“James Dobson, a minister and child psychologist who was one of the most influential people among Christian conservatives in America, has died at 89. Dobson founded Focus on the Family, an evangelical group, in the 1970s. He advised five presidents and hosted a weekly radio show. The show at its peak was broadcast by 1,500 radio stations. The Colorado Springs-based Dr. James Dobson Family Institute announced its founder’s death Thursday. The institute’s announcement did not include the cause.” [editor’s note: Dobson did not claim to be a “minister;” he wasn’t ordained, nor did he e.g. pastor a church – TLK] (08/21/25)
“A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor. In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba ‘is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney’ and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1. As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot participate in prosecutions by the office ‘as the ‘acting U.S. Attorney’’ and seemingly cannot run the office the president maneuvered to keep her in charge of after her interim 120-day appointment expired. The Trump administration employed a series of maneuvers to attempt to retain Habba’s control of the office after district judges ousted her at the end of her term.” (08/21/25)
“The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday it has opened a national security [sic] investigation into the import of wind turbines and components. Earlier this week, the department said it was adding wind turbines to a list of products that will face 50% tariffs on the aluminum and steel content. The ‘Section 232’ investigation, which was opened on August 13 but not made public until now, could be used as a basis for even higher tariffs on imported wind turbines.” (08/21/25)
“The Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has denied involvement in a series of massacres in eastern Congo which were detailed in a report published by a rights group Wednesday. Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the M23 military, called the Human Rights Watch report ‘fake and a falsification of reality’ and accused the group of spreading ‘extremist propaganda’ in a statement late Wednesday. M23 is the most prominent of more than 100 armed groups fighting for control in Congo’s mineral-rich east. Both M23 and the Congolese military have previously been accused of violence against civilians. … Human Rights Watch accused M23 of killing over 140 civilians as part of a military campaign against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group made up mostly of ethnic Hutu fighters.” (08/21/25)
“An appellate court has thrown out the $500 million civil fraud penalty against former President Donald Trump in the high-profile case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The New York Appellate Division overturned the penalty, ruling the disgorgement was an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment. The panel upheld findings that Trump and his company were liable, affirming that James acted within her authority and that injunctive relief to curb Trump Organization practices was appropriate. The ruling leaves liability intact but eliminates the massive financial penalty.” (08/21/25)
“The Trump administration announced fresh sanctions on International Criminal Court officials on Wednesday and accused the ICC of being a ‘national security threat’ and ‘instrument for lawfare’ against the U.S. and Israel. The intergovernmental organization and international tribunal, in a statement, called the latest U.S. sanctions that affect two judges and two prosecutors ‘a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.’ … The sanctioned officials ‘directly engaged’ in ICC efforts ‘to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of either nation.'” (08/21/25)
“Boston motorists captured the moment over 100 bikers filled a local highway, stopping traffic and wreaking havoc on the roads. The incident was initially reported just after 2 p.m. on Saturday, after Massachusetts State Police received a call regarding a group of people on bicycles, electric scooters and dirt bikes in the O’Neill Tunnel, according to WCVB. ‘Here comes [one to two] bikes, then 20 bicycles and we realize there is a whole wagon train of them down the road,’ Michael Filandro, who was driving on the interstate, told the outlet. ‘I thought it was a little parade or something going on. There was no escort, no police there. They were blowing through traffic lights, zipping around cars.’ Bystander footage shows dozens of riders racing down the highway without helmets and weaving in and out of vehicles.” (08/21/25)
“Members and backers of Tunisia’s largest trade union rallied Thursday in support of the organisation, which has faced mounting pressure from President Kais Saied. It was the largest demonstration Tunisia has seen in recent months, coinciding with what rights groups have denounced as a rollback of freedoms in the birthplace of the Arab Spring. The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) – part of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize-winning ‘national dialogue quartet’ – remains an influential counterweight to Saied, who has jailed many of his critics since a sweeping 2021 power grab.” (08/21/25)
“Republican Rep. Chip Roy, an outspoken fiscal conservative known for his willingness to challenge party leadership, announced Thursday that he is running for Texas attorney general. Now in his fourth term, Roy is a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus, a hard-line conservative faction that wields outsize influence in the narrowly divided House. He was a central player this summer in the negotiations around President Donald Trump’s big tax bill. But the lawmaker’s relationship with Trump has been complicated at times as one of the few Republicans who initially pushed back against Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Roy enters an increasingly crowded Republican primary field to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary next year.” (08/21/25)
“A federal district court in Texas temporarily blocked a new state law on Wednesday that would have required public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery issued a preliminary injunction in Rabbi Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District, ruling that Texas Senate Bill 10, set to take effect Sept. 1, likely violates both the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment. The lawsuit was originally filed in late June by several families after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 into law. Parents argued the measure intruded on their rights to guide their children’s religious education and forced religious mandates in public classrooms.” (08/20/25)
