Michigan could add third gender option to driver’s licenses by 2021
The state of Michigan is considering adding a third gender option for residents applying for driver’s licenses.
U.S. Headlines
Federal Judge Sides with Trump Administration Over ACLU in Family Separation Case
A federal judge in California has ruled that the Trump administration’s separation of immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border complies with the 2018 ruling that banned separations ‘absent a determination that the parent is unfit or presents a danger to the child.’
Illinois Changing Birth Certificates to Show Mother Who Gave Birth as ‘Father’
The state of Illinois is changing the parental designations on its birth certificates to accommodate the wishes of transgender people.
Immigration US Judge: States Cannot Block Refugee Arrivals
A federal judge in Maryland said U.S. states and localities cannot opt-out of receiving refugees for now, the latest move in a court case challenging a Trump administration order that reversed decades of standing practice that guided the arrivals of millions of displaced people.
Judge delays ruling in House lawsuit over Trump tax returns
A federal judge on Tuesday stayed House Democrats’ lawsuit over their efforts to obtain President Trump’s tax returns from the IRS until a court decision is issued in a separate case.
21 Saudi students to be sent home following Pensacola shooting
The US is sending home 21 Saudi students after a shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida last month, Attorney General William Barr having concluded that the pilots-in-training acted on terroristic motivations.
2020 will see two supermoons and a blue moon close to elections
The year 2020 will see 13 full moons, two supermoons, and a blue moon in October around the same time as the US Presidential election.
Planned Parenthood performs record number of abortions
Planned Parenthood performed a record number of abortions in 2018 and 2019, according to new data released by the organization, even while the overall number of abortions that took place in the US fell.
Virginia gun proposal puts concealed carry agreements with other states in jeopardy
Virginia Democratic Del. Dan Helmer filed a bill Wednesday that would give the commonwealth’s attorney general, Mark Herring, discretion over which states’ carry permits Virginia would continue to recognize.
Gallup: Americans’ Ideology, 37% Conservative, 24% Liberal, 35% Moderate
Polling data from 2019 show that America is ‘center-right’ politically, with 37% describing themselves as ‘conservative,’ 35% saying they are ‘moderate,’ and only 24% stating they are ‘liberal.’
House Passes Three Bills To Advance 5G and Cyber Security in US
A package of bills designed to give the United States an advantage over China in the race to employ 5G, the fastest wireless networks available, were passed by the House on Wednesday.
U.S. private payrolls post largest gain in eight months
U.S. private payrolls increased by the most in eight months in December, pointing to sustained labor market strength though job gains last month were likely flattered by a seasonal quirk.
US Trade Deficit Falls to Lowest Level in More Than 3 Years
The U.S. trade deficit fell in November to the lowest level in more than three years as U.S. exports rose while imports declined, putting the country on track to see the first annual decline in the trade deficit in six years.
‘We’re going to war, bro’: Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne deploys to the Middle East
The 600 mostly young soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were headed for the Middle East, part of a group of some 3,500 U.S. paratroopers ordered to the region. Kuwait is the first stop for many. Their final destinations are classified.
Planned Parenthood performs more abortions this year, but loses private funding
Planned Parenthood performed 345,672 abortions in its most recent fiscal year, up from 12,915 the previous year, according to the 2018-2019 annual report it released over the weekend.
Trump’s Appeals Court Nominee Introduces His Same-Sex Husband and Twin Baby Daughters
Then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Bumatay, whom President Donald Trump had nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Night Circuit, introduced his same-sex husband and their twin baby daughters when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing on Oct. 30, 2019.
Donald Trump launches evangelical coalition as he defends Iran decision
President Donald Trump launched his ‘Evangelicals for Trump’ coalition on Friday night as he defended the US killing of Iran’s top military leader, Qasem Soleimani, in the face of strong criticism.
More Than Third of US Healthcare Costs Go to Bureaucracy
U.S. insurers and providers spent more than $800 billion in 2017 on administration, or nearly $2,500 per person — more than four times the per-capita administrative costs in Canada’s single-payer system, a new study finds.
March against anti-Semitism in New York draws huge crowd
A solidarity march against a spate of anti-Semitic attacks in New York City saw over 25,000 attendees Sunday, as New York governor Andrew Cuomo promised to commit another $45 million to fight the epidemic.
Meth use up sixfold, fentanyl use quadrupled in U.S. in last 6 years
A study of over 1 million urine drug tests from across the United States shows soaring rates of use of methamphetamines and fentanyl, often used together in potentially lethal ways.