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Happening Today: Anthony Kennedy, Migrant Families, Amazon, Flu Drug, Joe Jackson

What to Know

  • Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement is setting off a momentous confirmation battle for President Trump's next Supreme Court nominee
  • A pill that is touted to help rein in flu symptoms with a single dose is getting a speedy review from the Food and Drug Administration
  • Joseph Jackson, the strong, fearsome patriarch of the musical Jackson family, has died, according to a person close to the family

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Justice Anthony Kennedy's Exit Triggers Epic Supreme Court Clash

Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement is setting off a momentous confirmation battle for President Trump's next Supreme Court nominee that is certain to consume the Senate, inflame partisan tensions and shape the outcome of the midterm elections. All sides quickly mobilized after Kennedy — a singular voice on the court whose votes have decided issues on abortion, affirmative action, gay rights, guns, campaign finance and voting rights — sent shockwaves through Washington by announcing his retirement plans. Trump said he would start the effort to replace Kennedy "immediately" and would pick from a list of 25 names that he updated last year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared that the Senate "will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy's successor this fall." With Kennedy's departure, Republicans have a longed-for opportunity to tip the balance of the court.

DHS Requests 12,000 Beds for Detained Migrant Families, Officials Say

The Department of Homeland Security has formally requested space for up to 12,000 beds at a military base to detain families caught crossing the border illegally, the Defense Department said. The request seeks 2,000 beds to be up and running in the next 45 days, and the remaining space to be available on an as-needed basis, the Defense Department said in a statement. The facility must comply with Immigration and Customs Enforcement's family residential standards, as well as a 1997 agreement known as the Flores settlement, which governs how children are housed in immigration custody. Those standards require air conditioning, libraries, private showers, plus medical, dental and mental health facilities. Those rules also state there must be freedom of movement within the facility during the day. The facility will be housed at a military base, but it's not clear yet which one. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said two bases had been identified to house migrants: Goodfellow Air Force Base near San Angelo, Texas, and Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, which comprises more than 1 million acres in Texas and New Mexico.

Move Over UPS Truck: Amazon Delivery Vans to Hit the Street

Your Amazon packages, which usually show up in a UPS truck, an unmarked vehicle or in the hands of a mail carrier, may soon be delivered from an Amazon van. The online retailer, wanting more control over how its packages are delivered, rolled out a program that lets entrepreneurs around the country launch businesses that deliver Amazon packages. They'll be able to lease blue vans with the Amazon logo stamped on it, buy Amazon uniforms for drivers and get support from Amazon to grow their business. In return, Amazon gets more ways to ship its packages to shoppers without having to rely on UPS, FedEx and other package delivery services. With these vans on the road, Amazon said more shoppers would be able to track their packages on a map, contact the driver or change where a package is left -- all of which it can't do if the package is in the back of UPS or FedEx truck. Amazon has beefed up its delivery network in other ways: It has a fleet of cargo planes it calls "Prime Air," announced last year that it was building an air cargo hub in Kentucky and pays people as much as $25 an hour to deliver packages with their cars through Amazon Flex.

New, Fast-Acting Flu Drug Gets Priority FDA Review

A pill that is touted to help rein in flu symptoms with a single dose is getting a speedy review from the Food and Drug Administration, NBC News reported. The pill's manufacturer, Genentech, said the FDA granted a priority review to baloxavir marboxil, with approval possible by the end of the year. Flu viruses have long been resistant to the first two antiviral flu drugs, and a new flu drug hasn't hit the U.S. market in years. This drug, already approved in Japan, helps stop viruses replicating earlier in the process than drugs like Tamiflu and is "going to be more convenient ... because it works after a single dose," Genentech vice president Mark Eisner said.

Jackson Family Patriarch Joe Jackson Dead at 89

Joseph Jackson, the strong, fearsome patriarch of the musical Jackson family, has died, according to a person close to the family. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed to discuss the topic publicly, told The Associated Press that Jackson died but had no additional information. He was 89. Jackson was a guitarist who put his own musical ambitions aside to work in the steel mills to support his wife and nine children in Gary, Indiana. But he far surpassed his own dreams through his children, particularly his exceptionally gifted seventh child, Michael. Fronted by the then-pint-sized wonder and brothers Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie, the Jackson 5 was an instant sensation in 1969 and became the first phase of superstardom for the Jackson family. Over the following decades, millions would listen to both group and solo recordings by the Jackson 5 (who later became known as The Jacksons) and Michael would become one of the most popular entertainers in history.

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