A U.S. district judge appointed by former President Bill Clinton temporarily blocked a new Texas law for some school districts on Wednesday, preventing them from being required to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. Texas Senate Bill 10 (S.B. 10) was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in June. It stated, “a public elementary or secondary school shall display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.” The bill stated the Commandments would be listed thus: I AM the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.     Thou shalt not  make to thyself any graven images.    Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.    Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.    Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.    Thou shalt not kill.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.  Thou shalt not steal.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.  Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.    Texas would be the largest state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools. Louisiana was the first to pass a law last year, but a federal appeals court blocked it. End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships But U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued an injunction on Wednesday that barred 11 school districts named as defendants in a lawsuit from displaying the Ten Commandments. Other public school districts in the state are still bound by the law, which takes effect September 1. “Even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer,” Biery wrote. “There is also insufficient evidence of a broader tradition of using the Ten Commandments in public education, and there is no tradition of permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms. … There are ways in which students could be taught any relevant history of the Ten Commandments without the state selecting an official version of scripture, approving it in state law, and then displaying it in every classroom on a permanent basis.” In 1980, in the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that posting the Ten Commandments in Kentucky public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. Justice William Rehnquist issued a blistering dissent in which he noted: The Court rejects the secular purpose articulated by the State because the Decalogue is “undeniably a sacred text.”  It is equally undeniable, however, as the elected representatives of Kentucky determined, that the Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World. The Establishment Clause does not require that the public sector be insulated from all things which may have a religious significance or origin. This Court has recognized that “religion has been closely identified with our history and government,” Abington School District, and that “[t]he history of man is inseparable from the history of religion,” Engel v. Vital. Kentucky has decided to make students aware of this fact by demonstrating the secular impact of the Ten Commandments. He quoted Justice Robert Jackson, concurring in the 1948 case McCollum v. Board of Education, who wrote: I think it remains to be demonstrated whether it is possible, even if desirable, to comply with such demands as plaintiff’s completely to isolate and cast out of secular education all that some people may reasonably regard as religious instruction. Perhaps subjects such as mathematics, physics or chemistry are, or can be, completely secularized. But it would not seem practical to teach either practice or appreciation of the arts if we are to forbid exposure of youth to any religious influences. Music without sacred music, architecture minus the cathedral, or painting without the scriptural themes would be eccentric and incomplete, even from a secular point of view. … I should suppose it is a proper, if not an indispensable, part of preparation for a worldly life to know the roles that religion and religions have played in the tragic story of mankind. The fact is that, for good or for ill, nearly everything in our culture worth transmitting, everything which gives meaning to life, is saturated with religious influences, derived from paganism, Judaism, Christianity–both Catholic and Protestant–and other faiths accepted by a large part of the world’s peoples. One can hardly respect the system of education that would leave the student wholly ignorant of the currents of religious thought that move the world society for a part in which he is being prepared.

Former New Jersey state assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, the GOP nominee for governor, has slashed Democratic New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s lead in half in the state’s 2025 gubernatorial contest, according to recent polling. Ciattarelli, who is running for governor a second time after narrowly losing to incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021, trails Sherrill […]

