According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, his wealth is estimated at $373 billion, largely stemming from his 41 per cent stake in Oracle and strategic investments in Tesla. 

According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, his wealth is estimated at $373 billion, largely stemming from his 41 per cent stake in Oracle and strategic investments in Tesla.&nbsp;

Did you know? Oracle founder Larry Ellison, world’s second-richest man, pledged to donate 95% of fortune

California to ban legacy admissions: In elite US colleges and universities, children or relatives of top-shot politicians, celebrities, rich donors and alumni could get admission just on the basis of who they were born into. Slowly, that's changing, with California becoming the fifth state to ban the so-called 'legacy admissions.'

"In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work," Governor Gavin Newsom said after signing the relevant bill into law. "The California Dream shouldn't be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we're opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indians-for-science-chinese-for-humanities-us-diplomat-on-courses-for-foreign-students-734915">Also read: Indians for science, Chinese for humanities: US diplomat on courses for foreign students</a>

Phil Ting, the Democratic state legislator who wrote the bill, said "hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class – not the size of the cheque your family can write or who you’re related to.”&nbsp;

These backdoor entries into Ivy League institutions happen even as millions of students take entrance tests and pay student loans years after coming out of colleges and universities.&nbsp;

Watch: US willing to intake more STEM students from India than China

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The legacy admission bans in several states come in the wake of the US Supreme Court cracking down on race-based admissions under affirmative action. The apex court asked private and public universities not to consider race as a factor in college admissions, in a decision seen by critics as targeting mainly Black students. That case put the spotlight on how white students were getting into colleges and universities through practices like legacy admissions, which was being seen as affirmative action for rich kids.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/green-cards-for-indian-students-trump-proposes-citizenship-for-foreign-students-studying-in-us-733746">Also read: Green cards for Indian students? Trump proposes citizenship for foreign students studying in US</a> 
 
The bill signed by Governor Newsom applies not only the public educational institutions but also to private and nonprofit ones. It will come into effect from September 2025.

Before California, the midwestern state of Illinois passed a bill to ban such legacy admissions. Maryland and Virginia banned legacy admissions earlier this year. Colorado was the first to pass such a bill, in 2021. &nbsp;

<h2>How bad is legacy admission practice in California?</h2>

Data showed that six California colleges and universities gave preferential treatment to candidates related to graduates and donors in the Fall of 2023.&nbsp;

Topping the list was the University of Southern California, which admitted 1,791 students in that category. Another hallowed institution, Stanford University, admitted 295 students under this stream and Santa Clara University took in 38 students.&nbsp;

The new rule is expected to create a level playing field for admission to some of the most sought-after educational institutions in the world.

(With inputs from agencies)

California to ban legacy admissions: In elite US colleges and universities, children or relatives of top-shot politicians, celebrities, rich donors and alumni could get admission just on the basis of who they were born into.

California to ban legacy admissions: In elite US colleges and universities, children or relatives of top-shot politicians, celebrities, rich donors and alumni could get admission just on the basis of who they were born into. Slowly, that's changing, with California becoming the fifth state to ban the so-called 'legacy admissions.' "In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work," Governor Gavin Newsom said after signing the relevant bill into law. "The California Dream shouldn't be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we're opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly." Also read: Indians for science, Chinese for humanities: US diplomat on courses for foreign students Phil Ting, the Democratic state legislator who wrote the bill, said "hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class – not the size of the cheque your family can write or who you’re related to.” These backdoor entries into Ivy League institutions happen even as millions of students take entrance tests and pay student loans years after coming out of colleges and universities. Watch: US willing to intake more STEM students from India than China × The legacy admission bans in several states come in the wake of the US Supreme Court cracking down on race-based admissions under affirmative action. The apex court asked private and public universities not to consider race as a factor in college admissions, in a decision seen by critics as targeting mainly Black students. That case put the spotlight on how white students were getting into colleges and universities through practices like legacy admissions, which was being seen as affirmative action for rich kids. Also read: Green cards for Indian students? Trump proposes citizenship for foreign students studying in US The bill signed by Governor Newsom applies not only the public educational institutions but also to private and nonprofit ones. It will come into effect from September 2025. Before California, the midwestern state of Illinois passed a bill to ban such legacy admissions. Maryland and Virginia banned legacy admissions earlier this year. Colorado was the first to pass such a bill, in 2021. How bad is legacy admission practice in California? Data showed that six California colleges and universities gave preferential treatment to candidates related to graduates and donors in the Fall of 2023. Topping the list was the University of Southern California, which admitted 1,791 students in that category. Another hallowed institution, Stanford University, admitted 295 students under this stream and Santa Clara University took in 38 students. The new rule is expected to create a level playing field for admission to some of the most sought-after educational institutions in the world. (With inputs from agencies)

