This Election Will Change The Supreme Court for a Generation

Chief Justice John Roberts cast the deciding judgment upholding Obamacare as constitutional - and triggered a near mutiny by his right flank on the high court. Right after the decision - Roberts left the country and went to Malta to dodge all the criticism he knew he was going to get from Conservatives in the coming days and weeks. And that's how the last Supreme Court term ended. Now - three months later - a new Supreme Court term kicks off today. And though Obamacare isn't on the docket this term - a bunch of other high profile, crucially important cases are. First on the list - affirmative action for college admissions. Arguments in "Fisher v. The University of Texas" are scheduled to begin on October 10th - and the court could strike down racial or economic preferences in college admissions. And given the court's 5-to-4 Conservative advantage - it's likely they'll do just that. Next up - the court will weigh in on whether or not corporations can be liable for human rights abuses overseas - namely whether or not Royal Dutch Petroleum can be sued for being complicit in atrocities committed by the Nigerian Government. The court is also scheduled to hear cases about drug-sniffing dogs and warrantless searches. And legal questions concerning the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - known as FISA - which allows the US government to eavesdrop on overseas communications - are expected to be addressed by the high court as well.