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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor In Albany

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Ian Pickus | WAMC
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor capped a two-day visit to the Capital Region with a speech at the University at Albany Tuesday night.

With the Senate getting closer to a vote on nominee Neil Gorsuch, Justice Sotomayor was careful to avoid politics in her speech to students, faculty, staff and the general public.

The Obama appointee, the court's first Latina, instead focused on her personal story, from the Bronx to the nation's highest court. She touched on living with diabetes, her family, and her battle against workplace sexism.

With the caveat that she wasn't taking sides politically, Sotomayor asked rhetorically, "Why is that we've had an African American president but yet have never had a woman as president?"

And the lifelong Yankee fan said her favorite was former center fielder Bernie Williams.

A lifelong resident of the Capital Region, Ian joined WAMC in late 2008 and became news director in 2013. He began working on Morning Edition and has produced The Capitol Connection, Congressional Corner, and several other WAMC programs. Ian can also be heard as the host of the WAMC News Podcast and on The Roundtable and various newscasts. Ian holds a BA in English and journalism and an MA in English, both from the University at Albany, where he has taught journalism since 2013.
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