Justice Thomas Makes It Clear He’s Not Happy With Supremes Who Rejected Florida Lawsuit
Justice Clarence Thomas doesn’t say much during oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court. He’s also got a calm demeanor and a hearty laugh.
And he’s been one of the best additions to the court in its distinguished history. He knows the Constitution like the back of his hand. So when a decision is made that seems injurious to the nation’s founding document, he responds like a parent trying to protect a child.
Thomas took other justices to task on Tuesday after a majority of the court refused to hear a lawsuit brought by Florida against Washington and California:
Justice Clarence Thomas accused California and Washington of undermining federal immigration and trucking safety standards after a deadly Florida highway crash, blasting the Supreme Court on Tuesday for refusing to hear a case Florida had “nowhere else to bring.”
Florida alleged the two blue states improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants in violation of federal standards requiring English proficiency and lawful immigration status for certain commercial drivers, arguing the policies created a public safety threat on American roads.
Thomas, joined by Justice Samuel Alito, said the Supreme Court had a constitutional obligation to hear the dispute because lawsuits between states can only be brought before the high court.
“If this Court does not exercise jurisdiction over a controversy between two States, then the complaining State has no judicial forum in which to seek relief,” Thomas wrote.
There’s only one court in the country that can hear lawsuits between states, and that’s the Supreme Court.
More:
Thomas argued that Florida’s allegations against Washington and California were serious because failing to follow federal commercial licensing laws can create dangerous road conditions and, he said, has contributed to deadly crashes.
Thomas pointed to the fatal Florida highway crash involving truck driver Harjinder Singh, who he said “could not read the road signs,” and argued Florida deserved a chance to pursue its claims.
People in the country illegally who can’t read road signs in English can’t be allowed to drive 80,000-pound tractor-trailers on American highways, he said.
“Federal law and regulations prohibit States from providing commercial driver’s licenses to applicants unless they pass a driver’s test, sufficiently understand the English language, and show appropriate immigration status,” Thomas noted.
Thomas wrote that while the court may exercise discretion when deciding whether to hear ordinary appeals, disputes between states stand on different constitutional footing.
“We have no more right to decline the exercise of jurisdiction which is given, than to usurp that which is not given,” Thomas wrote.
He’s right, of course. Florida now has no other recourse to pursue legal claims for the deaths of three of its residents. So not only were those deaths in vain, the two blue states who issued the Indian trucker a license get off scot-free.
It’s an outrageous development; Thomas and Alito are right to be upset about it. More than that, we have seven justices who think it’s okay to ignore a basic function of the high court: Settling disputes between states.
"A Poor Boy Lost His Only Sandwich… But What Happened Next Left Everyone Speechless!
"A Poor Boy Lost His Only Sandwich… But What Happened Next Left Everyone Speechless!
Posted July 14, 2026
It wasn't fresh.
The bread was slightly crushed.
But to Ethan it looked like treasure.
He carefully brushed dirt from the wrapper.
For a moment he simply stared at it.
He imagined taking small bites.
Making it last.
Pretending he was eating in a real home at a real kitchen table.
A place he barely remembered.
His mother had died three years earlier.
His father had disappeared long before that.
Since then Ethan had survived however he could.
Some nights he found shelter.
Some nights he didn't.
But today felt different.
Today he had food.
Today he could stop thinking about hunger.
At least for a little while.
He carried the sandwich carefully through town.
Protecting it like something precious.
Eventually he reached the front of Westbridge Academy.
The school fascinated him.
Every morning he watched students laughing with friends.
He imagined what it might be like to wear a uniform.
To sit in a classroom.
To have teachers.
Homework.
A future.
Things ordinary children complained about.
Things Ethan dreamed of.
He sat near the gate and slowly unwrapped the sandwich.
His hands trembled.
The smell alone made his stomach ache.
He smiled.
A real smile.
Perhaps the first in weeks.
Then fate intervened.
A black SUV rolled past the curb.
The driver accelerated slightly.
A gust of wind swept across the sidewalk.
The sandwich slipped from Ethan's hands.
"No!"
He lunged for it.
Too late.
The sandwich hit the pavement.
The wrapper burst open.
The food scattered across the dirty concrete.
Ethan froze.
His entire body became still.
For a moment he simply stared.
His breakfast.
His lunch.
Perhaps his only meal for the day.
Gone.
A lump formed in his throat.
Tears burned behind his eyes.
He tried not to cry.
Boys his age were supposed to be strong.
But hunger had a way of breaking strength.
Slowly he knelt beside the ruined sandwich.
Maybe some part could still be saved.
