Well, kind-of. Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to put a temporary hold on the super wonderful Obamacare provision that requires employers to provide coverage for contraceptives.
What had happened was: Two Christian chain stores, Hobby Lobby Stores and Mardel, said the law "violates their religious freedom." While they're stuck in court fighting the bad fight against basic women's health care, they wanted the SCOTUS to put a temporary hold on the law, preventing it from going into effect on the first day of the new year.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was all, "Ugh, please? The day after Christmas? I'm just trying to go home and watch reruns of Judge Judy!"
In a brief written opinion, she said the Supreme Court has never addressed similar freedom-of-religion claims brought by for-profit corporations objecting to mandatory provisions of employment benefit laws.
"Lower courts have diverged on whether to grant temporary injunctive relief to similarly situated plaintiffs," she said, "and no court has issued a final decision granting permanent relief with respect to such claims."
If the two companies ultimately lose in the lower courts, the justice said, they can still appeal to the Supreme Court. Boo, but duh. Either way, you know Scalia's totally not chipping in for Sotomayor's bd gift.
Supreme Court declines to block provision covering contraceptives in health care law [First Read/NBC]