Under Florida’s law, public secondary school and college sports teams are required to be designated based on “biological sex.” The state defines biological sex as the one printed on the student’s official birth certificate at or near the time of birth.
Norton will also no longer be able to work for the district as a computer specialist, but she must be given a different job with equal responsibility and pay.
Norton and several other school staff members were reassigned to non-school sites while the district investigated. She was the only one not cleared of any wrongdoing.
In December, state officials placed Monarch High School — where Norton’s 16-year-old daughter has been on the girls’ varsity team the last two season — on administrative probation for a year and fined the school $16,500 for allowing her to play on the team.
Norton’s daughter was also told by the Florida High School Athletics Association that she is banned from playing sports for an FHSAA school through November of this year.
Boxers who failed gender tests last year cleared to compete in Paris
Two boxers who were previously disqualified from world championships for failing gender eligibility tests will be allowed to fight in the Olympics. The two will compete in the women’s competition during the Games. The decision sparked backlash on social media.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ting will face female opponents in Paris.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified both athletes during the Women’s World Championships in March 2023. Officials said they failed to meet gender eligibility tests. The IBA said DNA tests found both boxers had X-Y chromosomes instead of X-X. The IBA also said that several athletes posed as women to fight in the female competition.
However, the IBA does not govern Olympic boxing competitions. Instead, a Paris-based boxing group is in charge, and it has more relaxed rules for gender eligibility than the IBA.
“It’s incredibly complex and actually boils down to not just sport by sport, but discipline by discipline,” IOC Spokesperson Mark Adams said. “So people may have an advantage in this discipline and not in this discipline if they’ve been through male puberty or not. That we need to leave to, and this is a conversation we have, to each federation.”
The IOC said the Paris-based group used rules from the 2020 Tokyo Games. Those rules were also in place in Rio eight years ago.
The set of rules, issued in November 2015, state that people who were born female but identify as male can compete in the men’s category without restriction.
However, those born male who identify as female have to meet certain criteria before they can compete. First, the individual must have identified as a woman for at least four years and taken testosterone suppressants for at least one year. Additionally, the testosterone levels have to be below a certain level for the duration of the competition.
Additionally, the athlete has to undergo testing for compliance. If they fail, they face a 12-month suspension from women’s events.
“Rules should be in place for the protection of women in sport and the promotion of the principles of fair competition,” the IOC said in a statement.
Many former athletes took to social media to express their opinion on the IOC’s decision.
“It’s shocking that they were actually allowed to get this far, what is going on?” Barry McGuigan, a former world-champion boxer, wrote on X.
“Imagine training your WHOLE life, getting good enough to earn a spot on the Olympic team, hoping to a win an Olympic medal….then you’re told you have to fight a man,” Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer, said. “That’s the tragic reality for these women.”
Scientists conducted an study that found males who have gone through male puberty have an average punching power that is about 162% greater than females. The study also showed that the least-powerful man was stronger than the most-powerful woman.
Until the 1960s, doctors physically examined women to determine if they were female before they could compete in the Olympics.
New CA child gender identity law sparks backlash and legal battles
The debate over child transgender-affirming care is back in the national spotlight after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Monday, July 15. California Assembly Bill 1955 prohibits requiring public school employees and contractors from disclosing a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents or guardians.
The law stirred up widespread backlash from challengers on social media. Some parents said the law violates parental rights and that parents, not the schools, have the ultimate responsibility to protect their children.
The Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Chino Valley Unified School District against Gov. Newsom and the state of California
“School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents, but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school,” the lawsuit said. “Parents are the legal guardians of their children, not Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, or Superintendent Thurmond.”
This is a deeply unserious lawsuit, seemingly designed to stoke the dumpster fire on this website rather than surface legitimate legal claims.#AB1955 preserves the child-parent relationship, California law ensures minors can't legally change their name or gender without… https://t.co/eT6gq5vHqY
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) July 17, 2024
A spokesperson for Newsom called the lawsuit “deeply unserious,” arguing that “parents continue to have guaranteed & full access to their student’s educational records consistent with federal law” and that “the state will swiftly prevail in this case.”
This is the final straw.
Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. https://t.co/cpWUDgBWFe
Meanwhile, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced he is pulling SpaceX headquarters out of California and will move his company to Texas over the law’s passage.
Proponents of the law say the bill will allow LGBTQ children to feel safe at school and allow them to decide when to announce their sexual identity to parents who may not provide a welcoming home.
“The bill [Newsom] signed protects the child-parent relationship by preventing politicians & school staff from inappropriately intervening in family matters & attempting to control if, when, & how families have deeply personal conversations,” Newsom’s official press office account posted on X.
The bill @CAGovernor Newsom signed into protects the child-parent relationship by PREVENTING politicians & school staff from inappropriately intervening in family matters & attempting to control if, when, & how families have deeply personal conversations.
Under California law,…
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) July 17, 2024
The Supreme Court is set to hear a case regarding a Tennessee law that bans hormone therapy and puberty blockers for minor children. Proponents argue Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1 (SB1) violates the 14th Amendment under the U.S. Constitution because it discriminates based on sex.
Families, doctors and the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to take up the case. The justices will hear arguments before November’s election and will likely make a decision in the summer of 2025.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has flip-flopped its stance on child gender-affirming care. At the end of June, The New York Times reported that the Biden administration sent a statement opposing gender-affirming surgeries for children.
Former President Donald Trump has called on Congress to pass a federal law banning all child gender-affirming care, calling it “child sexual mutilation.”
Correction: Straight Arrow News incorrectly labeled the new California law as a ban that would keep school employees and contractors from disclosing students’ gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents or guardians.
The wording of the bill prohibits school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and the state special schools, and a member of the governing board or body of those educational entities, from enacting or enforcing any policy, rule, or administrative regulation that requires an employee or a contractor to disclose any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent unless otherwise required by law, as provided.
Haley among former rivals to show support for Trump at RNC
Former rivals of Donald Trump call for unity during the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC). And President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to back sweeping changes for the Supreme Court. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
Haley among former rivals to show support for Trump at RNC
The message on the second day of the RNC was one of unity as several former rivals of former President Donald Trump took the stage in Milwaukee to show their support for the GOP nominee — including Trump’s former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. The former South Carolina governor and Trump’s last competitor in the primary race was greeted by cheers and a few boos from the convention crowd as she stepped to the microphone Tuesday night, July 16.
With Trump in attendance, Haley removed any doubt over her choice for president.
“I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement,” she said. “Period.”
Haley then turned her attention to the Republican voters who backed her during the primaries.
“We should acknowledge there are some Americans who don’t agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time,” Haley said. “I happen to know some of them, and I want to speak to them tonight … My message to them is simple: you don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.”
Haley also said she agrees with Trump more often than not.
“Donald Trump has been demonized,” DeSantis said. “He’s been sued, he’s been prosecuted and he nearly lost his life. We cannot let him down, and we cannot let America down.”
Day 3 will be headlined by Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, who will address the convention Wednesday night, July 17.
Reports: Secret Service ramped up Trump security weeks ago over Iran threat
It has been revealed that the Secret Service security was already ramped up around former President Donald Trump weeks before Saturday’s assassination attempt, after U.S. intelligence officials say they found evidence of an Iranian plot to kill him. According to multiple reports, the agency increased resources and assets for Trump’s protection in June.
So far, intelligence officials have found no ties between last weekend’s shooting and the Iranian plot.
Sources familiar with the matter say Iran has been making these types of threats since former president Trump ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian military general Qasem Soleimani in January 2020.
Reports: Biden planning to back major changes to Supreme Court
Reports say President Biden told lawmakers in the Congressional Progressive Caucus during a virtual meeting Saturday, July 13, that he had been consulting constitutional scholars on the matter for more than a month.
The proposals, which could be unveiled in the coming weeks, would need congressional approval, which is not likely given Republican control of the House and the slim Democratic majority in the Senate.
Elon Musk moving SpaceX, X headquarters out of California over new law
Calling it the “final straw” on X, Musk made the announcement in response to California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signing a new law that bars school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents if their children ask to change their gender identification.
