Good morning, and welcome back to Supreme Court Brief. A new study looks at the questions Justice Clarence Thomas asked at virus-era telephonic arguments. Plus, what drove the court's DIG this week and a pandemic-related tax fight between two states. Scroll down for headlines—Goldstein & Russell's Sarah Harrington is on her way to returning to the Justice Department, this time to lead the civil appellate staff.

Thanks for reading, and your feedback is welcome and appreciated. Contact Marcia Coyle at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MarciaCoyle. Contact contributor Tony Mauro at [email protected] and on Twitter @Tonymauro