Supreme Court to decide if Oklahoma religious charter school can be publicly funded

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to weigh a pivotal case that could determine whether a Catholic school in Oklahoma can become the nation’s first taxpayer-funded religious charter school.

The justices heard arguments on Wednesday regarding whether St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, established in 2023 by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, can receive public funding despite its religious affiliation. At issue is whether the First Amendment’s principle of separating church and state prohibits charter schools with religious missions from receiving public money. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by the end of June.

The case highlights the ongoing debate between protecting religious freedom and upholding the constitutional separation of church and state. Supporters of the school argue that Oklahoma already provides charter school funding to qualified institutions, and denying access to religious schools amounts to unconstitutional religious discrimination. Critics warn, however, of serious legal and constitutional consequences.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond contends that charter schools are essentially public institutions due to six defining characteristics: they are free, open to all, state-funded, regulated by the government, nondiscriminatory, and secular—guidelines similar to those followed by 45 other states and the federal government. According to Drummond, these features classify charter schools as public entities subject to constitutional constraints, including the prohibition on state-sponsored religion.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that using taxpayer money to support a religious charter school violates both the state and U.S. Constitutions. The court cautioned that permitting St. Isidore to operate as a publicly funded religious school could have far-reaching implications across the country. A ruling in favor of St. Isidore, the court noted, could undermine federal charter school regulations and create confusion for millions of students nationwide.

Last year, Oklahoma’s top court ruled that allowing public funds to go to religious charter schools would violate both state and federal constitutional provisions. Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said that “according to our state law, charter schools are defined as public schools. That alone settles the issue.” Laser also raised additional concerns about the religious nature of the proposed school: “this school is backed by the Catholic diocese and plans to follow Catholic doctrine, including moral codes that, implicitly or explicitly, could lead to discrimination against LGBTQ students and families.”

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Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi released on bail from ICE detention

Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi has been released on bail following a federal judge’s order on Wednesday. The move comes weeks after Mahdawi, 34, was taken into custody by armed agents from the Department of Homeland Security during a naturalization appointment in Vermont. Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered Mahdawi’s release on bail as his habeas corpus case proceeds through the court. The government had asked for a seven-day delay to the release order, which Crawford denied.

Mahdawi,  a lawful U.S. permanent resident originally from a refugee camp in the West Bank, had been detained since April 14. He was held at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Vermont, under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Court documents reveal that Mahdawi spent his early years in al-Fara, a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank, where much of his family still resides. At the age of 15, he was shot in the leg by an Israeli soldier. He immigrated to the United States over ten years ago and began studying at Columbia in 2021.

Mahdawi was an active organizer of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University last year and has a green card. In a DHS-issued notice requiring Mahdawi to appear, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the detention, claiming Mahdawi’s presence and actions in the U.S. posed a significant threat to U.S. foreign policy and could negatively impact diplomatic interests.

After his release, Mahdawi stood outside the Burlington, Vermont courthouse and addressed reporters, saying, “I want to say this loudly and clearly to President Trump and his administration: I am not afraid. What we are witnessing echoes what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned about: that injustice in one place endangers justice everywhere .. Yes you might think I am free, but my freedom is interlinked with the freedom of many other students.”

Outside the courthouse, Mahdawi’s legal team argued that the Trump administration of using retaliatory tactics against his right to express political views, as he helped lead pro-Palestinian protests on Columbia University’s campus in the early months of the Israel-Hamas war.  Luna Droubi, a partner at Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP, said: “The government’s actions are baseless, unsupported, and violate constitutional principlesThis is far from over—we will keep pushing until Mohsen’s freedom is fully secured.”

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Mahdaw urged an end to the war in Gaza and criticized U.S. military aid to Israel: “We have a duty to defend human dignity. The eyes of the world, not just Palestine, are on America. What happens here will shape the future for everyone.”

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NBA Playoffs: Timberwolves eliminate Lakers to advance; Rockets beat Warriors

The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 131-116 in Game 5 of the first round. Entering the game down 3-1 in the series, the Rockets led by as much as 31-points and held off a late-game rally by Golden State to avoid elimination, with Fred VanVleet scoring 26 points and Amen Thompson adding 25.

The Rockets and Warriors will meet for Game 6 on Friday night at Chase Center.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs after beating Los Angeles Lakers 103-96 in Game 5. The Wolves were led by four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who posted a playoff career-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting and 24 rebounds.

Minnesota will move on to face the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors currently lead their series 3-2.

