It is that time again when the political hacks we call the Supreme Court get together and do whatever it is they do…..

The Supreme Court starts a new nine-month term on Monday, and the first major case will come Tuesday, when the court hears arguments in a case involving “ghost guns”—untraceable firearms assembled from kits, often with very little effort involved, Reuters reports. In Garland v. VanDerStok, the Biden administration is appealing a lower court’s decision to strike down a rule that defined certain gun parts as firearms, meaning serial numbers and background checks would be required. Other big cases:

• A death row inmate in Oklahoma. On Wednesday next week, the court will hear arguments in Glossip v. Oklahoma, which “presents the odd question of whether the state of Oklahoma must execute a man that it very much does not want to kill,” Vox reports. The state’s attorney general believes Glossip was wrongly convicted of murder, but Oklahoma courts have refused to grant Glossip a new trial
• Transgender rights. US v. Skrmetti will probably be the most closely watched case of the term, CBS News reports. The Justice Department and three transgender teens are challenging Tennessee’s strict ban on gender-affirming care, including hormones and puberty blockers, for people under 18 with gender dysphoria. They argue that the ban, one of dozens in GOP-led states, violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection clause. Arguments in the case have not been scheduled yet.
• Porn websites. In Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of a Texas law requiring people who visit porn websites to submit personal information for age verification, Time reports. Opponents of the law argue that it fails to account for privacy concerns and restricts adult access to constitutionally protected material. Seven states have similar laws.
• Flavored vapes. FDA v. Wages and White Lion Investments will look at the FDA’s policy of refusing to approve flavored vapes, on the grounds that they have a “serious, well-documented risk” of getting underage users hooked.
• Nuclear waste. The court agreed to step into a fight over plans to store nuclear waste at sites in rural Texas and New Mexico. The justices said they will review a ruling by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals that found that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission exceeded its authority under federal law in granting a license to a private company to store spent nuclear fuel at a dump in West Texas for 40 years, the AP reports. The outcome of the case will affect plans for a similar facility in New Mexico. Political leaders in both states oppose the facilities.
• Reverse discrimination. The court is also taking up the case of an Ohio woman who claims she suffered sex discrimination in her employment because she is straight. The justices agreed to review an appellate ruling that upheld the dismissal of the discrimination lawsuit filed by the woman, Marlean Ames, against the Ohio Department of Youth Services, the AP reports. Ames, who has worked for the department for 20 years, contends she was passed over for a promotion and then demoted because she is heterosexual. Both the job she sought and the one she had held were given to LGBTQ people.

How will the Roberts court go?  Will it put politics aside for a change?

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