Bethesda, Md.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist was diagnosed with thyroid cancer this week. Doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland inserted a tube into his throat to make it easier for him to breathe, but officials declined to say whether he was being treated with surgery or radiation. Thyroid cancer has a 90 percent cure rate, and a Supreme Court spokesman said Rehnquist, the court’s leading conservative for decades, would return to work Nov. 1. News of Rehnquist’s illness fueled speculation about how the court might change after the Nov. 2 presidential election. All the justices except Clarence Thomas are over 65, and the next president may get to appoint several members to the closely divided nine-member court.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Confessions of a Brain Surgeon: an 'exceptional' documentaryThe Week Recommends Retired neurosurgeon Henry Marsh reflects on his pioneering work with exquisitely 'raw honesty'
-
A new subtype of diabetes was found and it may require different treatmentUnder the radar It is prevalent in Black Africans and Americans
-
Sudoku medium: August 20, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
