Northeast
Maine lawmakers kill bill on gender health care accused of trampling parents rights
Republicans and Democrats on Maine’s judiciary committee voted to kill a bill Thursday that would have allowed minors to travel from out of state to Maine to obtain gender-altering medical procedures and even take custody of minors in “emergency” situations.
Republicans called bill LD 1375 – or “An act to safeguard gender-affirming health care” – “dangerous,” while the Democrats who originally supported it admitted the language of the bill needed reworking, according to a report by local outlet CBS-WGME.
Tossed on Thursday, the bill stipulated the state of Maine could allow minors restricted from gender-affirming care in their home state to travel to Maine to receive that care, which it noted includes “Interventions to align the patient’s appearance or physical body with the patient’s gender identity,” and “Interventions to suppress the development of endogenous secondary sex characteristics.”
SOME NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS WORRIED AS MAINE CONSIDERS ‘TRANS TOURISM’ BILL FOR CHILDREN
Lawmakers in Maine voted unanimously to kill a bill that would allow out-of-state minors to travel to Maine and get gender-altering operations. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
Further language in the bill would have allowed the government to take “emergency jurisdiction” over any child who has been rendered “unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care” even by their siblings and parents.
“A court of this State has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this State and the child has been abandoned or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child or a sibling or parent of the child is subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse or because the child has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care,” the bill’s text stated.
Republican Maine State Sen. Lisa Keim told WGME that parents from “around the country have reached out to talk to us about this bill” and expressed their “angst” over it.
She added, “Parents shouldn’t have their rights threatened in this way, and this is a dangerous bill for children.”
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS ACTIVIST CLAIMS LAWS BLOCKING SEX CHANGE SURGERIES FOR CHILDREN ARE LIKE HOLOCAUST
Critics of the proposed Maine bill claim it effectively allows the state to take children from parents blocking them from getting “gender-affirming care.” (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
State Rep. Rachel Henderson trashed the proposed bill as well, stating to the local media outlet, “This gives the state jurisdiction to effectively come into your home and take your kids based on a medical decision you made for the wellbeing and mental wellbeing of your child.”
State Rep. Katrina J. Smith warned about the bill last week in a Fox News Channel interview, stating, “Maine is going to open the doors to this and open the door to kids who meet someone on TikTok, and they get the idea that they need this surgery or hormone replacement therapy, and they’re going to grab a bus or someone is going to come pick them up and bring them to Maine and a parent is not going to do a thing about it.”
The bill’s Democratic Party sponsor, Rep. Laurie Osher (D-Orno), expressed to WGME this was never the intent, but instead about giving the proper care to individuals.
She said, “That’s disrespectful to our care providers. Our care providers are trained, we have certification and licensing in Maine, and they only provide the care that’s needed for their patients.”
Still, all those voting on the bill found it at fault. Republicans found it dangerous, while Democrats admitted that its language was flawed and needed to be altered.
Following the vote Thursday, Osher said, “We will make sure that people are protected that our care providers are protected. Today was a moment where we’re not getting that done, but we will get that done.”
Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
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Northeast
New York AG orders Manhattan hospital to resume gender-transition treatment for transgender youth
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New York Attorney General Letitia James is instructing a Manhattan hospital to resume offering gender-transition treatment to transgender youth after it ended such treatments last month over funding threats from the Trump administration.
NYU Langone’s decision to close its Transgender Youth Health Program violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws by “jeopardizing access to medically necessary healthcare for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” James wrote in a Feb. 25 letter first made public this week.
James’ office threatened “further action” if the hospital does not immediately resume offering hormone therapies, puberty blockers and other treatment to transgender youth.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is instructing a Manhattan hospital to resume offering gender-transition treatment to transgender young people. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
NYU Langone, one of the city’s largest hospital systems, said last month it would stop providing certain gender-transition treatments for patients under the age of 19.
“Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,” NYU Langone spokesman Steve Ritea said in a statement at the time. “We are committed to helping patients in our care manage this change. This does not impact our pediatric mental health care programs, which will continue.”
The hospital ceased admitting new patients into its transgender youth program last year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which aims to restrict gender-transition treatment for people under 19.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced a proposal to cut federal Medicaid and Medicare funding to hospitals that provide these treatments to transgender young people. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Referencing Trump’s order, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services later announced a proposal to cut federal Medicaid and Medicare funding to hospitals that provide these treatments to transgender youth.
But the Feb. 25 letter signed by the attorney general’s health care bureau chief, Darsana Srinivasan, said the proposal did not officially change federal law and did not affect a “medical institution’s existing duties and obligations under New York law.”
“The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes,” Srinivasan wrote. “Accordingly, the Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population.”
LETITIA JAMES SUES HHS OVER TYING FEDERAL FUNDS TO TRANSGENDER POLICY
NYU Langone said last month it would stop providing certain gender-transition treatments for patients under the age of 19. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The letter gives the hospital until March 11 to show its compliance, although it is unclear what steps would be taken if it fails to resume the treatments.
Several other hospitals across the country have also halted transgender youth treatments following Trump’s executive order and funding threats.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Boston, MA
Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak
Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.
The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.
The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.
The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.
Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.
Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).
Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Pittsburg, PA
2 young girls found dead in suitcases in Cleveland, police say
The bodies of two young girls were found inside suitcases in Cleveland, Ohio, police said on Tuesday.
In a press conference, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said on Tuesday that the bodies of the two girls were found in suitcases buried in shallow graves on Monday evening. One of the girls was believed to be between the ages of 8 and 13 years old, while the other was believed to be 10 to 14 years old. Neither girl was identified as of Tuesday night.
“This is a priority,” Todd said during Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community, and this is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can.”
Police said there are no active missing persons reports in Cleveland that match the two victims.
Officials said someone walking their dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue found what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase around 6 p.m. on Monday. When officers responded to the scene near Ginn Academy, they found one of the bodies stuffed in a suitcase in a shallow grave. The second shallow grave with the body stuffed in a suitcase was found after officers searched the area.
“This is a field close to the school over there,” Todd said. “This is just a residential neighborhood that I’m sure a lot of people do frequent.”
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has custody of the bodies and will identify the girls. Todd said there is no clear indication of possible causes of death for the girls or how long the girls were there.
“It was some time, so it’s not something that was recent,” Todd said.
There is no suspect, Todd added. Anyone with information can contact the Cleveland police at 216-623-5464.
“Usually in residential areas, you know what’s happening in your neighborhood, something just seems a little bit off,” Todd said. “That’s why we’re asking that anyone who has anything that they believe to be information directly related to or suspicious, that they give us a call.”
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