“We did it”: Ketanji Brown Jackson was honored to become the first black woman justice
An emotional Ketanji Brown Jackson said, “We did it,” as she acknowledged the honor and responsibility of becoming the first black female judge to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. “It was a bit overwhelming, in a good way, to be overwhelmed recently by the thousands of notes, cards and photos that express how much this moment means to so many people,” he said. “The notes I have received from children are very cute and very meaningful because more than anything else, they speak directly to the hope and promise of America. “It took 232 years and 115 previous appointments to select a black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. But we did it. We have all succeeded and our children tell me that they see now, more than ever, that here in America everything is possible. “ Jackson said she also appreciates the responsibility she has been given: “I am also told that I am a role model, which I use both as an opportunity and as a huge responsibility,” he said. “I feel that I am ready for the task mainly because I know that I am not alone. I stand on the shoulders of my own role models, generations of Americans who have never had anything close to such opportunities. “But he got up every day and went to work, believing in America’s promise, showing others with their determination and yes, their perseverance, that good things can be done in this great country.” Jackson wipes a tear during her speech. Photo: Andrew Harnik / AP Updated at 18.32 BST 12 minutes ago 19:52 The rocket attack on a train station in Ukraine, which killed at least 50 people, is “another horrific atrocity committed by Russia,” the White House said. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki made the statement in an interview with Kramatorsk this afternoon, saying that the attack on the station in Kramatorsk had a pattern of indiscriminate aggression by the army of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “What we have seen over the last six weeks, or more than that, is what the president himself has described as war crimes, which is the deliberate targeting of civilians,” Psaki said. “This is another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, hitting civilians trying to evacuate and reach safety. We will support efforts to investigate the attack as we document Russia’s actions [and] to hold them accountable. “Obviously targeting civilians would definitely be a war crime and we have already described a number of actions we have seen so far as war crimes, but we will support efforts to investigate what exactly happened here.” 21 minutes ago 19:42
Two innocent from the plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan Whitmer
A federal court has acquitted two men of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 and has found himself at a dead end with the same charges against two other men. The four were charged in a conspiracy that prosecutors said was inspired by their strong opposition to pandemic-related restrictions imposed by its office. According to Reuters: The 12-member panel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, found Adam Fox and Daniel Harris not guilty of conspiracy theories. The jury could not agree on a verdict for Brandon Caserta and Barry Croft Jr. Harris was also acquitted of knowingly conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against individuals or property for allegedly plotting to use explosives to blow up a bridge after the governor was abducted. The jurors could not reach a verdict against Fox and Croft for the same charge, resulting in a misdemeanor. Caserta did not address the weapons category. The case’s one of the highest-profile prosecutions of members of right-wing groups since the ouster of former President Donald Trump in 2016. USA. Read more about the case here: 31 minutes ago 19:32
Russia uses ballistic missile to attack railway station against civilians – US official
The United States has said Russia used a short-range ballistic missile to hit a train station in eastern Ukraine on Friday, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday, according to Reuters. Ukraine said at least 50 people had been killed and many more injured in an attack on a station in the city of Kramatorsk, which was packed with civilians hoping to escape the threat of a major Russian attack. Men inspect the wreckage of a rocket near a train station amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, April 8, 2022. Photo: Reuters A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon believed Russian forces had used an SS-21 Scarab missile in the strike, but that the motive for the attack was unclear. SS-21 is the name used by the NATO military alliance for a type of missile known as the Tochka in the former Soviet states. The United States was still analyzing the strike and it was unclear whether cluster munitions were used, the official said. “We are not buying into the Russians’ denial that they were not responsible,” he said. The Russian Defense Ministry quoted RIA News as saying that the missiles allegedly hitting the station were used only by the Ukrainian army and that the Russian armed forces had no targets in Kramatorsk on Friday. Videos posted on social media in recent weeks, which Reuters could not independently verify, appear to show Russian forces inside or near Ukraine carrying Tochka rocket launchers. The Pentagon said Russia’s combat capability in Ukraine continued to decline to between 80% and 85% of pre-invasion levels. The United States estimates that Russia has mobilized more than 150,000 troops around Ukraine ahead of its February 24 invasion. The official said the United States now has indications that Moscow has begun mobilizing some reservists and may seek to recruit more than 60,000 staff. For all the details about the crisis in Ukraine, 24 hours a day, please follow our global live blog, here. 1 hour ago 19:06 Citing “there is no time for complacency”, Joe Biden ordered the deployment of a US Patriot air defense system in Slovakia to replace a similar missile system that the country has donated to Ukraine. Biden welcomed the exchange agreement between the allies in a White House statement released Friday afternoon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his defense officials have voiced their demands for Western military equipment to help repel the Russian invasion. The White House statement states: From the beginning of my administration, the United States has given the highest priority to providing critical military capabilities to Ukraine so that it can defend itself against Russian aggression. The whole world has now seen the effectiveness of these weapons, as the brave Ukrainian forces used them to repel the Russian attack on Kyiv, to keep the skies of Ukraine in doubt, and to inflict serious blows on the Russian army. In addition to US-made weapons, we have also worked to facilitate the transfer of capabilities from our Allies and Partners around the world. I would like to thank the Slovak Government for providing an S-300 air defense system to Ukraine, something that President Zelenskyy has personally addressed in our talks. To enable this transfer and to ensure the continued security of Slovakia, the United States will reposition a US Patriot missile system in Slovakia. Now is not the time for complacency. The Russian army may have failed in its attempt to occupy Kyiv, but it continues to inflict horrific acts of barbarism on the Ukrainian people. As the Russian military relocates to the next phase of this war, I have instructed my Government to continue to spare no effort to locate and provide the Ukrainian army with the advanced weapons capabilities it needs to defend its country. 1 hour before 18:45 Jackson cited a number of civil rights historians as she closed her moving speech to attendees on the White House south lawn. “I am also always excited about the leadership of previous generations who helped light the way, Dr Martin Luther King Jr., Judge Thurgood Marshall [the first Black supreme court justice] and my personal heroine, Judge Constance Baker Motley [a former district court judge in New York and state senator]. “They and so many others did the heavy lifting that was possible that day. And despite all the talk about this historic candidacy and now the confirmation, I think of them as the real breakers of the path. I am just the very lucky first heir of the dream of freedom and justice for all “. Bursting into tears, he recognized the power of the moment: “Certainly, I have worked hard to get to this point in my career and now I have achieved something far beyond anything my grandparents could have imagined. But no one does this alone. The path opened for me to be able to stand on this occasion. “And with the poetic words of Maya Aggelou, I do it now, bringing the gifts given by my ancestors. I am the dream and the hope of the slave “, said Jackson, referring to the famous poem of the Angel Still I Rise. “This is a moment for which all Americans can be very proud. We have come a long way in perfecting our union. In my family, it only took a generation to go from separation to the United States Supreme Court. “It is an honor of a lifetime for me to have this opportunity to participate in the tribunal, to promote the rule of law at the highest level and to do my part to advance our common plan for democracy and the rule of law in the future.” “In my family, it only took a generation to go from separation to the United States Supreme Court” – this was an amazing speech by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson …
