Last Post: Trump makes a point with Australia
Alas, poor Albo at the G7, stood up on the first date by Trump. Never mind, lad, there are plenty of other fish in the Xi.
Trevor Farrant, Hackney, SA
Trump has seen Albo for what he is, a fairweather friend, and has turned and walked away.
Robert Walker, Cessnock, NSW
What is Anthony Albanese to make of his missed meeting and Donald Trump's fulsome praise of Keir Starmer and Britain? Perhaps we're not as important as we think we are.
John Lake, Mosman Park, WA
Let's not read too much into Donald Trump's implicit endorsement of AUKUS in his press conference with Keir Starmer. His administration is conducting a review of AUKUS at a high level and it would be foolish of him to pre-empt the outcome. It could go either way.
Peter O'Brien, Kiama, NSW
The UN is secure in New York, where not a whimper of authority emanates while the Israel-Iran war rages. Again, the US brokering world peace.
John Field, Coolum Beach, Qld
With the US poised to join Israel in the Middle East conflict, let's hope the big loser isn't Taiwan.
Greg Paull, Yallingup, WA
Anthony Albanese had better rearrange Australia's financial and defence capabilities or we will all be speaking Chinese.
Ann Shortis, East Kew, Vic
The prospect of a meeting with Anthony Albanese was enough to send Donald Trump scurrying from the G7 summit.
Frank Pulsford, Aspley, Qld
World leaders such as Netanyahu, Trump, Zelensky and Starmer are standing tall for the West. Regrettably, Albanese is not, and Australia's once proud position in Western politics is diminished.
Alex Cleave, North Fremantle, WA
The biggest problem facing the Liberal Party is finding new faces to bridge the massive gap with Labor. If they have to go through the same old preselection process, it's mission impossible.
John Partridge, Mosman, NSW
In calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, are Labor leaders arguing that Iran should be allowed to proceed with its development of nuclear arms? Surely it is in our interest to support Israel in stopping a rogue nation from gaining nuclear weapons?
Brian Barker, Bulimba, Qld
Taxing unrealised capital gains could lead to unintended consequences. Sitting on the opposition benches is one.
Peter McKenzie, Gracemere, Qld
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Perth Now
20 minutes ago
- Perth Now
US Court upholds ban on gender-affirming care for kids
A ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state of Tennessee has been upheld by the US Supreme Court, in a setback to transgender rights. The justices' 6-3 decision effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound," Roberts wrote. "The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best." The court's three liberal justices dissented from the ruling, among them Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote, "By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent." The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote. The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. In April, Trump's administration sued Maine for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick transgender service members out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to define the sexes as only male and female. Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump's executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organisation is "unwavering" in its support of gender-affirming care. Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution." Meanwhile, the acting chair of the federal agency that enforces workers rights acknowledged on Wednesday that transgender workers are protected under civil rights laws but defended her decision to drop lawsuits on their behalf, saying her agency must comply with Donald Trump's orders. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to chair in January, spoke at her confirmation hearing at the Senate. Her nomination to serve another five-year term as an EEOC commissioner requires Senate confirmation, though whether she stays on as chair will be up to Trump. Lucas, a strident critic of diversity and inclusion programs and proponent of the idea that there are only two immutable sexes, repeatedly declared that the EEOC is not independent and vowed to enthusiastically follow Trump's executive orders. Those include orders aimed at dismantling diversity and programs in the public and private sectors and declaring that the federal government would only recognise the male and female sexes. with AP
The Advertiser
20 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Trump won't say whether US will join strikes on Iran
US President Donald Trump has told reporters he will not say whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Iranian officials warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens. Speaking outside the White House, Trump declined to say whether he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said. Trump said Iranian officials had reached out about negotiations including a possible meeting at the White House but "it's very late to be talking," he said. "Unconditional surrender, that means I've had it." Asked for his response to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejecting the idea of surrendering, Trump said: "I say, good luck." Trump said later on Wednesday in the Oval Office that he has not made a decision on how to proceed on Iran. He said Iran wants to meet and the US side "may do that". People jammed highways out of the capital Tehran, a city of 10 million people, as residents sought sanctuary from intensified Israeli air strikes. In its latest bombing run, Israel said its air force destroyed Iran's police headquarters. "As we promised - we will continue to strike at symbols of governance and hit the ayatollah regime wherever it may be," Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Khamenei, 86, rebuked Trump in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday. The United States "should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said. "Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender." Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the five-day-old war to suggesting the United States might join it. A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee that the Pentagon was prepared to execute any order given by Trump. Israel's military said 50 Israeli jets struck about 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles. It advised Iranians to leave parts of Tehran for their own safety while it bombed targets. Traffic was backed up on highways leading out of Tehran as residents sought sanctuary elsewhere. Arezou, a 31-year-old Tehran resident, told Reuters by phone that she had made it out to the nearby resort town of Lavasan. "We will stay here as long as this war continues. My friend's house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians," she said. "Why are we paying the price for the regime's decision to pursue a nuclear program?" In Israel, sirens rang out warning people of retaliatory Iranian missile strikes. At Ramat Gan city train station east of Tel Aviv, people were lying on city-supplied mattresses lined along the floor or sitting in the odd camping chair, with plastic water bottles strewn about. "I feel scared, overwhelmed. Especially because I live in a densely populated area that Iran seems to be targeting, and our city has very old buildings, without shelters and safe spaces," said Tamar Weiss, clutching her four-month-old daughter. with AP US President Donald Trump has told reporters he will not say whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Iranian officials warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens. Speaking outside the White House, Trump declined to say whether he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said. Trump said Iranian officials had reached out about negotiations including a possible meeting at the White House but "it's very late to be talking," he said. "Unconditional surrender, that means I've had it." Asked for his response to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejecting the idea of surrendering, Trump said: "I say, good luck." Trump said later on Wednesday in the Oval Office that he has not made a decision on how to proceed on Iran. He said Iran wants to meet and the US side "may do that". People jammed highways out of the capital Tehran, a city of 10 million people, as residents sought sanctuary from intensified Israeli air strikes. In its latest bombing run, Israel said its air force destroyed Iran's police headquarters. "As we promised - we will continue to strike at symbols of governance and hit the ayatollah regime wherever it may be," Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Khamenei, 86, rebuked Trump in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday. The United States "should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said. "Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender." Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the five-day-old war to suggesting the United States might join it. A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee that the Pentagon was prepared to execute any order given by Trump. Israel's military said 50 Israeli jets struck about 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles. It advised Iranians to leave parts of Tehran for their own safety while it bombed targets. Traffic was backed up on highways leading out of Tehran as residents sought sanctuary elsewhere. Arezou, a 31-year-old Tehran resident, told Reuters by phone that she had made it out to the nearby resort town of Lavasan. "We will stay here as long as this war continues. My friend's house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians," she said. "Why are we paying the price for the regime's decision to pursue a nuclear program?" In Israel, sirens rang out warning people of retaliatory Iranian missile strikes. At Ramat Gan city train station east of Tel Aviv, people were lying on city-supplied mattresses lined along the floor or sitting in the odd camping chair, with plastic water bottles strewn about. "I feel scared, overwhelmed. Especially because I live in a densely populated area that Iran seems to be targeting, and our city has very old buildings, without shelters and safe spaces," said Tamar Weiss, clutching her four-month-old daughter. with AP US President Donald Trump has told reporters he will not say whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Iranian officials warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens. Speaking outside the White House, Trump declined to say whether he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said. Trump said Iranian officials had reached out about negotiations including a possible meeting at the White House but "it's very late to be talking," he said. "Unconditional surrender, that means I've had it." Asked for his response to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejecting the idea of surrendering, Trump said: "I say, good luck." Trump said later on Wednesday in the Oval Office that he has not made a decision on how to proceed on Iran. He said Iran wants to meet and the US side "may do that". People jammed highways out of the capital Tehran, a city of 10 million people, as residents sought sanctuary from intensified Israeli air strikes. In its latest bombing run, Israel said its air force destroyed Iran's police headquarters. "As we promised - we will continue to strike at symbols of governance and hit the ayatollah regime wherever it may be," Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Khamenei, 86, rebuked Trump in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday. The United States "should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said. "Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender." Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the five-day-old war to suggesting the United States might join it. A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee that the Pentagon was prepared to execute any order given by Trump. Israel's military said 50 Israeli jets struck about 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles. It advised Iranians to leave parts of Tehran for their own safety while it bombed targets. Traffic was backed up on highways leading out of Tehran as residents sought sanctuary elsewhere. Arezou, a 31-year-old Tehran resident, told Reuters by phone that she had made it out to the nearby resort town of Lavasan. "We will stay here as long as this war continues. My friend's house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians," she said. "Why are we paying the price for the regime's decision to pursue a nuclear program?" In Israel, sirens rang out warning people of retaliatory Iranian missile strikes. At Ramat Gan city train station east of Tel Aviv, people were lying on city-supplied mattresses lined along the floor or sitting in the odd camping chair, with plastic water bottles