More than two dozen Texas families asked the Supreme Court Monday to strike a law that puts a state-selected Ten Commandments poster in every public-school classroom.
The joint petition challenges Texas Senate Bill 10 after a divided federal appeals court allowed the mandate to take effect. The families include Christians, Jews, Hindus and people with nonreligious beliefs. They argue that compulsory displays interfere with parents’ direction of their children’s religious upbringing and put government-selected scripture before students every school day.
The law’s enrolled text requires a conspicuous poster in every classroom. It must be at least 16 by 20 inches and legible from anywhere in the room. Schools must accept donated displays that meet the state’s specifications.
Texas prevailed by one vote at the Fifth Circuit. The 9-8 majority said no student is required to recite, believe or affirm the text. It also found no substantial burden on the families’ religious exercise and treated the display as consistent with historical practice.
The dissenting judges answered that the Supreme Court’s 1980 decision in *Stone v. Graham* already rejected a classroom Ten Commandments mandate. They argued that children cannot avoid a permanent religious display in a room they are required to attend.
The Supreme Court has not agreed to hear the case. If it does, the justices will confront a line that has moved in recent years: when does a state’s historic religious expression become government religious instruction, and how much protection do parents receive when the message conflicts with their own beliefs?
Judge Blocks FBI Headquarters Move Into Reagan Building
A federal judge blocked the government from advancing a plan to move FBI headquarters into Washington’s Ronald Reagan Building.
Judge Theodore Chuang found that the General Services Administration and FBI unlawfully abandoned the Greenbelt, Maryland site selected in 2023. His memorandum opinion and injunction stop work toward the Reagan Building plan while the case proceeds.
The government argues that an existing federal property can meet the bureau’s security and consolidation needs. Maryland and Prince George’s County argue that agencies cannot discard a completed selection after years of public process and planning expense without following the law.
The August 17 ruling does not order construction at Greenbelt or settle the final site. It does force the government to answer for the process before taxpayers absorb another turn in a project already measured in years.
Missouri Watch
John Combest’s Monday roundup points to a renewed backlog in Missouri child-abuse investigations.
The Missouri Independent reports that July data put 13 of 46 investigative circuits above the Children’s Division target of 15 open cases per worker. St. Louis County averaged 97. St. Louis city averaged 58.
Missouri’s investigation manual sets a normal 45-day deadline, with documented good-cause extensions. The report says St. Louis County averaged 144 days in July.
The division plans to shift to centralized supervision and specialized career paths on September 1 without adding staff. Officials say the change should improve balance, training and consistency. Investigators say high caseloads and rule changes are making timely closure harder. A delay can leave a child in danger while keeping a family under state scrutiny far beyond the ordinary deadline.
From the 4Liberty Network
On Wake Up America, Austin Petersen told the story of a $30 dog-waste scooper that failed because of one small plastic tab. The owner printed a replacement, snapped it into place and reported that the repaired tool was stronger than when he bought it.
Petersen called the desktop 3D printer a factory smaller than a microwave. He tied that small repair to a larger question: what happens to supply chains and manufacturer control when a household can make the part instead of waiting for a replacement shipment? He also noted that some printer ecosystems remain proprietary while open-source alternatives compete with them.
Going Viral
The Babylon Bee asks an AI-generated future to take “abolish prisons†and “defund the police†literally. The result is a short dystopian gag about discovering that slogans still have consequences once the guards and cells disappear.
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