Will US enter the Israel-Iran conflict? Senators grill US Army Secretary and Chief of Staff
LIVE: U.S. Senators press Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll and Chief of Staff General Randy A. George on possible military involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Tense exchanges unfold over American readiness, strategy, and the risk of wider war. Will the U.S. join the fight?
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The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S. top court upholds ban on gender-affirming care for minors
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) upheld a state law banning gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors – an issue at the heart of the American culture wars. The court voted 6-3 to uphold a Tennessee law barring hormone therapy, puberty blockers and gender transition surgery for those under the age of 18. The six conservative justices on the top court rejected a challenge to the law while the three liberals dissented. Two dozen Republican-led states have enacted laws restricting medical care for transgender youth, and the case will have repercussions for the prohibitions across the country. '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,' wrote Chief Justice John Roberts, author of the majority opinion. 'The Court's role is not 'to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic' (of the law) but only to ensure that the law does not violate equal protection guarantees,' Mr. Roberts said. 'It does not. Questions regarding the law's policy are thus appropriately left to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process,' he added. The Supreme Court heard the case in December, and the Justice Department of then-president Joe Biden joined opponents of the law, arguing that it violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause since it denies transgender minors access to medical treatments permitted to others. Republican President Donald Trump has since taken office, and he signed an executive order in January restricting gender transition procedures for people under the age of 19. While there is no U.S.-wide law against gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth, the Mr. Trump order ended any federal backing for such procedures. Reacting to the ruling, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said it 'sets a dangerous precedent for legislative interference in the practice of medicine.' 'Gender-affirming care is medically necessary for treating gender dysphoria and is backed by decades of peer-reviewed research, clinical experience, and scientific consensus,' the AAP said. 'Denying patients access to this care not only undermines their health and safety, but it also robs them of basic human dignity.' 'Must end' The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, welcomed the ruling as a 'huge win for children' and a 'step toward ending dangerous experiments on kids.' During oral arguments in December, Tennessee Solicitor General Matthew Rice told the court the law was designed to 'protect minors from risky, unproven medical interventions' with 'often irreversible and life-altering consequences.' Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing three transgender adolescents, their parents, and a Memphis-based doctor, countered that the law has 'taken away the only treatment that relieved years of suffering.' 'What they've done is impose a blunderbuss ban, overriding the very careful judgment of parents who love and care for their children and the doctors who have recommended the treatment,' said Mr. Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue before the court. Mr. Trump, in his inauguration speech, said his government would henceforth only recognise two genders – male and female – and he issued his executive order a week later restricting gender transition procedures for minors. 'Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilising a growing number of impressionable children,' the executive order said. 'This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation's history, and it must end.' Mr. Trump's order said it would now be U.S. policy that it would 'not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another.' The order bars funding for gender transition under the Medicaid health insurance program for poor families, the Medicare scheme used by retirees, and Defense Department health insurance that covers some two million children. According to a study by UCLA's Williams Institute, an estimated 1.6 million people aged 13 and older in the United States identify as transgender.
India Today
32 minutes ago
- India Today
You don't know the population? Tucker Carlson Grills Ted Cruz on Iran
In a fiery exchange that lit up social media, media personality Tucker Carlson took aim at Senator Ted Cruz over his hawkish stance on Iran — and the senator's apparent unfamiliarity with basic facts about the country he wants to viral moment came during a two-hour interview, a clip of which Carlson teased on X (formerly Twitter), where he caught Cruz off guard with a simple question: "How many people live in Iran?"advertisementCruz admitted: "I don't know the population." Carlson shot back, saying, "You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple? It's 92 million. How could you not know that?"NEW: Republican Senator Ted Cruz is completely stumped after Tucker Carlson asks him what the population of Iran How many people live in Iran?Cruz: I don't know the You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple?Cruz: How Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 18, 2025CLASH OF FOREIGN POLICY VIEWSWhile Carlson accused Cruz of ignorance and warmongering, Cruz defended his position by arguing that Iran poses a direct threat to the United States."I want to stop a lunatic who wants to murder us from getting nuclear weapons that could kill millions of Americans," Cruz said. He then accused Carlson of channelling the foreign policy of "Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama."advertisementCarlson didn't miss a beat and said, "Yeah, I'm a big leftist. So silly."The back-and-forth exchanged broader divisions amongst conservatives over how to approach Iran, especially as the Israel-Iran war stretches into its sixth day. Carlson has long criticised US interventionism, while Cruz remains firm in advocating a tough IN: Sparks fly as Senator Ted Cruz accuses Tucker Carlson of having the same foreign policy as Barack Obama and Jimmy also said he spoke with President Trump "last night."Cruz: I want to stop a lunatic who wants to m*rder us from getting nuclear weapons Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 18, 2025CRUZ FIRES BACK Later, Cruz took to X after the interview clip began circulating, accusing Carlson of cherry-picking soundbites."Did a long interview w/ Tucker. He released a snippet playing a 'gotcha' on the population of Iran. I declined to play that silly game," the senator wrote, urging viewers to watch the full interview. He also pushed back against what he saw as Carlson's anti-Trump stance and alleged downplaying of Iranian threats, "WATCH the full 2-hr interview, where Tucker ATTACKS Trump, attacks the 'AIPAC lobby,' & falsely claims Iran is NOT trying to assassinate Trump."Must Watch
India Today
32 minutes ago
- India Today
Joe Biden to attend Juneteenth Celebration at historic church in Galveston
Former President Joe Biden will participate in a Juneteenth commemoration at the historic Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Galveston, Texas, later this reported by the Associated Press (AP), Biden's plans were confirmed by a source familiar with the arrangements but not authorised to discuss them celebrated annually on June 19, marks a significant moment in American history — the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to announce the end of slavery in Texas, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was In 2021, Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, the first new federal holiday since the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in ceremony will take place at the Reedy Chapel AME Church, the most historically prominent Black church in Texas. Founded in 1848, it is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the state and was one of the original locations where General Order No. 3—which proclaimed the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas—was publicly read by Union General Gordon visit to the church highlights Galveston's symbolic significance in America's path toward freedom and equality.(With inputs from AP)Must Watch
