New This Week: Arkansas A.G. Battles Big Tech (and More!)

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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 Judge Denies Temu’s Motion to Dismiss A.G. Griffin’s Lawsuit. An Arkansas judge recently denied a motion by Temu seeking to dismiss Attorney General Tim Griffin’s lawsuit against the online company. Attorneys representing Temu reportedly have until August 28 to respond to the A.G.’s allegations that Temu violated the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Keep Reading.

Arkansas A.G. Leads Coalition Against Dangerous Drugs Made from Hemp. In a letter released Tuesday, Attorney General Tim Griffin and 34 other attorneys general called on federal lawmakers to preserve the hemp reforms enacted in 2025 and reject any effort to reopen the loopholes that allowed intoxicating hemp products to flood the market in states like Arkansas. Keep Reading.

Arkansas State Police Make Major Drug Seizure, Arrest in Pope County. Troopers found 24 pounds of “individually packaged illegal marijuana,” a handgun, and 120 marijuana plants during a traffic stop. The driver reportedly told law enforcement he was traveling from Tulsa to Tennessee. Keep Reading.

Lee County Another Step Closer to Being 100% Pro-Life. In 2021, the Lee County Quorum Court declared itself a Pro-Life County, and since then nearly every incorporated city and town in the county has passed Pro-Life resolutions as well. In June, the City of Rondo became the latest community in Lee County to pass a resolution affirming that it is Pro-Life. Keep Reading.

New Report Confirms What We’ve Been Saying About Sports Betting. A recent report from the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) examines the explosion of online and app-based sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the federal sports betting ban in 2018. The numbers are staggering. Keep Reading.

Federal Government Strengthens Religious Liberty Protections. The U.S. Department of Justice has issued updated guidance directing every federal agency to protect the free exercise of religion. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the updated guidance on July 23. It is the first change to the DOJ’s religious liberty guidelines since 2017, and it reflects nearly a decade of important U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have expanded protections for people of faith. Keep Reading.

Business and the Christian Life: Guest Column. President Calvin Coolidge once said that “the business of America is business.” Too many Christians think of business as either inherently bad, immoral, or perhaps amoral, something set apart from their faith. At best, it pays the bills and support the missionaries, but many fail to see it as also under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Keep Reading.

Return to What Built the West. C.S. Lewis, when writing the final book of his interplanetary science fiction series, decided on a name for his climax book based on a poem by sixteenth century Scottish poet David Lyndsay. In this poem, Lindsey referenced the shade of the biblical Tower of Babel as “the shadow of that hideous strength.” Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

Todd Blanche Says Trump Admin Will Stop Mail-Order Abortions. From LifeNews.

Court Upholds Florida Law Protecting Children From ‘Adult’ Performances — Including Drag. From Daily Citizen.

Connecticut Children’s Hospital to Cancel Trans Procedures after DOJ Pressure. 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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Family Council Files Amicus in 8th Circuit — Plus Petition Problems, Marijuana Mayhem, Editing Embryos, and More

Current Events, ,
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is weekly-rewind-banner-corrected-1024x165.png

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

From Family Council

Family Council Files Amicus Brief Defending Ten Commandments Monument in Federal Court. On Wednesday, attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom representing Family Council filed an amicus brief in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals defending Arkansas’ monument of the Ten Commandments. The amicus brief identifies a basic flaw in the lawsuit against the monument, and it points out how the district court in Little Rock went against U.S. Supreme Court precedent when it ruled that anti-religion activists could demand religion be scrubbed from the public square. Keep Reading.

Secretary of State Says Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment Fails to Qualify for Ballot, Cites “Potential Signature Forgery” on Petitions. On Thursday, Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester announced the Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment failed to qualify for the November ballot, citing examples of “potential signature forgery” and other shortcomings on the amendment’s petitions. Keep Reading.

8th Circuit Panel Says Arkansas Can Protect Kids from Inappropriate Material in Public Libraries. On Thursday, a three-judge panel from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Arkansas can enforce a law protecting children from inappropriate material in public libraries. Keep Reading.

Report Reminds Us Marijuana is Anything But “Harmless” On July 1, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published a report showing that cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) “has increased more than 500% since 2016.” The AAMC says in some cases CHS can cause seizures, heart rhythm problems, and kidney failure, and it can even be fatal. Keep Reading.

Illicit Marijuana Still Plagues Oklahoma Despite Lax Laws. Nationwide, marijuana’s supporters have claimed legalization would reduce crime by weakening organized crime, and today marijuana is legal to varying degrees in many states. But evidence shows legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels. Keep Reading.

Beyond Crispr: Recreating Man with Genetic Editing. Recently, the New York Times reported that scientists at Columbia University have used a new technology called “base editing” to alter the DNA of early human embryos with unprecedented accuracy. Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

No Ballot for Voters Who Bet on Elections With Kalshi, Wisconsin Warns. From Daily Citizen.

University of Minnesota Unveils Dolls With Mix-and-Match Genitalia for Children. From Daily Citizen.

Pro-Life Group’s Van is Vandalized a Second Time. From LifeNews.

No, Islam is Not Kind to Christians. From Breakpoint.

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

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Family Council Files Amicus Brief Defending Ten Commandments Monument in Federal Court

Ten Commandments Monument,
Above: Former Sen. Jason Rapert and then-Rep. Kim Hammer unveil Arkansas’ monument commemorating the Ten Commandments in this file photo from 2018.

On Wednesday, Family Council filed an amicus brief in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals defending Arkansas’ monument of the Ten Commandments.

In 2015, the Arkansas General Assembly passed a law authorizing a privately funded monument of the Ten Commandments at the Capitol Building in Little Rock, and the monument was finally unveiled three years later. But almost immediately, atheist groups filed a lawsuit to remove the monument from the Capitol grounds. The case languished in federal court until a judge ruled against the monument earlier this year.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has appealed to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to keep the Ten Commandments monument on the State Capitol grounds. On Wednesday, attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom representing Family Council filed an amicus brief defending the monument as well.

The amicus brief identifies a basic flaw in the lawsuit against the monument: Citizens who disagree with religion can’t march into federal court and demand any hint of religion be torn down. And the brief points out how the district court in Little Rock went against U.S. Supreme Court precedent when it ruled that anti-religion activists could demand religion be scrubbed from the public square.

The U.S. Supreme Court reviews monuments like Arkansas’ in light of their longstanding history and tradition. Historians have long recognized the Ten Commandments as one of the earliest examples of the rule of law in human history, and they have helped shape philosophy and laws in countries around the world.

That’s why the Ten Commandments traditionally have appeared in artwork at public buildings across America.

Arkansas’ monument commemorates that same historical and cultural legacy. It’s also identical to a monument the U.S. Supreme Court ruled constitutional at the Texas Capitol Building in 2005. With all of that in mind, we believe our federal courts will ultimately let the Arkansas’ Ten Commandments monument stand proudly on the Capitol grounds.

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

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