Update – Family Council

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

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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.

From Our Friends

Netherlands Review Board Says Euthanasia of 2-Year-Old Was Perfectly Fine. From LifeNews.

Massachusetts Family Fights for Custody of ‘Trans’ Daughter. From Daily Citizen.

The Baby-Purchasing Business Continues To Be An Unmitigated Disaster For Everyone Involved. From The Federalist.

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

Arkansas to Get Millions from Meta — Plus Aggressive Ads Fuel “Addiction Economy” and More

Sep 4, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsUpdate, Weekly Rewind

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

From Family Council

What Will Arkansas Get from the Settlement with Meta? Last week, social media giant Meta agreed to a $17.1 billion settlement with dozens of state attorneys general over a slate of consumer protection lawsuits. How much of that money will go to Arkansas? Keep Reading.

Arkansans Wager $2.5M Every Day on Sports Betting. Data from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration shows that from January 1 through July 31, sports bets totaled $529,050,612.76. Nearly all of those bets were placed online. All told, Arkansans have wagered an average of more than $75.5 million every month, or roughly $2.5 million per day. That figure is likely to increase once football season gets underway. Keep Reading.

Study Shows Staggering Number of Young Men Trapped in “Addiction Economy” of Gambling, Pornography. Approximately one in eight men ages 18 to 29 use pornography, gamble, and play video games — all three — every single day, according to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS). Keep Reading.

Sportsbooks Still Use Aggressive Advertising. Gambling has exploded in recent years, and studies show large segments of the population now have an active sportsbook account online. But some are concerned that online gambling and sports betting may fuel gambling problems. Keep Reading.

Unpacking Attorney General Griffin’s Lawsuit Against Snapchat. Earlier this summer, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Snap — owner of the popular social media platform Snapchat — alleging the company deliberately designed its app to attract and addict teenagers, while publicly claiming the platform was safe for young users. Keep Reading.

Nearly 200 People in New Mexico Received Lethal Prescriptions for Assisted Suicide Last Year. Government data shows healthcare providers in New Mexico prescribed lethal drugs to 170 people last year under the state’s End-of-Life Options Act. Keep Reading.

Inoculating Your Children from Socialism: Guest Column. According to a 2025 survey, 62% of Americans under 40 have a positive view of socialism or communism. Where did this come from, and what should be done? That’s the question we asked Eric Patterson, president of the Victims of Communism Museum and Memorial Foundation: Keep Reading.

Socialism: Same Old Pitch, New Packaging. Rasmussen reports that support for capitalism has declined since 2023, and a growing share of likely voters now say socialism is better. Last November, Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral election. Mamdani, 34, belongs to the socialist Working Families Party. In his victory speech, Mamdani promised New Yorkers a “new age,” saying, “We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.” But this modern socialism is really just a repackaging of the same arguments and soundbites that communism used in the last century. Keep Reading.