From Pro-LGBT Efforts in NW Arkansas to Assisted Suicide in New York, Here is a Look Back at the Week

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

From Family Council

🏳️‍🌈 Tyson Family Foundation Pledges Half-a-Million Dollars to Pro-LGBT Efforts in Northwest Arkansas. The Tyson Family Foundation has pledged to give $500,000 as part of a multi-year commitment to support pro-LGBT efforts in Northwest Arkansas. Talk Business reports that with the pledge, the foundation is set “to be a presenting sponsor of NWA Pride Weekend through 2030.” Keep Reading.

🚫 Meta Asks Congress for Immunity from Child-Harm Lawsuits. Meta is the parent company that owns Facebook and Instagram, and over the past two decades it has grown into one of the largest social media corporations in the world. But the company has come under fire for failing to protect children on its platform. Now the social media giant is reportedly is asking Congress for special protections from child-harm lawsuits in state courts. Keep Reading.

🕒 Legislators Ask Arkansas Department of Education About Delays in EFA Reimbursements. Last week, Arkansas lawmakers asked the Department of Education about delays in Educational Freedom Account expense approvals and reimbursements. Keep Reading.

💉 NY, IL Assisted Suicide Laws Face Federal Lawsuits. Disability-rights groups are suing to strike down assisted suicide measures in Illinois and New York. Keep Reading.

🏛️ Democratic Congressmen Ask FTC to Investigate “Prediction Markets” Over Deceptive Trade Allegations. Earlier this month a group Democratic congressmen called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate whether “prediction markets” are engaging in deceptive trade practices. Keep Reading.

⚖️ Class Action Lawsuit Calls Robinhood’s “Prediction Market” an “Unlicensed Sports Gambling Operation.” A class action lawsuit filed in California alleges investment platform Robinhood is “operating an unlicensed sports gambling operation” via so-called “prediction markets.” Keep Reading.

🛸 Guest Column: Spielberg Wants to “Mess With” Your Faith. Award winning film director Steven Spielberg said recently that his new film will likely “mess with” a lot of people’s theology. “Disclosure Day” is about what would happen if there were a sudden mass revelation about the existence of extraterrestrial life. According to Spielberg, it will force people, especially Christians, to rethink Who God is. Keep Reading.

🚨 Despite Legalization, Illicit Marijuana Still a Problem in New York. Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and the Trump Administration has moved to ease federal restrictions on the drug. But while policymakers push for more marijuana, law enforcement in these states continue to battle marijuana grown or sold illegally on the black market. Keep Reading.

⚠️ Researchers Express Concerns Over Contaminated Marijuana Products. A recent journal article highlights concerns about contaminants in “medical” marijuana and other cannabis products. Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

‘Truly a miracle’: Baby girl beating the odds after birth at 25 weeks. From LiveAction.

New Abortion Poll Shows America is Becoming More Pro-Life. From LifeNews.

Teenage girl claims sexual assault in wrestling match against biological male, files lawsuit. From American Family News.

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

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Despite Legalization, Illicit Marijuana Still a Problem in New York

Marijuana

News outlets report New York authorities continue to raid businesses selling illicit marijuana products.

Nationwide, many states have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and the Trump Administration has moved to ease federal restrictions on the drug. But while policymakers push for more marijuana, law enforcement in these states continue to battle marijuana grown or sold illegally on the black market.

A Bronx smoke shop was recently raided for the third time in two year. Authorities reportedly say the illegal marijuana operation did not have a license and “was located too close to a school, place of worship, or youth facility.”

California has seized more than $1.2 billion in illegal cannabis since 2022. In Maine, authorities have said there are hundreds of illegal growing operations connected to Chinese organized crime groups. Oklahoma’s lax marijuana laws have created similar issues, with law enforcement alleging that 40% of America’s black market marijuana has come from legal grow sites in Oklahoma. And Arkansas State Police routinely confiscate marijuana from these states.

Illegal marijuana operations often are believed to be tied to labor trafficking and violent crime — contributing to what some have dubbed “modern day slavery on American soil.”

Chinese organized crime is dominating black market marijuana in many states. The U.S. Department of Justice says Chinese drug cartels may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in states like Maine, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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

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Class Action Lawsuit Calls Robinhood’s “Prediction Market” an “Unlicensed Sports Gambling Operation”

Gambling, ,

A class action lawsuit filed in California alleges investment platform Robinhood is “operating an unlicensed sports gambling operation” via so-called “prediction markets.”

Prediction markets exploit loopholes in federal law to bring casino-style gambling to anyone with a smartphone. Whereas traditional gambling operates under state oversight and state law, prediction market platforms claim protection under federal commodities laws. The companies running these platforms claim they just let people “invest” in the outcome of a ballgame, tomorrow’s weather, foreign policy, and so on.

But calling it an “investment” does not change reality. It’s gambling. But unlike other forms of gambling, “prediction markets” are not currently accountable to state gambling laws.

The lawsuit filed against Robinhood earlier this month alleges:

Robinhood’s customers are led to believe that sports event contracts are a modern, sophisticated form of investing on a federally regulated commodities exchange that can be accessed on a phone.

In reality, the sports event contracts Robinhood sells are ordinary, old-fashioned bets or wagers on the outcomes of sporting events (i.e., gaming). By operating an unlicensed sports gambling operation, Robinhood has violated state gambling laws and regulations, engaged in deceptive conduct, and unjustly enriched itself at the expense of millions of consumers. . . .

Unlike traditional gambling sites that require cash deposits for gambling, Robinhood enables brokerage clients to gamble against margin on security positions, exposing customers to substantial losses on their portfolios. Robinhood further entices its customers to gamble by strongly encouraging them to keep their assets with Robinhood rather than removing them from the platform.

We have written before about how prediction markets are particularly troubling because they operate without state oversight. When prediction market platforms let users trade hundreds of millions of dollars on the Super Bowl game outcomes — plus millions more on trivial bets like which song would play first at halftime — that is not investing. That is gambling.

And this kind of predatory gambling destroys families. Sports betting is out of control. It’s ruining lives and corrupting sports. Studies indicate people who gamble on sports may be twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems. The damage is worse when the sports betting happens online.

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 families in our state.

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

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