African-American – News April 4, 2012

Re: STUDY: Black Women At Higher Risk For Longer HPV Infection (NewsOne)
College-age African-American women may have a tougher time clearing their bodies of human papillomavirus and have more abnormal Pap test results than their European-American counterparts, a recent study reports.

Sculptor Elizabeth Catlett dies in Mexico (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett, a U.S. Expatriate renowned for her dignified portrayals of African-American and Mexican women and who was barred from her home country for political activism during the McCarthy era, has died.

Rare Civil War Photo Donated to Lincoln Library (WILL-TV Urbana)
A photograph of an African-American Civil-War veteran is the first of its kind to be included in the collection of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield.
Burger King ad with Blige stirs criticism (WTOP-FM Washington)
In this Jan. 15, 2012 file photo, singer Mary J. Blige arrives at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles.

History-making Girard College president to leave (Chambersburg Public Opinion)
Graves was the first female and first African-American leader at the school, which once excluded both blacks and girls.

Obama's website pitches post-election flexiblity for African-Americans (Free Republic)
President Barack Obama’s under-the-radar campaign to spur turnout in the African-American community is echoing the promise of post-election flexibility given last month to Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

Cleveland NAACP leader backs same-sex marriage (The Columbus Dispatch)
An excellent wrapup of recent developments in public-access law is available courtesy of the Ohio Coalition for Open Government .

NEW THIS MORNING:

* Andrew Cuomos approval ratings are still sky-high, but voters disapprove of the secretive, closed-door budget negotiations and of the governors decision to let legislators draw their own district lines, a new Quinnipiac poll says: http://bit.ly/HTyuNu

* The company the Cuomo administration has hired to design the states healthcare exchange has experienced delays and cost overruns on other projects in New York and elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal writes: http://on.wsj.com/HSvqMf

* A legislative pay raise could be on the horizon, with state lawmakers pointing out the benefits and none ruling it out after another on-time budget, writes the Times Union: http://bit.ly/HfxwMS

* The states legislative redistricting task force is set to receive $1.9 million in funding next year, even though the state agreed to replace it with an independent, bipartisan commission, the Times Union reports: http://bit.ly/Hdo6z0

* Prosecutors have not been able to flip two defendants who are facing charges in connection with City Comptroller John Lius fundraising scandal, the Post reports: http://nyp.st/HJ2b1f

* Westchester County and the federal government are still at odds over the implementation of a 2009 plan to boost affordable housing and promote racial and economic integration, the New York Times reports: http://nyti.ms/HcigdM

* Former schools chancellors Joel Klein and Michelle Rhee have formed a statewide group to counter the influence of teachers unions in the 2013 New York City mayoral election, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/HdhQsm

* The race to replace Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is heating up, with Councilwoman Letitia James sparring with former de Blasio staffer Reshma Saujani and state Sen. Daniel Squadron also interested, the Journal writes: http://on.wsj.com/HdmuGY