Texas appeals court blocks state from investigating parents providing children with transgender treatment
A Texas appeals court upheld a lower court’s injunction Friday blocking the state from investigating parents who provide their children with gender-transitioning treatment. The appeals court in Austin upheld a district court judge’s injunction imposed in March 2022 after Republican Governor Greg Abbott ordered the state Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate families whose children were receiving puberty blockers. “This is a much-needed victory for trans youth and those who love and support them,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday. JUDGE BLOCKS TEXAS AG FROM REQUIRING INFO ON TRANSGENDER KIDS RECEIVING GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT Fox News Digital reached out to Abbott’s office and the ACLU for additional comment. The ACLU and Lambda Legal had initially challenged Abbott’s order on behalf of the family of a 16-year-old transgender girl. She had taken puberty-delaying medications and hormone therapy. Her mother, a DFPS employee, was placed on administrative leave following Abbott’s directive, according to Reuters. WOMAN BANNED BY PLANET FITNESS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING TRANS MEMBER VOWS TO KEEP FIGHTING: ‘HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL’ Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled in March 2022 that the plaintiffs in the case faced “deprivation of their constitutional rights, the potential loss of necessary medical care and the stigma attached to being the subject of an unfounded child abuse investigation.” Meachum also held that Abbott had exceeded his authority in the initial February order. Earlier this month, another Texas judge temporarily blocked state Attorney General Ken Paxton from requiring an LGBTQ+ advocacy group to provide information about transgender children receiving gender transition treatment. RESEARCHERS ARGUE ‘RAPID ONSET GENDER DYSPHORIA’ DOES EXIST, DESPITE NARRATIVE AGAINST IT The ruling came shortly after PFLAG National, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, challenged Paxton’s office in court to prevent it from collecting the information. Travis County District Court Judge Maria Cantú Hexsel said providing the information would harm PFLAG and its members in several ways, including violating their rights of free speech, association and protection from unreasonable searches. Fox News’ Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.
Biden slammed on social media after announcing Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday
President Joe Biden was slammed on social media Saturday after designating Easter Sunday, the most solemn Christian holiday, as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility.’ Prominent Christians, politicians, and commenters flooded social media platforms with criticism after the announcement from the White House. “On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives,” a statement released by the White House read. “Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back,” it continued. “NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2024, as Transgender Day of Visibility.” AMERICANS AREN’T BUYING BIDEN’S ‘DEVOUT CATHOLIC’ LABEL, POLL FINDS Easter Sunday also falls on March 31 this year. Easter marks one of the most important days for Christians, as they celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy called Biden out on X, formerly Twitter, writing, “Joe Biden just proclaimed that ‘Transgender Visibility Day’ is on Sunday, March 31st. I wonder how he came up with that date.” Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., echoed Ramaswamy’s sentiments as he blasted Biden for the “coincidence on the timing.” BIDEN SKEWERED AS ‘WORLD’S WORST CATHOLIC’ WHO CHEAPENS IRISH AND CATHOLIC IDENTITY “Joe Biden has proclaimed Easter Sunday as ‘Transgender Day of Visibility,’” Mooney wrote on X. “What a coincidence on the timing, right? This is a direct assault on Christianity. Yet another attack on religion and traditions by this administration.” Tennessee Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger said the announcement was “intentional” and slammed it as a “blatant disregard.” “This is a direct assault on Christianity. It’s evident the left is determined to undermine our religion and traditions,” she wrote on X. “This isn’t just blatant disregard, it’s intentional.” Conservative commentator Benny Johnson shared a screenshot of the White House statement, writing alongside it, “What a slap in the face to all Christians in America…” Biden has previously come under fire for his stance on LGBTQ+ and abortion issues given his own position as a “devout Catholic” who regularly attends church. The White House also used the same terminology when addressing Biden’s pro-choice stance on abortion. A recent poll from Pew Research found that just 13% of Americans think of Biden as “very religious,” while 41% say he is “somewhat religious” and another 44% say he is “not at all” or “not too religious.” Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency: Check polling date, candidates Supriya Sule , past result and more
Phase 4 voting for the Baramati Lok Sabha Constituency Election 2024 is scheduled for May 13, as announced on March 16 by the Election Commission of India
Texas woman charged with murder for self-induced abortion sues Starr County district attorney
The Starr County district attorney dropped the improper charges, but the fallout “forever changed the Plaintiff’s life,” a new federal lawsuit says.
