Supreme Court
Ohio lawmakers pass ‘heartbeat’ abortion legislation
By RNS staff — December 7, 2016
Lower courts have struck down similar 'heartbeat' laws in North Dakota and Arkansas, and the Supreme Court refused to hear appeals on those rulings in January.
US top court takes Christian-affiliated hospital pension case
By RNS staff — December 4, 2016
(Reuters) The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear appeals by Christian-affiliated hospital systems of lower court rulings that gave the green light to employee lawsuits accusing them of wrongly claiming a religious exemption from federal pension law.
The No. 1 reason evangelicals still put their hopes in Trump
By John Fea — August 9, 2016
(RNS) The only thing keeping Donald Trump afloat in these troubled waters is his May 18 announcement about the Supreme Court.
Share our joy! How Julie Rodgers recalls last year’s marriage ruling
By Tobin Grant — July 5, 2016
Her friends didn’t force her to choose between her orientation and her love for Jesus. They shared her joy.
Judge blocks Mississippi ‘religious freedom’ law
By Yonat Shimron — July 1, 2016
JACKSON, Miss. — The judge said the law “violates both the guarantee of religious neutrality and the promise of equal protection of the laws” and was therefore unconstitutional.
How some abortion opponents get ‘pro-life’ radically right
By Marcia Pally — June 28, 2016
(RNS) Reducing abortion as much as possible is a universal goal with broad consensus about how to achieve it.
Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions
By Richard Wolf — June 27, 2016
WASHINGTON — The ruling could have an impact beyond the Lone Star State by prompting legislatures and courts to reconsider other limits on abortion.
India’s Muslim women seek to ban ‘triple talaq’ divorce law
By Akhtar Ali — June 21, 2016
NEW DELHI (RNS) A Muslim woman petitioned India's Supreme Court to ban a Muslim practice in which a Muslim man can divorce his wife just by uttering “talaq” three times.
Massachusetts church vigil ending after 11 years
By Jerome Socolovsky — May 21, 2016
(RNS) Angry their parish would be closed in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, around 100 parishioners took turns sleeping overnight in the church.
Supreme Court sends ‘contraceptive mandate’ cases back to lower courts
By Jerome Socolovsky — May 16, 2016
WASHINGTON — The justices unanimously sent the cases back to federal appeals courts in hopes that they can emerge with a way to honor the objections of religious nonprofit groups.
Top 5 surprising religion and politics stories (and it’s only May)
By Tobin Grant — May 13, 2016
It's unexpected events like these that keep me loving religion and politics in the USA.
National Day of Prayer speakers decry moral decline
By Adelle M. Banks — May 5, 2016
WASHINGTON (RNS) Long a celebration of evangelical influence, speakers at this year's National Day of Prayer event avoided endorsing any presidential candidate and decried the acceptance of same-sex marriage.
Immigrant families’ lives, nation’s values hinge on court’s ruling (COMMENTARY)
By Yonat Shimron — April 20, 2016
(RNS) A Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Texas will have enormous consequences for immigrant families and our nation’s values. Will the court's action keep these families together or tear them apart?
Why the Supreme Court’s solution was an offer nonprofits couldn’t refuse (COMMENTARY)
By Mark Silk — April 13, 2016
(RNS) The nonprofits decided to embrace the court’s suggestion as the best deal they could get and simply grant that it doesn’t jeopardize their religious freedom.
Contraception case could limit decisions about dying
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — March 24, 2016
(RNS) If the religious groups win on blocking contraception coverage, some attorneys argue the ruling could easily apply to decisions about care at the end of life.
