Supreme Court conservatives on rise as important term begins

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court begins its new term Monday — the first full term of the Trump presidency.

Topping the agenda is a dispute over a wedding cake for a same-sex couple and a fight over partisan electoral maps.

Conservatives will look for a boost from the newest justice, Neil Gorsuch (GOR’-suhch), in a year Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said will be momentous.

President Donald Trump’s travel ban appears likely to disappear from the court’s docket, at least for now.

But plenty of high-profile cases remain.

There are cases involving gay rights and religious freedoms, the polarized American electorate and the government’s ability to track people without search warrants.

Others involve employees’ rights to unite over workplace disputes, and states’ rights to allow betting on professional and college sports.