Supreme Court refuses for now to hear appeal of decision threatening Affordable Care Act

The Supreme Court refused Tuesday to decide on a fast-track basis the fate of the landmark Affordable Care Act, following a federal appeals court ruling that its central health insurance mandate is unconstitutional.

By refusing to step in now, the justices likely blocked the third Supreme Court test of the controversial health care law from an election-year docket already teeming with major cases on abortion, immigration, gun control, gay rights, freedom of religion and subpoenas seeking President Donald Trump's tax and financial records.

The justices would have been considering...