> reporter: to take you back to how all of this happened, the president said that he met with anthony kennedy about a half hour before they announced that he was going to retire. and you can see him there praising his service saying that he has a tremendous amount of respect for justice kennedy. but he also says that during that conversation about his retirement when kennedy was essentially giving him the head's up that he was going to retire, that he did suggest some potential replacements for him. now, the president didn't say during that meeting in the oval office with reporters who those names were, who kennedy suggested. but of course there is certainly a list that everyone will be looking at and the president said he will be choosing from that list the 25 names, a list that the white house updated just last fall that raised a lot of eyebrows, but now that list is going to come into play. it is largely the same list that we saw during the gorsuch nomination before that came out, but they did add five new names to that, several people that the president will be considering as he goes abou

who was found using marijuana and then anthony kennedy. we are living in the age after bork. before then, the senate mesa the nominee can't be confirmed because there's an ethical problem. ever since bork, we have a right to say that a justice is not fit for the court if the person stands opposed to central things that americans believe. >> in this case we don't know who the nominee is and knows the president trump has a litmus test and will only pick one who will over turn row versus wade. is there anything we should look to to try to push and delay the vote until after the midterm elections as pay back on what happened to garland and give democrats a chance to win back the senate and have say over the nominee is. >> absolutely given the importance of this, that's the way the system operates that people feel so strongly. we are about to see one of the most intense political struggles in american history and for my point of view, that means the system is working. >> nbc news presidential historian. great to have you here. big night. lots t

schumer, top democrat in the senate that was him on the floor of the senate today responding to the anthony kennedy resignation. no vote on a successor to kennedy until after the election. same rules should apply now as applied in the scalia seat in 2016 and republicans wouldn't hold hearing then until after the election that year. same rules should apply. senator dianne feinstein is the top democrat on the judiciary committee which hears nominations. we're four months away from an election to determine the party that will control the senate. there should be no consideration of a supreme court nominee until the american people have a chance to weigh in. leader mcconnell set that standard in 2016 when he denied judge merrick garland a hearing for nearly a year. the senate should follow the mcconnell standard. senator elizabeth warren of massachusetts, considered by many to be a likely democratic presidential contender in 2020. she says, quote, mitch mcconnell should follow the mitch mcconnell rule. let the american people have a say. dick durbin, number two democrat in the senate, makes the same cas

our justice correspondent pete williams begins our coverage. >> reporter: anthony kennedy's retirement will set in motion the biggest change in the u.s. supreme court in half a century, that's because kennedy is often the most influential justice casting the deciding vote in closely divided cases. >> this was anthony kennedy's court because you couldn't get a major issue decided without his vote, almost without exception if it was a critical, ideological hot button issue, it was up to him. >> reporter: he hand delivered this letter to the white house today calling it a respectful and formal notification he intends to retire july 31st. although ronald reagan put him on the court for his conservative credentials, he's been the swing justice for 12 years, ever since sandra day o'connor retired. when kennedy voted with the four conservative justices, the court upheld the trump el corporate money in politics. when he voted with the four liberals, the court cut back on the death penalty and declared detainees at guantanamo bay have legal rights. and limited state crackdowns on immigrants. in

respectfully and sincerely, justice anthony kennedy. we're working on getting our hands on this letter. looks like he's telling the president that he's retiring effective july 31. he's been key critical instrumental in a number of key cases here. he's been the swing vote. he's been a hung advocate for lgbt rights. in that he's been one of the key architects of things like same sex marriage opinion. he wrote that here. changed everything across the country. he's talked about the dignity of gay families and gay couples. he's been a huge advocate for that. but he didn't give it to us this morning. sounds like we're getting this now. he wants to step away. he will be 82 next month. sounds like he's ready to retire, this will open up yet another seat for president trump. now we officially have this from the court. this is the official confirmation. justice kennedy has advised his colleagues that he will submit his decision to cease active status, this can go different ways. we had talked about this last year, again this year. a lot of pressu

there are no anthony kennedys there. this is a different supreme court starting on the first monday in october. >> and you've covered the supreme court for a long time and why do you think justice kennedy decided to step down at this point because there is speculati speculation he may have wanted president trump to flame a more conservative justice. >> the thing is at the end of the term he was odd. he didn't take -- he didn't bite a couple of big cases that we thought he would regarding partisan gerrymandering in that cake shop. i think at the end of the day, the answer is probably he's a grandfather and he wanted to spend time with his kids and do this before the election and did he not want to sort of draw a vacancy at the courtney more than he had to in election skirmish. but i think probably at the end of the day he's 81 years old and he spent more than 30 years on that bench and he wanted to step down. >> and he's also a republican. he made his name as an -- as an aide to ronald reagan in sacramento when ronald reag

