The Dark Horse Lurking Among Potential SCOTUS Picks
*By Conor White*
While most reports indicate Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett are the two front-runners to fill the soon-to-be-vacant seat on the Supreme Court, USA Today reporter David Jackson believes President Trump could have a surprise in store for everyone.
In an interview Thursday on Cheddar, Jackson hinted that Raymond Kethledge, a Michigan-based appeals court judge, is still firmly in the mix and could be the pick.
"Trump was very impressed with the fact that he's written a book about leadership," Jackson explained. "I'm told that Trump's personal feeling in these personal interviews is going to be very important, and apparently he got along quite well with Kethledge."
But Kethledge is contending with two other popular candidates. Coney Barrett is a former Notre Dame professor and was Trump's pick for a seat on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Kavanaugh is a former clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy, who will retire at the end of the month, and worked for Ken Starr during the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky investigation. Jackson believes the job is his to lose.
"He's been around a long time, he's a well known guy," he explained. "I would say he's really the favorite."
But there's an opportunity for someone to play the spoiler. Jackson pointed out not everyone is a fan of the 53-year-old Kavanaugh.
"He also has his critics, a lot of whom point out he worked for George W. Bush, which isn't a plus in Trump World."
That detail may open the door for Barrett. Jackson noted that while she's been a judge for less than a year, the 46-year-old has plenty of supporters, thanks to her religious beliefs.
"She also was involved in a very controversial confirmation earlier this year, where her Catholic faith became an issue," Jackson explained. "Some Democrats questioned whether she could fairly judge the abortion issues and privacy issues because she was such a devoted Catholic, and of course that created quite a flap and created a lot of fans for Judge Barrett among religious conservatives, who are very important to the Trump administration."
President Trump is expected to announce his pick to replace Kennedy on July 9th.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/two-frontrunners-emerge-for-scotus-seat)
Matt Hayden, vice president of govtech solutions at Exiger and a former assistant secretary of cyber at Department of Homeland Security, joined Cheddar to discuss the surprise phone call initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Joe Biden, ahead of January security talks about the rising tensions over Ukraine. "We're hoping to hear that we're able to talk about the aggression and the leadup of the Ukrainian militarization," Hayden said. "But we're also looking to hear is how the Kremlin leveraged their talking points to try to test their negotiation stance with the United States leading into this January 10th meeting."
The No Surprises Act begins implementation on January 1, 2022. The legislation is meant to curb the practice of unexpected billing for care from providers the patient was unaware were out-of-network from their insurance. Patricia Kelmar, director of health care campaigns for U.S. PIRG joined Cheddar to describe the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars charged to unsuspecting patients and how things will change under the new law. "If we are picking an in-network doctor and an in-network hospital, we should not see those added costs from anesthesiologists, radiologists, scrub-in surgeons," she said. "The other area it protects you is in air ambulances — not ground ambulances, unfortunately — but the helicopters or the airplanes you might need to transport you in an emergency situation."
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladmir Putin are expected to have another conversation surrounding escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Ariel Cohen, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, joined Cheddar's Ken Buffa to discuss the ongoing tensions and why Putin's request for a conversation with Biden comes now. "This is very serious. This is the worst security crisis we had since the collapse of the Soviet Union," Cohen told Cheddar.
Stocks closed mixed on Wednesday, but two indexes - the Dow and the S&P 500 - ended the session with a new record. Akshata Bailkeri, Equity Analyst at Bruderman Asset Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she says there is a consensus for robust consumer spreading in 2022, especially as the Omicron variant is proving to be milder than other COVID-19 strains.
John Quelch, Dean of Miami Herbert Business School, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says the retail giant is acting in accordance to President Biden's new law banning goods from China's Xinjiang region. Quelch also elaborates on the importance of China in Walmart's overall strategy.
