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Powerful nor’easter slams East Coast bringing heavy snow and strong winds to millions

January 29, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Tens of millions of Americans across more than a dozen states are under winter weather alerts Saturday morning from South Carolina to Maine.

Snowfall rates upwards of 2 inches per hour are hitting Atlantic City, New Jersey, and other parts of the Jersey Shore at times, while eastern Connecticut is seeing a rate as fast as 3 inches per hour.

A plow clears a walkway in the snow during a Nor’easter storm in New York, Jan. 29, 2022.

In addition to the snowfall, strong wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph are expected along parts of the Northeast coastline.

Some states have declared emergencies as they brace for the worst of this storm system coming Saturday afternoon.

Whipping winds, treacherous travel, potential power outages and frigid temperatures are all concerns associated with the winter nor’easter. Nearly 120,000 customers are without power in Massachusetts, and over 3,550 flights have been canceled within, into, and out of the United States Saturday, according to Flightaware.

In Connecticut, airports are “down at this point,” Gov. Ned Lamont said during a briefing midday Saturday. Metro-North is running on limited hourly service, and Amtrak is not operating, officials said.

Snow totals, treacherous conditions

Parts of Connecticut to Maine may see up to 18 to 24 inches of snow, with the possibility of up to 30 inches near Boston Metro — a potential recordbreaker. For the city of Boston, the most snowfall in one day in January on record is 22.1 inches on Jan. 27, 2015, and the most snow fall in one day on record overall is 23.6 inches on Feb. 17, 2003.

There are extremely hazardous travel conditions for coastal New Jersey; Suffolk County, New York; Rhode Island and coastal Massachusetts where the heaviest snow totals and whiteout conditions with gusty winds will persist.

The I-95 corridor north of New York City toward Boston and Portland, Maine, are under major impacts, with whipping winds gusting 45 mph to 70 mph near the Boston Metro.

Below-zero wind chills

Parts of the Great Lakes and New England will experience bitterly cold temperatures with wind chills near 25 below zero.

The Northeast will feel frigid Saturday night as wind chills plunge to 2 and 5 below zero in New York City and Boston, respectively.

Cold weather is even heading south to Florida with temperatures in the 30s.

Coastal concerns

There are coastal concerns about storm surge and tidal influence especially along the coastal towns in Suffolk County, New York, which could see 4- to 8-feet waves during high tide Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Boston may also get battered with largest wave swells at 15 to 20 feet.

A worker clears snow in Times Square during a Nor’easter storm in New York, Jan. 29, 2022.

However, there is one silver lining to this winter storm: The storm system remained easterly, meaning less heavy snow and weather-related snarls for states west of Interstate 95.

The storm system is expected to move out of New York City by the afternoon and from Boston by the evening.

ABC News’ Victoria Arancio, Daniel Peck, Hilda Estevez and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

COVID-19 live updates: US cases down nearly 25%

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 879,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 63.6% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-US cases down nearly 25%
-New Hampshire to sell rapid COVID-19 tests at liquor stores
-NIH trial finds mixing and matching boosters is safe and effective

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.

Jan 28, 8:22 pm
Sen. Romney tests positive for COVID-19

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney tested positive for COVID-19 Friday, his office said.

“He is currently asymptomatic and will be isolating and working remotely for the recommended period of time,” his office said.

His wife, Ann Romney, has tested negative for the virus. Both are fully vaccinated and boosted, his office said.

Jan 28, 5:06 pm
240 million free at-home tests ordered so far: White House

About 60 million American households have ordered 240 million free at-home COVID rapid tests since they became available on Jan. 18, White House officials said Friday.

The Biden administration plans to ultimately mail 1 billion free at-home rapid tests to Americans.

Additionally, the federal government has sent out “tens of millions of masks” since Biden announced last week that the government would provide 400 million N95 masks for free at pharmacies and community health centers across the country, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

ABC News’ Ben Gittleson

Jan 28, 1:32 pm
US cases down nearly 25%

Federal data shows that the U.S. is now reporting an average of almost 600,000 new cases per day — a nearly 25% drop in the last two weeks, according to federal data.

Just nine states are reporting at least a 10% increase in cases: Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Washington and West Virginia.

All other states and territories are reporting a decrease in new cases or are at a plateau.

Nationwide, hospitalization rates are also declining, according to federal data. Just under 145,000 COVID-19-positive patients are currently in U.S. hospitals, down from 160,000 patients reported last week.

It’s not clear how many of these patients were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and how many coincidentally tested positive for the virus after they were admitted for other reasons.

