News Information and Media Site: Protecting workers from Amazon

THE BIG STORY

Biden announced an aggressive first push to diversify federal courts

One of former president Donald Trump's longest-lasting legacies will be his influence on the federal courts — during his presidency, more than 200 conservative-leaning judges were confirmed.

President Joe Biden resolved to be aggressive in his efforts to undercut the influence of the wave of recently-appointed conservative judges. On Tuesday, he began this process when he announced his first slate of nominees, putting forward a list of barrier-breaking candidates.

A particularly notable pick: Biden will nominate US District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the powerful US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, a spot long seen as a springboard to the US Supreme Court. The move cements Jackson's status as a frontrunner in case of a top court vacancy — especially since Biden pledged to choose a Black woman.

The list of nominees features several judges who would make history if confirmed to lifetime appointments on the federal bench:

👉 US Magistrate Judge Zahid Quraishi, nominated for a federal district court seat in New Jersey, would be the first presidentially appointed Muslim American federal judge.

👉 DC Superior Court Judge Florence Pan, nominated for the DC federal district court, would be the first Asian American woman to serve on that court.

👉 Judge Lydia Griggsby of the US Court of Federal Claims, nominated for the federal district court in Maryland, would be the first BIPOC woman on that bench.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson listens to arguments at the US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC. The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images.

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

The latest from Derek Chauvin's murder trial

Darnella Frazier, a Minneapolis resident, was 17 when she recorded the viral video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck. Now 18, she gave emotional testimony at Chauvin's trial, saying that bystanders pleaded with Chauvin to stop.

Frazier testified that, "It's been nights I stay up apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life.

In addition to Frazier, the court also heard from a child and two other teens who testified about the traumatic details of seeing Floyd struggle.

An off-duty firefighter testified that she was "desperate" to help Floyd, but cops didn't allow her. Genevieve Hansen, a 27-year-old Minneapolis firefighter, broke down while testifying. "I could have given medical assistance, and that's exactly what I should have done," she said.

SNAPSHOTS

An older Asian woman was kicked in the head and stomped on in a racist attack. Police said the male suspect "made anti-Asian statements toward" the victim as he kicked her in the body and head. The NYPD said its Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident. Security footage shows staff at a nearby building closing the door to the victim.

Pfizer says its vaccine works really well in adolescents. In a late-stage trial studying more than 2,200 adolescents, not a single vaccinated person became infected with COVID-19, Pfizer said in a press release. The results suggest the vaccine may be even more effective in 12-to-15-year-olds than it is in adults.

Rep. Matt Gaetz is denying he had a sexual relationship with an underage girl after reports he's under investigation. Gaetz, a regular face on conservative cable news, denied the allegations after the New York Times reported he was under investigation over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him.

First dog Major Biden "nipped" another person at the White House. The incident comes just over a week after Major and Champ, the Bidens' 12-year-old dog, returned to Washington, DC, from Delaware, where Major underwent training following a similar episode. The 3-year-old German shepherd previously caused "a minor injury" to a Secret Service agent.

Jen Shah of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City faces decades in federal prison after being charged with fraud. Shah and her assistant have been charged with running a multi-year fraud scheme that "built their opulent lifestyle at the expense of vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people."

Bravo

"OTHER WAYS TO BUILD WORKER POWER"

The US Labor Board isn't strong enough to protect workers from Amazon. Some union organizers want to go around it.

Amazon has had no shortage of employees inside the company pushing the retail giant for health and safety improvements during the coronavirus pandemic. The nation's top labor regulator said Amazon has repeatedly violated the rights of these workers.

But a year after the global health crisis began, the company has so far faced minimal consequences.

Amazon employees in New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, and Michigan pressured the company to slow down production and ramp up precautions by organizing petitions, press conferences, and even walkouts.

Some of those employees subsequently faced disciplinary action at work. A few were even fired, according to charges they later made with the National Labor Relations Board.

Here's the thing: the NLRB is notoriously toothless. It has little power to penalize employers. One expert told us, "From Amazon's point of view, the NLRB is not a problem."

So now, workers want to go around the NLRB — and the consequences could change US labor relations.

The Amazon.com Inc. fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama on March 26, 2021. Patrick T. Fallon / Getty Images

THAT'S.... A CHOICE.

People are dragging influencers like Addison Rae for their barely-there masks

Influencers are in the business of competing for our attention and our eyeballs. However, this occasionally comes at the cost of having your decisions criticized. Through the pandemic, this has meant influencers faced backlash for traveling, for hosting parties, or attending events.

People are now criticizing social media stars like Addison Rae and Nikita Dragun for being spotted in public with masks that are, uh….shall we say, nowhere close to what the CDC recommends.

Addison Rae's strange glass shield and Nikita's tiny barely-there mask have been vigorously mocked on social media.

Be mindful not to overextend yourself today,

Elamin

📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.

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