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Afternoon Briefs: Dechert associate wins ‘Jeopardy!’ and fans’ hearts; judge sides with hospital requiring vaccines

By Debra Cassens Weiss

June 14, 2021, 4:29 pm CDT

Dechert associate wins over Jeopardy! fans

Dechert associate Julia Markham Cameron won over Jeopardy! fans with her quirky facial expressions during an appearance earlier this month in which she won more than $16,000. “It’s certainly not what I thought I would be known for at this stage in my career. But I’m happy that people are having fun with it,” Cameron told Reuters. Cameron said she has always had animated facial expressions, similar to actor Jim Carrey, and it gets worse with nerves. (Reuters video, the Brooklyn Reporter, the New York Post)

Judge tosses employee suit contesting hospital’s vaccine demand

U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes of the Southern District of Texas ruled Saturday that 117 employees at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas can’t sue over a coronavirus vaccine requirement. Hughes found no cause of action for wrongful termination because Texas law only protects employees for refusing to commit an act that carries criminal penalties. He also found no cause of action for violation of a federal law regarding unapproved vaccines because it does not apply to private employers. (The New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR)

Former White House counsel’s Apple info subpoenaed in 2018

Apple complied with a February 2018 subpoena for account information relating to then-White House counsel Don McGahn, according to two unnamed sources who spoke with the New York Times. Information for McGahn’s wife was also subpoenaed. McGahn learned about the subpoena last month, while his wife received an earlier notice, according to the Washington Post, which relies on an anonymous source. It is not known what investigators wanted to know. (The New York Times, the Washington Post)

First Step Act doesn’t help some crack offenders, SCOTUS says

Crack offenders sentenced under a law that didn’t require a mandatory minimum sentence can’t seek reduced sentences under the First Step Act, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas was based on the wording of the 2018 law. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a concurrence calling the result “no small injustice” and urging Congress to address the issue. The case is Terry v. United States. (SCOTUSblog, the Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today, the June 14 decision)