The US Supreme Court begins its new term on Monday, October 5, with two of its most conservative members, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, entering the spotlight again.
Thomas and Alito are among the court’s oldest and longest-serving members. With the court holding a 6-3 conservative majority, their views can carry significant weight on some of the biggest legal disputes in the country.
🚨 GREAT NEWS: The Supreme Court is poised to likely STRIKE DOWN Democrat jurisdictions’ ban on the AR-15, per former Clarence Thomas clerk John Yoo GUN GRABBERS WILL HATE THIS. https://t.co/JRaFFJprcb
— MAGA Girl (@magagirl00) October 4, 2026
Also Read | Flydubai FZ1073 mystery pilots: Who were the two heroes who stepped in to save the plane?
Two old hands, still pivotal
Thomas, 78, has served on the court since 1991. Alito, 76, joined in 2006.
The two have moved from being frequent dissenters earlier in their careers to being at the height of their influence as the court has shifted to the right.
Their record already includes major conservative victories.
Those include limits on the Voting Rights Act and a 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that had recognized a constitutional right to abortion.
Samuel Alito has recused himself from a Supreme Court climate case, after ethics watchdogs uncovered his fossil fuel stockholdings. Instead of relying on the justices to occasionally do the right thing, we need Congress to enact real SCOTUS reform. https://t.co/NEp9xtyBe3
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) September 30, 2026
Major tests
The new term brings several cases that touch issues central to the conservative legal movement.
In November, the court is due to hear a challenge involving a Colorado law requiring taxpayer-funded preschools to enroll children of same-sex couples.
The case puts religious freedom and LGBT protections directly before the justices.
Another potential case involves a Texas law requiring public schools to display the biblical Ten Commandments. The issue is whether such a requirement conflicts with the Constitution’s ban on government establishing or endorsing religion.
🚨🔥 BIG SUPREME COURT UPDATE: The fight over AR-15 bans is officially heading to the nation’s highest court! The Supreme Court has agreed to hear challenges involving assault-style rifle restrictions in Illinois and Connecticut, setting up one of the most consequential Second Amendment cases of the new term. (Reuters) Former Clarence Thomas clerk John Yoo argues the Court could reject bans on AR-15-style rifles because they are widely owned and therefore potentially protected under the Supreme Court’s “common use” Second Amendment framework. But the legal question is far from settled. The Seventh Circuit recently upheld Illinois’ ban, while other lower courts have reached different conclusions. (The Washington Post) Now the Supreme Court will have to confront the central constitutional question: 🇺🇸 Does the Second Amendment protect commonly owned semiautomatic rifles such as the AR-15? ⚖️ Or can states and local governments prohibit them based on their characteristics and potential risks? The Court’s decision could establish a nationwide standard for assault-weapons bans. 🔥 ARGUMENTS THIS TERM. ⚖️ DECISION EXPECTED BY JUNE 2027. 🇺🇸 THE SECOND AMENDMENT QUESTION IS NOW SQUARELY BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT.
— The Golden Age (@QAceofTruth) October 3, 2026
The Second Amendment gets another turn
Gun rights will also be a major test. On December 2, the court is scheduled to hear arguments over state bans on AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles.
Thomas has already played a major role in shaping the court’s approach to gun regulation through the 2022 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen ruling.
That decision said gun restrictions must fit with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
The upcoming cases could give Thomas an opportunity to clarify how that standard should apply to assault-style weapons.
President Trump told Time he regrets nominating Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. "I gave them the position of a lifetime, and they vote against me often." The Court opens its new term Monday with a climate case on day 1, and only 8 justices hear it because Samuel Alito recused. President Trump is reviewing them before his final term even ends.
— Tyreese Learmond (@TyreeseLearmond) October 3, 2026
Ballot question
Voting is another key battlefield. On December 8, the court will consider whether Arizona can require people registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship.
Critics argue such rules could make registration harder for groups that tend to support Democrats, while supporters frame them as election safeguards.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2006: “There is nothing that is more important for our republic than the rule of law. No person in this country, no matter how high or powerful, is above the law.” https://t.co/Zpx2CQhgFn
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) July 1, 2024
A little presidential friction?
The politics around the court add another layer. Thomas and Alito were the most reliable votes for the Trump administration’s major policies that reached the court last term.
Trump has publicly praised both men while criticizing other conservative justices he appointed for ruling against him in some cases.
Alito has rejected the idea that he simply votes in line with Trump. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in August, he said, “I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided.”
At the same time, Alito has spoken about pressure on the judiciary.
A Fox News clip published on October 3 showed him discussing what he described as a “concerted effort” by political actors to intimidate the Supreme Court.
