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Companies Pfizer Inc FollowDec 16 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday tossed a lawsuit by a group of medical professionals alleging a fellowship program established by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) to improve diversity within its higher ranks discriminates against white and Asian-American applicants. Do No Harm, a group opposed to what it calls "radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideologies" in healthcare, alleged the drugmaker's Breakthrough Fellowship Program was discriminatory because only Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans could apply. Pfizer in a statement welcomed the ruling, saying it was "proud of its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion." Pfizer launched the fellowship in 2021. Fellows receive two years of full-time jobs, fully funded master's degrees, and employment at New York-based Pfizer after completing the program.

☆ Claudine Gay to be Harvard’s 1st Black president, 2nd woman
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Harvard University announced Thursday that Claudine Gay will become its 30th president, making her the first Black person and the second woman to lead the Ivy League school. Gay, who is currently a dean at the university and a democracy scholar, will become president July 1. With Gay’s appointment, women will outnumber men as chiefs of the eight Ivy League schools. Gay will be the only Black president currently in the Ivy League and the second Black woman ever, following Ruth Simmons, who led Brown University from 2001 to 2012. Gay’s early challenges could include fallout from the Supreme Court’s review of the use of race in admissions.

☆ The real revelation from the ‘Twitter Files’: Content moderation is messy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The releases so far have focused on some of the social media company’s most high-profile, and controversial, content moderation decisions. The Twitter Files reports appear aimed at calling into question the integrity of Twitter’s former leadership and riling up the right-leaning user base that new owner Elon Musk has increasingly courted. But outside of Musk’s core base, reaction to the Twitter Files, which provide little new insight into the company’s policy and decision-making, has been largely muted. The “Twitter Files” threads appear to have been written “with a very clear agenda,” the former executive said. Still, the Twitter Files reports show just how many of the company’s employees and teams were involved in the deliberations over difficult content decisions.

☆ Michael Jordan: The NBA has renamed its MVP trophy after the Bulls great
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images Jordan poses for a Little League Baseball photo in the late 1970s. Ken Levine/Getty Images Jordan famously shrugs his shoulders after hitting another 3-pointer during the 1992 NBA Finals versus Portland. "There is a reason you call someone the Michael Jordan of ... neurosurgery, or the Michael Jordan of rabbis, or the Michael Jordan of outrigger canoeing. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Jordan continues to promote Nike's Jordan Brand across the world. Jordan Brand/Getty Images Jordan cries at the Kobe Bryant memorial in Los Angeles in February 2020.

Dr. Sheila Cannon, associate dean of the school of nursing at Fayetteville State, organized the recent training with funding from the state Legislature. That $1.5 million appropriation for Fayetteville State came on the heels of a news report last year that showed few sexual assault nurse examiners worked in rural North Carolina hospitals, which meant some patients had to travel hours from home or wait days for care. The reporting spurred a flurry of action at the state and federal level to pay for training and supporting sexual assault nurse examiners. Cornell Watson for NBC NewsIt was a struggle to get this program to Fayetteville State University at all. “I want to learn my script of how I move through things so I can be more efficient and the patient can feel more comfortable and confident in what I’m doing,” Godwin said.

☆ Long Covid is distorting the labor market — and that's bad for the U.S. economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

She eventually learned that the balance issues and ear pain resulted from a damaged vestibular nerve, a known effect of long Covid. She found that 2 million to 4 million full-time workers are out of the labor force due to long Covid. For one, many of the hundreds of potential long Covid symptoms are invisible to others, even if disabling for the afflicted. Why the long Covid labor gap mattersJerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, mentioned Sheiner and Salwati's long Covid research in a recent speech about inflation and the labor market. That burden will continue to rise if long Covid patients don't start recovering at greater rates, she said.

☆ Premarket stocks: The corporate world has a succession problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It’s been a nasty year for Fortune 500 companies and top executives are paying for it: CEOs are exiting in droves. CEO exits eased in the third-quarter, but the C-suite door seems to be revolving again as a slew of Fortune 500 CEOs have said their goodbyes this month. Looking back: One way to avoid the succession problem is to recycle an old CEO. On average, the annual stock performance of companies led by boomerang CEOs was 10.1% lower those with a first-stint leader, he found. Shares of movie theater chain AMC (AMC) have also plummeted 55% this year.

☆ Drug overdose deaths during pregnancy and postpartum rose sharply in recent years, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Drug overdose deaths reached record levels nationwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, and research published Tuesday suggests an outsized effect on pregnant and recently pregnant people. In 2020, there were about 12 pregnancy-associated overdose deaths for every 100,000 births – a 46% spike in one year and an 81% increase since 2017. The lack of reliable information on pregnancy-associated overdose deaths has made it challenging to delve into how and why trends might be different for this group compared with others, Bruzelius said. Mirroring national trends, the new study found a large increase in pregnancy-associated overdose deaths that involved fentanyl and other synthetic drugs and psychostimulants in recent years. And often the way our health care system deals with them is the focus really changes from the pregnant person to the baby.

