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News in Brief: Arizona Law Targets Ethnic Studies Classes and More

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill targeting an ethnic studies program despite condemnation of the legislation by a report from United Nations human rights experts.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill targeting an ethnic studies program despite condemnation of the legislation by a report from United Nations human rights experts. The legislation, HB2281, “prohibits classes that advocate ethnic solidarity, that are designed primarily for students of a particular race or that promote resentment toward a certain ethnic group,” according to the AP report. The legislation targets African-American, Mexican-American and Native-American studies classes in the Tucson, Arizona, Unified School Districts, which focus on the history of these specific ethnic groups.

Brewer signed an extremely aggressive immigration bill just 20 days ago, which spurred a building boycott movement against the entire state of Arizona.

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The iconic Wall Street bank Morgan Stanley is now under investigation by federal prosecutors according to a report in The New York Times. The report says that they are being investigated for potentially misleading investors into buying financial products, which the bank was then betting against. Goldman Sachs has been accused of committing fraud in this manner in a civil suit and a criminal investigation is ongoing.

This American Life and Pro Publica investigated a hedge fund named Magnetar that was allegedly doing similar deals.

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Reuters is reporting on a plane crash at Lybia’s Tripoli airport early Wednesday, killing 103 people. One young Dutch boy survived the crash and is in stable condition. Afriqiyah Airways flight 8U771, originating in Johannesburg, South Africa, crashed upon approach just short of the runway. An investigation into what cause the new Airbus A330-200 to crash is ongoing.

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