Biden administration reverses course on menthol cigarettes; faculty panel admonishes Columbia University’s leadership

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The Biden administration rowed back on its plan to ban menthol cigarettes, saying it needs more time for consultation. It had feared alienating black voters ahead of the election. Menthols account for around a third of all cigarettes sold in America each year, and most buyers are black or Hispanic, according to the Wall Street Journal’s analysis. Some black community leaders had expressed fears that the ban would lead to racial profiling.