Evening Briefing: Biden vows to put a Black woman on the Supreme Court

January 27, 2022

By Remy Tumin

Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Thursday.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer at the White House today.Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times

1. President Biden vowed to name a successor for Justice Stephen Breyer by the end of February. He called the retiring jurist "a model public servant."

Speaking with the justice by his side from the White House, Biden pledged a rigorous search for a Black woman. "It's long overdue," he said.

In a letter to the president, Breyer said he would serve on the court until the end of the term, typically around June or July, and would not leave before a successor is confirmed by the Senate.

His departure will give Biden his first opportunity to put an imprint on the court's direction, and could trigger a bruising confirmation battle. Senator Mitch McConnell, who engineered a blockade of the last nominee from a Democratic president, warned Biden about letting the "radical left" dictate his choice.

Here's the path that nomination is expected to take.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in November.Yuri Gripas for The New York Times

2. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the military to improve efforts to prevent civilian deaths after reports of several botched airstrikes.

A new directive outlines steps intended to change how commanders think about their jobs, and foster a culture in which they view preventing civilian harm as a core part of their missions. The directive follows a series of investigations by The Times into U.S. airstrikes, which revealed systemic failures to prevent civilian deaths in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq.

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Separately, U.S.-backed forces in Syria are still fighting the Islamic State at a prison in Hasaka, despite earlier claims by the militia that it had regained full control of the complex.

Source: Bureau of Economic AnalysisThe New York Times

3. The U.S. economy grew at the fastest rate in decades in 2021.

The gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced, rose by 1.7 percent in the final three months of 2021 and 5.7 percent for the full year, the biggest economic expansion since 1984. Economists expect Omicron to be a drag on the economy in January and much of February, and for activity to normalize as the variant fades and spring approaches.

The nation's G.D.P. has outpaced the growth rate that preceded the pandemic — until you take inflation into account. Here's why the late-pandemic economy is so confusing. Stocks fell for a third straight day, again flirting with correction territory.

And yet, even as growth comes in strong, President Biden is suffering in the polls as high inflation saps confidence in the economy.

A Covid testing site yesterday in Atlanta.Dustin Chambers for The New York Times

4. Omicron is loosening its hold in some parts of the U.S. But the pandemic isn't over.

By infecting so many people, the coronavirus variant undoubtedly brings us closer to the pandemic's end, experts told The Times. But with spotty immunity in the population and a churn of new variants, the virus is likely to become a persistent but hopefully manageable threat.

"This is a choose-your-own-adventure story, and the ending is not written yet," one epidemiologist said.

Unvaccinated health care workers in roughly half of the U.S. are required to get their first shot today. The Biden administration's mandate, which is to take effect in stages, will ultimately affect about 10 million workers.

The graphic novel "Maus" by Art Spiegelman.Maro Siranosian/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

5. A Tennessee school board banned the teaching of "Maus," a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, because it said the book was inappropriate for students.

Members of the McMinn County board said the book, which portrays Jews as mice and Nazis as cats in recounting the author's parents' experience during the Holocaust, contained inappropriate curse words and a depiction of a naked character. Art Spiegelman, the author of "Maus," said he was "baffled" by the decision.

The decision comes amid a broader movement to ban books that address certain ideas about race, sex and L.G.B.T.Q. issues.

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In a government school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, in northern India, classrooms are empty this week.Atul Loke for The New York Times

6. For years, India has counted on its vast pool of young people as a wellspring of future growth. Now, it is looking more like a lost generation.

Hundreds of millions of students across India have received little to no in-person instruction during the past two years, with schools intermittently shut down since the start of the pandemic. As restrictions are lifted, then reimposed, schools are often the first places to close and the last to reopen.

The repercussions can be especially dire in South Asia. Girls are entering into child marriages, and boys have abandoned their education to work.

In the U.S., the education secretary, Miguel Cardona, urged schools to use federal funding to help students catch up.

Britain is struggling with a different Covid backlash: the backlog of delayed non-Covid health care.

Ashleigh Barty beat Madison Keys today to move to the final.Loren Elliott/Reuters

7. A hometown favorite is heading to the Australian Open final.

The top seed, Ashleigh Barty, defeated Madison Keys in straight sets to become the first Australian to reach the women's final since 1980. She'll play Danielle Collins of the U.S., one of the most ferocious competitors in women's tennis, who enjoyed her own straight-set win, over Iga Swiatek. They play early Saturday morning, Eastern time.

The men's singles semifinals begin tonight. No. 6 Rafael Nadal plays No. 7 Matteo Berrettini tonight, and No. 2 Daniil Medvedev faces No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas early tomorrow. All of them have been through the wringer.

At the tennis tournament, new technology is translating the movement of the ball into sounds to help blind and low-vision fans follow the action. Listen here.

Beaches have been busy with tourists in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

8. Why is everyone going to the Dominican Republic?

The country is a rare pandemic success story, with recent visitor numbers far surpassing those of most other Caribbean destinations. Easy entry rules like not requiring proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test are a draw, and the authorities have chosen to manage Covid by pushing vaccination and mask wearing among those who interact with tourists. Few pushed back — until Omicron hit.

For snow seekers, it has been a winter of discontent. Across the U.S., labor shortages are making ski areas scramble to keep lifts spinning, terrain open and crowds of skiers happy and fed.

For all travelers, here's what to do if you test positive.

Wasabi, a Pekingese, won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 2021.Karsten Moran for The New York Times

9. Big dogs might get all the glory. But small dogs have the weight of history behind them, new research shows.

By comparing more than a thousand genomes from more than 200 breeds, scientists discovered a mutation that suggests that part of the dog DNA responsible for small size is likely older than a variation that contributes to large size. The small size version seems to be ancestral and dates back to ancient wolves.

In other news from the animal kingdom, scientists have created a process that helps grown African clawed frogs regrow missing limbs, an ability they have as tadpoles. The process could guide future research on limb regeneration in humans.

"There will never be another personality associated with the lottery like Yolanda Vega," a gaming official said.Associated Press

10. And lastly, a New York lottery queen retires.

For three decades, Yolanda Vega, the face of the New York Lottery's on-air drawings, introduced herself with the same flair every night: "I'm Yo-LAHNNN-da Vega!" Drawing out the syllables of her name, which began spontaneously one morning when she was "hopped up on some espresso," helped establish her as a New York institution.

Vega, 66, is stepping down as the evening diva of the state's numbers drawings. "It's melodic and it's fun," she said of her signature phrase. "I've had numerous women tell me that the first words out of their children's mouths were Yolanda Vega."

Have a winning night.

Eve Edelheit compiled photos for this briefing.

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