he appointed neal gore su sucsu was a clerk of anthony kennedy. i think that the fact that donald trump nominated someone that kennedy thinks is an appropriate choice for the supreme court is something that argued in his mind in favor of retiring. if donald trump had nominated jeanine pirro or some pre-positipre-po pre-posturerous choice, i think kennedy might have thought twice. but neil gorsuch is conservative and a very qualified supreme court justice. so awful these fall of these f d combined. and also justice kennedy's wife mary has had some health issues. i went to austria with justice kennedy more than a decade ago. he loves to traveled. he is very interested in international law, judges around the world. this is something that i'm sure he will continue his interest in. i think he just thought it was time. however, i mean the very important alternative consideration is some of the issues that justice kennedy is most closely associated with, the protection of roe v. wade, everybody g especially gay rights. no justice has dominated one area of

call or go on line today. >>> now on our breaking news supreme court justice anthony kennedy retiringving president trump another chance to reshape the highest court in the land. as we mentioned, kennedy's voting record was moderately conservative. he was known for being a swing vote. defender of equal rights for gay and lesbians. his replacement will be more to the right. the vice president writing. who will uphold all the god given liberties and shrine constitution of the united states. back now with the panel. gloria w the tweet from the vice president. >> absolutely. it was like thanks kennedy, we liked scalia better and what we are going to do now is nominate somebody who wouldn't approve gay marriage or access to abortion or affirmative action and made it clear that the president is going to nominate somebody to the right. i think anybody who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves. everybody on that list is a conservative. the president intents to do it. this is important to his base particularly evangelicals and going to be a large part of his legacy. >> the president says he h

we will see you at 6:00. " this wednesday, the retirement of justice anthony kennedy from the supreme court. keo's on the short list to whplace him, and what's at stake for the future of the court? plus, a desperate search-- plusuers battle time and the weather as they try to reach members of a youth soccer team trapped in a cave. but first, the headlines in 60 60conds. >> reporter: supreme court justice anthony kennedy announcing his retirement. >> reporter: this gives president trump his second nomination, and a chance to really turn the supreme court to nee right for a generation. >> we will begin our search immediately. >> reporter: this is the biggest f ment of the trump presidency. >> we could be rolling back all sorts of rights. >> this is kind of the golden age of conservativism. atunningf one of the most powerful democrats in washington. oe joe crowley ousted by a 28- year-old political newcomer. >> reporter: i'm david begnaud in edinburgh, texas. the border patrol wanted you to see what happens when they raid a so-called stash house. seery inch of tile in this house had some

. >>> with the announcement that justice anthony kennedy is retiring, loosing a crucial swing vote. we are talking about how the make up of the court is going to change. quick look at justice kennedy's legacy. >> the object of the judiciary is to ensure stability. >> reporter: time for change has come. we as a people are bound together. >> reporter: kennedy now 81-years old. his former clerk was sworn in. president trump replaced one conservative with another. now the opportunity to move to the right. >> the cases swing, i don't. >> reporter: kennedy has never liked that swing vote label but for years it has been his vote that decided the outcome of cases. >> thank you for coming to witness this historic occasion. >> reporter: kennedy, a ronald reagan appointee was sworn in, in 1988. he sided with conservative colleagues on issues such as gun control and voting rights. striking down election spending limits for corporations. >> congratulations. >> reporter: in bush v. gore, he helped clear the way for george bush's presidency. his most lasting legacy will be likely in the area of gay

, you're not going to get an anthony kennedy. you'd take an anthony kennedy today. >> i don't think anybody is going to believe -- nobody is going to believe that this president who said women should be punished former president having an abortion. by the way, we never know. we had justice frankfurt and suitor have always surprised us. people going from right to left, left to right. republicans thought they had suitor in the pocket. he goes to the left. the fact is you can't predict. so you look at the party's track record. they haven't picked many justice kennedys. they have largely picked non-justice kennedys. people hard right on all social issues. i would say this is going to be the fight of the century. the democrats have to say no way, nonpresa rio. this is going to be like spanish civil war stuff. >> somebody who has a strong view, elise hogue, national abortion rights pro choice america. elise, this -- chris is making the point that this is the last stand for progressives in america quite possibly given the way president