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Capitals eliminate Canadiens, Panthers defeat Lightning to advance; Jets beat Blues

The Washington Capitals will advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday. The Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Jakob Chychrun scored in the first period, with Tom Wilson adding a goal and an assist, and Brandon Duhaime also scoring. Logan Thompson picked up the victory for Washington after making 28 of 29 saves. Ovechkin’s goal was his 76th postseason tally of his career, to tie Mario Lemieux for 12th on the NHL’s all-time playoff scoring list.

Washington will face the Carolina Hurricanes (who eliminated the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday) in the second round series.

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The Florida Panthers eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday with a 6-3 victory in Game 5, winning their first-round series to advance to the second round. Eetu Luostarinen had a goal and three assists, while Anton Lundell had a goal and two assists and Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida; Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves on 29 shots,

The reigning Stanley Cup champions will face the winner of the Toronto Maple Leafs/Ottawa Senators series in the second round; Toronto currently leads that series 3-2.

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The Winnipeg Jets defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-3 in Game 5 of the first round of their Western Conference series on Wednesday at Canada Life Centre. Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists, with Vladislav Namestnikov (who replaced star centre Mark Scheifele after the first period) recording a goal and assist. Nino Niederreiter also had a goal and assist, with Dylan DeMelo and Adam Lowry adding empty-netters, and Mason Appleton also scoring. Game 6 will take place Friday in St. Louis

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CMA Fest reveals 2025 Ascend Amphitheater Lineup

CMA Fest has unveiled the 2025 lineup for its trio of nightly shows at Ascend Amphitheater, set for June 5 through June 7.

Kicking things off on Thursday, June 5, will be a special Whiskey Jam takeover, with the full artist lineup to be announced at a later date. On Friday, June 6, the spotlight turns to “Jake Owen and Friends,” featuring performances by Carter Faith, Max McNown, Lukas Nelson, Wynn Williams, and more, all leading up to a headlining set by Jake Owen himself. The festivities wrap up on Saturday, June 7, with “Wynonna Judd’s Girls Night Out,” showcasing sets by Wynonna Judd, Madeline Edwards, and Sara Evans, along with special guest appearances from Noah Cyrus, The War And Treaty, and others.

All artists perform and appear for free to benefit the CMA Foundation, with a portion of ticket proceeds supporting high-quality music education programs across the United States, making this festival an event that truly makes an impact.

Tickets for all three nights at Ascend Amphitheater are on sale here.

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Blake Shelton shares ‘Stay Country or Die Tryin’ from new album

Blake Shelton has shared another taste of his album For Recreational Use Only (due out May 9th) with the new track “Stay Country Or Die Tryin’,” written by Drew Parker, Graham Barham, Sam Ellis and Beau Bailey.  The song follow the previously-released singles “Texas,” and the ballad “Let Him In Anyway.”

Shelton says of the song: “When I heard ‘Stay Country or Die Tryin,’’ it took me back to the first time I heard ‘Ol’ Red’ or ‘God’s Country’. It’s got so much energy and is full of those little catchphrases and things we say out in the country. I absolutely fell in love with it. I’m proud of this recording – and I love singing it live even more. Hopefully, you’ll come catch a show and sing it with us.”

The new album For Recreational Use Only features 12 tracks with guest appearances from Shelton’s wife Gwen Stefani, country legend John Anderson and Shelton’s longtime friend and tourmate Craig Morgan. To preorder/presave head HERE.

Listen to ‘Stay Country or Die Tryin’ – HERE.

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John Lithgow, Jimmy Smits to return for ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ premiering July 11th

Deadline confirmed that John Lithgow, 79, will return as Arthur Miller, aka the Trinity Killer, in the Dexter sequel series Dexter: Resurrection at Showtime. The outlet also reported that Jimmy Smits will reprise his character, Miami Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado.

Showtime revealed that the first two episodes of sequel series Dexter: Resurrection will drop on Paramount+ with Showtime two days before premiering on the cable network. The two-episode premiere will be available on streaming and on demand starting July 11, and will air at 8 p.m. EDT July 13 on Showtime.

Dexter: Resurrection stars Michael C. Hall as he reprises his role as serial killer Dexter Morgan alongside David Zayas as Angel Batista, Jack Alcott as Harrison Morgan, James Remar as Harry Morgan, and David Magidoff as Teddy Reed.

Peter Dinklage will play the season’s main villain, Leon Prater, a billionaire venture capitalist, with Uma Thurman as Charley, a former Special Ops officer who serves as his right-hand woman. Krysten Ritter, Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Stonestreet, David Dastmalchian, and Steve Schirripa will guest star. Other newcomers to the franchise include Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Kadia Saraf, Dominic Fumusaand, and Emilia Suárez.

