The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> has been asked to produce documentation on why it supports chemical and surgical child sex change treatments.
The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) is seeking information from the Biden administration on its policies related to gender transition and &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; care. The AHCA submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asking for documents on the Biden administration’s transgender health care policies.
The agency is currently a defendant in a lawsuit over a state rule that prohibits Medicaid funds from being used for &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; care, which includes hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery.
According to documents <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/01/31/florida-ahca-doj-hhs-gender-dysphoria-ron-desantis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reviewed</a> by The Daily Caller, the AHCA is seeking information not only about the Medicaid lawsuit, but also about the state&#8217;s guidance for the treatment of children with gender dysphoria and the state&#8217;s accepted medical standards for treating gender dysphoria. The documents reportedly state that sex reassignment procedures lack evidence of being effective treatments for gender dysphoria, especially for children.
The AHCA requested records from the DOJ related to a March 31, 2022, letter from Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke to all state attorneys general, urging states to comply with the Biden administration&#8217;s priorities on transgender rights and treatment regulations. The agency also requested records from HHS about a March 2, 2022, notice on gender-affirming care and civil rights, which threatened legal action against entities that discriminate against transgender individuals.
The AHCA also requested records on any ongoing or pending litigation related to gender dysphoria and any communications with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, or the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. The state of Florida recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pediatric-medical-body-subpoenaed-to-provide-florida-with-documentation-on-child-sex-change-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won a ruling</a> from a district court ordering the AAP to turn over documents explaining why it supports gender transitions for minors after the state subpoenaed several organizations for documents on their gender dysphoria policies last month.
The order was the latest development in the case, brought by transgender rights groups with the backing of the medical groups and Yale that are suing Florida, arguing its ban on Medicaid covering sex change treatments violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The plaintiffs sought a preliminary injunction against the Medicaid ban, but the request was <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/12/florida-medicaid-ban-transgender-treatments-00061500" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> in October. Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that the ban did not violate constitutional rights, but instead would be determined by the Medicaid statute.
In the United States, children are put in the driver’s seat of their own sex change operations, despite the fact that a body of <a href="http://www.sexologytoday.org/2016/01/do-trans-kids-stay-trans-when-they-grow_99.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> indicates that roughly 60–90% of children who identify as transgender, but who do not socially or medically transition, will no longer identify as transgender in adulthood and many will grow up to be gay and lesbian adults. The “gender-affirming” model of care discourages therapy that could help minors feel more comfortable in their bodies and instead provides puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries to “affirm” minors in their chosen trans-identity.
Despite the emerging <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-nearly-80-of-voters-oppose-transgender-procedures-on-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> that Americans are reluctant to cosign onto medically transitioning minors, President Biden has repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-over-trans-remarks-democrats-are-officially-and-proudly-pro-mutilation-for-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doubled down</a> on allowing minors full access to medical interventions and chastised Republican-led efforts to limit access to chemical and surgical child sex change treatments, calling the GOP “immoral.”

President Biden Meets With Business Leaders To Discuss Covid Response

Florida Requests Internal Documents From Biden Administration On Child Sex Change Policies

Biden Admin

Florida

Lawsuit

Politics

Puberty blockers

Social Issues

Transgender

transgender surgery

On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled against Masterpiece Cakeshop baker Jack Phillips, arguing he violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by refusing to bake a cake for a gender transition celebration.
Critics of the ruling point to Phillips’ earlier “win” at the Supreme Court, which narrowly ruled in his favor, as the reason the baker continues to be targeted by activists. In 2017, former Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion that some have argued essentially said Phillips could have lost his Supreme Court case if it hadn’t been for Colorado officials openly disparaging Phillips and his Christian views.
That narrow decision has allowed Phillips to continue to be persecuted, critics say. At the Washington Examiner, Quin Hillyer <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/christian-cake-artist-gets-persecuted-again">argued</a> that the Supreme Court’s “search for the narrowest possible result merely invited further, seemingly endless rounds of new litigation.”
The latest lawsuit against Phillips comes from an activist attorney, Autumn Scardina, in Colorado who called Masterpiece Cakeshop on the same day the Supreme Court announced it would take his prior case – in which he was accused of discrimination for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. The attorney requested Phillips create a custom cake that was pink on the inside and blue on the outside to celebrate a gender transition. According to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represents Phillips, the attorney also called back to request a cake depicting Satan smoking marijuana in order to “correct the errors of [Phillips’] thinking.” Phillips declined to make either cake because of the messages they depicted. The activist has now sued.
“Naturally, Colorado’s courts ignored the patently offensive request for a Satan cake and instead again held Phillips responsible for illegal discrimination based on gender, his religious objections notwithstanding,” Hillyer wrote. “Today’s affirmation by the appeals court of the lower court’s ruling takes ample advantage of the loophole left open by the Supreme Court while cherry-picking from other Supreme Court religious liberty decisions to reach its desired, anti-Phillips conclusion.”
On Twitter, prominent conservative PoliMath also blamed the Supreme Court for the ongoing legal struggles of Masterpiece Cakeshop.
“The result of John Roberts pushing for the narrowest possible ruling in the earlier Masterpiece case is that they continued persecuting Jack Phillips for years,” PoliMath tweeted. “They will continue to do this to him until he dies.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The result of John Roberts pushing for the narrowest possible ruling in the earlier Masterpiece case is that they continued persecuting Jack Phillips for years
They will continue to do this to him until he dies <a href="https://t.co/W8z3JF4iTv">https://t.co/W8z3JF4iTv</a>
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) <a href="https://twitter.com/politicalmath/status/1618729683423731719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The appeals court on Thursday argued that Phillips only refused to bake the cake after learning the client was transgender and wanted to use the cake to celebrate his birthday and gender transition.
“Thus, it was Scardina’s transgender status, and her desire to use the cake in celebration of that status, that caused Masterpiece and Phillips to refuse to provide the cake,” the court wrote, arguing the cake “expressed no message.”
But ADL <a href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/co-cake-artist-appeal-decision-violates-his-right-create-freely">argues</a> that “Phillips works with all people and always decides whether to take a project based on what message a cake will express, not who is requesting it.”
“Over a decade ago, Colorado officials began targeting Jack, misusing state law to force him to say things he does not believe. Then an activist attorney continued that crusade,” the ADF said in a statement. “This cruelty must stop. One need not agree with Jack’s views to agree that all Americans should be free to say what they believe, even if the government disagrees with those beliefs.”

