WASHINGTON President Joe Biden's administration has in recent weeks been discussing possible executive actions he could take in response to the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, effectively prohibiting affirmative action policies long used to raise the number of Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority students on campuses.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington)