Putin’s new adoption and LGBTQ+ laws to align with country’s ‘traditional values’
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two bills into law that are part of the Kremlin’s effort to abide by what Russian officials call “traditional values.” First, people from countries where gender transitioning is allowed can no longer adopt children from Russia.
Last year, Russia banned gender-transition procedures.
In 2022, Putin signed a law banning the distribution of LGBTQ+ information to people of all ages.
The adoption ban will apply to at least 15 countries, mostly in Europe.
Adoption of Russian children by people in the United States was banned in 2012.
Putin also just approved legislation barring the spread of material that encourages people to not have children.
He has urged Russian women to have eight or more kids to sustain the native populace.
Russian officials claim arguments against having children are part of Western efforts to weaken Russia through population decline, according to CBS News.
In 2022, a law went into effect labeling any person – including journalists and activists – who engages in activism or expresses contrary opinions about Russian policies as a foreign agent, with officials claiming they are under foreign influence.
Surgeon general finds gaps in smoking rates based on race, gender: Report
A new report from the U.S. surgeon general finds there are gaps in smoking rates on racial, ethnic, gender and class lines. Cigarette smoking rates have been trending downward in recent years but the report found racial and ethnic communities, members of the LGBTQ+ community and lower-income people smoke at higher rates.
The report found that people in poverty are more than twice as likely to smoke as those with income above the poverty line.
Native Americans and Alaska Native people have higher rates of smoking than other racial and ethnic groups. Americans identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual had higher rates of smoking than heterosexual adults.
“Tobacco use imposes a heavy toll on families across generations. Now is the time to accelerate our efforts to create a world in which zero lives are harmed by or lost to tobacco,” Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in a statement alongside the report.
The report also found that 1 in 5 U.S. deaths tie to cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. In total, smoking and secondhand smoke are responsible for roughly 500,000 deaths per year.
The report suggested a series of policy recommendations, including improving health care equity, enacting policies to protect people from secondhand smoke exposure, setting limits on how much nicotine can be in tobacco products and a ban on menthol cigarettes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had been working on a rule to ban menthol cigarettes but the Biden administration held off on finalizing the rule after tobacco industry pressure.
The surgeon general’s report mentioned that inequality also persists in advocacy spending. The report says that for every $1 spent by tobacco control groups, there are more than $12 spent on tobacco industry marketing.
Republican introduces transgender bathroom ban for Capitol Hill
History will be made four times over when the 119th Congress meets for the first time in just a few weeks. However, some current representatives introduced legislation to create a transgender bathroom ban that targets a new coworker.
In the House of Representatives, Sarah McBride will become the firstopenly–transgender person to be elected to Congress after winning Delaware’s only open House seat. Delaware will also see its first Black U.S. senator, who will simultaneously be the first woman to represent the state in the Senate. Maryland will also be represented by its first Black U.S. senator, and New Jersey will see the first Korean-American senator.
The measure would prohibit any lawmakers and House employees from “using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.”
“Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say in this,” Mace said when asked by reporters whether the move was meant to target a marginalized person. “He’s a biological man trying to force himself in women’s spaces and I’m not gonna tolerate it. You have the radical left that are trying to erase women and erase women’s rights.”
“This is about women, this is about girls, this is about our rights and being protected in our private spaces,” Mace added. “I don’t want to see a man in a women’s restroom.”
Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.
“Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness,” McBride wrote.
McBride went on to say the move is an attempt from far-right wing extremists to distract from the real problems facing Americans, like the cost of housing, health care and child care.
Berlin police chief advises caution for Jewish, LGBTQ+ people in certain areas
The police chief in Berlin, Germany, has warned Jewish and LGBTQ+ people to exercise caution when visiting neighborhoods with large Arab populations. She said some people in these areas are “openly hostile” to Jewish and LGBTQ+ people.
“There are areas of the city, we need to be perfectly honest here, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly gay to be more careful,” Chief Barbara Slowik told Berliner Zeitung. “Certain neighborhoods, where the majority of people of Arab origin live, also have sympathies for terrorist groups and are often openly hostile towards Jews.”
Slowik acknowledged that while acts of hate against Jewish people are rare in Berlin, even one such incident is one too many.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that antisemitic incidents in Germany, ranging from graffiti to attempted arson, surged by 83%, following the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas against Israel.
Recently, a youth football team from Makkabi Berlin, a Jewish sports club, was reportedly “hunted down” by a group of youths in an Arab-majority neighborhood, according to The Telegraph.
The incident occurred the same night fans of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv football club were attacked in Amsterdam. Israeli officials later confirmed that 10 people were injured in the violence.
Chief Slowik urged all of Berlin’s residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
Earlier this month, Germany’s Parliament passed a resolution addressing the rise in antisemitism. Officials cited the growing influence of antisemitic sentiments linked to migration from countries with state-sponsored hostility toward Jews and Israel.
The resolution also proposed that refugees convicted of antisemitic crimes could lose their asylum status.
