U.S. Briefs: Texas Christian camp ends bid to reopen

The chatter of campers will not fill Camp Mystic’s rustic cabins nestled along the winding Guadalupe River this summer. The 100-year-old Christian camp for girls withdrew its application to operate this year amid mounting backlash from families grieving the deaths of 25 campers and two counselors during a flash flood last summer. The unexpected torrent killed more than 100 people in Kerr County in the early morning hours of July 4, including Camp Mystic’s executive director, Dick Eastland. CiCi and Will Steward, whose daughter Cile’s body is still missing, filed a lawsuit to prevent the reopening to preserve evidence. A judge agreed, ruling the camp must keep the portion of the property where the girls died closed. But the camp still intended to host more than 800 girls on another part of its property this summer. Camp owners submitted a new emergency plan to the Texas Department of State Health Services, agreeing to work on requested changes. Camp Mystic rolled back its reopening plans after an arduous hearing in late April, during which parents of the girls who died lambasted the camp’s decision to host campers, and state lawmakers questioned whether it should keep operating. —Addie Offereins

Nebraska

On May 1, the Cornhusker State became the first to roll out new federal work requirements for those enrolled in Medicaid expansion, a cornerstone provision of the 2010 Affordable Care Act that allowed states to enroll most low-income single adults between the ages of 19 and 64. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed last July, directed states to require enrollees to complete 80 hours of community service or work per month by January 2027, barring several exceptions. Those include pregnancy, disability, being a part-time student, and certain health conditions. Gov. Jim Pillen argued the new rules will “help Nebraskans achieve greater self sufficiency,” though critics worry thousands of enrollees will lose their health coverage. Montana will launch the requirements in July, and Iowa will follow in December. —Addie Offereins

Arkansas

In special session action, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed three bills May 6 cutting income taxes in Arkansas. The laws lower individual and corporate taxes by 0.2%, and raise the Homestead Tax Credit from $600 to $675. The package marks the fourth income tax cut since Sanders took office in 2023. Officials estimate the changes will cost the state nearly $192 million in revenue next fiscal year and about $145 million annually afterward. While supporters say the cuts will boost growth and lower living costs, Democrats argue they primarily benefit wealthy residents and corporations. They said cutting state revenue could be risky as Arkansas faces possible federal funding cuts. The state still projects a $310 million surplus under its new $6.7 billion budget. —Kim Henderson

Washington

In another win for religious freedom, a Biden-appointed ­federal judge ordered the Everett Public Schools to stop discriminatory restrictions against LifeWise Academy, an off-campus Bible school that offers weekly lunch-hour lessons. On April 24, U.S. Judge Lauren King issued a partial preliminary injunction ordering the district to allow the organization to participate in community resource fairs, display printed flyers as other clubs do, and allow children to read LifeWise materials during free reading times. The ruling also allows LifeWise to use semester-long permission slips for off-campus participation instead of requiring parents to submit new forms each week. LifeWise, backed by First Liberty Institute, sued the district in federal court in December 2025, alleging it engaged in viewpoint discrimination and violated First Amendment rights by targeting faith-based groups. King recognized the district’s public hostility toward LifeWise and found that the group was likely to succeed on free speech and religious claims. She also cited the Masterpiece Cakeshop Supreme Court case (see p. 64) in noting the district’s public hostility toward the Christian club. —Theresa Abell Haynes

Pennsylvania

The Keystone State is suing Character.AI, alleging its chatbots illegally impersonate licensed medical professionals. The website has over 20 million active users each month who chat with AI-powered portrayals of celebrities, historical figures, and fictional characters. According to the lawsuit, a popular chatbot called “Emilie” claimed to be a doctor of psychiatry with seven years’ experience and a degree from Imperial College London. A state investigator told the bot he had been feeling sad and unmotivated. Emilie mentioned depression as a possible diagnosis and said she was authorized to provide an assessment and medication. She claimed to be licensed in Pennsylvania and gave a false license number, state officials said. Character.AI declined to comment on the suit but told WORLD the chatbots are for entertainment purposes and cannot offer professional advice. Every chat includes this disclaimer and reminds the user to treat the bot’s words as fiction. Earlier this year, the company settled several cases alleging the bots promoted self-harm, suicide, and sexual abuse among teens. —Lauren Smyth

Vermont

The Vermont Principals Association agreed to pay Mid Vermont Christian School $566,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees at the end of April, partially settling a lawsuit the school filed in 2023. The principals association banned the school from all state-sponsored sports in 2023 over its decision to forfeit a girls’ basketball game that would have required its team to compete against a male player. The school then sued the association, along with a school board and state education officials. An appeals court in September 2025 lifted the ban while litigation continued. Although the case against the ­principals association is settled, attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom who represented the school in court said they would continue to litigate a portion of the case challenging Vermont’s Act 73. The law, passed in 2025, excludes Christian schools from state tuition and other public benefit programs. —Elizabeth Black