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RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
US Supreme Court agrees to review bans on transgender athletes
By John Fritze and Devan Cole , CNN The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to decide whether states may ban transgender students from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Photo:via CNN Newsource The US Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether states may ban transgender students from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity, revisiting the issue of LGBTQ rights in a blockbuster case just days after upholding a ban on some health care for trans youth. The decision puts the issue of transgender rights on the Supreme Court's docket for the second year in a row and is by far the most significant matter the justices have agreed to hear in the term that will begin in October. The cases, one from West Virginia and the other from Idaho, involve transgender athletes who at least initially competed in track and field and cross country. The West Virginia case was filed by a then-middle school student who told the Supreme Court she was "devastated at the prospect" of not being able to compete after the state passed a law banning trans women athletes' participation in public school sports. The court's decision landed as transgender advocates are still reeling from the 6-3 ruling in US v. Skrmetti, which upheld Tennessee's ban on trans youth from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Though the state law also bars surgeries, they were not at issue in the high court's case. But that decision was limited to questions of whether the state had the power to regulate medical treatments for minors, leaving unresolved challenges to other anti-trans laws. The justices agreed to review two cases challenging sports bans in Idaho and West Virginia. The court didn't act on a third appeal over a similar ban in Arizona and will likely hold that case until it decides the other two, probably by early next summer. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is part of the legal team representing the athletes in the cases, said school athletic programs should be accessible to everyone regardless of a student's sex or transgender status. "Categorically excluding kids from school sports just because they are transgender will only make our schools less safe and more hurtful places for all youth," said Joshua Block, senior counsel for the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Project. "We believe the lower courts were right to block these discriminatory laws, and we will continue to defend the freedom of all kids to play." West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, a Republican, said that the state is "confident the Supreme Court will uphold the Save Women's Sports Act because it complies with the US Constitution and complies with Title IX." The Supreme Court will review the case at a time when Republican-led states and President Donald Trump have pushed for policies to curtail transgender rights. Trump ran for reelection in part on a campaign to push "transgender insanity" out of public schools, mocking Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in advertising for supporting "they/them," the pronouns used by some transgender and nonbinary people. But even before that, states had passed laws banning transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams. Roughly half of US states have enacted such laws. The Trump administration has actively supported policies that bar transgender athletes from competing on teams that match their gender identity. On Wednesday, the federal government released US$175 million in previously frozen federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania after the school agreed to block transgender athletes from female sports teams and erase the records set by swimmer Lia Thomas. In West Virginia, former Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, signed the "Save Women's Sports Act" in 2021, banning transgender women and girls from participating on public school sports teams consistent with their gender identity. Becky Pepper-Jackson, a rising sixth grader at the time, who was "looking forward to trying out for the girls' cross-country team," filed a lawsuit alleging that the ban violated federal law and the Constitution. The Richmond-based 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that West Virginia's ban violated Pepper-Jackson's rights under Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex at schools that receive federal aid. The court also revived her constitutional challenge of the law. "Her family, teachers, and classmates have all known B.P.J. as a girl for several years, and - beginning in elementary school - she has participated only on girls athletic teams," US Circuit Judge Toby Heytens, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, wrote for the court. "Given these facts, offering B.P.J. a 'choice' between not participating in sports and participating only on boys teams is no real choice at all." Most of the appeals on the issue of transgender athletes question whether such bans are permitted under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The West Virginia case was different in that it also raised the question of whether such bans violated Title IX. The Supreme Court often prefers to settle a dispute under a law, rather than the Constitution, if it has the option because such a ruling technically allows Congress to change the law in response to the decision. West Virginia appealed to the Supreme Court last year, arguing that the appeal court decision "renders sex-separated sports an illusion." "Schools will need to separate sports teams based on self-identification and personal choices that have nothing to do with athletic performance," the state said. West Virginia initially brought the case to the Supreme Court last year on an emergency basis, seeking to enforce the law against Pepper-Jackson while the underlying legal challenge played out. In an unsigned order, the court declined that request. