Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Ruth Bader, liberal Ginsburg, the second woman appointed to the position, died "this evening surrounded by her family in her home in Washington," and Ruth served on the Supreme Court for 27 years.

She was born to Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, at the peak of the Great Depression. Her mother, Celia Bader, died of cancer the day before Ginsburg dropped out of high school.

In 1956, Ginsburg became one among nine women admitted to Harvard school of law, out of nearly 500 students.

She was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1993 by Clinton after a lengthy hunt. Ginsburg is that the second woman to carry the position, after Sandra Day O'Connor who was nominated by Reagan in 1981.

Ginsburg played a significant advocate for women's rights early in her career and was an influential progressive force within the Supreme Court as she is that the leader of a left-wing coalition among the conservative majority of judges.


Takedown the American flag in honor of the late judge


A White House spokeswoman announced that the American flag is going to be half-masted in honor of the late judge. US President Donald Trump also praised the "wonderful life" that Ginsburg lived after he received news of her death from journalists while participating in an election rally in Minnesota

"Our nation has lost a legal scholar of historic stature," said Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, according to the statement. He added, "We lost a colleague at the Supreme Court to be proud of. Today we grieve, but we are confident that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg whilst we've known her as a tireless advocate of justice."


How will this affect the course of the presidential election?


Two months before the presidential election, her death will likely prompt President Donald Trump to rush to appoint a successor.

If Trump nominates a replacement, it's expected to be ratified with record speed within the Republican-dominated Senate, to secure an awesome majority of conservatives on the court that has the ultimate say over a variety of sensitive issues on which Americans are divided. Like abortion, possession of weapons, and consequently execution.

For his part, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said that the appointment of a successor to Ginsburg should wait until the election of a replacement president.

"Voters need to choose the president, therefore the president has got to choose a judge for the Senate to think about," Biden told reporters.