lawyer

2:15 PM ET

By Rebecca Davis O'Brien

By Ashby Jones

Ohio's highest court on Thursday struck down Cleveland's so-called "jock tax," ruling that the city was excessively taxing visiting professional athletes using an illegal method to calculate their bills.

Business litigants in recent years have notched a number of victories in cases before Supreme Court. But businesses have little to cheer about Wednesday's high court ruling in a dispute over the handling of discrimination complaints, according to legal experts.

Microsoft's patent for “a wearable emotion detection feedback system” was filed in October , and awarded earlier this week, according to a public filing by the U.S. patent office. It’s unclear whether Microsoft is serious about any near-term commercial applications, or is just tinkering.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments over Oklahoma's lethal-injection regime, which in recent years has involved use of a sedative called midazolam.

The Supreme Court was clearly divided Tuesday as it faced the constitutional question of whether same-sex couples should be entitled to marry nationwide. But if the answer turns out to be yes, it would close one historic chapter in the fight for gay rights and likely open several more.