The Supreme Court on Thursday denied a long-shot request by states seeking to block an environmental regulation cutting mercury pollution from power plants, a boost for the Obama administration. A coalition of 20 states last week asked the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the Environmental Protection Agency regulation, emboldened by the court’s unexpected order on Feb. 9 that temporarily blocked a different EPA rule cutting carbon emissions from power plants during litigation. The state coalition was led by Michigan’s Republican attorney general, Bill Schuette. Chief Justice John Roberts denied the states’ latest request without comment and without referring it to the other justices, a signal that he believed the request didn’t make a strong case for action by the high court. Under court procedures, Chief Justice Roberts handles requests from cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and may act on […]