News in :90 – Sept. 25, 2020

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be the first woman in American history to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. Ginsburg, who died last week at age 87, will also be the first Jewish-American and only the second Supreme Court justice.

Chief Justice William Howard Taft, had also been president. Her casket was brought to the Capitol Friday morning for a private ceremony attended by her family and lawmakers.

President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses drew swift blowback Thursday from both parties in Congress.

Lawmakers turned to new steps to ensure he can’t ignore the vote of the people.

In response, Trump said he’s not sure the election will be honest. Many other lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, rejected his assertion and vowed to make sure voters’ wishes are followed.

A Minnesota congressional race will be pushed back to a special election in February after one of the candidates died, the secretary of state said.

Adam Charles Weeks, of the Legal Marijuana Now Party, was running in the 2nd District, which represents a swath of Minnesota stretching south from Minneapolis suburbs. 38-year-old Weeks was found dead at his home in Red Wing after family members requested a welfare check.

His partner, Gabby Ulan said the cause of death wasn’t clear, and an autopsy had been requested.

Kayla Mayer can be reached at maye8518@stthomas.edu.