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Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutiny

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The next big fight over college admissions already has taken hold, and it centers on a different kind of minority group that gets a boost: children of alumni.In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that strikes down affirmative action in admissions, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences — the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni. Long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy, opponents say it’s no longer defensible in a world with no counterbalance in affirmative action.President Joe Biden suggested colleges should rethink the practice after the court’s ruling, saying legacy preferences “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” Several Democrats in Congress demanded an end to the policy in light of the court’s decision to remove race from the admissions process. So did Republicans including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is vying for the GOP presidential nomination.“Let’s be clear: affirmative a...

As if air travel isn’t hard enough, 5G wireless signals could disrupt flights starting this weekend

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week could face a new source of disruptions starting Saturday, when wireless providers are expected to power up new 5G systems near major airports.Aviation groups have warned for years that 5G signals could interfere with aircraft equipment, especially devices using radio waves to measure distance above the ground and which are critical when planes land in low visibility.Predictions that interference would cause massive flight groundings failed to come true last year, when telecom companies began rolling out the new service. They then agreed to limit the power of the signals around busy airports, giving airlines an extra year to upgrade their planes.The leader of the nation’s largest pilots’ union said crews will be able to handle the impact of 5G, but he criticized the way the wireless licenses were granted, saying it had added unnecessary risk to aviation.Transportation Secretar...

The Supreme Court just issued its biggest rulings of the year. Here’s what you need to know.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court just finished issuing its biggest decisions of the term, killing President Joe Biden’s $400 billion plan to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts, ending affirmative action in higher education and issuing a major decision that impacts gay rights. The decisions over the past week cap off a term that began in October in which the justices also considered big issues involving voting rights and religion.The court will next meet in the fall to resume hearing cases. Here are a number of things to know about the Supreme Court’s most recent term:THERE WERE SURPRISESThe court has a solid six-justice conservative majority but ultimately issued some decisions in which the most conservative position did not win. That surprised some court watchers.In four major cases, conservative and liberal justices joined to reject the most aggressive legal arguments advanced by conservative state elected officials and advocacy groups. Those included decis...

Battle over Wisconsin’s top elections official could have ripple effects for 2024

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A fight over whether Wisconsin’s top elections official will keep her job has potential implications for the 2024 presidential contest in a perennial battleground where statewide margins are typically razor thin.Meagan Wolfe, the nonpartisan administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, has been a target of conspiracy theorists who falsely claim she was part of a plan to rig the 2020 vote to secure President Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the state.Republicans who control the state Legislature have called for Wolfe to resign over how she ran the 2020 contest, even though multiple reports and reviews found the election was fair and the results accurate. Democratic election commissioners are attempting to work around lawmakers to keep Wolfe in office indefinitely after her term ends Saturday.Both sides rely on arguments that raise unanswered legal questions and could take months to resolve through the courts.Meanwhile, election observers say...

New state laws target contentious topics of gender, guns and abortion

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

New state laws taking effect Saturday target some of the most divisive topics in America including abortion, gender and guns. Meanwhile, some motorists heading out for an extended Independence Day vacation may face higher taxes at the fuel pump.The start of July marks the start of the budget year in most states and also is a common date for new laws to take effect.This year, state legislatures continued a partisan push in opposite directions on contentious issues. As a result, people in some Republican-led states will face new restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming treatments while residents in some Democratic-led states will see stricter gun laws.Here’s a look at some of the new laws:GENDEROver the last few years, Republican-controlled states have been adopting laws to limit gender-affirming care for transgender minors, restrict school curriculums on human sexuality and specify which school bathrooms transgender people may use. Several of these laws take effect Saturda...

Shooting in France shows US is not alone in struggles with racism, police brutality

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

A police killing caught on video. Protests and rioting fueled by long-simmering tensions over law enforcement treatment of minorities. Demands for accountability.The events in France following the death of a 17-year-old shot by police in a Paris suburb are drawing parallels to the racial reckoning in the U.S. spurred by the killings of George Floyd and other people of color at the hands of law enforcement.Despite the differences between the two countries’ cultures, police forces and communities, the shooting in France and the outcry that erupted there this week laid bare how the U.S. is not alone in its struggles with systemic racism and police brutality.“These are things that happen when you’re French but with foreign roots. We’re not considered French, and they only look at the color of our skin, where we come from, even if we were born in France,” said Tracy Ladji, an activist with SOS Racisme. “Racism within the police kills, and way too many of them embrace far-right idea...

