North American youth face a growing identity crisis: over 300,000 American teenagers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-young-people-in-u-s-have-nearly-doubled-recently-report-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identify</a> as the opposite sex, while drug overdoses and suicide are the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/animated-leading-causes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leading causes</a> of death for younger Americans — claiming over 72,000 young lives in 2020 alone — as loneliness <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-gen-z-is-turning-to-dating-apps-to-find-friends-fight-loneliness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spreads</a> among Gen Z.
These social contagions are fueled by declining numbers in church attendance nationwide, especially among young people. Surveys by <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gallup</a> and <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pew Research</a> show that increasing majorities of Millennials and Gen Zers do not belong to a church or attend services at all, and a sizable minority are now “religiously unaffiliated” — leading one writer to question if Gen Z should be called “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/generation-z-generation-atheist-paul-bois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Generation Atheist</a>.”
Yet, in the midst of these problems, many youth have found purpose and identity in something greater — 36,000 teens and young adults from across the continent gathered last week for <a href="https://northamericanyouthcongress.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North American Youth Congress</a> (NAYC), a <a href="https://upci.org/nayc-2023-downtown-st-louis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biennial event</a> that seeks to inspire young people to find purpose in faith and community service. NAYC is organized by the <a href="https://upci.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Pentecostal Church International</a> (UPCI).
“The teenagers and young adults who attend NAYC give us hope for the future,” said UPCI <a href="https://upciyouth.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Youth Ministries</a> President Michael Thomas. He said NAYC is “a beacon of light and hope in a world that is being overrun by problems and strife.” 
The event took place last Wednesday through Friday in St. Louis, consisting of worship services, practical training sessions, and a community service project, in which attendees packed thousands of disaster relief buckets in partnership with <a href="https://www.reachoutamerica.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reach Out America</a>.
Thomas described the event as a “counterculture” in that “we try not to allow societal trends to mold or shape our thinking and beliefs” and directly <a href="https://fb.watch/m2li1AI2Vf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed</a> transgenderism at the event Wednesday night, stating that “Biblical holiness” protects against “gender confusion.”
“How you were born is how you were intended by your Creator to be.” Thomas passionately proclaimed. “God did not put a question mark after your DNA — God put an exclamation point after your DNA! The Word of God says you were fearfully and wonderfully made. Don’t let the world erase how God made you!”
UPCI Superintendent Dr. David K. Bernard contrasted the event’s attendees with broader American culture, which he described as “increasingly secular and even hostile to Christian values.”
Despite the overall decline of religiosity in American youth, Thomas said his organization is experiencing rapid growth, especially among teenagers and young adults.
Meanwhile, author and NYU professor Johnathan Haidt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyu-professor-says-fragile-gen-z-causing-national-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">points to</a> “extraordinarily high rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide and fragility” among Gen Zers as a “national crisis.” Haidt linked the rise of “isolating” activities like social media use to increased rates of depression, particularly among teen girls.
A 2016 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127763/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> by the National Institute of Medicine, however, suggests that membership in a religious group can decrease one’s risk of depression and other mental health problems. NAYC’s organizers and attendees echoed the study, saying the conference helps youth connect with others and find their purpose in faith.
When asked about the mental health crisis, Thomas said that for these young Christians, “purpose and identity can be found in the Word of God.” 
“This purpose and identity are given to us by a loving Creator,” Thomas told The Daily Wire. “In a world of increasing loneliness and isolation, this event solidifies to a young person that they are not alone in their journey or their walk with God.” 
“NAYC helps me find community … in the power of coming in unity with people from all over the United States and worshiping the same God,” said 15-year-old Kayleigh Stephens. Anita Sullivan Lewis, of Cross Plains, Tennessee, told The Daily Wire that NAYC “gives my nonverbal son who has Down Syndrome and autism a sense of belonging. All the kids in our youth group include him, pray with him, make room for his wheelchair, and give him high fives to let him know he’s loved.”
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Back home, many of these students and parents face intense cultural battles in their school districts. Recent protests have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/christians-and-muslims-unite-in-michigan-to-fight-sexually-explicit-material-in-school-libraries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broken out</a> over new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-muslim-and-christian-parents-show-up-in-force-to-protest-lgbt-books-at-maryland-school-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandates</a> in favor of teaching transgenderism and sexually explicit material to kids, uniting Christian and Muslim parents alike. Meanwhile, other religious <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/church-of-england-allows-blessings-for-same-sex-civil-marriages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">groups</a> openly embrace Left-wing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-100-florida-churches-fleeing-denomination-over-lgbtq-issues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ideologies</a>.
“It is through our relationship with God and His Word that certain questions about our identity can be settled, our direction and purpose in life can be answered, and we can live the whole and complete life we were intended to live,” Thomas concluded.
As cultural battles intensify across the country, many people of faith are conflicted about how to proceed. Yet, the organizers of NAYC see a path forward.
Dr. Bernard said that Christians can be both “loving and firm” in these battles. “We should seek to uphold important values for life, marriage, family, and society; and we should partner with others who share these goals,” he said.
“We should respect everyone as created in God’s image and as souls for whom Christ died.” he continued. “We shouldn’t be antagonistic, harsh, hateful, or bigoted, even when provoked. At the same time, we [should] be firmly committed to truth, and doing so isn’t bigotry.”
Thomas echoed Bernard’s call for a firm stand for Biblical values while loving those with whom they disagree. He said that “Jesus showed us the perfect model for this in the New Testament.” 
“Jesus told us to love everyone, but this does not mean we condone or endorse their lifestyle if it is contrary to His Word. Every word and action that we as Christians display should be motivated by and saturated with love,” Thomas said. “Disagreement should never become hatred.”
This form of love resounds with young Stephens, and she said her mission as she returns from the conference is “to impact my community and school by showing the love and compassion of Christ, to see people filled with His Spirit, [and] their families renewed and restored. … I want lives to be changed and miracles to be performed.”
Amid the cultural <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/middle-schoolers-accused-of-homophobia-after-chanting-usa-tearing-down-pride-decorations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">battles</a> in public schools across the country, attendees told The Daily Wire how NAYC inspires them to be strong in their faith despite facing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bible-pulled-from-utah-school-district-libraries-because-of-vulgarity-or-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition</a> in their schools.
“I have been inspired in many ways,” said Talyha Bonny, 14, of Worcester, Massachusetts, who teaches Bible studies at her school over fierce ridicule by her classmates. “NAYC inspired me to put God first because when I do that, I will be strengthened, and I won’t be afraid.”
Stephens, from Troy, Missouri, described being a Christian in her public school as “a hard thing to do in the world we live in.” She said, “NAYC empowers me to tell my school about Jesus and the good he has done for me. It is hard to speak out and tell people about Jesus and the ‘why’ behind my acts,” she said, “but it is beyond rewarding seeing my friends go to church with me and ask me questions about my faith.”
NAYC was last held in 2019 with a pre-pandemic record of 37,000 attendees and took place virtually in 2021 due to the virus. The event will be held next in 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

St. Louis downtown city skyline

36,000 Young Christians Gather In St. Louis To Find ‘Purpose & Identity … In God’s Word’

36,000 Young Christians Gather In St. Louis To Find 'Purpose & Identity ... In God's Word'

Bible

Christianity

Gen Z

Millennials

Readers Pass

A five-year-old boy who fatally shot his 16-month-old brother earlier this year was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drugs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high on cocaine</a>, while the deceased toddler tested positive for marijuana, according to prosecutors.
The five-year-old <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/30/1-year-old-fatally-shot-by-5-year-old-sibling-who-found-gun/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot</a> his younger brother in the head on March 28. Officers administered a drug test to the five-year-old, which came back positive for cocaine, prosecutors said. An <a href="https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/2-arrested-march-28-lafayette-1-year-old-fatally-shot-5-year-old-sibling-apartment-laporte-county/531-15667548-a627-46d2-833a-8d96d0fb2d1e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">autopsy</a> of the deceased toddler revealed he had marijuana in his system at the time of the killing.
The announcement was made when prosecutors unsealed charges against the children’s parents, Deonta Johnson, 27, and Shatia Welch, 24, of Lafayette, Indiana, related to the shooting. The couple has been <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=190720463983287&amp;set=a.118779691177365" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit</a> with three charges of child neglect and several drug charges.
After the child’s death, police say they found 93 pills of fentanyl within reach of the five-year-old boy, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. They also found marijuana and a grinder inside of Johnson’s car, and determined that he had tried to hide marijuana.
Johnson, the father of the dead 16-month-old but not the five-year-old, is also being charged with obstruction of justice for attempting to clear the apartment of drugs before the police arrived. Johnson was the only other person in the building at the time of the shooting.
&#8220;Johnson then claimed he woke up on the couch, saw [Welch&#8217;s 5-year-old son] on the couch, heard a boom, took the marijuana to the car, went to Victim 1&#8217;s bedroom and found Victim 1 dead and called Welch,&#8221; according to the prosecutor&#8217;s probable cause affidavit.
According to officials, Johnson <a href="https://www.jconline.com/story/news/crime/2023/07/25/parents-charged-in-shooting-death-of-1-year-old-son/70461497007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed</a> his story several times when authorities questioned him. He repeatedly denied owning a gun and that the victim had been shot at all, according to reports. Later, he allegedly admitted that Welch, the children’s mother, owned the gun her older son used to shoot his brother in the head.
Welch <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/27/5-year-old-who-shot-and-killed-baby-brother-had-done-cocaine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that she always kept her gun in a locked box under her bed, but Welch claimed she could not remember if she had locked the safe when she put the gun away that weekend, according to prosecutors. Police found the gun on a dresser in the couple’s bedroom.
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Welch further <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/parents-charged-after-16-month-old-boy-shot-killed-by-5-year-old-brother-in-indiana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> police that her older child was not aware of the gun and wasn’t even allowed to build or play with toy guns. However, she told police he occasionally played under her bed, where the safe was located.
The couple was arrested in LaPorte, a city about 90 miles north of LaFayette, on Monday and were extradited to LaFayette Tuesday afternoon.

5-Year-Old Who Fatally Shot Infant Brother Was High On Cocaine, Prosecutors Say

Children

Crime

Drugs

Indiana

Shooting

U.S.

