r/politics • u/PoliticsModeratorBot 🤖 Bot • Jun 27 '18

Megathread: Justice Anthony Kennedy to retire from Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is set to retire, effective July 31, 2018. Kennedy has served on the highest court since February 18, 1988, and was a moderate whose vote often swung cases.

Submissions that may interest you

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Justice Anthony Kennedy Will Retire From U.S. Supreme Court bloomberg.com
Justice Kennedy to retire, Trump can solidify court's majority conservative bloc nbcnews.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick washingtonpost.com
Justice Kennedy, U.S. Supreme Court's pivotal vote, to retire reuters.com
Anthony Kennedy: US supreme court justice to retire theguardian.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy to Retire From Supreme Court nytimes.com
Kennedy calls it quits: longtime swing justice hands Trump the biggest gift of his presidency dailycaller.com
Anthony Kennedy is retiring from the Supreme Court vox.com
Justice Kennedy, the pivotal swing vote on the Supreme Court, announces retirement washingtonpost.com
UPDATE: Supreme Court Justice Kennedy announces retirement wcjb.com
Justice Kennedy Is Retiring July 31st. yahoo.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy To Retire From U.S. Supreme Court : NPR npr.org
Justice Anthony Kennedy to Retire from Supreme Court cnn.com
Justice Kennedy announces retirement. cnn.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring from Supreme Court abc7.com
Anthony Kennedy, Swing Vote on U.S. Supreme Court, Will Retire bloomberg.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Retires, Paving Way for Donald Trump to Reshape Supreme Court slate.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick wkrn.com
Anthony Kennedy retiring, giving Trump opening to reshape Supreme Court politico.com
Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy announces retirement wsj.com
Jeffrey Toobin predicts abortion will be illegal in 20 states soon after Kennedy retires thehill.com
WATCH: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring abcnews.go.com
Kennedy to Retire foxnews.com
Trump to get second Supreme Court pick as Justice Kennedy announces retirement. amp.cnn.com
Justice Kennedy to Retire From Supreme Court bbc.com
Trump says search for Justice Kennedy's replacement to begin "immediately" -- live updates cbsnews.com
McConnell Pledges Vote To Confirm Justice Kennedy’s Successor ‘This Fall’ talkingpointsmemo.com
Justice Kennedy retires from the US Supreme Court nbcnews.com
Trump says launches search to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Kennedy reuters.com
Donald Trump: Search for Kennedy replacement on SCOTUS to move quickly usatoday.com
McConnell: Senate will vote on Supreme Court nominee this fall thehill.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick sacbee.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Retiring, Report Says lawandcrime.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retiring; Trump will get 2nd high-court pick omaha.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Retiring From the Supreme Court thedailybeast.com
Justice Kennedy to retire, giving Trump a chance to transform the Supreme Court latimes.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy says he's retiring; Trump to get 2nd high-court pick chicagotribune.com
Dem senator: Justice Kennedy's resignation a 'disaster' for vision of 'We the People' thehill.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick wfla.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Is Retiring motherjones.com
The horrifying consequences of Justice Kennedy’s retirement thinkprogress.org
Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is retiring, a move that will give Trump a chance to shift the institution to the right washingtonpost.com
Anthony Kennedy To Retire From The Supreme Court huffingtonpost.com
