j. michelle childs favored by jim clyburn. president biden saying he will announce the nominee by the end of february. here is abc's white house correspondent mary alice parks. >> reporter: for the first time the white house confirming the name of one woman being considered for nomination to the supreme court, j. michelle childs, a u.s. district court judge in south carolina. present nominated childs to the d.c. circuit court of appeals, but her confirmation hearing for that job, scheduled for tuesday, postponed. the white house saying judge childs is among multiple individuals under consideration. childs is the favorite pick of biden's close confidante representative jim clyburn. clyburn pushed biden to make the campaign pledge to nominate the first black woman to the high court, a pledge republicans disparaged. senator roger wicker facing criticism after saying any potential black woman nominee must be benefitting from affirmative action. >> the irony is that the supreme court is at the same time hearing cases about this sor

j. michelle childs as a potential supreme court justice candidate. so the preferred choice of my next guest, and joining me now is south carolina congressman jim clyburn. house majority whip. very good to see you again, sir. thank you for joining me. we're going to talk more about judge childs in just a moment, but first, i'd like to take a step back and get your broader thoughts on the president's commitment to nominating the first black woman to serve on the supreme court. how significant will that moment be for this country? >> very, very, very significant. i think that all of us have been talking about african americans have value and not just to the country but to the democratic party and i maintain, as i learned in the projects i grew up in, that our word must be met with deed. and i think that what joe biden committed to do way back in the south carolina primary, he is going to keep that promise, and i think this is a great thing to do. it's a glass ceiling that's about to be broken through, and it should have been broken through a long, long t

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j. michelle childs.hal, a member of the senate judiciary committee. senator, thanks for joining us. the president said he will listen to senators from both parties on their suggestions and advice. have you heard from the white house about meeting with the president? >> nothing about meeting with the president, jake, but i deeply respect their willingness to reach out to us and seek our views. i know they're seeking views from a variety of jurists and experts and litigators. but, you know, i'd be remiss, jake, if i failed to acknowledge, i think it's important that we really appreciate justice breyer's extraordinary service to our nation. you know, he was a thinker and a scholar on the court, still is. but one who knew how to fashion realistic solutions in a deeply divided court to try to bring the court together. and he also understood the real world consequences of seemingly very abstract decisions. and i'm hoping that president biden will be consulting real people, so to speak. i believe that he'll be

j. michelle childs is on the short list of potential nominees. >> i talked to the republican senators from south carolina, tim scott and lindsey graham, they are very high on michelle childs. i think both of them would vote for her. >> reporter: senator lindsey graham saying childs could receive republican support. >> i can't think of a better person for president biden to consider for the supreme court than michelle childs. there's no affirmative action component if you pick her. she is highly qualified. >> reporter: the white house says judge childs is among multiple individuals under consideration. biden says he'll decide on a nominee by the end of february and senate democrats are promising a fast and fair confirmation. >>> more signs that the omicron surge is decreasing. the numbers of new covid patients admitted to hospitals has dropped 11% in the past week. also new infections are down about one third since the middle of the month. meantime, a former fda chief and current pfizer board member says their shot for under five could be submitted in weeks. >> getting two shots to a child

j. michelle childs are all under consideration. but it is not just judges.being considered as well. with me now is senior editor and legal correspondent, also someone who knows everything supreme court. so dahlia -- don't make that face. you do. i know you. >> i'm just going to cop to that right now. >> very funny comment from ken. i like that. all right. let's talk about these -- who is on the short list. yet we talked about ketanji brown-jackson. who else is on the list? >> i think she stays at the top for a lot of people because it is an easy lift because, as you just heard, three republicans voted under a year ago to confirm her. and so it's tough to make the case that she wouldn't get bipartisan support. and i think right under her are california supreme court justice leondra kruger who is a strong candidate. and district judge j. michelle childs who has a relationship in some sense to this only because representative james clybourn from south carolina who really pressed biden during the campaign to say i will nominate an african american woman is a big

j. michelle childs. >> we asked what would come for his brother. >> he loves to cook and he loves to write and he loves to draw so i think he will be pretty busy. >> it does sound like. he said his brother will likely return to massachusetts where he spent most of his adult life. >>> still ahead and streaming on cbs news area, three days ahead of the nfc championship, we sit down one-on-one with san francisco's mayor and why she says she is better. >> a classy move by thousands of chase fans and how they think the buffalo bills for one of the most exciting playoff games in team history. >> we can be excited about blue skies over the bay area and the haze over the horizon the past few days has thinned out significantly. we will look at how it looks on thno >>> g r the winter olympics. they left la earlier today, and they are doing everything they can to avoid contracting covid. athletes must record to negative test before leaving for china and once they arrived they are subject to daily testing and the olympics start february 4 and run through february 20. around here the big focus is on th