anthony kennedy was a harvard law professor when he was nominated by ronald reagan. 30 years later, presidentonald trump bid him farewell. i just want to thankjustice kennedy for the years of tremendous service. he's a very spectacular man, really spectacular man. throughout his decades on the bench, he was a consequential voice, advancing gay rights but limiting abortion rights. a moderate republican, kennedy was often the swing vote on contentious issues, sometimes taking a more liberal stance. his departure opens the door for somebody who will appeal to conservatives. a potential shift that alarms democrats. this is the most important supreme court vacancy for this country in at least a generation. in his brief letter of resignation, justice kennedy said his service on the supreme court had been the greatest honour and privilege. his last few weeks were busy. he wrote the ruling that centred religious freedom in the case of a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. and he voted to uphold president trump's highly contentious travel ban from five muslim—majority countries.

[ ding ] -not today, ron. >>> we're back with breaking news on justice anthony kennedy's retirement. the vice president mike pence is promising that mr. trump will nominate what he calls a strong conservative to be replace kennedy on the supreme court in the mold of the late justice antonin scalia. our analysts are here to talk about what is ahead. what does this mean for the supreme court? >> well, we knew when we had neil gorsuch that we were going to have pretty much the id idealogical balance the same. on straight conservative issues, you have anthony kennedy as a conservative. on campaign finance, on gun laws, et cetera. but on issues that required the swing vote, things like lgbt rights, death penalty cases, he was a key member of the actual supreme court. now that's all going to change. having a strong conservative replacement like antonin scalia is more like something somebody who is not like anthony kennedy who's a swing vote, somebody who actually would be a conservative and a stronghold and consistent one, not a swing vote. >> jeffrey, give us the big picture, how unflewent

>> we will probably refer to it as the anthony kennedy seat and as a practical matter, anthony kennedy court. justice powell who he replaced really was the swing vote. he would be at the center of the course in dozens and dozens of cases. that wasn't as true for justice kennedy. but as you said, say you have 14 cases decided on that ideological 5-4 axis and it always came down to him. now this term, he was with the conservatives 14 times, but in other terms it might be more balanced. it might be 10-4, 8-6. but he was the one who was available. the big difference is that next term, when you get another big case like that, there may be no one available. it may be preordained which is, you know, what conservatives are hoping for. >> tom, i've got another one for you. there is a wild card at work here. i've wracked my brain. i don't know that this has ever been the case. two words -- robert mueller. there is a concurrent criminal investigation into this administration, and in a way, they're both following the same calendar. the run-up to a midterm election. tell us how to think about the f

"final 5." >> president trump is vetting possible candidate to replace supreme court justice anthony kennedythe president got the justice's resignation. with republicans in control of the senate, kennedy's successor will turn the supreme court conservative for a generation. >>> an upcoming summit between president trump and vladimir putin will be held on july 16th in helsinki. president trump told reporters he wanted to discuss the conflict in syria, russian military intervention in ukraine and other subjects. >>> the pawnee fire has burned more than 13,000 acres. but firefighters are making progress with containment now at 30%. >>> amid a rash of shootings a new tool that n detect the location of gunfire will soon be in place along highway 4 in contra costa county. the chp is testing the shotspotter technology equipment today with controlled live fire exercises. >>> new canopies could soon be coming to more of bart's market street stations. in a few hours the agency's board of directors will vote on the modernization project. the plan will be approved. >>> speaking of bart, that's running r

justice anthony kennedy has arguably been the most influential justice of recent years. decades.mes he sided with the conservatives like in bush v gosh, citizens unites and the heller case on guns overturning washington, d.c.'s handgun ban back then. he advanced progressive causes. perhaps his greatest legacy will be his deciding vote in the 2015 ruling that struck down bans nationwide on same-sex marriage. city wrote it would misunderstand these men and women who say they disrespect the idea of marriage. their plea is they respect it so deeply they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. not to be condemned topped live in lonely hez. the constitution grants them the right to dignity. for more i'm joined by pete williams, nbc news justice correspondent, charlie sykes from the weekly standard and jonathan turley, university law professor. what a group. pete, we've been talking about thissing about three hours. i want to skip politics for about five minutes. i think the democratic party is loaded for bear on there baby. talk about justice kennedy. you're from california, you w

