WASHINGTON – Ketanji Brown Jackson’s affirmation Thursday as the primary Black lady to the U.S. Supreme Courtroom drew a raft of responses.
Black lawmakers referred to as her a mannequin of inspiration. Civil rights teams stated it was lengthy overdue. Conservatives stated she could be among the many most liberal, out-of-touch justices ever to ascend to the excessive court docket.
What was evident is the sturdy response Jackson provoked from admirers and critics alike. Listed below are a number of of them:
Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“Throughout her nomination course of, Decide Jackson demonstrated the magnificence of her authorized thoughts, her unyielding dedication to justice and her exceptional poise. In her appearances earlier than the Judiciary Committee and in conferences with Senators, she earned bipartisan recognition of her excellence. On the bench, Decide Jackson will probably be a relentless defender of particular person rights and the rule of legislation. American households will enormously profit from her in depth courtroom expertise and background as a public defender that she’s going to convey to the Courtroom.”
Senate GOP Chief Mitch McConnell
“Whilst a violent crime wave sweeps America, Democrats are pursuing a nationwide marketing campaign to make the justice system softer on crime. They’re stacking the deck with far-left prosecutors, woke warriors on the Division of justice and federal judges who consider criminals deserve lighter remedy. This venture is horrible for harmless American households. And each piece of proof suggests Democrats view Decide Jackson as its crown jewel.”
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Congressional Black Caucus Chairperson Joyce Beatty
“Immediately is a second of historic consequence. Her judicial temperament and eager authorized abilities will make her a Justice, of which all America proud. As she makes historical past immediately, she stands on the shoulders of the Black feminine trailblazers who got here earlier than her. And immediately, we despatched a message to Black ladies and little ladies, like my granddaughter Leah. Something is feasible. That is our energy and our message.”
Vermont Impartial Sen. Bernie Sanders
“We’d like members of the Supreme Courtroom who’ve a robust monitor file of standing up for justice – financial justice, racial justice, social justice, political justice, and environmental justice. There isn’t any doubt Decide Jackson is that particular person. I used to be proud to vote to substantiate her.”
Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski (certainly one of three Republicans to vote to substantiate Jackson)
“The affirmation of Decide Jackson is one that may assist to make sure that the face of the US Supreme Courtroom is extra consultant of the American individuals. I believe that that’s essential. However we additionally wish to ensure that it’s in regards to the {qualifications}.”
Working Households Social gathering Nationwide Director Maurice Mitchell
“Her sturdy file on the federal bench and her expertise as a public defender place her to be an important voice for working individuals in an more and more right-wing and reactionary Supreme Courtroom. At a time when the Supreme Courtroom is getting ready to make selections on reproductive well being, local weather change, voting rights, and staff’ rights, her perspective has by no means been extra mandatory.”
Historical past within the making:Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed by Senate as first Black lady on Supreme Courtroom
“Biden’s choose Ketanji Brown Jackson is a radical, activist choose, one who didn’t reply easy questions on her file, together with leniency for baby porn offenders and help of CRT. Jackson has proved to be in lockstep with the far left’s political agenda, even refusing to outline what a girl is. The RNC will maintain Democrats accountable this November for supporting Biden’s radical choose.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, president of the African American Mayors Affiliation
“As African-American mayors, we’re effectively conscious of the significance of illustration in a society that seeks to make sure everybody can thrive. We’re enthusiastic about Decide Jackson’s affirmation as a result of we perceive that her breadth and depth of authorized expertise, lived experiences and deep dedication to equal justice will guarantee all Individuals, irrespective of their race or background, are higher represented on the very best court docket.”
Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott (who chairs the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP marketing campaign arm)
“Immediately’s affirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson displays the continued hazard of a Democrat-controlled Senate. KBJ is exterior the mainstream on many authorized points and failed to provide passable solutions to some very fundamental questions throughout her listening to, equivalent to why she was persistently lenient on baby sexual predators. Radical Senate Democrats have persistently voted nonetheless Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer ask them to. Immediately is not any totally different.”
League of Girls Voters Board President Deborah Turner and CEO Virginia Kase Solomón
“Unquestionably, Decide Jackson’s appointment is a historic affirmation. We hope this will probably be a turning level in America and can set a precedent for a extra numerous court docket and extra equitable judicial system. We consider that girls maintain the ability to create a extra good democracy. We stay up for seeing the influence Decide Ketanji Brown Jackson’s perspective can have on voting rights and democracy as the subsequent Supreme Courtroom Justice of the US.”
Idaho GOP Sen. James Risch (who voted towards her)
“I take critically the recommendation and consent function of the U.S. Senate, and worth judges who interpret the Structure via originalism and don’t legislate from the bench. Decide Jackson’s previous rulings as a lone-court choose exhibit a dedication to make new legislation relatively than interpret the Structure as initially written. Moreover, her previous pro-abortion and pro-labor union rulings clarify she is not going to determine instances earlier than the Supreme Courtroom in a conservative method.”
