*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)
California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a recall election in about two weeks. Newsom was elected governor in 2018 with nearly 62% of the vote after working as lieutenant governor for eight years. However, his popularity took a hit after his handling of Covid-19 pandemic, although the White House is refusing to cite this as the direct reason for the September 14th recall election. There are 46 candidates running to be Newsom's replacement, and some are saying that California could end up electing a republican governor.
Jeremy White, California politics reporter and co-writer of daily California Playbook Newsletter at Politico, joined Cheddar Politics to discuss more about the election and its possible outcomes.
President Joe Biden says the United States will complete it's evacuation of Americans and others from Kabul, despite the attack that killed 12 U.S. service members and many Afghan civilians.
Crypto-enthusiasts are taking to social media to urge regular Afghans to adopt bitcoin in the face of considerable economic uncertainty.
The U.S. economy grew at a 6.6% annual rate last quarter, slightly faster than previously estimated, the government said Thursday in a report that pointed to a sustained consumer-led rebound from the pandemic recession.
The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says it plans to build an undersea tunnel so that massive amounts of treated but still radioactive water can be released into the ocean about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) away from the plant to avoid interference with local fishing.
Two suicide bombers and gunmen have targeted crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul’s airport, in the waning days of a massive airlift that has drawn thousands of people seeking to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose for the first time in five weeks even though the economy and job market have been recovering briskly from the coronavirus pandemic.
Secretary of State Blinken said Wednesday that as many as 1,500 Americans may be awaiting evacuation from Afghanistan.
Kathy Hochul became the first female governor of New York on Tuesday, vowing to bring new energy and urgency to solving immense challenges as she took over an administration criticized for inaction.
U.S military troops flying round the clock have managed their biggest day of airlifts out of Afghanistan by far.
