From NPR: Nearly a quarter of all public school kids are Latino, but only 3 percent of kids' books are by or about Latinos. There's a similar dearth of Native American, black and Asian characters. Why? One editor says librarians, with their high demand for multicultural books, don't drive best-seller lists.
Kentucky: Kentucky's largest health system is contributing $100,000 to the Kentucky Cancer Foundation to support colon cancer screenings. Two Iraqi men sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to terrorism charges in Kentucky are getting new federal homes. The Paducah City Commission and McCracken County Fiscal Court are drafting a joint resolution to the Department of Energy concerning the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
Tennessee: The Nashville Symphony has reached a deal with creditors to avoid bankruptcy and prevent the sale of its Schermerhorn Symphony Center. An independent monitor for the Department of Children's Services says the agency's progress in 2012 was disappointing.
Illinois: Gov. Pat Quinn says he'll decide on a concealed carry bill in a "very reasonable period of time" as the state faces a court-mandated deadline next month.