Litigation for Life, Sportsbook Spending Sprees, Marijuana Mania, and More: New This Week

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Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

Arkansas Attorney General Joins Legal Actions Against Pro-Abortion States and Abortionists. On Wednesday, state attorneys general for Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama announced an original action against the States of New York, California, and Massachusetts before the U.S. Supreme Court as well as a federal lawsuit against individuals and companies allegedly involved in distributing abortion pills nationwide. Keep Reading.

Unpacking the Two New Lawsuits Over Abortion Drugs. The two new federal lawsuits that Arkansas joined on Wednesday challenge this dangerous mail-order abortion industry. Keep Reading.

California’s Marijuana Nightmare Shows Why Legalization Isn’t the Answer. Nationwide, policymakers have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and federal regulators have eased restrictions on the drug. But pundits continue to raise concerns about legalization’s unintended consequences — especially when it comes to crime and illegal drugs on the black market. Keep Reading.

Marijuana Use Linked to Earlier Psychosis Development. Nationwide, policymakers have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and federal regulators have eased restrictions on the drug. But healthcare experts continue voicing concerns about the harm that marijuana may cause users. Keep Reading.

Arkansans Wagered $56.6M+ on Sports in August. Arkansans wagered more than $56.6 million on sports betting in August, according to data Family Council received from the Department of Finance and Administration. Keep Reading.

What Christian Parents Should Know About Sports Betting. The group Axis recently released a video highlighting how sports betting is harmful — especially for teenage boys. Keep Reading.

DraftKings Allegedly Used AI to Target Problem Gamblers. A bombshell investigation by The New York Times alleges that sportsbook DraftKings built an artificial intelligence model specifically designed to identify the gamblers most likely to lose — and then showered them with promotions to keep them betting. Keep Reading.

Most U.S. Adults Do Not Say Gambling is Good for Sports: YouGov Survey. Sports betting is legal in 39 states — including Arkansas, where people wager an average of $2.5 million on sports every single day. But evidence shows many Americans are concerned about unintended consequences sports betting may have for athletic programs. Keep Reading.

March of 2027 Could Finally See TikTok in the Dock. Arkansas’ lawsuit against social media giant TikTok could go to trial in March of next year, according to an amended court scheduling order filed earlier this month. Keep Reading.

State of Arkansas, Snap Go Back and Forth in Court. In a lawsuit filed on June 23, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin alleged Snapchat exploits young users and exposes them to dangers like “sextortion rings, predatory grooming, violent content, illegal drug marketplaces, unrealistic beauty standards, and an untested My AI chatbot that delivers dangerous and inappropriate advice to minors.” The attorney general’s team says Snap has failed to provide “even basic safeguards” for kids. Keep Reading.

Two More Hospitals Agree to Stop Performing Sex-Change Procedures on Children. The federal government is continuing to shut down gender clinics that perform dangerous, irreversible sex-change procedures on children. Keep Reading.

8th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments in Ten Commandments Case. On September 22, a three-judge panel for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case against an Arkansas law allowing posters of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools and public buildings. Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

Canada Euthanized This Woman for Depression, She Wasn’t Even Terminally Ill. From LifeNews.

Department of Education Defines ‘Sex’ in Title IX to Mean Male and Female. From Daily Citizen.

Judge Throws Out Riley Gaines NCAA Lawsuit to Force Protection of Women’s Sports. From The Washington Stand.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Most U.S. Adults Do Not Say Gambling is Good for Sports: YouGov Survey

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A recent YouGov survey found most adults in the U.S. do not believe legalized gambling is having a positive impact on sports.

Sports betting is legal in 39 states — including Arkansas, where people wager an average of $2.5 million on sports every single day. But evidence shows many Americans are concerned about unintended consequences sports betting may have for athletic programs.

On September 16, researchers at YouGov published survey responses from 6,677 U.S. adults about the impact legalized gambling is having on sports.

Only 9% said they believe legalized gambling is having a positive impact on sports. Forty-three percent said they believe the impact is negative.

YouGov also asked people if they have wagered any money on NFL games this season. Sixteen percent said they either have bet on an NFL game or plan to at some point. Seventy-nine percent said they have not placed any bets and do not intend to.

We have written before about how Americans increasingly see sports betting as a bad bet all around.

The NCAA has opened investigations into dozens of student-athletes for sports betting violations. Student-athletes have been accused of scheming to help each other win bets they placed on one another.

Federal prosecutors have announced indictments in connection with alleged bribery and point-shaving schemes to fix college basketball games.

People who gamble on sports are at an increased risk of suffering from gambling problems. When sports betting happens online or on a smartphone, the rate is even higher.

Mobile sports betting apps make gambling as easy as sending a text. These platforms use addictive technology to hook people — especially young adults. A recent report from mental health professionals at Baptist Health South Florida found that internet gambling platforms are engineered to keep people engaged, using instant rewards and near-misses to trigger the same brain chemistry as other addictions.

