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Disney won’t help the detransitioners its transgender activism encouraged to go under the knife

Does Disney care about more about the praise of transgender activists or the pain of its employees and their family, including children? The answer will become clear at the company’s April 3 annual meeting, when shareholders vote on a proposal my organization filed. We’re asking the company, which has famously associated itself with the gender-ideology movement, to stop ignoring the significant medical needs of those who’ve tried to reverse their sex transitions. My group, as a Disney shareholder, filed our proposal with the company in October. We want the entertainment giant to explain why its health insurance doesn’t include coverage for people who attempt to detransition. It’s a matter of equal treatment that especially matters as more Americans pursue sex changes they end up regretting, a trend Disney strengthened by so publicly aligning itself with the transgender cause. Many people who attempt a transition have gender dysphoria, a psychological condition that involves feeling uncomfortable with one’s biological sex. Rather than get the proper counseling they need to address it, they are generally fast-tracked by medical practitioners into an invasive and often irreversible regimen of drugs and surgeries. Yet instead of having their bodily discomfort soothed, many find themselves dealing with horrible physical consequences and worse mental-health issues. My organization has worked with Chloe Cole, who began a gender transition at age 12 and is the patient advocate at the nonprofit Do No Harm. By age 16, after taking puberty blockers and receiving a double mastectomy, she tried to turn back. Yet her body has been irreversibly changed and damaged, and years later, her chest is still bandaged. She will likely be on different medications and need ongoing treatments for the rest of her life. Detransitioners tell similar stories, and while there’s no good estimate of how many there are, it’s certain the number is growing fast. But Disney’s health-insurance coverage ignores detransitioners altogether. Disney is happy to help employees and their family — including children — ruin their bodies. It has no interest in helping them fix the bodies, despite encouraging them down that ruinous path. Disney is doing the bidding of a powerful outside interest group — the Human Rights Campaign. The group’s Corporate Equality Index ranks companies in part on their commitment to transgenderism, and to earn a 100% score, their health-insurance coverage must include gender transitions for employees, family members and dependents. Disney’s coverage with Cigna, for example, includes the reduction in size of testes, construction of a penis or vagina and various other genitalia-building and -amputating procedures, as well as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Human Rights Campaign denies there’s a need for restorative care, reflecting the activist community’s belief that detransitioners are anomalous. Acknowledging their existence — and increasing number — would draw attention to the fact gender transitions are often irreversible, raising awkward questions about the morality of what they’re pushing. They’re happy to help a young girl cut off her breasts but less thrilled about helping her replace what she’s forever lost. Disney scores 100% and has effectively admitted it doesn’t cover the cost of detransition treatments. Most notably, when Disney asked the Securities and Exchange Commission for permission to exclude our shareholder proposal for its annual meeting, it could have stated the proposal is moot because it already covers detransitions. Instead, Disney tried to exclude it on technical grounds. The SEC forced the company to keep it. Disney management has urged shareholders to oppose our proposal. But that’s what you’d expect from a company that loudly touts its 100% score. Management fears losing the coveted designation because negative media coverage will follow, as Anheuser-Busch recently found out. Disney isn’t alone. The Human Rights Campaign has bestowed 100% scores on 595 corporations. My organization has filed similar proposals with several of them, including Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo, which have upcoming shareholder meetings. At its December meeting, Microsoft management urged shareholders to vote against our proposal, which failed to pass. The company gets to keep its 100% score — and keep ignoring the urgent and lifelong medical needs of a growing class of people. Whatever happens at Disney, the fight to protect detransitioners will continue. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has already made it illegal to discriminate in pay or benefits based on “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.” As our proposal makes clear, that language includes detransitioners, even if companies like Disney and transgender activists don’t like it or deny their existence. If Disney shareholders don’t give these suffering people their due April 3, it’s only a matter of time before a new presidential administration or courts force them. Detransitioners are people too, and it’s time Disney and every other company acknowledged their pain instead of blindly seeking activist praise. Paul Chesser is director of the Corporate Integrity Project for National Legal and Policy Center.