The national daily death average now stands at nearly 2,300 — a 30% jump in the last two weeks.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jan 27, 3:54 pm
San Francisco dropping masks in ‘stable cohorts’

San Francisco officials are ending indoor mask mandates for “stable cohorts” where everyone is up to date on vaccinations, like people in an office or gym setting.

The city’s health officer Dr. Susan Philip called this change, which begins Feb. 1, doable due to San Francisco’s highly vaccinated and boosted population.

“Other COVID-19 safety guidelines in these settings remain in effect and include a means for others who do not or cannot meet the vaccination requirements to join the group with the added safety of showing a negative test and wearing a mask,” San Francisco’s health department said.

ABC News’ Matt Fuhrman

Boston risks losing ‘disproportionate’ number of educators of color with city’s vaccine mandate

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — There’s growing concern among union leaders in Boston that a “disproportionate” number of educators of color may leave their jobs because of a vaccine mandate for city employees.

“We are very concerned about the possibility of losing a disproportionate number of educators of color in Boston over the vaccine policy,” Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang told ABC News.

Last month, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that all city employees would be required to have their first shot of COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 15 and complete the cycle by Feb. 15, unless granted a dispensation for medical or religious reasons. However, the Jan. 15 deadline was subsequently extended to Jan. 24 and again to Jan. 30.

City employees who refuse to comply will be placed on unpaid leave.

But with the vaccination policy set to go into effect next week, the Massachusetts Appeals Court on Thursday issued a temporary pause of Boston’s requirement for city workers after serious pushback from unions.

Over the past several months, teachers unions across the country, including in Chicago and New York City, have pushed back on similar mandates.

In a statement released Thursday, the BTU said it will not enforce Boston’s mandate by putting teachers on leave — at least until there’s a decision on the appeal. According to the union, over 96% of all members are vaccinated, including over 98% of teachers.

As of Friday, about 367 BTU members remained unvaccinated — disproportionately, Tang told ABC News, educators of color.

“Our union has worked extensively with the school department and community groups, especially over the last few years, to attract and retain a diverse staff that is reflective of the community that our schools serve,” Tang added.

According to city data, more than three-quarters (75.3%) of Boston’s students are Black or Latinx, compared with just over a third (33.7%) of teachers.

“Losing educators, especially in the middle of the school year, presents major difficulties across a wide array of issues,” Tang said. “We are committed to working with the district as best we can to not lose any educators.”

The union has proposed another extension on implementing the mandate, and it’s filed a formal complaint against Boston Public Schools and the city for “failing to bargain in good faith.”

A representative from Boston Public Schools pointed to the more than 80 clinics hosted by the district to help vaccinate staff and students.

“We have been working hard to ensure all of our employees understand the city’s policy and to increase access to vaccines,” a representative told ABC News.

Several other Boston unions, including those representing police and firefighters, also have pushed back on the mandate.

But Wu has repeatedly stood by that decision, insisting it’s necessary for the safety of the city, where about 95% of city employees have been vaccinated.

“Vaccination is our most powerful tool in this ongoing public health emergency, and we look forward to filing our response with the court,” Wu’s office said in a statement to ABC News.

Snow storm to hammer East Coast with blizzard conditions

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are bracing for a snow storm that’s expected to hammer the East Coast with blizzard conditions this weekend.

Blizzard warnings are in effect from coastal Virginia up to Maine, including several major cities such as Ocean City, Atlantic City, Boston and Portland. Seventeen states, from the Carolinas to Maine, are on alert for a strong nor’easter to blast coastal areas with heavy snow and gusty winds.

The snowfall is forecast to start on the East Coast late Friday night and continue into Saturday evening in New England, before the storm exits the area, according to ABC News meteorologists.

Snowfall totals are estimated to be higher than previously expected due to a number of factors. The storm is expected to move closer to shore, bringing heavy bands of snow inland, with a snowfall rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. Moreover, the light and fluffy nature of this snow will help it stack up higher than the wet, heavy snow that typically comes with coastal storms.

The latest forecast has 12 to 20 inches of snow for Boston, 6 to 12 inches for New York City, 4 to 6 inches for Philadelphia and 1 to 2 inches for Washington, D.C.

The frigid air in the forecast will allow the snow to accumulate quickly and create very slick conditions on roads.

Meanwhile, the wind chill on Saturday morning could make the temperature feel like it’s in the single digits for the Interstate 95 corridor and in the teens for the Carolinas, according to ABC News meteorologists.

