Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist died today at home, succumbing to cancer. He was 80.
Chief Justice Rehnquist, the court's longest-serving member, was appointed an associate justice by President Nixon in 1971 and elevated to chief justice by President Reagan in 1986.The chief justice's health had been closely followed by business interests as well as the White House, whose plans to fill Justice O'Connor's seat depended in part on whether there would be a second vacancy.
UPDATE: The Katrina Relief link will be in the next post.