j. michelle childs who has already been nominated to the d.c. circuit but it could also be someone else if there is another seat that is now available because ketanji brown jackson has been elevated so i think all of those things are going to be things the administration is thinking about. it is a strategic game of chess with one person going up and then two vacancies, basically, being created that need to be filled. the one that j. michelle childs has been tapped to fill but then the one that may be open. >> professor goodwin, several republican lawmakers have been arguing biden's pledge to nominate a black woman is affirmative action. what would you say to those who push that narrative? >> here's what i had say is it is a distraction and that's to be expected and that any person who is nominated from president biden is probably heard that along some path of her career. because it's a trope that's been used but it is a distraction. let's remember that this is a supreme court that monopolized men being on the court. there is a case -- bradwell v

j. michelle childs, a federal judge from south carolina breyer hand-delivering his retirement letter to the president today, saying he wil serve until the end of the court's term the president's supporters hoping it's a chance for a political reset with his legislative priority stalled bu republicans are pushing back >> they're trying to use this to distract from what is their failed agenda the american people are all concerned with inflation and crime and covid. >> reporter: president biden promises to reach out to senators from both parties for advice as well as his vice president and others, indicating he's looking for someone in the mold of justice breyer >> i think he's a model public servant in a time of great division in this country. >> reporter: with breyer pulling out a copy of th constitution, pointedly talking about the challenges still confronting this country and reflecting on the american experiment >> it's that next generation and the one after that my grandchildren and their children they'll determine whether the experiment still works. and of course i am an optimist an

j. michelle childs, and she's a federal judge in south carolina. normally the white house wouldn't discuss who is being being considered or not, but childs is unusual. she's already been nominated for the d.c. appeals court. the white house says that more than three candidates are being considered, but a few republicans are pushing back on president biden's promise to nominate a black woman, comparing it to affirmative action childs would also bring academic diversity to the bench she'd be one of just two justices who didn't attend an ivy league school. jose >> josh letterman at the white house. thank you. >>> president biden is planning to build up forces in eastern europe, as ukraine prepares for a possible russian invasion. our matt bradley is in that country's capital, kyiv, and spoke to its president who tells him they are ready >> reporter: new propaganda video from russia shows the arrival of missile systems in belarus, the country on the northern border of ukraine while ukraine is making a show of antitank weapons from the uk, all as presid

j. michelle childs, a favorite of south carolina congressman james clyburn. >> she has what i call the kind of background and experiences that we ought to have. >> reporter: it is unclear if republicans will support any nominee, though they are powerless to block the confirmation if all 50 democrats vote yes. >> i'm going to give the president's nominee, whoever that may be, a fair r look. >> reporter: breyer says he'll stay on the bench until the end of the court's current term this summer. and if the next supreme court justice is in fact a black woman, she'll join justices sonia sotomayor and elena kagan, meaning all the liberal justices on the court will be women. anne-marie? >> that's interesting. bradley blackburn in new york, thank you. >>> now to the latest on the standoff between russia and ukraine. president biden talked with ukraine's president yesterday. mr. biden warned that russia could take military action against ukraine next month. but ukraine is telling the u.s. to tone down the rhetoric. holly williams reports from kyiv. >> reporter: the u.s. says the ball is now in russia

. >> reporter: contained g brown jackson, who once clerked for justice breyer , and judge j michelle childs, a favorite of south carolina congressman and biden allie james clyburn. >> she has what i call the kind of background and experiences that we ought to have. >> reporter: senate majority leader chuck schumer has that he wants to move quickly to confirm the president's nominee head of the midterm elections. president biden said he would consult the vice president and senators from both parties before making his decision on a nominee. >> another candidate on the shortlist is from california. what can you tell us about her? >> reporter: that's right, she is california supreme court justice leandra kruger. previously, she worked here in washington and the department of justice as deputy solicitor general. that means, she has experience arguing before the supreme court. then, she was named the california supreme court at a young age, 38, one of the youngest back in 2014. she actually made history as of the first california supreme court justice to give birth while serving on the bench. >>