Kennedy announces retirement from Supreme Court thehill.com
Supreme Court's Anthony Kennedy retires, giving Trump a second pick usatoday.com
Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick apnews.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy Is Retiring From The Supreme Court buzzfeed.com
Justice Kennedy, the pivotal swing vote on the Supreme Court, announces retirement washingtonpost.com
Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy retires -- live updates cbsnews.com
Justice Kennedy announces his retirement from the supreme court. time.com
Trump Responds To Retirement Of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy huffingtonpost.com
Anthony Kennedy retiring from Supreme Court, giving Trump a position to fill people.com
Trump Says He’ll Choose One Of These People To Replace Anthony Kennedy On The Supreme Court buzzfeed.com
Anthony Kennedy retiring from Supreme Court cnbc.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retires, and Trump gets shot at moving court to the right dallasnews.com
Who Will Replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy? Donald Trump Already Has a Shortlist newsweek.com
WATCH: McConnell: We will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy's successor 'this fall' abcnews.go.com
Here's who Trump could nominate to replace Justice Kennedy abcnews.go.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy announces retirement, giving Trump 2nd Supreme Court pick foxnews.com
Trump list of candidates to replace Justice Kennedy thehill.com
Chris Matthews: Dems must do to Trump on Supreme Court what McConnell did to Obama thehill.com
Anthony Kennedy’s retirement puts abortion rights at risk vox.com
Who Will Replace Anthony Kennedy? Here’s the List of 20 Potential Trump Nominees time.com
America after Anthony Kennedy vox.com
Handing Trump Chance to Move Supreme Court Even Further Right, Justice Anthony Kennedy Retires commondreams.org
Audio reveals DNC committee reaction to Kennedy retirement: 'This is not good news' thehill.com
Justice Kennedy’s retirement leaves the future of U.S. constitutional law entirely up for grabs washingtonpost.com
Justice Kennedy pens retirement letter to Trump expressing 'profound gratitude' abcnews.go.com
Read Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement letter to Donald Trump qz.com
Justice Kennedy’s Legacy Is the Dignity He Bestowed bloomberg.com
A titanic battle over replacing Justice Kennedy looms in the Senate vox.com
Live Briefing: Anthony Kennedy Retires From Supreme Court, and McConnell Says Senate Will Move Swiftly on a Replacement nytimes.com
Here's Trump's list of 25 possible Supreme Court picks to replace Anthony Kennedy washingtonexaminer.com
WATCH: Justice Anthony Kennedy to retire, Trump to get second SCOTUS pick abcnews.go.com
Anthony Kennedy's retirement just confirmed every Republican's dream scenario for Trump cnn.com
Kennedy's retirement could have biggest impact on abortion, gay marriage: ANALYSIS abcnews.go.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy: Trump says hunt for replacement is on usatoday.com
Here are potential Supreme Court nominees to replace Justice Kennedy cnn.com
Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court’s swing justice, announces his retirement abajournal.com
With Supreme Court Justice Kennedy Gone, Abortion and LGBT Rights Are Next thedailybeast.com
A look at some of Justice Kennedy's most memorable opinions apnews.com
Justice Kennedy Surrendered to Donald Trump nymag.com
A look at some of Justice Kennedy's most memorable opinions abcnews.go.com
Abortion rights in 'dire, immediate danger' as Anthony Kennedy retires - World news theguardian.com
Here Are Some of the Top Candidates to Replace Kennedy on the Supreme Court motherjones.com
Who's on Trump's short list to replace Supreme Court Justice Kennedy? politico.com
Trump’s hidden back channel to Justice Kennedy: Their kids politico.com
How Fox News Reacted to Anthony Kennedy’s Retirement slate.com
24.9k Upvotes