Masterpiece Cakeshop

Critics Say Latest Lawsuit Against Beleaguered Masterpiece Cakeshop Baker Inevitable After Weak SCOTUS Ruling

Colorado Appeals Court Rules Against Masterpiece Cakeshop Baker Jack Phillips Over Transgender Cake

Colorado

Jack Phillips

Religious Liberty

U.S.

Multiple Republican state attorneys general filed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suit</a> against the Labor Department over a measure that would nix a previous ban on environmental, social, and corporate governance investments, also known as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/esg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG</a>, among fiduciaries managing retirement funds.
The agency published a <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/fact-sheets/final-rule-on-prudence-and-loyalty-in-selecting-plan-investments-and-exercising-shareholder-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final rule</a> last year that reflected the Biden administration’s directive to safeguard the economy from “climate-related financial risk that may threaten the life savings and pensions of America’s workers and families.” Under the new rule, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-barred-retirement-plans-from-mixing-wokeness-with-profits-biden-is-reversing-that-rule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reverses</a> a prohibition formerly created under the Trump administration, fiduciaries are permitted to weigh “the economic effects of climate change and other ESG considerations” as long as such concerns are relevant to a risk-and-return analysis.
The <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/2023.01.26_1%20Complaint.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> filed on Thursday by 25 attorneys general contends that the new rule “undermines key protections for retirement savings of 152 million workers” established under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, also known as ERISA, a statute that creates minimum standards of conduct for pension plans in the private sector.
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit is Liberty Energy, an oil and gas company which contends that the rule would invite “activists” to wage proxy campaigns against the firm. “We are suing because this regulation makes it harder to protect our workers’ retirement security and impedes investing in our industry and its ability to provide reliable and affordable energy to our communities,” Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire.
The former <a href="https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20201030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rule</a> established by the Trump administration barred fiduciaries from “selecting investments based on non-pecuniary considerations” and required them to “base investment decisions on financial factors” alone. Critics of the ESG movement contend that the investment philosophy mingles political and social causes, such as reducing carbon emissions and achieving racial diversity, in a manner that compromises profitability.
“This rule is an affront to every American concerned about their retirement account,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “The fact that the Biden administration is now opting to risk the financial security of working-class Americans to advance a woke political agenda is insulting and illegal. For generations, federal law has required that fiduciaries place their clients’ financial interests at the forefront.”
American investors are largely skeptical toward ESG investment strategies and desire that their funds are allocated in a politically agnostic manner. An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive poll</a> from The Daily Wire showed last year that 64% of respondents believe “individual investors whose savings are being invested” should decide whether funds are appropriated according to ESG standards, while a mere 20% believe that “Wall Street asset managers” should make such decisions.
The lawsuit comes after Republican state treasurers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/states-have-pulled-nearly-12-billion-from-blackrock-this-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">divested</a> some $12 billion from asset management company BlackRock last year over the firm’s promotion of the ESG movement. Other states joining the lawsuit include Florida, Utah, Virginia, Georgia, Ohio, and Tennessee.
“This is about protecting retirees in Louisiana and the rest of the country,” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “Investments should be made using sound economic principles, not woke policies. These firms have a responsibility to invest with their client&#8217;s best financial interests in mind rather than Biden’s disastrous agenda.”

