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Friday 06.30.23

Today is the traditional getaway day for the long holiday weekend. We're taking some time off here at 5 Things too. We'll be back in your inboxes next Wednesday. Until then, happy Fourth of July! Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
 

By AJ Willingham

Affirmative Action

The Supreme Court says colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration as a specific factor in admissions, a landmark decision that overturns long-standing precedent historically benefiting Black and Latino students in higher education. However, the ruling still allows colleges and universities to consider an applicant's discussion of how race has affected their life as long as it is "concretely tied" to a "quality of character or unique ability" that the applicant possesses. Dissenting members of the high court insisted it would still make it practically impossible for colleges to consider race at all. Civil rights leaders and education advocates say the ruling will be damaging to educational institutions. The White House has been preparing for months for this eventuality, and President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Education to develop a list of best admissions practices for colleges to maintain a diverse student population. Affirmative action has been in place since the 1960s as a tool to prevent discrimination at selective institutions, many of which historically only admitted White students.

Russia and Ukraine

Documents shared exclusively with CNN suggest that Russian General Sergey Surovikin was a secret VIP member of the Wagner private military company, the group whose leader headed up a recent short-lived insurrection that plunged Russia's military forces into uncertainty. It's unclear where Surovikin has been since the rebellion ended. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence visited Ukraine on Thursday and told CNN's Erin Burnett it's an "open question" whether Putin is in full command of his military following the revolt. Meanwhile, the White House is strongly considering approving the transfer of controversial cluster munition warheads to Ukraine to aid its counteroffensive despite the risk such weapons could pose to civilians.  

Economy

An onslaught of economic data released Thursday has buoyed US markets. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, increased at an annualized rate of 2% in the first quarter, surpassing economists' predictions. Separately, initial jobless claims fell last week to 239,000, underscoring the labor market's strength. The Federal Reserve also released the results of its annual "stress test" of the largest US banks on Wednesday, which boosted bank stocks overall. The Fed concluded the banks have sufficient safeguards in place to weather a severe recession while continuing to lend to households and businesses. However, the housing market is showing signs of slowing. Mortgage rates have gone up while pending home sales dropped more than expected. 

Trump probe

New developments are unfolding in former President Donald Trump's various legal battles. The special counsel's office is continuing to investigate Trump's handling of classified documents after his presidency ended, despite the former president's indictment last month. That includes continued grand jury activity in Florida and inquiries of witnesses, though it is not yet clear what aspects of the investigation prosecutors are still pushing toward. In general, it's not unheard of for investigators working a case to continue asking questions following the filing of initial charges — though it is unusual since Trump is still vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Top Trump aide Susie Wiles has met numerous times with federal investigators involved in the probe and was allegedly shown a classified map by Trump after he left office. Meanwhile, former Trump campaign official Mike Roman is cooperating with prosecutors in the ongoing criminal probe related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. 

France

More than 400 people were arrested across France Thursday as a wave of protests swept the country for a third night following the fatal police shooting of a teenage boy that was captured on video. Unrest broke out Tuesday just hours after a police traffic stop in Nanterre resulted in the killing of a 17-year-old named Nahel. The incident has raised questions about whether racism played a role in his death, and whether the police officer who shot him was acting illegally. Also Thursday, an estimated 6,000 people joined a march to honor the teen. President Emmanuel Macron will reportedly hold a crisis meeting today for the second day in a row following the violence and has urged citizens to let the justice system handle the situation.

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Madonna 'resting, feeling better' and following doctor's orders, a source close to singer says
May her home be filled with all the mylar balloons and "Get Well Soon" cards it can possibly hold. 

Kelsea Ballerini is the latest artist to fall victim to concertgoers flinging objects on stage
Keep all hands, arms, and projectiles AWAY from the stage! 

Sriracha sauce is selling for as much as $120 amid prolonged shortage
A person's hot sauce preference is serious business, so I can't judge. 

Overstock.com is changing its name to ... Bed Bath & Beyond
It gets more confusing the more you think about it.

Handbag 'smaller than a grain of salt' sells for over $63,000
It holds everything you need: A few quarks for a night out, some loose electrons just in case. So practical!

in memoriam

Homer Hogues, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, died this week in Dallas, just two days after the death of his wife, according to an obituary provided by his family. He was 96. Hogues enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1946, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and served as a mechanic for the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group — one of the US military's first units of Black aviators.

100 million

That's about how many people in the US are under air quality alerts this morning from Wisconsin to Vermont and down to North Carolina as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to waft south. Rain should continue to bring some relief to the Midwest, but the haze may dissipate less quickly in the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic region.

For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want.

— Dylan Mulvaney, the trans influencer whose partnership with Bud Light sparked weeks of outrage from conservatives and led to several complications for the brand. Mulvaney says she has been threatened and ridiculed in public and worries that such hate has bigger consequences for LGBTQ communities. 

Darling it's better down where it's wetter
Nothing says "Only in the Florida Keys" like an underwater music festival. (Click here to view)