The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

“I guess I am a bit mystified as a lifelong resident of the county how it came to this,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. Kavanaugh also expressed surprise that the school system was “not respecting religious liberty,” especially because of the county’s diverse population and Maryland’s history as a haven for Catholics.Pressed repeatedly about why the school system couldn’t reinstitute an opt-out policy, lawyer Alan Schoenfeld said, “It tried that. It failed. It was not able to accommodate the number of opt-outs at issue.”

Sex education is the only area of instruction in Montgomery schools that students can be excused from, Schoenfeld said.Justices referred to several of the books, but none as extensively as “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” in which a niece worries that her uncle will not have as much time for her after he gets married to another man.Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor and conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who are on opposite sides of most culture-war clashes, offered competing interpretations.

“Is looking at two men getting married, is that the religious objection?” Sotomayor said, noting there’s not even any kissing involved.Alito described the book as an endorsement of same-sex marriage. “The book has a clear message, and a lot of people think it’s a good message, and maybe it is a good message, but it’s a message that a lot of people who hold on to traditional religious beliefs don’t agree with,” he said.

In all, five books are at issue in the high court case, touching on the same themes found in classic stories that include Snow White, Cinderella and Peter Pan, the school system’s lawyers wrote.

In “Prince and Knight,” two men fall in love after they rescue the kingdom, and each other. “Love, Violet” deals with a girl’s anxiety about giving a valentine to another girl. “Born Ready” is the story of a transgender boy’s decision to share his gender identity with his family and the world. “Intersection Allies” describes nine characters of varying backgrounds, including one who is gender-fluid.JJ from Austria who performed the song “Wasted Love” reacts to voting during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, early Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

JJ from Austria who performed the song “Wasted Love” reacts to voting during the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, early Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)The show was a celebration of Europe’s eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes. Lithuanian band Katarsis delivered grunge rock, while Ukraine’s Ziferblat channeled prog rock and the U.K.’s Remember Monday offered country pop.

Italy’s Lucio Corsi evoked 1970s glam rock, while Icelandic duo VAEB rapped about rowing, Latvia’s six-woman Tautumeitas offered gorgeous, intertwined harmonies and leather-clad Finn Erika Vikman belted out the innuendo-filled electro-pop song “Ich Komme.”There were divas aplenty, including Spain’s Melody, Poland‘s Justyna Steczkowska, participating in Eurovision for a second time after a 30-year gap,, and Malta’s outrageous Miriana Conte, who performed the saucy “Serving” on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips.