chairman of The Latino Coalition - a Latino advocacy group based in Washington D.C. Barreto led the SBA for five years - but not without controversy. Under Barreto - the SBA faced criticism over its policies on loans to women and minority-owned businesses.

The American Association for Affirmative Action's 32nd Annual Conference wrapped up Saturday in Tampa Bay. The conference theme is "Pathway to Diversity". It featured presentations by a host of Bush administration officials - academics - and Florida Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings.

Diversity Chat for the Week of April 23rd, 2006

Download diversity_chat_042306.mp3

(This may take a few minutes...)

Welcome to Diversity Chat for the week of April 23rd, 2006! This week, Tony Wade and I discuss the critical nature of senior leadership belief in equal opportunity and diversity, and let you know why jokes at the expense of protected classes and racial slurs are no laughing matter. Plus, Tony has some practical tips on avoiding retaliation complaints.

And we go "Out or About" to Omaha, Nebraska - and find out why Gloria Steinem's feminist message still draws a crowd, and how that message was received in the nation's Heartland.

We also talk with Nebraska Senator Ernie Chambers - the state's only African American lawmaker - about why he strongly supported passage of a new law splitting Omaha's school district into three smaller districts - and why he doesn't believe it's a step backward toward segregation.

First though, here are summaries of and links to some of the week's top stories in human relations, equal opportunity, and diversity:

Housing discrimination based on race continues to be prevalent in most major markets - despite its illegality. That's the conclusion of the National Fair Housing Alliance - which sent investigators to 73 real estate firms in 12 markets between 2003 and 2005. In a report issued this past week - the NHFA found blatant racial discrimination - reporting home buyers were steered to neighborhoods based on race a staggering 87 percent of the time.

The NHFA also found real estate agents often stood-up blacks and Hispanics who had appointments. When agents did appear, minorities were more frequently required to provide pre-approved mortgages before they were shown houses. White shoppers were shown more houses and offered more incentives such as reductions in closing costs and mortgage interest rates.

Homeowner associations in Kansas have until the end of August to remove racist language in their covenants under a new law signed this week by Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Kansas now joins Missouri as one of a handful of states that has taken action to remove racially restrictive language from homeowner association covenants - many of them written in the first half of the 20th century with provisions making them nearly impossible to change without a legislative directive to do so.

DiversityInc this week released its sixth annual list of the Top-50 U.S. companies in diversity. Topping the list? Verizon. Consolidated Edison of New York - Coca-Cola - the Health Care Service Corporation - and HBO rounded out the top five.

The U.S. Census Bureau issued a report Tuesday showing the number of African-American owned businesses grew more than four times the national rate for all businesses between 1997 and 2002. Overall - African American-owned businesses increased 45 percent - growing from just over 800-thousand in 1997 to nearly 1.2 million in 2002.

But most African American businesses remain small - and the rate of self-employment among African Americans remains less than half that of whites. Plus - African American businesses tend to have smaller revenues and are more likely to fail than those owned by whites. A new study by University of California Santa Cruz economist Robert Fairlie finds access to sufficient start-up capital - prior work experience in a family-owned business - and education - are the biggest differences in the success and survival of African-American versus white-owned businesses.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this week issued a new Compliance Manual on preventing employment discrimination based on race and color. The EEOC also issued a question-and-answer fact sheet. The EEOC says the manual and fact sheet are aimed at helping employers identify and respond to discrimination - and to help employers prevent discrimination in the first place.

The American Federation of Government Employees says it's launching a national advertising campaign to bring attention to what it calls the crisis in staffing and funding at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

According to the AFGE - the EEOC's own budget projections show that its backlog of cases will grow from almost 34-thousand in fiscal year 2005 to nearly 48-thousand in fiscal year 2007. The AFGE also says the EEOC has lost 20 percent of its workforce - and a hiring freeze has been in effect since 2001. Despite those statistics - the AFGE says the Bush administration has proposed a 4-million dollar budget cut for the EEOC next year.