Supporters of the law say it protects children from being forced into being outed and creates a safe place for them in school, while critics say it infringes on parents’ right to be informed.
‘Rust’ armorer’s lawyers call for new trial or case to be dismissed
Lawyers for the armorer of the film “Rust,” who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 deadly on-set shooting of a cinematographer, are asking for a new trial or to have her case thrown out entirely in the wake of actor Alec Baldwin’s case being dismissed. They also want her released from prison, where she’s serving an 18-month sentence following her conviction in March.
Attorneys filed a motion on behalf of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed over “severe and ongoing discovery violations by the state.” It was revealed during Baldwin’s trial that the special prosecutor in the case had suppressed evidence, which is why his case was dropped.
Oakland A’s rookie throws fastest pitch in All-Star Game history
The best in baseball battled it out in the MLB All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas Tuesday, July 16, with one rookie pitcher throwing his name into the history books. Oakland A’s closer Mason Miller not only struck out Los Angeles Dodgers star player Shohei Ohtani in his All-Star Game debut, the 25 year old followed that up by throwing the fastest pitch ever recorded at an All-Star Game.
Miller threw a 103.6 miles per hour fastball to Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, striking him out too. Miller ended up throwing eight pitches that reached triple digits during his 12-pitch inning.
Supreme Court to hear challenge to ban on gender-affirming care for minors
On Monday, June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will review the constitutionality of Tennessee’s prohibition on gender-affirming care for minors. This case marks the first opportunity for the high court to decide on such restrictions, which have been enacted in 23 states since 2021.
Additionally, some states limit care for transgender adults, and several conservative states have pending legislation to completely ban gender-affirming care. The central question is whether these bans constitute sexual discrimination.
Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and transgender surgeries for adolescents and teens has led to numerous legal challenges, prompting the Biden administration to encourage the Supreme Court to address the issue.
The White House highlighted that inconsistent rulings in lower courts have created significant uncertainty for approximately 100,000 transgender minors.
A federal appeals court allowed the bans in Tennessee and Kentucky to proceed, while Florida is contesting a federal judge’s decision that prevents the enforcement of state restrictions on gender-affirming care.
“The absence of the Court’s intervention means that families in Tennessee and other states where laws like SB1 are in effect will be deprived of critical medical care,” the Justice Department said in its appeal to the Supreme Court.
Advocacy groups supporting transgender youth have urged the Supreme Court to invalidate Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care.
“The matter is clear: All individuals are entitled to the medical care they require, and this includes transgender and non-binary youth,” Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, told CNN. “Politicians should not interfere with decisions that should be made by families and doctors, especially when such care is necessary and considered best practice.”
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said that he looks forward to defending the law at the Supreme Court, adding that the decision will provide “much-needed clarity” on whether the Constitution provides “special protections for gender identity.”
UK halts puberty blockers for minors, focuses on research trials
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) announced Tuesday, March 12, that puberty blockers will no longer be prescribed to children under 18, except within regulated clinical trials. Puberty blockers are utilized to delay the onset of puberty.
According to the agency, these blockers will now only be accessible as part of research trials after a review cited insufficient evidence regarding their safety and effectiveness.
The NHS initiated an independent review of gender identity treatments for minors in 2020 in response to a “significant increase” in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service, which is set to close at the end of March.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield welcomed the decision, emphasizing the safety of children.
Simultaneously, an ongoing consultation on gender services has received over 4,000 responses, underscoring a divided public opinion.
This development is the latest in the contentious treatment, which has also triggered protests in the United States over gender-affirming care in children.
England’s NHS aims to commence a study on the use of puberty blockers by December 2024.
According to BBC, fewer than 100 young people in England currently receive these blockers through the NHS, and their treatment will continue.
Alabama set to conduct first nitrogen gas execution in U.S.: The Morning Rundown, Jan. 25, 2024
Alabama is set to conduct the first execution of a death row inmate by nitrogen gas in U.S. history. And the FAA halts Boeing from expanding its production on certain planes following the Alaska Airlines midair scare. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Jan 25, 2024.
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Alabama to proceed with first nitrogen gas execution in the U.S.