New Hampshire&#8217;s Republican Governor Chris Sununu will not run for re-election in 2024.
Sununu, who had previously <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/05/sununu-passes-on-presidential-campaign-00100214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mulled</a> a presidential bid, announced that he would not run for the governorship Wednesday in an email to supporters, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/19/new-hampshire-sununu-no-reelection-2024-00107071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>.
“After discussions with Valerie and the kids and much consideration, I have decided not to run for another term as Governor in 2024,” Sununu wrote. “Public service should never be a career, and the time is right for another Republican to lead our great state.”
Sununu is currently in his fourth term, being first elected in <a href="https://www.politico.com/2016-election/results/map/governor/new-hampshire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016</a>. New Hampshire elects governors to two-year terms and does not impose term limits on them. Sununu hinted at his retirement during a June interview on WEEI’s &#8220;The Greg Hill Show.&#8221;
“Could I win again? Of course. But it’s [public] service, and someone else needs to kind of take the mantle,” Sununu told Hill.
Chris Sununu is popular in the Granite State, <a href="https://scholars.unh.edu/survey_center_polls/728/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasting</a> a 66% approval rating and winning each election with sizable majorities in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/state/new-hampshire/governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2022/results/new-hampshire/governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022</a>, even as Republicans lost in the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2020/results/state/new-hampshire/president" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presidential</a> and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2022/results/new-hampshire/senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> races in New Hampshire.
Despite Sununu’s electoral success, the Democratic Governors Association <a href="https://twitter.com/emmaobrien1496/status/1681703874355134481?s=46&amp;t=h2osjeatDG_bQhXArEDDhg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that voters “know it’s time for a change” after “four terms of Sununu&#8217;s failures on worsening problems — like the housing crisis, attacks on public education and harmful abortion restrictions.”
Sununu’s retirement has heated up the election in New England’s only purple state, and Democrats see this as their best opportunity in eight years to retake the governorship. Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington have already declared their candidacies. 
Former New Hampshire state Senate President Chuck Morse announced his campaign for governor immediately following Sununu’s announcement. Morse ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, but lost the GOP primary to Trump-backed Don Bolduc, who lost to incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyAyotte/status/1681713220770201603" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thanked</a> Sununu for his leadership in a Twitter post, and hinted that she may jump into the race.
“Our next Governor must be a tough and tested conservative who will fight to ensure that New Hampshire remains safe, prosperous, and free. I look forward to announcing some big news in the coming days,” Ayotte wrote. “Like many Granite Staters, I fear that we are one election away from turning into Massachusetts.”
Ayotte refused to endorse then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016 and lost her Senate seat the same year. She previously served as the state’s attorney general and <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2005/04-1144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> in favor of the state’s parental notification abortion law before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ayotte is the frontrunner in the Republican primary, with a New Hampshire Journal <a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3Afd47a15c-de0e-372f-af9c-953f8dca347a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> showing her leading Morse by 40 points. An Ayotte-affiliated PAC has also raised $414,000 for a gubernatorial bid, according to the <a href="https://nhjournal.com/ayottes-kelly-pac-reports-414k-in-new-filing-as-potential-gov-race-looms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal</a>.
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball has <a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2024-rating-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> this race from “Likely Republican” to “Toss-Up.”

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu speaks to guests at the

Republican Governor Announces He Will Not Run For Re-Election In Swing State

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu Will Not Run For Re-Election

2024 Election

Elections

New Hampshire

Politics

Republicans

A new study published Wednesday shows that espresso could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at the University of Verona in Italy found that compounds in espresso beverages, including caffeine, could slow or prevent the brain disorder.
The researchers <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01072">concluded</a>, “We have presented a large body of evidence that espresso coffee, a widely consumed beverage, is a source of natural compounds showing beneficial properties in ameliorating … pathologies,” such as Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/19/espresso-might-prevent-alzheimers-development-new-study/">said</a> that “numerous studies” showing that “coffee consumption exerts a [protective] action against two of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, i.e., Parkinson′s and Alzheimer′s,” prompted them to perform the study on espresso because of its high concentration of coffee molecules.
While experts are still uncovering the processes that cause the diseases to develop, most researchers have pointed to a protein in the brain called tau, which helps stabilize structures in that area of the human body. 
However, when tau clumps in the brain, it interrupts the communication between nerves, causing memory loss, poor judgment, wandering, and personality changes — all symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study used in-vitro and cell culture tests and found that four compounds found in espresso — caffeine, trigonelline, genistein, and theobromine — reduced the length of the tau fibers, preventing them from clumping. As the concentration of caffeine increased, tau proteins could not form larger sheets, indicating that the progress toward Alzheimer’s might be slowed.
Although more research is needed, the researchers said their preliminary findings would “pave the way toward finding or designing other bioactive compounds against … Alzheimer’s,” according to a <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/995534?">press release</a>.
6.2 million Americans <a href="https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/alzheimers-deaths#">have</a> Alzheimer’s disease, and the disorder is the fifth leading cause of death among the elderly, claiming 134,242 American lives in 2020. 
The study was funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research and follows several studies aimed at linking coffee consumption with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
A 2018 study by Canadian researchers <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/11/07/dark-roast-coffee-may-reduce-risk-alzheimers-parkinsons-diseases/1917413002/">showed</a> that dark roast coffee is also beneficial for brain health and could work to prevent both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 
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However, Howard Bauchner, editor-in-chief of the JAMA peer-reviewed medical magazine, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/11/07/dark-roast-coffee-may-reduce-risk-alzheimers-parkinsons-diseases/1917413002/">told</a> USA Today at the time that coffee studies should be “taken with a sip of skepticism.” He said that most coffee studies are association studies, meaning they don’t necessarily prove that coffee is the reason for the finding. 
Recent advances in drug therapies have given Alzheimer’s patients and their families hope. A new medication, donanemab, reduced the risk of progressing from mild to moderate dementia by 40% in a recent study and is expected to be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/17/alzheimers-eli-lilly-expects-fda-decision-on-donanemab-by-year-end.html">approved</a> by the FDA this fall.
If approved, donanemab would <a href="https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-dementia-fda-approved-treatments-for-alzheimers-ts.pdf">join</a> Lequembi and Aduhelm as the third FDA-approved drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Gil Rabinovici, the director of the University of California San Francisco’s Memory and Aging Center, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/995699">praised</a> the advancements, saying they were “just the opening chapter in a new era of molecular therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.”

