This changes everything:
Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who quietly advanced the conservative ideology of the Supreme Court under his leadership, died Saturday evening. He was 80.
The justice, diagnosed with thyroid cancer, had a tracheotomy and received chemotherapy and radiation as part of his treatment.
Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Rehnquist had “continued to perform his duties on the Court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days.”
Connect:
Before the fight over his replacement begins, let’s offer his family and friends our condolences and the wish that his soul finds the peace, understanding and forgiveness that many of his decisions denied the people.