Church and State in the U.S. -- Separation? 

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week in a case from Maine that would weaken the separation between church and state if plaintiffs, parents who want the state to pay for their children's religious education, prevail. In the state of Maine, many school districts are so scarcely populated that they do not have public high schools. To remedy this, parents are allowed to choose public schools in other districts or nonsectarian private schools that provide a “rough equivalent” of a public education. Schools can be affiliated with a religion, but if a school compels students to engage in religious exercise—and discriminates against those who don’t adhere to the faith—it doesn’t qualify for the program under state law. NPR's Nina Totenberg has a report here of oral arguments in the case. 4 min. 23 sec. transcript available.