From Courtroom Confusion to Cultural Christianity, Here’s a Look Back at the Week

Current Events,

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

From Family Council

Group Tells Pulaski County Court that the Right to Life Includes a Right to Abortion: An organization suing to overturn Arkansas’ pro-life laws filed a brief on Monday making the bizarre argument that protecting unborn babies from abortion violates the right to life. Keep Reading.

Federal Appeal Process Continues Over Arkansas’ Ten Commandments Law: Last week, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks issued a final decision against the Ten Commandments in a group of Arkansas school districts, but higher federal courts are already weighing arguments from the case. Keep Reading.

Arkansas Lawmakers Gearing Up for 2026 Budget Session: The Arkansas Legislature’s 2026 fiscal session will begin at noon on Wednesday, April 8, and lawmakers have already started pre-filing bills. The Arkansas House and Senate probably won’t pass any new laws, but they will set the State’s budget for the coming year. Keep Reading.

Study Links Sports Betting to Binge Drinking Among Young Men: Nationwide, sports betting is now legal in more than 30 states — including Arkansas, where people wagered an average of nearly $1.8 million every day on sports last year. But while sports betting is expanding across the country, the social cost is expanding as well. Keep Reading.

Former Basketball Players Fail to Cooperate with Sports Betting Investigation: Earlier this month, the NCAA reported two former North Carolina A&T men’s basketball players did not cooperate with an investigation into potential sports betting violations — meaning the athletes are now ineligible to play. The NCAA notes that both men are no longer members of the school’s basketball program and are not currently competing in NCAA sports. Keep Reading.

Scottish Parliament Rejects Euthanasia: Last week the Scottish Parliament reportedly rejected a proposal that would have made Scotland the first country in the U.K. to legalize assisted suicide. Keep Reading.

Why “Safe Sex” Messaging Failed: For decades, public health campaigns promoted “safe sex” as the key to preventing sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies, and state and federal officials spent millions of dollars teaching comprehensive sex education to students. But evidence shows that despite the massive investment, STD rates and teen pregnancy rates have remained high. Keep Reading.

Why Gen Z “Nones” Are Reconsidering Religion: Gen Z is the least religious cohort in American history. 43% of this generation born roughly between 1996 and 2012 identify as religious “nones.” While there have been many reports since Charlie Kirk’s assassination indicating increased interest in religion and increased church attendance, according to statistician Ryan Burge, there is not yet statistical evidence of religious revival among young people. Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

Louisville to pay $800K after court rules for Christian photographer. From Alliance Defending Freedom.

9 Things to Remember After the Death of Kermit Gosnell, ‘One of the Most Brutal Mass Murderers in American History’. From Pennsylvania Family Institute.

The Bible Does Not Support Abortion. From Breakpoint.

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

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Former Basketball Players Fail to Cooperate with Sports Betting Investigation: NCAA

Gambling,

Earlier this month, the NCAA reported two former North Carolina A&T men’s basketball players did not cooperate with an investigation into potential sports betting violations — meaning the athletes are now ineligible to play. The NCAA notes that both men are no longer members of the school’s basketball program and are not currently competing in NCAA sports.

We have written before about how sports betting corrupts athletic programs and puts student-athletes at risk of harassment and bribery.

The national experiment with sports gambling has been a disaster for individuals and families, but it is also undermining athletic programs nationwide.

When gambling is introduced, fans have a financial stake in the game, and athletes have an incentive to change how they play. Officials may be tempted to cheat, and fans forget why they enjoyed sports in the first place. All of that is a problem.

The NCAA has opened investigations into dozens of student-athletes at multiple schools over the past couple of years. Players allegedly conspire to help each other win bets by underperforming in games.

Federal prosecutors recently announced indictments against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA basketball games. One of the defendants has plead guilty to bribery and wire fraud in that case.

Sports betting is now legal in more than 30 states, and Arkansans wagered an average of nearly $1.8 million on it every day last year. That kind of gambling ruins lives, tears families apart, and hurts communities.

In February, the Arkansas Racing Commission approved sportsbook license applications by FanDuel and DraftKings — meaning the state will likely see more sports betting in the months to come.

Sports betting promises entertainment and easy money, but it isn’t a harmless pastime. 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, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more 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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Scottish Parliament Rejects Euthanasia

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, , , ,

Last week the Scottish Parliament reportedly rejected a proposal that would have made Scotland the first country in the U.K. to legalize assisted suicide.

Elected officials first proposed the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill in 2024. The measure would have let medical professionals give lethal prescriptions to terminally ill adults who are deemed mentally competent and who have resided in Scotland for at least a year.

In January, the French Senate rejected a similar measure as well.

Despite the “safeguards” euthanasia’s supporters place in these types of laws, experience has shown that assisted suicide doesn’t help people who are sick or dying, and it doesn’t remain limited to a few cases.

Canada is poised to reach it’s 100,000th death through assisted suicide this summer.

Patients in Europe and Canada reportedly have been denied care or actively euthanized as a result of assisted suicide laws.

Recent news articles allege that an elderly woman in Ontario — dubbed “Mrs. B” in official reports — was euthanized against her will after her elderly husband began “experiencing caregiver burnout.” Her husband reportedly requested “an urgent assessment” of his wife’s eligibility for assisted suicide. She was euthanized that evening.

The vast majority of patients approved for assisted suicide never receive psychiatric screenings.

In parts of the U.S. where physician-assisted suicide is legal, insurance companies have refused to pay for patients’ medical care, but have offered to cover assisted suicide drugs.

Stories like these are part of the reason why Family Council has strongly opposed assisted suicide legislation in Arkansas.

Being pro-life means believing innocent human life is sacred from conception until natural death.

Just like abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide violate the sanctity of innocent human life.

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

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