j. michelle childs of the district court of south carolina. david, whomever biden picks, she will be making history. david? >> all eyes on his decision. mary bruce, thank you. >>> one more question on this tonight, rachel scott live on the hill, and rachel, senate majority leader chuck schumer has said he wants to move swiftly on this, obviously this very slim majority in the senate. >> reporter: that's right. the senate is split 50/50 and democrats do not want to waste any time. they only need 51 votes in the senate to confirm a supreme court nominee. that threshold was actually lowered by republicans back in 2017 from 60 down to 51. and tonight, democrats are pointing to how quickly justice amy coney barrett was confirmed, just days before the 2020 election. justice breyer may not retire until the end of the supreme court term, but democrats do not have to wait. they can start the confirmation process as soon as president biden announces his pick, david. >> rachel scott, mary bruce, terry moran, our thanks to all of you. >>> we're going to t

j. michelle childs. >> i talked to the republican senators from south carolina. both tim scott and lindsey graham, they're very high on michelle childs. so i think both of them would vote for her. >> today, senator graham confirms there could be republican support. >> i can't think of a better person for president biden to consider for the supreme court than michelle childs. there's no affirmative action component if you pick her. she's highly qualified. >> potentially bipartisan support. let's bring in maryalice parks. a new poll about the president's pick came out today. that poll, not good news for the administration. >> reporter: no, 3 out of 4 americans think president biden should consider all possible nominees rather than only nominees who are black women, as the president has pledged. there is a partisan split there. almost all republicans think think the president should consider all options. whereas democrats were divided in our poll. but just last week, president biden said he thinks the idea of nominating the first black woman in american history to th

j. michelle childs of the u.s. district court of south carolina, a graduate of the university of south carolina law. she has the backing of biden's close ally, congressman jim clyburn. speaking to a divided country that is being tested in so many ways, the justice with a parting message about the future of democracy. >> it's an experiment that's still going on. and i'll tell you something, you know who will see whether that experiment works? it's you, my friend. it's that next generation. and the one after that. my grandchildren, and their children. they'll determine whether the experiment still works. and of course, i am an optimist, and i'm pretty sure it will. >> and so let's bring in mary bruce tonight at the white house. mary, we have a copy of the letter justice breyer sent to the president today, writing, "i enormously appreciate the privilege of serving 28 years as a member of the supreme court. i found the work meaningful," what he said there, he called it a great honor to participate as a judge in the eff

j. michelle childs. she is on the president's short list. david? >> rachel scott on the hill for us. rachel, thank you. >>> next tonight here, a judge in georgia rejecting a plea deal in the hate crime trial of one of the men already convicted in the killing of ahmaud arbery. they hoped to serve in federal prison, not state prison, where where many believe conditions could be worse. what the judge said today. steve osunsami in georgia. >> reporter: a federal judge tonight is dashing the hopes of travis and gregory mcmichael, who were trying to avoid a federal hate crimes trial for the murder of ahmaud arbery, and spend most of the time they've already been sentenced to in a federal prison, which is usually less dangerous than a state prison, especially for a former police officer. >> we the jury find the department greg mcmichael guilty. >> reporter: in november, the father and son, along with their neighbor william "roddie" bryan, were all convicted of murdering the black 25- year-old on this tree lined street in south georgia. they were each sentenced to life in state prison, but o

j. michelle childs. i think she has a good chance, because the j.nds for justice. ( applause ) i'm sorry. and, i'm being told it stands for julianna. still a lo name. hende biden picks, senate majority leader chuck schumer predicted the confirmation process would take place swiftly and that a biden nominee will be confirmed with "all deliberate speed." and if chuck schumer is known for anything, it's lightning speed. (as schumer) "we are committed to confirming the president's nominee, bu first -- but first -- ( applause ) -- who wants cheesecake? ( laughter ) the food of the rapid. usain bolt downs an entire jr.'s before he runs the 100." there's some big news out of disneyland. they're updating the look of one of their major characters, because minnie mouse is ditching her iconic red dress for a pantsuit. unfortunately, donald duck is still running around with his cloaca out. just waving in the wind. ( laughter ) it's not right. it's not right at all, jon. >> jon: yeah, i know. >> stephen: shocking children. >> jon: yeah, that's right. >> stephen:

j. michelle childs. >> she has wide support in our state and is considered to be a fair-minded, highly giftedne of the most decent people i've ever met and would be good for the court to have somebody who is not from harvard or she is a gruate from the university of south carolina with the public education background and has been a workers comp judge. she's highly qualified and of good character. >> the senate committee will move quickly after the president makes his pick. >>> senator mitt romney, the latest lawmaker to test positive for a breakthrough case of covid. in a statement, his office said the republican senator of utah is asymptomatic and will isolate until further notice. he is fully vaccinated and boostered and several dozen lawmakers in the house and senate have tested positive for covid since last summer. >>> spotify responding to outrage over covid misinformation by adding new advisories. musicians joni mitchell and neil young pulled to their entire catalogs from the streaming service. spotify is under pressure because podcast host, joe rogan, spreads misleading information abo

j. michelle childs went to i believe it was the university of south carolina. how important is -- would that kind of educational diversity be on the supreme court? >> from my perspective, it is very important because it explodes the myth that where you went to school is measured how smart you are. that simply is not the case. i have a friend from college, black, grew up low income, got into harvard, couldn't afford to go. went to howard, the other h that you school. to say he didn't go to harvard so he is not qualified would be silly. it would be equally silly to measure any candidate for the bench only by virtue of a pedigree that is about a kind of elitism and often about money. and sometimes network. because that is not about know how. >> melissa, last question to you. would you want to serve on the supreme court if asked? >> well, i don't know that i will be asked. again, it is just an honor to be considered. but i think almost any lawyer who takes the oath to uphold the constitution would consider serving on the highest court of the land the ultimate and m

j. michelle childs. what we do know, the president maintains his campaign promise to nominate a black woman leading to this reaction across lawmakers across the sunday morning talk shows. >> there's many qualified that could go on to the court, so i don't see michelle childs as an act of affirmative action, but i see putting a black woman on the court making the court more like america. >> my goal is to make sure that we have a deliberate timing hearing and to reach out to the republican side and see if they can join us in making a bipartisan nomination. that speaks well of the court and the senate if we can achieve it. >> with so much focus on who the president should choose, it's also about the main issues this justice will face. voting rights, abortion and civil rights top that list. this justice will not just fill a liberal void on the court left behind by breyer but will join a right-leaning roberts court, a courtsiding with big money and corporations, namely poor people and those of color. many who

j. michelle childs of south carolina is the first confirmed candidate for the u.s. i think that for many of us right now, it's just sort of important to note that this is more than just a sort of prideful moment for citizens and in particular for black women. we're hopeful. it's more than a hopeful moment that the black woman will be nominated for united states supreme court. in many ways, it allows us, i think, to maintain faith in the legitimacy of the highest court. >> so let's elaborate on that, that it's particularly significant and at this moment because in the 232-year history of the u.s. supreme court, there have been 115 justices over the years. 108 have been white men, 2 black men, 4 justices have been white women, 1 latina, and no black women until now and the president promises that his nominee will be a black woman. what kind of influence do you see that having on the court as a whole? >> yeah, i think that what many of us know is that if a black woman is nominated by president biden, that she will come from a space that understands the intersectionalit

j. michelle childs of favorite of house minority w.h.i.p. james clyburn. us to discuss the historic implications of this pick the dean of the law school angela willie, is an expert on race and the law and was a finalist for a spot on the iowa supreme court. angela, thank you for sharing your morning with us. we're grateful to have you. let's talk about the historic implications here. it's very likely that the first black woman will be appointed soon and confirmed to the supreme court. what does that mean to you? >> oh, it means a great deal to me. it's important for a number of reasons. it's important as justice ginsburg said before she passed in talking about how it was important to have three women on the court at one point. she said when school girls look at the supreme court and see three women on the court, they'll see it's natural and proper. and when a black woman son the supreme court, people will look at the supreme court and see it's natural and proper to have a black woman on the supreme co court. it is important because it will add legitimacy t

j. michelle childs, jackson, and another name is wright and melissa murray, who is also a msnbc legal analystsats are right now, they are in good shape to get this done in the senate for the simple reason, why there have been famous divisions, those divisions have not been there on judicial nominations. president biden confirmed 42 judges through the senate so far, a rather brisk pace. and neither manchin or sinema has voted against a singling one of them. and jackson came before the senate, and she won not only all 50 democrats but also three republicans. as long as democrats stay together, which is the top goal right now for senator chuck schumer, and he said this will be a fair process that will move quickly, and with fairness so everybody believes they have their say, and they can meet with the nominee and believe the process is on the up and up. >> thank you so much. justice breyer's requirement is the focus on the supreme court on a critical mid-term election. joining me now is one of the democrats vying to take on republican john kennedy. thank you for being here. do you think you can d

