Midwest
Missouri bill would require educators to register as sex offenders if they encourage transgender students
A new bill introduced in the Missouri legislature would classify assistance to transgender students under 18 in their “social transition” as a felony, making the legislation the first of its kind in a slew of culture war bills introduced by state Republicans.
The bill defines a social transition as “the process by which an individual adopts the name, pronouns, and gender expression, such as clothing or haircuts, that match the individual’s gender identity and not the gender assumed by the individual’s sex at birth.”
The Missouri bill, introduced by Republican state Rep. Jamie Gragg, would also require the educators to register as sex offenders if they’re found encouraging students to further embrace their preferred gender identity. This could effectively terminate educators’ careers, since sex offenders in Missouri are prohibited from being within 500 feet of a school or day care.
“This is kind of that missing link, when it comes to really making sure that we protect our children and protecting their relationship between them and their parents,” Gragg told Fox News Digital in an interview. “We have parents that are completely being bypassed, and there’s been a narrative that has grown leaps and bounds.”
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DIRECTOR CLAIMS ‘INFINITE’ GENDERS, TRANS KIDS CAN IDENTIFY AS ‘TOOTSIE ROLL POPS’
A new bill introduced in the Missouri legislature would classify assistance to transgender students under 18 in their “social transition” as a felony. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Support for a student’s social transition would be considered verbal discussion of their sexual orientation, pronouns or gender identity, or it could be in the form of written materials, resources and signs.
“A person commits the offense of contributing to social transition if the person is acting in his or her official capacity as a teacher or school counselor and the person provides support, regardless of whether the support is material, information, or other resources to a child regarding social transition,” the bill text reads.
Gragg argued “with kids being in that age group, that’s the most confusing time of human development, and there are so many different hormones and chemicals in your body.”
“To have the social warriors in our school system pushing the [LGBTQ+] agenda, saying you’ll be accepted in this group, we need to safeguard our children from that kind of thing because they’re so easily influenced,” he said.
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL DIRECTOR CLAIMS ‘INFINITE’ GENDERS, TRANS KIDS CAN IDENTIFY AS ‘TOOTSIE ROLL POPS’
Moon rises over the Missouri state Capitol building in Jefferson City. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
If the bill becomes law, teachers, counselors or other school educators who aid in a student’s social transition could face up to four years behind bars and fines up to $10,000.
The bill has not been referred to a committee reading yet, but Gragg said he’s not had “any negative feedback” from his Republican colleagues. He expects the cosponsor list to grow in the coming days as the bill garners more attention.
Most Republican-led bills nationwide typically focus on banning medical transitions for minors through the use of puberty blockers or other hormone treatments. Gragg’s bill in Missouri is the first of its kind that creates a penalty for social transitions specifically.
He also introduced another bill recently that would bar the state from earmarking funds for libraries that carry “obscene” book materials for children.
Missouri has been leading the charge in introducing a wave of transgender culture war bills aiming to protect kids from progressive gender ideologies. Last year, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed into law a bill banning gender-transition surgical procedures for minors, and another prohibiting biological men who identify as trans women from participating in women’s sports teams.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), there have been 13 bills advanced in the Missouri legislature targeting other transgender culture war issues, such as bathroom access in schools or other public facilities for young people. Critics of these bills argue it will further put transgender kids at risk and marginalize them.
Read the full article from Here
Detroit — A three-block portion of the Detroit Riverwalk just north of the Renaissance Center reopened this week after being closed for five months for the installation of an underground drainage system, state officials announced.
The stretch of the pedestrian and bicycle path that had been closed since Nov. 20 is between Beaubien and Rivard streets in downtown Detroit. Crews for the Michigan Department of Transportation installed a new storm sewer outfall intended to reduce the risk of flooding on nearby streets, officials said.
The sewer outfall is part of the larger I-375 project, a major infrastructure initiative around the I-375 corridor.
Sewer outfalls are key components of wastewater management systems, designed to safely discharge water and waste while protecting public health and the environment.
“The new storm sewer outfall will provide lasting environmental benefits for residents and businesses along the I-375 corridor and the riverfront by supporting cleaner water being discharged into the Detroit River and relieving pressure on the existing city combined sewer system after heavy rain events,” according to an MDOT press statement Thursday. “The installation of the new storm sewer will reduce the risk of flooding on streets and in neighborhoods.”
This week’s opening of the Riverwalk is ahead of the May 1 target date that had been set.
“Crews worked diligently through harsh winter and wet spring conditions to achieve our goal of reopening prior to seasonal festivities starting up,” said Jason Garza, MDOT’s Metro Region Deputy Engineer.
In addition to reopening the Riverwalk, crews also opened Atwater and Franklin streets to through-traffic between St. Antoine and Rivard streets.
The opening comes as the popular Riverwalk area is set to kick into high gear with a variety of events. The Riverwalk path runs continuously from Gabriel Richard Park, just east of the bridge leading to Belle Isle, to the Ralph Wilson park to the west. It attracts about 3 million people annually, according to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the Riverwalk and many of the adjoining parks and connected pedestrian/bike paths.
On Thursday afternoon, the Riverwalk was busy with walkers, bicyclists and people fishing such as Terraile Jefferson, 56, from Detroit.
