Justice Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court 35 years ago today. In May, he became the second-longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history.
At the Court
On Wednesday, the justices heard oral argument in Salazar v. Paramount Global, on whether and how the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, which was enacted after the Washington City Paper reported on Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork’s video rental history, applies in the internet era. It was the final argument of the October sitting.
Later on Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted a request from the Federal Communications Commission to block a ruling by a federal appeals court that would have required the FCC to rule quickly on a challenge to its “public notice” extending favorable advertising rates to political parties and joint fundraising committees. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated, without explanation, that they would have denied both requests. For more on the decision, see the On Site section below.
Tomorrow, the justices will meet in a private conference to discuss cases and vote on petitions for review. Orders from Friday’s conference are expected on Monday at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
On Sept. 28, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to implement its new policy on healthcare and accommodations for transgender inmates, which would prevent such inmates from obtaining gender-transition surgeries, hormone therapy, and “social accommodations.” The dispute is now fully briefed, and the court’s decision could come at any time.