Diversity in Brief - May 7 Edition
A digest of all the best: Vice President Joe Biden voices support for same-sex marriage; how the youth vote might elude Obama’s reelection efforts; and more.
Virginia Could Be Key State in ’12 Elections
Changing demographics in the Old Dominion state may prove to be crucial for a victory by either President Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Both sides are already pouring their campaign funds into the state, which has steadily proved its capability of swinging from side to side in recent years.
Read more: Boston Herald/The Associated Press (5/3)
Biden Reveals Personal Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Vice President Joe Biden became the highest official in the Obama administration to publicly announce his support of same-sex marriage, saying Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that he was “absolutely comfortable” with the idea. Obama has said that he supported civil unions, a muddy stance that has proved a sore point for gay-rights activists.
Read more: The National Journal (5/6); Chicago Tribune [video] (5/6)
Survey: Young Voters Aren’t a Guarantee for Obama
The youth vote may be harder to capture for President Obama this time around, despite having captured the 18-to-29 demographic by 2-1 over Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election. Since Obama’s win, the group appears less politically engaged, with just 47 percent saying they will definitely vote this year—a drop from 64 percent four years ago, according to a survey by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
Read more: The Daily Beast (5/6)
“Julia” Proves More Complicated Than She Looks
Conservative pundits contend that Julia, the composite American woman created by the Obama campaign to demonstrate how women would benefit from the administration’s policies, is a misleading attempt that celebrates living off tax-funded programs, rather than by her own means. GOP supporters offered their own version of Julia, including a Tumblr dedicated to debunking Obama’s claims and several streams of conversation on Twitter.
Read more: The National Journal (5/4)
Oregon Federal Judge Throws Out Lawsuit against Justice Dept.
A federal judge in Oregon threw out a lawsuit filed jointly by 15 men barred from re-entering the U.S. that challenged the constitutionality of the government’s no-fly list, alleging that their due-process rights were violated. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown said that she agreed with the Justice Department’s claim that the state federal court had no jurisdiction over the Transportation Security Administration or the list.
Read more: Google/The Associated Press (5/5)
Can Babies Be Racist?
A recent study found that, at 9 months old, babies were capable of recognizing faces and expressions for people of their race. The study looked at brain activity for the infants, and also found that the same activity did not occur for 5-month-old babies, implying that between those four months, the behavior was learned.
Read more: The Atlantic Wire (5/4)
Mexican Jockey Gutierrez Wins Kentucky Derby
Mario Gutierrez grabbed the gold in the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5. It was the first appearance in the race for the Mexico native, who came to the U.S. from Canada seven years ago.
Read more: Univision Tumblr (5/6)
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Vice President Joe Biden voices support for same-sex marriage; how the youth vote might elude Obama’s reelection efforts; and more.
Virginia Could Be Key State in ’12 Elections
Changing demographics in the Old Dominion state may prove to be crucial for a victory by either President Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Both sides are already pouring their campaign funds into the state, which has steadily proved its capability of swinging from side to side in recent years.
Read more: Boston Herald/The Associated Press (5/3)
Biden Reveals Personal Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Vice President Joe Biden became the highest official in the Obama administration to publicly announce his support of same-sex marriage, saying Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that he was “absolutely comfortable” with the idea. Obama has said that he supported civil unions, a muddy stance that has proved a sore point for gay-rights activists.
Read more: The National Journal (5/6); Chicago Tribune [video] (5/6)
Survey: Young Voters Aren’t a Guarantee for Obama
The youth vote may be harder to capture for President Obama this time around, despite having captured the 18-to-29 demographic by 2-1 over Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election. Since Obama’s win, the group appears less politically engaged, with just 47 percent saying they will definitely vote this year—a drop from 64 percent four years ago, according to a survey by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
Read more: The Daily Beast (5/6)
“Julia” Proves More Complicated Than She Looks
Conservative pundits contend that Julia, the composite American woman created by the Obama campaign to demonstrate how women would benefit from the administration’s policies, is a misleading attempt that celebrates living off tax-funded programs, rather than by her own means. GOP supporters offered their own version of Julia, including a Tumblr dedicated to debunking Obama’s claims and several streams of conversation on Twitter.
