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Today is the traditional day out for the long bank holiday weekend. We also take a break here at 5 Things. We’ll be back in your inboxes next Wednesday. Until then, happy 4th of July!
Here’s what else you need to know Get updated and start your day.
The Supreme Court says colleges and universities can no longer consider race as a specific factor in admissions. This is a landmark decision that shatters a longstanding precedent that has historically benefited Black and Hispanic students in higher education. However, the ruling still allows colleges and universities to consider an applicant’s discussion of how race has affected their life, so long as it is “specifically linked to a ‘character quality or unique ability’ of the applicant.” Dissenting members of the Supreme Court insisted that colleges were still being made virtually impossible to even consider race. Civil rights activists and education advocates say the ruling will hurt educational institutions. The White House has been preparing for this possibility for months, and President Joe Biden has directed the Department of Education to create a list of college admissions best practices to maintain a diverse student body. Affirmative action has been around since the 1960s as a tool to prevent discrimination at select institutions, many of which have historically only accepted white students.
Documents shared exclusively with CNN suggest that Russian General Sergei Surovikin was a secret VIP member of private military company Wagner, the group whose leader recently spearheaded a short-lived insurgency that plunged Russian forces into insecurity. It is unclear where Surovikin has been since the rebellion ended. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence visited Ukraine on Thursday and told CNN’s Erin Burnett it was an “open question” whether Putin would have full command of his military after the uprising. Meanwhile, the White House is seriously considering authorizing the transfer of controversial cluster munitions warheads to Ukraine to support its counteroffensive, despite the risk these weapons could pose to civilians.
A spate of economic data released on Thursday gave a boost to US markets. Gross domestic product, the most comprehensive measure of economic output, rose at an annual rate of 2% in the first quarter, beating economists’ forecasts. Separately, initial jobless claims fell to 239k last week, underscoring the strength of the job market. The Federal Reserve also released the results of its annual “stress test” of the largest US banks on Wednesday, giving bank stocks an overall boost. The Fed concluded that banks have adequate safeguards to weather a severe recession while continuing to lend to households and businesses. However, the real estate market is showing signs of slowing down. Mortgage rates have risen while pending home sales have fallen more than expected.
There are new developments in the various legal disputes of former President Donald Trump. The Office of the Special Counsel continues to investigate Trump’s handling of classified documents after the end of his presidency, despite the indictment of the former president last month. These include the continued operation of the Florida grand jury and the questioning of witnesses, although it is not yet clear what aspects of the investigation prosecutors are still pushing. In general, it’s not uncommon for investigators working on a case to continue asking questions after the initial indictment has been filed — although this is unusual given Trump’s still-running bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Susie Wiles, Trump’s top adviser, has met several times with federal investigators involved in the investigation and is said to have been shown a secret card by Trump after he left office. Meanwhile, former Trump campaign aide Mike Roman is cooperating with prosecutors in the ongoing criminal investigation related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
More than 400 people were arrested across France on Thursday as a wave of protests swept the country for the third time after police fatally shot a teenager who was caught on video. Riots broke out on Tuesday, just hours after a 17-year-old named Nahel was killed during a police check in Nanterre. The incident raises questions about whether racism played a role in his death and whether the police officer who shot him acted illegally. An estimated 6,000 people took part in a march in honor of the teenager on Thursday. According to reports, President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting for the second consecutive day after the violence today and has urged citizens to leave the situation to justice.
Madonna is “resting, feeling better” and following the doctor’s orders, according to a source close to the singer
May her home be filled with all the mylar balloons and get well soon cards it could possibly be.
Kelsea Ballerini is the latest artist to fall victim to concert-goers throwing objects on stage
Keep all hands, arms and projectiles off the stage!
Due to ongoing shortages, sriracha sauce sells for as much as $120
A person’s fondness for hot sauce is serious business, so I can’t judge.
Overstock.com changes its name to …Bed Bath & Beyond
The more you think about it, the more confusing it gets.
Handbag “smaller than a grain of salt” sells for over $63,000
It contains everything you need: a few quarks for an evening, a few loose electrons just in case. So handy!
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress passed the Declaration of Independence at a meeting in which city?
A Baltimore
B.Philadelphia
C.Boston
D.New York
Take CNN’s Independence Day Quiz and see if you got it right!
And be sure to catch CNN’s The Fourth in America special live on Tuesday, July 4 from 7:00 p.m. ET to 1:00 a.m. ET. The event includes fireworks shows and performances by Post Malone, Demi Lovato, Zac Brown Band, Leon Bridges, Sheryl Crow, Darius Rucker and other artists.
Homer Houes, one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, died in Dallas this week, just two days after the death of his wife, according to an obituary by his family. He was 96 years old. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Hogues enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1946 and served as a mechanic for the 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group — one of the U.S. military’s first black airmen.
100 million
About that many people in the US are under air quality warnings this morning, from Wisconsin to Vermont down to North Carolina, as smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to blow south. Rain should continue to provide some relief in the Midwest, but the haze could clear less quickly in the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic region.
“For a company, I think hiring a trans person and then not publicly supporting them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want .”
– Dylan Mulvaney, the trans influencer whose partnership with Bud Light sparked weeks of outrage among conservatives and led to several complications for the brand. Mulvaney says she has been threatened and taunted in public and fears this hatred could have wider consequences for LGBTQ communities.
Check your local weather forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY…
Experience the music festival that takes place entirely under water
Darling, it’s better down where it’s wetter
Nothing says “Only in the Florida Keys” quite like an underwater music festival. (click here to view)
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