WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should weigh in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. People attend a rally March 31, 2023, as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, near the Capitol in Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, left, and plaintiff Joaquin Carcano address reporters after a June 25, 2018, hearing in Winston-Salem, N.C., on their lawsuit challenging the law that replaced North Carolina's "bathroom bill." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Demonstrators against transgender rights protest Wednesday during a rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. For many trans and nonbinary people, bathrooms can be complicated places to navigate — a fact highlighted by the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is far from an outlier when it comes to failing to provide safe and equitable bathrooms for transgender people. According to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ+ policy, 13 states have a policy that prevents transgender people from safely or legally using public bathrooms. But data shows that even in states with trans-friendly policies, transgender and nonbinary people report high rates of harassment in public bathrooms. Advocates say everyday people can have a big impact in interrupting discrimination in gendered restrooms. The 19th shows how anyone can help prevent abuse. Sex-segregated restrooms have historically been a hostile space for Tat Bellamy-Walker, a Seattle-based journalist and Black gender-fluid trans person. In graduate school and at journalism internships, they had to go far out of their way to find all-gender single-stall restrooms they could use safely. "You never forget being told you don't belong in a restroom, you never forget not having a place to dispose of sanitary products if you're on your period in the men's bathroom," Bellamy-Walker said. "It's just clear you do not belong in public spaces." Allies can help tremendously by locating and pointing out gender-neutral bathrooms to friends or family who might need them. This is especially important for people planning events or parties. Make sure your space has safe bathrooms. Carrie Soto, a South Dakota parent of a transgender child, said she lives by the mantra "see something, say something." That means speaking up when there is bullying and harassment and volunteering to accompany a trans/nonbinary friend or family member when they have to head into a public bathroom. "Validate a trans person's fears and anxiety about the situation," Soto said. " If [my daughter] uses a gendered restroom and feels anxious, I go with." It may seem obvious, but transgender health advocate Jamison Green notes this step can really help trans people feel safe. Consider first that according to 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey , 59 percent of trans people avoided using a public restroom due to fear of harassment. Data from 2022 found that 6 percent of trans people said they were physically or verbally attacked while trying to use a bathroom, while 4 percent were denied access to a bathroom. "If you see someone who you clock as trans or nonbinary, just smile or pay them a non-provocative compliment. ... Wish them good day or good evening, and move on," Green said. "Of course that only goes for the women's room! In the men's room, talking is extremely rare." Green recommends that cisgender people offer a kind, silent nod. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., allow residents to opt for "X" gender markers on their IDs in addition to selecting "M" or "F." Still, in every state, regardless of laws, most bathrooms in government buildings, schools, businesses, places of worship and cultural institutions are gendered. Advocates say people can help change this by simply asking businesses and building owners for more options to accommodate all genders. "Advocacy is the most important part of the fight for transgender rights," Lambda Legal notes in its guide to restrooms. "And if employers adopt pro-trans policies proactively, instead of waiting for a transgender person to pave the way, there's much less chance of having problems down the line." The internet is full of rants not appropriate for a news article about people using the only single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms available not for safety but for ... well, pooping. As a result, gender-neutral bathrooms, especially in airports, are almost always occupied. There are many reasons why a cisgender person might need a single-occupancy bathroom (accessibility, illness, child care and, yes, even a little more privacy). Just like accessible stalls, it's a kindness to leave gender-neutral restrooms unoccupied when you don't need them. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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Berlin: Tech billionaire Elon Musk caused uproar after backing Germany’s far-right party in a major newspaper ahead of key parliamentary elections in the Western European country, leading to the resignation of Welt am Sonntag’ s opinion editor in protest. Germany is to vote in an early election on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalise the country’s stagnant economy. Elon Musk has involved himself deeply in US politics - now he’s turned his attention to Germany. Credit: AP Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag — a sister publication of POLITICO owned by the Axel Springer Group — published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month he supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD . “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” Musk wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality”. Loading The Tesla Motors chief executive also wrote that his investment in Germany gave him the right to comment on the country’s condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel, has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. An ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, the technology billionaire challenged in his opinion piece the party’s public image.LINCOLN — Young men, start your engines. Rev ‘em up, too. You’re the 2025 Nebraska football recruiting class — 20 strong — and probably should have been the story of NU’s Signing Day press conference. But you were at least the third story, and maybe fourth, behind the coaches who left, the ex-Huskers who hit the transfer portal and perhaps the players your school might take from the transfer portal. When you started high school, back in 2021, there was still some pageantry around this day, in late December though it may have been. Now, first week of December, you’re practically a doctor’s appointment squeezed into a Wednesday afternoon. You’re rookies in a sea of perpetual free agents. Most of you are enrolling early and that’s a good thing; the quicker you learn the playbook and hit the weight room, the better chance you’ll have to impress coaches. Coach Matt Rhule thinks you’ll succeed in that effort, as well. He likes you guys. For a couple of you, Dawson Merritt and Cortez Mills, he and his staff kept going back to the well again and again to flip you from Alabama and Oklahoma, respectively. How often does Nebraska beat those two schools for any recruit? This could be one of the strongest Husker recruiting classes in years. “We’ve got some guys who can come in and play early,” Rhule said, “because this class is going to have to come in and play early.” Hear that? He means it. Rhule has playing time to offer. For the 2025 team to win big, some of you have to step into major roles. On defense, so many seniors exhausted their eligibility, and so many other guys hit the transfer portal, that the coaches will be choosing between, say, sophomores, redshirt freshmen and, well, you. On offense, your coordinator is Dana Holgorsen, and he surely doesn’t care how old you are. At the skill spots, he’ll play whoever competes the best. Of course, he also said on NU’s in-house Signing Day special that he’s bringing “20 or 30” transfers in for visits and selecting the best from that pool. Maybe Holgo’s exaggerating. Do you want to test him? So you need to impress these guys. In an era of revenue sharing, NIL and unlimited transfers, you might get two spring camps to develop on a roster before you’re asked to be a key contributor. Three, maybe, if you’re a quarterback or a raw offensive tackle. After that, you’re a revenue-sharing dollar figure on a spreadsheet that might be replaced by another rookie — or transfer. Yeah, it is cutthroat. This isn’t 1986. Or even 2006, perhaps the golden age of the prep recruiting era, when the recruiting sites got big, the all-star games got max publicity, ESPN had a big blowout special in early February and drama practically dragged into the start of the next spring camp. It was hard to transfer back then even once, particularly if the coach wanted to block your release or you didn’t have a redshirt season to sit out one year of eligibility. In 2006, if seven guys left in December, before a bowl game, it was a mass exodus — cause for concern at the health of the program. In 2024, seven guys leaving is called “Monday and Tuesday.” And here you are in the midst of the chaos, not knowing for sure what the college football system will look like in 2025, much less 2027. You probably wouldn’t have teed it up this way. But here’s your swing. Over the next nine months, you’d be wise to make an impression. Good thing you can, Dawson Merritt. Nebraska needs a versatile edge rusher who can drop into coverage, and Princewill Umanmielen, athletic as he may be, did not quite develop