☆ Thanksgiving turkeys get Biden pardon as president makes election joke
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

President Joe Biden pardoned the official Thanksgiving turkeys on Monday — and in the process made a series of "Dad" jokes at the expense of Republicans for falling well short of expectations in the midterm elections. There's been no ballot stuffing, there's been no fowl play," Biden punned at the White House as he granted presidential reprieves to the turkeys, named Chocolate and Chip. "The only red wave this season will be if our German shepherd Commander knocks over the cranberry sauce at our table," the Democratic president quipped. Chocolate and Chip are guaranteed not to be eaten this holiday season due to what have become traditional annual presidential pardons for would-be Thanksgiving main courses. The birds will live out their days back in their home state, at the University of North Carolina.

☆ UNC Charlotte updates policy to allow Sikh students to wear kirpan on campus
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte announced this week that it would allow Sikh students to wear a kirpan on campus, a religious article. The change comes about two months after a video was posted online showing a student who was handcuffed for carrying the ceremonial dagger. The university thanked Sikh leaders, including nonprofit organizations The Sikh Coalition and the Global Sikh Council, who provided expertise and perspective to help with the policy change. A video of the student being handcuffed was posted on the Twitter account @thatsamaan in September, and its user identified himself as the student in question. “I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte,” he tweeted along with the video.

☆ Scotland recognized as world’s best golf destination
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Having hosted the game for almost six centuries, “the home of golf” – as Scotland is known – was recognized as the World’s Best Golf Destination for the very first time at the ninth edition of the annual World Golf Awards in Abu Dhabi this week. Despite the dominance of its legendary St. Andrews Old Course in the World’s Best Golf Course category – with five successive wins after the award’s inception – Scotland had never been recognized as the sport’s best destination. Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images Tom Holland: Part-time web-slinger, full-time golf swinger -- the "Spider-Man" lead is a self-confessed golf addict. Richard Heathcote/R&A/Getty Images“Scottish golf tourism is thriving, and Scotland is a bucket list destination for most golfers around the World,” added Dermot Synnott, Director of Global Partnership for the World Golf Awards. Meanwhile, JA The Resort Golf Course in Dubai won Best Nine Hole Golf Course and Costa Navarino in Greece was recognized as the World’s Best Emerging Golf Destination.

☆ Low-cost startup airline Breeze is launching 3 new routes from North Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Brady Macdonald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The low-cost carrier will fly between Raleigh-Durham and New Orleans, Hartford, and Providence. The new non-stop flights join the Breeze route map in February. The Research Triangle made up of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham is home to the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University, and Duke University. Breeze also announced non-stop flights on select days from Pittsburgh to Hartford and NOLA with returning routes starting in early February. Breeze also recently announced it is launching 2 new routes from Southern California's John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

☆ Older Americans are moving in with people their age to play bocce, make art, and be their true selves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some older Americans are building cohousing communities instead of moving into senior living. That was until 2014, when the Salmons and a group of eight other seniors began developing Quimper Village, a cohousing community in Port Townsend for people ages 55 and older. The Salmons are part of a growing coalition of older adults who are choosing to live in cohousing communities with people who are about their same age. The website also highlights amenities such as a bocce court and an art studio, which residents also manage. Though Erde describes herself as an introvert, living at PDX Commons has allowed her to be more social, she said.

☆ Here's how Donald Trump could theoretically run for president in 2024 and govern the US from prison, according to 9 legal scholars
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Robin Bravender | Tina Sfondeles | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

If Trump landed in prison, nothing in the Constitution would block him from another White House run, according to nine legal experts interviewed by Insider. He served eight years in federal prison after being convicted on public-corruption charges. In the Oval Office, Trump conducted business at the ornate Resolute Desk. If he wound up in federal prison, he'd likely have more sway over his fate. Hochul would all but certainly reject calls to cut Trump legal slack in any fashion, pardons included.

That is why, leaders say, HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions will be even more important to students of color should the Supreme Court end affirmative action in college admissions. Allison ShelleyThe Supreme Court is hearing cases that challenge affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Although HBCUs are predominantly Black institutions, non-Black students made up 24% of HBCU enrollment in 2020, according to the NCES. That diversity is important to consider amid claims that HBCUs make race-conscious admissions unnecessary, said Marie Bigham, the founder and executive director of the race-conscious admissions advocacy group Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today. Late last month, the coalition and students from across the country protested outside the Supreme Court as it weighed the cases.

☆ Four Ways Transportation Will Change in the Future—Even Elevator Trips
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Chris Kornelis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As transportation industries look to reduce carbon emissions and keep up with changing regulations, the vehicles and vessels that carry people and products will evolve in the coming decades. Here are four trends experts in their fields see coming. Elevators That Turn LeftDespite their name, there’s no rule that says elevators can only go up and down. Lee Gray, a professor of architectural history at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, says elevators that also move horizontally have been part of the vertical transportation dream for more than 100 years. It hasn’t become a reality, he says, largely because of the immense costs associated with it.