Landmark NJ ballot redesign ruling asked to be put on hold
A lawyer representing county clerks in New Jersey has requested that a judge delay his landmark decision of scrapping the state’s county-line ballot design, a system that critics say has given tremendous weight to establishment candidates at the expense of outsiders. Most of the state’s counties’ ballots are designed by grouping the candidates with party support in a single column. That means the names of those running without establishment backing could be left in places on the ballot that are difficult to find. Judge Zahid N. Quraishi of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled on Friday that the state must scrap the system, which has been widely criticized as boosting the prospects of party-backed candidates. Rajiv D. Parikh, wrote to Judge Quraishi late Friday calling on him to halt its implementation, pending an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. JUDGE BLOCKS NJ BALLOT DESIGN PANNED FOR ALLEGED PRO-ESTABLISHMENT FAVORITISM “Implementing an entirely new style of ballot in five business days presents an undue risk to the administration of this year’s primary elections,” Parikh wrote to Judge Quraishi on behalf of 15 of the state’s county clerks, according to The New York Times. The clerks were defendants in the suit and had already argued that they didn’t have enough time to redesign the ballots before the June primaries. Quraishi ruled on Friday that New Jersey must scrap the system, which has been widely criticized as boosting the prospects of party-backed candidates. The landmark ruling means that New Jersey ballots will have to be redesigned before its June primary, upending a longstanding balloting practice that has been a source of immense electoral power for the state’s Democratic and Republican political machines. In his ruling, Judge Quraishi said that candidates who sued to request a redesign of the ballot had proved that their constitutional rights had been violated by the current ballot design, which brackets party-backed candidates in the same column. “The court wishes to make clear that it recognizes the magnitude of this decision. The integrity of the democratic process for a primary election is at stake,” Judge Quraishi wrote in a 49-page decision. REPUBLICANS SEE EMBATTLED MENENDEZ’S POTENTIAL INDEPENDENT BID AS CHANCE TO FLIP SENATE SEAT Critics have long argued that the current design can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing, as established candidates can be listed in the same column as the President of the United States, while a rival or those without such an endorsement are listed to the side in what’s commonly called “ballot Siberia.” One analysis by Julia Sass Rubin, an associate dean at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Policy at Rutgers, found that being on the county line gave congressional candidates an advantage of 38 percentage points, the New York Times reports. The ruling will have far-reaching implications for this year’s elections. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., who for Bob Menendez’ U.S. Senate seat, filed the suit with two other candidates and had argued that the system favored the state’s first lady and fellow Senate candidate in the race, Tammy Murphy, the wife of Gov. Phil Murphy. However, Murphy dropped out of the race on Sunday. “YES! For the people!” Kim posted on X yesterday after hearing news of the ruling. “Today has been a surreal experience to say the least,” Kim wrote in a later post. “Seeing something ‘impossible’ happen leaves you with that feeling. We still have obstacles and challenges ahead, but I promise you I will keep fighting to do everything I can to permanently fix our broken politics. We fight not just for fair elections but all other important reforms needed to heal our democracy. So let’s use the progress today to recommit ourselves to fighting for the change we need in NJ and our country.” Voters will now see candidates listed under the offices they are seeking in a discrete section of the ballot, as is done in the 49 other states, with no shared columns or rows between candidates for different offices. The ruling was also met with pushback by the Morris County Republican Committee, which wrote to Judge Quraishi indicating that it interpreted his ruling as applying only to Democratic primaries on June 4, according to the New York Times.
Fetterman’s top comms staffers resign amid ongoing backlash against senator over his pro-Israel stance
Three top communication staffers in Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman’s office left for other left-leaning offices, all within the span of a month. The departures come as the Pennsylvania Democrat has made headlines for his stances on Israel and immigration, separating him from his fellow Democrat colleagues. Joe Calvello formerly worked as Fetterman’s Director of Communications both in his Senate office and on his 2022 campaign. A statement released earlier this month by the City of Chicago announced that Calvello would be joining as Chief Strategy Officer in Chicago Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. FETTERMAN CHARTS A DIFFERENT PATH, BREAKS WITH FELLOW DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE “It’s an absolute honor and a privilege to come to Chicago and serve the people of this great city,” Calvello said in the statement released. Fetterman’s Deputy Communication Director Nicholas Gavio shared on X on Friday that he would be joining the Working Families Party as Mid-Atlantic Communications Director. Gavio also worked on Fetterman’s 2022 campaign as well as in Sen. Bernie Sander’s, I-Vt., office. The Working Families Party is a progressive minor political party whose platforms include raising the minimum