Features

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Meta Seeks Exemption From California Child-Harm Bill

Politico reports: Social media giant Meta is pushing California state lawmakers to shield it from pending legislation that would increase legal penalties in child-harm cases. Lobbyists for Meta have approached Senate Judiciary Chair and Santa Ana Democrat Tom Umberg with draft amendments that would create a pathway for social media companies to gain an exemption from the legislation, AB 2. The bill from Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, a Long Beach Democrat, threatens fines of up to $1 million per child for platforms found liable for harming kids through negligent product design. It’s set for a Tuesday hearing in Umberg’s committee. Meta’s plea […]

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IL Church’s Anti-Pride Message Draws Protests

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: As communities across Chicago and its suburbs prepare for Pride parade weekend, a suburban church has become the center of controversy, drawing dozens of protesters over messaging displayed on an electronic sign. Several dozen protesters, waving rainbow flags and carrying signs, stood outside the church to voice their concerns. Organizers said the demonstration was peaceful and intended to raise awareness. “Our goal was to let other residents of Palatine know what this Church preaches and that Palatine is better than that,” said Paul Dombrowski of the Northwest Suburban Pride Network. Church members also gathered nearby, observing the […]

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New Louisiana law allows deadnaming of trans people in workplace

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A new Louisiana law will shield workers from discipline if they refuse to use a transgender or non-binary colleague’s name or pronouns. Republican governor Jeff Landry signed Act 579 into law on 30 May, with the measure due to take effect on 1 August, as reported by local NBC affiliate KTAL News. The law prohibits employers from disciplining workers who refuse to share their own pronouns, decline to address colleagues by anything other than their birth name, or use pronouns that match a person’s sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. Supporters have framed the measure as a protection for First […]

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Ringleader in torture and killing of trans man Sam Nordquist pleads guilty

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Precious Arzuaga, a 38-year-old woman whom prosecutors say acted as the “ringleader” in the torture and violent murder of Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old Black transgender man, pleaded guilty to all charges against her today, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated sexual abuse. In September 28, 2024, Nordquist traveled from his home state of Minnesota to Ontario County in upstate New York, where he planned to meet his online girlfriend Arzuaga, and return two weeks later. Linda Nordquist said her son never returned as planned. Instead, investigators say Nordquist was subjected to months of “depraved” torture by Arzuaga, her son, and a network of […]

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Kansas anti-trans law forced her license to say male. Then a cop questioned it and she was charged

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Kansas has dropped charges against a transgender woman who faced jail time for driving with a license that she had been forced by state law to use. Kris Ripper, a trans woman, told Transitics that she was pulled over on May 5 while driving home from work in the rain after her car’s headlights automatically turned off. The officer, she said, questioned whether her license was real because it identified her as male. Ripper had changed the gender marker on her license March 25 to comply with Senate Bill 244, a draconian anti-trans law enacted in Kansas. But she later received a notice for failure to appear for an […]

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Four Million Have Lost Obamacare So Far This Year

NOTUS reports: Four million Americans dropped out of Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces in their first month of coverage this year, largely for failing to pay monthly premiums. The decline — far larger than in previous years — reflects the sticker shock felt by millions as premiums rose by double digits after congressional Republicans allowed for extra pandemic-era federal subsidies to expire in December. Democrats are likely to seize on the figures released Friday to blame Republicans for higher health care costs ahead of the midterms. Democrats seeking House and Senate majorities this year have adopted health care affordability as a […]

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State Dept To End PEPFAR Funding For South Africa

Semafor reports: US President Donald Trump’s administration plans to permanently end funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, in South Africa, according to a State Department official and two congressional aides briefed on the decision. “The United States has decided to initiate a phased drawdown of PEPFAR programming in South Africa following South Africa’s failure to make demonstrable progress on policy requests by the administration,” the State Department official told Semafor. US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III [photo] is expected to meet with officials from South Africa’s Ministry of Health as soon as next week to deliver the […]

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More than two-thirds of LGBTQ+ people in the closet while traveling

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New research from Booking.com’s Travel Proud Report has shown that most LGBTQ+ people go back in the closet when they go on vacation. The new report from the travel booking site surveyed 13,300 LGBTQ+ travellers across 19 different countries, and found that only 31 percent of respondents globally said they were “out” while travelling. Forty per cent of LGBTQ+ travellers said they are willing to hide their queer identities in order to experience a bucket list destination. Meanwhile, more than half of all closeted LGBTQ+ travellers surveyed said they don’t feel anxious while travelling, compared to just 30 percent of […]

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Republican states join Trump FTC in lawsuit against world’s leading transgender health care group

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The Trump administration opened a new legal front against transgenderhealthcare on Wednesday, suing the world’s leading transgender health organization and accusing it of misleading families, doctors, and insurers about gender-affirming care for minors. The Federal Trade Commission, joined by the attorneys general of Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas, filed the lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health in federal court in Texas. The complaint alleges that WPATH made deceptive or unsubstantiated claims about the safety, effectiveness, medical necessity, and evidence base for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for young people. Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five […]

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BOYCOTT: Fox Corp To Acquire Streamer Roku For $22 Billion

The Associated Press reports: Fox Corp. has agreed to buy the streaming pioneer Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $22 billion, including debt. Media reports had surfaced on Friday that Roku was looking at its strategic options, including a possible sale. Speculation was rampant as to which companies might be interested in an acquisition. Aside from Fox, names being tossed about as potential buyers included Netflix, Amazon, Comcast and Disney. The deal will give Fox access to more than 100 million global households, along with the Roku channel and its first-party data. Fox oversees a massive sports, news and […]

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