j. michelle childs is the only person confirmed to be on the president's short list after the senate judiciaryzanne from capitol hill, all right, we are in for a month of speculation here but what do we know now? >> reporter: well, pam, it is going to be a month of speculation but i tell you senate democrats are quite confident the nominee will get through the senate process. we heard from senator durbin from the senator commission committee the chair there, will be ready with their staff as well as with the records so when biden gives them that name, they at the end of february, it will be march and april they will hold the hearings, in quick order of fashion but they have the unified support of the democrats and independents to make this happen, they would like republicans perhaps senator susan collins as well as lindsey graham and pam, it was interesting, lindsey graham made news because he really separated himself from the pack from some of his republican colleagues on the senate side, senator roger wicker and others who really through out this offensive suggestion that what, whoever the n

j. michelle childs. joining me is national correspondent, leigh ann caldwell.at put her at the top of the list for joe biden who might be searching for bipartisan approval in a supreme court nominee? >> it's hard to tell what the administration is doing, what president biden thinks. he's going to meet with these people relatively soon, but if the administration does want a bipartisan pick then childs is probably top of the list. in addition to lindsay graham i asked the office of senator tim scott, also a south carolina republican, what they thought about childs last week, and through a spokesperson did not rule out supporting her, and said they are fully aware of her attributes and role as a jurist, and another sign democrats want this to be bipartisan, on the sunday shows yesterday, susan collins sid the chair of the judiciary committee reached out to her and offered her extensive amounts of time for whoever the nominee is. that sends a signal that democrats do want to get republicans onboard. we're also getting a clearer picture of where those, perhaps, shak

j. michelle childs, quote, a highly gifted jurist and said he could not think of a better person for thecess from washington. >> reporter: democrats would love to see bipartisan support of whomever president biden picks as his supreme court nominee, but quite frankly, they say they don't need it. they are confident that they have the support, the 48 democrats, the two independents that caucus with them to make up a simple majority to push this through for the president. we heard from the chair of the senate judiciary committee dick durbin over the weekend saying they are ready to go as soon as that pick is known, that they have the paperwork, the staff, the records, they'll hold hearings in march, april, and move this along very quickly. having said that, they would love to see some republicans join them, those who have previously approved of obama's nominees, those being senator lisa murkowski, susan collins, and yes, senator lindsey graham. senator graham making news over the weekend because of his departure from some of his colleagues, republican colleagues like senator roger wicker,

j. michelle childs. >> she has the kind of diverse background in life and education and work and an incrediblymart woman who i believe would do well. >> reporter: the eventual nominee will face a high-profile confirmation process with the 2022 midterms looming. senate democrats don't need confirmation of biden's nominee. but republican opposition could still be a factor. >> that's something that the president has an opportunity to make should there be a vacancy. >> reporter: whoever is picked, briar had this to say about the job. >> really when you put on that black robe you understand whatever the appointment process, however politically involved it was, once you put on the robe of a judge, you're a judge. and that means you're a judge for every person. >> reporter: and this decision by justice breyer came after a lot of pressure from activists to change the balance of the court and give president biden an opportunity to nominate a supreme court justice. but the president himself and the white house have been relatively silent over -- amid all of that pressure. but this does present president

j. michelle childs. she is on south carolina's federal court, very close to trump ally jim clyburn.se impressive names and recent mays, resumes, which ones stand out to you? >> they are all brilliant. ketanji of course, when we think about the court of appeals, that is the court that is closest to the u.s. supreme court. they take these appeal i can't tell cases. my background is as a law clerk on a state court as well as a court of eastern district which is a trial court. and we always looked up to the court of appeals because that is so close to the supreme court. i think that judge childs of course is amazing. i've had the chance to interact with her on occasion for full disclosure. and, you know, these women all of them in the second circuit, we have unis lee, in the new york circuit, these all are amazing people. and leondra kruger. i mean, there is nothing about this -- the background of these women that would prevent them from being excellent jurists on the u.s. supreme court. only thing that is holding back any situation here for their as scent to the court is the fact that

j. michelle childs who is backed by a key biden ally, congressman james clyburn and republican senator fromarolina, lindsey graham, influential member of the republican party which signalled what could prove to be critical support on sunday. >> i can't think of a better person for president biden to consider for the supreme court than michelle childs. she's highly qualified. she's of good character, and we'll see how she does if she's nominated but i cannot say anything bad about michelle childs, she is an awesome person. >> but another republican senator, mississippi's roger wicker is under fire for suggesting she and other candidates are less than awesome. suggesting that any black female nominee would not have the credentials of white counter parts. >> the irony is that the supreme court is at the very same time hearing cases about this sort of affirmative racial discrimination, and while adding someone who is the beneficiary of this sort of quota. >> the white house swiftly pushed back pointing out that ronald reagan put a woman on the supreme court, without facing criticism about affir