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Movies & TV Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Unfound Footage — Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: “What is Starfleet? This week’s episode tackles a confusing bit of Star Trek lore: how exactly does Starfleet function? By Keith R.A. DeCandido | Published on August 21, 2025 Credit: Paramount+ Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Paramount+ One of the dumbest lines of dialogue ever uttered on a Star Trek TV show—and in a lot of ways, one of the most damaging to the franchise—was put in the mouth of Jean-Luc Picard in the second-season TNG episode “Peak Performance.” He said, “Starfleet is not a military organization, its purpose is exploration.” Those words are utter fucking nonsense, and are borne of Gene Roddenberry’s tendency late in life to believe his own bullshit—and also, apparently, forgetting that “military” and “militaristic” are two different words that mean different things. First of all, the dichotomy Picard implies in that line of dialogue doesn’t exist: being a military and having your purpose be exploration aren’t mutually exclusive. Secondly, of course Starfleet is a military organization. It has a rank structure. It has rules and regulations that must be obeyed. Those rules are enforced via courts-martial that are independent of the civilian legal system. Roddenberry served in the military (he was a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II), so you’d think he’d have remembered that. This philosophy in general and that line in particular has been the source of a great number of arguments and a great deal of confusion about what Starfleet is supposed to be. It’s also led to silly things like Archer’s crew on Enterprise saying they need a military presence on board when going into the Expanse, even though they are a military. The latest episode of SNW tackles this head-on with the aptly titled “What is Starfleet?” It’s done in the form of the documentary that Beto Ortegas was given permission to film in “Wedding Bell Blues,” and which we’ve seen him recording in “Through the Lens of Time.” And it is absolutely fantastic, a brilliant episode of Star Trek. The entire episode is Beto’s documentary, with interviews with the crew intercut with footage both from Beto’s free-floating cameras and security footage from the Enterprise computer, with captions explaining that they’ve been declassified for this documentary. It opens with the titular question, and pointing out one other issue with the whole military thing: Starfleet ships have enough armament on board to lay waste to a planet, plus they’re incredibly heavily stocked with hand weapons. The capability for violence is huge on a starship, and Beto starts off questioning that. What’s the difference between a starship and a warship? The mission that’s at the heart of the documentary involves the Enterprise assisting the Lutani, who are in the midst of a conflict, and Starfleet is to provide aid. Part of that aid is to escort a life-form called a Jikaru that is listed as “livestock” to the Lutani homeplanet. Over the course of the mission it becomes clear that the Jikaru isn’t livestock, it’s sentient, and has been enslaved. Watching this conflict play out is a joy, and having it be through the documentary just makes it more fascinating. It’s a trope that Trek has revisited plenty of times, indeed is one of the franchise’s signature moves: an alien being that they think is one thing turns out to be something else, and they have to adjust their assumptions and their actions. And yes, Starfleet is a military organization (sorry, Jean-Luc), and that means they have to commit violent acts in the name of keeping the peace. It also means they sometimes have to kill—and sometimes be killed. And, as is mentioned plenty of times on this mission that grows ever-more distasteful as it goes on, it means they have to follow the orders of their superiors. But it doesn’t mean they can’t be compassionate and understanding. As the episode goes on, Spock and Uhura find ways to communicate with the Jikaru, and they eventually realize, not only that she has been enslaved, but that she is sentient and wants to commit suicide. (Her initial attacks on Enterprise were in the hopes that the Starfleet vessel would kill her in retaliation.) The focus shifts from escorting the Jikaru to a war zone to helping her die with dignity and stopping the Lutani from exploiting the other Jikaru. Along the way we get some lovely character insights, mostly through the interviews. Spock discusses the prejudice he encountered as a halfbreed on Vulcan (as also seen in the animated series’ “Yesteryear,” the 2009 Star Trek, and Discovery’s “Brother” and “Light and Shadow”), and says that Starfleet allows him to explore his human half in a way he would not be permitted to on Vulcan. Uhura discusses the loss of her immediate family (as first revealed in “Children of the Comet”), and also is told that one of her Academy friends died on the Cayuga back in “Hegemony.” La’an talks about how important it is for her to protect people. M’Benga makes it clear that he very much wants to bury his past (as established primarily in “Under the Cloak of War”) and has no interest in discussing it. Pike and Number One are much more mature in their interviews, with Pike solemnly telling the story of having to put down an injured horse as a boy, and Number One very calmly discusses the realities of having to follow orders. Credit: Paramount+ The biggest character revelation, though, is about the documentarian. Talking to Beto, Uhura realizes that a big reason for this documentary is Beto working out his anger at Starfleet for what was done to his sister in the “Hegemony” two-parter. Erica Ortegas nearly died, and Beto is furious at Starfleet for letting that happen to her, and furious at his sister for staying in Starfleet after it happened. Tellingly, the interviews with Ortegas are the only ones that aren’t structured and settled. Everyone else is interviewed while sitting calmly and talking into the camera. Ortegas, though, is in her quarters tinkering, constantly moving around, and also constantly giving her brother shit. She’s unwilling to sit still for an interview—or for Beto’s issues. That’s one of many excellent touches by director Sharon Lewis, who did a superlative job here. The documentary feel is expertly captured, but she also makes use of that feel to do some excellent visual work. In particular I love the use of closeups (the security footage from the different consoles, which give extreme looks at the faces of the crew), but also of distance. One of the most effective shots is of Pike and Number One speaking with Starfleet Command. The camera is very far away, so the captain and first officer are extremely small, reflecting how small they feel in the face of this mission, which keeps getting more insane. We also can’t hear what Starfleet Command is saying, a nice touch that shows the Enterprise’s isolation. This is a brilliant episode of Star Trek, a fantastic hour of television, and one that reinforces the Trek ethos of compassion over violence, of understanding over blindly following orders. And it reminds us that a military organization doesn’t have to be brutal or unthinking or cruel.[end-mark] The post Unfound Footage — <i>Star Trek: Strange New Worlds</i>: “What is Starfleet? appeared first on Reactor.

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy announced Thursday he’s running for Texas attorney general.  First elected to the U.S. House from the 21st District of Texas in 2018, Roy, a Republican, has been a staunch conservative in Congress, opposing most big spending bills. Texas has a long and proud tradition of rising to defend our homes, our freedom, and our communities. I’m running for Attorney General to carry on that legacy… unafraid to fight, unafraid to win, and unafraid to defend Texas at every turn. #LiveFree pic.twitter.com/eqQNwx0XHm— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) August 21, 2025 “Texas has a long and proud tradition of rising to defend our homes, our freedom, and our communities,” Roy said in a post on X. “I’m running for attorney general to carry on that legacy … unafraid to fight, unafraid to win, and unafraid to defend Texas at every turn.” Current Attorney General Ken Paxton is running against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a Republican primary for U.S. Senate.  Roy’s campaign video warns about problems facing Texas: “Radical Democrats and George Soros are funding DAs [district attorneys] and liberal judges hellbent on coddling criminals and putting Texas in danger,” Roy says in the two-minute campaign video. “Open border politicians have flooded our streets, hospitals, jails, and schools with illegal immigrants and dangerous fentanyl, empowering cartels while endangering Texans and the immigrants they use as political pawns.” He also talked about election integrity and the push for woke policies in public schools.  “Today, we draw a line in the sand. Texas’ next attorney general must have a proven record of fighting to preserve, protect, and defend our legacy,” he continued.  Election integrity was a major focus for Roy in the House of Representatives. He sponsored the House version of the SAVE Act, short for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act. The proposal twice passed the House, and would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Roy has placed conservatism over party loyalty in the past.  He has for the most part been an ally to President Donald Trump on policy matters. However, after Trump’s 2024 election victory and before he took office, the president-elect and Roy clashed. Trump wanted to raise the debt limit, while Roy thought there should be spending restrictions before agreeing to increase the limit.  Roy had also endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He endorsed Trump after DeSantis dropped out of the race shortly after coming in second place in the Iowa Caucuses.  Trump briefly floated pushing a primary challenger to run against Roy for his House seat.  In 2020, Roy had called on Paxton to resign as attorney general at a time the attorney general faced allegations of wrongdoing. Paxton was accused of using his office to benefit a donor and his business interests and was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 but acquitted by the Senate. The post Rep. Chip Roy Running for Texas Attorney General in 2026 appeared first on The Daily Signal.