Ken Paxton

Attorneys General Sue Biden Admin Over Rule That Lets ESG Into Retirement Savings

Attorneys General File Suit Over Rule That Lets ESG Into Retirement Savings

Biden Administration

Republicans

Wokeness

The maker of the popular <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/children">children</a>’s toy L.O.L. Surprise! OMG Dolls was granted a mistrial this week when a federal judge ruled that prohibited testimony on cultural appropriation was introduced during proceedings.
Toymaker MGA Entertainment is currently involved in an intellectual property <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit">dispute</a> with rapper T.I. and former teen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">pop group</a> OMG Girlz. The company sued OMG Girlz, rapper Clifford T.I. Harris, and Xscape singer Tameka “Tiny” Harris, mother of former OMG Girlz member Zonnique Pullins, <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/omg-dolls-t-i-dispute-gets-mistrial-over-cultural-appropriation">per</a> Bloomberg Law. 
The lawsuit sought a declaratory judgment that OMG Dolls didn’t infringe on the intellectual property rights of the former band. This was after MGA received a cease and desist letter demanding they stop selling the toys.
The OMG Girlz performed from 2009 to 2015. They countered that the toy company had misappropriated their name and likenesses plus sought damages. They claimed the dolls were copies of OMG Girlz and were “intentionally designed to trade on the OMG Girlz’ likeness and brand.”
The OMG Girlz further alleged cultural appropriation, saying MGA Entertainment and its CEO Isaac Larian were using the dolls “to misappropriate the likeness of black female artists.” 
Judge James V. Selna of the Central District of California barred testimony about the alleged racist cultural appropriation.
The trial began on January 17 and was abruptly halted this week following the introduction of prohibited statements mentioning cultural appropriation. Jurors heard a woman testifying she “did not want to support a company that steals from African Americans and their ideas.” 
According to court documents, Judge Selna agreed that the woman’s testimony regarding cultural appropriation was considered a “rant” and was prejudicial against the defendant, MGA Entertainment. 
T.I.’s lawyer, Erin Ranahan, tried to get Judge Selna to reconsider, claiming the testimony didn’t help their case. But ultimately, the judge declared a mistrial.
Pullins had previously posted photos of OMG Girlz next to images of OMG Dolls, asking her Instagram followers to weigh in on whether they saw the resemblance. Most of them agreed that the dolls have a similar look. 
“Two things will not be disputed: Isaac Larian and MGA have sold a lot of OMG dolls,” Attorney David Scheper <a href="https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/rapper-t-i-and-wife-tinys-omg-dolls-trial-sees-first-testimony/">said</a> during his opening statements. “And the OMG Girlz and their family have never asked for permission, never given permission and never made a penny from all those sales.”
“This case is about greed. That’s what it’s about. It’s a shakedown,” MGA attorney Jennifer Keller refuted.

OMG GIRLZ Visits Round Rock, Texas Students With The Get Schooled Victory Tour

Judge Declares Mistrial In OMG Dolls Lawsuit After ‘Cultural Appropriation’ Testimony

Judge Declares Mistrial In OMG Dolls Lawsuit After 'Cultural Appropriation' Testimony

Courts

Entertainment

A group of Ohio parents is suing their local school district, alleging that &#8220;activist teachers&#8221; talked about gender and sexuality with students as young as six.
The eight parents filed the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/620368102/Lawsuit-2023-01-16-Complaint-Final-1-003-Redacted#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> Monday in federal court against Hilliard City Schools in Columbus.
The lawsuit claims the district allows &#8220;activist teachers&#8221; to have &#8220;intimate conversations&#8221; with children as young as six about &#8220;sexual behaviors, sexual attitudes, mental and psychological questions of the student and the student’s family, and private religious practices.&#8221;
These conversations are taking place &#8220;without parental consent and knowledge&#8221; and that teachers are taking &#8220;specific actions&#8221; to hide them from parents, according to the lawsuit.
&#8220;This is a recipe for indoctrination and child abuse,&#8221; the lawsuit states.
The conversations with students have &#8220;led to a very dangerous outcome,&#8221; <a href="https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/hilliard-parents-sue-school-district/530-7b943484-b109-4416-b4d3-3ba775501904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> attorney Joshua Brown, who is representing the parents.
&#8220;The parents were contacted one day and told that the student was suicidal at school. And when they got to the school and talk to the social worker, they were told that the school was counseling and treating the child for gender dysphoria, and never informed the parent,” Brown said.
The parents also claim that a teacher posted sexual educational materials on a bulletin board that included &#8220;definitions of sexual items&#8221; that are &#8220;not part of the district standards.&#8221;
The parents claim that the district&#8217;s legal counsel refused to explain the district&#8217;s official policy on these issues.
&#8220;The schools do not have the right to withhold information from parents for any reason. Especially when it involves mental health,&#8221; <a href="https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/hilliard-city-schools-parents-republican-group-lawsuit-lgbtq-idoctrination-badges-qr-code-ohio-parental-rights-mental-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Lisa Chaffee, one of the lawsuit&#8217;s plaintiffs and the director of Ohio Parents Rights in Education.
Superintendent David Stewart <a href="https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/hilliard-city-schools-district-responds-to-parents-lawsuit/530-91f18217-d749-4aad-9e45-d13c6d6af039" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the parents are making “broad-brush accusations” in a <a href="https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/hilliard-superintendent-reacts-to-lawsuit-filed-against-district-by-conservative-parents-lgbtq-badges-support-mental-health-sexuality-conversations-education-federal-court-central-ohio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> Wednesday.
Stewart said he took action when he was alerted to the issue of teachers surveying students about their pronouns and asking them which pronouns should be used in parental communications.
The superintendent said that the district does not support surveying students on this topic, and every teacher should now be aware of this.
&#8220;While it may not be best practice, it is not illegal,” Stewart said.
Stewart also addressed the LGBT &#8220;I&#8217;m Here&#8221; badges issued by the local teachers union and worn by some teachers.
The lawsuit claimed that the badges have a QR code linking to instructions about sexual positions that could be scanned by students from far away and that one student was given a badge.
The superintendent said that the front of the badge, the part visible to students, reads &#8220;I&#8217;m Here&#8221; with the signature LGBT colored stripes. The back of the badge has a QR code for teachers that could potentially lead to material &#8220;inappropriate&#8221; for students. The district decided to cover the QR codes, and they are not aware of any student accessing it, Stewart said.
&#8220;The lawsuit calls for counselors, not teachers, to be called in when issues arise concerning a student’s medical or mental health. We agree. Indeed, the single example cited in the lawsuit involves a student exhibiting the need for mental health counseling who was taken to a professional social worker. The social worker then contacted and met with the student’s parents,” Stewart said.
Parents in at least four states, <a href="https://houstonherald.com/2022/04/massachusetts-parents-sue-school-district-for-hiding-childs-alternate-gender-identity-from-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massachusetts</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/florida-parents-sue-school-district-over-daughters-secret-gender-transition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a>, <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/11/18/wisconsin-parents-sue-school-district-over-gender-pronoun-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a>, and <a href="https://adfmedia.org/press-release/parents-teachers-sue-va-school-district-concealing-childrens-discomfort-biological" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia</a>, have sued their school districts for allegedly hiding their children&#8217;s gender dysphoria.