Grandmother drinking black coffee

Coffee Could Save You From Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Says

Coffee Could Save You From Alzheimer's Disease, Study Says

alzheimer's

Coffee

elderly

General

Health

Health Care

Medical

Far-left Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) attempted to walk back anti-Israel statements she made Saturday, including “Israel is a racist state,” as she faces condemnation from fellow House Democrats over the comments.
Jayapal made the comment during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-cF0hwfi3A&amp;t=4221s">panel</a> with fellow hardliners Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Chuy Garcia (D-AZ) when anti-Israel demonstrators chanted the phrase at the lawmakers. 
“I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy,” Jayapal <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/17/1188096678/jayapal-israel-racist-state-jeffries">said</a>.
The comments drew scattered applause and cheers from people in the audience but soon led to a rebuke from fellow Democrats. 
“Israel is not a racist state,” a <a href="https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/joint-house-democratic-leadership-statement-relationship-between-united-states">letter</a> from the House Democratic leadership read without explicitly naming Jayapal. “America and Israel have a uniquely special relationship anchored in our shared democratic values and strategic interests. As House Democratic leaders, we strongly support Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people.”
Jayapal released a <a href="https://jayapal.house.gov/2023/07/16/jayapal-statement-on-israel-comments/#:~:text=At%20a%20conference%2C%20I%20attempted,as%20a%20nation%20is%20racist.">statement</a> Sunday afternoon attempting to walk back her comments, saying, “I attempted to defuse a tense situation during a panel where fellow members of Congress were being protested. Words do matter and so it is important that I clarify my statement. I do not believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist.”
The congresswoman, who leads the House Progressive Caucus, then took aim at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying his “extreme right-wing government has engaged in discriminatory and outright racist policies.”
A separate <a href="https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-750352">letter</a> from a group of Jewish Democrats, which was making the rounds gathering signatures, expresses “deep concern” over Jayapal’s “unacceptable” remarks. “We will never allow anti-Zionist voices that embolden antisemitism to hijack the Democratic Party and country,” the letter says, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/16/politics/pramila-jayapal-israel-netroots-nation/index.html">according</a> to CNN.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Monday <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4102090-mccarthy-democrats-need-to-do-something-about-antisemitic-remarks/">called</a> upon House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to address Jayapal’s and other Democrats’ anti-Israel comments.
“This isn’t the first person in the Democratic conference that has continued to make antisemitic comments,” McCarthy said, referencing Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) 2021 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-ilhan-omar-the-united-states-and-israel-commit-unthinkable-atrocities-like-the-taliban-hamas">comparison</a> of Israel with the Taliban and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ilhan-omar-on-her-history-of-anti-semitism-i-didnt-understand-i-was-trafficking-in-anti-semitism">other statements</a>. “I think this is a role for the leader, Hakeem, to prove that no, they’re not antisemitic.”
Jayapal’s comments come ahead of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to a joint session of Congress later this week, commemorating the Jewish State’s 75th Anniversary. 
Democratic leadership has been receptive to Herzog’s visit. “I look forward to welcoming him with open arms,” Jeffries said at a news conference last week, calling Herzog “a force for good in Israeli society.”
But far-left Democrats, including Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), and Cori Bush (D-MO), have all said they will not attend Herzog’s speech in protest. Jayapal is reportedly undecided on whether she will attend the speech but has said she doesn’t believe she will.

Progressive Caucus Leaders Address Republican Default Threat In Capitol Hill Press Conference

Jayapal Tries To Walk Back ‘Israel Is A Racist State’ Comments

Jayapal Tries To Walk Back 'Israel Is A Racist State' Comments

Anti-Semitism

Congress

Democrats

Hakeem Jeffries

Israel

Kevin McCarthy

Pramila Jayapal

The Squad

The world governing body for sports cycling, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), banned trans-identifying males from competing in women’s cycling races on Friday.
The new policy <a href="https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/uci-bans-transgender-women-from-competing-in-womens-races" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reverses</a> UCI’s previous policy that allowed men to compete in women’s sports if they had a plasma testosterone level below 2.5 nanomoles per liter for two years. The ban takes effect Monday.
“[UCI] has a duty to guarantee, above all, equal opportunities for all competitors in cycling competitions,” UCI President David Lappartient said in a <a href="https://www.uci.org/pressrelease/the-uci-adapts-its-rules-on-the-participation-of-transgender-athletes-in/6FnXDIzvzxtWFOvbOEnKbC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “Given the current state of scientific knowledge does not guarantee such equality of opportunity between transgender female athletes and cisgender female participants, it was not possible … to authorise the former to race in the female categories.&#8221;
The new policy will apply to any male who underwent puberty, regardless of how long they have taken hormones or how low their testosterone is. Trans-identifying males will still be able to compete, but they will be placed in the men’s category, which UCI renamed to “Men’s/Open.” 
Despite UCI’s citation of the “state of scientific knowledge,” the organization left the door open for another policy reversal “as scientific knowledge evolves” and said it would look at financing research to study the effects of cross-sex hormones on athletes’ performance.
Further, Lappartient said that UCI “fully respects and supports the right of individuals to choose the sex that corresponds to their gender identity, whatever sex they were assigned at birth.”
UCI came under heavy scrutiny for <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/37244616/uci-defends-transgender-policy-killips-victory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defending</a> its existing transgender policy as “based on the latest scientific knowledge” after biological male Austin Killips handedly won several women’s competitions, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-just-kind-of-hammered-man-crushes-competitors-in-north-carolina-womens-bike-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> the women’s Belgian Waffle Ride in Asheville, North Carolina, last month.
Paige Onweller, who was a distant second to Killips, said the trans-identifying winner’s “power is not comparable” to the women he raced and that she “couldn’t match” him. 
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She proposed a solution, saying, “In the future, I feel a separate category may be appropriate but event promoters are also learning what is best to preserve both female cycling while also creating an inclusive space for all to ride.”
Three-time Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson called for a protest of UCI amid the Killips controversy, saying the organization was “effectively killing off women’s cycling.” Because of her stance, Thompson was subsequently <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cycling-team-parts-ways-olympian-inga-thompson-call-protest-ucis-transgender-athlete-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> from the board of directors of Cynisca, an organization dedicated to promoting women cyclists.
UCI follows other sports in its ban of men in women’s sports as well as national-level cycling organizations. World Athletics, which governs international cross country and track and field competitions, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/sport/world-athletics-transgender-ruling-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> men from women’s categories in March. British Cycling <a href="https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/british-cycling-blocks-transgender-riders-from-competing-in-womens-races" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implemented</a> similar policies banning men from the women’s category in May.