wage, increasing taxes on the rich, and environmental and educational reform. The party has previously been associated with notable Dem politicians, including “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. FETTERMAN REJECTS HARRIS SUGGESTION THAT ISRAEL COULD FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR RAFAH INVASION: ‘HARD DISAGREE’ Fetterman’s Press and Digital Aide Emma Mustion also took to X earlier this month to share that she was joining Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey’s campaign office as a press secretary. Mustion worked on Fetterman’s 2022 Senate campaign as well. Fox News Digital reached out for additional comment. Fetterman has been charting a different path for himself as of late, recently telling Fox News that he does not identify as a “progressive” and slamming Vice President Kamala Harris for her statement that it would be a “huge mistake” for Israel to carry out an offensive without U.S. approval. “Hard disagree,” Fetterman wrote in response on X. “Israel has the right to prosecute Hamas to surrender or to be eliminated. Hamas owns every innocent death for their cowardice hiding behind Palestinian lives.” FETTERMAN SKEWERS FELLOW DEMOCRATS FOR ALLOWING ‘SLEAZEBALL’ MENENDEZ TO REMAIN IN SENATE AMID BRIBERY CHARGES Fetterman has emerged as one of Israel’s staunchest allies in the Senate in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre, distancing himself from other Democrats in Congress. Back in October, shortly after the massacre, Calvello posted a screenshot on X of an office-wide email addressing the office’s policies on sharing social media posts that did not align with Fetterman’s positions. “However, if you want to sign onto something that is entirely anonoymous – including NOT identifying you as a Fetterman staffer in any way – that is in bounds if you so choose,” the Oct. 20 email read. “The distinction here is that you cannot use your status as a current Fetterman staffer to undermine John’s position or otherwise make a public statement that is inconsistent with John’s views.” The email went on to stress the office’s need to “work together as a team” following the breakout of war in Israel and Gaza. Fetterman responded to criticism over his pro-Israel stance when speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper in January, saying, “I don’t understand why it’s controversial to anybody to decide that you’re going to stand with Israel in this situation. Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
Texas Army vet changes name, runs for president as ‘Literally Anybody Else’
A Texas Army veteran and seventh-grade math teacher has changed his name to “Literally Anybody Else” to run for president. Else, whose former name was Dustin Ebey, legally changed his name in January and is urging Americans “to transcend the constraints of the status quo and embrace a bold vision for change,” according to his campaign website. “In a landscape marred by the shadows of corruption and partisan gridlock, it’s time to break free from familiar shackles and demand something different. I believe that humans are not only rational but also moral beings, driven by a deep-seated sense of fairness and justice,” Else wrote on his campaign’s website. TRUMP TOPS BIDEN WITH DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD IN DEEP-RED STATE BEING TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS: POLL Else is looking to receive 113,000 signatures from Texas non-primary voters before a May deadline to secure his name on the general election ballot. Should he fail to do so, Else is urging his supporters to write in his name under the “neither” option. “I never really had a desire to actually be president. It’s just, I want good leadership. This country deserves good leadership and we’ve fallen so far short of that goal that I felt like if nobody was going to stand up and at least make the message, it was going to be me,” Else told FOX TV stations, according to Fox 11. “This isn’t the cross that I should bear. This shouldn’t be my burden. But if we’re all collectively suffering. If not me, then who? Who else can do this? I can’t do this on my own,” he added. “I have to have support from everyone out there. And so, if you have any way you can contribute, any way to send this message, any way to bring things back to normal, to bring things back to sanity, I implore you to help with the movement.” FOX NEWS POLL: OVER HALF OF VOTERS SAY THEY ARE WORSE OFF COMPARED TO 2020 Else told another news station there “really should be some outlet for folks like me who are just so fed up with this constant power grab between the two parties that just has no benefit to the common person.” The 35-year-old middle school teacher from North Richland Hills, Texas, outlined his campaign priorities on his website. Some of those priorities include affordable housing, improving education standards, securing the southern border, and providing healthcare for all Americans. Else’s mission to garner support for his campaign comes as many Americans have expressed frustration and doubt over whether former President Donald Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden have the ability to properly lead the nation. When asked who Americans would trust more to lead the United States as president between the two, an ABC/Ipsos poll from earlier this month found that more respondents trust Trump, 36%, over Biden, who received 33%. However, 30% of respondents said they would trust neither candidate. “In a time when politics has become more about the fight than the future, our campaign is dedicated to real solutions over sound bites,” Else wrote of his campaign online. Else, regardless of whether he wins or loses, reportedly plans to change his name back to Dustin Ebey.
