5 things you need to know Wednesday

Luke Skywalker · Dec 9, 2015

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[h=4]5 things you need to know Wednesday[/h]The biggest, most buzzworthy news to start your morning.

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Students fill the sidewalks between classes recently at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. The United States Supreme Court is set to hear a challenge to UT's use of affirmative action in admissions decisions, for a second time this December. (Photo: Mark Greenberg for USA TODAY)

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 USA TODAY's Decision Tracker.

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Facing a challenge to their use of affirmative action with their admissions process for the second time this December, USA TODAY interviewed UT President Gregory Fenves and students about the issue. USA TODAY

And the 2015 Person of the Year is ...
Time*magazine unveils its choice for*the most impactful newsmaker and world influencer of 2015 on*Wednesday. The magazine*released its shortlist *of diverse finalists*this week; it includes*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 world leaders Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin. And yes, Donald Trump, the provocative GOP presidential front-runner, is among the finalists. Another 2016 hopeful, Democrat Bernie Sanders, was declared the winner of an online readers' poll for Person of the Year on Monday. Alas, the Vermont senator will have to settle for the distinction as the people's choice:*Time's editors did not select him as a finalist.

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Time Editor Nancy Gibbs revealed the list of 8 finalists on the Today Show, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alibaba founder Jack Ma. There are two groups of people on the short list; when else have groups won the title of “Person of the Year”? (News, USA TODAY)

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.

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The U.S.-Mexico border is one of the world's most fortified international divides. Starting Wednesday, it will also be one of the only that has an airport straddling two countries. (Dec. 7) AP

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.

A title loan storefront in Charlottesville, Va.*(Photo: Fred Schulte/Center for Public Integrity)

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
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5 things you need to know Wednesday

Luke Skywalker

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