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British Man Fighting For Russia Against Ukraine Says He Is ”Prepared To Die” For Putin

A British man who flew to Russia to fight alongside Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine has said he’s willing to die for the cause, Metro reported. Notably, British citizen Aiden Minnis, 37, is a former National Front member and convicted criminal from Chippenham, Wiltshire. He claimed that he’s ”doing the Lord’s work” after joining the Russian army in January. He said his fellow soldiers are his brothers, adding, ”I trust them and will die for them. They have proven themselves and helped me a lot. We understand each other. A bit of pidgin English and pidgin Russian and sign language. It gets done.” Mr Minnis has multiple charges, ranging from dangerous driving causing the deaths of two people, a racist attack and beating up a homeless man. Another British citizen Ben Stimson, 48, is also known to be fighting in Ukraine for Vladimir Putin’s regime. Both are understood to be in the Donbas region, which is under Russian occupation. In a video, Mr Stimson, from Oldham, Manchester, said, ”Every man takes his choice… a lot of us, the foreign volunteers, have chosen to come over to this side, to the Russian side.” According to BBC, he was previously jailed in the UK in 2015 for joining pro-Russian separatists in the east of Ukraine. Subsequently, his family cut off all communication with him. His father said, ”I’ve cut him off. Before I cut him off he was in Moscow. I’ve been looking after Ben on and off for years and years. He’s on his own now. He’s 48 now, he can do what he wants. He’s been a constant worry. I want a bit of peace at my age. You never know what he’ll do next.” The two men have also posted several videos of them on social media, posing with grenades, and various flags and even showing two dead bodies. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “Reports of British nationals taking part in Putin’s illegal invasion are shocking and their alleged actions are reprehensible. Those who travel from the UK to conflict zones to engage in unlawful activity should expect to be investigated upon their return.” Both of them have been branded traitors by a former British Army commander. If either of the two men came back to the UK, they would be arrested under the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870. However, Mr Minnis said he had no plans to return to the UK and is in the process of obtaining a Russian passport.

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Beyoncé Gives ‘Jolene’ a Gun-Slinging, Dolly Parton-Approved Remake

If you thought Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” was icy cold, just wait until you hear Beyoncé’s sinister version of the song. The Renaissance singer’s new album, Cowboy Carter, arrived at midnight on Friday and, as promised, it’s a marathon-length, star-studded country rodeo. The 27-track LP is presented in the style of a country radio show, with Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, and Parton herself making appearances as DJs. On the spoken interlude track “Dolly P,” Parton addresses Beyoncé directly: “Hey Miss Honey B, it’s Dolly P,” she begins. From there, Parton references “Becky with the good hair,” the mistress featured on Beyoncé’s Lemonade album.

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'Not even safe in our own homes': AFL great Eddie Betts shares horrific video

AFL great Eddie Betts has shared a clip on social media showing a person in a car repeatedly yelling a racial slur as they drove past children playing basketball. Betts, a Wirangu, Kokatha and Guburn man, has previously spoken out about racism experienced by Indigenous AFL players and has been subjected to racist attacks on and off the field. Betts played 350 games for Carlton and Adelaide before retiring in 2021. He was named in the All-Australian team three times and won four AFL Goal of the Year awards. Aboriginal kids deserve to be able to play safely, free from racism and abuse over the fence. We are not even safe in our own homes.” Betts asked anybody who knew the offender to tell them he was “open to having a chat” about how racism was hurting children. 'Takes me straight back': Eddie Betts reflects on the racism he faced in the AFL lifeline.org.au Aboriginal Medical Service here Headspace: Yarn Safe</b

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Pennsylvania man in ‘Scream’ mask killed neighbor with chain saw then went home to watch a movie, police say

A Pennsylvania man attacked and killed his neighbor this week using a knife and a chain saw while wearing a mask and costume like the one from the movie “Scream,” officials said. The man, identified as Zak Moyer, 30, then returned home and watched a movie until police came, according to a criminal complaint from the Pennsylvania State Police. Police said Moyer surrendered after the attack and was taken into custody without incident. He has been charged with criminal homicide and is being held at the Carbon County Correctional Facility. Lehighton Borough police and later state police responded to an active assault incident Monday in Carbon County, in which a man attacked another man using a knife and chainsaw. Officials found Edward Whitehead Jr., 59, who lived at the home, had been “struck” in the head with the weapons by a man who was “wearing a mask and a black costume-like garment, consistent with the ‘Scream’ movie character,” according to the criminal complaint. Whitehead was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries, state police said. He had cuts on his right arm, on the right side of his head above his eyebrow and wounds on his hands that were “consistent with defensive wounds,” in addition to “a large bleeding wound to the right side of the head,” the complaint said. Surveillance video showed the suspect leaving Whitehead’s home through the back door and entering the rear door of a home next door, where neighbors said Moyer lived, the complaint said. Police established a perimeter around Moyer’s home and communicated with him through a notebook, the complaint said. Moyer’s sister told police Monday that her brother told her a week ago that he wanted to kill Whitehead, according to the complaint. According to the complaint, Moyer told police that he had gone to the family’s house Monday with a knife and a chain saw while wearing the “Scream” costume to scare them. Asked about the costume and weapons, police said Moyer admitted he had planned to kill Whitehead. Moyer also admitted to stabbing Whitehead in the head, returning to his home to watch a movie until police arrived, and hiding the chain saw in the attic and the knife in his desk drawer, according to the criminal complaint. Police said in news release that the investigation into the slaying is active but there is no threat to the surrounding community. This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here: Family attacked in Illinois stabbing spree praises son, dog for saving their lives 3 presidents, celebrity performances and protester interruptions at Biden campaign’s $25M fundraiser North Carolina moves to revoke license of wilderness camp where a 12-year-old died