“Dexter” ran for eight seasons between 2006-2013, and was revived in 2021 with “Dexter: New Blood.” Hall returned to narrate as Dexter’s inner voice in the prequel series “Dexter: Original Sin,” which debuted in December. Original “Dexter” showrunner Clyde Phillips returns to helm the series, which is currently in production in New York. Dexter: Resurrection is expected to premiere this summer on Paramount+ with Showtime.

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‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series ‘Elle’ casts Tom Everett Scott as Elle’s dad

Variety reports that actor Tom Everett Scott has joined the cast of Prime Video‘s ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series Elle, executive produced by the film franchise’s star Reese Witherspoon.

From creator Laura Kittrell, the series will follow Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) through her high school years. Scott will play Wyatt, Elle’s father, opposite June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mom, Eva. (in the original film, Wyatt was played by James Read, who alongside his wife tried to dissuade Elle from attending Harvard).

The official logline for Elle details her “life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first ‘Legally Blonde’ film.”  The series was originally greenlit at Amazon back in May 2024.

The first “Legally Blonde” film grossed over $140 million worldwide following its release in 2001; with the sequel “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde” released in 2003.

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Amazon refutes report on displaying Trump tariff costs amid criticism from White House

Amazon pushed back against a news report on Tuesday, claiming it planned to visibly break down the costs of former President Donald Trump’s newly implemented tariffs on its product listings. The rebuttal came after the White House harshly criticized the online retail giant, and Trump personally reached out to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos over the matter.

The controversy was sparked by a report from PunchBowl News, which cited an anonymous source alleging that Amazon intended to start showing what portion of a product’s price was tied to the steep tariffs introduced by Trump earlier in the month. Amazon, along with many major retailers, has been critical of the sweeping tariffs Trump introduced at the start of April. The administration’s new tariff on Chinese imports stands at 145%, a dramatic increase that economists warn could lead to higher prices for American consumers.

According to a senior White House official, Trump responded to the report by calling Bezos directly to express his disapproval; with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating during a briefing with journalists on Tuesday: “I just spoke with the president about Amazon’s supposed move. This is clearly a hostile, politically motivated step by the company.”  Leavitt also suggested that the move was ideologically motivated and accused Amazon of aligning with Chinese state interests, citing a 2021 Reuters article which reported that Amazon had blocked customer reviews of a book authored by Chinese President Xi Jinping on its Chinese platform in compliance with government demands: “Why is Amazon taking this step now, especially when inflation under the Biden administration is at its highest point in four years?”

Amazon spokeswoman Rachael Lighty later clarified that no such policy was being enacted, stating that the idea had been briefly considered by a team managing Amazon Haul, a section of the site focused on deeply discounted products, but it was never authorized and will not be implemented: “The team overseeing our budget-friendly Amazon Haul storefront explored the concept of showing import-related costs on select items. However, the idea was never given the green light, and we have no plans to move forward with it.”

Bezos has engaged with Trump’s administration and met with the president on several occasions since his election. As the owner of The Washington Post, he broke with tradition in 2024 by choosing not to endorse a candidate in the presidential election—its first time doing so in over three decades. When asked about the nature of Trump’s current relationship with Bezos, Leavitt declined to comment. “I won’t be addressing the president’s personal ties to Jeff Bezos.”

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NHL Playoffs: Hurricanes advance; Senators, Golden Knights, Oilers win

The Carolina Hurricanes are advancing to the next round after defeating the NJ Devils in double-overtime 5-4 on Tuesday night, clinching their first-round playoff series. Sebastian Aho shot a one-timer past Jacob Markstrom at 4:17 of the second overtime to give the Hurricanes the win.

The Hurricanes will play the winner of the Montreal-Washington series; the Capitals lead that series 3-1.

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After trailing their first-round playoff series 3-0, the Ottawa Senators are staying alive against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-0 win in Game 5 on Tuesday, to force a Game 6. Thomas Chabot opened the scoring for the Senators, with Dylan Cozens also scoring and Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk adding empty netters. Linus Ullmark had his best game of the series, making 26 saves for his first career playoff shutout. Game 6 will take place at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday.

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The Vegas Golden Knights earned a 3-2 victory against the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Brett Howden scored at 4:05 of overtime to give Vegas the win, who now leads the series, 3-2. Game 6 will take place Thursday night in St. Paul.

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The Edmonton Oilers rallied to beat the LA Kings 3-1 in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday- marking the first time in Oilers history they have won three straight Stanley Cup Playoff games in comeback fashion. Mattias Janmark scored the go-ahead goal at 7:12 of the third period to help Edmonton win their third straight game against the Kings. The Oilers now lead the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled in Edmonton on Thursday.

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