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-EDUCATION-SCHOOL

Alleged Sex Talks With 6-Year-Olds Prompt Ohio Parents To Sue School District, Superintendent Responds

Children

Education

Teachers

A Hamline University professor who was fired after showing images of Muhammad in her art class is now reportedly filing a lawsuit against the school.
Dr. Erika Lopez Prater, who lost her job as an art professor after showing the images in a course on Islamic art, filed the legal action on Tuesday, <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/hamline-professor-who-lost-job-after-showing-painting-of-muhammad-filing-lawsuit-against-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul.
&#8220;Hamline’s actions and statements may have constituted religious discrimination, defamation, and other violations of law,&#8221; attorneys representing Prater said, according to FOX 9.
“Hamline’s actions have caused significant damage to Dr. López Prater. In the near term, she has lost the income from her adjunct position. She alleges she also suffered significant emotional distress due to her mistreatment by Hamline,” they continued.
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The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages, future lost wages, damages for emotional distress, and punitive damages, according to the outlet.
&#8220;Now, whenever she applies to any of these colleges for a tenure track position, and they just happen to Google her name, it&#8217;s inextricably intertwined with this allegation of Islamophobia,&#8221; Prater&#8217;s attorney David Redden said during an interview with FOX 9. &#8220;So I think it&#8217;s going to have serious repercussions on her efforts to find a tenure track position and really get her career going.&#8221;
&#8220;Hamline is a multi-cultural, multi-religious community that has been a leader in creating space for civil conversations. Like all organizations, sometimes we misstep,&#8221; the university said in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/teacher-fired-after-showing-images-muhammad-class-reportedly-sues-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> released after the lawsuit was announced.
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Prater distributed a syllabus for the fall class that warned students that the course would include images of religious figures, including Islam&#8217;s founder, Muhammad. The instructor also reportedly warned students in the minutes prior to showing the images in case any students believed they needed to leave the classroom.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamline-university-apparently-fires-professor-over-medieval-muhammad-paintings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, the professor <a href="https://hamlineoracle.com/10750/news/who-belongs/">showed</a> two paintings that included a famous 14th-century painting depicting Muhammad and the archangel Gabriel and a 16th-century painting of Muhammad with a veil and halo.
A senior student in the course complained to school leaders, who ultimately decided to cut ties with the professor.
“In lieu of this incident, it was decided it was best that this faculty member was no longer part of the Hamline community,” David Everett, Hamline’s associate vice president for inclusive excellence, told The Oracle.
“It is not our intent to place blame; rather, it is our intent to note that in the classroom incident — where an image forbidden for Muslims to look upon was projected on a screen and left for many minutes — respect for the observant Muslim students in that classroom should have superseded academic freedom,” Hamline University President Fayneese Miller <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/01/03/debates-whether-academic-freedom-includes-images-offensive-muslims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a December letter to students.
Christiane Gruber, a professor of Islamic art at the University of Michigan, however, spoke out in support of the art professor, starting a Change.org <a href="https://www.change.org/p/petition-in-support-of-the-dismissed-hamline-instructor-wrongly-accused-of-islamophobia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> to reinstate the instructor.
“Through conflation or confusion, Hamline has privileged an ultraconservative Muslim view on the subject that happens to coincide with the age-old Western cliche that Muslims are banned from viewing images of the prophet,” Gruber <a href="https://newlinesmag.com/argument/academic-is-fired-over-a-medieval-painting-of-the-prophet-muhammad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) also called on Hamline to bring back Prater.
&#8220;An instructor’s right to navigate difficult material—like whether to display a historical painting of Muhammad when many Muslims believe Muhammad &#8216;should not be pictured in any way&#8217;—is well within Hamline’s commitment to protect academic speech that may &#8216;potentially be unpopular and unsettling,&#8217;” the organization wrote in support of the instructor.

