Current Events – Family Council

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

Oct 2, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsCurrent Events, Update, Weekly Rewind

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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.

Polygamy, Prediction Markets, and Protections for Religious Freedom: Here’s a Look Back at the Week

Sep 25, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsCurrent Events, Update, Weekly Rewind

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

From Family Council

The 2026 Arkansas Voter’s Guide is Almost Here! Our team plans to begin shipping printed copies of the guide next week. If you have not already done so, you can pre-order your free copies of the guide here.

These Laws Helped Make Arkansas Number-One in Religious Liberty. In 2021, Arkansas passed Act 462 protecting rights of conscience for doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and other healthcare workers in Arkansas… Keep Reading.

Seattle City Council Unanimously Votes to Recognize Polyamory, Expand Definition of “Sexual Orientation.” In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state marriage laws nationwide with its Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. The decision effectively legalized same-sex marriage across the country. But it also unintentionally opened the door to polygamy and polyamory. Keep Reading.

“Prediction Market” Gambling Platforms Finally Face Scrutiny in Court. Prediction markets are companies that exploit loopholes in federal law to bring casino-style gambling to anyone with a smartphone. While traditional gambling operates under state oversight and state law, prediction market platforms claim protection under federal commodities laws. But instead of letting people invest in futures for gold or crude oil, companies like Kalshi and Polymarket let people “invest” in the future outcome of a ballgame, tomorrow’s weather, foreign policy, and so on. Keep Reading.

Study Reminds Us How Sports Betting Corrupts College Athletics. Sports betting is legal in 39 states — including Arkansas, where people wager an average of $2.5 million on sports every single day. But a study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies this summer found student-athletes are wagering on fantasy sports betting, parlay bets, live in-game betting, and prop bets — nearly all of it conducted through mobile phones and online gambling apps. Keep Reading.

Nike Loses $200 Billion in “Woke Wipeout.” Yahoo Finance reports the iconic sportswear brand Nike has lost $200 billion in market value since 2021. Financial experts point to poor sales performance domestically and internationally, but our friends at The Washington Stand ultimately trace it back to Nike’s political activism, calling the company’s financial turn a “$200 billion woke wipeout.” Keep Reading.

The Power of Naming: Guest Column. Words shape how we understand reality, but they cannot redefine it. Scripture explains both the remarkable power and important limits of naming. Keep Reading.

EPA to Test for Abortion Drugs in Drinking Water. On September 9, the EPA announced that a new scientific study that would check for a large number of contaminants in drinking water — including the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol. Keep Reading.

Obamacare Abortion Report Shows Importance of a Law Arkansas Passed in 2013. Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report showing insurance companies pay for abortions in a number of states under Obamacare. The report underscores the importance of a good, pro-life law that Arkansas passed in 2013. Keep Reading.

Medical Committee Says There Was “No Reasonable Alternative” but Euthanasia for Dutch Toddler. A medical review committee in the Netherlands says there was “no reasonable alternative” but euthanasia for a two-year-old child — even though the child did not have a terminal illness — and determined that the physician who euthanized the child “acted with due care.” Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

“They’re Going to Kill Me?” Canadian Family Demands Answers After Grandma Euthanized. From LifeNews.

WA Teenage Wrestler, Her Mom Ask 9th Circuit to Protect Girls’ Sports, Parental Rights. From Alliance Defending Freedom.

Embryos Aren’t Property. From Breakpoint.

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

From Zombie Arguments to Prioritizing Prayer, Here is a Look Back at the Week

Sep 18, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsCurrent Events, Update, Weekly Rewind

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

From Family Council

Colorado Hedging its Bets in the Wake of Sports Gambling Problems. Nationwide, sports betting is legal in 39 states — including Arkansas, where people are on track to wager nearly a billion dollars this year on sports betting alone. But a growing body of evidence shows this type of gambling is causing serious financial harm. Keep Reading.

ADF: “There’s No Way for a State to Protect Life” if Doctors Can Mail Illegal Abortion Drugs. Last week, Alliance Defending Freedom Of Counsel Erin Hawley told Morning Wire there is “no way for a state to protect life if a doctor from New York or California can simply mail an illegal [abortion] drug to someone’s doorstep.” Keep Reading.

Kentucky Man Indicted for Secretly Swapping Girlfriend’s Medication With Abortion Drug. Abdullah Mohmand, 27, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of attempting to kill her unborn child. Keep Reading.

The Population Zombie Strikes Again: Guest Column. A group of scientists are, once again, predicting imminent disaster because of overpopulation. Keep Reading.

Company Offers Assisted Suicide in NY for $12K. Late last year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an agreement to enact legislation letting healthcare professionals prescribe lethal drugs via so-called “Medical Aid in Dying.” New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act officially took effect on August 5. That same day, a new company called Quiĕtus began offering assisted suicide in New York. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance write: Keep Reading.

Marijuana Edibles “a Growing Danger” for Kids: CNN. 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 children. Keep Reading.

Family Council Joins Brief Asking Supreme Court to Protect Prayer Meetings in Homes. Last week, Family Council joined 55 other conservative, pro-family leaders in an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the right to host prayer meetings at home. Keep Reading.

Augustine: The Philosopher Who Solved Anxiety. More and more young people today suffer from anxiety, depression, or loneliness. But it turns out this isn’t a new problem. Sixteen hundred years ago, a restless university student named Augustine suffered the same maladies. This young man, who would become one of history’s most famous philosophers, found a solution. It still works today. Owen Anderson, Arizona State professor of philosophy and religious studies, tells the story. Keep Reading.