There’s also the possibility of coastal flooding, from Maryland to New Jersey and into parts of Long Island and New England. With wind gusts forecast to be over 50 mph for many areas from Maine to New Jersey, the strong winds could blow ocean water onto the shore and create flooding.

Blizzard conditions headed to East Coast, Boston mayor declares snow emergency

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Millions of Americans are bracing for a snow storm that’s expected to hammer the East Coast with blizzard conditions this weekend.

The storm, set to begin Friday night, will stretch from the Carolinas to Maine.

Blizzard warnings are in effect from coastal Virginia up to Maine, including Atlantic City, Long Island, Connecticut, Boston and Portland. This marks the first blizzard warning for Boston and the Jersey Shore in four years.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a snow emergency and warned residents to stay home.

The snowfall is forecast to start on the East Coast late Friday night and continue into Saturday evening in New England, before the storm exits the area, according to ABC News meteorologists.

Snowfall totals are estimated to be higher than previously expected due to a number of factors. The storm is expected to move closer to shore, bringing heavy bands of snow inland, with a snowfall rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour. The light and fluffy nature of this snow will help it stack up higher than the wet, heavy snow that typically comes with coastal storms.

The latest forecast has 12 to 20 inches of snow for Boston, 6 to 12 inches for New York City, 4 to 6 inches for Philadelphia and 1 to 2 inches for Washington, D.C.

The frigid air in the forecast will allow the snow to accumulate quickly and create very slick conditions on roads.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency. He warned residents to be mindful of heavy snow and high winds as well as the possibility of tidal flooding and power outages.

Wind gusts are forecast to be over 50 mph for many areas from Maine to New Jersey on…
There’s also the possibility of coastal flooding, from Maryland to New Jersey and into parts of Long Island and New England. With wind gusts forecast to be over 50 mph for many areas from Maine to New Jersey, the strong winds could blow ocean water onto the shore and create flooding.

Biden to Pittsburgh to push infrastructure improvements as local bridge collapses

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PITTSBURGH) — Just hours ahead of President Joe Biden traveling to Pittsburgh to stress improvements needed for the nation’s infrastructure, a bridge in the area collapsed on Friday morning, coincidentally providing Biden an opportunity to tout how his bipartisan infrastructure law provides funding for badly needed repairs.

Biden was scheduled to make 2 p.m. ET remarks on Friday at Carnegie Mellon University, a few miles away from the collapsed bridge near Pittsburg’s Frick’s Park. Ten people were reported injured, according to local authorities.

The White House said not said whether Biden will visit the collapsed bridge, but he has been briefed on the situation.

“The President has been told of the bridge collapse in Pittsburgh. Our team is in touch with state and local officials on the ground as they continue to gather information about the cause of the collapse. The President is grateful to the first responders who rushed to assist the drivers who were on the bridge at the time. The President will proceed with trip planned for today and will stay in touch with officials on the ground about additional assistance we can provide,” the White House said in a statement.

While the president’s domestic agenda has taken the back burner over the past week in the face of threats from Russia on the Ukrainian border and major Supreme Court news, Biden’s appearance puts the spotlight back on his victory in getting the bipartisan infrastructure law passed.

The legislation would provide $1.63 billion to Pennsylvania in federal funding for bridges alone, the third-highest figure for any state. Pennsylvania has 3,353 bridges in poor condition, the second most after Iowa, according to administration data. The bridge program will provide $27 billion across the country.

Pennsylvania, Biden’s home state, has long been a politically symbolic state for him.

Pittsburgh was where he kicked off his 2020 candidacy, and the Keystone State ultimately cinched his presidency. He also unveiled what became the bipartisan infrastructure law there last March.

But several of Pennsylvania’s high-profile Democratic candidates told ABC News, while they support the president and his policy efforts, they also won’t be in attendance for Friday’s event in Pittsburgh, citing “scheduling conflicts.”

A campaign spokesperson for Attorney General Josh Shapiro — who is likely to become the Democratic gubernatorial nominee — tells ABC News the Attorney General is “focused on the issues that matter to Pennsylvania families” but won’t be in Pittsburgh on Friday.

