Since the 1960's, it's been well documented that African American men suffer from a lack of educational opportunities, positive male role models, and high unemployment, but new studies indicate an escalation of alarming statistics. In 2004, 72% of black male high school dropouts were jobless, compared to only 34% of white and 19% of Latino dropouts. From education and jobs to crime and poverty, black men generally fare only 75% as well as whites. Chances are that by the time they reach their 30's, six out of every 10 male black dropouts will have spent time in prison Why have two decades of economic growth benefited every group of young men except African Americans? Has hip-hop culture created jobs and drawn blacks toward respect in the mainstream or distanced them even further? Guest host Diana Nyad learns about the severity of the situation and why black males have possibly become the most disenfranchised group in society.
- Making News: Levee Repair Costs Triple as Hurricane Season Approaches
As if New Orleans hasn't been through enough after Katrina, it's now received more dispiriting news. Work underway to shore up the city's levees for flood protection does not meet FEMA standards. It's also been announced that it will take as much as $10 billion to construct an acceptable hurricane-protection system, money not yet earmarked and unlikely to be found, as we hear from Michael Grunwald of the Washington Post. - Reporter's Notebook: MLB Launches Probe into Steroid Use
Just hours before the season kicks off, Major League Baseball named former Senator Majority Leader George Mitchell to begin a comprehensive steroid investigation. San Francisco slugger Barry Bonds will not be the target of the inquiry, but he'll certainly be of interest as he needs only 7 homers to pass homerun-legend Babe Ruth, then 41 more to surpass Hank Aaron as the top homerun hitter in history. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Lance Williams has more.
Guest host Diana Nyad, 2002 inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, is a business sports columnist for Marketplace, senior sports correspondent for Fox News, and has hosted her own show on CNBC. She's also the author of three books.
Army Corps of Engineers' Katrina-response information
Louisiana Governor Blanco on levee-repair delays
Washington Post article on tripling repair costs of levees
Orlando Patterson's (New York Times) op-ed piece on roots of black disenfranchisement