5 things you need to know Wednesday
Supreme Court revisits controversial issue of race in admissions
It will be déjà vu all over again when the Supreme Court considers a challenge to the use of racial preferences in university admissions. In 2013, the justices heard Abigail Fisher's lawsuit against the University of Texas-Austin and sent it back to a federal appeals court for closer scrutiny. The lower court again upheld the school's policy, which admits the top-ranked students from every high school and then uses race and ethnicity among other factors to fill out each year's class. Now the case returns, and proponents of affirmative action fear the conservative-leaning court is prepared to strike down the policy. Here's a breakdown of the case in Paste BN's Decision Tracker.
And the 2015 Person of the Year is ...
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has ushered Europe through the continent's debt and migration crises, was named Time's Person of the Year on Wednesday. Merkel, 61, has led Germany since 2005.The magazine's shortlist of diverse finalists included the famous (Caitlyn Jenner) to the infamous (Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi). Black Lives Matter activists also made the cut, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin. And yes, Donald Trump, the provocative GOP presidential front-runner, was among the finalists.
New California airport terminal extends to Mexico
The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the world's most fortified international divides. Starting Wednesday, it also will be one of the only borders that has an airport straddling two countries. A new terminal in San Diego has a bridge that crosses a razor-wire border fence to Tijuana International Airport — a springboard to about 30 Mexican destinations. Passengers will pay $18 to walk a 390-foot overpass, bypassing the congested land crossing where they wait up to several hours to enter San Diego by car or on foot.
Here's your last chance to vote for the Rock Hall inductees
If you haven't picked the five artists you'd like to see ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016,cast your vote here before voting ends Wednesday night. (Voting works best on Google Chrome and Firefox.) The top five artists will make up a fans' ballot, which counts as one of the roughly 800 ballots that will determine the new inductees. Artists are eligible for consideration 25 years after releasing their first single or album, and this year's nominees represent a wide variety of influences. After you've cast your vote, tweet your picks to @usatodaymusic.
Investigation examines title loan companies and their growing power
We've all seen the ads: Get a quick cash loan in a time of need — just put up your car title as collateral. But it's not that simple. Some states and consumer advocates say title lenders are taking advantage of the public. Despite the scrutiny, title lenders are expanding. So how are these companies doing it? An investigation by the Center for Public Integrity examines how title lenders have fended off state oversight with millions of dollars in campaign contributions, aggressive challenges to regulators and tightly written loan contracts that leave aggrieved borrowers with little legal recourse.
And, the essentials:
Weather: The nation's worst weather Wednesday will again be in the waterlogged Pacific Northwest.
Stocks: U.S. stock futures were lower Wednesday, as oil prices stabilized after their recent rout.
TV tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Middle, Taraji and Terrence's White Hot Holidays and You're the Worst.
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Contributing: Associated Press