Three Things for March 31
1. Republican senator will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
(AP Photo)
On Wednesday, March 30, Maine Senator Susan Collins confirmed her vote to give Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson a seat on the Supreme Court.
“Collins met with Jackson a second time this week after four days of hearings last week and said Wednesday that ‘she possesses the experience, qualifications and integrity to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court,’” reports AP News.
Collins’ support gives Democrats at least a one-vote cushion in the 50-50 Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee aims to vote on Jackson’s nomination on April 4.
If voted in, Jackson will be the first Black woman on the supreme court.
For more information, read the full AP News article.
2. NASA astronaut lands after a record 355-day spaceflight
In this photo provided by NASA, U.S. astronaut and Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei peers at the Earth below. (Kayla Barron/NASA via AP)
Yesterday, March 30, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned to earth after 355 days at the International Space Station. Vande Hei landed in a Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan with two Russian astronauts, Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov..
"Mark's mission is not only record-breaking, but also paving the way for future human explorers on the Moon, Mars, and beyond," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Our astronauts make incredible sacrifices in the name of science, exploration, and cutting-edge technology development, not least among them time away from loved ones."
Vande Hei‘s return to Earth followed customary procedures despite the tensions between Russia and the US over the invasion of Ukraine.
“People have problems on Earth. On-orbit, we are one crew,” Shkaplerov stated in a live NASA TV interview.
3. Walgreens enlists robots to help fill prescriptions
As pharmacists’ roles change within drug stores, Walgreens has enlisted robots to help fulfill prescriptions. Walgreens plans to open 22 upgraded stores across the country.
“The pandemic has intensified the drugstore chain’s need to stay relevant as online pharmacies siphon off sales and more customers have items from toilet paper to toothpaste delivered to their doorstep. The global health crisis has also heightened demand for pharmacists, as hospitals and drugstores hired them to administer Covid vaccines and tests,” reports CNBC.
Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer is rethinking health care within the company. By 2025, she says most of Walgreens’ prescription volume could be filled at the automated centers.
“We’re doing all of this work, so that the pharmacist has an easier job, so that they can get back to being front and center, building a relationship with that patient and interacting the way they were trained — the work that they love to do,” said Brewer, in an interview with CNBC.
