Like with abortion rights last year, the Supreme Court once again this week made decisions that went against the grain of public opinion.
There were a pair of rulings in particular that could have major political consequences – essentially ending the use of race as a factor in college admissions and siding with a Colorado web designer who didn’t want to be compelled to service same-sex couples looking for a wedding website.
The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found a majority said they think affirmative-action programs in hiring, promoting and college admissions should continue. And Gallup showed Americans are increasingly supportive of same-sex couples.
For a long time, the Supreme Court stood above politics, as ideological crossover in controversial cases wasn’t uncommon. For example, in 1992, all five justices who sided with Planned Parenthood in Planned Parenthood v. Casey were appointed by Republican presidents. (Until last year’s unpopular Dobbs ruling, Casey was widely seen as reaffirming the right to an abortion in the states.)
But that’s all changed. After Casey, in particular, the conservative legal movement, led by the Federalist Society, pushed to better “vet” GOP-appointed justices – and they succeeded.
Now, with these outside-the-mainstream decisions, the Supreme Court is seeing a decline in confidence.
It’s not surprising, and it’s not dissimilar to the problem GOP candidates are facing. Most in the presidential primary are pushing policies that are largely unpopular with the independent and swing voters who tend to decide general elections.
But while Republican candidates duke it out for who is most to the right, a sea of frustrated Democratic and independent voters, wanting to turn the political tide, awaits.
Student loans un-forgiven: It was a busy week at the Supreme Court. The court also struck down President Biden’s plan to forgive student loan debt for tens of millions Americans along ideological lines. The decision will affect as many as 43 million borrowers, or roughly 1 in 8 Amercans.
Raskin weighs a Senate run: Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin is on the verge of a major decision: whether to stay in the House of Representatives or vie for the blue state’s open Senate seat. This decision comes in the wake of two years of life challenges for Raskin – including a battle with lymphoma, the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the loss of his son to suicide. Raskin sat down with our Claudia Grisales to talk about his journey with grief, the state of democracy and where his head is ahead of a self-imposed July 4th deadline to announce his plans.
The price of a China trade war: Dan Digre’s family has been making loudspeakers in Minnesota for decades. But tariffs on imports from China – including the tiny, specialized component parts that go into a loudspeaker – mean that it’s cheaper to build his product overseas altogether. It’s an ironic, unintended consequence of a policy meant to deter U.S. reliance on Chinese manufacturing.
A potentially historic campaign: Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride has announced a run for the House, launching a bid that could make her the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress. The 32-year-old Democrat has long been considered a rising star in Delaware politics, and is running to succeed Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is herself running for Senate in the state.
'Failed to sound the alarm': Nearly two and a half years after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Senate Democrats criticized intelligence agencies for failing to “accurately assess the severity of the threat.”A report by a Senate committee says that “despite the high volume of tips and online traffic about the potential for violence,” intelligence agencies failed to adequately prepare law enforcement.
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Going Deeper: Politics Podcast on SCOTUS
Listen to NPR's Nina Totenberg, Domenico Montanaro and Cory Turnerunpack Friday's Supreme Court opinions -- the last of its current term: the case where the conservative majority sided with a web designer who wanted to refuse service for a same-sex marriage and the case that struck down Biden's student loan relief program.
A three-week heat wave has gripped the southern U.S. and Mexico, with temperatures shattering records in Texas. Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related disaster in the United States, particularly for outdoor workers and vulnerable communities. Experts warn that they are only getting more common due to climate change. Read more.
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