Koran

Minnesota Professor Who Was Fired After Showing Images Of Muhammad During Class Sues University: Report

College

Islam

Minnesota

A suburb in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> is suing the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, after its city water supplies were shut off.
Rio Verde Foothills had its water turned off by the city of Scottsdale earlier this month. Scottsdale has sold water to around 500 to 700 residences in the area, but it said that it cannot afford to spare the water anymore and needs to keep it for the people who live in its own city.
On Thursday, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2023/01/17/arizona-water-supply-rio-verde-foothills-scottsdale-contd-vpx.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">residents</a> <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/17/arizona-suburb-sues-scottsdale-for-cutting-off-its-water-supply-.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23571804/file_5173.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> against Scottsdale to try to get it to start giving the small community water again.
The lawsuit noted that EPCOR, a water utility business, wants to set up a water facility to give water to Rio Verde. Until it is greenlit and its facility is established and sending water to Rio Verde, EPCOR wants to &#8220;provide Central Arizona Project (CAP) water at no cost to Scottsdale to replace&#8221; the water Rio Verde was getting, as well as provide funds for Scottsdale to treat the water. Scottsdale could then give water to Rio Verde at no cost to its finances or resources.
Scottsdale has noted that it would not operate with outside businesses in order to give water to Rio Verde Foothills.
“Rio Verde is a separate community governed by Maricopa County, not the City of Scottsdale. Scottsdale has warned and advised that it is not responsible for Rio Verde for many years, especially given the requirements of the City’s mandated drought plan,” Scottsdale said in a <a href="https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/news/scottsdale-statement-and-facts-rio-verde-foothills-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Monday. “The city remains firm in that position, and confident it is on the right side of the law.”
Residents of Rio Verde are trying to cut down on water use by taking laundry to friends’ houses and even using rainwater to flush the toilets. They are not taking as many showers and are using paper plates over dishes, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/us/arizona-water-rio-verde-scottsdale.html">reported</a>.
Water used to be delivered via trucks to Rio Verde houses that didn’t have wells, but now the delivery trucks have to go on longer trips in order to bring water to the region, which has led to an up-charge for people getting the water.
While the recent storms in California have been helpful in replenishing some of the land and reservoirs, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drought" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drought</a> has still caused immense damage. Lake Mead has become shockingly dry and the Colorado River has been struggling.
“It’s a cautionary tale for home buyers,” Sarah Porter, the director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, said, per the Times. “We can’t just protect every single person who buys a parcel and builds a home. There isn’t enough money or water.” She noted that other parts of Arizona also get their water from bigger cities that are close by.

