Breaking — US Supreme Court Justice Scalia dead at age 79

Shocker. RIP.

BBC
US Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies

The Guardian
Supreme court justice Antonin Scalia dies at 79

Justice Scalia on the need to integrate social, political and economic liberalism in treating legal rights and responsibilities. This is key because many paradoxes of liberalism arise from it.

Marginal Revolution
Antonin Scalia on economic rights
Tyler Cowen

The corpse is still warm and the fight has already begun. Disgusting.

The dynamics of the presidential race make it likely that the other Republican contenders will have to follow Cruz's lead, and with the GOP presidential field unanimously opposed to allowing Obama to fill the vacancy it will be difficult for Senate Republicans to defy them. The small number of Republicans representing blue states may break from the pack, but pressure on the leadership to block confirmation will be intense.

VOX
Ted Cruz and other conservatives are arguing Obama shouldn't get to replace Justice Scalia
Updated by Matthew Yglesias

McConnell, who is the leader of the Republican-controlled Senate, doesn't outright say that if Obama nominates someone that he and other Senate Republicans would refuse to confirm her. But that threat is strongly implied in "this vacancy should not be filled."

Senate Democrats, for their part — including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) — are already saying it would be a "shameful abdication of our constitutional responsibility" to do what McConnell suggests.

I'm waiting for "because Putin."

VOX
Mitch McConnell has no intention of letting Obama replace Scalia
Dara Lind

Martin Pengelly in New York and Ben Jacobs in Greenville, South Carolina