Politics and views in the United States.

A deadlocked Supreme Court prevents nation's first publicly funded religious school, House Republicans celebrate passage of their domestic policy bill, and Trump administration sues states for taking climate action. 

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2025 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

There are charter schools in Oklahoma that focus on Native American culture, that focus on performing arts, that focus on nature as examples.

And simply refusing to allow religious schools to participate in that, that's not neutral.

Kristen Wagner with the Christian advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom says Oklahoma's His ban on what would be the nation's first publicly funded religious school is unconstitutional, but a deadlocked Supreme Court has upheld that ban, which says the school would violate church-state separation.

The vote was 4-4, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett recusing herself.

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and ordered a thousand employees reinstated.

National Education Association President Becky Pringle calls it a win against the administration's of privatizing public schools. - Public education is the foundation of this or any democracy.

We need people to pay attention. - A separate federal court will let Trump go ahead for now with firing two members of an independent labor agency.

The only suspect in the shooting of two Israeli embassy employees has been charged with murder.

Police are treating it as a hate crime.

House Republicans are celebrating passage of their massive spending and policy bill.

It includes tax cuts mainly for top earners and corporations and shifts billions from Medicaid and food assistance to national defense.

Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan says they delivered for the president. - House Republicans did not miss the moment.

And because of our work, we will put more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans. - Two Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.

The White House says Trump wants them primaried.

The Justice Department is suing four states for tackling climate change.

New York, Vermont, Michigan and Hawaii enacted so-called climate superfund laws, which charge oil companies billions to help pay for climate damage.

Nick Janzen with Maine Conservation Voters says his state should push ahead.

The longer we delay in setting up a program like this, the higher that bill is going to be and the more strain communities are going to be under.

Senate leaders used procedural rules to avoid a filibuster, moving to block California from enforcing a ban on new gas-powered cars in 10 years.

The Supreme Court has turned away a petition by Michigan Republicans seeking to overturn voting measures approved via ballot initiative.

That includes no-excuse absentee voting and expanded early voting.

And the high court is expected to take up a lawsuit to prevent states from accepting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.

Several GOP-led States have already passed laws ending so-called "grace periods."

I'm Katherine Carley for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.