“Sean Astin, the star of ‘Rudy,’ ‘Goonies’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ was elected Friday to be president of SAG-AFTRA, succeeding Fran Drescher. Astin was part of a slate dubbed ‘The Coalition,’ a unity ticket that included members of the historical rival factions within the union as well as some who were unaffiliated with either side. He defeated Chuck Slavin, a member of the union’s New England local board, who had run a dissident campaign. … Astin takes a job once held by his late mother, Patty Duke, who was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the predecessor union, from 1985-88. Astin has been heavily involved in SAG-AFTRA politics for the last six years, and served on the negotiating committee during the four-month actors’ strike in 2023.” (09/12/25)
“Federal prosecutors have indicted the founder and several leaders of the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America, accusing the Georgia-based ministry of running a decades-long, $22 million fraud scheme that targeted U.S. military members and veterans. Following the indictment, the FBI on Wednesday conducted a raid near Augusta, Georgia, arresting leaders after years of allegations that the church operated like a cult and preyed on military communities nationwide. FBI Atlanta public affairs specialist Jenna Sellitto confirmed to Fox News Digital it carried out a raid at a home in Columbia County, Georgia, and made authorized arrests related to the church investigation. Sellitto said she could not immediately release the identities of those taken into custody. The charges come after the FBI in June 2022 raided at least three churches associated with the House of Prayer Christian Churches in Georgia and Texas, established just miles from Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart and Fort Hood.” (09/13/25)
“More than 100,000 demonstrators packed London streets Saturday for a march organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally got underway as much smaller numbers of counterprotesters, organized by the Stand Up To Racism group, gathered under the banner of the ‘March Against Fascism.’ … Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and is known for his nationalist and anti-migrant views, billed the march as a demonstration for free speech, and also said it was in defense of British heritage and culture.” (09/13/25)
“Arnold Schwarzenegger has spent the better part of the past decade out of politics, but California’s fight over redistricting has suddenly thrust the Hollywood star and former governor back into the arena as the Republicans clamor for his help. As California governor Schwarzenegger helped create a nonpartisan process in 2010 to draw ‘fair and equal’ congressional district lines that Gov. Gavin Newsom is now attempting to temporarily dismantle. Republicans are hoping the former bodybuilder can help convince people to vote against Newsom’s Proposition 50, the November ballot measure that asks voters to approve the new Democrat-favoring map, a last-ditch attempt to counter gerrymandering taking place in Texas. Schwarzenegger is, according to one poll, the most popular Republican in the country, and Republican strategists have said the former bodybuilder is ‘uniquely positioned’ to fight Prop. 50 and that ‘it would be huge’ to have Schwarzenegger directly on the campaign.” (09/13/25)
“The call of a possible shooting came out at 10 a.m. Friday in the 12000 block of Oxnard Street, near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Grant High School, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A neighbor said the suspect used a shopping cart to climb through a window in the apartment. The suspect then came face to face with the homeowner, and they began fighting. According to police, the homeowner warned the suspect that he had a gun, but the intruder refused to stop, and pushed his way into the kitchen. That’s when the resident shot him in the chest. The man ran away, but eventually appeared at an emergency room nearby. He was transported to Northridge where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the chest.” (09/12/25)
This end of week news/commentary/podcast cycle has been busier than usual, at least in part due to the September 10 murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Instead of either leaving out a lot of important stuff, or running a “hybrid” edition with extra content on Monday (which just might happen anyway!), we’re hitting you with an extra, short “weekend special edition” — five news stories, ten opinion pieces, five audio/video links. Enjoy!
Naturally, I’ll also remind you that we’re a reader-supported publication:
“Tyler Robinson, the man suspected of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event at a Utah university, had eluded authorities for more than a day. However, after his father recognized him from photographs distributed by authorities, a series of events ultimately led to the 22-year-old Robinson being taken into custody.” (09/12/25)
“Bitcoin’s hash rate, the network’s aggregate computational power, reached a milestone of 1.12 billion TH/s on September 12, according to Bitinfocharts data. The network difficulty, which measures the computational complexity required for miners to discover new blocks on the blockchain, is on track to reach a record peak of 136.04T. … An increasing hash rate shows increased computational resources being allocated to Bitcoin mining. This typically reflects increased miner confidence, as they essentially bet that Bitcoin’s future valuation will warrant their hardware and energy costs …” (09/12/25)
“Nepal’s first female prime minister was sworn in Friday as interim leader, capping a tumultuous week that saw massive and deadly youth-led protests against corruption and nepotism topple the country’s leader and plunge the nation into political turmoil. Former chief justice Sushila Karki, 73, was the unlikely choice of the ‘Gen Z’ protesters behind the movement that started out as a social media demonstration against the lavish lifestyles of ‘Nepo Kids’ but spilled out onto the streets and into the deadliest social unrest Nepal has seen in years. Protesters signaled their support for Karki through an informal vote on the messaging app Discord.” (09/12/25)
“Memphis, Tennessee, is the next US city where President Donald Trump is sending National Guard troops as part of his ongoing crackdown on crime in Democrat-led cities. Trump made the announcement during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends on Friday, and said the city’s mayor, a Democrat, is ‘happy’ about the decision, as is the state’s governor, a Republican. The deployment to Memphis would mark an escalation in the president’s use of troops and comes roughly a month after he sent the National Guard to the streets of Washington DC.” (09/12/25)
