High Court Blocks Limit on New York Churches, Synagogues (1)

A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court blocked New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from reimposing strict capacity limits on New York City synagogues and Roman Catholic churches, saying rules he issued amid a new Covid-19 wave unfairly single out houses of worship.

Cuomo, in response, said Thursday the ruling was an expression of the court’s “philosophy and politics.”

With Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining the conservative wing in the majority, the court voted 5-4 in a pair of cases to bar Cuomo from enforcing his Oct. 6 “Cluster Initiative” against houses of worship that sued to challenge the restrictions. The initiative ...