America in Brief

RFK Jr. announces $281 million mental health program, and former judge who helped illegal immigrant evade authorities is spared prison.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Minneapolis on May 21, 2026. David Berding/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Announces Mental Health Program

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a $281 million investment in mental health services and addiction treatment as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

The funding is distributed through 15 grant programs run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services.

This is part of President Donald Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, which he signed as an executive order on Jan. 29 addressing drug addiction in the United States.

A key factor in Trump’s policy agenda has been to solve America’s opioid crisis, which he has carried over from his first term in office.

SPLC Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud

The civil rights organization Southern Poverty Law Center has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. It was accused of secretly sending millions of dollars in donors’ money to white supremacist groups and other extremist organizations that it publicly opposed.

The 11 criminal counts were initially announced in April, and the indictment accused the organization of sending more than $3 million in donations to extremist organizations including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and National Socialist Party of America from 2014 to 2023.

“Donors gave their money believing they were supporting the fight against violent extremism,” Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson said in a press release at the time.

The U.S. Department of Justice in Washington on April 27, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Former Judge Fined for Helping Illegal Immigrant 

A former judge was fined and spared a prison sentence on July 8, for her attempts to help an illegal immigrant evade immigration authorities last year.

Former Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was ordered to pay $5,000 for her attempts to help illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, who was facing battery charges, through a side door of her courtroom, letting him evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in August 2025.

Dugan was convicted in December 2025 and forced to resign from her position.

Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, charged with obstructing the arrest of an illegal immigrant, leaves after appearing in court in Milwaukee, Wis., on May 15, 2025. Jim Vondruska/File Photo/Reuters

Former Olympian Pleads Not Guilty

Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty on July 9 to vandalizing the recently renovated reflecting pool in Washington.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was recently drained and repainted as part of Trump’s Washington renovation in time for the United States’ 250th birthday.

Hearn, 67, says he was reaching into the pool on June 19 and pulled a loose strip of sealant in an area where it had started peeling.

Prosecutors argue he caused more than $1,000 in damage.

The pool had been drained in April for a resurfacing project but succumbed to an algae infestation.

It is currently undergoing a second refill.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington on June 26, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Platner Withdraws From Maine Senate Race

Graham Platner dropped his election campaign for U.S. senator representing Maine on July 8, giving Democrats just over two weeks to find a replacement before a July 27 deadline.

Platner, who was endorsed by a plethora of Democrats for his left-leaning policies, was bombarded by a series of controversies throughout his campaign—including a Nazi-themed tattoo, which he denied any knowledge of its meaning; old Reddit posts with offensive comments; and various allegations of sexual assault and mistreatment of women, which he denies.

The last straw came with a Politico article about him from an ex-girlfriend claiming he forced himself upon her. This was followed by numerous calls for him to step down.

“Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said in an 11-minute video on X.

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, speaks during a "Fighting Oligarchy" campaign rally with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), not pictured, in Portland, Maine, on May 25, 2026. Amanda Sabga/Reuters

Charlie Kirk Assassination Suspect Faces Hearing

Tyler Robinson, 23, the suspect in the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk faced a preliminary hearing last week in Utah. Utah Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf Jr. will decide whether the prosecution has demonstrated probable cause to proceed to trial.

Kirk was killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.

On July 9, the court heard a recording from Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, who said Robinson told him he “wishes he hadn’t done it.”

Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea.

Darlene McCormick Sanchez contributed to this report.

Tyler Robinson (L), who is accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, sits while Judge Tony Graf conferences with attorneys during a preliminary hearing at the Fourth District Courthouse in Provo, Utah, on July 9, 2026. Spenser Heaps - Pool/Getty Images

US House to Vote on Ending Daylight Saving Time

The U.S. House will vote next week on whether to end daylight saving time in the United States.

Named the Sunshine Protection Act, the bill was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21 and has been sent to the floor, where it will receive a vote by the House of Representatives and, if successful, will proceed to another round of votes by the U.S. Senate.

President Donald Trump has been a proponent of ending Daylight Saving Time, which was was initially implemented during World War II.

Daylight Saving Time is recognized in all states except for most of Arizona and Hawaii.

The U.S. Capitol building at sunrise in Washington on Jan. 16, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

US Reps Back WNBA Player Caitlin Clark

U.S. lawmakers have cautioned the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) of a possible federal investigation over the potential mistreatment of player Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Fever star Clark, who has helped raise the WNBA’s popularity, has made headlines recently over incidents of apparent physical assault on the court during play.

Eleven lawmakers, in a letter led by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, have asked for greater accountability toward its players following the latest incident in which Clark was struck in the neck during a game.

“Discrimination of any kind has no place in women’s sports,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said in a statement.

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts during the second half against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 22, 2026. Michael Hickey/Getty Images.