A telephone survey of 612 American employees nationwide by the Novations Group found inappropriate sexual remarks and racial slurs in the workplace both rose last year. The survey found the incidence of inappropriate sexual remarks rose from 31 percent in 2004 to 35 percent last year. 29 percent of employees reported overhearing racial and ethnic slurs in the workplace in 2005 - up from 28 percent in 2003 and 2004.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week heard arguments in a case that could result in a more concrete definition of workplace retaliation. The case involves a female railroad employee who was transferred and suspended for over a month after complaining of sexual harassment. The railroad says - since its actions didn't ultimately impact the woman's employment or pay status with the company - they don't constitute retaliation. The lower courts have sided with the woman. The High Court is expected to issue its ruling later this year.

A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals this week ruled a San Diego high school can forbid a student to wear a T-shirt with a slogan that degrades gay and lesbian students. The court concluded the t-shirt - which said in part that homosexuality is shameful - collides with the rights of gay and lesbian students in the most fundamental way. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The California Supreme Court this week sided with the producers of the hit TV-series "Friends" - ruling that sexually explicit conversations and doodles during creative sessions did not constitute sexual harassment - as claimed by a writer's assistant who was fired by the show's producers after four months on the job. Attorneys for the defendants in the case called the ruling a victory for free speech.

The federal government this week began cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants - arresting over a thousand workers and several of the officers of IFCO Systems - which makes crates and pallets. The feds arrested only 150 workers for alleged immigration violations in all of 2005.

Meanwhile - leaders of several immigration activist groups said this week they would not encourage their members to participate in a planned national strike on May 1st. The groups - based in Washington D.C. - Chicago and Los Angles - said they would instead hold petition and voter registration drives.

A number of newspapers this week published editorials blasting Nebraska's new law that would divide Omaha's school district into three smaller districts - largely along racial lines. The Toledo Blade said the Nebraska legislature had "covered itself in shame" and called the new law "a cruel joke" - among other things. The Midland Reporter-Telegram said Nebraska and Omaha should "come up with another idea." And an editorial in the Columbia University Spectator called the measure "unhealthy and unacceptable."

And finally, the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics says Major League Baseball gets a C+ in gender and racial diversity on and off the field. But baseball does better on racial diversity - earning a B+ grade - and much worse on gender diversity - earning a D+ grade from the Institute.

Diversity Chat for the Week of April 16th, 2006

Download diversity_chat_041606.MP3

(This may take a few minutes...)

Welcome to Diversity Chat for the Week of April 16th, 2006! This week, Tony Wade and I discuss whether President Clinton deserves his sterling civil rights reputation - and whether President Bush deserves his - shall we say - less than sterling reputation on civil rights. Plus, we'll look at why election-year politics spelled the elimination of equal protection under the law for gays and lesbians in Kentucky. We also review Wal-Mart's latest effort to be a good corporate citizen in terms of diversity, and find out why Southwest Airlines learned an expensive lesson on the perils of racial profiling.

And we go "Out or About" this week to learn more about the "Butterfly Effect" - and hear a unique tale from a multicultural storyteller.

Plus, we talk with Dona Blackman, Human Resources Director for Value Options of New Mexico - about a unique public-private partnership in the "Land of Enchantment" that puts the insurance company in charge of administering and delivering behavioral health services for the state's government agencies.

First though, this round up of some of the week's top stories in human relations, equal opportunity and diversity:

Former President Bill Clinton this week said failure to make greater progress on the racial issues dividing America is among the greatest regrets of his presidency. Clinton - who spoke Tuesday to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies - said - and this is a quote - "One of the great regrets of my public life is that for all the progress we made in so many areas we are still losing so many of our young people of color, disproportionately African-American males."

