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Mo News: Supreme Court History
Mo News: Supreme Court History
Friday, April 7, 2022
2022-04-08
Hi everyone,
We made it to Friday! Here's today's rundown:
Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks for first time after confirmation to the Supreme Court
Ukraine Latest: US sharing intelligence; new attack at a train station where civilians were waiting to evacuate
Elon Musk to hold AMA session with Twitter employees, nervous about his appointment to the Twitter board
Tiger Woods' remarkable comeback and the Masters' star-studded crowd
Fourth terror attack in two weeks in Israel
Miami's Bitcoin Conference and new Bitcoin Bull
Distrust in media: There's only one news channel left that a majority of Republicans and Democrats still trust, according to a new poll. They are divided on all of the rest.
Results of our very scientific poll about whether you wear shoes in the house.
And before we start, thanks to everyone who joined the Instagram Live last night.
~ @Mosheh
⚖️ SUPREME HISTORY
The Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman to be elevated to the highest court in the land. ~ NY Times
Bipartisan Support: The vote was 53 to 47, with three Republicans-- Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah-- crossing party lines and joining all 50 Democratic senators in voting yes.
What's Next? Jackson will join Biden for a 1215pmET event at the White House today. She will replace Justice Stephen Breyer when he retires at the end of the court’s current session this summer, which means she'll start hearing cases in the fall. The court will maintain a 6-3 conservative majority.
History In The Making: The galleries at the Capitol were filled with supporters, and the chamber erupted in cheers after the vote was finalized. WATCHVice President Kamala Harris, the first Black Vice President, presided over the historic moment in the Senate. President Biden watched the vote with Jackson in the White House.
Biden's Last Justice? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell won't commit to confirming any Biden-appointed justices should Republicans win a Senate majority in November. That could mean the President wouldn't get the chance to nominate a justice--should there be an opening on the court--for two years. It would also go beyond McConnell's most recent 'rule' to not confirm justices in election years. He blocked Obama from having hearings on a justice in 2016. ~ Axios
🇺🇦 UKRAINE: PREPARE FOR A WWII-LIKE BATTLE
US Secretary of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said publicly for the first time Thursday that the US is providing intelligence to Ukrainian forces to conduct operations in the eastern Donbas region. ~CNN
Train Station Attack: Ukrainian officials say a rocket attack Friday morning on a train station in the eastern city of Kramatorsk (in the Donetsk region) has killed more than 30 people, including two children, and injured more than 100.The railroad company says families and individuals had been waiting at the station to try to evacuate. ~ CNBC
New Battle Ahead: That attack comes a day after Ukraine warned allies that the battle for Donbas will remind NATO members of the World War II. 'Either you help us now – and I’m speaking about days, not weeks – or your help will come too late, and many people will die,' Ukraine’s foreign minister said Thursday.After failing to take Kyiv and northern Ukraine, Russia has shifted its strategy to taking Donbas and aiding separatists in the region. ~Guardian
Ukrainian officials are pleading with the US and NATO for more weapons. U.S. lawmakers moved to revoke Russia’s most favored nation trading status in the wake of atrocities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha. They also banned Russian oil and gas imports.
New Sanctions: The E.U. approved a phased-in ban on Russian coal. It wouldn't take full effect until mid-August, a month later than initially planned, after Germany pressured the E.U. to delay the measure. ~ ReutersFYI: There's still no ban on Russian oil and gas--which would be some of the most significant sanctions possible on Russia. But European countries are reluctant to go there since they don't have a replacement for Russian energy lined up.
Here's a look at how the sanctions break down by country, courtesy of GZERO Media:
Back At The UN: In a symbolic move, the United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the Human Rights Council. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield initiated the resolution amid evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.Of the 193 members of the assembly, 93 voted in favor of suspension while 24 voted against and 58 abstained, suggesting weakening international unity against Russia. It was the second ever suspension of a country from the council. Libya was the first, in 2011.
