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The Department of Education opens a civil rights investigation into legacy admissions at Harvard University; Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen resigns after decades in power.
Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.
TOP NEWS
A federal probe into "affirmative action for the rich"
Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Education Department is investigating whether Harvard University's policy of giving preferential treatment to legacy applicants and those related to donors discriminates against students of color. [Vox / Fabiola Cineas]
Legacy admissions, or eased entrance requirement for family of alumni, has faced increased scrutiny after the conservative-majority Supreme Court struck down race-conscious college admissions in June. [NBC News / Michael Mitsanas]
The civil rights investigation comes after three legal activist groups filed a complaint asking the university to immediately end the practice because it unfairly benefits the privileged. [Associated Press / Michael Casey]
Almost 70 percent of Harvard's accepted legacy applicants are white. And although only 5 percent of its applications are from donor, legacy, and athlete candidates, those groups make up about a third of its student body. [New York Times / Michael D. Shear and Anemona Hartocollis]
Harvard said it's reviewing its policies after the Supreme Court ruling to ensure they fully comply with federal law and contribute to building a diverse student body. [Washington Post / Susan Svrluga]
Cambodia's PM (sort of) steps down
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday announced he's stepping down after 38 years in power; his son Hun Manet will replace him in August. [Reuters]
The decision comes days after Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party won all seats in parliamentary elections in which the only viable opposition was banned from participating, prompting criticism from the US and the EU. [BBC / Frances Mao]
Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, has steadily consolidated his power by jailing political opponents, silencing independent news, and limiting social media. [NYT / Mike Ives]
Handing off power to his son could change Cambodia's governance style, but Hun Sen will retain considerable power in policy decisions. [AP / Sopheng Cheang and David Rising]
📍 If you read just one story Vox's Jonathan Guyer explains what Israel's judicial reforms could mean for Palestinians. [Vox / Jonathan Guyer]
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Alabama lawmakers defied a Supreme Court order to create a second majority-Black district so voters can choose their preferred candidate — and they could get away with it. [Vox / Ian Millhiser]
Major offshore wind projects in the Northeast that are essential to achieving President Biden's climate change goals don't have enough money for construction. [Politico / Ry Rivard and Marie J. French]
On Wednesday, David Grusch, a former military official, testified before a House panel that secret government programs are illegally withholding information about UFOs from Congress. [Vox / Andrew Prokop]
VERBATIM
"Every talented and qualified student deserves an opportunity to attend the college of their choice. Affirmative Action existed to support that notion. Legacy admissions exists to undermine it."
Last month, the Supreme Court struck down President Biden's student loan forgiveness program. Student loan debt these days weighs in at about $1.7 trillion. Leah Litman and Josh Mitchell join us on the latest episode of The Weeds to dive into the legal landscape and discuss how we got this student loan system in the first place.
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