“Like every American should, Josh wants our president to be successful and we’ll continue welcoming President Biden to his home state of Pennsylvania as he touts small businesses and jobs that have been saved by the bipartisan American Rescue Plan and the tens of thousands of Pennsylvania jobs that will be created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” the campaign spokesperson said.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a leading candidate in the Democratic Senate primary, told ABC News, “It’s great that President Biden is coming to Pittsburgh to talk about infrastructure. If infrastructure is Elvis, then Pittsburgh is Graceland. It’s great to come to the city that helped build America to talk about rebuilding America. I’ll be in Harrisburg on Friday meeting with Democrats from across the commonwealth at State Committee and talking about the 2022 midterm election.”

Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Penn., running for Senate in the state, will meet with Biden.

With Pennsylvania’s primary elections are still months away, the unfavorable poll numbers looming over the Biden administration could factor into how Democrats interact with the president on the campaign trail.

Bridge collapses in Pittsburgh, three hospitalized

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PITTSBURGH) — A bridge has collapsed in Pittsburgh Friday morning, sending three people to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Three or four vehicles were on the bridge at the time and everyone in those cars has been extricated, Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones said.

Ten people reported minor injuries including the three victims hospitalized in non-life-threatening condition, Jones said.

First responders trying to help in the icy conditions were among the injured, he said. Responders rappelled down about 150 feet to reach the collapse site, Jones said.

Crews are working to make sure there are no victims under the collapsed bridge, Jones said.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald called the bridge a major artery for the city.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation, Jones said.

This incident comes as President Joe Biden heads to Pittsburgh to tout his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is set to provide $1.63 billion to Pennsylvania in federal funding for bridges, the third highest figure for any state. The bridge program will provide $27 billion across the country.

Pennsylvania has 3,353 bridges in poor condition, the second most after Iowa, according to federal data.

But the Biden administration has repeatedly said it is up to local officials to determine which bridges receive how much money.

Biden has been informed about the bridge collapse and will continue with Friday’s planned trip, White House officials said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.

How the metaverse could impact the world and the future of technology

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Facebook’s announcement in October that it was further embracing the metaverse and rebranding itself as Meta set off a firestorm. While experts say the metaverse is still many years away, the explosion of the term has many asking, what is the metaverse?

The metaverse aims to innovate the way people interact with each other on the internet, interacting in a way previously only thought possible in science fiction.

“The metaverse is essentially a massive, interconnected network of virtual spaces,” Rabindra Ratan, associate professor of media and information at Michigan State University. told ABC News Live. “In theory, we’ll be able to move from one virtual world to another in the metaverse, but we’ll be wearing virtual reality goggles or maybe augmented reality.”

Technologies like virtual reality, a computer-generated simulation of a 3D image or environment, and augmented reality, superimposing a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, will play a significant role in bringing the metaverse to life.

The metaverse could potentially use virtual reality, or augmented reality as we know it now, to immerse users in an alternate world. The technology is still being developed, but companies like Meta say they are building and improving these devices. Meta’s Oculus Quest, now in its second model, is one such device.

“When you’re in the metaverse, when you’re in a virtual reality headset, you will feel like you’re actually sitting in a room with someone else who can see you, who can see all of your nonverbal gestures, who you can respond to and mimic,” Ratan said.

Immersive worlds and creating online avatars is nothing new, as games like Grand Theft Auto Online, Minecraft and Roblox have already created virtual universes. Meta’s announcement last October aims to go beyond entertainment, and create virtual workspaces, homes and experiences for all ages.

“What’s happening now is the metaverse for social media without gaming,” Ratan said. “The new metaverse is designed to support any type of social interaction, whether that’s hanging out with your friends or having a business meeting.”

While the excitement around the concept of a metaverse is rapidly growing, Ratan said bringing that vision to reality is still many years away.

“People are building it in slow bits and pieces,” Ratan said. “We don’t know exactly how people are going to use the metaverse.”

Experts say companies are making sure they are prepared once the change takes place.

“I think no one really knows exactly what shape it’s going to take, but they need to make sure that they’re at the forefront of it,” Arun Maini, a tech YouTuber from England with over 9 million subscribers.

The possibilities of a virtual world, where everything is supported by lines of codes, could open new revenue streams for companies diving into this new venture. The opportunities are limitless, and based on how Americans have adopted an increasingly digital life, the change is already taking place. Walmart announced earlier this month it would step into the virtual world, providing currency and allowing customers to buy and sell NFTs.

“Over the next five years, you’re going to see Metaverse technology become real, concrete and sampleable,” said CNET Editor-at-Large Brian Cooley. “I think it’s going to be impressive, but I think it’s going to have many flavors, not just one.”

A Pew Research study from March 2021 found that 31% of Americans were almost always online, while 79% were online several times a day. Maini said the recent patterns show how people are starting to shift away from physical to virtual goods based on the time spent on apps and games.

