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☆ Syrian refugees deported from Lebanon face arrest, conscription, say relatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Youssef, a Syrian refugee and single father of two girls, attends an interview with Reuters, in Beirut, Lebanon April 26, 2023. One refugee told Reuters he and his three brothers were detained in a raid on a camp in Lebanon in late April. Another refugee said he was briefly held by the Fourth Division after being deported but paid smugglers to return to Lebanon. The Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR), a rights organisation, said it had documented the detention of at least two deported Syrians by the Fourth Division. Youssef, a Syrian refugee and single father-of-two, said he was so afraid of being deported and conscripted that he had stopped leaving his home in Lebanon.

☆ Mexico bus plunges off cliff, at least 18 die
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Emergency personnel work on the site where a bus carrying tourists traveling to Guayabitos overturned, in Compostela, Nayarit state, Mexico in this handout image obtained from social media April 30, 2023. Secretaria de Seguridad y Proteccion Ciudadana de Nayarit/Handout via REUTERSMEXICO CITY, April 30 (Reuters) - At least 18 people were killed and 33 injured when a bus fell off a cliff in western Mexico, local authorities said Sunday. "From the first moment, we have worked in a coordinated manner with the various federal and state authorities to provide immediate attention to victims," the prosecutor's office said in a statement shared on Twitter. Authorities reported that 11 women and seven men were killed. Writing by Anna-Catherine Brigida; Reporting by Raul Cortes; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Transgender Lawmaker Sues Over Removal From Montana House Floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsA state representative in Montana asked a court on Monday to allow her to return to the House floor for the rest of the state’s legislative session, arguing that her First Amendment rights had been violated after an escalating standoff over her remarks on transgender issues. Representative Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat from Missoula, was barred last week from participating in deliberations in the House chamber after she made impassioned comments in opposition to a ban on hormone treatments and surgical care for transgender minors. The bill, which passed, has since been signed by Gov. “I’m determined to defend the right of the people to have their voices heard,” Ms. Zephyr, who is transgender, tweeted on Monday when announcing her lawsuit, adding that the rights of her 11,000 constituents had also been violated. Four of them were also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and other lawyers.

☆ States’ Push to Protect Kids Online Could Remake the Internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Natasha Singer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

People in Louisiana who visited Pornhub in recent months were met with a surprising new demand. That’s because Louisiana lawmakers had passed legislation last year requiring publishers of online material that could be “harmful to minors” to verify that their users were adults. Louisiana is at the forefront of a sweeping national push to insulate young people from potentially harmful content by requiring certain online services to bar or limit minors on their platforms. The proposed restrictions, introduced by at least two dozen states over the last year, could alter not only the online experiences of children and adolescents. They could also remake the internet for millions of adults, ushering in a tectonic cultural shift to a stricter, age-gated online world.

☆ Echoes of History in New National Push to Shield Children Online
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Kashmir Hill | Natasha Singer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mounting concerns over young people’s mental health have prompted state legislatures across the country to propose a slew of age restrictions to protect minors online. Lawmakers say the rules should help shield young people from online pornography, predators and harmful social media posts. The current push for age restrictions on certain online content echoes a similar legislative drive three decades ago, when the internet was in its infancy. Among other objections, they said it was too difficult and expensive for websites to verify a visitor’s age. That could have led sites to simply get rid of anything inappropriate for children, creating a Disneyfied internet.

CNN —From statehouses to the presidential campaign trail, Republicans are escalating their political attacks on transgender people – a reflection of what they see as a cultural fight their base is eager to wage. And in recent days, those attacks have turned into new forms of mockery and political retribution, as Republicans seek to turn transgender rights into a flashpoint by seizing on social media controversies and exercising their rule-making power in statehouses where they hold large majorities. “A lot of young trans people are worried that their medication is going to get pulled,” she said of legislation targeting health insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. Transgender rights activists protest outside the House chamber at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City on February 6, 2023. That is not a transgender person,” Haley said of Mulvaney as the crowd nodded.