1AB3E107-2763-4963-822B-27C7E139FAE7_1_201_a

Arizona Suburb Sues Nearby City After Water Supply Is Shut Off

Arizona

drought

Environment

A California mother filed a lawsuit against representatives of the school district that allegedly facilitated her daughter&#8217;s gender transition. 
Aurora Regino, represented by the <a href="https://libertycenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Center for American Liberty</a>, filed a complaint against the superintendent and five school board members of the Chico Unified School District on Friday, alleging her 14th Amendment rights were violated when her 11-year-old daughter was pressured to adopt a transgender identity and conceal it from her. 
“The District’s policy of transitioning kids behind their parents’ backs is radical gender ideology at its worst,” said Harmeet Dhillon, the founder of The Center for American Liberty. “For the government to assume this role is both unconstitutional and reprehensible.” 
The Center for American Liberty is seeking a permanent injunction to the &#8220;Parental Secrecy Policy&#8221; adopted by the district, which allows school personnel to implement a powerful psychosocial intervention on children without the knowledge or consent of their parents.
&#8220;Under the Parental Secrecy Policy, schools in the District are prompting students to question their sexuality and gender, facilitating their social transition to a new gender identity, and integrating this new person into the school ecosystem, all without informing or receiving consent from their parents,&#8221; the lawsuit alleges.
Regino&#8217;s daughter, referred to as A.S. in the complaint, was a fifth-grade student at an elementary school in the district during the school year of 2021-2022, where she was allegedly influenced by a school counselor to adopt a transgender identity and hide it from her mother.
The suit alleges the school&#8217;s counselor, Mandi Robertson, regularly visited classrooms to instruct students on the topics of sexuality and &#8220;gender identity.&#8221; 
The concept of &#8220;gender identity&#8221; is controversial; while it has exploded in popularity as a way for transgender individuals to express the feeling of “misalignment” with their bodies, many scientists have come forward saying that there is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-biological-evidence-for-gender-identity-exists-group-of-scientists-researchers-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no empirical evidence</a> to support its existence and that teaching the concept may be resulting in a &#8220;<a href="https://www.segm.org/false-assumptions-gender-affirmation-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social contagion</a>&#8221; effect on trans-identification.
The complaint alleges that Robertson would &#8220;encourage students to explore their identity and consider whether they felt like they were not the gender associated with their biological sex&#8221; and claim that &#8220;such feelings were normal and that students should embrace them.&#8221;
When A.S. began struggling with anxiety after the recent death of her grandfather, her mother&#8217;s battle with breast cancer, and her father&#8217;s disability, she was left &#8220;feeling mentally exhausted and emotionally confused&#8221; and &#8220;wondered if her new feelings of anxiety and depression were because she was born the wrong gender,&#8221; the complaint reads. &#8220;These feelings were the result of her exploring her identity consistent with Ms. Robertson’s instructions.&#8221; 
Robertson is alleged to have invited A.S. to participate in an arts and crafts group but &#8220;the subject of the meetings quickly changed&#8221; to &#8220;a discussion regarding sexuality and gender identity,&#8221; the complaint said.
The suit alleges that Robertson invited A.S. to one-on-one sessions without her mother&#8217;s knowledge or consent and then persuaded her to adopt a male identity, including a male name and male pronouns. 
The complaint asserts that much to A.S.&#8217;s discomfort, Robertson purportedly took it upon herself to tell other school employees and teachers to refer to A.S. by a male name and male pronouns. A.S. then said she felt &#8220;stuck&#8221; in her new identity, which she maintained for the rest of the school year.
The complaint alleges that Robertson discouraged A.S. from discussing her new identity with her mother. When Regino found out and confronted school administrators, they stood by Robertson&#8217;s actions and insisted they were abiding by a &#8220;California law.&#8221;
It is unclear whether or not the superintendent and school board members deliberately deceived Regino or were mistakenly under the assumption that such a law exists forcing school personnel to hide their trans-identified students&#8217; identities from their parents.
<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AB 1266</a>, the legislation in question, provides only that California public schools allow students to participate in sports and use the bathroom &#8220;consistent with his or her gender identity.” The California Department of Education created an <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/faqs.asp">FAQ</a> on AB 1266, recommending that school personnel keep students&#8217; chosen trans-identities private at their request, but this guidance does not claim to have the force of law, according to the complaint.
Even though A.S. has since desisted and resumed her female identity, Regino said she would have supported her daughter no matter what – she just wanted to be included in the process.
As A.S. is now in middle school, and Regino&#8217;s other young daughter also attends a school in the Chico Unified School District, her concern lies with history repeating itself – as her fundamental rights to direct the upbringing up her children continue to be threatened so long as the &#8220;Parental Secrecy Policy&#8221; is in effect. 
“If the school system thinks this is the law, then someone needs to stand up for our children and let them know how wrong and damaging it is,” Regino said. “Our rights as parents do not stop as soon as we drop our children off at school.” 
According to the press release, the Center for American Liberty is seeking declaratory relief and an injunction that would prohibit the Chico Unified School District from continuing to implement the Parental Secrecy Policy. 
Schools transitioning children, often without their parents’ knowledge, is becoming increasingly common. Many schools now provide students with individualized “gender support plans” that ask the student to indicate if they would like their parents to be kept in the dark. Some schools even provide “transition closets” so that students can change into clothes that match their “gender identity” at school, and change back before heading home.
All available <a href="https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/camh.12330" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> suggests that this seemingly innocuous act of support is an active psychosocial intervention that can greatly increase the likelihood of a child persisting in the rejection of their bodies. The best <a href="http://www.sexologytoday.org/2016/01/do-trans-kids-stay-trans-when-they-grow_99.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> currently indicate that roughly 60-90% of children who identify as transgender, but do not socially or medically transition, will no longer identify as transgender in adulthood.
England’s National Health Service recently put forth <a href="https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/specialised-commissioning/gender-dysphoria-services/user_uploads/b1937-ii-specialist-service-for-children-and-young-people-with-gender-dysphoria-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new guidelines</a> for treating trans-identifying youth that said social transition is not a “neutral act” and could have “significant effects” in terms of “psychological functioning.”
Dr. Erica E. Anderson, a clinical psychologist for 40 years who identifies as transgender, joined a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/transgender-psychologist-joins-lawsuit-against-maryland-school-district-for-hiding-social-transition-from-parents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal effort</a> last month to counter the trend of school policies designed to conceal a student’s chosen trans-identity from their parents.  
“It’s well established that one of the most important factors in helping gender-questioning children is family support,” said Anderson. “So to deliberately deprive a child of support at a time potentially when they most need it is, I think, a serious error in judgment.”

Transsexual Flag crosswalk on a rainy day during Pride.

