Et Cetera

G-MEN OF COLOR

Under J. Edgar Hoover, FBI agents often served as shock troops in the fight against civil rights. Last week the bureau announced a plan to end what 300 of its black agents had charged was lingering bias in the way promotions and fast-track assignments are made. The new rules avert a threatened lawsuit.

BAD GRADE

Channel One, a classroom newscast produced by Whittle Communications, has drawn fire for mixing commercials with current events. A Whittle-funded study has found that with or without ads, the show isn't having much impact. Students who watch the newscast score little better on current-events tests than do nonwatchers.