“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)
“Texas Democrat James Talarico has campaigned on getting megadonor cash out of elections, but records show he has been cashing checks from an unlikely source: a Republican, Trump-backing billionaire. Talarico’s single largest donation last year came from a PAC backed by casino mogul Miriam Adelson, the widow of longtime Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson. Records show Talarico received $59,000 from Adelson’s Texas Sands PAC in 2024, making the group his largest donor for that year. A representative for Talarico’s office defended his accepting the funds, telling Politico that while he opposes big-donor cash influencing elections, ‘he will not unilaterally disarm and let Texas Republicans play by different rules.'” (08/21/25)
“Brazilian police say Jair Bolsonaro planned to seek political asylum in Argentina ahead of his trial over an alleged coup plot, according to a document found on the former president’s mobile phone. The undated draft asylum request, discovered on a device seized during investigations, was addressed to Argentina’s President Javier Milei and claimed Bolsonaro had been the victim of political persecution and feared for his life, according to a report filed by federal police investigators to Brazil’s supreme court. Police did not say whether the request was actually submitted to Argentina’s government. Bolsonaro is facing the possibility of more than 40 years in prison if found guilty of conspiracy to overturn the result of the 2022 presidential election, which he lost to leftwing rival Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The far-right former leader denies the charges.” (08/21/25)
“Iran launched its first military exercise since the end of its 12-day war with Israel, state television reported Thursday, with navy vessels launching missiles at targets at sea in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. While such drills are routine in the Islamic Republic, the ‘Sustainable Power 1404’ exercise comes as authorities in Iran are trying to project strength in the wake of a war that saw Israel destroy air defense systems and bomb nuclear facilities and other sites. The state TV report said naval vessels would fire cruise missiles at targets and use drones over the open water. It did not immediately air any footage from the exercise.” (08/21/25)
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to give final approval Thursday for plans to take over Gaza City, an operation that could start within days. The widening of the 22-month offensive against Hamas appears to be proceeding despite protests in both Israel and the Palestinian enclave. Netanyahu was set to meet with top security officials to sign off on the plans, according to an Israeli official who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was unclear whether they would discuss a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators that Hamas says it has accepted. The Israeli military began calling medical officials and international organizations in the northern Gaza Strip to encourage them to evacuate to the south ahead of the expanded operation.” (08/21/25)
“The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday recommended that all young children get vaccinated against COVID-19, differing from federal policy that no longer recommends routine vaccination for healthy children. In its latest policy document, AAP said all young children aged 6-23 months should receive a COVID-19 shot regardless of previous doses or SARS-CoV-2 infection. It also advised vaccination for older children in certain risk groups. The U.S. pediatric group’s recommendations diverge from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which in May said healthy children can take the shots if parents and doctors agree it is needed.” (08/20/25)
“The Israeli military says it has begun the ‘preliminary actions’ of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City and already has a hold on its outskirts. A military spokesman said troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas to lay the groundwork for the offensive, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and which will be put to the security cabinet later this week. About 60,000 reservists are being called up for the beginning of September to free up active-duty personnel for the operation. Hamas has accused Israel of obstructing a ceasefire deal in favour of continuing a ‘brutal war against innocent civilians,’ Reuters news agency reported. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and head to shelters in southern Gaza as preparations for Israel’s takeover plan get under way.” (08/20/25)
“The Texas House of Representatives gave final passage on Wednesday to House Bill 4, a controversial Republican-backed proposal to redraw the state’s congressional maps and potentially add up to five new GOP-leaning districts. Entering Wednesday, the bill needed to pass two votes in the House to advance to the Senate. Each vote passed 88-52. … The Texas Senate, which approved a similar version of the redistricting legislation earlier this week, is scheduled to take up the House-passed bill when it convenes this Thursday at 7 p.m.” (08/20/25)
“Russia launched 614 air attack munitions into Ukraine overnight into Thursday, the air force in Kyiv reported, in what the country’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called a ‘massive combined air strike’ on targets around the country. The air force said Russia launched 574 drones and 40 missiles in its overnight barrage, of which 546 drones and 31 missiles were intercepted or otherwise suppressed. Impacts were reported across 11 locations, the air force said. … Russia’s latest attack was its largest since July 12, according to data published by Ukraine’s air force and analyzed by ABC News, and breaks with the trend so far in August of smaller-scale nightly barrages when compared to figures from June and July.” (08/21/25)
“Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Tibet on Wednesday to mark the 60th anniversary of the consolidation of Beijing’s long-contested rule over the Himalayan territory. … Communist forces occupied Tibet in 1951. In 1965, Mao Zedong’s single-party dictatorship established the Tibet autonomous region. Decades of political repression followed, including the demolition of some Buddhist monasteries and the imprisonment of monks. Recent years have seen the large-scale migration of majority Han Chinese to the high-altitude region, the virtual closure of Tibet to journalists and foreigners, the removal of Tibetan children from their families to boarding schools where they are taught in Mandarin, and the repression of all forms of political or cultural expression outside Communist Party control.” (08/20/25)