Maybe—
A shadow fell over him.
Ethan looked up.
A young girl stood there.
About the same age as him.
Blonde hair tied neatly into a ponytail.
Perfect school uniform.
Polished shoes.
A pink backpack decorated with stars.
She looked at the ruined sandwich.
Then at Ethan.
Her eyes softened.
"What happened?" she asked quietly.
Ethan immediately looked away.
He hated pity.
"It's nothing."
The girl glanced at the food on the ground.
"That was your lunch?"
Ethan didn't answer.
The silence told her everything.
She reached into her lunch bag.
Pulled out a fresh sandwich.
Turkey and cheese.
Perfectly wrapped.
She held it toward him.
"Here."
Ethan blinked.
"What?"
"You can have mine."
His eyes widened.
"No."
"It's okay."
"No, I can't."
The girl smiled gently.
"My name is Lily."
Ethan stared at the sandwich.
His stomach screamed at him to take it.
But pride fought back.
Lily moved closer.
"Please."
Ethan hesitated.
"Why would you do that?"
Lily shrugged.
"Because you're hungry."
The answer was so simple it almost hurt.
Nobody had treated Ethan kindly in a very long time.
People ignored him.
Mocked him.
Avoided him.
Yet this stranger acted as though helping someone was the most natural thing in the world.
Slowly he accepted the sandwich.
His hands shook.
"Thank you."
Lily smiled.
"You're welcome."
For the first time that morning Ethan felt something unfamiliar.
Hope.
Unfortunately, someone else had been watching.
And she was furious.
"LILY!"
The sharp voice echoed across the entrance.
Both children turned.
A woman stormed toward them.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Perfectly dressed.
Her heels clicked angrily against the pavement.
This was Victoria Reynolds.
One of the wealthiest women in the city.
Lily's mother.
Her expression darkened as she approached.
"What are you doing?"
Lily's smile vanished.
"Mom—"
Victoria grabbed her daughter's arm.
"I asked you a question."
"I was just helping him."
Victoria looked Ethan up and down.
Disgust flashed across her face.
The reaction hit Ethan harder than any punch.
"I told you never to talk to strangers."
"He's just hungry."
"That isn't our problem."
Lily looked horrified.
"Mom..."
Victoria ignored her.
Instead she focused entirely on Ethan.
"Stay away from my daughter."
Ethan immediately stepped back.
"I wasn't bothering her."
"Then why are you here?"
The words cut deeply.
Because he already knew the answer.
Because people like her saw people like him as invisible.
Or worse.
Garbage.
Victoria pointed toward the street.
"Leave."
Lily protested.
"Mom, stop!"
Victoria's voice rose.
"I said leave."
Nearby parents began watching.
Students stopped walking.
Whispers spread.
Ethan felt dozens of eyes on him.
Humiliation flooded through his body.
He lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
He turned to go.
Then Victoria noticed something.
A chain around Ethan's neck.
Hidden beneath his torn shirt.
A silver pendant.
Old.
Scratched.
Worn by time.
The pendant slipped into view as he moved.
Victoria froze.
Her eyes widened.
For a second all anger disappeared.
Only shock remained.
"Wait."
Ethan stopped.
Victoria stared at the necklace.
No.
Not the necklace.
The symbol engraved on it.
A small compass.
Her breathing changed.
"Where did you get that?"
Ethan instinctively grabbed the pendant.
"It's mine."
"Answer me."
The intensity in her voice startled everyone.
Lily looked confused.
"Mom?"
Victoria stepped closer.
"Where did you get that pendant?"
Ethan backed away.
"It belonged to my mother."
Victoria's face turned pale.
"Your mother?"
"Yes."
Victoria swallowed hard.
The world around her suddenly felt distant.
Because there was only one person she had ever known who owned a pendant exactly like that.
Only one.
A man she hadn't seen in eleven years.
A man named Mark.
The man who had vanished without explanation.
The man she once loved.
The man whose disappearance had destroyed countless lives.
Victoria stared at Ethan.
For the first time she truly looked at him.
His eyes.
His hair.
His face.
Something felt disturbingly familiar.
Something impossible.
Her heart began racing.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
Ethan frowned.
The question made no sense.
"I'm Ethan."
"No."
Victoria stepped forward.
"Who are you really?"
The crowd fell silent.
Lily looked from her mother to the boy.
Completely confused.
Victoria's hands trembled.
Because a terrifying possibility had entered her mind.
One she could barely comprehend.
If that pendant belonged to Mark...
And if Ethan inherited it from his mother...
Then who exactly was this boy?
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