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Timeline: Illinois stabbing rampage terrorized multiple homes, teen girls’ sleepover

A teen girls’ sleepover in Rockford, Illinois, turned to tragedy as the home they were watching a movie in became the final stop on a murder suspect’s horrific stabbing spree. Details surrounding the series of attacks in the northern Illinois community were released Thursday, one day after four people were killed and seven others injured at multiple crime scenes. The crimes unfolded during the afternoon hours Wednesday, with four separate crime scenes reported. Among those killed were a 15-year-old girl, a U.S. postal worker, a 23-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman. Here’s how officials said the horrific events unfolded: First incident: 2300 block of Holmes Street According to the complaint, the stabbing spree first began at a home in the 2300 block of Holmes Street. There, 22-year-old Christian Soto told authorities he was smoking marijuana with a friend, later identified as Jacob Schupbach, of Rockford. Soto said he believes the marijuana was laced with “an unknown narcotic” as he became “paranoid after the drug usage,” the complaint stated. He told authorities that’s when he grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began stabbing 23-year-old Schupbach and 63-year-old Romona Schupbach at the home. Witnesses reported seeing Soto chase Jacob Schupbach into the street while in possession of an unknown object before he was seen hitting or stabbing Schupbach on the ground, the complaint stated. Soto was then seen entering a black Chevy Silverado parked in the driveway of Schupbach home and running over Jacob Schupbach. Witnesses said Jacob Schupbach at one point got up and ran back inside the home with Soto following. A short time later, Soto was seen exiting the home and leaving in the vehicle, the complaint stated. Both Jacob and Romona Schupbach were pronounced dead. Second incident: 2200 block of Winnetka Lane As Soto fled the Schupbach home following the stabbing, he recalled to police “taking out the mailman” in the 2200 block of Winnetka Lane. At that scene, a homeowner told police he heard commotion outside his home and when he looked outside he saw a man battering a United States Postal worker, identified as 49-year-old Jay Larson, in the grass near his front yard. The witness, who later identified Soto in a photo lineup, said Soto was punching Larson, and as the witness opened the front door to help, he heard Larson yell for him to call police. At that point, the witness said Soto began to approach his home, so he locked his door and dialed 911. The witness then saw Soto retrieve a knife from his vehicle and proceeded to stab Larson “numerous times in various parts of his body.” The witness then reported Soto got back into the pickup truck and ran over Larson before reversing and running over him a second time, the complaint stated. Soto was then seen striking a parked car with his truck before fleeing on foot between two homes. Third incident: 4800 block of Cleveland Avenue Shortly after Larson was attacked, officers began receiving calls to numerous crime scenes, including one in the 4800 block of Cleveland Avenue. There, three people inside a home said a man forced his way inside with a “Katana”-style knife as one of the homeowners had opened the door to let their dog outside. One person was stabbed on the left side of her face, and two others attempted to fight the man off, resulting in them both also being stabbed. One of those individuals then struck the man with a syrup bottle before he left the home. According to the complaint, Soto admitted to entering the home and attacking three people. He also recalled the family’s pitbull biting him on his leg during the attack. Fourth incident: 4700 block of Cleveland Avenue In the fourth and final crime scene, officers were flagged down about another attack in the 4700 block of Cleveland Avenue. There, authorities were approached by one of three girls who were attacked inside a home. The girl directed police to a home where she said other people were hurt. Officers entered the home to find 15-year-old Jenna Newcomb of Rockford dead in a basement “from apparent trauma to her head.” According to Newcomb’s mother, Jenna died saving her sister and her friend, who were also wounded in the attack. According to the complaint, Newcomb and her friend, who were having a sleepover at the house, were in the basement watching a movie. Another girl was upstairs making something to eat in the kitchen when she saw a man break into the home and grab a bat. The girl ran down to warn the other two when the man came down, shouted at them about a gun and began swinging the bat. All three were hit and Newcomb was knocked unconscious and later died. The man then said he was going to “get a gun” and left as one girl called 911 and the other fled to get help. Soto, who the complaint said was covered in blood at the time, was taken into custody and now faces more than 12 charges, including murder and home invasion. “It’s pretty difficult to even know where to begin to describe what’s taking place,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. “Our community has experienced such unthinkable tragedies this week.” Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley said during a news conference that Soto would be in court Thursday afternoon to hear the charges and for a judge to determine if he will remain in jail pending trial. Three people remained hospitalized Thursday, officials said. The other four were treated and released, Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd said.