☆ Opinion | A Sinister New Page in the Republican Playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Jamelle Bouie | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, I wrote about the Republican effort to limit the reach and scope of initiatives and referendums as another instance of the party’s war on majority rule. One thing I wanted to include, but couldn’t quite integrate into the structure of the column, was a point about the recent use of legislative expulsion to punish Democratic lawmakers who dissent from or challenge Republican majorities. We saw another example this week, in Montana, after State Representative Zooey Zephyr, a transgender woman, spoke out against a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors. In Nebraska, a Democratic lawmaker is being investigated by an ethics panel for a conflict of interest regarding her filibuster of another bill to ban gender-affirming health care for minors. She has a transgender child.

☆ Teen bans on the rise: malls, theme parks, and even a Chick-fil-A are requiring chaperones to stop rowdy minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shopping malls, theme parks, and a Chick-fil-A restaurant are starting to require chaperones for teenagers. Curfews for teens are nothing new — they first popped up at malls in the 1980s and 1990s. Southern California's Knott's Berry Farm announced in April that it was instituting a stricter policy in response to "increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior," the theme park said. Visitors pose for photos at Knott's Berry Farm. Jae C. Hong/APKnott's Berry Farm isn't alone in cracking down on unsupervised teenage visitors recently.

Students with a limited credit history are unlikely to be approved for the best credit cards, and even some student credit cards require good to excellent credit. Step is a secured credit card that has a dynamic credit limit that is attached to the bank account balance -- it operates like a debit card but it is a credit card, which is what enables the unique credit building feature. Best Credit Cards for Students With No Credit of 2023Methodology: How we chose the best credit cards for students with no creditInsider's credit cards team looked at dozens of student credit cards, secured credit cards, and starter credit cards and narrowed down the list by choosing only those that students with limited or no credit have a good chance of qualifying for. Credit Cards for Students With No Credit Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Which credit card is best for students with no credit? US Bank Altitude Go Secured Credit Card ReviewBest for Students Under 18Step Secured Visa CardWhile credit card accounts are only available to those aged 18 and over, the Step Secured Visa Card offers a solution for students looking to build credit who haven't yet reached legal adulthood.

☆ Montana Governor Signs Law Banning Transgender Care for Minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Jim Robbins | Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

HELENA, Mont. — The Republican governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, signed a bill into law on Friday to restrict transition care for transgender minors, joining about a dozen states that have adopted similar laws since the beginning of the year. The bill, which prohibits transitional hormone treatments and surgeries for transgender people under 18, led to a standoff this month with Representative Zooey Zephyr, one of the Legislature’s only transgender lawmakers. In a speech on the House floor last week, Ms. Zephyr told her conservative colleagues that the ban would put “blood on your hands,” and that denying transition care would be “tantamount to torture.” For days after, House leadership refused to call on Ms. Zephyr during discussion of any bill up for consideration before the House.

☆ Montana Transgender Lawmaker Barred From House Floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Talal Ansari | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep. Zooey Zephyr walks out of the Montana House of Representatives after lawmakers voted to bar her on Wednesday. Photo: Thom Bridge/Independent Record/Associated PressMontana’s House of Representatives voted to bar a transgender Democratic lawmaker from participating in debate from the legislature floor a week after she spoke out against a bill that would ban gender-affirming therapies for minors. The Republican-controlled legislature on Wednesday voted 68-32 to no longer admit Zooey Zephyr to the House floor for the rest of the session. She will be able to vote remotely.

☆ State lawmaker who opposed a bill limiting care for trans kids, including her own, is now under investigation over it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The complaint said she should have filed a conflict of interest statement about having a transgender child before she voted against a bill restricting transgender care. "I do not endorse this offensive complaint," Republican state Sen. Tom Brandt said. Democratic state Sen. Wendy DeBoer said that the logic used in the complaint could reasonably be used against her as well. Every time we have a bill on basically anything in here, I'm involved because I care about my state. I care about the people in my state, and I'm involved with them, just like Senator Hunt is.

