Human Race

Released

American pastor Saeed Abedini was among four American prisoners Iran released on Jan. 16 in exchange for the United States pardoning or dropping charges against seven Iranians. The United States also agreed to drop international arrest warrants against 14 Iranian fugitives. Iranian authorities arrested Abedini, a convert from Islam to Christianity, in June 2012 when he traveled to his native Iran to visit and do work for an orphanage he and his wife, Naghmeh, had helped to start. Naghmeh had campaigned tirelessly for her husband’s release (see “A long way from Tehran,” Oct. 19, 2013).

Refiled

A new lawsuit makes new allegations of sexual abuse against Bill Gothard and his former ministry, the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). A judge dismissed an earlier lawsuit in December, but plaintiffs refiled the suit on Jan. 6. The new lawsuit from 10 women includes a new accusation that Gothard raped one of the women. More than 30 women online have recounted troubling interactions with Gothard and other IBLP counselors. The plaintiffs’ lawyer said he expects more women to join the case. Gothard, 81, resigned in 2014 after some of the allegations, which he denies, surfaced.

Stricken

Theologian J.I. Packer developed macular degeneration over Christmas, damaging his vision such that he can no longer read or write. Packer revealed Jan. 14 via The Gospel Coalition that he must cancel his speaking and writing engagements, calling the condition “a clear indication from Headquarters.” The 89-year-old British author of more than 300 books and articles said he’s experienced enough with God not to doubt Him: “God knows what He’s up to.”

Captured

After a shootout that killed five henchmen on Jan. 8, Mexican authorities recaptured notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzmán, known as “El Chapo.” Flirtatious messages with Mexican actress Kate del Castillo and the journalistic ambitions of U.S. actor Sean Penn likely led to his arrest. Guzmán is back in the same prison he escaped from in July through an elaborate tunnel. Guards randomly move him from cell to cell to thwart further escape plans. Authorities have begun the extradition process to the United States, but it could take a year.

Died

Former University of Nebraska star running back Lawrence Phillips died of an apparent suicide on Jan. 13. Guards at Kern Valley State Prison found Phillips, 40, unresponsive in his cell. Phillips was serving 31 years for choking his girlfriend and later driving his car into three teens. Phillips’ anger management problems derailed his career and relationships, beginning at Nebraska in 1995 and complicating his three NFL seasons. The day before his death, a judge ordered Phillips to stand trial in the April death of a cellmate. His lawyer said he showed no signs of distress.

Acquitted

A court in Belfast, Northern Ireland, acquitted pastor James McConnell, 78, of hate speech charges for a 2014 sermon in which he called Islam “satanic.” Streamed online, McConnell said he didn’t trust Muslims, angering the Islamic community. District Judge Liam McNally said on Jan. 5 that courts must be “careful” not to “censor offensive utterances.” Hymns and cheers accompanied the verdict, which many in Christian and secular sectors praised, though the Belfast Islamic Centre disagreed. McConnell told reporters he would still say Islam is evil, but would change his wording now knowing he may hurt “innocent” Muslims.

Upheld

A New York court on Jan. 14 upheld a $13,000 judgment against Robert and Cynthia Gifford, who declined to host a same-sex wedding on their farm in 2012. The state’s Division of Human Rights said in 2014 that the Giffords broke the law because they held weddings only for opposite-sex couples. New York’s interest to “eradicate discrimination” outweighed their religious freedom, the court said. The couple has not yet decided to appeal.

Died

Alan Rickman, the British actor known for his roles in Die Hard and the Harry Potter series, died on Jan. 14. He was 69. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Rickman most often played villains, though his occasional softer roles included Col. Brandon in a 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility. He’s perhaps best known as the mysterious Severus Snape in the Harry Potter saga. His last appearance on-screen will be in May, voicing the Blue Caterpillar in Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Arrested

Authorities in California and Texas revealed the week of Jan. 8 that they arrested two refugees on terrorism charges. Both were Iraqi-born Palestinians. Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, of Sacramento, arrived as a refugee in 2012 after allegedly lying about fighting in Syria as a teenager. He reportedly returned to Syria to fight in 2013 before returning to Sacramento. He began communicating about weapons training and Syria in 2013 with Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, 24, who came to Houston in 2009. Tracked for years, the men and their communications reveal a complicated web of desires regarding martyrdom, the Islamic State, fighting in Syria, and potential attacks on the United States. Al Hardan’s wife and 8-month-old son reportedly have been evicted from their apartment.

By the numbers

11 | The number of European countries that had a greater frequency of mass public shootings than the United States had, per capita, between 2009 and 2015, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center.

1,206 | The number of full-time faculty members U.S. law schools have shed since 2010, a 13.3 percent drop.

109 | The age of William Del Monte, the last known survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, when he died on Jan. 11. Del Monte was 3 months old when the earthquake struck.