New Lawsuit Accuses California School District Of Constitutional Violation For ‘Parental Secrecy Policy’ Of Gender Transition

California School District Accused Of Constitutional Violation For ‘Parental Secrecy Policy’ Of Gender Transition

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A lawsuit against singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marilyn-manson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marilyn Manson</a> was <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-01-04/sexual-assault-lawsuit-against-marilyn-manson-dismissed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> without prejudice on Tuesday after Ashley Morgan Smithline attempted to fire her legal representation and did not find new counsel prior to a deadline.
The lawsuit dismissal means that the suit can be brought forward again in the future. Smithline submitted a motion to withdraw representation in October but didn’t get new lawyers by December 5.
Smithline’s original lawsuit included accusations against Manson, whose entire name is Brian Warner, saying that he raped and abused her multiple times from 2010 to 2013.
&#8220;We thank and commend Ashley Smithline for dismissing her claims against Brian Warner without seeking or receiving anything in return,&#8221; Manson&#8217;s lawyer, Howard King, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/marilyn-manson-sexual-assault-lawsuit-dismissed-federal-judge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement given to Fox News Digital.
&#8220;Ms. Smithline has refused to be manipulated by others who are trying to pursue their own agendas against Mr. Warner. We wish her well and will continue to work to assure that a significant price will be paid by those who have tried to abuse our legal system,” King added.
Manson has claimed that his and Smithline’s relationship didn’t even last a week in 2010 and that her allegations never happened.
“There are so many falsehoods within her claims that we wouldn’t know where to begin to answer them,” he <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-01-04/sexual-assault-lawsuit-against-marilyn-manson-dismissed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement last year shortly after the filing of the suit.
&#8220;It has been important for me to come forward the way I have because I live in constant fear even to this day,&#8221; Smithline <a href="https://people.com/music/marilyn-manson-accuser-ashley-morgan-smithline-files-lawsuit-sexual-abuse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told People when she filed the lawsuit</a>. &#8220;I am seeking justice because I want to move forward and heal from the terrible abuse I faced. I want Brian Warner to be held accountable once and for all.”
These are not the only sexual assault accusations that have been lobbed at Manson. Actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Esmé Bianco have both said that he abused them.
Manson has said he did not abuse the women who have come forward, which amount to at least 15 women in addition to Smithline.
An additional sexual abuse investigation was <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-20/marilyn-manson-sexual-abuse-investigation-george-gascon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carried</a> out over 19 months by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and given to District Attorney George Gascón in September.
Gascón’s office <a href="https://www.foxla.com/news/lasd-submits-marilyn-manson-investigation-file-to-la-da-gascon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time that &#8220;there is more material that is still outstanding, however, we do not have a timeline for the additional submission from the LASD,” adding that the &#8220;review will take some time, but rest assured, our officer takes these allegations very seriously.&#8221;

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Marilyn Manson Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dismissed Without Prejudice

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis">Memphis</a> Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been sued for allegedly punching a 17-year-old male in the face during a pickup basketball game.
The case was filed in September and later sealed, according to TMZ. The alleged incident occurred at Morant&#8217;s home outside of Memphis in July.
Citing police documents, the outlet reported the unnamed teenager said he threw a basketball at Morant that &#8220;accidentally&#8221; hit him in the face. Morant then allegedly struck the teen with a closed fist that knocked him to the ground.
The report claimed that Morant continued to strike the teen, with another man joining in and also hitting him. The fight was then broken up by those watching the pickup game, and the teenager was escorted from Morant&#8217;s property.
Officers say the plaintiff had a large &#8220;knot&#8221; on his head after the incident.
Morant reportedly admitted to striking the individual but claimed he acted in self-defense. The NBA All-Star also claimed &#8220;he and his family were put in fear&#8221; by statements from the young man about &#8220;lighting&#8221; his house up.
The case was later submitted to the district attorney&#8217;s office in October, and prosecution was declined later the same month.
The star Grizzlies guard has yet to respond publicly to the new report, according to TMZ.
The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nba/article-11594923/Memphis-Grizzlies-guard-Ja-Morant-sued-punching-17-year-old-closed-fist.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that both Morant and his friend, Davonte Pack, were listed as defendants in the lawsuit. Pack was allegedly the other person involved in the altercation.
On the court, Morant has excelled for Memphis as the NBA&#8217;s 2019 second-overall draft pick. He was named rookie of the year and became an All-Star for the first time last season.
The Grizzlies standout is currently <a href="https://www.espn.com/search/_/q/ja%20morant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10th in scoring</a> in the league, averaging 27.2 points per game, along with 6.2 rebounds and 8 assists per game.
The young star has also helped the Grizzlies achieve a 23-13 record this season, placing them a half-game ahead of New Orleans in the Southwest standings.
The 6-foot, 2-inch former Murray State star has become known for his high-flying dunks and continues to be mentioned in the early discussion as the league&#8217;s most valuable player for the 2022-2023 season.
&nbsp;

Ja Morant

NBA Star Ja Morant Sued For Allegedly Punching A 17-Year-Old During September Pickup Game

