Ohio approves ban on gender-affirming care for minors despite governor’s veto
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 female sports teams. In a 24-8 Senate vote, the law passed banning gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies and restricting mental health care for transgender patients under 18.
The law also bars transgender girls and women from joining girl’s and women’s sports teams from K-12 and collegiate levels. Falling in line with at least 20 other states preventing transgender people from participating in sports, though many are facing legal challenges.
The law is expected to go into effect in 90 day. One Republican, Sen. Nathan Manning, voted against the measure. Meanwhile, while on the Senate floor Republican Sen. Kristina Roegner falsely claimed that there was no such thing as gender-affirming care, calling it a “fools errand.”
Gov. DeWine vetoed the measure, citing government overreach.
“Ohio would be saying that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: the parents,” DeWine said.
The first law of its kind banning gender-affirming care in Arkansas has been struck down by a federal judge who ruled that such a ban would violate the due process rights of transgender youth and their families.
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.
Ohio governor vetoes ban on minors’ access to gender-affirming care
In a significant move, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWinevetoed legislation on Friday, Dec. 29, that aimed to bar transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming care and participating in girls’ sports. Gov. DeWine cited concerns over potential harm to families as the primary driver behind his decision.
During a news conference, he stressed that signing H.B. 68 into law would imply that the state and government know better than parents regarding what is medically best for a child.
“Ohio would be saying that the government knows better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child the most: the parents,” DeWine said.
While the bill faces a potential legislative override, given the Republican majority in the state Legislature, the timing and likelihood of such a move remain uncertain.
Gov. DeWine emphasized that he considered perspectives from both sides of the political spectrum, acknowledging the sincere beliefs of those advocating for child protection.
The governor noted the profound consequences the bill could have on a small number of Ohio children facing gender dysphoria and their families.
“This bill would impact a very small number of Ohio children, but for those children who face gender dysphoria and for their families, the consequences could not be more profound. Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life,” DeWine said.
The vetoed bill adds complexity to the ongoing national debate on transgender rights, as at least 20 states have already implemented bans on transgender athletes in K-12 and collegiate sports, with many facing legal challenges against such restrictions.
Questions surround Ohio abortion amendment as voters head to the polls
What is the most important issue behind the economy for voters? According to a New York Times poll, it’s abortion. While the presidential election might be a year away, abortion is on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 7 in Ohio.
The ballot measure Issue 1 would change the state constitution to enshrine abortion rights if voters pass the amendment. Ohio is the only state with abortion on the ballot in this election cycle. According to a new ABC poll, 75% of Americans say abortion is an important issue.
Advocates and opponents of Issue 1 are stating two sets of answers to these key questions: Will the amendment allow abortions up to birth? Will it allow minors to get an abortion without parental consent?
Here’s the exact language of the law. The proposed amendment would “only allow the state to prohibit an abortion after an unborn child is determined by a pregnant woman’s physician to be viable.” It goes on to include an exception for the mother’s health. “Always allow an unborn child to be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability if, in the treating physician’s determination, the abortion is necessary to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health.”
This language has been interpreted in two ways. Advocates say abortions will be legal up until viability, which they define as around 23 to 24 weeks. Those against the measure say no number of weeks is stated in the amendment. The law leaves it up to physicians to determine viability.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) stands opposed to Issue 1.
“If you look at Issue 1 — it’s a radical proposal, and whether you’re pro-choice or pro-life, it just goes much, much too far,” DeWine said. “There is a wide exception written into this law, which talks about the health of the mother. The Supreme Court, the United States has defined this extremely broadly; [it] can mean health, can mean something having to do with her income, it can have something to do with how many children she has, and again, it is the person performing the abortion in the clinic who’s going to make that determination, and there’s no review of it.”
Another point of contention is whether the proposal will allow minors to get an abortion without their parents knowing. Abortion advocates point to no language written in the amendment about minors. Opponents say the language used is open to interpretation to include minors.
The proposed amendment would “establish in the constitution an individual right to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion.”
