Diversity On The Federal Bench

President Barack Obama nominates the first openly gay black man to serve as a federal judge. Florida state judge Darrin Gayles is one of four new picks for U.S. district courts. The nominations are part of a White House push to increase diversity on the federal bench. The White House says the pool of candidates now before the Senate, 63 in all, is the most diverse in history. Slightly less than half are women. A fifth are African American. Obama aide Valerie Jarrett met privately with the Congressional Black Caucus. It has complained about the lack of diversity, particularly among Southern judges.