To the Point
The US Supreme Court and Reverse Discrimination
By a one-vote majority, the US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of white firefighters who claimed they were victims of reverse discrimination. Will the decision clarify the rules on race and employment or lead to future confusion? What will it mean for the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor? Also, Bernard Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in federal prison, and Latin America's first military coup in 16 years.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenBy a one-vote majority, the US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of white firefighters who claimed they were victims of reverse discrimination. Will the decision clarify the rules on race and employment or lead to future confusion? What will it mean for the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor? Also, Bernard Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in federal prison, and the president of Honduras is overthrown by a military coup. What's the impact in the rest of Latin America?
Banner image: New Haven Fire Department
In this episode
3 storiesBernie Madoff Receives the Maximum Sentence of 150 Years
There was a burst of applause in a Manhattan courtroom today when federal Judge Denny Chin gave financial swindler Bernard Madoff the maximum term of 150 years in prison. For a 71-year-old man, even the minimum would have been a life sentence. Judge Chin said he was sending some messages.
Read the story8 minThe US Supreme Court and Reverse Discrimination
In 2003, New Haven, Connecticut said it would promote firefighters based on a written and oral exam. But when the results were in, no blacks and only two Hispanics scored well enough to become lieutenants or captains. New Haven then scrapped the exam. White firefighter Frank Ricci, who did well on the test, sued for reverse discrimination.
Read the story34 minMilitary Coup in Honduras
For the first time in 16 years, an elected president has been replaced by a military coup in Central America. Manuel Zelaya is now in Costa Rica, where he was taken yesterday by soldiers who kidnapped him, in his pijamas, from his home in Tegucigalpa.
Read the story9 min