None of the agencies disputed the allegation, and each paid penalties of $5,050, the maximum state levy for a child labor violation. The U.S. and Alabama investigations began after a Reuters report last July first exposed the use of child labor at Hyundai parts makers in the state. The U.S. Department of Labor said in February the number of child labor violations in 2022 had soared by nearly 70% compared with the tally recorded in 2018. They said false documentation, even shoddy credentials like those filed by the boy's employers, makes child labor laws difficult to enforce. An Alabama labor department spokesperson told Reuters the agency is still working to determine who exactly hired the child to work at Hyundai Glovis.

☆ DOJ sues Tennessee, alleging it discriminates against transgender youth with new law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Activists for transgender rights gather in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2023. The Department of Justice is suing Tennessee for allegedly discriminating against transgender youth with a new state law banning the use of puberty blockers, hormones, and other medical procedures that affirm a child's gender identity. The DOJ asked the U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee on Wednesday to declare that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and to prohibit state authorities from implementing the statute. The lawsuit originally was filed April 20 by the parents of transgender children in Tennessee who are undergoing gender-affirming care. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado must respond to the suit by May 8.

April 26 (Reuters) - Montana statehouse Republicans on Wednesday silenced Democratic transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr from floor debates for breaking decorum after she said lawmakers who backed a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors would have "blood on their hands." The discord in Montana - which has garnered national attention amid an escalating culture war in the U.S. over issues like transgender rights - has brewed since an April 18 debate over Senate Bill 99. The state measure seeks to ban transgender healthcare treatments for minors, including puberty blockers and hormones. Zephyr remained defiant on Wednesday, telling the chamber that her "blood on your hands" comment was "not being hyperbolic." Republican legislators across the country have sought to ban certain healthcare for transgender youth.

☆ Montana transgender legislator censured after 'blood on your hands' comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - Montana statehouse Republicans on Wednesday censured Democratic transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr for breaking decorum after she said lawmakers who backed a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors would have "blood" on their hands. Under the motion that passed with a vote of 68-32, Zephyr will be allowed to vote but not participate in debates on the Montana House of Representatives floor for the remainder of the legislative session. The discord in Montana has festered since an April 18 debate over Senate Bill 99, which would ban transgender healthcare treatments aimed at minors, such as puberty blockers and hormones. "If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments, I hope the next time there's an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr said. Seven demonstrators were arrested, and Republicans increased their attention on Zephyr, with the ultraconservative Montana Freedom Caucus on Monday urging she be punished.

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Incumbent President Joe Biden entered the 2024 election race on Tuesday with something he didn't have two-and-a-half years ago: a record in the White House. Critics also say that increased federal spending under Biden, including $750 million on climate change and tax breaks, also drove inflation higher. Biden may have worse cards in 2024, with unemployment likely to rise as growth slows, interest rates remaining high and inflation holding above pre-pandemic levels. Biden also dismissed the sentences of thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, a disproportionately non-white group. The Biden administration also has faced scrutiny over its handling of record numbers of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

☆ Justice Department Sues to Block Tennessee Restrictions on Transgender Healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Mariah Timms | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Justice Department is asking a judge to issue a preliminary injunction to block Tennessee from enforcing the law. Photo: Patrick Semansky/Associated PressThe Justice Department filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Tennessee’s recent ban on certain healthcare for transgender minors, arguing the law violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. Under the measure, doctors are prohibited from providing certain treatments to anyone under 18 even with parental consent if the procedure is used as part of transgender healthcare. The restrictions include a block on prescribing medications that can delay the onset of puberty or hormones that can cause physical changes such as the development of facial hair or breasts. The law also requires physicians to discontinue current gender-transition care of minor patients by March 2024.

