Supreme Court Rejects Surrogate Bid

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan declined a request to block a California court order recognizing couple Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar as the child’s parents. The dispute grew from a surrogacy agreement with surrogate McKenna West that allowed the couple to demand an abortion after a fetal abnormality diagnosis. At about 20 weeks, doctors diagnosed a severe heart defect. Ahmed and Gilkar said the contract let them seek an abortion; West refused, traveled to Texas, and gave birth Aug. 12. West said Alaska should handle the case and that she lacked access to the child’s care. The couple said she overstated the prognosis and provided round-the-clock intensive care. The one-sentence order leaves lower-court rulings in place for now.