Some expect her to run for president; others believe the surprise move will finish her politically. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she was quitting her job at the end of the month -- unleashing a torrent of speculation about her plans, motivation and the political wisdom of such a seemingly confounding decision.

She rose from quickly from Wasilla, Alaska, mayor to the national scene, generating excitement and controversy along the way. A look at some of the events in Gov. Sarah Palin's political career:

A sharply divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that the city of New Haven, Conn., had discriminated against white firefighters, reversing a key decision by high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Chevron Corp. in a fight with the Ecuadorean government over potentially tens of billions of dollars in liability for environmental damage. The justices, without comment, on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that blocked Chevron's effort to force arbitration with state-owned PetroEcuador.