U.S. - Houston Stringer

Court rules Michigan school district may prohibit ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirts under vulgarity policy

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, U.S.

Court rules Michigan school district may prohibit ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirts under vulgarity policy

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a Michigan school district’s decision to prohibit two students from wearing sweatshirts bearing the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon,” ruling that the phrase could be reasonably interpreted as vulgar and thus subject to regulation under the First Amendment’s student speech exceptions. According to Case No. 24-1769 filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan and appealed to the Sixth Circuit, two middle school students in Howard City wore sweatshirts to school in 2022 with the phrase widely understood as a euphemism for “F--- Joe Biden.” School administrators requested they remove the garments, citing the district’s dress code prohibiting vulgar or profane attire. The students’ mother, iden...

Sixth Circuit denies coal company’s challenge to black lung benefits for Kentucky miner

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Kentucky, U.S.

Sixth Circuit denies coal company’s challenge to black lung benefits for Kentucky miner

CINCINNATI, OH – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has denied a petition from the Cumberland River Coal Company, which sought to overturn an award of federal black lung benefits granted to retired Kentucky coal miner Carlos Sturgill. Sturgill, a former underground miner with more than 25 years of experience, retired in 2007 after suffering a heart attack in the mines. He later underwent open-heart surgery and experienced chronic respiratory issues including shortness of breath, wheezing, and bronchitis. After his initial claim for benefits under the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA) was denied in 2016, Sturgill submitted new medical evidence in a 2018 claim that led to an award of benefits. The BLBA allows coal miners to collect benefits if they develop a respiratory d...

Sixth Circuit affirms 57-month sentence for Ohio felon found with gun and drugs months after release

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Ohio, U.S.

Sixth Circuit affirms 57-month sentence for Ohio felon found with gun and drugs months after release

CINCINNATI, OH – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has affirmed the conviction and 57-month sentence of Kalib Tucker, an Ohio man with a violent criminal history, who was found in possession of a firearm and narcotics just months after being released from prison. Tucker, previously convicted of several felony offenses including a 2014 gang-related shooting and a home invasion, was released from prison in January 2023. By September of that year, his parole officer discovered a photograph showing Tucker with a firearm in his pocket. A subsequent search of his residence uncovered a loaded Glock pistol, fentanyl pills, psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, and a speed loader. Tucker, prohibited from possessing firearms as a felon, was arrested and charged under 18 U.S.C. §§ ...

Sixth Circuit: First Step Act does not allow murder sentences to be reduced unless part of drug-related sentencing package

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Michigan, U.S.

Sixth Circuit: First Step Act does not allow murder sentences to be reduced unless part of drug-related sentencing package

DETROIT, MI — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated and remanded four reduced sentences issued under the First Step Act, finding that district courts may not reduce sentences for non-covered offenses such as murder, unless they were part of a sentencing package tied to a covered offense like a crack cocaine conspiracy. Edward Dale, Gene Polk, John Gordon, and Gregory Brown, members of Detroit’s “Best Friends” gang, were convicted in the 1990s of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and multiple homicides tied to drug trafficking. Each originally received life sentences on both drug and murder charges, plus additional firearm sentences. In 2018, the First Step Act allowed courts to retroactively reduce sentences for certain drug crimes involving crack cocaine. The di...

Appeals court says South Carolina senior care provider waived right to arbitration in wrongful death suit

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Appeals court says South Carolina senior care provider waived right to arbitration in wrongful death suit

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has affirmed a lower court’s decision denying a motion to compel arbitration filed by Claiborne Senior Living, LLC and TCABC Real Estate Holdings, LLC in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the estate of Gordon Jay Sarver. According to court records, Sarver, who suffered from dementia, was admitted to The Claiborne at Brickyard Crossing, a memory care facility in Summerville, South Carolina, in October 2022. Four months later, he died after walking away from the facility, falling, and striking his head. His wife, Cheryl Sarver, filed a lawsuit in May 2023 on behalf of his estate, alleging state-law claims related to his death. Before his admission, Cheryl Sarver signed a residency agreement and a binding arbitration agreement on he...