European Championships – Track cycling

Cycling Organization Bans Trans-Identifying Men From Women’s Bike Races

UCI Bans Trans-Identifying Men From Women's Bike Races

Cycling

Transgender

Transgender Athletes

Women's sports

A New York appeals court sided with Democrats in a redistricting case that could end up handing the party multiple Republican-held seats in the 2024 elections.
In a split decision, the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/nyregion/redistricting-democrats-ny.html">scrapped</a> New York&#8217;s 2022 map for the U.S. House of Representatives — which enabled Republicans to gain four House seats — restarting a redistricting process that is expected to end up before the Democrat-dominated legislature. 
The court ruled that the competitive map used in the 2022 midterm elections was only a temporary fix and ordered the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) to redraw the map for 2024. However, it is likely that the IRC will not be able to agree on a map, handing the power over to the Democrat-dominated legislature — exactly what <a href="https://pix11.com/news/politics/ny-redistricting-fight-moves-to-state-legislature-after-commission-fails-to-agree-on-new-map/">happened</a> in 2022. 
“The IRC had an indisputable duty under the NY Constitution to submit a second set of maps upon the rejection of its first set … It is undisputed that the IRC failed to perform this duty,” Justice Peter Lynch <a href="https://decisions.courts.state.ny.us/ad3/Decisions/2023/CV-22-2265.pdf">wrote</a> in the decision. 
The legislature then enacted a map that <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/new-york/amended_democratic_proposal/">heavily favored</a> their party, but the New York Court of Appeals <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/27/1095100208/new-york-redistricting-rejected">struck the map down</a> as a partisan gerrymander, which is illegal under the state’s constitution. 
What is different this time is that the state’s highest court has shifted incredibly to the left since then. This means that the court could uphold a similar map and allow the Democrats to gerrymander several Republicans out of office.
Under the Democrats’ 2022 map, the party had a clear advantage in 22 of the state’s 26 seats. They only <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2022/results/new-york">won</a> 15 seats under the neutral <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/new-york/">court-drawn map</a>. 
The decision drew immediate condemnation from Republicans. “After failing to win at the ballot box last November, New York Democrats are attempting a blatant partisan power grab thinly disguised as a court case,” Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the House Republicans’ campaign arm, <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4095448-new-york-court-rules-in-favor-of-democrats-in-redistricting-battle/">said</a> in a statement.
“New York State now has more competitive congressional districts than any state in the nation,” Former Rep. John Faso (R-NY) <a href="https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/07/13/appeals-court-orders-new-congressional-lines-new-york-potential-boon-democrats/">said</a>. “Democrats want to rig the congressional district lines in their favor.”
“When Democrats can’t compete, they cheat. Their illegal gerrymander violated the State Constitution and bucked the will of the voters,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and state Republican chair Ed Cox said about the Democrats’ 2022 map in a joint statement. 
A new Democrat-drawn map could endanger Republican representatives across the state, including long island Reps. George Santos and Anthony D’Esposito, Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, and Hudson Valley Reps. Michael Lawler, and Marc Molinaro.
Redistricting battles are raging across the country, as the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-blocks-alabama-congressional-map-as-discriminatory">struck down</a> a map in Alabama, forcing the state to draw a second majority-black district <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2023/06/gov-kay-ivey-calls-special-session-to-redraw-alabamas-congressional-districts.html">this summer</a>. Republicans in North Carolina also <a href="https://www.wfae.org/politics/2023-06-27/nc-republicans-can-still-gerrymander-maps-after-independent-state-legislature-theory-ruling">seek to draw</a> a more favorable map after the state’s supreme court shifted to the right.

New York US State Law Legal System Concept

Court Orders New York To Draw New Congressional Map, Democrats Expected To Gain Seats