i'm anne-marie green. >>> well, the announcement that justice anthony kennedy is retiring from the court has set the stage for a showdown for his replacement. kennedy has been the swing vote on many controversial issues including abortion and gun rights. president trump says he plans to fill the vacancy as soon as possible, but democrats want to delay it. laura podesta is here in new york with more on this. good morning, laura. >>> good morning, anne-marie. the president said he'll pick kennedy's replacement from a list of 25 people. and while he did not name those names, he did say he'd like kennedy's replacement to be young enough to be on the supreme court for 45 years. the retirement of supreme court justice anthony kennedy has created an opening to reshape the court. >> he has to be there for 40, 45 years. >> the vacancy gives the president a chance to turn the court more solidly conservative. at a rally in north dakota last night, mr. trump said he was honored that the 81-year-old justice chose to retire while he's in office. >> because he felt confident in me to make the right cho

anthony kennedy's retirement will set in motion the biggest change in the u.s. n half a century. that's because kennedy has often been the most influential justice casting the deciding vote. >> this was anthony kennedy's court because you couldn't get a major issue decided without his vote almost without exception if it was a critical hot button issue it was up to him. >> justice kennedy hand delivered this to the white house calling it a respectful and formal notification that he intends to retire july 31st. although ronald reagan put him on the court he's been the swing justice for 12 years since o'connor retired. when kennedy voted with the four conservative justices they upheld the tral ban, allowed corporate money in politics. the court cut back on the death penalty, declared that detainees have legal rights and limited state crackdowns on immigrants. he wrote the landmark 2015 decision that struck down bans on same sex marriage after writing a series of rulings on g gay rights. the president's choice is sure to be far more conservative than kennedy as the f

of the day on as a chance to nominate another supreme court just tis after the announcement of anthony kennedyjohn roberts has more. they kept this under wraps, didn't they? >> they did. justice kennedy kept it tightly under wraps. the president said he learned about this early this afternoon when justice kennedy said can i come down to see you? it's been expected for some time. the president in the oval office of portugal playing tribute to justice kennedy. listen here. >> justice kennedy will be retiring. he's a man i have known a long time and a man i respected a long time. a great justice of the supreme court. he is a man that has displayed great vision and tremendous heart. he will be missed but he will be retiring. >> other than committing troops to war and nominating a supreme court justice is about the most important thing that a president can do. in this particular case, the president has a chance to submit a 5-4 conservative majority at the court for a number of years at the very least. justice clarence thomas is the elder states man. he's 70. justice roberts could serve another gene

more on the pawnee fire in just a moment. >> but first supreme court justice anthony kennedy retiringhe stage for a bruising political battle over his replacement. >> today he announced the decision to step down effective july 31st. kennedy was born in sacramento. attended stanford and practiced law in san francisco. >> known as a swing vote he has provided the votes for same-sex marriage, abortion access and a firmt action. president trump will now have his second opportunity to nominate a justice. he spoke with kennedy today at the white house. >> he is a man that i've known for a long time and a man that i've respected for a long time. hopefully wraer going to pick somebody who will be as outstanding. >> majority leader mitch mcconnell said the senate will vote to confirm a success they are fall. >> but senator dianne feinstein said we're four months away from the election to determine the which -- which party controls the senate there should be no consideration of a supreme court nominee until the american people have a chance to weigh in. now, you're going to hear more about what

anthony kennedy announcing his retirement, another seat on the high court, the opportunity to fill. can we expect the president to tap to replace kennedy? former justice official, thank you for joining us. who is it going to be? >> we don't really know. >> some potential nominees, the president said he will pull from the list of 25. let's look at the top names we are looking through. annie barrett, can't read them that quickly, 25 of them. we narrowed it to six and brett cavanagh in the lead. what do you know about these folks? >> brett cavanagh has a really good record, in the bush administration. if you read his opinions he is the kind of conservative, constitutionalist i am sure the president would like on the supreme court. >> and amy kony barrett. >> the court of appeals, the target of some nasty anti-catholic bias going through the confirmation hearing and conservative justice who believes in the constitution being applied as it was written. >> he was recently added. and then another top name to par. >> the list the president came up with is an amazing list and these were all f

mark: president trump says the for justicesearch anthony kennedy will begin immediately. porting, the 81-year-old kennedy said today he is tapping down after 30 years on the court. he was nominated by president ronald reagan and has held a key vote on such high-profile issues as abortion, affirmative action, gay rights, guns, campaign finance, and voting rights. it was said today that government employees have a controversial right -- constitutional right not to pay union fees. this deal they blow to the labor movement. justicefor the court, samuel alito said mandatory fees violated the free-speech rights of workers who disagreed with the unions positions. the case involved illinois state government worker mark janis, seen here in the blue jacket and khaki pants. he had objected to the $45 taken from his paycheck each month that went to the american federation of state, county, and municipal employees union, even though he is not a member area illinois -- member. ernor filedovv this lawsuit. >> there is not a requirement for federal government employees to fund a union tha

