Supreme Court Lets California Churches Hold Indoor Services (1)

A divided U.S. Supreme Court ordered California to let indoor worship services resume at a group of suing churches, easing restrictions that officials said were needed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The Friday night orders stopped short of abolishing the Covid restrictions altogether, saying the state could impose a 25% capacity cap at church services. The justices also let California continue to ban singing and chanting at indoor services.

Still, the orders marked a new display of the eagerness of the court’s conservative wing to protect religious rights even when officials say public health is at stake. The ...