Event dates: Jury verdict in September 2026; post-trial ruling during the week of September 28. Reporting published: October 2, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Central. Posted: October 3, 2026. A federal jury awarded Robert Bender, a Black teacher, $425,000 in compensatory damages in his racial-harassment case against the Ottumwa Community School District and two administrators. Bender…
Event date: September 30, 2026. Reporting published: October 2, 2026. Posted: October 3, 2026. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for Christian Brothers Automotive in Domanic v. Christian Brothers, No. 25-20486. The ethnically and religiously Jewish applicant challenged the company’s Christian-only franchise requirement under 42 U.S.C. § 1981. The…
October 3, 2026 Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is drawing renewed attention for using Christian scripture and theology to support progressive policy positions, including universal health care and anti-corruption measures. Critics, including Jim Agresti of Just Facts, argue that Talarico is misinterpreting Christianity and Scripture. Talarico has said his policy positions rest on…
October 3, 2026 After a Florida jury acquitted former Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran of manslaughter in the 2024 shooting death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, Fortson’s family and attorney Ben Crump said they will continue pursuing a separate federal civil-rights lawsuit. Body-camera video showed Fortson opening his apartment door while…
October 3, 2026 U.S. Rep. Riley Moore publicly welcomed the reported arrest in Nigeria of Mahmoud Adam, whom Moore described as a radical Islamic Fulani terrorist leader responsible for attacks on Christians. Reporting indicates Adam was detained in Plateau State in September. Accounts linking him to leadership of the Fulani Ethnic Militia rely in part…
October 3, 2026 A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s FACE Act lawsuit against pro-Palestinian organizations and protesters arising from a November 2024 demonstration outside Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey. U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden ruled that the government’s complaint did not adequately plead a violation of the federal law, which protects…
October 2, 2026 Suspected Boko Haram militants killed at least 18 villagers who had gone into the bush to collect firewood in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, according to local leaders and security sources cited by Reuters. Other villagers were reported missing, and Nigerian troops launched operations to pursue the attackers. Boko Haram and related armed…
October 2, 2026 Buckingham Palace said King Charles III will address Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade during his upcoming Caribbean tour while stopping short of a formal apology or commitment to reparations. The issue is expected to arise as Caribbean and African governments continue debating historical responsibility and reparatory justice. The British government…
October 2, 2026 Mississippi’s final public redistricting hearing became sharply divided as speakers debated whether new electoral maps would weaken Black political representation or provide more competitive representation. Republican State Auditor Shad White urged lawmakers to revisit congressional maps and criticized Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson’s representation of the Mississippi Delta. Opponents accused the broader redistricting…
October 2, 2026 Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, Rep. Randy Fine of Florida and Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith made new public comments criticizing Islam, Sharia and what they describe as Islamic extremism. Roy characterized Islam as a political movement that threatens Western institutions. Fine used a comparison involving reactions to the phrase “Allahu Akbar,”…