the outgoing justice anthony kennedy. for 30 years kennedy has a mixed track record.reagan in 1988. many referred to him as the court's swing justice. he save roe v. wade. he also voted to kill obamacare and preserve second amendment rights and it uphold the president's travel ban. it's weird. he never had a judicial philosophy he adhered to like thomas or otherings. now with president trump poised to nominate what he said he will do in the campaign, democrats are sharpening their spears just like they did back in 1987. let's go down memory lane. before reagan nominated anthony kennedy to the supreme court, he tapped somebody who was a judicial gene gus. his name was judge robert borek. senate democrats engaged in one of the most disgusting smear campaigns that ended on the senate floor with floors from senator ted kennedy. watch how low they can g. take a look. >> robert borek's america is a land where women would be forced into black alley abortions and blacks would sit at segerated lunch counters and police could break down doors. school children would not be taugh

let's start with the outgoing justice anthony kennedy prayed for 30 years, kennedy, he's accumulatedis a very mixed track record, nominated by ronald reagan in 1988, many have referred to him as the courts swing justice. he saved roe vs. wade from being overturned. he upheld the use of affirmative action, extend legal rights to foreign terrorists at gitmo, but kennedy also voted to kill obamacare, preserve second amendment rights and most recently, he voted to uphold the president's travel ban. kind of weird because he never had a judicial philosophy that he seemed to do it here too, like justice thomas or justice scalia or justice alito. now with president trump poised to nominate what he has said he will do in the campaign, a strict originalist, to replace a very unproductive but kennedy, democrats are now sharpening their spears, just like they did back in 1987. let's go down memory lane. before reagan nominated anthony kennedy to the supreme court, he did tap somebody who was a judicial genius. he tapped a strict constitutional originalist. his name was george robert ford. hell-b

because ever since sandra day o'connor retired from the supreme court 12 years ago, anthony kennedy has been the decider. aand in many ways this is the kennedy court. when he votes with the conservatives, we get decisions dut gutting the voting rights act and giving new life to the second amendment and allowing more union and corporate money in politics and we saw it yesterday when he was in the fifth vote of the decision upholding the president's travel ban. when he voted with the liberals, the court narrowed the reach of the death penalty. it gave legal rights to detainees in guantanamo bay and said states couldn't enforce their own immigration laws and most decisively he's written a series of rulings on pro-gay rights including the landmark 2015 decision declaring a right to marriage nationwide. we learned about this just moments ago when the supreme court handed us a letter that justice kennedy sent today to the white house. simply saying this letter is a respectful and formal notification of my decision effective july 31st of this year to end my regular active status as associate j

that could set in motion a seismic shift to the right on the highest court in the land, justice anthony kennedy is retiring after more than 30 years on the bench. >> we as a people are bound together -- >> reporter: kennedy now 81 sworn the newest justice last year and his former clerk neil gorsuch. while president trump replaced one conservative with another when he chose gorsuch to take justice antonin scalia's seat he now has the opportunity to move the court to the right when he replaced kennedy, a centrist. >> the case is swing. i don't. >> reporter: kennedy has never liked being the court's swing vote but for years it is his vote that decided a case in a closely divided court. kennedy a ronald reagan appointee -- was sworn in 1988. >> i shall honor the constitution. >> reporter: he sided with his conservative colleagues on issues such as gun control and voting rights. he authored the majority opinion in citizens united striking down election spending limits for corporations. >> congratulations -- >> reporter: and in bush v. gore he cleared the way for george w. bush's presidency but to th

