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Here is an explanation of the policies commonly known as affirmative action, their history and the possible consequences of the court's decision. In the context of higher education, affirmative action typically refers to admissions policies aimed at increasing the number of Black, Hispanic and other minority students on campus. Schools also employ recruitment programs and scholarship opportunities intended to boost diversity, but the Supreme Court litigation was focused on admissions. The Supreme Court decided two cases brought by Students for Fair Admissions, a group headed by Edward Blum, a conservative legal strategist who has spent years fighting affirmative action. HOW HAS THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN THE PAST?

Persons: Jonathan Drake, Edward Blum, Bakke, Lewis Powell, Powell, Blum, Joseph Ax, Will Dunham, Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: University of North, REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, Colleges, Schools, National Association for College, Fair, Asian, University of California, Civil, University of, University of Texas, University of Michigan, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, U.S, Arizona , California, Florida , Idaho , Michigan , Nebraska , New Hampshire , Oklahoma, Washington, New York

In the context of higher education, affirmative action typically refers to admissions policies aimed at increasing the number of Black, Hispanic and other minority students on campus. The goal of race-conscious admissions policies is to increase student diversity in order to enhance the educational experience for all students. Schools also employ recruitment programs and scholarship opportunities intended to boost diversity, but the Supreme Court litigation was focused on admissions. The Supreme Court decided two cases brought by Students for Fair Admissions, a group headed by Edward Blum, a conservative legal strategist who has spent years fighting affirmative action. HOW HAS THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN THE PAST?

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Edward Blum, Bakke, Lewis Powell, Powell, Blum, Joseph Ax, Will Dunham, Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: United States, Harvard University, University of North, REUTERS, U.S, Supreme, Colleges, Schools, National Association for College, Fair, Asian, University of California, Civil, University of, University of Texas, University of Michigan, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, Washington , U.S, Arizona , California, Florida , Idaho , Michigan , Nebraska , New Hampshire , Oklahoma, Washington, New York

☆ ‘Students will suffer’: Harvard and UNC students, alumni react to 'disappointing' Supreme Court ruling rejecting affirmative action in admissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina that consider a student's race for college admissions are unconstitutional. The court's decision is not surprising but "disappointing" nonetheless, says Julian Taylor, a rising junior and member of the Affirmative Action Coalition at UNC Chapel Hill. The CEO and founder of the sustainability brand Blueland has been vocal about the importance of maintaining affirmative action policies at top colleges. Research has shown that the removal of affirmative action has led to declines in minority admissions at universities. Overturning 40-plus years of affirmative action in colleges

Persons: Edward Blum, Blum, Julian Taylor, Brown, Taylor, John Roberts, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, Sarah Paiji Yoo, wouldn't, Claudine Gay Organizations: U.S, Supreme, of Harvard College, University of North, Harvard, Fair, UNC, United States, Affirmative, Coalition, UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Affirmative, Chapel, ACT, Harvard Business School, CNBC Locations: University of North Carolina, Washington ,, Chapel Hill

☆ Supreme Court ends affirmative action in college admissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that affirmative action in college admissions was unconstitutional. Earlier Supreme Court cases have upheld affirmative action — the practice of giving additional weight to applicants who belong to groups that have historically been the subject of discrimination — for four decades. Ever since former President Donald Trump cemented a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, legal experts have expected the Supreme Court to do away with affirmative action altogether. Students for Fair Admissions brought two lawsuits that ended up before the Supreme Court last fall, against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, alleging they discriminated against white and Asian-American students. Every US college and university the justices attended, save one, urged the court to preserve race-conscious admissions.

Persons: —, Robert Blum, Donald Trump, Justice Thomas Roberts, Roberts, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayer, Kevin M, Jackson, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Kagan, Amy Coney Organizations: Harvard University, University of North, Service, Fair, Ivy League, Pacific, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Pew Research Center, Harvard, — Yale, Notre Dame, Rhodes College Locations: University of North Carolina, Carolina, North Carolina, States, America, American, Pacific Islander, California , Michigan, Washington, Arizona , Florida, Georgia , Nebraska , New Hampshire, Oklahoma, California, U.S, Princeton, Columbia, Memphis , Tennessee

For just as long, critics of affirmative action have questioned whether race-conscious admissions policies are fair or warranted. The Supreme Court weighed in on Thursday, striking down affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. In 2014, he founded Students for Fair Admissions, the group behind several major Supreme Court challenges to affirmative action - including the cases that led to Thursday's decision. Connerly persuaded his fellow regents to ban affirmative action. He concluded that affirmative action as part of an approach that aimed to remedy historic disadvantages and did not favor unqualified applicants over qualified ones could still be used.