After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Ohio’s six-week abortion ban went into effect briefly before being blocked by state courts. Current law allows abortions up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. It does not have exceptions for rape or incest, but it does have a health exception for the mother.
More than $40 million worth of advertising has poured into the Ohio abortion ballot measure. The Vote Yes campaign has outspent its opponents three to one. Past polling of Ohioans signaled support for abortion rights. Ohio Northern University released a poll last week that revealed 65% of voters in the state believe abortion should be legal in most cases.
NewsNation reporter arrested while working in Ohio
A working journalist was pinned to the ground, handcuffed, arrested and charged with multiple misdemeanors. This didn’t happen in China, Iran or Russia, it happened in Ohio.
Evan Lambert is a correspondent for NewsNation based in Washington, D.C. He was in Ohio Wednesday at a press conference, reporting on the recent train derailment.
BREAKING: @EvanLambertTV, a DC-based correspondent for @NewsNation, has been in Ohio covering the train crash. He was doing a live shot in the back of the room during a press conference-was told to stop by police, was pushed to the ground, cuffed & arrested & put in a patrol car. pic.twitter.com/RZv6nT7j8o
According to NewsNation, Gov. Mike DeWine’s press conference, which was supposed to start hours earlier, started at the same time Lambert went live with his report.
A police affidavit obtained said the man leading Ohio’s National Guard, Maj. Gen. John Harris interrupted Lambert’s live broadcast because he was being “loud.”
The police affidavit said a confrontation ensued between Harris and Lambert. While Harris called the situation “contrived,” it was Lambert who wound up in handcuffs.
Most of the incident was caught on video by multiple reporters, who can be heard saying what the East Palestine police officers were doing was a clear violation of the First Amendment. DeWine denounced the arrest.
“It has always been my practice that if I’m doing a press conference, someone wants to report out there and they want to be talking back to the people back on channel whatever, they have every right to do that,” DeWine said.
Lambert, who is identified as Evan Lambert-McMichael by police, was taken to the Columbiana County Jail and charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. It was originally thought Lambert would spend the night in jail, but he was released fairly quickly. NewsNation reported DeWine may have had something to do with Lambert’s release.
Speaking after his release, Lambert said, “No journalist expects to be arrested when you’re doing your job. I think that’s really important that doesn’t happen in our country. It obviously happens more often, more frequently in other countries that don’t have the freedoms that we do and the Constitution that protects this job.”
The Society of Professional Journalists and the Youngstown Press Club both strongly condemned the arrest and demanded all charges against Lambert be dropped.
— Society of Professional Journalists (@spj_tweets) February 9, 2023
East Palestine Chief of Police James Brown released a statement on the issue late in the afternoon on Thursday. Brown said officers were trying to “de-escalate the situation.” The chief said Lambert was taken to the ground in an effort to “maintain control” over him, while “preventing injury to the involved parties.”
For more Straight Arrow News reporting on First Amendment issues, click here.
Why some candidates aren’t up for debates ahead of the 2022 midterms
The weeks leading up to election night are usually filled with debates, pitting candidates against each other on a stage to address the most divisive issues in their race. But in 2022, several candidates have hesitated to engage or simply decided not to participate at all.
While this layer of information is educational for voters, McCann said debates are less frequent because of who is running for office these days.
“I think maybe because there are a lot of novice candidates who didn’t really come up through the ranks,” McCann said. “They may not be accustomed to politicking in the traditional sense. So there’s some reluctance in some cases.”
According to McCann, it’s not just about the candidates, but the tools available to them and activating their base.
“It’s much more straightforward now to directly target your likely voters,” McCann said. “To hit social media sites and to roll out your mobilization plans on the ground to be really very direct in targeting the voters who you think will support you.”
With control over social media messaging, it may seem unnecessary for a candidate to open himself up to risk in an unscripted debate.
“If you engage in a debate, that throws a potential monkey wrench into your planning,” McCann said. “It’s less easy to control. There are more wild cards that might come out.”