Clinton urged private citizens to do more to bridge America's racial divide - and also said the current controversy over immigration reform is proof important American racial issues still haven't been solved.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1833116

Wal-Mart - America's largest private employer and the world's largest retailer - publicly released data this week that - for the first time - shows how many women and minorities it employs. Wal-Mart employs roughly 1.3-million Americans. And according to the data out Tuesday - more than 60 percent of its employees are women - while nearly 32 percent of Wal-Mart employees are minorities.

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility - a coalition of faith-based institutional investors that has submitted shareholder resolutions urging Wal-Mart to disclose the demographic data of its employees - praised the company's move. A spokesperson for the Center said Wal-Mart had raised the bar on diversity initiatives for all companies.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-04-11T230512Z_01_N11255477_RTRUKOC_0_US-RETAIL-WALMART-DIVERSITY.xml

Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher this week issue an executive order that eliminated sexual orientation from the list of those specifically protected from discrimination by state government policy. And Fletcher - in a move that outraged many civil rights groups - signed the order on a day that he himself proclaimed Kentucky's Diversity Day.

A Louisville Courier-Journal editorial called Fletcher's decision to eliminate legal protections for gays and lesbians "a mean, gratuitous and intolerant act."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060412/NEWS0104/604120407/1008/NEWS01

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060413/OPINION01/604130376

The Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn is an American tradition dating back 128 years. And this year - the families of gays and lesbians plan to be represented at the event. As planned months ago - hundreds of gays and lesbians began waiting Friday for as much as 24-hours for tickets to the Easter Egg Roll.

Jennifer Chrisler - executive director of the Family Pride Coalition - says gay and lesbian parents aren't trying to protest. They simply want to fully participate in an American tradition like other American families. And First Lady Laura Bush this week got involved. She emphasized that all families are welcome to participate in the Easter Egg Roll.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/12/AR2006041201892.html?referrer=emailarticle

In what may be the most costly example of racial profiling ever - a jury in El Paso, Texas this week ordered Southwest Airlines to pay a California economics professor 27.5-million dollars for forcibly removing her from a flight in 2003 because flight attendants thought she looked like a terrorist.

Samantha Carrington - who is of Iranian descent - said she felt vindicated by the jury. But she said she's been unable to clear her name from the Transportation Security Administration's terrorist watch list since the incident in 2003.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1752799,00.html

Hundreds of thousands of Americans protested against restrictive immigration reform legislation this week - and U.S. meat packing firms felt the effects of those protests. U.S. cattle slaughter fell by 28 percent Monday compared to the week before. And meat packers conceded part of that reduced production came as a result of the absence of many of the industry's employees at the immigration protest rallies.

Meanwhile - after Monday's protests - Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist this week announced any final immigration reform bill will not include language making illegal migration to the United States a felony.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=newsOne&storyid=2006-04-10T193652Z_01_N10372386_RTRUKOT_0_TEXT0.xml

http://www.noticias-oax.com.mx/articulos.php?id_sec=14&id_art=41148&id_ejemplar=1088

Finally, the Nebraska state legislature this week approved a bill that would divide Omaha's large school district into three smaller ones, largely along racial lines. Proponents of the measure, including the state's only African American senator, Ernie Chambers, say it will give minority families a greater say in their children's education.

But opponents of the bill say it has single-handedly set back the cause of school integretation 20 years, and that history will judge the law harshly. The law is expected to face legal challenges, and may never actually be implemented.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/4/14/85020.shtml?s=us

Diversity Chat for the Week of April 9th, 2006

Download diversity_chat_040906.MP3

(This may take a few minutes...)

Welcome to Diversity Chat for the Week of April 9th, 2006! This week, Tony Wade and I discuss whether the Congresswoman McKinney - Capitol Hill police incident might have been handled better, and we review the U.S. EEOC's new effort to more effectively fight systemic discrimination. Tony and I also discuss the continued murder and exploitation of millions of women around the world every year, and whether the U.S. is doing enough to stop it.

Plus, we go "Out or About" this week to an example of the unique American subculture of our Armed Forces.

