Americans nationwide are consumed with concern over COVID-19, near-Depression-level economic hardship and protests-turned-riots over racism. In the meantime, federal policymakers in Congress are largely failing to address these issues – ever consumed by ramifications for the coming election.

But there, almost in the background, the Supreme Court in its most recent term has quietly achieved something better in the sticky realm of religious freedom and LGBTQ equality: bridging ideological divides and interpreting law with competence and courage.