Amy Coney Barrett ascended to the Supreme Court in 2020 on a wave of conservative enthusiasm. And sure enough, she was part of a court majority that overturned Roe v. Wade. But these days "she is beginning to separate herself from the pack in important ways," said Axios. 

During the court's most recent term she wrote concurring opinions "questioning and honing the majority's methods" while occasionally joining liberal justices in "notable dissents" against the court's rulings involving Jan. 6 and the federal government's air pollution policies, said The New York Times. "Has Amy Coney Barrett gone rogue?" asked Newsweek. Not necessarily, said one legal observer. But she is "demonstrating that she isn't beholden to anyone."

What did the commentators say?
"Justice Barrett has found her voice — and has easily become the most interesting justice," legal analyst Stephen I. Vladeck said in The New York Times. Barrett's writings are often "principled, nuanced and fair-minded." More than most of her colleagues, Barrett consistently tries to stick to her principles "even when they lead her away from Republican political preferences."

"Justice Barrett may show streaks of independence, but when it counts, she's as conservative as they come," Kimberly Atkins Stohr said at The Boston Globe. When Barrett departs from her conservative colleagues "she does so carefully, narrowly" and often with little impact on the outcome. Barrett is largely delivering exactly what her conservative backers wanted. "Her resistance only comes when she's not a deciding vote."

What next?
If Barrett is moving toward the center of the court, the court itself has firmly moved right. "Chief Justice Roberts looked like he was emerging as a swing vote, toward the tail end of the Trump years," Mark Joseph Stern said at Slate. His ruling on Donald Trump's immunity case suggests that era may be over. "I think the story of the term is: John Roberts becomes a MAGA justice," said Slate's Dahlia Lithwick.

Barrett, meanwhile, will have ample time to work her influence. At 52, she is the youngest justice. What's clear: Her supposed independence will only go so far. Barrett is a conservative through and through. "If anyone thinks she will 'evolve' over to the left side of the court," said Georgetown Law's Irv Gornstein, "they are mistaken."

Nonalcoholic brews have been on the market for years, but demand seems to be ever-increasing. And the companies that manufacture nonalcoholic beers are starting to take notice. 

How big is the nonalcoholic beer market? 
Much bigger than the average consumer may think. Nonalcoholic beer sales worldwide are slated to reach $37 billion in 2024, according to Statista. This includes $18.9 billion in revenue generated from supermarkets and convenience stores, and $18.1 billion from restaurants, bars and retail establishments. Most of the supermarket and convenience store revenue is generated in the United States.

Why is nonalcoholic beer booming now? 
Part of the reason seems to be generational shifts that are causing drinking-age crowds to be more health-conscious. There is an "upswing as far as Generation Z. I think they're very mindful of what they intake, and I don't think that the obligatory alcoholic drink before your dinner every night is the reality of today," Steve Fox, owner of the Bread & Circuses Bistro & Bar in Maryland, said to WMAR-TV Baltimore.

This shift seems to be backed by scientific data as well. In 2018, 28% of college students reported abstaining from alcohol, according to Cleveland Clinic data cited by WMAR. By comparison, in 2002 only 20% said they were doing the same. Other surveys draw similar conclusions. A January 2023 survey from NCSolutions found that 41% of Americans were "planning to drink less alcohol in 2024." 

With this uptick in nonalcoholic beer sales come lucrative deals for companies. Athletic Brewing, the leading manufacturer of nonalcoholic beer in the United States, recently "closed a $50 million equity financing round," the company said in a press release, boosting its valuation to about $800 million. 

Many of the most iconic conventional beer brands are venturing into the space too. Budweiser, for example, offers Budweiser Zero, a nonalcoholic beer "made for those who want to cut back on alcohol without missing out on the full flavor and refreshment of Budweiser." Coors, Heineken, Samuel Adams and Guinness are other big-name beers that offer nonalcoholic varieties.