. >>> major milestone decisions, today's announcement, that judge anthony kennedy is stepping down. the california conservative judge wasn't nominated by ronald reagan 31 years ago. he will retire at the end of next month. >>> welcome, i am heather holmes. justice kennedy played a crucial role in several cases, barbara's life for us, in washington, for the announcement. president trump has the opportunity to nominate a replacement. >> reporter: that is exactly right, good afternoon to both of you. justice kennedy served in the courts and february 1988. the big talk is exactly what you just said, his retirement offers president trump a rare opportunity to try to cement conservative control of the high courts. >> supreme court justice anthony kennedy is stepping down, heat said that his resignation is effective july 31. >> this retirement is earth shattering, and gut wrenching. >> the president praised the long time justice for his 30 years of service, and, the search for a new justice will begin immediately. >> he has displayed a great division, and, tremendous heart. he will be misse

rob: fox news alert, supreme court justice anthony kennedy announcing his retirement opening another the high court donald trump will have the opportunity to fill. jillian: who will replace kennedy? to weigh in his legal affairs reporter for the washington times alex boyer. let's get to it. we are hearing a lot of names being thrown around in the mix. what do you think? >> one of the top names floated here is brett cavanagh, a circuit judge on the dc circuit and was appointed by george w. bush and worked on his administration so that is one of the front runners we have been hearing as well as a name at third circuit that we heard prior to neil gorsuch being nominated so he is a repeat. we have several nominated by donald trump to appellate court and are now being considered for elevation. it will be interesting to see if the president pics one of his own goes to a bush appointee. rob: 25 names on the list behind us. the hoopla, the malay, the mayhem around this decision and this guy retiring has been incredible and schumer wanting to wait until after the midterms are over. why do you

what we didn't know, anthony kennedy made up his mind. he wanted to talk to president trump before issuing a simple letter to the president and went public. he said please permit me to express my gratitude to confirm to the mandates and promises of the law. he has been a swing vote. he doesn't like that term but he's been a key in the 5-4 decisions. many in landmark consequences, even in the last week. over time we think about him being a key vote in cases involving abortion, lgbtq rights. he's been celebrated by those camps. they're lamenting fact that he's going to be gone. they're worried about the person that the president will pick. other unhappy with neil gorsuch. now the president getting another seat in the senate. a number of reaction. we've heard from chuck schumer. they don't want the seat filled. they said they'll do what they can to block it but there's limits to what they can do. senator harris out of california, viewed as progressive and liberal said this. she says we should not vote on confirmation until they have voted at

do you think anthony kennedy is comfortable with he leaves and this court moves to the right? >> i remember marshall left at exactly this time, right after the term had ended. so i had taken kennedy's opinion in the travel ban case to indicate his discomfort with some of what was hamg. but happening. obviously he is is a life-long republican. he's obviously made the judgment that he is comfortable doing it. i've seen and spoken to him recently. i don't think there are any major health issues. i can only surmise that, yes, perhaps he was -- [ inaudible ] with the pi >> we're going to work on your phone signal there. getting a little tough to hear you. wile we work on that, i'm going to pick it up here again with danny cevallos. talk a little bit about the political backdrop of this. democrats are of course politically still up in arms over the fact of donald trump having that first appointment last year to the court, neil gorsuch. that was the scalia's passing during the 2016 campaign, the decision by mitch mcconnell and the republicans in the senate that we're not going to do c

the fox news tonight exclusive, mitch mcconnell, supreme court justice anthony kennedy announced his retirement. hypocrite for vowing to push the nominee before the midterms. henry and catherine herridge have latebreaking developments on the russian the summit and attend hearing on capitol hill between fbi and doj officials s trace gallagher, we are going to the scene in an apple is to kristin fisher. >> reporter: what happened is one of the worst attacks in journalists ever in the history of the united states and it started at 2:30 this afternoon, right behind me with a shotgun and smoke grenades, he shot and killed 5 employees and police identified those victims 30 minutes ago at a press conference. and john mcnamara and rebecca smith, as for the shooter he is not officially identified by police. in the capital gazette's parent company, 38-year-old jared rameau's had a long-running feud with the paper that started in 2011 when the capital gazette cover criminal harassment case against him and in 2012 filed a defamation lawsuit against the paper and columnist. and lost that lawsuit,

again justice anthony kennedy announcing retirement. this is a big deal because this means that the president of the united states, donald trump, will have a shot at another justice here. he appointed of course neil gorsuch and will be able to appoint another supreme court justice. anthony kennedy certainly known as the swing vote in many cases. started taking over for sandra day o'connor if you would, and occupying that role as someone you couldn't bank on either way. he did in the most recent decision there, on the travel ban. the president's travel ban come out voting in favor of that, saying that the president did have the executive power to enforce that, although he had some reservations about the policy itself. again, justice anthony kennedy announcing his retirement. here with more on the significance of all this, i am bringing in misty meris, an attorney joining us momentarily. keeping in mind he embodied the swing vote. how does this change the structure of the court going forward? this president is going to have an incredible