And we'll also speak with Jane Hu - an immigrant from China now living in Chicago - who's made a successful life in America as an interpreter - free lance journalist - and cross-cultural trainer.

First, though, here are some of the week's top stories in human relations, equal opportunity and diversity.

More protests against harsh treatment of immigrants are scheduled for across the country this week - as the Senate failed Friday to reach a compromise on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. On Thursday - Senate leaders hailed a compromise approach as a breakthrough that would easily pass the Senate. But the agreement broke down when Senate Democrats objected to allowing amendments to the compromise bill.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/07/AR2006040700182.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

Under pressure from the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus - Georgia Democratic Representative Cynthia McKinney on Thursday took to the House floor and apologized for her role in a March 29th scuffle with a Capitol Police officer.

The officer stopped Congresswoman McKinney as she walked around a metal detector in the Capitol building - which she's allowed to do as a Member of Congress. But the officer didn't recognize her - and after asking her to stop more than once - grabbed her. McKinney then reportedly hit the officer in the chest with her cell phone.

The Capitol Hill police say the officer was just doing his job. McKinney initially said she was the victim of racial profiling - a charge she has since backed away from. In her apology Thursday, McKinney called the incident a misunderstanding.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040600289.html?referrer=emailarticle

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/mckinney406

The media has been all over the allegations of sexual assault leveled against Duke University's nearly all-white lacrosse team by an African American woman hired to strip at a team party. The incident ended Duke's lacrosse season early and resulted in the firing of the team's head coach.

The case has reportedly caught the media's attention because it involves issues of not just of race and sex - but of class and athletics, as well. But - as you might expect - not all of the media's coverage has been either sensitive - or accurate. Rush Limbaugh described the incident as "the deal down there at Duke where the lacrosse team, uh, supposedly, you know, raped some, uh, hoes."

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835161537

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/02/wduke02.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/02/ixworld.html

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this week filed suit in the U.S. District Court of Los Angles against Lawry's - a family-owned chain of seven restaurants famous for their prime rib. The EEOC alleges Lawry's has - since it was founded in 1938 - maintained a hiring policy against employing male servers.

An EEOC investigation found between 2000 and 2003 - Lawry's hired 250 servers - all of them women. The EEOC is seeking compensatory damages and back pay for men denied server jobs.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lawrys5apr05,0,1722354.story?track=tothtml

Meanwhile - the EEOC said Tuesday it's making the fight against systemic discrimination an agency-wide top priority by adopting recommendations from an internal task force on the matter. Among the findings of the EEOC task force - that the Commission doesn't consistently and proactively identify systemic discrimination. Instead, the agency typically focuses on individual allegations raised in charges.

But the Commission says it's going to change that - in part by shifting systemic investigations and litigation to field offices - and eliminating the systemic investigation and litigation units at EEOC headquarters.

http://www.eeoc.gov/press/4-4-06.html

http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/task_reports/systemic.html

The new commandant of the Air Force Academy says the school has eliminated its sexual assault problem - and will now turn its attention to recruiting more minorities. Graduating cadets are reportedly being tapped for the effort. Twenty seniors will be asked to stay over at the Academy to help recruit minorities - especially African Americans and Hispanics. And other graduates will reportedly go into urban areas on recruiting missions.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/health/8493556/detail.html

A bi-partisan group of Senators this week introduced legislation to build a Washington D.C. memorial to the more than five-thousand slaves and freed slaves who served on the U.S. side in the American Revolution. The National Liberty Memorial would also recognize the tens of thousands of men, women and children who petitioned courts and legislatures for their freedom after the conflict. The memorial has been a long time coming. Congress first held hearings on establishing such a memorial in 1985.

http://www.libertyfunddc.org/

A California Senate committee approved a bill this week that would require schools in the state to represent sexual diversity in their curriculums - and teach the historical contributions of gays and lesbians. The bill now advances to the full senate for a vote. If passed the bill would expand on existing state education requirement to teach ethnic and cultural diversity.