Transgender students may face ban on which restrooms they can use in Ohio
A bill in Ohio banning transgender students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity passed on Wednesday, Nov. 13, and is now up to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to sign into law. Dewine said he’s leaning toward signing the bill but will be conducting a legal review first.
The Republican proposal would be implemented at K-12 public schools and institutions of higher learning in the state.
The legislation mandates schools provide separate bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations for “exclusive” use of either males or females based on the gender assigned at or near birth.
The potential law would apply to both school buildings and facilities used for school-sponsored events.
However, school employees would be exempt from the ban. There are also exceptions for emergencies, people helping younger kids or individuals with disabilities, and single-use family restrooms would still be allowed.
Republicans hailed the bill as providing safety and security for children. The Center for Christian Values urged DeWine to sign the legislation and called it a “huge victory for children and families in Ohio.”
However, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) condemned the legislation as an attack on transgender Americans. The group said it’s weighing its next steps, saying that if the bill becomes law, it will create a dangerous environment for trans and non-binary people.
Oklahoma school district failed to protect students from discrimination: Report
A public school district in Oklahoma must review and potentially revise its anti-discrimination policies after a federal investigation found that it failed to protect students from discrimination and harassment. The probe came about after the death of LGBTQ+ student, 16-year-old Nex Benedict, in February.
Benedict was as student at Owasso High School and identified as gender expansive, which means one whose gender identity expands beyond traditional norms.
The teen died of an overdose after the teen’s family says Benedict was bullied at school. The student used the pronouns he, him, they and them. The case garnered national attention and outraged LGBTQ+ activists.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights settled the complaint against Owasso Public Schools this week. The assistant secretary said Owasso students and their families did not receive the fair and equitable review process guaranteed to them under Title IX.
In addition, the federal agency identified repeated instances, over a three year period, when staff at Owasso Public Schools were told of possible sexual harassment against children, but did not respond adequately. The lack of action rose to the level of deliberate indifference.
A school district spokesperson said the district fully cooperated with the federal investigation and is committed to making the recommended changes to enhance safety and inclusivity in its schools.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
Donald Trump makes his first staffing announcement as president-elect, naming his White House chief of staff. And a federal judge in Texas makes a ruling concerning undocumented immigrants married to American citizens. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.
Trump names campaign manager Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 7, 2024
She will become the first woman to hold the job of chief of staff when Trump takes office on Jan. 20. It is a position considered to be the second most powerful job in Washington — behind the presidency.
Wiles, the daughter of the late NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall, also ran Trump’s campaign in the state of Florida during the 2016 and 2020 elections. Her political career dates back to Ronald Reagan’s years, when she worked as a campaign scheduler for his 1980 presidential bid.
In a statement, Trump said, “Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns. Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to make America great again.”
In the coming days, the president-elect is set to begin reviewing other names to build out his team, including filling cabinet positions. His son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News the key factor each candidate must have is delivering on his father’s message and not someone who “thinks they know better.”
The GOP picked up a seat in Pennsylvania with several media outlets projecting Dave McCormick defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Bob Casey. Republicans now hold 53 seats in the chamber with two races, one in Nevada and one in Arizona, still to be called.
California governor calls special session to protect liberal policies
California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a special legislative session to protect the state’s liberal policies ahead of a second Trump presidency. Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday they’re preparing to “protect California values” against the incoming administration.
California is ready to fight.
I just called an emergency special session to help bolster our legal resources and protect our state against any unlawful actions by the incoming Trump Administration.
Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate… pic.twitter.com/fIBPKsehot
“We know to take Trump at his word when he says he’ll roll back environmental protections, go after our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, attack our civil rights and restrict access to essential reproductive care,” Bonta said. “Mr. Trump repeatedly overstepped his authority between 2016 and 2020. There’s no reason to think he won’t do it again. We checked him and we stopped him, and we pushed him back into his box when he tried to step out of it.”
The California special session is scheduled to start Dec. 2. Newsom is also calling on the state legislature to give the attorney general’s office more funding to battle federal challenges.
In his ruling on Thursday, U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker — who was appointed by President-elect Trump during his first term — said Congress has not given the executive branch the authority to implement such a policy. Campbell Barker had previously put an administrative hold on the regulation as he considered the lawsuit, which was brought by Texas and 15 other states.
The policy, which the Biden administration called “Keeping Families Together,” would have applied to spouses who have been living in the country for 10 years, as well as stepchildren. It could have affected between 750,000 and 800,000 people.
3 arrested in former ‘One Direction’ singer Liam Payne’s death
In a press release, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said authorities had arrested an employee at the hotel where Payne fell to his death last month, an alleged drug dealer, and a person who “accompanied the artist daily during his stay in the city of Buenos Aires.”
Officials said at least four supplies of narcotics were “conclusively proven” to have been addressed to Payne during his stay at the Casa Sur hotel between Oct. 13 and 16. Payne fell from a third-floor balcony of the hotel on Oct. 16.
Thursday’s report revealed that in the 72 hours before he died, Payne had alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription anti-depressant in his system.
The hotel employee and alleged dealer are both charged with providing narcotics while the third person is charged with providing narcotics and abandonment of a person followed by death.
