US colleges cautiously prep for end to race-conscious admissions amid enrollment gaps

By Gabriella Borter WASHINGTON (Reuters) – In 1998, the year a voter-approved measure barring the use of race-conscious admissions policies for public colleges and universities in California took effect, the percentage of Black, Hispanic and Native American students admitted at two of the state’s elite public schools plummeted by more than 50%. Those figures for…

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Canada says Microsoft deal to buy Activision likely to lessen competition

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Canada’s Department of Justice has concluded that Microsoft’s deal to buy “Call of Duty” maker Activision Blizzard “is likely to” lead to less competition in some aspects of gaming, according to a court filing on Thursday. In a letter dated Wednesday to Microsoft’s U.S. lawyers, the department said it had communicated to Microsoft’s…

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Blinken says hard work remains to reach peace deal as Armenia-Azerbaijan talks end

By Simon Lewis and Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said hard work remains to reach a final agreement to end the conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, as talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan’s foreign ministers hosted by Washington ended on Thursday. Blinken, who posed for a photograph with Armenian Foreign…

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S&P 500 ends higher, Treasury yields touch three-month high on solid US economic data

By Stephen Culp NEW YORK (Reuters) – The S&P 500 advanced on Thursday and benchmark Treasury yields hit their highest level since early March as robust economic data helped ease recession fears but increased the odds of the Fed keeping its restrictive policy in place for longer than expected. Financials led the gainers after the…

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