Thursday, September 04, 2008

Civil Rights Roundup: 09/04/08

Your daily dose of civil rights and related news

This is a little late, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution had a fascinating story about an area police office who found out recently that she was intersex.

A judge has ruled that the ADA applies to airlines.

My home county is posting a decline test scores and an increase in the racial achievement gap. Mounting economic diversity is to blame, claims the school superintendent.

A Texas woman is fighting back against predatory lenders, saying they targeted her because she was Black.

Maryland's new DNA law is under criticism due to concerns it would allow police to keep a suspect's DNA on file even if she or he was not convicted.

The Human Rights Campaign's equality index shows an increase in firms' protections of LGBT Americans.

The chair of Vermont's commission on Native Americans has resigned in frustration with legislative inaction on recognizing local tribes.

Steven Steinlight of the far-right Center for Immigration Studies tries to convince Jews to oppose immigration (legal and illegal). Somehow, I'm skeptical it will work.

The Ft. Myers News-Press lauds a recent slavery conviction of several agricultural owners in Florida, but lays the blame for the problem squarely on our immigration policy. "Disrespect for human beings is in the DNA of the current system. Respect demands that we legalize the foreign labor we clearly need to harvest our crops."

The ACLU is suing to block Rhode Island's use of e-verify, which they say improperly labels foreign workers as ineligible to work.

The New York Times reports that the process of transitioning in the workplace has become easier for transgender individuals.

Federal job bias claims are down, but Paul Secunda thinks that it's mostly due to an unfriendly environment to whistle-blowing.

A Georgia man is scheduled to be executed in a few days, despite the fact that seven witnesses have now recanted the statements that got him convicted in the first place.

The few remaining Black Republicans are bemoaning the fact that their party seems to have all but given up on attracting Black voters.

The Colorado affirmative action counter-measure has failed to make the ballot. In contrast to the original, Ward Connerly-backed initiative, which would have barred affirmative action in all forms outright, this one would have only clarified that racial quotas are illegal.

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