The first execution of a death row inmate by nitrogen gas is expected to take place within hours in Alabama after the Supreme Court declined to halt the inmate’s request to pause the execution. The court did not explain its ruling on Wednesday, Jan. 24, as the justices did not side with Kenneth Smith and his attorneys.
Smith’s legal team was looking for more time to argue that the state trying to execute him for a second time would be unconstitutional, falling under the category of cruel and unusual punishment. An appeals court also declined to halt the execution.
Execution by nitrogen gas is only approved in three states: Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. But Alabama is the only state to outline its protocol so far, saying it will use a mask to deliver the nitrogen.
Critics of the new method include the United Nations, whose Human Rights Office said it “could amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under international human rights law.” The Alabama Attorney’s General office claimed the use of nitrogen gas is the “most painless and humane method of execution known to man.”
Ohio bans gender-affirming care for minors
Despite a veto from Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio’s Republican-dominated senate voted to ban gender-affirming care for minors and bar transgender women and girls from competing on sports teams. In a senate vote to override DeWine’s veto, the law passed and bans gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies and restricts mental health care for transgender patients under 18. The law also bars transgender girls and women from joining girls’ and women’s sports teams from K through 12 and collegiate sports.
The law is expected to go into effect in 90 days, after it was pushed through in a 24-8 vote in the state senate. One Republican voted against the measure. While Gov. DeWine vetoed the measure, citing government overreach, he did sign an executive order in early January banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors, even though medical professionals have insisted those surgeries aren’t happening in the state.
“This choice is clear. Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blamed the American worker,” UAW President Shawn Fain said.
In 2023, the UAW orchestrated a massive walk-out during negotiations with Detroit’s Big Three automakers for better wages. The months-long strike ended with historic deals signed by the union, and President Biden became the first modern-day president to hit a picket line in a show of support for the American worker.
This is why Fain said the choice is clear, calling former President Donald Trump a “scab,” and added that he is a billionaire who does not represent the American worker; he is the type of “company man trying to squeeze the American worker.”
UAW’s endorsement is a big win for Biden as he looks to garner more support from working-class Americans. The UAW also endorsed Biden during the 2020 election.
U.N.’s top court to make initial ruling in Israel genocide case
Should the 17-judge panel grant South Africa’s requests, it’s unclear if Israel will comply with the court’s order. While rulings by the court are legally binding, there is no way to enforce them.
Israel has called the genocide allegations “grossly distorted,” saying the country has a right to defend itself and it is fighting Hamas, not Palestinian civilians. The United States has called South Africa’s case meritless.
FAA approves path for grounded Boeing jets to return after panel incident
Boeing said it will work with the airlines to complete these inspections. Alaska and United Airlines, which have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights consistently, said they expect to have some of the planes back in service by this weekend. At the same time, the FAA is not allowing Boeing to expand production of the 737 Max jets.
The FAA said that the halt is needed to ensure accountability by Boeing, adding that it will not agree to any requests for expansion until Boeing resolves quality control issues.
Jon Stewart returning to host ‘The Daily Show’ on Mondays
This time around, Stewart will only be on Monday nights and only throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle. Stewart most recently hosted a show on Apple TV+, but it was canceled after two seasons following reports of conflict between Stewart and Apple over its coverage of China and artificial intelligence.
Along with part-time hosting duties, Stewart will also serve as executive producer for every episode of “The Daily Show” through 2025.
Thousands protest in Canada over controversial gender, sexual education
An organized protest called “1 Million March 4 Children” filled the streets of Canada on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The protesters were parents arguing that sexual content should stay outside of schools.
Thousands of parents expressed concerns over school curriculum focusing on sexual education, as well as policies keeping parents in the dark over children changing gender identities in school.
The protesters used signs saying things like: “Stop the indoctrination and sexualization of out children,” while chanting “no more silence” and “hands off our kids.
However, their protests were countered with other parents showing up to support the opposite perspective, holding signs such as: “Let trans kids thrive,” and “Trans kids need safe spaces.”
These protesters argued that children have the right to learn about sexual orientation and should be able to change their identities without parental knowledge.
The protests were widespread and took place in streets, at government buildings, in front of school buildings and even included marches from Montreal to Ottawa.
