Stories to watch: you may get a break over the summer, but the news doesn't. Here are some stories to keep an eye on.

• Author: Smith, Patricia
• Position: SUMMER 2013 - Regulation on college admissions; Voting Rights Act; and same sex marriage

Supreme Court

Rulings on three hot-button topics--affirmative action in college admissions, the Voting Rights Act, and same-sex marriage--are expected by the end of June.

* In Fisher v. University of Texas, the Court is reconsidering whether the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment permits colleges to use race as a factor in admissions decisions. If the Court forbids the use of race, it could effectively end affirmative action in college admissions.

* Shelby County v. Holder involves a challenge by an Alabama county to a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The provision requires states with a history of racial discrimination to get approval from Washington for any changes to voting procedures. The nine states that are covered say there's no longer any need for it, but the Obama administration and civil rights leaders disagree.

* The Court heard two same-sex marriage cases. Either could produce a landmark ruling on whether gay couples have a constitutional right to marry. Hollingsworth v. Perry challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the 2008 voter initiative that banned gay marriage in California. United States v. Windsor challenges the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies married same-sex couples the federal benefits of marriage and allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. (Same-sex marriage is legal in nine states* and the District of Columbia.)

Afghanistan

After more than 11 years of fighting, the U.S. is trying to wind down its role in the war in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. But the situation on the ground is far from stable: American officials consider the government of President Hamid Karzai corrupt and ineffective, and the 66,000 U.S. troops there continue to face deadly attacks by Taliban insurgents.

Immigration

With 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S., the need for immigration reform has long been clear. After losing the presidential election in November, partly due to lack of support from Hispanic voters, many Republicans say they want to work with Democrats to overhaul the immigration system this year. Among those who'll be following the debate in Washington are 1.7 million young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and are seeking a pathway to citizenship.

The Economy

Technically, the economy has recovered from the devastating recession that began in 2007, but to the 11 million Americans still...