*By Christian Smith*
In 1991, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) was among the seven female Democratic congresswomen who convinced Senate Democrats to allow Anita Hill to testify about her sexual assault allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
And now, given Prof. Christine Blasey Ford's searing testimony on Thursday, Lowey thinks Brett Kavanaugh should not be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
"You have to look at the whole person, and from what I hear from Dr. Ford, I would not want to see Judge Kavanaugh on the highest court of the land," she said.
To Lowey, the Court is sacred ー and its justices should follow suit in their personal conduct, not just in their careers.
"We know that an appointment to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, is more than intelligence and an Ivy League school. His credibility, and his character, has to be evaluated," she said.
In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, Ford answered questions for over three hours about her claims that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school ー accusations that Lowey said seem credible.
"She seemed, certainly to me, to present an honest, honest perspective," Lowey said.
Her convictions about Ford aside, Lowey noted that the accusations against Kavanaugh should still be investigated thoroughly by the proper authorities.
"We should take our time, and he should be subject to an FBI investigation," Rep. Lowey said. She acknowledged, though, that Kavanaugh should still get a confirmation vote.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/congresswoman-nita-lowey-d-ny-calls-on-senate-to-allow-fbi-investigation-of-kavanaugh-accusers-claims).
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