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
A rescue bid for French IT services group Atos led by its largest shareholder has collapsed, casting the future of the troubled group into doubt once again.
Atos said on Wednesday that the consortium led by Onepoint, an IT consultancy founded by David Layani, had withdrawn a proposal that would have converted €2.9bn of Atos debt into equity and injected €250mn of fresh funds into the struggling company.
“The conditions were not met to conclude an agreement paving the way for a lasting solution for financial restructuring,” Onepoint said in a statement on Wednesday.
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The decision by Onepoint comes less than a month after Atos had picked its restructuring proposal over a competing plan from Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínsky. Atos said on Wednesday that Křetínsky had already indicated he wanted to restart talks.
Once a star of France’s tech scene, Atos is racing to strike a restructuring deal by next month as it struggles under its €4.8bn debt burden. It has cycled through multiple chief executives over the past three years and its shares have collapsed. They were down 12 per cent in early trading on Wednesday.
Atos also said it had received a revised restructuring proposal from a group of its bondholders.
“Discussions are continuing with the representative committee of creditors and certain banks on the basis of this proposal with a view to reaching an agreement as soon as possible,” the company said.
Jean-Pierre Mustier, former chief executive of Italian lender UniCredit, was installed as chair in October 2023 and given the task of putting Atos on a stable footing for the future. Since his appointment, several efforts to stabilise Atos through asset sales have fallen apart.
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If talks with Křetínsky do restart, it will mark the Czech businessman’s third attempt to do a deal with Atos after an earlier plan to buy its lossmaking legacy business unravelled.
One of the people close to the talks said creditors had not necessarily become more receptive to Kretinsky’s plan given it cutting a larger chunk of the group’s debt.
The crisis at Atos has prompted the French government to intervene. It is currently seeking to acquire three parts of Atos that are deemed of importance to national security for up to €1bn.
Atos said on Wednesday it had concluded a deal with the French state that would give it so-called “golden shares” in a key Atos subsidiary, Bull SA. The agreement also gives the government the right to acquire “sensitive sovereign activities” in the event a third party acquired 10 per cent of the shares — or a multiple thereof — in either Atos or Bull.
An online gamer from New Jersey recently flew to Florida, broke into the home of a fellow player with whom he had feuded digitally but never met in person, and tried to beat him to death with a hammer, according to authorities.
The allegations leveled by the Nassau county, Florida, sheriff’s office against 20-year-old Edward Kang constitute an extreme example of a phenomenon that academics call “internet banging” – which involves online arguments, often between young people, that escalate into physical violence.
As Bill Leeper, the local sheriff, told it, Kang and the man he is suspected of attacking became familiar with each other playing the massively multiplayer online role-playing game ArcheAge.
The Korean game is supposed to no longer be available beginning Thursday, its publisher announced in April, citing a “declining number of active players”, as ABC News reported. But prior to the cancellation, Kang and the other player became locked in some sort of “online altercation”, Leeper said at a news briefing Monday.
Kang then informed his family that he was headed out of town to meet a friend he had made through gaming, Leeper recounted. The sheriff said Kang flew from Newark, New Jersey, to Jacksonville, Florida, and booked himself into a hotel near his fellow gamer’s home early Friday morning.
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He had allegedly bought a hammer and a flashlight at a local hardware store, receipts for which deputies later found in Kang’s hotel room.
By early Sunday, Kang purportedly had put on black clothes, gloves and a mask, and he went into his target’s home through an unlocked door. He waited for the victim to get up to take a bathroom break from gaming – and then battered him with the hammer, Leeper said.
The alleged victim managed to wrestle Kang to the ground while screaming for help. The victim’s stepfather woke up after hearing the screams, rushed to his stepson’s side, helped take Kang’s hammer away and restrained him until deputies were called and they arrived, according to Leeper.
Deputies found blood at the home’s entrance and in the bedroom of the victim, Leeper added. The sheriff said the victim was brought to a hospital to be treated for “severe” head wounds while deputies jailed Kang on counts of attempted second-degree murder and armed burglary.
Leeper accused Kang of telling deputies that he carried out the violent home invasion because he believed the target to be “a bad person online”. Kang also allegedly asked investigators how much prison time was associated with breaking and entering as well as assault.
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Attempted second-degree murder alone can carry up to 15 years. Leeper quipped that his only answer to Kang was: “It will be a long time before you play video games.”
Striking a more serious tone, Leeper urged people to be vigilant about and report to authorities any suspicious online behavior aimed at them. He also mentioned the importance of locking one’s home.
“This … serves as a stark reminder of the potential real-world consequences of online interaction,” Leeper said.