first black woman ever on the supreme court and the first justice since thurgood marshall who retired with significant experience defending criminal. she s a former public defense lawyer for the past eight years she s been a federal trial judge and at her confirmation hearing for the appeals court she was asked what role race would play in her decisions. i don t think that race plays a role in the kind of judge that i have been and that i would be. i like the oliver wendell holmes quote that the light of the law is experience. she s one of the youngest second to amy coney barrett who turned 50 last month.politics former president trump making headlines and later the cdc s new guidance on masks. what you need to know.