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The top prosecutor in the U.S. Virgins Islands lost her job days after suing a major investment bank for allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-virgin-islands-sues-major-bank-for-allegedly-turning-blind-eye-to-epstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turning a “blind eye”</a> to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Governor Albert Bryan (D-VI) announced the firing of Attorney General Denise George in a brief statement.
“I relieved Denise George of her duties as attorney general this weekend,” Bryan <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/jeffrey-epstein/virgin-islands-attorney-general-loses-her-job-days-after-suing-jpmorgan-chase-in-connection-with-the-jeffrey-epstein-probe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a>. “I thank her for her service to the people of the territory during the past four years as attorney general and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”
Though the governor did not provide a reason for the ouster, <a href="https://viconsortium.com/vi-government/virgin-islands-attorneygeneral-denise-george-has-been-terminated-#.Y7JaaMMZ3Xo.twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Virgin Islands Consortium cited</a> sources who said Bryan was increasingly frustrated with George, and her suing the bank, JPMorgan Case, without informing him was the final straw.
George filed the federal lawsuit in Manhattan last week, accusing JPMorgan of failing to report suspicious financial activity by its client Epstein at his U.S. Virgins Islands villa on St. James Island while benefiting financially from a sex trafficking operation.
JPMorgan declined to comment when the news broke. With George fired, it was not immediately clear what would happen to the lawsuit, which seeks <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/business/jeffrey-epstein-jpmorgan-virgin-islands.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epstein-tied profits</a> from the bank as well as penalties and damages.
The lawsuit came less than a month after George <a href="https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">settled a sex trafficking case</a> against Epstein&#8217;s estate and co-defendants for over $105 million. In late November, two anonymous women who were allegedly trafficked by Epstein filed suit against JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, claiming they were &#8220;<a href="https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/jeffrey-epstein/jeffrey-epstein-victims-sue-deutsche-bank-and-jpmorgan-chase-calling-them-complicit-in-epsteins-sex-trafficking-empire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complicit&#8221; in his crimes</a>.&#8221;
Epstein, a wealth financier and convicted sex offender, died in his jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges involving teenage girls. A New York City medical examiner determined he died by suicide.

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Virgin Islands Prosecutor Fired Days After Suing Major Bank Over Jeffrey Epstein Ties

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Apple, Inc. was slapped with a new class action <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/616578588/Apple-Sued-Over-Racial-Bias-in-Heart-Rate-Monitoring#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> Christmas Eve alleging the pulse oximetry feature on the Apple Watch product doesn&#8217;t work on people with a &#8220;darker skin tone.&#8221;
Plaintiff Alex Morales of New York filed a multi-state lawsuit on behalf of the state and nine others under consumer fraud laws against the tech giant in the Southern District of New York last week.
Morales, who said he purchased an Apple Watch between 2020 and 2021, claims he was unaware the pulse oximetry feature, which measures the oxygen level of a wearer&#8217;s blood directly from their wrist, was biased against people with darker skin tones.
&#8220;For decades, there have been reports that such devices were significantly less accurate in measuring blood oxygen levels based on skin color,&#8221; the lawsuit alleges. &#8220;The &#8216;real world significance&#8217; of this bias lay unaddressed until the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, which converged with a greater awareness of structural racism which exists in many aspects of society.&#8221;
According to the lawsuit, researchers claim the clinical significance of racial bias in pulse oximetry came from records of patients taken during and before the pandemic.
The conclusion showed that &#8220;reliance on pulse oximetry to triage patients and adjust supplemental oxygen levels may place Black patients at increased risk for hypoxemia.&#8221;
Health care recommendations base blood oxygen levels on readings, the lawsuit says, allegedly giving white patients more access to care than those with darker skin when faced with equally low blood oxygenation.
Representatives for Apple, the lawsuit reads, affirmed and promised that it did not incorporate biases and defects of pulse oximetry concerning persons of darker skin tone.
The Food and Drug Administration held a panel last month, which USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/11/03/pulse-oximeter-inaccurate-people-of-color/8256798001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> discussed studies that found pulse oximeter devices register higher oxygen level readings in people with darker skin tones.
Amal Jubran, a pulmonologist at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois, told the outlet that researchers identified the problem in the 1990s.
&#8220;It never got any traction, then the COVID pandemic brought everything to the forefront,&#8221; Jubran said.
Jubran and a colleague published a peer-reviewed study in the European Respiratory Journal that found inaccurate oximeter readings in darker-skinned patients remained &#8220;unchanged&#8221; for 32 years.
Michael Sjoding, a fellow University of Michigan clinical professor, told the outlet that past work showed pulse oximeters produced less accurate results in darkly pigmented patients.
&#8220;What was described in these older studies might still be happening,&#8221; Sjoding said.
The clinical professor conducted a study in 2020 along with other colleagues, which found that 11.7% of black patients registered higher than accurate oxygen levels on pulse oximeters compared to 3.6% of white patients.
Apple released its signature Watch product nearly eight years ago. It quickly became one of the most wearable devices after 4.2 million users purchased one in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2015. By December 2020, more than 100 million people were estimated to use an Apple Watch.
Apple Insider <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/12/27/apple-watch-sensor-has-racial-bias-claims-new-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2015 that the tech giant faced another lawsuit concerning the skin when users complained that black wrist tattoos interfered with the device&#8217;s heart sensor.
&#8220;Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance,&#8221; read an updated Apple support page, according to the outlet. &#8220;The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings.&#8221;
Such issues happened before the blood oxygen sensor problem came to light, which Apple added to the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020.
Apple has yet to respond to media requests for comment.

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