Last May, the Associated Press ran a story about how the U.S. thwarted the plot of an al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen to blow up a U.S.-bound plane with a bomb that was designed to be undetectable. We ran it on Page 1. It was a huge story. And this is the story that triggered the investigation that led the federal government to seize a couple months of AP reporters' phone records.

The government wants to find out who leaked the highly classified details of the CIA operation that foiled the al-Qaida plot. The AP has reacted angrily to what it calls an unprecedented government intrusion into the newsgathering process.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education jointly released guidance today telling K-12 school districts and universities they can use race to achieve diversity.

According to the joint press release, the guidance "makes clear that educators may permissibly consider the race of students in carefully constructed plans to promote diversity or, in K-12 education, to reduce racial isolation."

“Diverse learning environments promote development of analytical skills, dismantle stereotypes, and prepare students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in the press release.  “The guidance announced today will aid educational institutions in their efforts to provide true equality of opportunity and fully realize the promise of Brown v. Board of Education.”

Duke law professor Christopher Schroeder has been confirmed as the new assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy.

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