Your Friday Briefing: Top U.S. court rules against affirmative action

By Amelia Nierenberg

Writer, Briefings

Good morning. We’re covering a major affirmative action ruling in the U.S. and protests in France.

A blow to affirmative action in the U.S.

The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that race-based admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina were unconstitutional. The decision means that elite campuses in the U.S. that have sought to increase diversity among their students are likely to become less Black and Latino.

“This was a momentous decision,” said my colleague Anemona Hartocollis, who covers American higher education. “We don’t know exactly how it will play out except that we know that the traditional way of doing things is over.”

The ruling was decided 6-3 by the court’s conservative majority. Chief Justice John Roberts said that race-conscious admission programs “unavoidably employ race in a negative manner” and “involve racial stereotyping.”

In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that “the devastating impact of this decision cannot be overstated.” The court, she added, was “further entrenching racial inequality in education, the very foundation of our democratic government and pluralistic society.”

Asian American admissions have been at the core of this debate. For years, applicants have downplayed their identity to appear “less Asian.” The plaintiffs accused Harvard of systematically discriminating against Asian Americans for years by using a subjective standard to gauge traits, like likability.

What’s next: The ruling could drastically alter admissions processes across the U.S. and prompt employers to rethink how they consider race in hiring.

Reactions: Criticizing the decision, President Biden said this was “not a normal court” and directed the Education Department “to analyze what practices can build a more inclusive and diverse” student body. Republicans running for president applauded the ruling.

France protests a police killing

The killing of a teenager in a Paris suburb has reignited anger in France at police violence, especially against people of color.

A police officer who fatally shot the 17-year-old driver on Tuesday was detained on homicide charges. The killing set off rioting in more than a dozen cities.

But the authorities were bracing for further demonstrations, with about 40,000 officers deployed to quell potential riots across the country — a major increase from the 9,000 the night before. At least 180 people have been arrested.

Public anger over the shooting was compounded by initial accounts in the French news media, based on anonymous police sources, that said the teenager had plowed into officers during a traffic stop. But a video appeared to contradict that claim.

Victim: He was identified as Nahel M., a French citizen of Algerian and Moroccan descent. He was an only child being raised by his mother, who took part in a march yesterday in Nanterre, the suburb where he was killed.

Background: In recent years, beatings and deaths in custody have led to heightened scrutiny of police tactics. Some lawmakers argue that a 2017 law that made it easier for officers to fire at moving vehicles should be repealed or at least revised.

How Shein’s influencer plan backfired

The fast-fashion brand Shein is facing a backlash after bringing influencers to China to tour its factories, hoping they would post upbeat narratives about the company.

The company, which was founded in China but is now based in Singapore, has been grappling with accusations that it uses forced labor. Shein and the social media creators have been roundly blasted in the past week by users who viewed the videos incredulously.

“They weren’t even sweating,” one creator posted to Instagram and TikTok. As creators sought to tell their followers that they interviewed happy workers, users left comments like “integrity is worth more than a trip.”

Shein issued a statement saying it was “saddened” to see the response.

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THE LATEST NEWS

• Monsoon season has begun in South Korea, leaving one person dead.
• The Chinese balloon that floated over the U.S. earlier this year contained American-made technology, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.

• Russian authorities appear to have detained Gen. Sergei Surovikin under suspicion that he was involved in or had knowledge of the Wagner rebellion, U.S. officials said.
• President Vladimir Putin mingled with the Russian public in a rare, heavily publicized effort to show he still had their full support.
• The U.S. asked Ukraine to not interfere with the revolt or take immediate advantage of the chaos, according to U.S. officials.

• Smoke from Canada’s wildfires stretched from the Midwest to the East Coast, as the South and parts of Mexico were experiencing extreme heat.
• Debris and presumed human remains from the Titan submersible were brought back to land.

• Israel is building more settlements in the occupied West Bank, which most countries say violates international law.
• The burning of a Quran outside a mosque in Sweden on one of Islam’s holiest days led to widespread outrage in Muslim countries.
• King Charles III, who has vowed to streamline the royal family, had to dip into a reserve fund to pay for rising palace expenses, a report showed.

• Madonna will postpone her tour after being hospitalized with an infection.
• National Geographic became the latest U.S. outlet to lay off more of its writers.
• Julian Sands, a British actor, was confirmed dead months after he disappeared while hiking in California.
• Russia’s war in Ukraine has prompted many of the world’s top musicians to stay away from the International Tchaikovsky Competition.
• Harrison Ford was given a digital face-lift in the new Indiana Jones movie. Our critic calls it “weird and distracting.”

My colleagues gained rare access to a military field hospital in eastern Ukraine. Their striking 20-minute documentary captures the relentless toll of Russia’s war through the eyes of frontline combat medics and wounded soldiers.

“They’re not just defending their country,” Yousur Al-Hlou, a Times videojournalist, told The Morning. “They’re defending their families’ lives and their own lives.”

The scenes are graphic. I urge you to watch the video anyway. It intimately shows the pain and sacrifice of the fight.

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ARTS AND IDEAS

Fooling A.I. detection tools

Computers powered by artificial intelligence can generate startlingly lifelike images that can trick humans (like one of the Pope in a puffer coat). A group of new companies now offer tools to detect what is a real photo and what’s not. They use sophisticated algorithms to see beyond what humans can, but they can still be fooled.

The Times tested five services using more than 100 images, both synthetic and real. At least one service was fooled by the images on the right, while all five were tricked by the picture of a giant on the left.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

You don’t need fresh cherries for this classic pie.

“Self-Made” explores the history of personal branding.

In “Millie Lies Low,” an aspiring architect from New Zealand fakes a trip to New York City.

You really shouldn’t mix alcohol and exercise. But if you do, here’s what to know.

Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Tai ___ (three letters).

Here are the Wordle and the Spelling Bee. You can find all our puzzles here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Have a lovely weekend! — Amelia

P.S. Our Travel editor, Amy Virshup, discussed how the desk compiled a list of suggestions for long walks around the world.

“The Daily” is on Washington’s fights with Big Tech.

I’d love to know what you think about our newsletter. You can write at briefing@nytimes.com.

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