Fourth Circuit vacates one firearm conviction on double jeopardy grounds, upholds 20-year sentence for Virginia man

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Fourth Circuit vacates one firearm conviction on double jeopardy grounds, upholds 20-year sentence for Virginia man

RICHMOND, VA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has ruled that a Virginia man convicted of multiple federal firearms offenses must have one of his convictions vacated due to a violation of the Fifth Amendment’s Double Jeopardy Clause, but upheld the remainder of his conviction and sentence. Patrick Tate Adamiak was convicted by a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on five counts, including possession and transfer of a machinegun, receipt and possession of unregistered firearms, and unregistered destructive devices. He was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. In an unpublished opinion issued October 14, 2025, the Fourth Circuit held that Adamiak’s convictions on both Count One (possessing an unregistered firearm under 26 U.S.C....

United to launch first mainline flight with Starlink Wi-Fi service

14Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

United to launch first mainline flight with Starlink Wi-Fi service

United Airlines will make history tomorrow at 8 a.m. Eastern Time when Flight 2940 departs from Newark/New York to Houston, marking the first time a major U.S. airline offers Starlink Wi-Fi on a mainline flight. File Photo (May 2025) According to United, more than 170 customers aboard the Boeing 737-800 will experience high-speed, low-latency internet through Starlink, with connectivity available on both personal devices and inflight entertainment screens. The same aircraft is scheduled to operate flights between Houston (IAH) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) later in the day, ending the evening in Houston. The airline expects to install Starlink on up to 15 mainline 737-800 planes each month, adding another aircraft type by the end of the year. Two Starlink antennas will be installe...

Paxton investigates TP-Link over alleged ties to Chinese government and misuse of consumer data

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas, U.S.

Paxton investigates TP-Link over alleged ties to Chinese government and misuse of consumer data

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into TP-Link Systems Inc., a major networking equipment manufacturer, over concerns that the company may be enabling the Chinese government to access and misuse the personal data of American consumers, including Texans. File Photo (September 2025) TP-Link, originally founded in Shenzhen, China, has become one of the largest suppliers of office and home networking equipment in the United States. Though the company now claims to operate independently from China under a California-based spin-off, the Attorney General’s Office is questioning the validity of those claims. The investigation will focus on the company’s ownership structure, production practices, and any continuing connections to the Chinese Communist ...

Paxton expands Discord investigation after platform used by reported assassin of Charlie Kirk

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Breaking News, Texas, U.S.

Paxton expands Discord investigation after platform used by reported assassin of Charlie Kirk

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded his investigation into the online chat platform Discord following revelations that the reported assassin of Charlie Kirk used the service, along with ongoing concerns over the platform’s alleged role in exposing minors to sexual exploitation, extremist content, and addictive features. File Photo (September 2025) The move comes under the authority of the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which allows the Attorney General to investigate digital platforms that may pose risks to minors. “I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with the Trump Administration to root out and defeat nihilistic violent extremism in all its forms,” Paxton stated. “Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual expl...

Paxton launches undercover operations to target alleged “left-wing terror cells” in Texas

8Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas, U.S.

Paxton launches undercover operations to target alleged “left-wing terror cells” in Texas

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on October 7, 2025, the launch of undercover operations targeting alleged “leftist terror cells” across the state, citing recent acts of political violence and calling the current climate a national security threat. File Photo (September 2025) According to the Attorney General’s Office, the action follows a series of incidents, including a reported armed ambush on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Alvarado, Texas, in July, and a shooting at another ICE location in Dallas in late September. Officials also referenced the recent killing of political commentator Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, allegedly by a person described as a leftist extremist. Attorney General Paxton issued a statement claiming th...