Thursday, April 7 top stories
It is Thursday, April 7. Here are today’s top stories.
Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson
Today the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. It is historic because Jackson will be the first Black woman justice when she takes over the outgoing justice Stephen Breyer this summer.
The vote was 53-47 with all Democrats and three Republicans (Romney, Murkowski, and Collins) supporting and all the remaining 47 Republicans voting against.
Jackson will be the 116th justice to serve on the Supreme Court and the first Democratic nominee in 12 years. There is an image of President Biden hugging Jackson in front of a television that showed the Senate vote.
DC fox had rabies
The fox that was captured near the U.S. Capitol was euthanized and it tested positive for rabies.
The fox bit a total of nine people, including a U.S. congressman from California.
The fox was a mother and had several babies, which are called kits. The kits were captured and city health authorities said they are working to determine next steps for the kits.
Kentucky governor vetoes transgender sports ban
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) vetoed a bill that would have barred transgender girls and women from playing in girls and women’s sports from sixth grade through college.
Beshear said the bill most likely violates the Constitution because it discriminates against transgender children. He also said transgender children deserve compassion, kindness, and empathy.
Republican state lawmakers, who backed the bill, wanted to keep students’ gender aligned with whatever was marked on their birth certificates, calling it their “biological sex.”
Republican state lawmakers said they would reconvene next week to try and override the governor’s veto.
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Fossil of dinosaur killed on day of asteroid strike
Scientists say a fossil of a dinosaur leg discovered in North Dakota is a thescelosaurus that died from the asteroid strike 66 million years ago that caused the extinction of dinosaurs.
The leg was discovered at the Tanis dig site. Scientists say there are nearby debris from the impact that “rained down only in its immediate aftermath.” The asteroid strike hit near modern-day Cancun, Mexico, and sent debris flying for hundreds of miles. The impact is considered to have the equivalent power of several million nuclear weapons exploding at the same time. Scientists believe this dinosaur died from a water surge that traveled up the ancient Western Interior Seaway.
The discoveries will be featured in a BBC documentary.
Pelosi is Covid-19 positive
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for the coronavirus today. A spokesperson said she is asymptomatic. Pelosi is 82 years old and is fully vaccinated and boosted.
There are several positive cases among two members of Biden’s cabinet and congressional Democrats who attended a D.C. dinner event on Saturday. Those who attended were required to show proof of vaccination but no negative tests and most weren’t wearing masks.
Pelosi attended events in the White House on Tuesday and Wednesday and was near President Biden. Biden tested negative on Wednesday night.
Russia-Ukraine war updates
The U.N. General Assembly voted in a majority to suspend Russia from the UN’s Human Rights Council. The New York Times said it is a “large diplomatic slap at Russia.” The vote to suspend Russia came after reports and images of deceased Ukrainian civilians on the streets of cities surrounding Kyiv, some of them bound and executed, brought a new level of allegations of war crimes by Russia.
Russia has denied that they executed civilians, but Russia does not have much credibility given their invasion and indiscriminate bombing of Ukraine. Today a German news outlet reported that German intelligence intercepted two separate communications among Russian soldiers discussing how they shot at Ukrainian soldiers or civilians after questioning them.
U.S. Sec. of Defense Austin said they are providing intelligence to Ukrainian forces fighting against Russian forces in the Donbas region, which is a Russian-occupied area in eastern Ukraine. Austin said the U.S. is continuing to provide Ukraine with various weapons.
Both the U.S. and NATO warned that the war could continue for a long time, even for years.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1512133669951004683
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Fox-caught-on-U-S-Capitol-grounds-euthanized-for-17062112.php
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61013740
https://www.axios.com/nancy-pelosi-tests-positive-covid-b5aa3353-a425-43e1-8efa-c014aa9d662f.html
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04/07/world/ukraine-russia-war-news
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/07/bucha-german-intelligence-radio-bnd-russia/
https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-04-07-22/index.html