One study published this summer found gambling disorder diagnoses have risen more than 60% in states that legalized sports betting. Researchers said the largest increase in gambling disorders was found among young adults ages 18 – 29.

Bankruptcy attorneys across the country say online sports betting is driving a surge in personal bankruptcies — especially among young men in their 20s and 30s — and researchers at UCLA estimate that online sportsbooks are linked to an increase of roughly 30,000 more bankruptcies per year nationwide.

Experts are also sounding the alarm over “prediction markets” that they say are not regulated under state gambling laws, but are still just as addictive as other forms of online gambling.

Sports betting isn’t harmless entertainment — it’s predatory, and it’s growing.

Family Council has identified practical ways Arkansas could protect families from predatory sports betting — like prohibiting sportsbooks from accepting credit cards or offering prop bets and parlays.

As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect its citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, gambling addiction will simply continue wrecking lives and hurting people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Unpacking the Two New Lawsuits Over Abortion Drugs

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Above: Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin discusses two new federal lawsuits over abortion pills during a joint press conference in Baton Rouge with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.

On Wednesday, the State of Arkansas joined Louisiana and Alabama in two new, multistate lawsuits over abortion drugs.

Since 2022, Arkansas law has generally prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother, and it is a crime for an abortionist to mail abortion drugs into Arkansas. But Biden-era policies and state “shield laws” enacted by pro-abortion legislatures have made it possible for abortionists in other parts of the country to send abortion drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol through the mail into states like Arkansas.

The two new federal lawsuits that Arkansas joined on Wednesday challenge this dangerous mail-order abortion industry.

Unpacking The Lawsuit Against New York, California, and Massachusetts

The first lawsuit is against the States of New York, Massachusetts, and California. All three states have legalized abortion, and they have enacted “shield laws” that prevent abortionists in their states from being held accountable when they mail abortion drugs into states like Arkansas.

The lawsuit against these three pro-abortion states was filed as an original action with the U.S. Supreme Court — meaning the Supreme Court will decide the case directly.

The lawsuit argues that New York, Massachusetts, and California have created legal systems specifically designed to protect abortionists who break abortion laws in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama. It argues that these “shield laws” are unconstitutional, and it asks the U.S. Supreme Court to strike them down.

Unpacking The Consumer Protection Lawsuit Against A Nationwide Network of Abortionists

The second federal lawsuit is a consumer protection case against 29 individuals and organizations in other states who allegedly are part of a nationwide network that ships abortion pills through the mail.

Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama filed this lawsuit in federal district court in Louisiana on Wednesday — meaning the case will likely have to work its way through the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The lawsuit names individuals and groups associated with abortion pill providers Attorney General Tim Griffin has sent cease-and-desist letters to in the past, such as Plan C and Aid Access.

According to the attorney general’s complaint, the people and organizations named in the lawsuit:

  • Advertise abortion drugs online to residents of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama
  • Designed their operations to avoid state medical and licensing requirements
  • Use brief internet questionnaires rather than in-person exams when providing abortion pills
  • Prescribe and ship abortion drugs through mail-order pharmacies or pack and mail the drugs themselves
  • Structure their operations so that prescribers remain physically outside Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama
  • Rely on pro-abortion “shield laws” in their home states for protection

The complaint also alleges that the defendants misrepresent or minimize abortion drugs’ risks, legality, and effectiveness. It says some advise women who experience complications from abortion pills to seek emergency treatment and lie to healthcare providers by saying they are suffering from a miscarriage.

The lawsuit argues that all of this violates deceptive trade and consumer protection laws in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama, and it asks the court to hold these 29 individuals and organizations accountable.

The lawsuit also says that some or all of the defendants named in the suit may be “violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations Act (RICO) and its state law counterparts” and indicates the lawsuit may be amended if that is confirmed at a later point.

Together, these two lawsuits directly challenge “shield laws” that let abortionists hurt women and unborn children, and they give our federal court system a compelling reason to hold abortionists in other states accountable for the harm they have caused.

All of this is really good news, and we appreciate Attorney General Tim Griffin working with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall on this important issue.

Abortion drugs are dangerous. These drugs hurt women, and they kill unborn children.

Research from the Ethics and Public Policy Center shows 11% of women experience serious health complications from abortion pills — including sepsis, infection, and life-threatening hemorrhage. These drugs should not be available at all — much less through the mail without an in-person visit with a doctor. That is why Family Council is encouraging pro-lifers everywhere to ask the federal government to stop letting abortionists deliver abortion drugs through the mail.

We are confident our federal courts ultimately will recognize how dangerous these drugs are and let states like Arkansas enforce their pro-life laws.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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