j. michelle childs, she has the backing of a key biden supporter, congressman james clyburn, who praises will be a new perspective historically on the supreme court. there is a chance the new person will be more liberal because just breyer didn't always produce the most liberal results. >> reporter: breyer said he'll step down in late june or early july assuming his successor has been confirmed. that will end a 28-year career on the supreme court, putting him in the top 20. longest serving justices. he's been a modern to liberal judge on the supreme court. he remains part law pr ser, talking about the court's critical role in american life, displaying his pocket edition of the constitution, where he said keeping together such a wildly diverse country has been an parliament ever since the nation was founded. >> but it you and that yeks nn rag and whether the experiment still works. >> that was a great speech everybody should tack a chance and look at. good to see you. judge but a supreme court nomination of course is something else entirely. what is the timeline on confirmation here in th

j. michelle childs, of course, a favorite of representative clyburn. do you have a favorite? >> i was called when word was spread around. i asked how closely is the president to choosing a nominee. he said he's not made his mind up, at that point a few days ago. i'll trust his judgment on this. i don't want to put the finger on the scale for any of the nominees. i think there are some extraordinary talent there. going back to the point i made earlier, for these african american women to have reached the level of success they have reached, they are extraordinary people. they've been put to the test. they are the first in many instances of their race and gender to be in this position. that extraordinary talent i think should be taken into consideration on a favorable side. >> i also want to ask you about reform of the electoral college act and the possibilities for bipartisan reform there. you talked to susan collins about the president's nominee for the supreme court. what about electoral college act reform, what's possible this year? can it be bipartisan? >> it can be. i thin

j. michelle childs of south carolina. congressman jim clyburn, critical in helping deliver the battleground state to biden in 2020, has endorsed childs. just last month, biden nominated childs to the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit. the nomination does remain pending. >> i have a high regard and sincere appreciation for our legal system, which is the form of order in our court, in our democracy. >> other names floated include anita earls, associate justice of the supreme court of north carolina. judge mimi wright, who sits on minnesota's federal district court. judge eunice lee is a former new york public defender who biden nominated to the second circuit. judge candace jackson-akiwumi is an alumna of chicago's public defenders office, appointed to the 7th circuit and sherrilyn ifills who announced plans to step down from her role as president and director council of the naacp legal defense and educational fund. bianna, interesting, on this list, one commonality we have seen with a lot of the ap

j. michelle childs is being considered, but that's not the only one. is there a timeline for when the administration or the president himself will say these are the people we're considering and make that announcement? >> reporter: that's right, all the president has said so far is he's going to make an announcement by the end of february. we do know when he was in the transition phase of his campaign, right before he was inaugurated, his transition team had been preparing him for this moment. they had been going over lists. so they certainly have candidates in mind. right now they're going to be sitting down with those candidates in the interview process. we know that vice president harris is going to be deeply involved in this selection process as well. so that's what we're looking forward to in these next few weeks before he has to make that announcement by the end of february. >> okay. lauren egan at the white house, thank you, lauren, for that. >>> the u.n. security council meets tomorrow to discuss the crisis in ukraine as fears of an invasion are

j. michelle childs is under consideration, the top pick, of course, of your colleague, congressman jamesl, you know, that's the extraordinary thing about what the president is embarking upon. he has so many qualified, highly qualified, overqualified jurists, women of the bar that he can select from, and the names that i have heard thus far surely meet the mark. i'm excited about it. >> talk to me about the timing here. we have heard the timing could be five or six weeks, the same timing that we saw with the nomination and confirmation of justice amy coney barrett during the trump administration. the issue this time around, as we well know, the democrats only have 50 seats in the senate. one vote, one sick call-in could be a very big delay and problem. >> well, i'm certain that the white house is mindful of the time frame. i think that the nominees will be put forth in earnest and you know, the most expedited process will be put in place and that no steps will be missed in making sure that whomever's nominated gets before the members of the united states senate to make their case and that

j. michelle childs, a highly gifted jurist and said he could not think of a better person for the job.s more. >> it would be good for the court to have somebody who is not at harvard or yale. she's a graduate of the university of south carolina, a public education background. she's been a workers' comp judge. she's highly qualified. she's a good character, and we'll see how she does if she's nominated. but i cannot say anything bad about michelle childs. she is an awesome person. >> republican support from graham helps relieve pressure on president biden as he weighs which candidate to select. meantime, other women rumored to be on mr. biden's short list include california supreme court justice leandra krueger, cheryl ann iffel and several others. the president is expected to officially select his supreme court nominee next month. >>> and still to come, can china curb the surge in covid cases with only days to go until the start of the beijing winter olympics? we'll go live to beijing for the latest. with hydration that beats the $100 cream in every jar of regenerist retinol24 collagen

the white house has confirmed one of those women is j michelle childs.he attended duke university. she is seen as someone who could receive a partisan support to help president biden fulfill his campaign promise to make the court more diverse. pres. biden: the person i will nominate is someone with extraordinary wealth occasions, character, experience and integrity. that person will be the first black woman ever nominated to the united states supreme court. reggie: president biden says he will finalize plans for his pick in the next few weeks. senate democrats expect the nominee to be confirmed quickly. justice breyer said he will step down at the end of the supreme court session in late june/early july. abc 7 news is streaming 20 47 on our a area app. you can get the latest breaking news and local news anytime you want. now, you can watch another hour of news in the morning from your favorite morning team. that would be us. abc 7 at seven is live every weekday and here's a look at what you can a spec. >> what happens if abc 7 mornings and midday live ha

j. michelle childs, making the south carolina judge the first person the white house has publicly identifiedbiden said he'll name that nominee, it will be a black woman, by the end of february. childs is a u.s. district court judge preently nominated for a seat on the d.c. circuit but her confirmation hearing will be postponed while under consideration for the supreme court. she's the known favorite of key bide an lie house majority whip james clyburn. it includes ketaji brown jackson. we bring in emily a host of the podcast "pivot." thanks for being with us. kevin, you're familiar with justice breyer the way he does things and holds the court in such high regard. when you hear the names of his possible replacement, what's your reaction and your hopes in terms of these women carrying on his legacy? >> i think any of them would be a terrific choice, all highly qualified, very smart people who would do a great job. in terms of replacing justice breyer, the critical role in recent years as a compromiser, somebody seeking middle ground on hard cases that can bring people from both the left and t

j. michelle childs, a detroit-born former state labor department official, employment lawyer and mother university of south carolina, a public school, would add a new educational background to the high court. and wisconsin-born judge leslie abrams gardner, is also a top contender, former assistant u.s. attorney, gradual of yale and brown and sister of voting rights advocate stacey abrams. >> i fortunately was trained by a judge who believed that we had to get it right. >> reporter: supreme court justice sonia sotomayor, one of the court's three liberals and the first latina on the high court, reflecting on the legacy of her retiring colleague. >> he's always, always thinking about what the law means to people. he makes us think deeply about what we're doing and what it means. >> reporter: it's now up to president biden on who will get the historic nomination as the nation braces for another supreme court confirmation battle in the senate with history hanging in the balance. for "good morning america," devin dwyer, abc news, washington. >> and coming up on "good morning america," the his

j. michelle childs, a federal judge in south carolina who has been nominated to the d.c. circuit. she's a favorite among high- profile lawmakers. breyer's retirement marks a full-circle moment for the president, who presided over the justice's confirmation to the supreme court in 1994. >> i was proud and grateful to be there at the start of this distinguished career in the supreme court. and i'm very proud to be her today. >> reporter: the nomination will be one of the most consequential choices of biden's presidency. getting a democrat on the court, and notably, a woman of color, could reinvigorate a necessary voting base ahead of november's midterm elections. for the pbs newshour, i'm geoff bennett. >> woodruff: as we saw, the president was clear on his >> woodruff: it is not known exactly when president biden will select his supreme court nominee, but the senate confirmation battle is already taking shape on capitol hill. here to explain how it could play out is congressional correspondent lisa desjardins. hello, lisa. we know this is happening, as we know, at a time when there

j. michelle childs of south carolina, who has been nominated to the d.c. circuit of appeals.he's a favorite of south carolina congressman james clyburn. the house majority whip who was instrumental in biden's win. breyer's retirement also marks a full circle moment for the president, who chaired the senate judiciary committee during breyer's 1994 confirmation. pres. biden: i was proud and grateful to be there at the start of this diinguished career on the supreme court. and i'm very proud to be here today. geoff: the nomination will be one of the most consequential choices of biden's presidency and could offer him a political lifeline ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, breyer's retirement giving the president a chance to nominate his first supreme court justice, a history-making selection, while reinforcing the high court's liberal minority. for the "pbs newshour," i'm geoff bennett in washington. judy: it is not known exactly when president biden will select his supreme court nominee, but the senate confirmation battle is already taking shape on capitol hill. here to expla