ALITO STAYS, BUT WILL RETHINK IT EVERY YEAR Justice Samuel Alito, 76, says he can still make a valuable contribution, so he is staying this term and will reconsider every year. Some conservatives wanted him to step down while Republicans hold the Senate, and Justice Clarence Thomas is 78. Back in August, Alito called the people pushing him to retire "vultures." His book comes out October 6. It’s his seat and his call. Ruth Bader Ginsburg waited too and lost any say over who replaced her. NOW EVERYONE KNOWS
— Brian Bullock | Everyone Knows (@EveryoneKnws1) October 3, 2026
Who stays
That question is hanging over the term. A retirement by either justice would give President Donald Trump an opportunity to nominate a younger conservative who could remain on the bench for decades.
Alito has said he considered retirement this year but decided he could still make “a valuable contribution.”
He also said, “Obviously, I’m here for another term.”
Thomas has not addressed the retirement speculation.
One legal expert cited by Reuters suggested he may want to become the longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history, a milestone he could reach in May 2028.
BREAKING NEWS: Justice Clarence Thomas is now our third longest serving Justice in American history! 34 years and 192 days. He is quite simply our greatest Justice. Justice Thomas recently delivered one of the most important speeches in American history, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It’s a must read, and link to speech and youtube video are below. Learn more about Justice Thomas’s inspiring life by watching the superb documentary, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words or reading his exceptional memoirs, My Grandfather’s Son. (links below) And in three days, Justice Thomas will be our 2nd longest serving Justice in history!
— Mark Paoletta (@MarkPaoletta) May 3, 2026
Also Read | Ethiopia strikes back in Tigray, retakes Mekelle as rebels withdraw
No departure, just yet
For now, both justices remain on the bench.
The cases arriving this term could give them more chances to shape American law on guns, religion, voting rights, and presidential power.
4 PM Top-of-the-Hour News Tennessee’s governor has halted all state executions for now, after convicted killer Christa Pike survived two lethal injection attempts on Wednesday. Journalist Catherine Sweeney was a witness.: “When they told us to leave at 8:53, Christa Pike was still breathing. They did two separate rounds of pentobarbital, which I’ve never seen before. The protocol does say. That they should do a 2nd round if the person is still alive after the 1st push. ” Her lawyers say Pike likely suffered a brain injury and have filed an emergency motion to stay the execution. Governor Bill Lee…: “What I think should happen while I’m the governor is that we should determine the steps forward. We should find out what happened. And make those, make those changes necessary to do what the people of this state want done. ” The family of Renee Good, one of the two U-S citizens fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January, has sued the Trump administration. Legal analyst Laurie Levenson…: “And makes the claim that there is no basis for them to claim that she was a threat to them and that the administration should be held responsible for what they did during these ICE raids. ” Good was shot as she was attempting to drive away from ICE agents in the middle of a protest. A new abortion fight is heading to the Supreme Court. More from our Stacy Lyn in Washington…: “Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana are asking the justices to strike down shield laws in New York, California, and Massachusetts. Those laws protect doctors from prosecution for prescribing and mailing abortion medication to patients in states where abortion is banned. Louisiana’s attorney general says it’s illegal. They were sending cocaine or fentanyl through the mail to our states simply because they thought that that should be legal here. We would arrest them. We would prosecute them. The three states argue the shield laws interfere with their ability to enforce their own abortion laws, Stacy Lynn, Worldwide News Network, Washington. ” The Supreme Court agreed today to hear arguments over the Trump administration policy that subjects millions of undocumented immigrants to mandatory detention during their deportation proceedings. A fresh crew is on the way to the International Space Station…: “321 ignition. And liftoff, go Falcon, go Dragon, and go crew 13. Lift off of Crew 13 carried by Dragon Race to the International Space Station. ” NASA and SpaceX have launched the Crew-13 mission after engineers at Cape Canaveral fixed an oxidizer leak. More from our space consultant Peter King in Florida…: “The crew includes 1 veteran and 3 space rookies. The veteran is spacecraft commander Jessica Watkins, who’s already been to the International Space Station. The rookies include an American from Central Florida, a Canadian, and a Russian cosmonaut. They’re due to dock at the International Space Station late this afternoon for a mission that’ll last about 6 months. ” Over the last five years, glaciers in Switzerland have lost almost one fifth of their ice.: “Swiss glaciers are melting faster than ever. It is clearly a catastrophic year. A statement by Glamos Swiss Glacier Monitoring Service and the Swiss Academy of Sciences shows that Switzerland’s glaciers have lost more than 5% of their ice in 2026. They say that alpine glaciers won’t survive long term under those conditions. Matthias Hass is the director of Glamos. The protective layer for the ice was limited and disappeared early in the season. And then we had these heat waves. Scientists estimate Swiss glaciers have lost over 581 billion gallons of water between July and September of this year, Gloria Chappa, Worldwide News Network. ”
— Worldwide News Network (@WorldwideNNX) October 1, 2026