2022 Midterms

Courts

New York

Redistricting

A Christian social worker in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/united-kingdom">U.K.</a> is taking legal action after his job offer was rescinded for his Christian views of sexuality and marriage.
Felix Ngole was offered his “dream job” as a mental health support worker at Touchstone Support Leeds, a charity <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/services/service-directory/touchstone/N10499434">partnered</a> with the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS), but weeks later, the company <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12278659/Christian-job-offer-rescinded-company-learns-victory-free-speech-case.html">rescinded</a> the offer when it found out about his Christian beliefs and past victory in a religious liberty case.
Several weeks after receiving his acceptance letter, he received an email from Touchstone Deputy CEO Kathryn Hart, saying he was not fit for the position because the company had “identified some significant areas and concerns” that did not “align with Touchstone Leeds’ ethos and values.” 
“In particular, we can see that you have very strong views against homosexuality and same-sex marriage, which completely go against the views of Touchstone, an organisation committed to actively promoting and supporting LGBTQ+ rights,” Hart continued.
She said that she would reconsider if he would embrace Touchstone’s values, including “the promotion of homosexual rights.”
The father of three was then invited to a meeting with Hart and the company’s operations director, Dave Pickard, who questioned him intensely about his beliefs.
Ngole, who fled persecution in Cameroon, compared the questioning to interrogations he experienced in his home country. “They called it a discussion but it felt like I was being interrogated back in Cameroon,” he said. “Every question had an LGBT slant. … I think they were concerned that employing me could risk their Stonewall ranking.”
&#8220;What I cannot do, and you cannot reasonably expect me to do without yourselves being discriminatory, is make my participation in the &#8216;promotion of homosexual rights&#8217; a condition of my employment,&#8221; Ngole responded in the meeting, assuring them he would not discriminate against anyone. 
A week after the meeting, he received an email from the company officially rescinding his job offer, stating that his beliefs would be “upsetting and offensive” to their patients and would “exacerbate … [their] anxiety and depression.”
Touchstone Support <a href="https://touchstonesupport.org.uk/about-us/senior-leadership-team/">boasts</a> its “Top 100 LGBTQ+ Inclusive Employer” ranking and “Gold” award from the controversial organization <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/">Stonewall</a>, which <a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/join-diversity-champions-programme">promotes</a> left-wing LGBTQ agenda items in workplaces. The company’s logo even dons the Pride and transgender flags’ colors.
Ngole is now pursuing legal action against the organization under the U.K. Equality Act, which forbids discrimination on the basis of religion. 
Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre, which is representing Ngole, said, “Telling an employee they must &#8217;embrace and promote&#8217; homosexuality as a condition of employment sets a dark and troubling precedent. If left unchallenged it would see Christians who manifest their beliefs barred from working in the NHS.”
The Centre <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/christian-social-worker-takes-legal-action-job-withdrawn-told-embrace-promote-lgbt-rights">said</a> that he was “the best performing candidate in interview, gaining the highest marks of any candidate on an equality and diversity assessment.”
Religious discrimination is not new for Ngole, as he won a case against the University of Sheffield, which had expelled him for his Christian beliefs. In 2016, the university expelled him for quoting Bible verses about homosexuality in a Facebook discussion and told him not to express his views, even in church, according to <a href="https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/british-court-upholds-right-christians-freely-express-their-faith">CBN News</a>. 
The U.K. Court of Appeal rebuked the university in a landmark free speech victory, saying, “The mere expression of religious views about sin does not necessarily connote discrimination.&#8221; The Court of Appeal also found that Ngole would “never discriminate against anyone” because of his religious views. His victory in the case played a role in the offer being rescinded, according to The Daily Mail.
This type of discrimination is on the rise in the U.K., <a href="https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/christian-social-worker-uk-denied-job-refusing-pledge-allegiance-lgbt-flag">according</a> to Williams. &#8220;What we see here is the confident totalitarianism of an organization that has been captured by Stonewall and will do anything to keep their Stonewall ranking as high as possible,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Viewpoint discrimination is escalating in the UK at an alarming rate &#8230; Anyone who does not comply and celebrate LGBT ideology must become a &#8216;non-person.'&#8221;
Viewpoint discrimination is a rising concern for British politicians. As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-k-bank-refuses-to-open-account-for-conservative-parent-group-report">reported</a>, U.K. banks backed by the Stonewall group have denied or shut individuals’ accounts for their political views or positions. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12258933/Rishi-Sunak-issues-warning-banks-blacklisting-customers-controversial-views.html">vowed</a> to investigate such discrimination.

Felix Ngole court case

Christian Social Worker Sues After Losing Job Offer, Told He Must ‘Embrace And Promote Homosexual Rights’

Christian Social Worker Sues After Losing Job Offer, Told He Must 'Embrace And Promote Homosexual Rights'

Discrimination

LGBT

Religious Freedom

Same-Sex Marriage

Social Issues

United Kingdom

A pro-abortion professor at the University of Notre Dame has sued the university’s Catholic conservative newspaper for defamation.
Tamara Kay, a <a href="https://sociology.nd.edu/people/tamara-kay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">professor</a> of global affairs and sociology and ardent abortion advocate, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/07/11/liberal-professor-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-notre-dames-conservative-campus-paper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a defamation lawsuit on May 22 alleging that the newspaper, the Irish Rover, intentionally made “false and defamatory statements” about her in two articles. 
In a <a href="https://irishrover.net/2023/07/we-will-not-be-silenced/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> released Tuesday, the Rover said Kay’s allegations were “entirely false.” “Her lawsuit reflects only the latest stage in a tenured professor’s baseless public campaign against undergraduates at her own university who had the temerity to publish accurate stories about her very public abortion advocacy,” the publication said.
The professor sued over two articles in the Irish Rover published in October 2022 and March 2023, both criticizing her promotion of abortion access against the Catholic university’s <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/institutional-statement-supporting-the-choice-for-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> opposition to abortion and <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/letter-on-health-care-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contraception</a>. 
Kay alleged that the articles “contained false and defamatory information” and have “a motive of bad faith and a reckless disregard for truth and falsity.” Analysis of the relevant recordings by the Daily Caller reveal that while the Irish Rover’s quotes contained a few “minor inaccuracies,” the articles accurately preserved the substance of the professor’s statements and actions. 
She also claimed that because of the articles, she “has been harassed, threatened, and experienced damage to her residential property” and “has suffered mentally and emotionally.”
Joseph DeRuil, the publication’s former editor, told the Daily Caller that “there is no merit to any of Professor Kay’s claims, so we hope to put this lawsuit behind us as quickly as possible in order to reestablish our focus on promoting Notre Dame’s Catholic identity.”
In response, the Irish Rover filed an Anti-SLAPP motion to dismiss the tenured professor’s lawsuit. SLAPP stands for “strategic lawsuits against public participation” and describes lawsuits that seek to silence criticism.
“I am not at all worried about the result of the lawsuit. I know that everything we published is true and written in good faith, so I firmly believe that the lawsuit can only be decided in favor of the Irish Rover,” DeRuil said.
The <a href="https://irishrover.net/2022/10/keough-school-professor-offers-abortion-access-to-student/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">October article</a>, written by DeRuil, alleged that Kay and other professors “offer help in obtaining both Plan B ‘morning after’ pills and ‘Plan C’ abortion pills, which are efficacious up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.” Such pills are not available on the pro-life university’s campus due to university policy.
The article cited a post on Kay’s door that said, “This is a SAFE SPACE to get help and information on ALL Healthcare issues and access—confidentially with care and compassion,” and included an encircled “J,” which DeRuil said is a symbol for professors who secretly help students obtain abortions.
The article also presented since-deleted tweets posted by Kay, whose Twitter account is named “Dr. Tamara Kay &#8211; Notre Dame abortion rights expert,” as evidence of her pro-abortion activities. “Will help as a private citizen if you have issues w[ith] access or cost. D[irect] M[essage] me,” the tweet read.
The <a href="https://irishrover.net/2023/03/tamara-kay-explains-herself-to-notre-dame-democrats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March article</a> said that Kay, in a College Democrats event, was asked how she — as an abortion advocate — ended up at Notre Dame, which does not allow student groups who promote abortion or contraceptives. The article claims that she answered that she had reservations about working for Notre Dame, but &#8220;[her] Catholicism is about social justice [and] liberation theology.&#8221; She also stated, “For me, being Catholic means … that you do the right thing even when it’s difficult. …Because if I don’t, who will?”
Kay also denies the article&#8217;s claims that she said, &#8220;If you have that academic freedom, you should use it,&#8221; and, &#8220;She acknowledges that not all the students in the crowd could be as forward in their pro-abortion activities as she is: I can&#8217;t impose that on you&#8230;but I&#8217;m doing me, and you should do you.&#8221;
The University of Notre Dame has not yet addressed the lawsuit. The university’s president, Fr. John Jenkins, <a href="https://ndsmcobserver.com/2022/12/jenkins-disavows-professors-chicago-tribune-op-ed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> a December 2022 letter to the Chicago Tribune disavowing a pro-abortion op-ed Kay wrote and has <a href="https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/letter-on-health-care-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintained</a> the university’s stance against abortion.