California legacy admissions banned: Soon, rich kids can't get into college only based on money

A former <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/california-university-president-resigns-as-abuse-scandal-widens-139852">University of Southern California gynaecologist</a> accused by hundreds of patients of molestation and other misconduct over the past three decades pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of sexually assaulting 16 students who were under his care.

George Tyndall, 72, was also ordered to remain in custody in lieu of nearly $2.1 million bonds, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Theresa Sullivan said she would review a defence request to slash his bail at another hearing set for Wednesday.

Defence lawyer Andrew Flier, citing his client's age and "serious health concerns," including diabetes and a heart condition, denied in court that Tyndall was a flight risk or threat to the public. His medical license has been suspended.

Tyndall was charged last week with 29 felony counts of sexual penetration and sexual battery by fraud in a scandal that has already resulted in a $215 million civil settlement in federal court.

The 16 patients he is criminally charged with assaulting were students who ranged in age from 17 to 29 and were allegedly violated by Tyndall at the downtown Los Angeles university's campus health centre between 2009 and 2016.

Flier entered a not guilty plea on Tyndall's behalf during a 20-minute court hearing. If convicted on all charges, Tyndall faces a prison term of up to 53 years.

Allegations against Tyndall and USC's handling of the matter - he was not reported to the state medical board for eight months generated a furore on campus that led the university's then-president, C.L. Max Nikias, to resign last year.

Not Suicidal

The grey-haired doctor entered the courtroom with his hands shackled to his waist and stood silently behind a glass partition during the proceedings, wearing a padded blue garment commonly called a "suicide suit."

Flier told reporters afterwards that his client was "not suicidal whatsoever" but was required by jail officials to wear the outfit "for his own protection."

Upon his arrest last Wednesday, Tyndall complained of chest pains and was briefly hospitalized, police said. The flier said his client was returned to custody on Friday after examinations and a battery of tests medically cleared him.

The .38-caliber handgun Tyndall was carrying when arrested was meant for self-defence, his attorney said, adding that Tyndall "has had a lot of threats."

Authorities say more than 350 women reported being subjected to molestation, lewd comments and another sexually inappropriate behaviour by Tyndall during medical exams by him at USC, long one of America's most prestigious private universities.

Many accusers said they recalled sensing something unprofessional or "creepy" about Tyndall at the time, only to fully comprehend in retrospect - after reading media accounts of other complaints - that they had been victimized.

Tyndall insists he is innocent and that he conducted his exams "by the book," always with a "chaperone" in the room and always wearing gloves, Flier told reporters.

"As soon as someone makes an inappropriate comment, that does not connote" criminal behaviour, the attorney said. "The character assassination is overwhelming in this case."

The flier said he was seeking to lower Tyndall's bail to $500,000, a bond sum he said the doctor could afford.

A federal court earlier this month granted preliminary approval to a $215 million settlement in a class-action civil suit filed on behalf of Tyndall's former patients. Tyndall's lawyers said he agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation costs.

The USC case follows a similar scandal that roiled USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor who also was on that university's staff, was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two trials last year after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands.