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid28986.asp

And finally - a commentary this week in the Christian Science Monitor points out there continues to be a global holocaust involving girls and women. Using statistics from the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces - the commentary says between 1.5 and three million women and girls are murdered around the globe every year in a variety of ways - and for a variety of reasons. Indeed - one United Nations estimate says between 113 million and 200 million women around the world are "missing."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0404/p09s01-coop.html

Diversity Chat for the Week of April 2nd, 2006

Download diversity_chat_040206.MP3

Welcome to Diversity Chat for the Week of April 2nd, 2006! This week, Tony Wade and I discuss how companies sometimes talk the talk of diversity - but fail to walk the walk. We also review why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 remains relevant, and take a look at the relationship between subjective morality and discrimination based on sexual orientation.

And we go Out or About to a disturbing new film - CSA: The Confederate States of America.

Plus, we'll talk with Donald Brooks, a former homeless person and an advocate for the homeless in Washington D.C., on the causes of homelessness, potential solutions, and why homelessness is an issue that cuts across racial and socio-economic lines.

First though, here's a summary and links to some of the week's top stories in human relations, equal opportunity, and diversity:

The U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission has filed suit against Honda of America - accusing the company of firing its diversity manager for complaining about race discrimination at the company.

Honda of America allegedly fired Monica Ways - its former senior manager for diversity - after she identified numerous instances of racial discrimination - including a case in which the company declined to hire an African American engineer on the basis of his race.

The EEOC is asking for both compensatory and punitive damages. Honda of America says the case is totally without merit.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/3758175.html

The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled Thursday that gay couples who live in states in which same-sex marriages are not sanctioned cannot be legally married in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage for the state's residents two-and-a-half years ago.

But Thursday's ruling left open the question of whether gay couples from states like New York and Rhode Island - states that don't explicitly ban same-sex marriages - could still legally marry in Massachusetts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/us/31gay.html?ex=1144472400&en=3fc9f5d1300bba35&ei=5070&emc=eta

Civil rights protesters from the 1950s and 60s - including Rosa Parks, widely seen as the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement - could get pardoned for their acts of civil disobedience under a bill passed unanimously by the Alabama House of Representatives this week.

But their courageous acts would not be forgotten. The arrest records of civil rights protesters in Alabama wouldn't be erased or sealed - but would instead be turned over to the state Department of Archives and History. The Department would then create a permanent record of the civil disobedience that paved the way for desegregation and the Civil Rights act of 1964.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/30/AR2006033001607.html

Speaking of civil rights legislation - large sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - which effectively gave African Americans the right to vote in much of the segregated South - are set to expire this year.

While some argue that the law is no longer necessary - most political analysts believe Congress will extend the provisions for another 25 years - as they last did in 1982. President Bush has supported renewing the expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3761267.html

The Senate debated immigration reform last week - and is expected to do so again this week - as protests against harsh treatment of immigrants continue around the country. Political analysts believe the Senate will approve a version of immigration reform that includes a guest worker program - something the House version of the bill doesn't include.

President Bush again called on Congress to approve a guest worker program this week during his North American summit with Mexico's President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper. And Congressional Quarterly this week reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has indicated a willingness to include a guest worker program in a final immigration reform bill.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aniRSWJeYQ48&refer=us

A federal judge granted 18 current and former employees of the Niketown store in Chicago class-action status in a lawsuit claiming racial discrimination.

The workers claim the Chicago Niketown store - one of 15 stores owned by company - practiced systematic discrimination against African Americans in its hiring, promotions, benefits and workplace discipline. The suit also claims the store subjected African American customers - including professional athletes - to greater scrutiny and monitoring at the store.

The allegations may present some special marketing problems for Nike - which relies heavily on advertising campaigns featuring high-profile African American athletes.

http://eurweb.com/story/eur25652.cfm