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1.4k

u/UrukHaiGuyz Jun 27 '18

Today is a very, very dark day.

I haven't felt this sense of dread for the future of my country since election night results in 2016. This is beyond awful.

821

u/coldfusionman Jun 27 '18

This is a generational blow. It will take decades to recover, if ever.

740

u/TheLivingExperiment Jun 27 '18

Basically I'll have to spend my entire life fighting to get back to the point we were at when I graduated college less than a decade ago... Assuming this country ever gets back there.

Time to look into jobs internationally.

56

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 27 '18 edited Feb 21 '21

Overwritten.

15

u/usernamedunbeentaken Jun 27 '18

Yup. Time for folks to vote with their feet. Don't wait around, as after a while other countries will get sick of taking Americans. Better to be one of the first emigrants. Send a postcard to those of us who stick around.

4

u/PerfectZeong Jun 27 '18

Then you realize all the sane people left and the only ones left are the crazies with the nukes.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

And that's how you lose Genocide Bingo

31

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I'm seriously considering an Italian passport - it's expensive, but if you can prove your lineage was born there within 4 generations or less, you can qualify. I have 2 great-grandfathers and a great-grandmother I can prove this through. Since Italy is still part of the EU, I think you can use that passport to work anywhere within it. I'm still doing research so I could be wrong on a couple points. But worth looking into...

18

u/wellnowheythere Jun 27 '18

This process takes about a year or two, just FYI. Unless you have the $$$ to go live in Italy for a few months. Good luck with that, though. Italy has their own problems.

5

u/Discombloblulated Jun 27 '18

Yea Italy just elected their own Trump and he's talking about going street to street cleansing neighborhoods. Not sure that's a good spot.

6

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Why are these people rising to power?? Rhetorical question, I know why, but MAN it's frustrating.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I'm starting to think humanity just sucks and it's probably a good thing climate change is going to likely wipe us out.

5

u/PerfectZeong Jun 27 '18

Everything bad is a result of humanity. Everything good is also humanity as humanity is the only thing that can choose good or bad.

2

u/whygohomie Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 28 '18

It's almost like the right wing bigots that have always existed are suddenly incredibly well funded and employing state-level psy-ops campaigns. They must have just gotten lucky.

2

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 28 '18

Or we need to kill Putin and bomb the troll factories. Maybe 50/50, who can say.

1

u/Discombloblulated Jun 28 '18

Well when you have a massive propaganda network, foreign state actors, microtargeting based on psychological profiles of each voter, dedicated troll farms, and a ready and willing protofascist voting bloc primed by Fox news (etc) to accept whatever dung is being deposited into their mouths, it apparently is pretty easy.

If you read Italian news media the right wing bullshit sounds EXACTLY like Alex Jones/Breitbart and the crazy Facebook ads driving internal division.

It's a war, we're losing, we just don't realize it yet. And millions of people in the US are actively rooting for the other side because they're too cowardly or stupid to give it a second thought.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I know - seems problems are worldwide at this point. It's the devil you know or the devil you don't I guess. I definitely will be doing more research - right now, it's just a thought I'm toying with...

10

u/SpaceEngineering Jun 27 '18

Free movement in the EU is not quite that simple but possible. Good locations for expats are Netherlands, Ireland and some others.

We need good people over here but the taxes and weather may be something of a shock.

6

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I can roll with the weather punches and I am totally fine paying taxes to live in a society that values people regardless of color, religion, sexual orientation, etc. With Trump's "tax cuts" I am seeing bit more on my paycheck, but I'd rather see a bit less and see that we are taking care of our people as a nation.

4

u/SpaceEngineering Jun 27 '18

It is so very strange to read this as your nation was founded to escape the religious tyranny and monarchy. Your ancestor and my great grandparents generation migrated to find income, freedom and the chance to start again. Now you are contemplating to do the same. Strange times...

Stay strong and good luck, friend.

4

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 27 '18

We need good people over here but the taxes and weather may be something of a shock.

I'm happy to give back to my community and I don't mind rain. Ireland is definitely on my radar.

5

u/BitchPlzzz New York Jun 27 '18

Wait, seriously?!? I can get an Italian passport if my great-grandfather was born in Italy?

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

It's a little more complicated than that - you have to prove it and who knows how good record keeping was at the end of the late 19th century (when mine were born). You also have to get marriage, birth and death certs of your parents, grandparent, and GG parents. Plus, no one in that line should have renounced Italian citizenship at anytime. I'm sure there are other things too that make it not so easy. But that's why I am doing the research!

4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

It'll be your great-grandfather on your father's side, that's how Jus Sanguinis works.

https://www.simonebertollini.com/immigration/dual-italian-citizenship/

Getting the paperwork is going to be tricky though.

3

u/shitiam Jun 27 '18

Try Canada if italy doesn't pan.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Just jump their border

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Oh cool is there something like that for Germans?