A former University of Southern California gynaecologist accused by hundreds of patients of molestation and other misconduct over the past three decades pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of sexually assaulting 16 students who were under his care.

A former University of Southern California gynaecologist accused by hundreds of patients of molestation and other misconduct over the past three decades pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of sexually assaulting 16 students who were under his care. George Tyndall, 72, was also ordered to remain in custody in lieu of nearly $2.1 million bonds, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Theresa Sullivan said she would review a defence request to slash his bail at another hearing set for Wednesday. Defence lawyer Andrew Flier, citing his client's age and "serious health concerns," including diabetes and a heart condition, denied in court that Tyndall was a flight risk or threat to the public. His medical license has been suspended. Tyndall was charged last week with 29 felony counts of sexual penetration and sexual battery by fraud in a scandal that has already resulted in a $215 million civil settlement in federal court. The 16 patients he is criminally charged with assaulting were students who ranged in age from 17 to 29 and were allegedly violated by Tyndall at the downtown Los Angeles university's campus health centre between 2009 and 2016. Flier entered a not guilty plea on Tyndall's behalf during a 20-minute court hearing. If convicted on all charges, Tyndall faces a prison term of up to 53 years. Allegations against Tyndall and USC's handling of the matter - he was not reported to the state medical board for eight months generated a furore on campus that led the university's then-president, C.L. Max Nikias, to resign last year. Not Suicidal The grey-haired doctor entered the courtroom with his hands shackled to his waist and stood silently behind a glass partition during the proceedings, wearing a padded blue garment commonly called a "suicide suit." Flier told reporters afterwards that his client was "not suicidal whatsoever" but was required by jail officials to wear the outfit "for his own protection." Upon his arrest last Wednesday, Tyndall complained of chest pains and was briefly hospitalized, police said. The flier said his client was returned to custody on Friday after examinations and a battery of tests medically cleared him. The .38-caliber handgun Tyndall was carrying when arrested was meant for self-defence, his attorney said, adding that Tyndall "has had a lot of threats." Authorities say more than 350 women reported being subjected to molestation, lewd comments and another sexually inappropriate behaviour by Tyndall during medical exams by him at USC, long one of America's most prestigious private universities. Many accusers said they recalled sensing something unprofessional or "creepy" about Tyndall at the time, only to fully comprehend in retrospect - after reading media accounts of other complaints - that they had been victimized. Tyndall insists he is innocent and that he conducted his exams "by the book," always with a "chaperone" in the room and always wearing gloves, Flier told reporters. "As soon as someone makes an inappropriate comment, that does not connote" criminal behaviour, the attorney said. "The character assassination is overwhelming in this case." The flier said he was seeking to lower Tyndall's bail to $500,000, a bond sum he said the doctor could afford. A federal court earlier this month granted preliminary approval to a $215 million settlement in a class-action civil suit filed on behalf of Tyndall's former patients. Tyndall's lawyers said he agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation costs. The USC case follows a similar scandal that roiled USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics team doctor who also was on that university's staff, was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two trials last year after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands.

Former University of Southern California gynecologist pleads not guilty to sexual assault

Older teens who try electronic cigarettes have six times the odds of trying regular cigarettes within two years than those who never puffed on the devices, a study published on Monday found. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re concerned that kids who experiment with e-cigarettes may be moving on to other types of tobacco products, like combustible cigarettes, which are arguably a lot more dangerous,&quot; said University of Southern California researcher Jessica Barrington-Trimis, lead author of the study published in the journal Pediatrics. 
 
E-cigarettes are handheld electronic devices that vapourize a fluid typically including nicotine and a flavour component. Using them is called &quot;vaping.&quot; 
 
The researchers based their findings on surveys conducted by USC involving about 300 high school students in southern California. In 2014, about half of the students said they had at least tried an e-cigarette. 
 
