As if there wasn't enough in this year from hell, it is true: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died at age 87 of metastatic pancreatic cancer.
CNN:
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday, the court announced. She was 87.
Ginsburg was appointed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and in recent years served as the most senior member of the court's liberal wing consistently delivering progressive votes on the most divisive social issues of the day, including abortion rights, same-sex marriage, voting rights, immigration, health care and affirmative action.
Along the way, she developed a rock star type status and was dubbed the "Notorious R.B.G." In speaking events across the country before liberal audiences, she was greeted with standing ovations as she spoke about her view of the law, her famed exercise routine and her often fiery dissents.
She had suffered from five bouts of cancer, most recently a recurrence in early 2020 when a biopsy revealed lesions on her liver. In a statement she said that chemotherapy was yielding "positive results" and that she was able to maintain an active daily routine.
Our condolences to her family and friends. She is much beloved, will be greatly missed, and we are going to have to fight like hell to leave that seat vacant until the election is past.
UPDATE:
NPR reports:
Just days before her death, as her strength waned, Ginsburg dictated this statement to her granddaughter Clara Spera: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed."
She knew what was to come. Ginsburg's death will have profound consequences for the court and the country. Inside the court, not only is the leader of the liberal wing gone, but with the Court about to open a new term, Chief Justice John Roberts no longer holds the controlling vote in closely contested cases.
Cartoon for September 18 #RuthBaderGinsburg #ruthbader #Ruth pic.twitter.com/5a6nguWUjJ
— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) September 19, 2020
