June, 24 2013, 12:46pm EDT

ACLU Statement on Supreme Court Decision in College Diversity Case
NEW YORK
In a 7-1 decision in Fisher v. University of Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court considered but did not resolve the constitutionality of the admissions program at the University of Texas, which considers race as one factor among many in choosing the incoming class. Instead, the court sent the case back to the lower courts in an opinion that accepted the importance of diversity in higher education, but directed the lower courts to look more carefully at the method by which the university sought to achieve that goal. The American Civil Liberties Union was one of many groups that filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the Texas plan.
"Today's near-unanimous decision leaves intact the important principle that universities have a compelling interest in a diverse student body, and that race can be one factor among many that universities consider in a carefully crafted admissions program," said Dennis Parker, director of the ACLU's Racial Justice Program. "We believe that the University of Texas has made a strong showing that its admissions plan was necessary to achieve meaningful diversity, and that it can and should be upheld under the standard that the Supreme Court announced today."
More information about the case is available here.
This statement is available here.
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
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Amid a stifling heatwave this week Brazil is experiencing its highest temperatures ever recorded—a milestone that comes alongside global trends and fresh scientific data showing the world is far from meeting stated ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to curb the climate emergency.
According to the National Institute of Meteorology, temperatures in the southeastern city of Araçuaà hit 44.8ºC (112.6ºF) on Sunday, breaking the previous record set in 2005.
It was so hot over the weekend that international pop star Taylor Swift was forced to reschedule concerts nationwide.
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The extreme heat is having a severe and negative impact on people's ability to work and live comfortably and putting a crush on the nation's power grid. As the Associated Pressreports:
Brazilians turned to fans, air conditioners and dehumidifiers to cool down, with utilities reporting record energy demand. Power outages were reported in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
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The wildfires are arriving earlier in some places and with much more intensity. With summer not even at its height, fears are growing of what's to come:
"The Pantanal is a region that's used to fires," biologist Gustavo Figueiroa, head of the environmental group SOS Pantanal, toldAl-Jazeera on Monday. "Normally, it regenerates naturally. But this many fires isn't normal."
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At COP28, attendees will be required to disclose their affiliation under
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