j. michelle childs, judge on the u.s. district court in south carolina as a potential candidate. pick of james clyburn, who played a key role in propelling biden's victory in 2020. i'll be speaking to clyburn about the vacancy. joining me now to success all of that, maya wiley, and harry litman, former deputy assistant attorney general. harry clerked for supreme court justices, thurgood marshall and anthony kennedy, and helped prepare judge bryer for his supreme court nomination. you know justice breyer, so what factors do you think weighed most heavily in his decision to retire and the timing of it all. do you think he would have been influenced by justice ruth bader ginsburg's death while on the court, and in the end, do you think he gave into politics. >> i wouldn't call it giving in. it was a reality that was always in his mind and obviously justice ginsberg's death drove it home in sort of brutal fashion. i think in the fall when there was this human cry for him to retire, he had it in mind, and he wanted to say, i don't want to look as if politics is driving this decision,

j. michelle childs is on the list. she is a federal judge in south carolina who supported by a close biden ally. president biden has nominated judge childs for the appeals court. she had a senate confirmation hearing scheduled this week. now the white house will postpone the hearing while childs is considered for the supreme court. the president's short list is believed to include judge ketanji brown jackson. a former law clerk for justice stephen breyer and california supreme court justice leondra kruger. a white house spokesman told me those are not the only three candidates the president is considering. president biden will announce his decision by the end of february. >> historic nomination. josh lederman, thank you. >>> a new york city police officer was laid to rest on friday one week after he was shot and killed while responding to a call. his wife demanding change at his funeral as the u.s. sees alarming rise in gun violence directed at police officers. here is nbc's rehema ellis. ♪♪ >> reporter: a sea of blue

j. michelle childs. on sunday, republican senator lindsey graham signalled she may get bipartisan support. >> highly qualified. she's a good character and we'll she how she does if he's nominated but i cannot say anything bad about michelle childs. she's an awesome person. >> others including leondra kruger and judge ketanji brown jackson confirmed last year to the d.c. circuit with bipartisan support. >> the committee knows quite a bit about that person and that can be taken into consideration. >> meanwhile mississippi senator roger whitaker is underfire for comparing the president's promise to nominate a black woman to affirmative action. >> the irony is the supreme court is at the same time hearing cases about this sort of affirmative racial discrimination. and while adding someone who is the beneficiary of this sort of quota. >> the white house pushing back. recalling similar pledges by ronald reagan and donald trump to nominate women writing in part quota, president biden's promise is in line with t

j. michele childs, a federal judge in south carolina. stay united. back to you. >> from the white house, peter, thank you. >>> and president biden and the first lady welcome ad new member of the white house family. ever since they first moved in there were rumors they would be getting a cat. and now they have. willow biden. nbc senior white house correspondent kelly o'donnell has the news. >> the first feline is out of the bag finally. yes, today, after more than a year of hints going back to this conversation with craig last year. >> the first family was considering adopting a cat. >> oh yes. and that is true. yes. >> can you confirm that he's waiting in the wings she. she is waiting in the wings. >> was this your idea mr. president? >> no, but it's easy. >> this green eyed short hair tabby is now officially part of the family. say hello to willow biden. named for the first lady's hometown, willow grove, pennsylvania. she's two years old. the first lady spokesman says willow is settling into the white house with her favorite toys, treat

j. michelle childs. first, carry, do any of the names -- carrie, do any of the names jump out at you?eem the most likely with ketanji brown jackson and leondra kruger. they both have long records, and before that they're likely picks. i'm concerned about some of the arguments leondra kruger has made and concerned about brown jackson's rulings that seem to be intemperate to her language with president trump. griff: elizabeth, you put out a statement saying that you hoped that the president will nominate someone who will extend breyer's legacy. do any of the names on the list stand out to you? >> yeah. i think president has a wealth of options, of candidates who, as he said, have stellar credentials, a commitment to equal justice and fairness, who have, you know, this integrity and character and the real excellence that he has in this wealth of options of these potential nominees, i think, is really impressive. and, you know, justice breyer said at his confirmation hearing tata, you know, it's important to understand that the law must work for the people, and so i think that what he's l