CNN —The Indianapolis Colts have parted ways with head coach Frank Reich, the NFL team announced Monday. Former Colts Pro Bowl center and Super Bowl winner Jeff Saturday has been named interim head coach. You have to be able to work with people.”His interim coach “knows this game inside and out,” he assured reporters. Reich, who was in his fifth season with the Colts, compiled a 40-33-1 record in the regular season and 1-2 in the playoffs. Frank Reich walks off the field after losing 17-16 to the Washington Commanders at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 30 in Indianapolis.

Both have highlighted policies that limit health care access in Georgia, such as its new six-week abortion ban and a decision by Republican Gov. Georgians have witnessed health services dwindle before and during the pandemic, straining the state’s medical system even as regional health care costs rise. Nearly half of Georgia’s 159 counties have no OB-GYN, according to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce. Some see the shutdowns as exacerbating racial disparities in health care access in Atlanta, where a 2018 Trulia analysis found 25.3 health care providers per 10,000 residents in the city’s majority-white census tracts, compared with 9.8 in majority-Black tracts. “I’m looking at somebody that is going to be for the community,” she says, “that’s going to help us with the health care — bring it closer to us.”

☆ Taylor Swift used my company's casket for her 'Anti-Hero' music video. We saw a huge spike in traffic and thank her profusely.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Joshua Siegel cofounded Titan Casket, a direct-to-consumer casket seller. It sold a casket to a production company, which Taylor Swift used in her new video for "Anti-Hero." When Scott described the industry structure to me, I immediately saw the opportunity to create a direct-to-consumer business selling caskets. Liz and Scott ran the business full-time, and we brought on an intern from the University of North Carolina for the summer of 2020. Because funeral caskets don't constitute a highly competitive space, we could book Google Ads without much competition.

☆ How Asian-led student groups are continuing affirmative action fight at Harvard and UNC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Due to the conservative majority on the bench, advocates fear this could signal the end of affirmative action. “That really scares me.”Voter surveys show that 69% of Asian Americans support affirmative action. “Affirmative action actually helps Asian Americans in admissions in higher education,” he said. When contacted for a statement, Students for Affirmative Action creator Edward Blum directed NBC News to a pro-SFFA action rally that had Asian speakers. While things might look bleak for the conservative majority’s eventual ruling on affirmative action, she said she’s witnessing a new generation being ushered into caring about inclusion at a systemic level.

☆ Affirmative Action Exposes the Secret Meaning of Equity
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( William Mcgurn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s taken too long, but the Supreme Court has finally put the progressive ideal of equity in the dock. In two separate cases Monday, the high court heard Students for Fair Admissions argue that Harvard’s and the University of North Carolina’s use of race preferences in admissions is unconstitutional and violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The plaintiffs are asking the court to overturn its 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the use of race in admissions. Much of the attention in court Monday was on diversity. Less examined was the principle of equity, which undergirds it.

☆ Can Harvard Discriminate by Race Forever?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court Justices exhibited supreme patience Monday in hearing nearly four hours of argument in a pair of major cases involving race and college admissions. But the argument was worth the time, because it exposed some unhappy truths about those who believe in the necessity of discriminating by race. The Justices are considering challenges to the admission practices of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, in particular that they discriminate illegally against Asian-Americans in favor of other races. ( Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, and SFFA v.

☆ Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Race in College Admissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jess Bravin | Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The affirmative-action suits before the Supreme Court combine questions of race in American society and access to prestigious universities. WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court began hearing arguments Monday over whether colleges can consider race in admissions decisions, a practice the justices approved in 1978 and repeatedly reaffirmed but today’s more conservative majority agreed to review. The court first heard a case against the University of North Carolina, a state flagship, and later Monday will hear another involving a private Ivy League institution, Harvard College.

☆ Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Race in College Admissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Jess Bravin | Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The affirmative action suits before the Supreme Court combine questions of race in American society and access to prestigious universities. WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court will hear arguments Monday over whether colleges can consider race in admissions decisions, a practice the justices approved in 1978 and repeatedly reaffirmed but today’s more conservative majority agreed to review. The court has scheduled separate cases beginning at 10 a.m., one against the University of North Carolina, a state flagship, followed by another involving a private Ivy League institution, Harvard College. Both suits were filed by Students for Fair Admissions, a group founded by conservative activist Edward Blum , who has brought several cases to the Supreme Court seeking to end practices that take race into account.

The Supreme Court on Monday wades into the decadeslong legal fight over affirmative action in cases challenging policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard University, with the conservative majority expected to be open to ending the practice. The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, will hear back-to-back oral arguments in the UNC and Harvard cases; the session is likely to last several hours. The arguments against affirmative action are being brought by a group called Students for Fair Admissions, led by conservative activist Ed Blum. The court shifted to the right following former President Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative justices. If affirmative action is ended, those defending the practice say, race-neutral policies aimed at achieving diversity will often fail, leading to a decline in Black and Hispanic enrollment.

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