“In the metaverse, you will still have those stupidly expensive designer Gucci trainers to be able to show that, ‘Oh yeah, look, I’m doing well for myself,’ even if really it’s just a line of code,” Maini said.

The efforts required to make that world a reality, however, could be extensive. Many people in the U.S. still don’t have access to high-speed broadband connections, and the price of reliable VR hardware could be high. But for Maini, he said the hardware is becoming more affordable and accessible as new technologies are developed.

“Like every day, the promise of this virtual land is increasing. So like a person’s willingness to pay is going up and up and up. And if at the same time that hardware is getting cheaper, there probably will be a point where there’s like mass adoption,” Maini said.

With a high demand, the need for innovation is even higher. Meta announced on Jan. 24 it’s developing a new AI supercomputer, describing it as a building block toward bringing the vision of a metaverse into reality.

“The AI Research SuperCluster, or RSC, will help Meta’s AI researchers build better models that can learn from trillions of examples; work across hundreds of different languages; seamlessly analyze text, images and video together; develop new augmented reality tools and more,” Meta said in a statement.

“Ultimately, the work done with RSC will pave the way toward building technologies for the next major computing platform — the metaverse, where AI-driven applications and products will play an important role,” the statement continued.

Virtual interactions offers enticing financial opportunities for big businesses, but they also raise concerns over the impact on users and safety of its users.

Meta continues to face scrutiny for alleged harmful effects on young users and how it monitors hate speech across its apps, including Instagram. With millions of users able to join different platforms, Maini said moderation is important.

“If you’re trying to moderate something of that level of freedom, then you’re going to have to be moderating in a way that’s like incredibly invasive,” Maini said. “So we either end up in a situation where it’s complete chaos and everyone’s allowed to do everything and you know, there’s racism, sexism, abuse and all that kind of stuff, or there’s incredibly tight moderation and no one’s allowed to do anything.”

With the speed at which technologies are being developed and companies are implementing innovative ideas around immersive reality, it’s only a matter of time before the metaverse becomes a reality.

“The experience of the web will be different in many ways than it is now,” Ratan said.

Obama Center honors Hadiya Pendleton, the Chicago girl who was shot and killed in 2013

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(CHICAGO) — It has been nearly a decade since 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot dead in Chicago, but the Obamas are still keeping her legacy alive in the South Side at the Obama Presidential Center.

Former first lady Michelle Obama, who attended Pendleton’s funeral in 2013, announced in a video message Friday that the Winter Garden at the Obama Presidential Center will be named after Pendleton.

“To this day, I carry Hadiya’s story with me everywhere I go,” she said. “I know that Hadiya’s loss is still raw and devastating for so many of us, especially on the South Side. But hopefully this garden can help share her light with even more people for generations to come.”

Pendleton, a Black girl who attended King College Prep High School, was shot in the back and killed on Jan. 29, 2013, about a mile away from the Obamas’ Chicago neighborhood. She was a majorette in school and one week before she was killed, her drill team performed at Obama’s second inauguration.

The then-first lady attended Pendleton’s funeral in 2013, where she met with Hadiya’s family and friends.

In the video, Obama said that while she never met Hadiya in person, she saw the “extraordinary power and potential that lay inside of this young woman” through speaking with her loved ones.

During the presidency of Barack Obama, Pendleton became a symbol for the tragedy of gun violence in Chicago, and her story became a rallying cry for gun reform around the country.

Her mother, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, also became outspoken about the issue of gun control since her daughter’s death and delivered an address at the Democratic National Convention in 2016 on the issue.

Lessons from a ‘violence interrupter’ as shootings continue to ravage Chicago

In a video message shared by the Obama Presidential Center, Cowley-Pendleton said that her “heart just melted” when she found out that the Winter Garden would be named in honor of her daughter, because she “knew people would be saying her name.”

Hadiya’s parents were guests of the Obamas at the 2013 State of the Union address, where the then-president mentioned Hadiya by name in a message about gun violence.

“One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends they all thought they were her best friend,” Obama said in his Feb. 12, 2013 address to the nation.

“Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote. They deserve a vote,” Obama added, calling on Congress to pass bipartisan gun control legislation.

In August 2018, two men were charged with first-degree murder for Pendleton’s killing.
2 found guilty of murder in shooting of 15-year-old Chicago schoolgirl

Ahead of the September 2021 groundbreaking of the Obama Presidential Center, the former president reflected on the gun violence that has plagued Chicago in an exclusive interview with Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts.