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have granted it. In Idaho, Republican Gov. Brad Little signed the state's sports ban in 2020, the first of its kind in the nation. Lindsay Hecox, then a freshman at Boise State University, sued days later, saying that she intended to try out for the women's track and cross-country teams and alleging that the law violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. A federal district court blocked the law's enforcement against Hecox months later and the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that decision last year. Idaho appealed to the Supreme Court in July. "Idaho's women and girls deserve an equal playing field," said Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, a Republican. "For too long, activists have worked to sideline women and girls in their own sports." But Sasha Buchert, senior attorney and director of the Non-Binary and Transgender Rights Project at Lambda Legal, stressed the importance of team sports for all students. Lambda Legal is part of the team representing Pepper-Jackson in the West Virginia case. "Our client just wants to play sports with her friends and peers," Buchert said. "Everyone understands the value of participating in team athletics, for fitness, leadership, socialization, and myriad other benefits." - CNN
Politico
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Playbook PM: Inside SCOTUS' big transgender ruling
Presented by THE CATCH-UP SCOTUS WATCH: The Supreme Court this morning dropped one of the most anticipated rulings of its term, upholding a Tennessee law to block gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The details: The 6-3 decision, with all of the court's conservatives in the majority, ruled that the law doesn't violate the Equal Protection Clause and lowered the level of scrutiny courts should use to evaluate similar bans, POLITICO's Josh Gerstein reports. The context: It's a massive blow to trans rights activists and marks the high court's first major decision on an issue that has deeply polarized the country, CNN's Devan Cole and John Fritze write. Plenty of other Republican-led states have enacted their own laws on treating trans minors. Today's ruling means that judges considering similar challenges 'will do so under the lowest standard of judicial review, meaning those other laws are more likely to be upheld by courts.' Majority opinion: 'This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,' Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. 'The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound. The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best.' Read the full 118-page decision A scathing dissent: Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, said the law 'clearly draws sex-based distinctions and that Tennessee should have been required to prove in court the measure was necessary to advance an important state interest,' Josh writes. 'By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the Court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims,' Sotomayor said in her dissent, which she read from the bench, a rare step generally deployed to express profound disagreement. Three-box day: The Supreme Court ruled on a handful of other cases today. In a 6-3 ruling on NRC v. Texas, the court said plans to temporarily house nuclear waste in rural Texas and New Mexico could move forward, AP's Mark Sherman reports. It reversed a federal appeals court ruling that invalidated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's license to private companies to operate their facilities in the area. An interesting split: The court also 'reached opposite conclusions in two cases considering where industry groups and states can sue the EPA over actions that have local and national effects,' Bloomberg's Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson reports. In a 7-2 ruling, the court said exceptions from renewable fuel standards should be petitioned in the D.C. Circuit for the U.S. Court of Appeals. But the justices also said in a unanimous opinion that challenges against state plans on air pollution should go to the regional court of appeals. Still to come: After releasing five today, there are 16 decisions left to announce before the term wraps up in the coming weeks. And we're still missing big cases, including the Trump administration's blockbuster bid to end birthright citizenship and the related question of nationwide injunctions. Another big EPA ruling: A federal judge ruled that the EPA had broken the law in refusing to spend $600 million in environmental justice grants from the Biden administration, POLITICO's Alex Guillén reports. Good Wednesday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. We'll be off tomorrow, but Playbook will still be in your inbox in the morning — and PM will return Friday. Drop us a line at abianco@ and eokun@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. WAR REPORT: Trump hasn't gotten the U.S. directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict yet, but both Washington and Tehran kept talking tough today — far from any deescalation. