Vox Sentences - Is affirmative action doomed?

The Supreme Court will hear two challenges to race-based affirmative action in higher education; President Biden weighs sending thousands of troops to NATO countries.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

The Supreme Court will consider race-based affirmative action in college admissions

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

• The Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear two challenges to the use of race as a factor in university admissions, a decision that could imperil affirmative action in higher education. [CNN / Joan Biskupic]
• In the term beginning in October, the Court will hear cases brought against  Harvard and the University of North Carolina, both of which allege that race-based affirmative action policies benefit Black and Latino students while harming Asian Americans. [Washington Post / Robert Barnes and Nick Anderson]
• The plaintiff in the case, Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, has tried for years to end affirmative action, as have many other conservative activists. Blum argues that the policy violates Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, and the 14th Amendment, which provides equal protection under the law. [CNBC / Kevin Breuninger]
• In response to the suit, Harvard president Lawrence Bacow said, “Considering race as one factor among many in admissions decisions produces a more diverse student body which strengthens the learning environment for all.” [AP / Mark Sherman]
• The case against Harvard and UNC marks the first time the Supreme Court has weighed race-based admissions since a 2016 case involving the University of Texas at Austin, which limited affirmative action but stopped short of banning it altogether. This time, with a 6-3 conservative majority on the Court, affirmative action could be doomed. [Vox / Ian Millhiser]

Biden mulls sending troops to Eastern Europe

• President Joe Biden is mulling sending thousands of US troops, additional aircraft, and warships to NATO allies in Eastern Europe to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from further invading Ukraine — a marked shift from the Biden administration’s previous stance of avoiding further provocation of Russia. [NYT / Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt]
• In recent months, Russia has amassed 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine and neighboring Belarus, and demanded that NATO not expand eastward or accept Ukraine as a member. That ultimatum is considered a non-starter for the US and its Western allies. [Vox / Jen Kirby]
• Russian officials have repeatedly denied intentions of invading Ukraine and have blamed the US and its allies for growing tensions in the region. [Washington Post / Robyn Dixon and David L. Stern]
• Last week, diplomatic talks between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to resolve the conflict. Now, in response to fears that a Russian invasion could come “at any time,” the US Embassy ordered relatives of staff in Kyiv to leave the country; the UK has also begun withdrawing some staff, but EU staff will remain in place for now. [BBC]
• On Monday, NATO also announced plans to reinforce its land, sea, and air borders: “Nato will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the alliance,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. [Guardian / Daniel Boffey and Andrew Roth]
• Biden has reportedly ordered up to 8,500 US troops be readied for possible deployment; the Pentagon said Monday that those troops are ready and standing by. [CNN / Barbara Starr and Jeremy Herb]

Amid major selloffs, tech stocks from major companies like Zoom, Peloton, and Netflix that enjoyed a successful 2021 are faring far worse in 2022. Beyond concerns about federal monetary policy, these companies are also struggling due to people venturing back outside. [Washington Post / Aaron Gregg]

• Democrats' redistricting woes may not be as bad as previously thought; some Democrats are predicting that the typical district will more closely match the national vote rather than leaning to the right of it, as has been the case in the past five House elections. [AP / Nicholas Ricardi and Bobby Caina Calvan]
• In a new letter, 27 House members asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Jim Jordan to ban members of Congress from owning or trading stocks. [Business Insider / Bryan Metzger]
• Attorneys general in DC, Texas, Indiana, and Washington state are suing Google over allegations that the company used deceptive measures to obtain customers’ location data. [Axios / Oriana Gonzalez]

“In a multi-racial, multi-ethnic nation like ours, the college admissions bar cannot be raised for some races and ethnic groups but lowered for others. Our nation cannot remedy past discrimination and racial preferences with new discrimination and different racial preferences.”

[Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, on his challenge to race-based affirmative action admission policies in higher education / Washington Post]

The games don’t begin until February 4, but the drama around the pandemic, free speech, and diplomatic boycotts has been building for months. NPR’s Emily Feng explains from Beijing. [Spotify]

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