The Short List

Thu Jun 29 2023

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

The Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions. Putin gets tough after botched coup. And the NFL sidelined three players for gambling.

👋 Hello! I'm Laura Davis and it's time for Thursday's news.

🍅 But first: To refrigerate or not to refrigerate? That is the question. Heinz sparked a hot debate on social media with a simple tweet. Where do you keep your ketchup?

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Supreme Court blocks affirmative action policies at Harvard, UNC

In a decision with enormous consequences not only for higher education but also the workplace, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action admissions policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina. In one of its most closely watched cases this year, the court ruled along ideological lines that the way the colleges approached race violated the 14th Amendment. The decision drew a sharp rebuke from the court's liberal wing, who said it rolled back "decades of precedent and momentous progress."

•	'This is not a normal court': Biden rebukes SCOTUS's affirmative action decision.
•	Supreme Court just reversed affirmative action. What that means for workplace diversity.

👉 SCOTUS sides with Christian postal worker: The high court sided with an evangelical Christian worker who was denied requests to take Sundays off from his post office job to observe his Sabbath, a decision that could have wide-ranging implications.

Ap Supreme Court Affirmative Action A Usa Dc

Outside the Supreme Court on June 29, 2023, when it struck down affirmative action admissions policies used by Harvard College and the University of North Carolina to diversify their campuses.

Jose Luis Magana/AP

Russian general under fire after botched coup

Putin's getting tough. The deputy commander of Russian troops in Ukraine reportedly was arrested as President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin attempt to regain control of the military after the global embarrassment wrought by last week's failed coup. Gen. Sergei Surovikin is suspected of knowing the insurrection was coming and possibly aiding it, according to reports. A pro-war Russian blogger wrote Surovikin was detained on Sunday, a day after Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin abandoned his high-stakes mutiny.

•	Mike Pence makes surprise trip to Ukraine, meets with Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, meets with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, right, Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday.

Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

What everyone's talking about

•	A father bought his son a lottery ticket as a graduation gift. They won, big time.
•	Are shootings 'out of control'? Gun violence stats to know.
•	Chrissy Teigen's surprise 4th baby means more than you may realize.
•	D'arcy Drollinger, first-ever drag laureate, wants everyone to be more fabulous.
•	This handbag sold for $63,500. It's smaller than a grain of salt.

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Life-threatening heat plagues millions

Summer is here in full force. The dangerous, record-smashing heat wave that has killed at least 14 people in Texas and Louisiana will continue Thursday across much of the southern U.S. with blistering temperatures and punishing humidity.

Triple-digit heat: Many areas will endure their most significant heat of the season thus far on Thursday, with more than 80 million Americans under a heat alert. The worst is expected in cities from Dallas to Houston, New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville, where heat index values of 110 to 120 are expected.

Bad air quality: With no end in sight for the Canadian wildfires, poor air quality is expected to persist as the smoke spreads south. More than a third of Americans live in areas with air quality advisories and alerts, including the Upper Mississippi Valley, the Midwest, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic.

•	Air quality map: Chicago, Detroit, D.C. among cities shrouded by Canadian wildfire smoke today.
•	After workers' heat deaths, Texas cities required water breaks. A new law takes that power away.

As temperatures soar across the region, EMTs in Eagle Pass, Texas, stock the fire station up with water and ice. Officials in Texas said they have been responding to larger volumes of medical-related calls amid blistering heat.

Brandon Bell, Getty Images

NFL sidelines players over gambling violations

The NFL on Thursday suspended three players for at least a full season for violations of the league's gambling policy. The Indianapolis Colts' Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry, along with free agent Demetrius Taylor, are indefinitely suspended and must sit out at least the 2023 season. All three placed wagers on NFL games last season, the league said. Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere also was suspended for six games for placing bets on non-NFL games. Earlier this offseason, five players were suspended for running afoul of the league's gambling policies.

A break from the news

•	☕️ Busy morning? Lazy morning? Here's the perfect easy breakfast.
•	🥵 Thanks to El Niño, this summer will be a scorcher. Ways to stay cool.
•	🛳 Should you hit up the cruise buffet or the dining room? This reporter tried both.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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