Judge Questions Trump Rule on Health-Care Religious Refusals

A federal judge expressed skepticism about a new Trump administration rule aimed at letting health-care providers refuse services based on religious objections, saying the low number of so-called conscience complaints suggests it’s a “solution in search of a problem.”

At a hearing Friday in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer weighed requests by almost two dozen states and a coalition of cities for a temporary injunction blocking the rule while the litigation proceeds.

The plaintiffs argue that the Department of Health and Human Services rule, set to take effect Nov. 22, will lead to discrimination against women and minority groups, ...