In a 2015 follow-up survey, about 40 per cent of those who had tried an e-cigarette by the previous year had tried regular cigarettes. That compared to about 11 percent of those who said they had not tried an e-cigarette in the prior year&#39;s survey. 
 
After adjusting the statistics for gender, ethnicity, grade and parental education, the researchers calculated that the teens who tried the e-cigarettes had six times the odds of taking up smoking than those who never tried them. 
 
When the researchers looked at teens who said on the first survey that they had no intention to smoke, the risk of moving from e-cigarettes to regular cigarettes by the next year was 10 times greater than those who never vaped. 
 
Barrington-Trimis said the high risk among teens committed to not smoking &quot;suggests this is not just occurring among kids who intended to smoke anyway.&quot; 
 
The survey participants were 11th and 12th grade students who all were least 18 years old by the second survey. 
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended in 2015 that the devices be regulated as tobacco products due to concerns they would lead teens to regular cigarettes and also expose their developing brains to nicotine. 
 
The US Food and Drug Administration last month took wide-ranging steps to crack down on e-cigarettes and banned sales to anyone under age 18. 
 
Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and a proponent of e-cigarettes as a way to wean smokers off conventional cigarettes, said the study did not prove e-cigarette use had prompted the teens to take up regular cigarettes. 
 
Siegel, who was not involved in the study, said the first survey did not determine how many times the teens had vaped, asking only if they had used e-cigarettes at least once. 
 
&quot;What&#39;s probably happening is these kids did not become regular vapers, (and) they turned to smoking,&quot; Siegel said. &quot;If they turned into regular vapers, they wouldn&rsquo;t have turned to smoking.&quot;

Researchers in the University of Southern California conducted two surveys, in 2014 and 2015, involving about 300 high school students

Older teens who try electronic cigarettes have six times the odds of trying regular cigarettes within two years than those who never puffed on the devices, a study published on Monday found. "We're concerned that kids who experiment with e-cigarettes may be moving on to other types of tobacco products, like combustible cigarettes, which are arguably a lot more dangerous," said University of Southern California researcher Jessica Barrington-Trimis, lead author of the study published in the journal Pediatrics. E-cigarettes are handheld electronic devices that vapourize a fluid typically including nicotine and a flavour component. Using them is called "vaping." The researchers based their findings on surveys conducted by USC involving about 300 high school students in southern California. In 2014, about half of the students said they had at least tried an e-cigarette. In a 2015 follow-up survey, about 40 per cent of those who had tried an e-cigarette by the previous year had tried regular cigarettes. That compared to about 11 percent of those who said they had not tried an e-cigarette in the prior year's survey. After adjusting the statistics for gender, ethnicity, grade and parental education, the researchers calculated that the teens who tried the e-cigarettes had six times the odds of taking up smoking than those who never tried them. When the researchers looked at teens who said on the first survey that they had no intention to smoke, the risk of moving from e-cigarettes to regular cigarettes by the next year was 10 times greater than those who never vaped. Barrington-Trimis said the high risk among teens committed to not smoking "suggests this is not just occurring among kids who intended to smoke anyway." The survey participants were 11th and 12th grade students who all were least 18 years old by the second survey. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended in 2015 that the devices be regulated as tobacco products due to concerns they would lead teens to regular cigarettes and also expose their developing brains to nicotine. The US Food and Drug Administration last month took wide-ranging steps to crack down on e-cigarettes and banned sales to anyone under age 18. Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and a proponent of e-cigarettes as a way to wean smokers off conventional cigarettes, said the study did not prove e-cigarette use had prompted the teens to take up regular cigarettes. Siegel, who was not involved in the study, said the first survey did not determine how many times the teens had vaped, asking only if they had used e-cigarettes at least once. "What's probably happening is these kids did not become regular vapers, (and) they turned to smoking," Siegel said. "If they turned into regular vapers, they wouldn’t have turned to smoking."

Vaping teens more apt to move on to regular cigarettes - U.S. study