Persons: EDWARD BLUM Edward Blum, Blum, LEE BOLLINGER, Lee Bollinger, Society's, Bollinger, WARD CONNERLY, Jim Crow, Pete Wilson, Connerly, CHRISTOPHER EDLEY, Bill Clinton, Christopher Edley Jr, Clinton, Edley, Joseph Ax, Gabriella Borter, Sharon Bernstein, Donna Bryson, Leslie Adler Organizations: Harvard, University of North, Fair, University of Michigan, U.S, Bollinger, Columbia University, Universities, Republican, Regents, University of California, UC, American, JR, UC Berkeley's, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, U.S ., Grutter, Michigan, California, Louisiana, Sacramento

admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the equal protection clause,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority. The court had repeatedly upheld similar admissions programs, most recently in 2016, saying that race could be used as one factor among many in evaluating applicants. The university responded that its admissions policies fostered educational diversity and were lawful under longstanding Supreme Court precedents. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said that courts must give universities substantial but not total leeway in devising their admissions programs. The Texas decision essentially reaffirmed Grutter v. Bollinger, a 2003 decision in which the Supreme Court endorsed holistic admissions programs, saying it was permissible to consider race to achieve educational diversity.

Persons: “, John G, Roberts, ”, Sonia Sotomayor, Edward Blum, Antonin Scalia, Elena Kagan, Justice Anthony M, Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G, Breyer, Justice Sotomayor, Justice Kennedy, Brett M, Kavanaugh, Ginsburg, Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Breyer, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Jackson, Grutter, Bollinger, Sandra Day O’Connor, Clarence Thomas Organizations: Harvard, University of North, Civil, Asian, Fair, University of Texas Locations: University of North Carolina, North Carolina, Austin, Texas

☆ A Pill Form of Ozempic Is on the Horizon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Novo Nordisk, the company that manufactures Wegovy and Ozempic, funded both trials. “If you could say, ‘Well, actually, it doesn’t,’ that’s big.”The higher the dose of oral semaglutide, the more side effects seem to come with it. In the trial of people who were overweight or obese, 80 percent of those who took oral semaglutide reported gastrointestinal issues like vomiting, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. Pfizer has also tested its own pill in that drug class. Oral semaglutide is not new: There’s already a tablet form of the compound on the market, sold under the name Rybelsus.

Persons: “, ”, Robert Gabbay, ’, Eli Lilly, Andrew Kraftson Organizations: Novo Nordisk, American Diabetes Association, New England, of Medicine, Pfizer, Drug Administration, Michigan Medicine Locations: Wegovy

☆ Can Supplements Help You Focus?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The same could be said for L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea that is added to some supplements because of its association with better concentration and lower stress. No large, rigorous trials have shown that L-theanine improves cognition, said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Some studies have found links between better cognitive performance and high consumption of dietary choline, an essential nutrient that occurs naturally in fish, eggs, poultry and dairy and is added to some cognitive enhancing supplements. But no thorough studies have proven that supplemental choline itself directly leads to cognitive benefits. In a study published in 2021, for example, Dr. Cohen and his colleagues tested 10 over-the-counter dietary supplements that were said to contain certain forms of the pharmaceutical drug piracetam.

Persons: Pieter Cohen, “, ”, Craig Hopp, Cohen, . Cohen Organizations: Harvard Medical School, National Center, Integrative Locations: United States

☆ People on Drugs Like Ozempic Say Their ‘Food Noise’ Has Disappeared
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Videos related to the subject “food noise explained” have been viewed 1.8 billion times on TikTok. When food noise fadesWendy Gantt, 56, said she first heard the term food noise on TikTok, where she had also learned about Mounjaro. Ozempic is more of a way to silence the food noise than anything else, she said. “It’s not like a magic drug that’s giving people an easy way out.”What causes food noise? There is no clinical definition for food noise, but the experts and patients interviewed for this article generally agreed it was shorthand for constant rumination about food.

Persons: Wendy Gantt, ”, “, Kelsey Ryan, hasn’t, It’s, Ryan, “ It’s, Robert Gabbay, Janice Jin Hwang Organizations: American Diabetes Association, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Locations: Ozempic, Canandaigua, N.Y

☆ The Man Behind the Supreme Court Case Seeking to End Affirmative Action
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Douglas Belkin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones, blum, 100b36c3

Against this backdrop, the court is again poised to decide cases with the potential to reshape key areas of law and impact life for millions of Americans. The court began its term in October and typically finishes by the end of June each year. The Supreme Court already has ruled in two major race-related cases. In the student admissions cases, the challengers - a group founded by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum - accused the two schools of discriminating against white and Asian American applicants. The justices also are due to decide the legality of President Joe Biden's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Clarence Thomas, Edward Blum, Joe Biden's, Lorie Smith's, Andrew Chung, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Harvard University, University of North, Republican, Harvard, UNC, Colorado, U.S . Postal Service, Thomson Locations: University of North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas , Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Nebraska, South Carolina, Louisiana, U.S, Colorado, North Carolina, New York, Washington