into that guy before hitting the transfer portal. Ditto, Christian Jones. You looked the part at linebacker for years leading the state’s best defense, and Mikai Gbayor just hit the transfer portal. Can you step into a role quickly? Same for you, Jamarion Parker. At running back, you can turn an eight-yard run into an 80-yarder, and that’s a skill Nebraska sorely needs. Malcolm Simpson and Kade Pietrzak, you’ve seen this program is unafraid to plug a freshman defensive lineman into a game. Your frames seem sturdy enough to play. Cortez Mills and Isaiah Mozee, you’re four-star receivers who flashed electric run-after-the-catch skills in high school. Bring those to campus like Jacory Barney did, and you might play as much as Jacory Barney has. TJ Lateef, you’re a quarterback and may have to wait your turn behind Dylan Raiola, but you’ll likely be doing so as Raiola’s backup, given Rhule’s openness to moving Heinrich Haarberg to different spots. Some of you need time with the nutrition and weight staffs — 18-year-old tackles rarely walk into a program ready to block 23-year-olds — but those guys are the exception at every school. Most of you will play, or transfer, by this rule: When you’re getting compensated more than anyone 10 years ago could have imagined, the standards for keeping that salary rapidly change. You’re a recruiting class full of promise and opportunity. You’ll face a heap of the other thing, too, though. “There’s bunch of these guys we expect to play,” Rhule said. “You don’t want to put that on the guys until they get here, but I want them to have the expectation.” Even if you don’t, the coaches will. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
The top five Japanese defense firms tallied sales of $10 billion in 2023, up 35 percent from the year before, according to an international security think tank, as the country continues its defense buildup amid Chinese and North Korean threats. Globally, the combined arms revenues of the world's 100 largest arms-producing and military services companies rose 4.2 percent to $632 billion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in an annual report, citing increased demand for weapons worldwide. Companies in regions where wars are being waged marked the largest percentage increases, with the two Russian companies with available data and six Middle Eastern firms on the list seeing combined sales climb 40 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Asia and Oceania saw a 5.7 percent rise, with Japanese and South Korean companies leading the growth in the region. Among the five Japanese companies in the top 100, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd racked up the highest revenue of $3.89 billion in 2023, up 23.9 percent, followed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd which generated $2.06 billion, up 16.4 percent. Fujitsu Ltd, NEC Corp and Mitsubishi Electric Corp ranked third through fifth. "The respective military-related domestic orders of all five were at least two times, and in some cases more than four times, higher in value than in 2022 when Japan launched its biggest military buildup program since the end of World War II," SIPRI said, citing Japan's growing demand for new aircraft and missiles. In the National Security Strategy revised in late 2022, Japan pledged to almost double its annual defense outlays in five years and advance domestic defense production and technology bases, as it faces security challenges from China, North Korea and Russia. The aggregate turnover logged by four South Korean companies grew 39 percent to $11 billion, with Hanwha Group posting $5.71 billion in revenue, a 52.7 percent surge, supported by export contracts with Australia, Poland and Britain for artillery and armored vehicles. The sharp growth in arms revenues among South Korean companies came as they are "trying to expand their share of the global arms market, including demand in Europe related to the war in Ukraine," Xiao Liang, a researcher with the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, said in a press release issued on Dec 2. Taiwanese weapon system provider National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology -- the only Taiwanese firm in the top 100 list -- increased revenues by 27 percent to $3.22 billion on domestic orders for missiles, drones and radars amid growing tensions with China, which sees the self-ruled island as its own territory, the report said. Chinese companies had the second-largest aggregate arms revenues after U.S. companies at $103 billion, but they recorded their lowest growth of 0.7 percent since 2019 due to the country's slowing economy, it said. The 41 companies in the top 100 based in the United States saw arms revenues total $317 billion, half the combined total of the 100 companies and 2.5 percent more than in 2022.
