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.
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Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, a wild animal trainer featured in Netflix's "Tiger King", was convicted of two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic in Virginia. The charges stem from an investigation which revealed Antle had illegally purchased and transported endangered lion cubs from Virginia to South Carolina. Antle faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $2,500 fine for each of the two felony counts when he is sentenced on October 2, 2020.
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.
The US Department of Agriculture has approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies to offer lab-grown meat to restaurant tables and eventually, supermarket shelves. This marks the first time that U.S. regulators have approved the sale of such products, and could have a major impact on the food industry by reducing the environmental impact of raising animals for food and providing an alternative for those who wish to avoid animal products. The approval is a major milestone in the development of lab-grown meats, and more companies are expected to follow suit in the near future.
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.
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester has announced her bid to replace retiring Sen. Tom Carper (D) in Delaware, making her the first woman and first African-American to represent the state in Congress. If elected, she would become the third Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. Blunt Rochester is running on a platform of economic and social justice, and has vowed to fight for the rights of all Delawareans, as well as protecting the environment and ensuring access to quality, affordable healthcare.
Joshua Hensley, 25, of Kansas, has been arrested and charged with two counts of transmitting an interstate threat after allegedly commenting on a Facebook post for Nashville Pride with a slur and a threat to commit a mass shooting at the June event. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee has stated that they will not tolerate hate-based threats of violence, and Hensley is currently being held in federal custody and is scheduled to appear in court on June 10. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area of the Titan, prompting the Coast Guard to relocate ROV operations to explore the origin. Victor Vescovo recently set a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled at the deepest part of the ocean, but the underwater noises remain a mystery. Further analysis is being conducted in hopes of shedding light on the origin.