Men's Lifestyle April 3, 2026 0 Comments

Why the Future of the Supreme Court Could Hinge on These Older Justices Staying Strong – And What It Means for Us All

Five minutes—barely enough time to crush a quick workout or whip up a power snack—but apparently, that’s all you need to digest the seismic shifts rattling the Supreme Court these days. So what happens when a longtime justice suddenly finds himself unwinding at a hospital rather than a hearing? And what does it mean for the ever-tense battle over the Court’s future, especially with two septuagenarians potentially easing out the door? Spoiler: It’s not just about robed legal eagles—this impacts every single one of us, from birthright debates affecting indigenous communities to the political chess game that could redefine America’s judicial landscape. Buckle up, because the weekend’s round-up is less about chillin’ and more about wrestling with the hard truths nobody’s afraid to whisper. Care to dive deeper into the drama? LEARN MORE

5 min read

Out on the Weekend

(Permanent Musical Accompaniment to the Last Post of the Week from the Blog’s Favourite Living Canadian)

My old J-school buddy, Joan Biskupic, the Supreme Court whisperer now in the employ of CNN, had a neat scoop this week. From her dispatch:

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was taken to a hospital after becoming ill last month at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia, according to people with knowledge of the March 20 incident, which had not been previously reported. The justice was evaluated and administered fluids for dehydration. He returned to his home in Virginia that night with his security team. In the two weeks since the incident, Alito has attended oral arguments and appeared healthy during the usual give-and-take with lawyers at the lectern. Alito, who turned 76 on Wednesday and has served as a justice for 20 years, has become the subject of widespread speculation from commentators across the ideological spectrum and the news media over whether he might retire. (He has refused to answer journalists’ questions on the subject.)

Alito looked and sounded fine during the oral arguments this week in the case of Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case. But truth be told, he’s 76 and his work on the Court is pretty much done. Roe v. Wade is dead and gone, to name only the most obvious damage he’s done. He can make a small fortune on the speaking circuit. He can let his conservative freak flag fly at full staff for big money. And along with Justice Clarence Thomas, who’s 77, Alito could retire and give this president two more seats to fill on the Court before Congress potentially changes hands next January. Which means that the Democrats need to D up in a big way.

Quite simply, this president cannot be allowed to put one more justice, let along two more, on this Court. I don’t care if the president nominates Oliver Wendell Learned Hand Marshall, the answer remains no. It is time now to start rolling back the damage he’s done. One way to do that is to begin rolling back future damage today.

One of the more interesting exchanges in the birthright citizenship debate was the spanking Solicitor General John Sauer got from Justice Neil Gorsuch, who pushed him into the corner on the issue as it pertains to indigenous people. Sauer tried to fob off Gorsuch by saying that they are citizens through a 1924 law, but Gorsuch insisted he answer whether or not indigenous people are citizens at birth.

Sauer: “No, I think the clear understanding that everybody agrees in the congressional debates is that the children of tribal Indians are not birthright citizens.”

Gorsuch pushed back hard, pointing out that the concept of being “domiciled” here was central to Sauer’s entire argument, and thatwhatever their legal status, there is no question that indigenous children are “domiciled” here at birth. Sauer was stuck for an answer.

“I think so, on our test. They’re lawfully domiciled here. I have to think that through, but that’s my reaction.”

Gorsuch is a hardcore conservative with one interesting exception. He is more enlightened than many of his colleagues on the federal bench on issues involving the Native peoples. It’s worth watching anyway.

Weekly WWOZ Pick To Click: “Don’t Let Me Fall” (Dixie Hummingbirds): Yeah, I pretty much still love New Orleans.

Weekly Visit To The Pathé Archives: Alas, at Blog Time, the Pathé website was down. Which meant I couldn’t get to the video of how the chocolate Easter Egg was invented. Apologies all around.

I think we should be having a bit more of a happy time about the fact that some of us have gone back to the Moon. And, no, I don’t care if this president gets to bask in the event. I mean, Jeebus Christmas, Nixon got to preside over the first moon landing, and I managed to put that aside. I’m sorry, but I still get a charge out of some of my fellow humans going to the moon. I think other people should be, too.

Discovery Corner: Hey, look what we found! From Popular Mechanics:

According to a translated statement from the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean (a French governmental agency), a routine military operation to inspect the country’s seabed led to an unusual sonar reading in 2025. A joint team from the French Navy’s Expert Center for Human Diving and Underwater Intervention and the Department of Underwater and Submarine Archaeological Research used the A18D deep-sea autonomous underwater vehicle to get an initial visual look. That led to a second remotely operated underwater vehicle checking out the site and mapping it out with detailed photography.

What they found was a ship over 98 feet long and 23 feet wide—likely a 16th century merchant vessel with a load of ceramics on board. The color images show at least 200 earthenware pitchers now trapped under sediment. The globular pitchers—with pinched spouts and ribbon handles—include the monogram “IHS” (a Greek symbol representing Jesus Christ) and geographic pattern that may be inspired by plant life.“These pitchers are characteristic of the well-documented Ligurian productions of the 16th century,” the agency wrote about a region that is now northern Italy. The team also found around 100 yellow plates, along with shipboard equipment of anchors, cannons, and two cauldrons.

Cannons and Cauldrons. I think that was a Disney animated feature from the 1960s. Angela Lansbury played the Cauldron.

Hey, ScienceDaily. Is it a good day for dinosaur news? It’s always a good day for dinosaur news!

Scientists uncovered a rare baby dinosaur in South Korea and named it Doolysaurus after a famous cartoon character. Using cutting-edge CT scans, they discovered hidden bones—including a skull—inside rock much faster than traditional methods. The young dinosaur, possibly fluffy and lamb-like, even had stomach stones that reveal it ate a mix of plants and small animals. The discovery suggests many more dinosaurs may still be hidden in Korea’s rocks.

“Possibly fluffy and lamb-like.” They can’t be certain? I think we—and the stuffed toy industry—deserve answers here.

I’ll be back on Monday for whatever fresh hell awaits. Be well and play nice, ya bastids. Stay above the snake-line and wear the damn masks, and take the damn shots, especially the boosters and any New One. In your spare time, spare a thought for the Iranian people, and the Lebanese people and all the other people downrange in our newest war, and all the people in ICE detention, and the victims and their families in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in Canada, and for the shooting victims in Austin, and in Michigan, and in Virginia and for the brilliant journalists of the Washington Post, and for the citizens of the occupied city of Minneapolis and South Burlington, Vermont,, and for all he people suffering from the severe cold brought by the current polar vortex. and the people in the flooded areas of southern Africa, and in the flooded areas in Ireland, and in the flooded areas of Brazil, and for people suffering from the outbreaks of measles, a particularly brutal flu, and Legionnaire’s disease outbreak in Harlem, and for our LGBTQ+ citizens, who deserve so much more from this country than they’re getting.