Over the course of one summer, Bruins have faced divisive U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the looming threat of economic recession and international conflict in Europe. As students prepare to enter the 2023-2024 academic year, the Daily Bruin reflects on important moments in national and international news this summer.

Supreme Court Decisions

On July 2, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for graduates with an income of less than $125,000 per year. The Court said it came to this decision because of the excessive exercise of authority by the secretary of education.

[Related: Supreme Court rules against Biden’s plan to forgive student loans]

The Court also rejected the consideration of race in college admissions decisions – a policy used at Harvard and other Ivy League schools known as affirmative action – in a 6-3 June decision. The ruling followed last year’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and give abortion restriction power to states.

[Related: Supreme Court overturns affirmative action in 6-3 decision]

Jaclyn Serpico, a fellow at the UCLA School of Law’s Center of Reproductive Health, Law and Policy, said in the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the landscape of reproductive health law has dramatically changed across the U.S. She added that the change has caused confusion surrounding abortion law in different states, leading to uncertainty among potential patients.

“The laws are changing rapidly, so people aren’t sure,” Serpico said. “It could be different from one day to the next – a state could pass a law, and then it could be held up in court, and people aren’t sure what the status of abortion is.”

[Related: Hundreds protest in LA against US Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade]

She added that she felt last year’s Court decision was exceptionally regressive, as pregnancy can cause physical, financial and mental burdens.

Economy

However, in spite of the Supreme Court’s rejection of Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, economics professor Jerry Nickelsburg said students can expect to see a more stable economy in the foreseeable future.

He said the economy is performing well for students and new graduates, adding that unemployment has remained low while the U.S. economy continues to grow. Nickelsburg added that although the California housing market has commanded high prices, increased wages have made housing relatively affordable.

“Home prices, certainly in California, have not been going up very rapidly, if at all, whereas incomes have been,” he said. “(Houses) are relatively more affordable.”

[Related: Students express uncertainty, frustration with postgrad employment]

Nickelsburg, who also serves as faculty director of the Anderson Forecast – the Anderson School of Management economic forecasting organization — also said that while recessions tend to happen quickly, there are many indicators that a recession will not happen for the remainder of the year.

International Relations

International tensions have also had rippling effects on the U.S., said Daniel Treisman, a professor of political science.

It has been over one year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine officially began in February 2022 after a century of territorial conflicts – such as the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014, Treisman said. He added that Ukraine’s independence after being a former Soviet republic created complicated territorial and power relations between the countries.

Triesman also said he believes Russian president Vladamir Putin’s motivations have evolved since the beginning of the war, adding that he believes Putin has become more determined to regain territory in Ukraine and ultimately win the war.

Ukraine has survived through the last year against Russia’s superior military power by developing stronger industrial and military power and garnering increased support from the United States, European Union and other countries, he added. Treisman said many Ukrainian allies took strong social and economic stances against Russia because of perceived aggression and documented violations of wartime law.

Treisman also expressed concern about a possible escalation to nuclear warfare if Putin felt personally threatened. However, he added that he felt the possibility of nuclear war doesn’t mean it is necessary for the United States and the rest of the West to waver in their support of Ukraine.

“He (Putin) might be prompted to expand the war by using weapons of mass destruction,” Treisman said. “I don’t think we should be paralyzed by that possibility. We can’t afford to be, but I think we do need to watch and consider that to be a possibility that has to be taken seriously.”

Contributing reports by Catherine Hamilton, News editor.