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The Supreme Court backs public money for religious schools; Record floods hit India, Bangladesh, and China.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Dismantling the separation of church and state

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

• The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that a Maine tuition assistance program must provide students with state funding to attend religious schools. [Washington Post / Robert Barnes]
• Previously, families living in parts of rural Maine that didn’t have a high school could receive state funds to send their kids to a public or private school as long as the school was “nonsectarian.” [New York Times / Adam Liptak]
• In a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that paying tuition for private schools but excluding schools with faith-based instruction is “discrimination against religion.” [NBC News / Pete Williams]
• The case began in 2018, when two families sued Maine for the right to use taxpayer money to send their children to religious institutions. The schools do not hire gay staff or accept gay or trans students, and teach through a Biblical lens. [Reuters / Andrew Chung]
• In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that the Court’s decision further erodes the separation of church and state. In 2020, the Court ruled states cannot exclude students from scholarships because they want to attend religious schools. [Politico / Josh Gerstein]
• As a result of the ruling, states with similar programs may have to choose between using public money for religious schools — or not providing assistance at all. [CNN / Ariane de Vogue, Tierney Sneed, and Chandelis Duster]

Floods affect millions in India, China, and Bangladesh

• This week, unusually heavy monsoon rains in India and Bangladesh caused floods, landslides, and lightning strikes, killing dozens and displacing hundreds of thousands. [NYT / Karan Deep Singh and Saif Hasnat]
• Although monsoons are typical in South Asia, the record-setting rainfall, likely exacerbated by climate change, has been more intense and unpredictable than average. [Washington Post / Karina Tsui]
• Indian authorities have evacuated thousands. The UN said Monday that flooded roads have cut off 4 million people in Bangladesh who still need help. [Associated Press / Al-Emrun Garjon and Aniruddha Ghosal]
• Meanwhile, in southern China, the heaviest rainfall in 60 years caused flooding and landslides that have impacted 500,000 people. [CNN / Kathleen Magramo]

Kellogg’s is splitting into three companies: cereal, snacks, and plant-based foods. [CNN / Jordan Valinsky]

• On Monday, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Prize auction netted $103.5 million for Ukrainian children. [AP / Bobby Caina Calvan]
• On Tuesday, the January 6 committee held its fourth public hearing, focused on how former President Donald Trump pressed state officials to overturn the 2020 election. [CBS / Melissa Quinn, Kathryn Watson, Caitlin Yilek, Caroline Linton]
• Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has settled with 20 of 24 women who filed civil sexual misconduct lawsuits against him. [USA Today / Brent Schrotenboer]

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“This Court continues to dismantle the wall of separation between church and state that the Framers fought to build.”

[Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a dissenting opinion / Washington Post]

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