The Daily Fix: Transgender in the Workplace, Texas Border Buildup, and Grounded Flights to Israel
It was already illegal to discriminate against gays and lesbians in federal employment, but President Barack Obama has signed an order extending that right to the transgender community.
"In too many states and in too many workplaces, simply being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender can still be a fireable offense," Obama said in remarks Monday afternoon, according to USA Today.
The ban specifies that sexual orientation or gender identity can't be a basis for discrimination at companies that have federal contracts.
Yet the ban's intention is a long way from being a reality. In a recent study of federal contractor applications, fake applications were submitted for an administrative assistant position at Exxon Mobil in Illinois.
In the experiment, one fake applicant had better grades and noted a history of LGBT activism on her résumé. The other applicant went to the same schools and had similar work experience but worse grades. Despite having fewer qualifications, the applicant without LGBT activism was called for an interview.
In other news...
Unfriendly Skies: American aviation officials have canceled flights into Israel for the next 24 hours after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed near the Tel Aviv airport. (via The Associated Press)
Capturing Gas: A clean energy plant in Saskatchewan is looking to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide it sends into the atmosphere by burying it deep underground. (via The New York Times)
Texas Border: Gov. Rick Perry is sending 1,000 National Guard soldiers to the border over the next few weeks as a show of force against the surge of Central American immigrants crossing. (via The Monitor)
Boston Bomber Buddy: A college classmate of Dzokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect, has been found guilty of trying to cover up evidence that could have incriminated his friend. (via The Boston Globe)
The Mr. Burnses of the World: Despite record profits, penny-pinching business leaders aren't making big-ticket capital investments that could help drive the economy. (via The New York Times)
Beware the Fruit Bats: United Nations officials are warning West Africans that the world's deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak may be linked to dead animals and fruit bats. (via Al Jazeera)
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