Supreme Court begins new term with battles over agency power, guns and online speech

Washington — Supreme Court justices are returning to the bench Monday for the start a new term after a summer recess throughout which questions swirled about the justices' adherence to ethics principles.

On the docket for the justices in the upcoming term, which runs through June 2024, are cases involving the First Amendment, administrative power, and gun rights. Also set for action from the high court is a closely watched request for it to decide the rules for obtaining the widely used abortion pill mifepristone, a challenge to the federal ban on bump stocks originating from the Trump administration, and potentially, a review of school rules that prohibit transgender students from using the bathroom that matches their gender identities.

If the Supreme Court agrees to take up the Justice Department's appeal in the dispute over mifepristone, it would be the first case involving abortion heard by the justices since a conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. A decision restricting the rules surrounding the drug's use would impact abortion access nationwide, even in states where it is legal.