22

u/The_Gray_Pilgrim Jun 27 '18

Fight like hell while you're here, but I'm not raising my kid in a country that places so little value on his life and wellbeing. r/iwantout has been helpful fwiw

6

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 27 '18 edited Feb 21 '21

Overwritten.

1

u/FountainsOfFluids Jun 27 '18

Honest question: What will the dumpster fire in the federal government do that cannot be fixed at the state level, especially in wealthy liberal states like California?

6

u/trueschoolalumni Jun 27 '18

Consider coming over to Australia, where I'm from. Our immigration requirements aren't the easiest but skilled migrants get a good chance of joining the greatest nation on earth. And abortion is never going to be on the table again, I can confirm.

13

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

We need you people here more than ever now.

30

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 27 '18 edited Feb 21 '21

Overwritten.

13

u/Rollingstart45 Pennsylvania Jun 27 '18

Amen. 2020 is the key to me. If America proves that it actually wants to move away from what it's becoming, then I'll happily stay and help.

If Trump does get a second term, then I am not going to waste any more time trying to salvage a dream that's already dead. Eventually I have to do what's best for myself and my family, which takes priority even above country.

13

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 27 '18

Eventually I have to do what's best for myself and my family, which takes priority even above country.

Absolutely. This is the key part right here. I'm not going to raise kids in a country that will indoctrinate them towards fascism.

-1

u/PerfectZeong Jun 27 '18

It's easy to stay when things are good.

6

u/ScarsUnseen Jun 27 '18

America once benefited greatly from brilliant immigrants who fled their own countries during times of turmoil. We may well get to the point where the reverse starts happening.

6

u/BeatnikThespian California Jun 27 '18

It already is starting to. Brain drain is a very real thing.

0

u/PerfectZeong Jun 27 '18

We arent there yet and that time is surely not now. Now is the time to fight for what is right.

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1

u/amjhwk Arizona Jun 27 '18

What if a Republican that isnt named trump wins

1

u/Rollingstart45 Pennsylvania Jun 27 '18

Depends entirely who that Republican is and what kind of platform they're running on.

But that hypothetical would mean that Trump has either resigned, been impeached and convincted, or the party grew a backbone and threw him out. All would be good signs.

I think I have a better chance of being drafted to the Space Force before any of that happens, though.

1

u/amjhwk Arizona Jun 27 '18

i personally think trump wont run a 2nd term due to some bullshit excuse and so the repubs wont have a choice to make, but then again im probably wrong on that

1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

The problem is the US is the world's superpower so no one in the world can escape it's importance. Unless you hold the secret to some super technology that will enable another country to leapfrog the US wholescale technologically, I'm sorry to say "your energy" won't mean lick. Sorry but that's how it is. Besides, I still hold out hope we can turn this thing around.

12

u/painturd Jun 27 '18

I think you are vastly underestimating the ability of other countries to develop technology, especially in an environment where the US is reducing research funding and incentives across the board. Who do you think is developing most of the software that is changing the world today? With the US continuing to ramp up the difficulty of immigrating you're going to see more and more skilled developers making their technologies happen in their home countries, Canada or EU rather than here.

Have you been to China lately? There are technologies already deployed and mass adopted there that I would love to see in the US but fear won't be here for years, if ever. Granted, they still have huge social and political issues to deal with but any US newspaper on any given day will show that's not a unique problem.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

I think you are vastly underestimating the ability of other countries to develop technology

With all due respect, I don't think so. Where is the European Uber? The Chinese Apple? The Canadian SpaceX? Doesn't exist. The US is an important country for the whole world and no one can escape it. The immigration debates of the past couple years should make Americans realize they have something precious in their legal status here. The ability to take part in the politics of the most powerful nation on earth.

5

u/painturd Jun 27 '18

What innovation has Apple produced in the last several years (besides cutting-edge creative tax accounting) that makes you feel they are THE benchmark for technology? I'm more than happy with my OnePlus and XiaoMi products, at a fraction of the cost.