Na'eem Offord, the five-star cornerback and No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2025, has made a memorable commitment announcement. On Wednesday, during the early signing period, he officially de-committed from Ohio State and committed to Oregon after pretending to go to Auburn, then threw the hat into the crowd. Signing Day theatrics for NCAA athletes usually involve a row of hats, as athletes play to the crowd before making their final choice. Travis Hunter's fiancee breaks silence on interaction with Colorado star Michigan tipped to appoint new OC after flipping Bryce Underwood After official visits with Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida , and Oregon, Offord initially picked up Auburn's hat and placed it on his head, drawing cheers from local fans. He quickly threw the hat into the crowd, grabbed the Oregon hat, and declared himself a Duck. Social media erupted as the No. 1 ranked Ducks continued to improve They have also secured the signatures of No. 3 ranked Dakorien Moore [WR], No. 15 Douglas Utu [OT], No,34 Brandon Finney [ATH} and No. 39 Dallas Wilson [WR]. Offord had originally committed to Ohio State in February after visiting the school. The Buckeyes ended the 2023 season with an 11-1 record and a Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. The cornerback from A. H. Parker High School in Birmingham is turning heads as one of the most talented players in his class, drawing comparisons to NFL pro Stephon Gilmore for his athleticism, footwork, and instincts. Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 185 pounds, Offord has the ideal size and speed that top-tier programs covet in a defensive ace. DON'T MISS: Bryce Underwood helping Michigan land 'monster' recruit at Alabama's expense Deion Sanders willing to take NFL Draft risk involving Shedeur and Travis Hunter Ryan Day makes feelings clear on Ohio State brawl with Michigan after criticism Oregon has already welcomed its latest gem with open arms, showcasing a slick highlight reel on social media captioned "Got us a ballhawk," to which Offord coolly replied, "Let's go". He also shared his enthusiasm with a post stating, "TGFAD [Thank God for Another Day]," clearly eager to start this new chapter. Oregon's head coach Dan Lanning joined the celebration, tweeting "Today Was A Good Day," in response to welcoming over 17 new recruits. After receiving 30 official NCAA Division I offers, including an overture from Deion Sanders at Colorado, Offord chose Oregon, which boasts the highest NIL valuation at roughly $969 million. Auburn ranks ninth at $580 million, Ohio State eleventh at $536 million, and Colorado forty-sixth at $208 million.JOHNSON CONTROLS ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND
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The celeb contingent on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! is fully aware their main meals will majorly be rice and beans for an extended time. They have the opportunity to bag extra grub, like meat and vegetables, by bagging stars in the Bushtucker Trials, but success has been hard to come by recently. Northern Ireland's radio DJ Dean McCullough has failed to secure all the stars on offer during his stints in the show's challenges for the third consecutive time. When stars are missed, as happened in the Drown in the Dumps trial featuring Dean and social media influencer GK Barry, the diet defaults to simple rice and beans. Shock rippled through the fanbase when they clocked just how skimpy the campmates' portions actually are. A TikTok clip that went viral showed presenting icons Ant McPartlin, age 49, and Declan Donnelly, also 49, revealing "the exact amount" each jungle star gets daily and could barely contain their giggles leaving fans utterly astounded. Read more I'm A Celeb's Ant McPartlin addresses 'quite unprofessional' behaviour with Dean McCullough While holding two minuscule brown paper sacks, Ant admitted: "This is per person, per day. That's it. If they don't do very well in the trials this is all they get.", reports OK! . Exposing the scant food allocations on-air by pouring them into takeaway boxes, Dec remarked: "They really do rely on what they win in the trials because [...]," while Ant added: "That's not a lot." This jaw-dropping revelation sparked a heated debate on social media. One I'm A Celebrity viewer expressed their astonishment, tweeting: "Per day? ? ? Omg", while another reacted with shock: "That's just ridiculous." Another user queried: "Wait.... Why so little per day." On the other hand, some individuals believed the portions weren't excessively small. A user argued: "That's actually not a bad ration tbh.. Not saying it's yummy but you could survive for years on it," while another suggested: "That'll fill you up for a good while though once it's cooked." Dr Martin Kinsella from Re-enhance clinic pointed out to Daily Star Online that while consuming small portions may be feasible for the brief duration of the celebrities' stay, occasional calorie restriction can have benefits, including enhancing gut health, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing body fat. Dr Kinsella elaborated: "While it is important over a long term period to have a balanced diet, and not eradicate many food types, short periods of a few weeks of calorie and food restriction are really good to help improve gut health, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce body fat. Most essential nutrients can be generally obtained through pulses and beans etc." Kiran Jones, a clinical pharmacist at Oxford Online Pharmacy, has sounded the alarm over this weight loss strategy. Chatting with the Daily Record, she cautioned: "We need to remember that, as well as not being a safe way to lose weight (the safe amount to lose is one to two pounds per week), it's not a nutritionally healthy diet to follow. That's because the 'basic' 700-calorie diet consists of rice and beans, which, while not necessarily bad for you, as together they make a meal full of carbohydrates, fibre, essential amino acids and protein, they're lacking in several key vitamins and minerals."
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