University of Notre Dame Golden Dome

Pro-Abortion Professor Sues Conservative College Newspaper For Defamation

Abortion

American Universities

Free Speech

Lawsuit

Notre Dame University

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy allowed an angry pro-abortion heckler to interrupt his town hall in Ottumwa, Iowa, on Monday.
A video that went viral shortly after it was posted shows the candidate’s graceful handling of a heckler shouting down his event. Reacting to the viral video, Ramaswamy <a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1678573379081629696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1678573379081629696%7Ctwgr%5Ee5f231d80753c87f2d71425fb1453a6c98ebcf62%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fvivek-ramaswamy-responds-viral-video-liberal-protester-abortion-free-speech-absolutist">tweeted</a>, “I’m a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m a free speech absolutist. Especially for those who disagree with me. <a href="https://t.co/N8hWBChO0y">https://t.co/N8hWBChO0y</a>
&mdash; Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) <a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy/status/1678573379081629696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The female protester, who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/vivek-ramaswamy-responds-viral-video-liberal-protester-abortion-free-speech-absolutist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> herself as Kayla Crist, stood up and shouted at Ramaswamy, “Our SCOTUS won’t protect our women,” and “Republicans are raping women.” As Crist screamed at the Republican, attendants at the town hall attempted to escort the heckler out of the room, but Ramaswamy invited her back.
“I want to give her a chance to speak. Do you want to come back here?” he said. “You can say something to me — it’s okay. … You can ask me a question, and I will answer.”
The woman then turned around and approached the stage where Ramaswamy sat. “If somebody non-consensually rapes me, I’m not having their child. It is my choice, and my body,” she started.
Crist told Ramaswamy about her experience as a single mother, saying “I’m already raising a kid that somebody implanted in me and doesn’t take care of. The system does nothing for the single mother. There’s no child support, and no one goes after them. I have been raising a child by myself for eight years.”
“I am a mother, and my kid is successful.” Crist continued. “And I don’t want to be frowned upon. I don’t want to be put down because I’m a single mother. My kid is happy and successful.”
Ramaswamy responded by thanking the woman for raising her child and applauding her for her “courage” in speaking up at his event. 
“Thank you, Kayla. I want to say that one of the most important things is for a mother raising her children in this world,” he said. “Even if we have disagreements, I want to thank you for that,” Ramaswamy responded.
“And part of what it means to live in this country is we have free speech. We get to speak our minds openly, even if we all don’t agree on it,” the candidate continued. “So, let’s actually applaud her for the courage to come in and ask a question even though we don’t agree on it.”
Vivek Ramaswamy <a href="https://echelonin.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/June-2023-Omnibus-Topline-EXTERNAL-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> 10% in a recent Republican primary poll from Echelon, the first time the candidate reached double digits. Still, the Republican is <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/24_democratic_presidential_nomination-8171.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">far behind</a> former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in every poll so far.
The presidential hopeful also recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vivek-ramaswamy-introduces-scholarship-to-revive-patriotism-among-young-americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> he was committing $250,000 of his own money to a scholarship intended to “revive patriotism” in young Americans.

