Jair Bolsonaro’s Supreme Court dark horse. Brazil’s job market situation is a Rorschach test. And Brazil picking a fight with Joe Biden.
Bolsonaro zeroes in on Supreme Court pick
The government has leaked information that President Jair Bolsonaro intends to choose Federal Judge Kássio Nunes, from the northeastern state of Piauí, for a spot on the Supreme Court. A seat will become vacant on October 13, when Justice Celso de Mello — the longest-tenured member in the court’s history — will retire. Mr. Nunes’ name was completely off the radar, with reports suggesting he was not even considering campaigning for the job. Regardless, the potential pick sends some important signals:
- Mr. Bolsonaro reportedly zeroed in on Kássio Nunes after a meeting with Supreme Court Justices Dias Toffoli and Gilmar Mendes, brokered by Senate President Davi Alcolumbre. By choosing someone who is well regarded in the field of law — and has political connections — the president appears to be extending an olive branch to Congress and the court, which has not pulled many punches in decisions affecting the government.
What the president wants. There are two probes underway in the Supreme Court that could hurt the Bolsonaro family: an investigation into...