| The fight over President Donald Trump's move to fill a Supreme Court vacancy is officially on — and, with just 37 days until he stands for re-election, it's unlike any other in American history. Trump's selection of Judge Amy Coney Barrett paves the way for a Senate Republican push to confirm her before the Nov. 3 election, adding to questions about how the vote could play out if it's disputed and goes to the Supreme Court. In moving to add his third justice to the bench, Trump is seeking to provide a fresh jolt to his faltering campaign by keeping a promise to install right-leaning judges that helped rally conservative voters to his side in 2016. If confirmed by the Senate, Barrett, known to be a devout Catholic who considers abortion "always immoral," would fill the seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The loss of liberal icon Ginsburg and the confirmation of the conservative Barrett, 48, could cement the court's rightward shift for a generation. Trump called Barrett "a woman of remarkable intellect and character," during a White House ceremony yesterday, while Barrett paid respect to Ginsburg, saying the late justice "not only broke glass ceilings, she smashed them." Senate Republicans' plan to confirm Barrett before the election has angered Democrats, who point to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's refusal to consider Barack Obama's nomination to fill a vacant seat during the 2016 election year. While Democratic challenger Joe Biden has said the winner of the presidential contest should fill Ginsburg's seat, there's little Democrats can do to delay a vote. And, as Jordan Fabian and Josh Wingrove write, her nomination will undoubtedly play a dominant role in the final weeks of the presidential election. — Kathleen Hunter | 
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