“Chicago alone can’t solve the gun problem,” Obama said, adding that Congress needs to pass “common sense gun safety measures.”

The former president said that tackling the problem is a “generational project” — one that he intends to address through Obama Presidential Center programs like My Brother’s Keeper, which works to create opportunities for boys and men of color in underserved communities.

“If we’re doing that in a systemic way, year after year, then over time we can reduce these incidents of violence,” he said.

Gun violence has continued to skyrocket in Chicago, and according to a January 2022 report from the Cook County medical examiner’s office, more people were shot to death in Chicago and the surrounding Cook County in 2021 than in any other year on record.

Report paints grim picture of Chicago-area gun deaths.

Who is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson?

January 28, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — When word came that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was retiring, the spotlight almost immediately shifted to who might replace him — and getting a lot of attention has been Ketanji Brown Jackson, who clerked for Breyer about 20 years ago.

A Harvard Law School graduate, and now a federal appeals court judge, Jackson, despite her professional and academic accolades, considers hard work to be one of the most important factors, throughout her life, that got her where she is today.

She was born 51 years ago, in 1970, in Washington, D.C. Her parents, both public school teachers, had moved to Washington from Miami in the post-civil rights era.

She has recounted in a 2017 speech that her parents, wanting to show pride in their African ancestry, asked her aunt, who was then in the Peace Corps in Africa, for a list of African girl names.

Taking one of her suggestions, Jackson’s parents named her Ketanji Onyika, which she said they were told translates to “lovely one.”

In 2017, Jackson, in a lecture at the University of Georgia School of Law, revealed more of her personal side, reflecting not just on her legal career — but on dealing with motherhood at the same time.

“Right now, in fact, I’m in that peculiar stage of life when I experience near-daily whiplash from the jarring juxtaposition of my two most significant roles: U.S. district judge on the one hand and mother of teenage daughters on the other,” she said.

Jackson and her husband Patrick, a doctor, have two daughters, Talia who was 16 and Leila who was 12 years old at the time she told that story. During that same talk, Jackson said her family values include respecting everyone and making your best effort in everything you do.

“In our family, we have a mantra that emphasizes prioritization on work over play as one of our first principles,” Jackson said. “As the girls would testify, ‘do what you need to do before what you want to do’ is a constant refrain in our house.”

Jackson is currently serving on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, considered the most important federal court next to the Supreme Court. It has jurisdiction over cases involving Congress and the executive branch agencies.

During her confirmation hearing for her current position, Republican senators grilled her on whether she thought race would play a factor in her decision-making.

Jackson said when she considers cases, she is looking at the facts and the law.

“I’m methodically and intentionally setting aside personal views, any other inappropriate considerations,” she said. “I would think that race would be the kind of thing that would be inappropriate to inject in an evaluation of a case.”

The Senate eventually made her the first Black woman confirmed to an appellate court in a decade. Right now, there are only six Black women serving as judges on federal appeals courts.

President Joe Biden said Thursday he is committed to keeping his campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court — and that pledge is bound to come up at confirmation hearings if he picks her.

She has noted she is “fairly certain” her ancestors were slaves on both sides of her family.

“It is the beauty and the majesty of this country, that someone who comes from a background like mine could find herself in this position,” Jackson said during her Senate confirmation hearing last year. “I’m just enormously grateful to have this opportunity to be a part of the law in this way, and I’m truly thankful for the president giving me the honor of this nomination.”

Former President Barack Obama interviewed Jackson in 2016 for the Supreme Court to fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat after his death.

Before that, Jackson said during her speech at the University of Georgia, her youngest daughter, Leila, came to her and her husband and asked if they knew Justice Scalia had died, leading to a vacancy on the nation’s highest court. Jackson said Leila’s middle school friends decided she should apply.

“Getting to be on the Supreme Court isn’t really a job you apply for,” Jackson said she explained to Leila. “You just have to be lucky enough to have the president find you among the thousands of people who might want to do that job.”

Jackson then shared how her daughter decided to write President Obama, telling him to consider her mom for the Supreme Court.

She said her daughter’s handwritten note read, “she is determined, honest and never breaks a promise to anyone, even if there are other things she’d rather do. She can demonstrate commitment and is loyal and never brags.”

Maybe true to form, Jackson has had no public comment since the news broke about her old boss, Justice Breyer, and whether she might soon replace him — and make history.

ABC News’ Devin Dwyer contributed to this report.

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