US Supreme Court denies Nevada church's appeal of virus rule

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court has denied a rural Nevada church’s request to strike down as unconstitutional a 50-person cap on worship services as part of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus. In a 5-4 decision Friday, the high court refused to grant the request from the Christian church east of Reno to be subjected to the same COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada that allow casinos, restaurants and others to operate at 50% of capacity. The church argued the hard cap on religious gatherings was an unconstitutional violation of its First Amendment rights. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the majority in denying the request without explanation.