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Challengers in two politically tinged cases before the Supreme Court this week face the seemingly insurmountable problem of being unable to count to five — as in five votes. The death of Justice Antonin Scalia has deprived conservatives of a reliable vote on a range of issues, including the design of congressional districts in Virginia and the Obama administration's effort to accommodate faith-based groups that object to paying for contraceptives as part of their health insurance plans. (Sherman, 3/18)

The Supreme Court on March 23 will weigh how far the government has to go to accommodate religiously affiliated employers that object to including contraception in workers’ insurance plans. The issues has been brewing since shortly after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010. Here is a timeline. (Radnofsky, 3/18)