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1 History Is Made As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Is Sworn In
Ketanji Brown Jackson took the judicial oath during a brief swearing-in ceremony just past noon on Thursday, becoming the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court and only the sixth woman. The 51-year-old Justice Jackson was confirmed by the Senate in April with a 53 to 47 vote after Justice Stephen Breyer had announced he would step down at the end of the term. Justice Jackson was given the constitutional oath by Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and a judicial oath administered by Justice Breyer. Her husband, Dr. Patrick G. Jackson, held the two Bibles on which she swore her oaths as her two daughters looked on. The new Justice won’t change the ideological makeup of the court, with conservatives retaining a 6-to-3 majority. Justice Jackson made no statement after her swearing-in; Chief Justice Roberts said there will be a formal investiture in the fall.
2 Surpreme Court Limits EPA Authority, Allows President To End Trump Immigration Policy
On its final day of issuing opinions for the term, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that the Clean Air Act doesn’t give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants with a 6-3 vote. The ruling could complicate the Biden administration’s plans to fight climate change. President Biden wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade and have an emissions-free power sector by 2035. Power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output in America. In a statement, Biden called the ruling “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards,” and United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric called the ruling “a setback in our fight against climate change.” In the second of their final two rulings of the term, the Supreme Court said in a 5-4 vote that the Biden administration can do away with a Trump-era immigration policy known as “Remain in Mexico,” which made asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in US immigration courts. Biden had suspended the policy on his first day in office but was ordered to reinstate it by courts in Texas and Missouri. Two conservative Justices voted with the three liberal members of the court in supporting the President’s right to stop the policy.
3 Last surviving WWII Medal of Honor recipient Hershel Woodrow Williams dies at 98
Hershel Woodrow Williams, the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient died Wednesday. He was 98 years old. President Harry Truman presented the Medal of Honor to Williams on Oct. 5, 1945, for displaying “valiant devotion to duty” in the Battle of Iwo Jima. After the war, Williams – who was known by his nickname “Woody” – worked in the Department of Veterans Affairs for 33 years. He also created the Woody Williams Foundation, dedicated to establishing permanent Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments throughout the United States, according to its website.