anthony kennedy sided with the majority on that. and in a battle, a fifth conservative justice could play in the president's favor. >> tony van pelt, president of the national organization of women and bob va. you called kennedy's announcement yesterday a historic day for the culture of life. what are you hoping comes from the president's supreme court pick? >> well, we do believe it's a historic day for the culture of life. we also believe it's an answer to prayer. there's been people praying since 1972 3 that roe v. wade would be overturned. that we would end the practice of abortion and return to a culture that values each and every life. in iowa, i think you know we just passed heart beat legislation. the governor just signed it. and that whole law was purpose to take down roe v. wade. we knew the courts were changing. so it's a very exciting day for us here at the family leader. i think for conservatives across the country that we have a chance now for president trump to appoint another justice like neil gorsuch. >> to point ab

announcer: justice anthony kennedy's retirement brings a change to the supreme court. fromw the story on c-span president trump nominating a replacement, the senate confirmation hearings, to the swearing-in on c-span, c-span.org, or the free c-span radio app. >> on friday, mexican voters will elect a new president. four main, the candidates took place in a televised debate that focused on foreign policy. candidates answer questions from the studio audience. ♪

justice anthony kennedy stepping down after more than 30 years on the supreme court. st on the search to replace kennedy and what it could mean for the midterm elections. >>> plus, a powerful force in politics. president trump set to stump in north dakota. so can he help sway a key senate race? what we can expect next. hi, i'm bob harper, and i recently had a heart attack. it changed my life. but i'm a survivor. after my heart attack, my doctor prescribed brilinta. it's for people who have been hospitalized for a heart attack. brilinta is taken with a low-dose aspirin. no more than 100 milligrams as it affects how well brilinta works. brilinta helps keep platelets from sticking together and forming a clot. in a clinical study, brilinta worked better than plavix. brilinta reduced the chance of having another heart attack... ...or dying from one. don't stop taking brilinta without talking to your doctor, since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent, heart attack, stroke, and even death. brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily, or seri

justice anthony m. kennedy stepping down from the supreme court at the age of 81 years old after 30 monumental years on the court. this is a huge breaking news story. we'll continue to it all day long. for now i'm dan harris in new york. thank you. >>> 30 years on the supreme court and it is about to be over for justice kennedy. he's retiring effectively on juul 31st, but making that announcement today and making heartburn and gas? ♪ now fight both fast new tums chewy bites with gas relief all in one relief of heartburn and gas ♪ ♪ tum tum tum tums new tums chewy bites with gas relief at at&t, we believe in access. the opportunity for everyone to explore a digital world. connecting with the things that matter most. and because nothing keeps us more connected than the internet, we've created access from at&t. california households with at least one resident who receives snap or ssi benefits may qualify for home internet at a discounted rate of $10 a month. no commitment, deposit, or installation fee. visit att.c

. >>> but we begin at the supreme court where justice anthony kennedy's exit has now put the president in position to change the high court for a generation to come. kennedy was in many ways the court's tie-breaker. he was critical in decisions on same-sex marriage, affirmative action, abortion, decisions that now potentially hang in the balance. as the president weighs his replacement options, the political jockeying is well under way on capitol hill. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says expect a vote this fall before the mid-terms. democrats though are crying foul, pointing out that mcconnell and republicans denied even a hearing for barack obama's nominee,mak merrick gard in 2016 on the grounds that it should be delayed until after the 2016 presidential election. now democrats say that logic should apply here, to mid-term elections. no vote, they say, until after november. >> we're four months away from election. is senator mcconnell prepared to keep this office vacant until after the election? i hope so. >> democrats are calling out to delay the consideration of a nominee un

sit going to be a long, bitter fight over the successor to justice anthony kennedy. but it has handed president trump a major victory on the eve of the midterm elections and could potentially shape his legacy as president. but it will also shape the united states for a generation to come. >> we have to pick a great one. we have to pick one that's going to be there for 40 years, 45 years. >> reporter: president trump celebrating the chance to appoint another supreme court justice after justice anthony kennedy announced his retirement. >> great man. and i'm very honored that he chose to do it during my term in office because he felt confidence in me to make the right choice. >> reporter: kennedy was the key swing vote on a number of landmark cases, including roe v. wade and the legalization of same-sex marriage where the mostly conservative justice sided with the liberal wing of the court. >> they asked for equal dignity in the eyes of the law, and the constitution grants them that right. >> reporter: his retirement gives conservatives a major opportunity to tip the id

