Nas Explains Controversial Album Title, Denies Reports Of Label Opposition Rapper Nas says his label Def Jam has no intentions to change the name of his upcoming album, Nigger. Despite protests from the NAACP and Rev. Jesse Jackson, Nas adamantly claims his use of the title is an attempt to take “power from the word.” MTV News. Asian-American Students Face More Obstacles Than Stereotypes Suggest A new report released by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute disproves the stereotypes that claim that all Asian-American students are academically successful. The study, developed from a survey of over 360,000 students, considers itself to the be the “largest compilations and analysis of data on Asian-American college students ever undertaken.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. Border Patrol, Mexican officials launch effort against smugglers US Border Patrol officials recently launched “Operation Lifeguard,” an operation against human smuggling in the Juarez/El Paso area, with assistance from Mexican officers operating along the border. The operation hopes to use a database of smugglers to eradicate these rings of criminals and according to a member of the Mexican Consulate, is aimed towards “saving the lives of border crossers.” Houston Chronicle. Study: Katrina Evacuees Not Lazy Georgia State University’s sociology professor Timothy Brezina, recently released a study disproving the negative stereotypes of Katrina evacuees. The study used data conducted by the Washington Post and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation on displaced individuals in Houston shelters. The study points out the faulty urban planning of New Orleans, as opposed to the “welfare mentality” that has been attributed to residents, for the current problematic state of the city. Houston Chronicle.