Harvard’s legacy admissions face federal scrutiny

Plus, one of the world's longest-serving leaders steps down.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

📣 Sentences is changing. Help shape its next iteration. Take our survey. 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] Support our work   Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today. Give MISCELLANEOUS 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] Tribal leaders say more than 10,000 people have been killed in two months as ethnic violence targeting non-Arab communities rocks Sudan's West Darfur region. [CNN / Ingrid Formanek, Kareem El Damanhoury, and Sana Noor Haq] 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."  [NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson on legacy admissions / AP] LISTEN TO THIS Who broke student loans? 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.   Listen now   ▶ Read more from Vox Biden's $250 billion lure to clean up the dirty legacy of fossil fuels What "record-breaking heat" actually means Birds have co-opted our anti-bird weapons in a genius counterattack Oppenheimer is the surprise fashion movie of the summer What could possibly cause a teen athlete's heart to stop? This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.   View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.   Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.