myBenefits.ai Launches AI in Healthcare with Hospitals in India
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GOP attempts to define position on discarding IVF embryos amid pro-life stances
Following a two-week controversy in Alabama, Republican leaders are affirming that they both support in-vitro fertilization and respect the sanctity of human life from conception. At the same time, there appears to be no comprehensive solution to bridge the gap between pro-life beliefs and the widespread destruction of human embryos that the IVF industry demands. Fox News Digital spoke to top Republican leaders and policy experts to get a grasp on how the GOP plans to tackle the IVF issue moving forward. On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are legally considered children under the state’s long-standing pro-life laws — opening the possibility for legal action when intentionally terminating them at fertility clinics. The justices cited language in the Alabama Constitution that allows parents to sue over the death of a minor child and said that the 1872 law “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.” The reliably pro-life Alabama public also voted in 2018 to add language recognizing the “rights of unborn children.” “Unborn children are ‘children’ … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in the ruling. The backlash from IVF clinics — concerned that the standard practice of terminating vast amounts of human embryos could lead to criminal lawsuits — caught the pro-life GOP off-guard. Immediately, sweeping protections for IVF procedures were pushed by Republicans on the local, state and national levels. Pro-choice advocates characterized the situation as incoherent with the party’s firm stance against unrestricted abortion access. Even former President Donald Trump announced via his proprietary social media platform Truth Social that he “strongly support[s] the availability of IVF,” saying, “Under my leadership, the Republican Party will always support the creation of strong, thriving, healthy American families. We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder!” Within two weeks, a Republican-backed piece of legislation granting “civil and criminal immunity for death or damage to an embryo” for people “providing or receiving services related to IVF” was passed and immediately signed into law by the governor. It extended the same immunity retroactively. Fox News Digital reached out to the Alabama Republican Party for their thoughts on how the IVF debate has unfolded in their state. “The Alabama Republican Party is proudly pro-life and pro-family, as demonstrated by our Party’s platform. We believe in protecting people’s rights and freedoms from the beginning of life to the grave,” Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl told Fox News Digital. “We feel that support of in-vitro fertilization is completely consistent with that position. IVF gives parents who otherwise may not be able to conceive the opportunity to bring new life into the world.” Wahl pointed Fox News Digital to the fact that the state supreme court’s ruling favored couples who felt victimized by the accidental loss of their frozen embryos. “If you looked at what really happened in Alabama, this court case originated with families asking for help and a redress of grievance after they were victimized, losing the children they had hoped and prayed to bring into this world,” Wahl said. “The decision by the Alabama Supreme Court was actually in support of families engaged in the IVF process.” Wahl told Fox News Digital that the most frustrating part of the media circus surrounding the court’s ruling was watching many outlets spin it as a purposeful encroachment by the government against couples seeking IVF. “It’s sad to see the Democrat Party and the leftist mainstream media distort this court case and use it as a political weapon. If you looked at what really happened in Alabama, this court case originated with families asking for help and a redress of grievance after they were victimized, losing the children they had hoped and prayed to bring into this world,” Wahl said. He continued, “The decision by the Alabama Supreme Court was actually in support of families engaged in the IVF process. The Alabama Republican Party has consistently demonstrated its commitment to protecting all human life, and speaking for those who have no voice. Liberal talking heads from around the country should remember what this case was about, and not twist it for their own agenda. We call on them to remember the Alabama families who were victimized and to be respectful of their loss.” Having passed the legislation to stop an immediate shut-down of the IVF industry in the state, the Alabama Republican Party is now looking to craft a “solution that provides ethical boundaries while making sure families have access to IVF.” “Where the problem lies is the lack of policy and regulation concerning the process as it pertains to the embryos themselves, which desperately needs to be addressed by the states, including Alabama,” Wahl told Fox News Digital. He continued, “Currently, Louisiana is the only state that has a law concerning IVF, which gives personhood status to embryos. The Alabama Republican Party believes strongly that IVF can be done while still respecting the sanctity of life.” Louisiana is unique for its categorization of human embryos as “juridical persons” — protecting them from intentional destruction. It is only after the embryo fails to further develop naturally that it is considered non-viable and loses that protection. “A viable in vitro fertilized human ovum is a juridical person which shall not be intentionally destroyed by any natural or other juridical person or through the actions of any other such person,” according to Louisiana civil code. “An in vitro fertilized human ovum that fails to develop further over a thirty-six hour period except when the embryo is in a state of cryopreservation, is considered non-viable and is not considered a juridical person.” “We often call the fertility industry the ‘Wild West,’ because these aspects of the practice are unregulated,’ said Emma Waters, a senior research associate at the DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family. She explained, “For example, the CDC requires fertility clinics — without an enforcement mechanism — to report their
BJP ally TDP gives Lok Sabha seat to M Sreenivasulu Reddy, father of Delhi excise policy case approver
Srinivasulu Reddy was elected from the Ongole Lok Sabha constituency on a YSRCP ticket in 2019. However, he deserted the party recently.