In 370 days, Supreme Court conservatives dash decades of abortion and affirmative action precedents

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Overturning Roe v. Wade and affirmative action in higher education had been leading goals of the conservative legal movement for decades. Over a span of 370 days, a Supreme Court reshaped by three justices nominated by President Donald Trump made both of those goals a reality. Last June, the court ended nationwide protections for abortion rights. On Thursday, the court’s conservative majority decided race-conscious admissions programs at the oldest private and public colleges in the county were are unlawful. Precedents that had stood since the 1970s were overturned. The court just ended a term in which ethical questions swirled around the justices and public trust dipped. There were other expected conservative decisions but also some notable surprises.