Current:Home > NewsAn unprecedented week at the Supreme Court -GrowthProspect
An unprecedented week at the Supreme Court
View
Date:2025-04-17 05:26:47
The Supreme Court ended its term with a bang this past week, delivering a flurry of momentous decisions that underscored the growing influence of its six conservative justices, three of them appointed by former President Donald Trump.
In 6-3 decisions, the court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor …
- Read full text of the Supreme Court affirmative action ruling
- Read the full text of the dissents on affirmative action ruling by Sotomayor and Jackson
- Opponents, supporters of affirmative action on whether college admissions can be truly colorblind ("Sunday Morning")
It ruled that the Biden administration's plan to wipe out billions in student debt was not authorized by Congress …
- Read full text of Supreme Court student loan forgiveness decision striking down Biden's debt cancellation plan
- What is the Higher Education Act —and could it still lead to student loan forgiveness?
And it decided the First Amendment allows certain people who object to same-sex marriage to violate a state law prohibiting discrimination.
- Read full text of the Supreme Court decision on web designer declining to make LGBTQ wedding websites
The rulings sparked protests, with demonstrators chanting, "We won't go back!"
The Atlantic's Adam Harris says the week was historic not only for the court's sharp right turn, but for the highly-charged opinions that revealed the court's deep divide on the biggest issues of our time: race, education, and gay rights. "The conservative majority has found their way to flex their muscle," Harris said. "It's hard to see how that will change in the foreseeable future."
The high court's standoff will reverberate across the country, with sweeping consequences in people's lives, starting with those college applications and loans.
Harris said, "If you look at Black students in particular, Black students are more likely to take on debt than white students; they're more likely to take on more debt; and they're more likely to default on that debt on the back end. And so, you're pushing them out of well-resourced institutions.
"You've effectively got a very bleak picture for higher education going forward," he said.
The passions evident in the justices' opinions extend to American politics, where next year's election looms. President Joe Biden is now contending with a court that infuriates Democratic voters – and him.
"This is not a normal court," he declared Thursday, following its affirmative action ruling. "Across the board, the vast majority of the American people don't agree with a lot of the decisions this court is making."
- Biden says Supreme Court's affirmative action decision can't be "the last word"
- Biden lays out "new path" for student loan relief after Supreme Court decision
Many Biden allies believe the court's decisions this past week could galvanize Democratic voters, much like the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year motivated many supporters of abortion rights to show up at the polls.
But Mr. Biden is not yet ready to push for an expansion of the number of Supreme Court justices, which some progressive Democrats have advocated.
The president said Thursday that be thinks trying to expand the court "is a mistake," because it risks further politicizing the court in the future.
Republican presidential contenders have echoed the conservatives on the court, embracing the culture war as a battleground they believe could be a political winner in 2024.
In an interview on Fox Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, "We're not gonna try to divvy you up by your skin color. That is the absolute appropriate decision for the country, and we're gonna be much better off."
Costa asked Harris, "For Republicans, this has been a week of victory. Are they going just to continue to move forward and try to accumulate more power?"
"It doesn't seem that this is going to slow or abate any time soon," Harris replied. "I think that, effectively, conservatives always saw their strategy to sort of claim the courts as one that would be functional in terms of advancing their political goals. And if anything, the last couple of weeks have shown that that thought that they had has really [borne] itself out."
But even after next year's elections, the court's place in the hearts of minds of many Americans – how it's viewed, how it's respected (if at all) – is unlikely to be settled anytime soon.
- CBS News poll finds most say Roe's overturn has been bad for country
Costa asked, "What does this mean for the integrity and reputation of the Court, to be taking such positions on issues that are coursing through American life, from race to education?"
"It was really interesting in reading the opinions, particularly those from Chief Justice Roberts, that really tried to soften the blow," said Harris. "I think that he is really concerned.
"You know, over the last several weeks, several months, you've seen stories that have come out about the conservative justices, the gifts that they've received from billionaires, and effectively a case against some of the ethical concerns … I think that the conservative majority is really concerned about the way that they appear publicly. But that has not, clearly, stopped them from issuing these rulings that, in some cases, kind of go against the public opinion."
- Justice Clarence Thomas says he didn't believe he had to report trips with billionaire GOP donor
- New report on Justice Samuel Alito's travel with GOP donor draws more scrutiny of Supreme Court ethics
- Bipartisan Senate bill would require Supreme Court to impose code of conduct
For more info:
- Adam Harris, The Atlantic
Story produced by Jon Carras. Editor: Chad Cardin.
- In:
- Supreme Court of the United States
Robert Costa is CBS News' chief election and campaign correspondent based in Washington, D.C.
TwitterveryGood! (133)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor known for Tevye of Fiddler on the Roof, has died
- From viral dance hit to Oscar winner, RRR's 'Naatu Naatu' has a big night
- Highlights from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- 'Olivia' creator and stage designer Ian Falconer dies at 63
- Prosecutors file charges against Alec Baldwin in fatal shooting on movie set
- A home invasion gets apocalyptic in 'Knock At The Cabin'
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend reading, listening and viewing
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Rescue crews start a new search for actor Julian Sands after recovering another hiker
- 'All the Beauty in the World' conveys Met guard's profound appreciation for art
- Gustavo Dudamel's new musical home is the New York Philharmonic
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Tatjana Patitz, one of the original supermodels of the '80s and '90s, dies at age 56
- Jinkies! 'Velma' needs to get a clue
- 'A Room With a View' actor Julian Sands is missing after he went on a hike
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Harvey Weinstein will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after LA sentence
Want to understand the U.S.? This historian says the South holds the key
3 books in translation that have received acclaim in their original languages
Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
Take your date to the grocery store
New MLK statue in Boston is greeted with a mix of open arms, consternation and laughs
After tragic loss, Marc Maron finds joy amidst grief with 'From Bleak to Dark'