Supreme Court revives straight woman’s job-bias lawsuit

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court revived a job-bias lawsuit by a woman who says she suffered so-called reverse discrimination because she’s straight, in a ruling that makes it easier to bring similar cases to trial in parts of the country.

The justices unanimously said a federal appeals court was wrong to require workers in majority groups — including white people, men and heterosexuals — to meet a more difficult test than others that have historically faced discrimination.

The standard for providing job discrimination under federal law “does not vary based on whether or not the plaintiff is a member of a majority group,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote for the court.

The ruling comes amid a broad legal and political attack on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. President Donald Trump has made rolling those programs back a top priority in his first months back in the White House. The dispute comes two years after the Supreme Court outlawed consideration of race in university admissions.

—Bloomberg News

Leaders of historic Miami Orthodox church must hand keys to Texas diocese, judge rules

MIAMI — After a lengthy and tangled dispute over ownership of one of South Florida’s oldest Christian Orthodox churches, its long-time leadership has lost a pivotal legal battle — and the keys to the sanctuary, at least for now.

Former leaders of the Saints Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, a 70-year-old congregation that was once a mansion belonging to Miami’s first mayor, have been ordered by a judge to vacate the property by Friday and open the doors to the Orthodox Church in America.

The ruling from Circuit Court Judge Lisa Walsh comes after a nearly three-year-long dispute that has led to dueling lawsuits, allegations of fraud and the excommunication of longtime parish leaders.

In an initial ruling in March, Walsh sided with the OCA, the largest of three Russian Orthodox ecclesiastical bodies in the United States. An appellate court later denied a request to stay her order from parish members fighting to keep the church independent from the Texas-based diocese. Then, late last month, Walsh set a June 6 deadline for the former parish leaders to leave the property and turn over any records, funds or property belonging to the parish.

—Miami Herald

Here's how Canadian wildfires are impacting Michigan air quality

DETROIT — As Canadian wildfire smoke continues to drift south toward the United States, air quality in Michigan worsening, prompting officials to issue warnings.

The Michigan Air Quality Division issued an advisory Thursday for elevated levels of fine particulate (PM2.5) in the eastern Upper Peninsula and all counties in the northern Lower Peninsula.

Officials said pollutants within these areas could temporarily reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG, Orange AQI) and Unhealthy (Red AQI) range.

The Michigan regions are seeing decreased air quality following wildfires burning in three Canadian provinces, which have forced some 27,000 Canadians to flee their homes. The smoke has reportedly even reached Europe.

—The Detroit News

Israel’s government wobbles as Netanyahu allies threaten exit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition faces the possibility of collapse and early elections after his ultra-Orthodox partners threatened to bring down the government.

The United Torah Judaism party has indicated it would support the dissolution of parliament unless agreements are reached on the longstanding exemption of its men from enlisting in the military, with the Shas party expected to follow.

The issue is contentious in Israel, particularly as the 20-month war in Gaza takes a toll on the tens of thousands of citizens who are called up to the reserves.

Netanyahu has until June 11 to smooth out the differences with his partners, otherwise a vote will take place on a bill to dissolve Knesset — the Israeli parliament — with the opposition on track to win a majority with Ultra-Orthodox support. That could lead to elections as early as this fall, a year ahead of schedule, depending on the outcome of further votes.

—Bloomberg News