Concert review: Erykah Badu focuses on grooves and vibes at Xcel Energy Center

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

Erykah Badu knows how to make an entrance.Friday night at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, the Queen of Neo Soul’s band and backup singers opened without her, playing “The Healer” followed by a good 15 minutes of stoned soul-style jamming. When Badu finally showed up, in an elaborate feathered jacket, she had the crowd cheering as she tore into “20 Feet Tall.”Badu emerged in the late ’90s as a leading light of the neo soul movement, a group of musicians who mined classic soul, psychedelic pop, hip hop, trip hop, jazz and African music to create something new, laid back and funky.While she has dismissed the term in the past, Badu’s show Friday very much fit into that anything-goes style, with a heavy emphasis on groove and vibes, slow jams, spoken-word meditations and strong vocals backed by a top-notch band. Prince would have not only approved, he would have invited her for a late-night follow-up at Paisley Park.Badu hasn’t released a studio album since 2...

38 cats rescued, found in unsanitary trailer in Monrovia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

Thirty-eight cats were rescued after they were found being hoarded in a Monrovia trailer on Friday.The felines were discovered in cramped and unsanitary conditions inside a small space with no air conditioning, rescuers said.Some of the cats were found suffering from upper respiratory issues, but all were later listed in stable condition.Following removal from the stationary trailer, the cats were transported to a shelter, where they received medical exams before being placed into kennels with food, water, and fresh bedding.Officials rescued 38 cats that were being hoarded in a Monrovia trailer on June 30, 2023. (Pasadena Humane Society)Officials rescued 38 cats that were being hoarded in a Monrovia trailer on June 30, 2023. (Pasadena Humane Society)Officials rescued 38 cats that were being hoarded in a Monrovia trailer on June 30, 2023. (Pasadena Humane Society)Officials rescued 38 cats that were being hoarded in a Monrovia trailer on June 30, 2023. (Pasadena Humane Society)Officia...

San Francisco Police Department releases video of officer’s fatal shooting in Outer Richmond

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

The San Francisco Police Department released a video on Friday capturing an officer-involved fatal encounter with a 37-year-old man identified as Marc Child who they say approached a responding police officer with a knife.The incident occurred at a two-story residence in the Outer Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco last Thursday, June 22, around 2:39 a.m., police officials said at a town hall held Friday.Our Town Hall on the June 22nd OIS has concluded. Please visit the attached link to view a replay of the virtual Town Hall. The link also contains 911 audio, dispatch audio, and BWC footage. Below is a short clip of the body-worn camera footage. https://t.co/ALuw8raczg pic.twitter.com/Rp6U3raY8c— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) July 1, 2023To see the full video, click here.Police were responding to a 911 call at a residence placed by a man claiming that his son had killed his wife while allegedly on drugs. When the responding officer arrived on the scene, they found the 911...

Medina overcomes five walks, pitches five innings to lead A’s past White Sox, 7-4

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:10:45 GMT

MICHAEL WAGAMAN (Associated Press)OAKLAND — Luis Medina overcame his season-long control problems and pitched five mostly strong innings to earn his first win as a starter this season, Carlos Pérez hit his sixth homer while his brother sat in the opposite dugout, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4 on Friday night.Medina, the A’s rookie right-hander whose only other win came against Milwaukee on June 9 when he threw five strong innings of relief, struggled with his command for the second consecutive outing. He walked five — three in the first inning — and allowed four hits and one run in five innings.Medina (2-7) gave up a run in the first after allowing a double to Andrew Benitendi leading off the game, struck out four and worked out of bases-loaded jams in the first two innings to win. He has 12 walks over his last 10 innings.Two days after being on the wrong side of the first perfect game in the majors this season, the A’s had 10 hits against the White Sox. T...