"write opinions based on his mind alone"

I read a book by Christian Cooper, who is among other things gay, and now read one by Austen Harke. Harke wrote Transforming: The Bible & The Lives of Transgender Christians.  Worthwhile read.  

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Justice Barrett talked to a judicial conference, as justices tend to do (they each oversee at least one court of appeal), and touched upon an issue of the day:

“Public scrutiny is welcome,” Barrett said. “Increasing and enhancing civics education is welcome.”

Barrett, 51, said the immediacy and amount of information that is available has fed the increased scrutiny of the Supreme Court.

“You’re not waiting once a day to read your print newspaper,” she said. “You’re seeing things come across your phone all the time, and you’re seeing pictures of people.”

Not quite as newsworthy as Justice Kagan saying Congress had some power to regulate the Supreme Court, but somewhat newsworthy.  It is a bit of boilerplate though well if you want "public scrutiny," well, we will give it to you, Amy.  

Justice Thomas is the one who is the gift that keeps on giving. Over 100 (he has been around for over 30 years) of his clerks thought it a good idea to put forth a hagiography in the form of a letter to defend him.  

The letter does not actually substantively address any of the charges of ethical violations.  It just praises as so special that it is basically blasphemous to doubt him.  The letter is prime comedy. I dare people who are not big fans (and even some of them) to read it with a straight face.   

This is the story of Justice Clarence Thomas. It is a story that should be told in every American classroom, at every American kitchen table, in every anthology of American dreams realized.

I'm not paraphrasing. There is a lot more of that sort of thing. It ends on a similar note.  Again, just quoting the thing:

A bust of his grandfather—himself raised by a grandmother born into slavery—watches over his office. It is an ever-present reminder that he is no ordinary Justice. Come the first Monday in October, the Justice, born into poverty few can fathom and educated in a segregated Savannah school room, will take the bench and begin his thirty-third year on the U.S. Supreme Court. He will ask a question most haven’t considered. And he will cast his votes and write opinions based on his mind alone.

The "mind alone" bit sounds like Trump's claim to be able to declassify with his mind.  People led with the likes of John Eastman (indicted and liable to lose his law license in California) signing the thing, but they really should focus on the actual content.  Once you move past the humor, it comes off as both sickening and pathetic that so many signed this thing.

ETA: This is why I should wait until the end of Friday to write these things.  I was wondering about Alito and Thomas's financial disclosures after they both took the extra time.  They are now available.  Ah, the value of financial disclosures.  

There are various articles discussing them, including at Slate, which also links another fawning statement labeled "on behalf of Client Justice Clarence Thomas," which among other things attacks left-wing "watchdog" (its scare quotes) groups.  You know, maybe just stop it, okay?  The bit in the disclosure about needing to use private transportation given potential threats after Dobbs (only him?) is also a nice touch.  

[Thomas has a long discussion/defense of things he did/updated, not using Alito's method of Wall St. Journal op-eds and fawning articles.]

Chris Geidner flags separately (on Twitter) how it's wrong for a justice to have so many financial entanglements (Alito's disclosure has over 100 financial transaction details) that in various respects touch on the business of the Court.  Alito recuses in various cases, but his level of financial holdings is atypical.  

I welcome the additional watchdog coverage arising from these disclosures.  

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No more orders or anything of that sort so far this week though they are continuing to work on including opinions in the preliminary bound volume.  If you look at the opinion page, notice the growing number of cases with a full citation.