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Trump told reporters of bombing Iranian nuclear sites, per POLITICO's Jake Traylor. Asked about yesterday's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!' Truth Social post, the president said, 'That means I've had it. OK, I've had it. I give up. No more.' The view from Iran: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remained just as bellicose. 'The Iranian nation will not surrender,' he vowed on television, per the WSJ. 'The Americans must know that any military intervention by the U.S. will undoubtedly lead to irreparable damage.' Trump claimed that he had spoken with an Iranian leader who suggested talks at the White House, but the Iranian Mission to the U.N. retorted on X, 'No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.' Meanwhile, the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency warned that it can no longer assess precisely where Iran's enriched uranium is, Bloomberg's Jonathan Tirone and Annmarie Hordern scooped. The MAGA reaction: Despite his opposition to the U.S. getting involved, Steve Bannon predicted today that Trump's isolationist MAGA loyalists would nonetheless get in line behind Trump if he makes the decision to attack, per The Hill's Alex Gangitano. And CNN's Brian Stelter and Andrew Kirell break down how Fox News guests and hosts are consistently beating the drum for Trump to take action. 2. TRAIL MIX: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink jumped into the Democratic primary for a competitive Michigan congressional race, per The Detroit News. She left her post in protest of Trump's policies in April, and is now angling to unseat GOP Rep. Tom Barrett. 'It's important to fight for democracy at home,' she tells NYT's Peter Baker of her shift to domestic politics. … In Florida, Josh Weil is the first significant Democrat to jump into the Senate race, POLITICO's Kimberly Leonard reports. The teacher came to public attention in March when he raised $14 million for a special congressional race, where he fell short in red territory but sliced into Republicans' margin. This will be an uphill battle for Dems. Ad it up: Fresh off officially securing the nomination, Democrat Abigail Spanberger is launching her first general-election ad, a biographical spot, CBS' Hunter Woodall and Fin Daniel Gómez scooped. 3. HURRICANE SEASON: 'Noem demands more control over FEMA and Homeland Security funding, which could slow disaster response,' by CNN's Gabe Cohen: 'Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is tightening her grip on her department's purse strings, ordering that every contract and grant over $100,000 must now cross her desk for approval … The sweeping directive issued last week adds an extra layer of review for billions of dollars in funding … It's the latest in a string of moves the Trump administration has billed as rooting out waste and fraud … [But] Noem's policy threatens to bog down FEMA's rapid-response efforts – and could choke off critical aid when every second counts.' 4. RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES: Despite some changes, the Senate text of the reconciliation bill would nonetheless be devastating for the clean-energy revolution, especially solar and wind, POLITICO's Timothy Cama reports. Industry advocates are still lobbying furiously to try to change the bill and save Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. Even Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), who supported the House bill (though missed the vote after he fell asleep, according to Speaker Mike Johnson), said the Senate didn't go far enough in changing it and saving the tax credits, POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill reports. SALT in the wound: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) still isn't budging on the state and local tax deduction — he emphasized again on Fox Business this morning that he'll demand a $40,000 cap to earn his vote, and that the Senate's $10,000 proposal is 'dead on arrival.' 5. BLEEDING CUTS: 'Thousands of young Americans at risk of homelessness if Job Corps ends,' by CNN's Sunlen Serfaty: 'In the last month, the program has been plunged into uncertainty after the Trump administration ordered its operations to be paused. … At least 21,000 students are now at risk of losing their places in Job Corps, 20% of whom would be homeless, according to program figures obtained by CNN. … Amid this turmoil, Job Corps programs have lost over 8,000 students.' 6. BILL OF HEALTH: After resigning her post as senior CDC scientist, Fiona Havers has given her first interview to NYT's Apoorva Mandavilli, decrying HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s series of moves to attack vaccines. 'If it isn't stopped, and some of this isn't reversed, like, immediately, a lot of Americans are going to die as a result of vaccine-preventable diseases,' Havers warned. 'C.D.C. processes are being corrupted in a way that I haven't seen before.' Digging into the backgrounds of the eight new members Kennedy chose for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after he dismissed the previous panel, NBC's Aria Bendix and colleagues find that multiple lack expertise and hold views more skeptical of vaccines. The NIH cuts: Beyond HHS' new approach undermining vaccines, sweeping staff cuts throughout the agency have imperiled clinical trials that depend on lab personnel. WaPo's Carolyn Johnson has the story of one Georgia man who depends on custom cancer therapy — and has now had his treatment postponed. Bottoms up: In the upcoming Dietary Guidelines from HHS and the Agriculture Department, the U.S. plans to do away with a longtime recommendation that adults limit themselves to one or two drinks daily, Reuters' Emma Rumney and Jessica DiNapoli scooped. That would be a big victory for the beverage industry. 7. