The Daily Populous

Alabama ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth takes effect

May 8 (Reuters) - An Alabama law that makes it a felony to provide gender-affirming medical treatment to transgender youth went into effect on Sunday while a federal judge weighs whether to grant a motion to put a temporary hold on it.

The legislation makes it a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison to provide puberty blockers, hormones and medical procedures to transgender youth under 19.

A similar but not as far-reaching law in Arkansas was blocked by the courts last year before it could go into effect.

The groups filed the lawsuit on behalf of parents of four Alabama transgender youth, two physicians and a minister.

Mainstream medical and mental health professionals say gender-affirming care saves lives by reducing the already high risk of depression and suicide among trans youth.

Transgender rights have emerged as a wedge issue in the culture wars ahead of the November midterm congressional elections.

Republican lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills across state legislatures, the majority of them directed at trans youth. »

Column: Why we need term limits for Supreme Court justices

Authored by latimes.com

The Founding Fathers almost certainly did not expect Supreme Court justices to serve that long, and for most of American history they didn’t.

Term limits appear to be more popular than expanding the court: Among respondents to a Morning Consult/Politico poll, 66% favored term limits for justices versus 21% against them, while only 45% favored expanding the court versus 36% against.

That brings us back to the question of a term limit for Supreme Court justices. »

‘West was preparing to invade our land,’ Putin says at Victory Day parade

Authored by english.alarabiya.net

Putin was speaking at the annual Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square marking the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

President Putin evoked the memory of Soviet heroism in World War Two to urge his army towards victory in Ukraine.

Read more: Explainer: Why Victory Day in Russia is different this year. »

How the Russia-Ukraine conflict boosts Biden's trade ambitions

Authored by politico.com

From the Commerce Department to NSA, Treasury and USTR, that goal unites an administration often at odds on trade policy.

It’s “not a trade deal” the White House has repeatedly messaged, and will be narrow enough not to require congressional approval.

That skepticism of new trade deals has frustrated many corporate interests, who expected more of a change between Trump and Biden on trade, particularly when it comes to China. »

Standup comedy course for men at risk of suicide wins NHS funding

Authored by theguardian.com

“That inspired me to prove that the models, exercises and games used in a standup comedy course can help people to recover from emotional problems such as mental illness, postnatal depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders,” she said.

After completing a highly successful six-week NHS course for trauma survivors in Bristol, Comedy on Referral has now won NHS funding to help men at risk of suicide in London.

Belcher is also in discussions with a private practice to extend the course to young people with autism and ADHD. »