The Front-Runner to Replace Justice Kennedy: Brett Kavanaugh
*By Conor White*
The race to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court is just beginning, but a front runner has already emerged, according to Heather Timmons, Quartz's White House correspondent.
"The name you're hearing the most in Washington has been Brett Kavanaugh," she explained. "He's a U.S. District Court of Appeals judge in DC, he clerked for Kennedy. Trump made a point of saying he's consulted with Kennedy about who his replacement should be, and it's expected that Kennedy is going to recommend Kavanaugh."
Despite reportedly being a late add to the president's list of potential nominees, 53-year-old Kavanaugh checks a lot of boxes for conservatives: he represented George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida recount, was a lawyer for Ken Starr during the investigation into Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky, and most recently he dissented when his court upheld an opinion requiring the government to facilitate an abortion for an undocumented teen in U.S. custody.
In an interview Thursday on Cheddar, Timmons dove even deeper into why Kavanaugh could be Trump's pick.
"He has a history of pro-business rulings, he decided a case that said the Consumer Finance Protection Board was unconstitutional, which allowed Trump to replace the head of that with Mick Mulvaney."
And while many expect President Trump to attempt to ram through a nominee with a very conservative history in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, Timmons said that might not be the best move when it comes to the midterm elections.
"Right now support across America for legal abortion in most cases is at 57%, it's as strong as it's been in 20 years. Although Trump has indicated he wants to pull this court to the right, America and American voters are not going towards the right. So to put somebody in one of these seats that is considered a very far-right person could ultimately hurt the Republicans in the midterms."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/may-i-have-this-seat-predicting-next-supreme-court-justice)
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ and Ayana Morris, co-director of the documentary 'Why Is We Americans?,' join Cheddar News to discuss the new documentary highlighting the impact of the Baraka family.
Former New York City mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani made his singing debut on a taping of Fox’s The Masked Singer. However, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, two judges on the competition show, reportedly left in protest when Giuliani was unmasked upon being eliminated.
All Hands celebrates Black History Month by highlighting achievements in inclusivity and paying homage to those who have fought for equal rights. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joins Cheddar News to discuss voter suppression; Damali Peterman, CEO of Breakthrough ADR, elaborates on the biggest barriers for Black professionals; Andre Perry, senior fellow of Brookings Institution, dives into student loans and the racial wealth divide; and lastly, BET CEO Scott Mills discusses the company's initiatives for 2022.
All month long Cheddar News is celebrating Black History Month.
In our nation’s capital, Black history is being made right now.
cheddar's own Arielle Hixon puts the spotlight on three lawmakers making that happen, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 43rd District) joined Cheddar News to talk about the current political climate in America, including efforts to roll back voting rights in multiple states in light of Black History Month. "Why do we have to deal with those who still believe that somehow this country only belongs to the whites of the country and that somehow they have to do everything that they can to undermine our voting and do voters suppression to keep us from being influential and at the table by which to solve problems?" she asked. Waters chided "two Democrats" who she said were stymying attempts to rectify the issue and also spoke on President Biden’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