Read more: The National Journal (5/4)
Oregon Federal Judge Throws Out Lawsuit against Justice Dept.
A federal judge in Oregon threw out a lawsuit filed jointly by 15 men barred from re-entering the U.S. that challenged the constitutionality of the government’s no-fly list, alleging that their due-process rights were violated. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown said that she agreed with the Justice Department’s claim that the state federal court had no jurisdiction over the Transportation Security Administration or the list.
Read more: Google/The Associated Pres
Vice President Joe Biden voices support for same-sex marriage; how the youth vote might elude Obama’s reelection efforts; and more.
Virginia Could Be Key State in ’12 Elections
Changing demographics in the Old Dominion state may prove to be crucial for a victory by either President Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Both sides are already pouring their campaign funds into the state, which has steadily proved its capability of swinging from side to side in recent years.
Read more: Boston Herald/The Associated Press (5/3)
Biden Reveals Personal Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Vice President Joe Biden became the highest official in the Obama administration to publicly announce his support of same-sex marriage, saying Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that he was “absolutely comfortable” with the idea. Obama has said that he supported civil unions, a muddy stance that has proved a sore point for gay-rights activists.
Read more: The National Journal (5/6); Chicago Tribune [video] (5/6)
Survey: Young Voters Aren’t a Guarantee for Obama
The youth vote may be harder to capture for President Obama this time around, despite having captured the 18-to-29 demographic by 2-1 over Sen. John McCain in the 2008 election. Since Obama’s win, the group appears less politically engaged, with just 47 percent saying they will definitely vote this year—a drop from 64 percent four years ago, according to a survey by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics.
Read more: The Daily Beast (5/6)
“Julia” Proves More Complicated Than She Looks
Conservative pundits contend that Julia, the composite American woman created by the Obama campaign to demonstrate how women would benefit from the administration’s policies, is a misleading attempt that celebrates living off tax-funded programs, rather than by her own means. GOP supporters offered their own version of Julia, including a Tumblr dedicated to debunking Obama’s claims and several streams of conversation on Twitter.
Read more: The National Journal (5/4)
Oregon Federal Judge Throws Out Lawsuit against Justice Dept.
A federal judge in Oregon threw out a lawsuit filed jointly by 15 men barred from re-entering the U.S. that challenged the constitutionality of the government’s no-fly list, alleging that their due-process rights were violated. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown said that she agreed with the Justice Department’s claim that the state federal court had no jurisdiction over the Transportation Security Administration or the list.
Read more: Google/The Associated Press (5/5)
Can Babies Be Racist?
A recent study found that, at nine months old, babies were capable of recognizing faces and expressions for people of their race. The study looked at brain activity for the infants, and also found that the same activity did not occur for five-month-old babies, implying that between those four months, the behavior was learned.
Read more: The Atlantic Wire (5/4)
Mexican Jockey Gutierrez Wins Kentucky Derby
Mario Gutierrez grabbed the gold in the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5. It was the first appearance in the race for the Mexico native, who came to the U.S. from Canada seven years ago.
Read more: Univision Tumblr (5/6)
s (5/5)
Can Babies Be Racist?
A recent study found that, at nine months old, babies were capable of recognizing faces and expressions for people of their race. The study looked at brain activity for the infants, and also found that the same activity did not occur for five-month-old babies, implying that between those four months, the behavior was learned.
Read more: The Atlantic Wire (5/4)
Mexican Jockey Gutierrez Wins Kentucky Derby
Mario Gutierrez grabbed the gold in the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5. It was the first appearance in the race for the Mexico native, who came to the U.S. from Canada seven years ago.
Read more: Univision Tumblr (5/6)
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