10 things you need to know today: January 27, 2022

Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement gives Biden a Supreme Court pick, U.S. and NATO reject Russia's Ukraine demands, and more

Justice Stephen Breyer
Justice Stephen Breyer
(Image credit: ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Justice Stephen Breyer to retire, giving Biden a Supreme Court pick

Justice Stephen Breyer will retire at the end of the Supreme Court's current term, NBC News reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with his plans. Breyer, 83, is the oldest justice, and one of just three liberals on the nine-member high court. His decision to step down now, while Democrats control the Senate, will give President Biden the opportunity to name his replacement. Liberal activists have been urging Breyer to retire before the midterm elections so Republicans won't be able to block a Biden nominee if they regain control of the Senate. Despite similar liberal urging, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not retire during former President Barack Obama's term, clearing the way for former President Donald Trump to seat Justice Amy Coney Barrett upon Ginsburg's death in 2020 and expand the conservative majority to 6-3.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.