Supreme Court Begins Term With New Justice

The Supreme Court began its next term Monday with a new face, a fresh docket of cases, and a crisis of public confidence.

The court is joined by new Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who replaced the retired Steven Breyer to become the court's first black female justice. And for the first time in two years, the court reopened oral arguments to the public and press, after the COVID-19 pandemic had kept the court sealed. For the term's first case, the justices heard arguments Monday from a couple who wants to build on property that the U.S. government has designated a protected wetland. The decision could potentially limit the landmark Clean Water Act of 1972.

As the new term begins, some major polls suggest that the Supreme Court's favor with the public is at a record low. According to Gallup (Center bias), just 25% of Americans have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the court. The previous low was 30% in 2014.

The start of the court's new term was covered by sources across the political spectrum. Some coverage from right-rated sources highlighted how the court has yet to publicly identify the leaker of the Roe v. Wade draft opinion. Left- and center-rated sources placed more emphasis on the historic nature of Jackson's first term.