GOP Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Campaigns In Chicago

Vivek Ramaswamy Allows Angry Protester To Interrupt His Event: ‘I’m A Free Speech Absolutist’

Vivek Ramaswamy Allows Angry Protester To Interrupt His Event: 'I'm A Free Speech Absolutist'

Hecklers

Iowa

Republican Primary

Townhall

Vivek Ramaswamy

A Nebraska mother has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-charges-nebraska-704b4068ed53791710edad4124f7e750">pleaded</a> guilty to illegally giving her 17-year-old daughter abortion pills and helping her burn and bury the baby’s body.
Jessica Burgess, 42, of Norfolk, Nebraska, pled guilty to three felonies in a plea agreement with Madison County District Attorney Joe Smith. She admitted to providing an abortion after 20 weeks gestation, lying to police, and tampering with human remains.
As part of the plea deal, Smith dropped charges against Jessica for concealing the death of another person and providing an abortion by someone other than a physician. With the three remaining felonies, she could face up to five years in prison and $21,000 in fines. 
Burgess helped her daughter, Celeste Burgess, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nebraska-woman-pleads-guilty-burning-fetus-abortion-rcna85922">order</a> abortion pills on the internet in April 2022 when she was 29 weeks pregnant, in violation of Nebraska’s 20 week abortion ban. After taking the pills, the daughter gave birth to the aborted baby in the shower and put the body in a bag and a box, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-nebraska-government-and-politics-b94abeeed9a8c486cf479d6ae78c62aa">Associated Press</a>.
The pair then drove to a field outside of town, burned the baby’s dead body, and buried it. A detective wrote that the child’s body showed signs of “thermal wounds” and that a man who helped the duo confirmed the mother and daughter burned the baby’s dead body.
The mother-daughter duo was charged in August 2022, and they both initially pleaded not guilty. Celeste, now 18, reached a plea agreement in May and is scheduled for sentencing July 20, facing up to two years in prison. Jessica is scheduled for sentencing on September 22. 
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-allegedly-aborted-burned-and-buried-her-baby-heres-how-media-covered-it">reported</a>, mainstream media outlets obscured the facts of the case and instead focused on Facebook assisting law enforcement in enforcing an abortion law by handing over the duo’s messages. 
“Are we starting it today?” Celeste Burgess <a href="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/COURTDOC-comp.jpg">asked</a> her mother, to which her mom replied, “We can if u want,” adding, “the one will stop the hormones.”
The two discuss the process of taking the abortion pills before Celeste Burgess reminds her mother, “Remember we burn the evidence.”
“Yep,” her mother responds.
“Once everything is out,” the daughter continued.
“Yep,” the mom answers. “Thought u would b happy 2 hear the stuff came in.”
“Yes,” responds the daughter. “I will finally be able to wear jeans.”

UK – Crime – Scene Investigators Searching Grave Site

Mother Pleads Guilty To Giving Daughter Abortion Pills, Burning and Burying Dead Baby

Mainstream Media

Nebraska

A state judge ordered Kansas to stop allowing trans-identifying individuals to change their sex on their driver’s licenses Monday.
District Judge Teresa Watson <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article277164943.html">issued</a> a restraining order against Democratic Governor Laura Kelly&#8217;s administration to stop allowing trans-identifying drivers to change their sex on their licenses after Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued Kelly’s administration over the practice.
Watson’s restraining order states that allowing sex changes on licenses would cause “immediate and irreparable injury,” noting that “driver’s licenses are issued for a period of six years and are difficult to take back or out of circulation once issued.”
“Licenses are used by law enforcement to identify criminal suspects, crime victims, wanted persons, missing persons and others,” Watson <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trangender-drivers-licenses-birth-certificates-kansas-c06f487b05e3d0ba7f6222f64a08868e?taid=64ac1f99c0272c00017084d4&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">continued</a>. “Compliance with state legal requirements for identifying license holders is a public safety concern.”
The order comes three days after Kobach, a Republican, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-birth-certificates-licenses-kansas-29d3a02fa44ec9dbfe28979ea8221591">sued</a> two officials in the Kelly administration, arguing that changing driver’s licenses for those who identify with the opposite sex is unlawful. 
Kobach argued that the practice is unlawful under a state law passed this year — called the Women’s Bill of Rights — that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kansas-senate-passes-first-bill-defining-woman-as-a-biological-female">defines</a> men and women on the basis of their “biological reproductive system.” 
Kelly <a href="https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">vetoed</a> the bill, saying it “stripp[ed] away rights” and would “hurt our ability to continue … landing new business deals.” The Republican-controlled legislature <a href="https://www.metroweekly.com/2023/05/kansas-republicans-override-veto-of-transgender-bathroom-ban/">overrode</a> her veto, with the law going into effect July 1.
Last month, Kobach <a href="https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/ag-opinions/2023/ago-2023-2-rep-barth---final.pdf?sfvrsn=f3f6bc1a_12">released</a> a legal opinion that the Women’s Bill of Rights required that driver’s licenses be issued based on the driver’s biological sex. The opinion stated that the Kansas Department of Revenue should update licenses that don’t reflect the driver’s biological sex.
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In his opinion, Kobach also argued the law applies to birth certificates and prisons, but his lawsuit only addresses driver’s licenses. 
Despite the law’s passage and Kobach’s legal opinion, Kelly <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ks-gov-laura-kelly-says-state-transgender-residents-alter-drivers-licenses-despite-law">issued</a> a directive last month that the state’s motor vehicles division would continue to allow trans-identifiers to change their sex listing on their licenses.
Kobach <a href="https://ag.ks.gov/media-center/news-releases/2023/06/29/ag-kobach-statement-regarding-governor's-decision-not-to-enforce-sb-180">called</a> Kelly’s directive “nonsense.” 
“The Governor doesn’t get to veto a bill and then ignore the Legislature’s override,&#8221; he wrote shortly before filing the suit. &#8220;She is violating her oath of office to uphold Kansas law. We will see her in court.&#8221; 
Watson did not rule on whether the Kelly administration broke state law by continuing to change licenses. Kansas has allowed the practice for four years, and nearly 400 people have changed their sex on their licenses. The restraining order lasts two weeks and can be extended by the judge.

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Anthony Cash