The United States is battling with the same issue. Currently, U.S. policies are largely dependent on local school boards or state laws, however they may start to rise to a federal level.
The upcoming 2024 presidential election is increasing political attention to the debate, with candidates using the controversy as a talking point to appeal to parents.
ACLU sues Indiana over law banning inmate’s gender-affirming surgery
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is suing the state of Indiana for refusing to pay for a gender-affirming sexual reassignment surgery for a convicted murderer. A state law went into effect July 1 that bans the Department of Corrections (DOC) from using taxpayer money for sex reassignment surgeries for inmates.
The state attorney general says the cost runs anywhere from $10,000 to $150,000 depending on the amount of work done. But the ACLU of Indiana argues it is preventing inmates from changing their bodies to their preferred gender and violates the Eighth Amendment, calling it “cruel and unusual punishment.”
The transgender female inmate at the center of the controversy, according to the ACLU’s complaint, is Autumn Cordellionè, also known as Jonathan Richardson.
Cordellionè was convicted in 2001 of strangling her 11-month-old stepdaughter.
The lawsuit states the inmate has identified as female since the age of six. In the complaint, the ACLU states the sex change surgery requested is a “medical necessity” to alleviate the inmate’s gender dysphoria, which was diagnosed in 2020 while in the DOC facility.
The ACLU did not provide comment to the media following the lawsuit being filed.
Regarding the lawsuit, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said, “Hard-working residents want their tax dollars going toward things that benefit their family or their state as a whole – not surgeries to reverse inmates’ God-given gender. We will not back down and will continue to back the rule of law.”
The ACLU won a similar case last year against the Federal Bureau of Prisons representing a transgender female prisoner who underwent gender-affirming surgery in April 2023.
There’s been a recent wave of legislation in U.S. impacting transgender people — from laws on gender-affirming care to the publicity of drag shows, largely with a focus on children’s involvement.
Nineteen states have passed legislation banning doctors from operating on minors for sex reassignment procedures.
This year, Tennessee became the first state to outlaw drag performances in public spaces where children may be present. Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas, Florida and Texas followed suit. However, these laws are not enforceable as legal challenges play out in the various states.
A judge ruled on Thursday, Aug. 31, on a legal challenge brought by the ACLU against Texas temporarily preventing the state ban on public drag shows from taking effect. That ban would have started Sept. 1.
Another transgender-centered legal battle among states sees 23 states have banned transgendered female athletes from competing in female sports.
While the U.S. continues its search for balance in protecting transgenders’ rights while not inflicting injustice on others, Canada has taken notice.
The country issued a travel advisory for those coming to the U.S. warning members of the LGBTQ+ community of potential discrimination in certain U.S. states. Although, Global Affairs says it has no complaints from Canadians over the mistreatment of transgender individuals.
College Board: Florida ‘effectively banned AP psychology’ in state
The College Board released a statement saying the state of Florida has “effectively banned AP Psychology in the state.” The board took issue with the state’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which restricts the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s classrooms.
“The AP course asks students to ‘describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development.’ This element of the framework is not new: gender and sexual orientation have been part of AP Psychology since the course launched 30 years ago,” the College Board said in its statement. “To be clear, any AP Psychology course taught in Florida will violate either Florida law or college requirements. Therefore, we advise Florida districts not to offer AP Psychology until Florida reverses their decision and allows parents and students to choose to take the full course.”
Florida Department of Education spokesperson Cassandra Palelis denied that the state had banned the AP psychology course. She did not respond to a question about whether the state had advised superintendents that the course violated state law.
“Just one week before school starts, the College Board is attempting to force school districts to prevent students from taking the AP Psychology Course,” Palelis said. “We encourage the College Board to stop playing games with Florida students and continue to offer the course and allow teachers to operate accordingly.”
According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the right. The Media Landscape indicates that while left-leaning and center-oriented outlets are covering this story, fewer right-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.
The back-and-forth between Florida and the College Board over AP psychology comes after Florida blocked the AP African American studies course. The Department of Education said the classes “lacked educational value” and violated a state law that bans the teaching of critical race theory.
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.