TONY COX, host: From NPR News, this is NEWS & NOTES. I'm Tony Cox in for Farai Chideya.</s>TONY COX, host: We're going to take you around the world in today's show, starting here at home with some tough questions for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson. We'll then head to West Africa with NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton. And wrap things up in New York's Grand Central Station with this week's installment of StoryCorp Griot.</s>TONY COX, host: But first, let's look at some headlines. Enrollment for black college students in the South is up. That's according to a new study from the Southern Regional Education Board.</s>TONY COX, host: In a survey of 16 states, researchers found for the first time that the number of African-Americans in or heading to college is actually on par with the region's overall population. But statistics can be misleading. Part of the reason for the bump is simple math. Blacks' share of the population has declined making it easier to reach those new benchmarks.</s>TONY COX, host: Also in the South, some new home sales dropped more than seven percent last month according to the Commerce Department. Nationwide, new home sales logged the fourth drop in just five months. The median home price was also down about one percent compared to a year ago at just over $236,000. Now, that may be good news for folks looking to buy a home, but not good for anyone looking to sell.
NPR's Tony Cox runs through the day's headlines, including a hike in black college enrollment throughout the South and a dip in the sale of new homes.