☆ Medical Group Says B.M.I. Alone Is Not Enough to Assess Health and Weight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The American Medical Association voted to adopt a new policy on Tuesday encouraging doctors not to rely only on body mass index, a long-used but potentially misleading metric, when assessing weight and health. The policy officially recognizes the “historical harm” of B.M.I. is influential in the medical community, the new recommendation is just a suggestion to doctors, not a strict rule they must comply with. The association, one of the largest medical groups in the country, will now recommend that doctors not use B.M.I. alone to assess whether a patient is at a healthy weight.

Persons: ”, Cynthia Romero, Brock, Scott Hagan, “ Organizations: American Medical Association, Brock Institute for Community, Global Health, Eastern Virginia Medical School, University of Washington

☆ The Truth About ‘Nature’s Ozempic’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the demand for Ozempic — the injectable diabetes medication that has become coveted for inducing weight loss — continues to intensify, people across TikTok are posting about alternatives. Some gush about other diabetes drugs, like Mounjaro; some tout so-called “generic” Ozempic from compounding pharmacies. And some are trumpeting what they claim is a cheaper option, readily available in pharmacies and online: “nature’s Ozempic,” better known as berberine. Experts say that while berberine has proven metabolic effects on the body, whether it can actually induce weight loss remains murky. “Generally, it’s a really good compound that has some good evidence behind it,” said Dr. Melinda Ring, an integrative medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine.

Persons: ”, berberine, Melinda Ring Organizations: Ozempic, Northwestern Medicine Locations: Asia

☆ The Most Common Eating Disorder in the U.S. Is Also the Least Understood
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. What is binge eating disorder? Binge eating disorder is a relative newcomer in the world of diagnosable mental health conditions; it entered the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which clinicians and researchers use to classify mental health conditions, 10 years ago this month. But the behaviors of binge eating disorder are distinct, he said. People with binge eating disorder also tend to eat more quickly than usual during an episode; many also eat in secret and grapple with guilt, said Kelly Allison, the director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania.

Persons: Cynthia Bulik, they’ve, ”, Timothy Walsh, ‘, ’ ”, Holly Peek, Kelly Allison Organizations: National Institute of Mental Health, University of North Carolina’s Center, Excellence, Disorders, McLean Hospital, Center, University of Pennsylvania Locations: United States, Massachusetts

Sixteen months after his infection, Mr. Muñoz’s lungs have recovered somewhat, but not completely. Tap to enableA 3-D visualization comparing a healthy set of lungs with Ms. Rodríguez’s lungs 14 months after her infection. Tilt your device to rotate lungs Slide to rotate lungs Slide to rotate lungsHealthy lungs are filled with millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli. Lung tissue with chronic damage shows scarred, thickened areas and collapsed sections with reduced airflow. Ms. Rodríguez has come closer to recovering, most likely helped by her youth and previous good health.

Persons: Andy Muñoz, Covid, ”, Howard Huang, It’s, Dr, Huang, Tom Kennedy, Kennedy, “, Marlene Rodríguez, Rodríguez, David Sayah, Sayah, “ She’s, ” Meridith Kohut, “ Covid, Mr, Muñoz, Meridith Kohut, ” Dr, Kennedy’s, Muñoz’s, Rodríguez’s, Melissa Raymundo, Ms, Raymundo, Gayle, Rodríguez didn’t, Vianney, José, it’s, “ We’re Organizations: New York Times, Houston Methodist Hospital, Covid, Medical Center, ”, The New York Times, USA Locations: La Porte , Texas, Houston, Atwater, Calif

David Solomon has been Goldman Sachs' CEO for over four years since succeeding Lloyd Blankfein. There's been a lot of talk about the morale at Goldman Sachs. Solomon said there were fewer "partner transitions at Goldman Sachs" in 2022 than any year "going back to 2014." Meanwhile, Solomon's expensive foray into consumer banking raised the ire of some longtime Goldman partners, as Insider has previously reported. The fresh faces among the Goldman Sachs executives who took the stage at the bank's investor day highlight the leadership changes under Solomon.

☆ Why Does Day Drinking Feel Different?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A poolside margarita, a frosty beer at a Memorial Day barbecue — summer, you could argue, is made for a cold drink on a hot day. But why does a daytime buzz feel different from after-dinner drinks? Perhaps unsurprisingly, there have not been robust clinical trials evaluating the health effects of day drinking. But psychiatrists and alcohol experts said there are a few unique factors that influence how daytime drinking can differ from nighttime consumption. At night, you might be more attuned to the signs it’s time to stop — after your dinner winds down, for example.

