Networks Provide Special Reports On Stephen Breyer’s Retirement Announcement; Joe Biden Says He’ll Announce Nominee By End Of February

deadline.com:

Even a day after news broke about Justice Stephen Breyer’s plans to retire from the Supreme Court, networks provided special reports on the official White House announcement on Thursday.The coverage underscored the importance of a vacancy, particularly as it gives President Joe Biden his first chance at leaving a legacy on the high court.At the White House ceremony, Biden said that he had made no decision on who he would pick to succeed Breyer, and plans to announce his nominee by the end of the February.Reiterating a campaign pledge, Biden said, “That person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the Supreme Court.” After NBC News’s Pete Williams broke the news on Wednesday about Breyer’s plans, speculation quickly centered on three contenders: Ketanji Brown Jackson, judge on the U.S.

Court of Appeals in D.C.; Leondra Kruger, a California Supreme Court justice; and J. Michelle Childs, who serves on the U.S.

District Court in South Carolina.Just before the ceremony began, the Supreme Court released his letter to Biden making his retirement official.

He wrote that he intends to step down at the end of the current term, assuming that his successor has been nominated and confirmed.The reunion of sorts Breyer and Biden was covered live by CNN, MSNBC and Fox News as one would expect.