Diversity Roundup: Study Reveals Prevalent Gender Gap Among Economists

Study Reveals Prevalent Gender Gap Among Economists: Female economists tend to be more left-wing than male economists according to a new study as reported on by USA Today that implies a similar--if not larger--gender gap found in average Americans. In general, female economists more readily accept a bigger government role, while male economists value business and the marketplace.

Asian-American Voters Represent Formidable Bloc: Nearly one-third of Asian Americans are still undecided on their vote for president, representing the overall shift of the cohort toward independent swing voters, New American Media reports. More than half--51 percent--of Asians now consider themselves nonpartisan; 33 percent identify as Democrats, 14 percent as Republicans and 2 percent as some other affiliation.

Opening Doors for STEM Jobs One AP Class at a Time: One high school in Virginia is opening their Advanced Placement classes to as many students as possible, despite the risk of lowering average test scores for the school, USA Today reports. Teachers and administrators at Woodside High in Newport News, Va., say it’s important to get younger students interested in advanced math and science courses as soon as possible, especially since jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are expected to grow at a much faster rate than others.

NY Firefighters to Get a New Entrance Exam: A new entrance exam for New York firefighters has been approved by a federal judge, allowing the city to begin hiring firefighters for the first time in five years and evening the playing field for minority applicants, the New York Times reports. The new exam is a response to a lawsuit by the Justice Department and the fraternal order of black firefighters, who alleged the department was discriminating against minorities; more than 90 percent of the city’s firefighters are white.

Could Obama’s Deferred-Action Policy Boost the Economy? The deferred-action program could add up to $329 billion and 1.4 million new jobs to the U.S. economy over the next 20 years, according to a report as reported on by USA Today. The report comes from the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, and the Partnership for a New American Economy.