☆ Will ‘Superfood Powders’ Actually Make You Healthier?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

You’ve probably noticed ads for these “superfood powders” scattered across social media or on your favorite podcast. These “greens powders” or “superfood powders,” as they are sometimes called, usually host a hodgepodge of vitamins and minerals, as well as other trendy ingredients like probiotics, ground up kale, chia seeds and ashwagandha. But are they really a shortcut to better health? “They’re so enticing,” said Dr. Marion Nestle, an emeritus professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. “You think, ‘Oh, this will be so easy.’”

☆ What 40-Somethings Should Know About Breast Cancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Some biopsies don’t indicate cancer, yet still create anxiety for patients — but many biopsies do find cancer, he said, which saves lives. Many of the factors that contribute to breast cancer risk, like genetics and a family history of cancer, aren’t modifiable; others are within a patient’s control, but not necessarily practical. For example, having a child before age 35 lowers the risk of breast cancer, as does breastfeeding, but a doctor would never recommend a woman have a child by a certain age to reduce cancer risk, said Avonne Connor, a cancer epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. But a few behaviors have been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer, doctors said. A mounting body of evidence has tied drinking to a higher risk of cancer in general — and potentially to breast cancer in particular, partly because alcohol can boost levels of estrogen in the body.

☆ Ozempic Is Hard to Find. Some Pharmacies Are Offering Unauthorized Alternatives.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Davis, 55, did not have diabetes, but had gained 50 pounds during menopause and developed hypothyroidism, she said, and was eager to lose weight. After seeing someone claiming to be a doctor on TikTok saying he could help patients obtain a generic version of the medication, she reached out. After a few days and a brief video consultation with someone who introduced herself as a nurse practitioner, Ms. Davis had a prescription in hand. “It was really fast,” Ms. Davis said. In the scramble to find Ozempic, patients are seeking out telehealth platforms, medical spas and compounding pharmacies for what some tout as “generic” versions of the drug.

☆ Joy, Loneliness, ‘Rejuvenation:’ Becoming a Mother After 40
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Still, Ms. McQueen longed for a baby. Terry Ratzlaff for The New York TimesEach year, she and her girls celebrate the anniversaries of their embryo transfers, Ms. McQueen said. Together, they look at the balls of cells on the girls’ ultrasound images and talk about the lengths Ms. McQueen went to in order to have them. Then, in 2016, Ms. Allen was diagnosed with a seizure disorder, which forced her to stop working and focus on her health. Caring for Ezra, who is now 5, has come with “overwhelming guilt” over the things she can’t do, Ms. Allen says.

☆ How to Respond to a Stranger in Mental Distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Dani Blum | Dana G. Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If you are concerned for your safety, the best course of action is usually to leave the situation as soon as possible, said Schroeder Stribling, the president and chief executive of Mental Health America, a nonprofit group focused on advancing mental health. If you’re on the subway, for example, change cars, or get off and wait for the next train. Many cities have help lines and mobile crisis response teams that serve as an interface between the police and mental health providers and are trained to help people in acute distress. In New York City, for example, you can call 888-NYC-WELL to connect with mental health professionals. If you call 911, specify that you are calling about a mental health emergency and request a crisis intervention team if one is available, said Megan Rochford, the director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine Operations.

☆ An Extreme Risk of Taking Ozempic: Malnutrition
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Almost immediately after starting Ozempic, a diabetes medication known for inducing weight loss, Renata Lavach-Savy, 37, a medical writer in North Bergen, N.J., was left without any semblance of appetite. She was so exhausted that even after 10 hours of sleep, she would collapse onto her couch after work, unable to move. Ms. Lavach-Savy was shocked. She stopped taking Ozempic last fall. Her doctor originally recommended Ozempic because Ms. Lavach-Savy had polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal condition that often occurs alongside insulin resistance.

☆ Prestigious Golf Courses Have a New Mantra: Short but Sweet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Joe Passov | Photographs Mike Belleme For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When Adam Blum, a radiologist from Cleveland, arrived at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., on a recent golf vacation, the first course he and his seven friends chose to play consisted of 13 par-3 holes, ranging from 63 to 150 yards. Why that one rather than one of the property’s five nationally ranked, championship-length layouts?

☆ Aspen Vacation Home of Dianne Feinstein and Her Late Husband Sells for $25.25 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( E.B. Solomont | Katherine Clarke | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Be the first to know about the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings by signing up for our Mansion Deals email alert. The longtime Colorado vacation home of Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her late husband, Richard C. Blum , has sold for $25.25 million, according to property records.

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