Man behind AOL’S iconic ‘you’ve got mail’ dies at 74
An iconic voice that defined a generation in technology has died.
Elwood Edwards, endearingly known as AOL’s “You’ve got mail” guy, died Tuesday. Nov. 5, at the age of 74 after suffering from a “long illness,” according to an announcement by local news station WKYC-TV in Cleveland, Ohio.
Edwards worked there as a graphics and camera operator, among other roles. According to the announcement, made Thursday, he died one day before his 75th birthday.
Police report details Missouri school shooter’s mental health issues
It has been two years since then-19-year-old Orlando Harris killed two people at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (CVPA) in St. Louis, Missouri, in October 2022. Now, police have released their investigative report, revealing Harris’s mental health struggles and the student’s anti-LGBTQ+ motive.
According to the report, in the year and a half prior to the shooting, Harris contemplated suicide multiple times and attempted the act at least twice — first in August 2021 and again between April and June 2022. He was hospitalized several times for his struggles with mental health and regularly saw a therapist. However, he ended his therapy sessions in the summer of 2022.
“After he was released from the hospital, Orlando H. advised Ward that he was not going back to the hospital and stopped contact with the therapist,” the report states.
Harris’ mother, Tanya Ward, told investigators that a package from “various gun and ammunition places” addressed to her son arrived at their home just weeks before the shooting on Oct. 15, 2022. The packages contained a body armor vest, magazine holsters, and magazines. Ward checked his bedroom and found a rifle in an old TV box.
Ward then called police, and crisis intervention officers responded to the house.
“The family contacted the police department to obtain assistance because they were concerned about Orlando H.’s mental illness and felt he should not be in possession of any firearms,” the report states.
Officers told Ward they could not legally confiscate the gun. Orlando told his mother he worked hard to save up for the gun but appeased her and the family by agreeing to put the gun and tactical gear in a storage facility.
The report includes an interview with Harris’ psychiatrist, who saw him twice in August 2022. His doctor described Orlando as having skewed expectations of himself and “thought he was a failure at everything.” She noted that Orlando had lost interest in hobbies, such as gaming, in 2021.
Ward also said he had attended CVPA, where the first two years were normal, but he quickly lost interest in the middle of the pandemic. He graduated from the school in 2021 and was slated to attend college that fall, but his family and friends reported that he was depressed.
Then, on Oct. 24, 2022, Orlando entered his former school and declared, “All of you are going to die.” A 15-year-old student and a health and physical education teacher were killed in the shooting, and several other people were shot and wounded. Officers eventually shot and killed Orlando.
Missouri has no “red flag laws” in place that allow for the temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed to pose a risk to themselves or others.
Pentagon upgrades discharge status for over 800 LGBTQ+ veterans
The Pentagon announced Tuesday, Oct. 15, that more than 800 veterans discharged under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy due to their sexual orientation will have their discharge statuses upgraded to honorable. The decision follows a yearlong review of 851 cases, with 96.8% of veterans receiving automatic upgrades, bypassing the formal application process.
This change restores access to key benefits, including health care, education, VA loans, and employment opportunities.
The DADT policy, enacted in 1993 under President Bill Clinton, allowed gay and lesbian service members to serve as long as they did not disclose their sexual orientation. Between 1994 and 2011, roughly 13,500 service members were discharged under the policy. Nearly 2,000 received less-than-honorable discharges, which limited their access to veteran benefits. The policy was repealed in 2011 under President Barack Obama.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the importance of the review in addressing the harm caused by DADT. He noted that 96% of veterans discharged under the policy who served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization now hold honorable discharges.
The Pentagon is notifying affected veterans and providing instructions on how to obtain updated discharge documentation.
While the review has concluded, the Pentagon encourages veterans discharged under earlier policies that barred LGBTQ+ individuals from serving, or those who believe their records contain errors, to apply for corrections through military review boards.
1 in 4 college applicants avoid certain states over politics
More than one-quarter of college applicants have ruled out schools due to the political climate in the states where the institutions are located, according to a new poll from the Art & Science Group. The findings highlighted how state policies on issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and crime are increasingly influencing students’ higher education choices.
The poll found that 28% of prospective students excluded certain schools based on the political, legal or policy environment in their respective states. Two-thirds of those students made these decisions early in the search process. The study revealed that while both liberal and conservative students are avoiding colleges in specific states, their reasons vary significantly.
For liberal students, the big issues are states with conservative policies on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Meanwhile, conservative students are avoiding schools in states they feel are too lenient on crime, social issues or identity politics.
AP Images
According to the poll, Texas and Florida top the list as the most frequently excluded state for college applications from liberal students. While conservative students are looking to stay out of California and New York, each ruled out by 15% or more of prospects.
This trend comes as states grapple with contentious political issues, especially in the wake of the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade and ongoing debates about transgender rights.
As the U.S. becomes increasingly polarized, political divisions are now influencing major life decisions, including where young adults choose to pursue higher education. Colleges and universities may face growing challenges in attracting students as state politics play a larger role in the decision-making process.
