A federal judge in Florida has ruled that the state's restrictions on Medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria treatments are invalid and violate federal laws, striking down a health code rule and a new state law. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Florida, and the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of four transgender people and the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Judge Hinkle said the laws violated federal laws on Medicaid, equal protection and the Affordable Care Act's prohibition of sex discrimination, and noted that the state had not provided any evidence that the treatments were medically unnecessary or posed a risk to the health of patients.
Posts published in “US”
Will Hurd, a former Texas Congressman and retired CIA officer, has announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. He is the twelfth Republican to enter the race and is hoping to appeal to swing voters by presenting himself as a "common-sense Republican". Hurd has said that he would not pardon former President Donald Trump if elected, a question other GOP candidates have largely avoided.
At least three people have died and ten are injured after a tornado struck the small town of Matador, Texas on Wednesday evening. Reports from storm chasers and meteorologists on social media show the extent of the destruction, with considerable damage to homes, utility lines, trees and infrastructure. The Motley County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the fatalities and first responders are surveying the damage and assessing the situation.
The House of Representatives voted to formally censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, on Wednesday in a 213-209 party-line vote. The resolution was authored by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and was the first time in history that a sitting member of Congress has been censured by the House. Speaker Kevin McCarthy read a verbal rebuke to Schiff on the House floor, to which a large group of House Democrats shouted “shame, shame!” in response.
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, is set to appear in U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware on July 26th to enter a plea to two misdemeanor tax charges and a felony gun possession charge. Sources familiar with the agreement have said the plea agreement includes a provision for probation and acknowledgement of drug use as a contributing factor. The hearing will be presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee, and the outcome of the hearing will have a significant impact on Biden's future.
Key takeaways: A new report has revealed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito accepted a luxury fishing trip to Alaska in 2008 from a wealthy…
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is urging House Republicans to vote against Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) resolution to impeach President Joe Biden this week, as McCarthy believes that jumping ahead could threaten their ability to hold onto their slim majority in the next election. He expressed frustration with Boebert, calling her effort to impeach Mr. Biden premature, and is hoping that House Republicans will take his advice and vote against her resolution.
Daniel Rodriguez, a California man, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to four felony counts related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, including assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and conspiring to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson described him as a "one-man army of hate" and he will have to pay $96,000 to cover medical treatment for the officer and $2,000 in restitution for the destruction of the Capitol. The Justice Department has charged more than 400 people in connection with the attack.