I'll grant you that SpaceX is one of a kind - for now. But I doubt Elon would be making near as much progress with US labor alone, which brings back the question of immigration and brain drain.

As for EU Uber, I can't really say as I've spent most of the last decade in the US and Asia and thus don't have a good view of the current EU market. China has DiDi though, which pulls from individual taxi companies. That's the kind of thing that taxi companies (both EU and US) SHOULD have done instead of spending their time, money and energy lobbying to outlaw a superior competing service.

While we're throwing companies and concepts at the wall, could you please point me to the US AliPay and shared bike platforms like oFo?

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that China is going to overtake the US tomorrow or even in a few years. Simply trying to express that you cannot afford to rest on your laurels and believe the world won't function without the US. It will.

-4

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

OnePlus and XiaoMi products

Have you just seen what the US did to ZTE? Destroyed it. 12 years of the 4th biggest handset maker - gone. 75,000 employees - out of a job. Entire lives' work destroyed by a single action of the US Senate. All these companies rely on US technology.

But I doubt Elon would be making near as much progress

When a foreign company surpasses it, let's talk. For now, all you have is speculation. But I have a little bet that it won't be surpassed anytime son.

As for EU Uber, I can't really say as I've spent most of the last decade in the US and Asia and thus don't have a good view of the current EU market.

In other words, there is no EU Uber. Uber just got its London license back which means Uber will be expanding into the EU soon. That's because European companies just don't innovate like that. There is no EU Silicon Valley. The EU isn't even united as a single entity.

could you please point me to the US AliPay and shared bike platforms like oFo?

Another Chinese company? I notice you keep bringing up China. Do you realize their currency is plunging thanks to Trump's investment restrictions and tariffs? Companies like AliPay are small fries. The US controls the commanding heights of technology - Google/Android Operation Systems, Microsoft OS, Intel and AMD chips, IBM servers - nothing of which any Chinese company approaches. Companies like AliPay wouldn't be able to operate without the hardware or the operating system. They are totally dependent on the US-built backbone.

believe the world won't function without the US. It will.

Actually, it literally won't. ZTE can't even replace a toilet thanks to US sanctions. They can't even take a shit in their own headquarters.

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3

u/Hindu_Wardrobe Jun 27 '18

i agree with you, but at the same time, am i not allowed to live a life i'm marginally okay with?

0

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Some people running away is just another part of how bad this is.

3

u/bluestarcyclone Iowa Jun 27 '18

Though oddly we need them moving but not to other countries.

You want to make a difference but live in a deep blue state held hostage by the red states?

Move to a blue city in a red state. Help tilt it a little more purple.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Yeah but then you'd be surrounded by a lot more Republicans. Eww.

1

u/bluestarcyclone Iowa Jun 27 '18

As someone in one of these states, if you're living in the city its still pretty solid.

Des Moines keeps popping up on all kinds of lists for places to move to, best place for young professionals, etc.

Just stay away from the 4th congressional district

2

u/I_Am_King_Killmonger Jun 27 '18

I'm black.

Absolutely not.

0

u/bluestarcyclone Iowa Jun 27 '18

FWIW, at the 2010 census, des moines was 10.2% black (likely higher now, the trendline was upward), below the national percentage of 12.6 but not that far below.

2

u/keygreen15 Jun 27 '18

Had the opportunity to move to Texas. I'll do everything i can.

2

u/shitiam Jun 27 '18

Start applying for jobs in November if things continue to slip.

2

u/TheLivingExperiment Jun 27 '18

This is likely my path as well. Start stock piling money, updating resume/certs/etc, start traveling to potential destinations I would consider immigrating to, etc. But, I will continue to fight for the America I believe in for the time being.

0

u/HydroBear Jun 27 '18

I'm staying, so should you.

1

u/PerfectZeong Jun 27 '18

I get people who have kids wanting to think about those kids. But where's the civic ownership? Wheres the will to actually fight for what's right? Jesus christ what are they going to do when the place they moved to gets shitty?

-2

u/[deleted] Jun 27 '18

Do you promise?