Russian Perspective: Russian President Vladimir Putin's Spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave his first interview to Western media, admitting to Sky News that there has been a "significant" loss of Russian troops. He also claimed (despite multiple independent sources) that photos of carnage and dead civilians in Bucha are "fakes and lies." ~ Sky News
🚀 TO TWITTER & BEYOND
Twitter plans to host an Elon Musk "Ask Me Anything" question-and-answer session with employees. According to the Washington Post, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal is trying to assuage anxious workers who are concerned about Musk's appointment to the Twitter board of directors and what it could mean for company culture. ~ Washington Post
Elon Musk is a longtime critic of the platform, which he's accused of stifling free speech. It was announced Monday that he purchased 9 percent of Twitter, becoming the company's largest shareholder. ~NPR
Twitter & Journalists: Meanwhile, The New York Times is updating its policies for how its journalists use Twitter, urging employees to reduce the amount of time they're spending on the platform. In a memo to employees, Executive Editor Dean Baquet said maintaining a Twitter presence is "purely optional." There are longstanding concerns that members of the media spend too much time on the platform. Baquet added: "It should be only one input out of many for reporting, listening to feedback and gaining understanding of any story or issue."Business Insider obtained the full leaked memo.
A 2021 Pew analysis indicates that 23% of American adults use Twitter. An earlier study found that Twitter users are younger, more likely to identify as Democrats, more highly educated and have higher incomes than US adults overall.
⛳️ MASTER OF HIS DOMAIN
Strong Start: Tiger Woods made his stunning comeback to the world of professional golf, finishing the first day of the Masters tournament 1-under par, four strokes from leader, Sungjae Im. ~ Washington Post
It's been 13 months since Woods' horrific car crash which shattered his right leg.
Overall Leaderboard: Sungjae Im, who shot a 5-under 67, is on top of the leaderboard after 18 holes. Cameron Smith is one stroke off the lead, and Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Scottie Scheffler and Joaquín Niemann are all at 3-under. ~CBS Sports
As for the crowd: "These weren't the regular fans with regular tickets who were packed 40 deep around the tee box. No, these were the elite of America's elite lining up. An internet billionaire. The greatest female golfer of all time. A primary owner of Pebble Beach. An oil magnate. The commissioner of the NFL." ~ Yahoo Sports
Tiger Hot Mic Moments ~Barstool
🗞 OTHER BIG HEADLINES
A new poll finds that while Americans are more likely to trust than distrust many prominent news sources, there are very few organizations that are trusted by more than a small proportion of Americans on both sides of the political aisle. Literally, the Weather Channel is the only national outlet that a majority of Republicans and Democrats trust for news and even then, it is at 52%. (YouGov)
Can I trust them to tell me if I need an umbrella?
New Poll Numbers via YouGov
The shooting attack is latest in recent string of four attacks that has claimed the lives of 13 Israelis. The Palestinian gunman was on the loose for several hours and was eventually captured in nearby Jaffa early Friday morning and killed after a firefight with Israeli forces. (Jerusalem Post)
Federal authorities want to know more about how sensitive national security information came to be in 15 boxes of documents and mementos sent to Mar-a-Lago from the White House. (NY Times)
Pelosi, the top House Democrat, is 82 years old. As speaker of the House, Pelosi is second in the line of presidential succession behind the vice president. Pelosi was at the White House on Wednesday, seen next to President Joe Biden, as he signed into law a sweeping bill that overhauls the US Postal Service's finances and allows the agency to modernize its service. (CNN)
Thousands of cryptocurrency enthusiasts are gathering in Miami as the city builds its reputation as one of the key locations to develop blockchain technology despite its underdog status. (CBS News)
Smith is waiting for a decision by the Academy Board of Governors on possible sanctions, which could include a ban from future attendance at the Academy Awards, perhaps permanently. Should Smith be banned, he would not be able to present the best actress category at the Oscars next year, which is traditionally part of the victory lap after winning Best Actor. (News Nation Now)
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN' WEEKEND
What We're Watching: The Masters ⛳️ (CBS); The finale of The Dropout (Hulu); Also checking out "The Bubble," a new comedy from Judd Apatow about the production of a blockbuster film during the pandemic. (Netflix)
What We're Reading: "Wearing Shoes in the House is Gross" ~Washington Post
👟 BTW: We asked on Instagram about your shoe policy. More than 21,000 people responded. Here are the results:
What We're Eating....err Drinking: Trader Joe's Organic Coconut Smoothie
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