Top 8 today

Top eight stories for today including the Supreme Court ruled Maine violated the U.S. Constitution by stopping taxpayer money from funding religious schools; A Texas Senate committee heard testimony on ways to prevent mass shootings; The EU’s high court restricted how countries can use data collected from airline passengers, and more.

National

Religious schools win Supreme Court fight for taxpayer dollars

In a 6-3 ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court said Maine violated the U.S. Constitution by stopping taxpayer money from funding religious schools within its tuition assistance program.

Next chapter of Jan. 6 hearings tackles Trump’s pressure on state election officials

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection spent its Tuesday hearing on former President Donald Trump’s direct involvement in an elaborate attempt to have state officials subvert 2020 election results.

A video deposition of former Trump campaign attorney and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani plays as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a June 13, 2022, hearing on the findings of its yearlong investigation. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Biden pushes vaccines for babies and toddlers: ‘This is no time for politics’

Celebrating what he termed a “historic milestone” in the pandemic, President Joe Biden addressed the nation Tuesday to mark the week that children under the age of 6 are finally cleared to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

President Joe Biden celebrated a historic milestone in the pandemic on June 21, 2022, with children ages 6 months to 5 years now being able to receive Covid-19 vaccinations. (Screenshot via Courthouse News.)

Regional

Alabama voters cast ballots in runoff for Senate, statewide offices

In the solidly red Heart of Dixie, the winners of statewide and federal offices are often decided in the primaries.

A voter enters the Via Health, Fitness and Enrichment Center in Mobile, Alabama, on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Gabriel Tynes/Courthouse News)

Texas lawmakers scrutinize police response to Uvalde school shooting

A Texas Senate committee met for the first time Tuesday to hear testimony on what changes need to be made to prevent mass shootings like the one at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School last month from happening again.

A mourner stops to pay his respects at a memorial for shooting victims at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on June 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

International

Finnish president casts doubt on deal with Turkey before NATO summit

Security negotiations between Finland, Sweden and Turkey are progressing but an agreement will most likely not be ready before a NATO summit next week, leaving the Nordic countries’ applications up in the air.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg displays Sweden and Finland’s applications for membership in the military alliance in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday May 18, 2022. (Johanna Geron, Pool via AP)

Top EU court limits use of air passenger data

The European Union’s high court on Tuesday restricted how countries can use data collected from airline passengers.

Brussels Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Brussels Airport in May 2020. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

From hotels to wine and cheese, costs of goods and services vary widely across EU

If you’re traveling through Europe, you’ll get a better deal on a hotel in Romania than you would in Denmark or Sweden. You’ll spend less on clothes in Spain than in France and get more bang for your buck if you dine in Poland rather than Ireland. Data published by Eurostat on Tuesday reveals vast differences in the costs of goods and services across the EU and close trade partners.