Free Republic

WASHINGTON—Despite calls from some liberal activists for Justice Sonia Sotomayor to step down while Democrats can fill her seat before Inauguration Day, she has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court, people close to the justice said. “This is no time to lose her important voice on the court. She just turned 70 and takes better care of herself than anyone I know,” said one person close to the justice, suggesting that progressives turn their attention to other ways of safeguarding the Constitution after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.Sotomayor, appointed in 2009 by then President Barack Obama, is the...

The Supreme Court on Friday shot down an appeal from a group of New York City school teachers who sought to block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, arguing it violated their religious freedom.Justice Sonia Sotomayor rejected the emergency appeal on Friday, the same day as the deadline for city employees to comply with the mandate or face losing their jobs.Sotomayor did not offer an explanation, which is the court’s usual procedure.The appeal was filed Tuesday by 15 Department of Education workers, who claimed the city was violating their religious freedoms by not accepting their exemption claims.The city requires that religious exemption...