supreme court justice anthony kennedy announcing he will step down from the bench. a pivotal voice for 30 years, justice kennedy has sided with both the liberal and conservative justices at times, playing a crucial role in decisions involving abortion and gay marriage. with a swing vote gone could those landmark rulings be overtuned? here's abe's terry moran. >> reporter: in these times that are so deeply divided on a court that's split along partisan lines, justice anthony kennedy was the man in the middle. and today after three decades on the bench, a surprise announcement he is stepping down sent shock waves through the nation. >> we really have to take our hats off to justice kennedy. thank you very much. we have to pick one that's going to be there for 40 years, 45 years. >> reporter: kennedy now leaves president trump the ability to shape the highest court in the land for years to come. >> it was a shock today to learn of justice kennedy's retirement, and we now know that the person who replaces him, whoever it might be, will affect american life maybe for deca

mcconnell: i want to take another opportunity to pay tribute to justice anthony kennedy, who announced yesterday that he'll retire from active service and assume senior status at the end of july. justice kennedy deserves our sincere thanks for his service and our congratulations on a truly remarkable career. he served our nation on the federal bench for 43 years, 30 of which spent as an associate justice of the u.s. supreme court.

they are so far to the right of anthony kennedy there is no comparison. and it's not just abortion. it's lots of other things. some of them that kennedy would have agreed with and some he would not have. >> how do you understand this debate now that we're going to have and rowe's and abortion centrality to it. >> the debate is we want to make sure that the nominee answers the question on where she or he stands on roe versus wade. there's nothing inappropriate about that question. this game that keeps getting played that they don't need to answer questions about roe versus wade. another jurisprudence is fine to answer questions about it's settled law. it's perfectly appropriate to ask a nominee, what is your view, do you believe the constitution protects the individual right to make the decision of ending a pregnancy as recognized in versus wade. that question should be answered. >> actually, the nominees these days don't answer questions about anything. >> they won't even answer questions about their own conduct sometimes. off the bench conduct. and so until and unless i think some r

committee was holding a meeting and a political reporter tweet audio of their response. >> justice anthony kennedy has announced he is retiring. >> oh my god >> he was usually persuadable. >> little-known left-wing comedian curtis cook certainly bumped up his name recognition when he tweeted this line, i wish this kennedy had been shot instead of the other one. then john cheadle writing this, okay, this is real is are you paying attention? this is how you lose a country, all our rights are in the balance coverage your leadership to resist, when trouble attempts to appoint the next swamp thing out of the dispenser, or kiss it goodbye and share saying this. supreme court now completely right-wing, trump's supreme court will take away our rights, roe v wade, gay rights, too many to list, this blow could not be more severe. we don't fight like our lives depend on it some americans could find themselves in internment camps, liberal activist and journalist waiting, al sharpton tweeting we have no choice but to organize, strategize, vote and act. ambivalent attitudes are not an option. all civil and huma

kennedy has played. >> i would like to express our delight with the nomination of judge anthony m. kennedy t an associate justice of the united states supreme court. jane: anthony kennedy was a harvard law professor when he was nominated by ronald reagan. 30 years later, president donald trump bid him farewell. pres. trump: i just want to thank justice kennedy for the acars of tremendous service. he is a very spear man, really a spectacular man. jane: throughout his decades on the bench, he was aic consequential advancing gay-rights but limiting abortion rights. a moderate republican, kennedy was oftethe swing vote on contentious issues, sometimes taking a more liberal stance. his departure opens the door for somebody who appeals t conservatives, a potential s that alarms democrats.se schumer: this is the most important supreme court vacancy for this country in at least a generation.: ja his brief letter of resignation, justice kennedy said his service on the supreme court had been the greatest honor and privilege. his last few weeks were busy. ou wrote the ruling that centered on r

anthony kennedy was known as a swing vote. there are conservatives who do not want another anthony kennedy. they want someone who will not surprise them on same-sex marriage and the like. is that a fair assessment? >> absolutely. we know the supreme court is deeply divided. the nine justices with the exception of kennedy vote as would be expected based on the president that nominated them. conservatives want to see the new nominee to be a reliable conservative vote casing the question as to whether chief justice roberts is the replacement swing vote and serve the role that kennedy played. we know that from the list that has already been tout by president trump that most of those judges, all of those judges on the list, are staunch conservatives. some who have gone on record supporting, outlawing abortion and supporting a conservative agenda. >> when you see that picture of the current supreme court, a reminder, ruth bader ginsburg is 85 years old and stephen breyer turns 80 this year. think of the high court if he gets a secon