strewn about. "I feel scared, overwhelmed. Especially because I live in a densely populated area that Iran seems to be targeting, and our city has very old buildings, without shelters and safe spaces," said Tamar Weiss, clutching her four-month-old daughter. with AP US President Donald Trump has told reporters he will not say whether he has decided to order a US strike on Iran, a move that Iranian officials warned anew would be greeted with stiff retaliation if it happens. Speaking outside the White House, Trump declined to say whether he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said. Trump said Iranian officials had reached out about negotiations including a possible meeting at the White House but "it's very late to be talking," he said. "Unconditional surrender, that means I've had it." Asked for his response to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejecting the idea of surrendering, Trump said: "I say, good luck." Trump said later on Wednesday in the Oval Office that he has not made a decision on how to proceed on Iran. He said Iran wants to meet and the US side "may do that". People jammed highways out of the capital Tehran, a city of 10 million people, as residents sought sanctuary from intensified Israeli air strikes. In its latest bombing run, Israel said its air force destroyed Iran's police headquarters. "As we promised - we will continue to strike at symbols of governance and hit the ayatollah regime wherever it may be," Defence Minister Israel Katz said. Khamenei, 86, rebuked Trump in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday. The United States "should know that any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," he said. "Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender." Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the five-day-old war to suggesting the United States might join it. A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Senate committee that the Pentagon was prepared to execute any order given by Trump. Israel's military said 50 Israeli jets struck about 20 targets in Tehran overnight, including sites producing raw materials, components and manufacturing systems for missiles. It advised Iranians to leave parts of Tehran for their own safety while it bombed targets. Traffic was backed up on highways leading out of Tehran as residents sought sanctuary elsewhere. Arezou, a 31-year-old Tehran resident, told Reuters by phone that she had made it out to the nearby resort town of Lavasan. "We will stay here as long as this war continues. My friend's house in Tehran was attacked and her brother was injured. They are civilians," she said. "Why are we paying the price for the regime's decision to pursue a nuclear program?" In Israel, sirens rang out warning people of retaliatory Iranian missile strikes. At Ramat Gan city train station east of Tel Aviv, people were lying on city-supplied mattresses lined along the floor or sitting in the odd camping chair, with plastic water bottles strewn about. "I feel scared, overwhelmed. Especially because I live in a densely populated area that Iran seems to be targeting, and our city has very old buildings, without shelters and safe spaces," said Tamar Weiss, clutching her four-month-old daughter. with AP
The Advertiser
20 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
US Court upholds ban on gender-affirming care for kids
A ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state of Tennessee has been upheld by the US Supreme Court, in a setback to transgender rights. The justices' 6-3 decision effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound," Roberts wrote. "The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best." The court's three liberal justices dissented from the ruling, among them Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote, "By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent." The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote. The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. In April, Trump's administration sued Maine for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick transgender service members out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to define the sexes as only male and female. Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump's executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organisation is "unwavering" in its support of gender-affirming care. Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution." Meanwhile, the acting chair of the federal agency that enforces workers rights acknowledged on Wednesday that transgender workers are protected under civil rights laws but defended her decision to drop lawsuits on their behalf, saying her agency must comply with Donald Trump's orders. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to chair in January, spoke at her confirmation hearing at the Senate. Her nomination to serve another five-year term as an EEOC commissioner requires Senate confirmation, though whether she stays on as chair will be up to Trump. Lucas, a strident critic of diversity and inclusion programs and proponent of the idea that there are only two immutable sexes, repeatedly declared that the EEOC is not independent and vowed to enthusiastically follow Trump's executive orders. Those include orders aimed at dismantling diversity and programs in the public and private sectors and declaring that the federal government would only recognise the male and female sexes. with AP A ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state of Tennessee has been upheld by the US Supreme Court, in a setback to transgender rights. The justices' 6-3 decision effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound," Roberts wrote. "The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best." The court's three liberal justices dissented from the ruling, among them Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote, "By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent." The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote. The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. In April, Trump's administration sued Maine for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick transgender service members out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to define the sexes as only male and female. Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump's executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organisation is "unwavering" in its support of gender-affirming care. Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution." Meanwhile, the acting chair of the federal agency that enforces workers rights acknowledged on Wednesday that transgender workers are protected under civil rights laws but defended her decision to drop lawsuits on their behalf, saying her agency must comply with Donald Trump's orders. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to chair in January, spoke at her confirmation hearing at the Senate. Her nomination to serve another five-year term as an EEOC commissioner requires Senate confirmation, though whether she stays on as chair will be up to Trump. Lucas, a strident critic of diversity and inclusion programs and proponent of the idea that there are only two immutable sexes, repeatedly declared that the EEOC is not independent and vowed to enthusiastically follow Trump's executive orders. Those include orders aimed at dismantling diversity and programs in the public and private sectors and declaring that the federal government would only recognise the male and female sexes. with AP A ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state of Tennessee has been upheld by the US Supreme Court, in a setback to transgender rights. The justices' 6-3 decision effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound," Roberts wrote. "The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best." The court's three liberal justices dissented from the ruling, among them Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote, "By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent." The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote. The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. In April, Trump's administration sued Maine for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick transgender service members out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to define the sexes as only male and female. Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump's executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organisation is "unwavering" in its support of gender-affirming care. Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution." Meanwhile, the acting chair of the federal agency that enforces workers rights acknowledged on Wednesday that transgender workers are protected under civil rights laws but defended her decision to drop lawsuits on their behalf, saying her agency must comply with Donald Trump's orders. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to chair in January, spoke at her confirmation hearing at the Senate. Her nomination to serve another five-year term as an EEOC commissioner requires Senate confirmation, though whether she stays on as chair will be up to Trump. Lucas, a strident critic of diversity and inclusion programs and proponent of the idea that there are only two immutable sexes, repeatedly declared that the EEOC is not independent and vowed to enthusiastically follow Trump's executive orders. Those include orders aimed at dismantling diversity and programs in the public and private sectors and declaring that the federal government would only recognise the male and female sexes. with AP A ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state of Tennessee has been upheld by the US Supreme Court, in a setback to transgender rights. The justices' 6-3 decision effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by President Donald Trump's administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people. Another 26 states have laws similar to Tennessee's. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority that the law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments for trans minors doesn't violate the Constitution's equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. "This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound," Roberts wrote. "The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best." The court's three liberal justices dissented from the ruling, among them Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote, "By retreating from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most, the court abandons transgender children and their families to political whims. In sadness, I dissent." The law also limits parents' decision-making ability for their children's health care, she wrote. The decision comes amid other federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. In April, Trump's administration sued Maine for not complying with the government's push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick transgender service members out of the military, even as court fights continue. The president signed another order to define the sexes as only male and female. Several states where gender-affirming care remains in place have adopted laws or state executive orders seeking to protect it. But since Trump's executive order, some providers have ceased some treatments. For instance, Penn Medicine in Philadelphia announced last month it wouldn't provide surgeries for patients under 19. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Susan Kressly, said the organisation is "unwavering" in its support of gender-affirming care. Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued the case for transgender minors and their families, called the ruling "a devastating loss for transgender people, our families, and everyone who cares about the Constitution." Meanwhile, the acting chair of the federal agency that enforces workers rights acknowledged on Wednesday that transgender workers are protected under civil rights laws but defended her decision to drop lawsuits on their behalf, saying her agency must comply with Donald Trump's orders. Andrea Lucas, who was first appointed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2020 and elevated to chair in January, spoke at her confirmation hearing at the Senate. Her nomination to serve another five-year term as an EEOC commissioner requires Senate confirmation, though whether she stays on as chair will be up to Trump. Lucas, a strident critic of diversity and inclusion programs and proponent of the idea that there are only two immutable sexes, repeatedly declared that the EEOC is not independent and vowed to enthusiastically follow Trump's executive orders. Those include orders aimed at dismantling diversity and programs in the public and private sectors and declaring that the federal government would only recognise the male and female sexes. with AP