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 'Social Security, Medicare finances worsen, bringing funding cliffs sooner,' by POLITICO's Michael Stratford: 'Annual reports released by the Treasury Department on Monday show that Social Security's reserve funds, if combined, would run out of money to fully pay beneficiaries in 2034 — a year sooner than projected last year. And the trust fund that pays Medicare's hospital bills would be depleted in 2033 — three years earlier than expected.' TALK OF THE TOWN Bryan Bedford admitted he doesn't have a commercial pilot's license as he'd previously claimed, though he does have a private one. Joe Biden will go to a Juneteenth church celebration in Galveston, Texas, tomorrow. Jason Smith met with Alexander Stubb. MEDIAWATCH — 'Megyn Kelly Expands Digital Network With Emily Jashinsky 'After Party' Aimed at Fans of Politics, Comedy,' by Variety's Brian Steinberg OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at an event for JPMorganChase Institute's 10-year anniversary yesterday at the bank's D.C. office: Jamie Dimon, Heather Higginbottom, Tim Berry, Cecilia Rouse, Sarah Rosen Wartell, David Wessel, Mark Zandi, Marisa Calderon, Jim Poterba, Diana Farrell, Margaret Spellings, Chris Wheat and Jed Kolko. — SPOTTED at a Mozilla mixer held yesterday on the Glen Echo Group office's rooftop: Linda Griffin, Jenn Taylor Hodges, Joel Burke, Brandon Samuel, Phillip Berenbroick, Halie Craig, Katie Barr, Halley Roth, Chris Lewis, Ali Sternburg, Colin Crowell, Joseph Coniglio, Khloe Greenwood, Ali Guckes, Keir Lamont, Beth Do, Justine Gluck, Nathalie Maréchal, Simone Shenny, Brian Smith, Peter Chandler, Marshall Erwin, Christine Bannan, Tricia McCleary, Tim Lynch, Jessica Jones and David Peluso. TRANSITIONS — Kendra Wharton will leave her post as top senior ethics official at the Justice Department and associate deputy AG next month, Reuters' Sarah Lynch reports. The former personal attorney for Trump will go back to her law firm. … Varun Jain is joining K&L Gates as an of counsel in its public policy and law practice. He previously was deputy general counsel at the Biden Transportation Department. … … Saul Hernandez is now VP for government affairs at Charter Communications. He previously was a principal at theGROUP, and is an NCTA alum. … Carolyn Davis is now director of comms at Better Markets. She previously was director of external comms at Leadership for Educational Equity. … Karen Davis is now VP of business development and marketing at the American Society for Radiation Oncology. She most recently was chief development and external affairs officer for the National Council on Aging. WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Christina Thompson, a correspondent for Newsmax, and Adam Pearson, an assistant VP at Golub Capital, got married Saturday at Chateau de Varennes in Burgundy, France. The couple met in college at Wake Forest. Pic, via Courtney Linden Photography … Another pic — Claire Trokey, a policy adviser for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and John Thomas, an associate at Arnold & Porter, got married Saturday at the Goodstone Inn in Middleburg, Virginia. They met in early 2021. Pic, via Hana Gonzalez Photography … Another pic BONUS BIRTHDAY: Daniel Bronstein Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump invokes sweeping wartime authority to target members of Venezuelan gang
The Trump administration Saturday invoked a sweeping wartime authority, which has been used only three times before, to speed up the deportations of migrants affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The little-known 18th-century law, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, gives the president tremendous authority to target and remove undocumented immigrants. The law is designed to be invoked if the US is at war with another country, or a foreign nation has invaded the US or threatened to do so. For that reason, legal experts have argued it would face an uphill battle in court. In a presidential proclamation, released Saturday, the White House cited its designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, saying many of them have 'unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions against the United States.' The proclamation calls for all those subject to the measure to be immediately arrested, detained, and removed. The Alien Enemies Act has been invoked three times in US history – all during war – according to the Brennan Center. During World Wars I and II, it was used to justify detentions and expulsions of German, Austro-Hungarian, Italian and Japanese immigrants. The law played a role in the infamous US policy of Japanese internment during World War II, according to the non-partisan law and policy institute. Earlier Saturday, a federal judge temporarily barred the removal of some undocumented immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act, hours before the Trump administration invoked the law. The temporary restraining order applies only to those who filed a lawsuit Saturday, but the judge will hold a hearing Saturday evening about whether to apply the order more broadly. The federal judge's ruling came after a request to the judge from the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward hours before the order — the groups argued there may not be enough time to intervene after Trump issued it. The ACLU argued in its filing that the gang has not engaged in an invasion 'because criminal activity does not meet the longstanding definitions of those statutory requirements.' The Department of Justice quickly appealed the judge's temporary restraining order to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. CNN's Devan Cole and Shania Shelton contributed to this report.
