U.S. SUPREME COURT building in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court had a busy day on Tuesday, including leaving in place an admissions policy at a Virginia private high school that didn’t take race into account.

Over the dissents of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, the court’s order upheld a lower federal court ruling that held that the new policy at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology that gives added weight to applicants who are economically disadvantaged or in the process of learning English was constitutional.

Also on Tuesday, the court rejected an appeal by lawyers objecting to $150,000 in sanctions for filing a “sham” lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election in Michigan.

Additionally, the court declined to consider a dispute connected to a 2014 U.S. Senate race in Mississippi.

Setback for Ukraine in Avdiivka

RUSSIA AND Ukraine are still at war (Shutterstock).

Up to 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers may have been captured or gone missing after their army withdrew from the city of Avdiivka in the eastern area of the country.

After a failed counteroffensive and shakeup in Ukraine’s military leadership, a call for mobilizing up to 500,000 more people for its armed forces is stalled in that nation’s parliament.

Some sources say the withdrawal came too late under pressure from larger Russian forces and was not well-planned. There is also information indicating that the attacking forces suffered heavy casualties as well.

Nikki Haley vows to stay in race

NIKKI HALEY

Facing long odds of trying to wrest the Republican presidential nomination from former president Donald Trump, Nikki Haley is vowing to stay in the race regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s South Carolina primary.

She said, “I feel the need to kiss the ring” and wouldn’t yield to the “herd mentality” of fellow Republicans that now support Trump but who “privately dread him.”

South Carolina may be Haley’s best chance to get encouraging election news, as she was the popular governor of that state before becoming the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

U.S. vetoes ‘cease-fire’ resolution

UNITED NATIONS Security Council (Shutterstock).

A resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict was vetoed Tuesday by the United States in the UN Security Council. Great Britain abstained.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “Demanding an immediate, unconditional cease-fire without an agreement requiring Hamas to release the hostages will not bring about a durable peace.”

 The vote was 13-1.

At the same time, White House officials indicated that negotiations made by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar continue to try to work out an agreement to stop the fighting and release the hostages – over 100 – still being held by Hamas

Weather: No rain, lots of clouds

Our West Orange County area gets some time off from rain for a while but gets to keep the clouds. The forecast for Wednesday is for partly cloudy skies and a daytime high of 64 with an overnight low of 49. Thursday will be similar but slightly warmer at 66 (50). Friday will see the thermometer break though to 72 (52) with morning clouds and afternoon sun. Saturday is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high of 68 (51)