“It’s always a good experience out here,” Jefferson said. “Especially when I catch something good.”
laguilar@detroitnews.com
The Milwaukee Bucks became the first NBA team to hire a new coach this offseason, targeting and landing former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins to succeed Doc Rivers.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Jenkins and the Bucks’ front office were finalizing a deal on Thursday afternoon to bring the 41-year-old former Milwaukee assistant back to serve as the franchise’s fourth coach since parting ways with Mike Budenholzer in 2023.
BREAKING: The Milwaukee Bucks and Taylor Jenkins are finalizing a deal to make Jenkins the franchise’s new head coach, sources tell me and @ramonashelburne. Jenkins, a Bucks assistant in 2018-19, went 250-214 and made three postseasons across six seasons in Memphis. pic.twitter.com/LOHoCZO7NA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 23, 2026
Jenkins served as an assistant under Budenholzer in 2018-19 after serving under him for five seasons in Atlanta.
Rumors of Jenkins being spotted with Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who faces a decision regarding his own future this summer, made the rounds on social media this week as unconfirmed sightings suggested the Bucks’ franchise star was helping the coach tour schools.
I don’t have sources or anything, take with a grain of salt… but I have heard some rumors/stories that Giannis was with Taylor Jenkins around Milwaukee yesterday, including looking at schools for Jenkins’ kids.
— Nathan Marzion (@nathanmarzion) April 22, 2026
Bobby Portis, under contract for next season and holding a player option for ‘28-’29, was on popular NBA show “Run it Back and believed landing him to lead the team going forward would be a positive in convincing Antetokounmpo to stay put.
Bobby Portis says Giannis wants a head coach who establishes culture 👀
“A Mike Budenholzer type of vibe. …
When you play the Heat, Celtics, OKC, and Toronto you know exactly how they’re about to play.”@BPortistime | @MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/87liFcparh
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 14, 2026
“What helps is that (Jenkins) was in Milwaukee during Coach Bud’s stint in Milwaukee. He was one of the assistant coaches on the roster,” Portis said. “I think that kind of relationship with Giannis and that kind of relationship with (GM) Jon Horst sits well with the franchise, and I think that kind of helps”
Horst and Bucks ownership courted Jenkins in Memphis and clearly zeroed in on him as the top target in the coaching search. Although what Antetokounmpo is going to do is anyone’s guess, keeping the “Greek Freak” in Milwaukee has been the franchise’s primary objective over the last few years as rumors he was growing dissatisfied with the direction of the team intensified, so it’s clear that the team’s leadership views Jenkins as an asset in retaining Antetokounmpo’s services.
ESPN’s Charania reported that Antetokounmpo wasn’t involved in Jenkins’ hiring and has had no communication with the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was NOT involved in the Bucks hiring process of Taylor Jenkins, per @ShamsCharania
Giannis and the Bucks top brass have NOT had ANY communication since the trade deadline pic.twitter.com/IrlHDkaPzj — Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 23, 2026
Jenkins went 250-214 in six seasons with the Grizzlies, but was fired late in the 2024-25 season with a postseason berth lined up. He was linked to the New York Knicks opening last summer that Mike Brown ultimately filled and was going to be a candidate for the vacancies in Chicago and potentially Orlando if the Magic move on from Jamahl Mosley after their postseason run ends.
Jenkins was already in Memphis when the Bucks broke through to win the NBA Finals in 2021, but he reportedly had a great relationship with Antetokounmpo and helped set the foundation for the last big winner in Milwaukee. The Bucks lost 50 games this past season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16 under then-head coach Jason Kidd.
Follow
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A 23-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced Wednesday to 102 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.
Prosecutors said Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan tried to travel from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Somalia in December 2024 to join and fight for the foreign terrorist organization.
ISIS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. secretary of state since 2014.
According to court documents cited by federal prosecutors, Hassan consumed and reposted ISIS propaganda, obtained bombmaking and weapons-related manuals, and communicated on social media with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia.
The U.S. attorney’s office said Hassan bought a one-way ticket, left Minneapolis for Chicago on Dec. 29, 2024, and was prevented from continuing to Somalia after an interview by Customs and Border Protection’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team.
Prosecutors said he later continued researching ISIS attacks and posting pro-ISIS content online before the FBI arrested him on Feb. 27, 2025.
Hassan pleaded guilty Sept. 29, 2025, before Judge Donovan W. Frank, who imposed the sentence on April 22.
In the announcement, FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson said, “Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people.”
He added that the sentence “takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Customs and Border Protection and the New York Police Department.
-
New York1 hour agoCommunication Failures Preceded Deadly Crash at LaGuardia, N.T.S.B. Says
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoPart of Detroit Riverwalk reopens after infrastructure work
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours ago49ers draft picks: Full list of team’s round-by-round selections
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoCowboys draft picks tracker: Every selection, live grades
-
Miami, FL2 hours ago5 arrested in undercover teen sex trafficking bust in Miami, authorities say
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBoston police seek missing 12-year-old from Dorchester
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoRoadrunner spotted far from its usual range in Denver surprises birders
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoTicket Alert: Karol G, Teddy Swims, and More Seattle Events Going On Sale This Week – The Stranger