U.S. Supreme Court takes up Germany's appeal in Nazi art dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear Germany's bid to block it from facing a lawsuit in American court over medieval artwork that its former Nazi government pressured Jewish art dealers to sell in the 1930s. Germany had asked for the case to be thrown out on the basis of sovereign immunity, which generally prohibits U.S. courts from hearing claims against foreign governments. The justices will hear arguments arising from a 2015 lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court in Washington in which heirs of the art dealers said Germany owes them either the return of the artwork or more than $250 million in damages.