☆ Bipartisan bill would require parental consent for minors to use social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A new bipartisan bill unveiled Wednesday would require parental consent for anyone under 18 to use social media. It would also create a pilot program for a new age verification credential that could be used to enroll on social media platforms. In addition to parental consent to use social media, the bill requires such companies to "take reasonable steps beyond merely requiring attestation" to verify users' ages. The bill says that "existing age verification technologies" should be taken into account and that information collected for age verification purposes shouldn't be used for anything else. WATCH: Tiktok hearing was an 'unmitigated disaster' for social media app, says Stanford's Jacob Helberg

☆ Montana House Republicans ban Rep. Zooey Zephyr from House chamber for remainder of legislative session
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Eric Bradner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The move by Montana Republicans comes just weeks after two Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee were expelled over their protests on the House floor demanding action to address gun violence after a mass shooting at a Nashville school. Until Wednesday’s debate of the resolution to discipline Zephyr, he had refused to recognize her to speak until she apologized. Pro-Zephyr activists packed into Montana’s House gallery on Monday. Republican leaders canceled Tuesday’s scheduled House floor session, and announced late Tuesday night that they would consider “disciplinary action” against Zephyr on Wednesday over her role in Monday’s protests. Rep. David Bedey, a Republican, said Zephyr should have left the House floor or helped try to calm the crowd of protesters on Monday.

☆ Montana Republicans censure transgender legislator
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsMontana Republicans censure transgender legislatorPostedMontana statehouse Republicans on Wednesday (April 26) censured Democratic transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr for breaking decorum after she said lawmakers who backed a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors would have "blood on their hands."

☆ Montana's House just voted to censure its first openly transgender lawmaker after protests and days of not letting her speak
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Montana House of Representatives voted to censure its first transgender legislator. State Rep. Zooey Zephyr was censured days after protestors interrupted the legislature because the House speaker wouldn't recognize her on the floor. In doing so, Zephyr will not be allowed on the House floor or gallery for the remainder of the legislative session. State Rep. SJ Howell, a Democratic legislator who is nonbinary, spoke in support of Zephyr on Wednesday and said the protests on Monday were unsurprising. Now, after Zephyr's censure, a similar problem could occur for Montana Republicans as Zephyr increasingly gets placed into the spotlight.

— The Montana House of Representatives took the extraordinary step of blocking the state’s only transgender lawmaker from the House floor for the remainder of the legislative session on Wednesday after an escalating standoff over her ability to speak in the House led to heated protests and arrests on Monday and the abrupt cancellation of Tuesday’s session. The barred lawmaker, Representative Zooey Zephyr, will still be allowed to cast votes during House proceedings for the remainder of session, which concludes on May 5, but must do so remotely. The move is the culmination of a weeklong battle between House leadership and Ms. Zephyr, who was prohibited from participating in deliberations on the House floor after she made impassioned comments during debate over a bill that would prohibit hormone treatments and surgical care for transgender minors. It was one of a half-dozen similar bills targeting transgender youth that the Legislature had considered in the last week alone. And it comes amid an avalanche of similar legislation in Republican-controlled legislatures across the country.

☆ Efforts to Restrict Transgender Health Care Face Pushback in Three States
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Mitch Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Republican efforts to restrict gender-transitioning treatment hit roadblocks in three states on Wednesday. Across the country, transgender rights have emerged this year as a defining legislative issue, with Republicans enacting sweeping new restrictions in states they control. In just the past few weeks, new bans have been signed into law in Idaho, Indiana and North Dakota, with similar policies still under consideration in other states. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would have revoked the medical licenses of doctors who provided gender-transitioning care to children and allowed people who received that treatment as children to sue their doctors. In Missouri, a state judge blocked new restrictions, which were set to take effect on Thursday, until at least Monday evening.

The Justice Department said the law violated the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, which promises equal protection. The Justice Department also said it was asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1. But many medical associations have said the law is transphobic and that gender-affirming care can be life-saving. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ban into law last month along with a separate measure restricting drag performances in public. Several other U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and over the last several weeks groups have sued over laws adopted in Utah, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas.

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