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Activists watch for potential impact on environment as Key Bridge cleanup unfolds

Authorities removing twisted wreckage from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are deploying nearly a mile’s worth of barriers in the water, testing samples for contamination and monitoring the Patapsco River for oil and other hazardous spills as they confront the potential for environmental fallout. The Unified Command, which includes state agencies and the Coast Guard, said Thursday they have unfurled 2,400 feet (732 meters) of an absorbent containment device, along with another 2,400 feet (732 meters) of barrier to try to prevent the spread of any hazardous materials. It’s a scenario that environmental experts are watching closely for a number of reasons, including the river’s location in a metropolitan area that plays an important role in commercial shipping, as well as for marine life and migratory birds moving northward at this time of year. “Any time you have something like this happen, there’s a risk of some sort of hazardous material getting in the water. And I think the question really is how much and to what extent,” said Gary Belan of American Rivers, a national nonprofit that focuses on issues affecting rivers across the country. The possibility for a major environmental problem could arise from the bridge materials that fell into the river or from the containers aboard the cargo ship, the Dali, he said. But a big concern would be if the ship’s fuel container ruptured and spilled into the water. “If that gets … into the river we’re talking about a pretty strong environmental catastrophe at that point, particularly going out into that part of the Chesapeake Bay,” Belan said. First responders have observed a sheen in the water near the site, according to the Unified Command, which said Thursday there was “no immediate threat to the environment.” The ship carried 56 containers with hazardous materials, and of those, 14 that carried perfumes, soaps and unspecified resin had been destroyed. It’s not clear if those materials had spilled into the water. “We have been conducting air monitoring on the vessel and around the vessel with our contractor. No volatile organic compounds or flammable vapors were observed,” the Unified Command said in a statement posted online. The Maryland Department of the Environment has begun sampling water up- and down-river and is on scene with first-responders to “mitigate any environmental” concerns, according to department spokesperson Jay Apperson. Emily Ranson, the Chesapeake regional director for Clean Water Action, an environmental advocacy group, said it was too early to tell what the fallout could be. But she said the federal government should play a key role in enforcing regulations because of the interstate commerce at the port. The federal government has more tools than the state to enforce regulations, she said. “The big thing to keep in mind is that it certainly reinforces the fact that we need to make sure that we have adequate protections and safety precautions with shipping with our port,” she said. The crash happened in the early morning hours Tuesday, when the Dali, which had lost power, crashed into a pillar supporting the bridge, collapsing it moments later. The crash has closed off a major U.S. port and left six construction workers on the bridge presumed dead. Two people were rescued from the site. Mike Catalini, The Associated Press

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Chicago plans to move migrants to other shelters and reopen park buildings for the summer

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago plans to close five shelters for migrants in the coming weeks and move nearly 800 people, including families, in order to reopen park district buildings hosting popular summer camps, athletic contests and other community events in time for summer. The shift is part of the city’s ongoing scramble to meet the needs of people arriving from the U.S. border with Mexico. Advocates for the newly arrived have frequently criticized Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, and argued that the available services are inadequate. Others believe Chicago is unfairly prioritizing new arrivals over longtime residents, including unhoused people with similar needs. WHY CLOSE THE SHELTERS NOW? Johnson announced the plan to close the park district shelters this week, saying they were “no longer necessary.” “I am proud of the efforts of my administration, our partners, and the many Chicagoans who stepped up to welcome new arrivals by providing shelter in our Park District field houses at a time when this was clearly needed,” Johnson said in a statement Monday. “We are grateful to the alderpersons and communities who have embraced new neighbors with open arms, and we are pleased that these park facilities will be transitioned back to their intended purpose in time for summer programming.” Chicago has reported more than 37,000 migrants arriving to the city since 2022, when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending buses of people to so-called sanctuary cities. Many migrants who land in Chicago come from Venezuela, where a social, political and economic crisis has pushed millions into poverty, and where three-quarters of residents live on less than $1.90 a day. The city initially used police stations and airports as officials searched for other temporary shelters. Some residents of neighborhoods surrounding some of the park district fieldhouses have regularly protested their use as shelters since last summer. On Friday, a city dashboard showed more than 10,000 people remain in city-run shelters. That’s down from a peak of nearly 15,000 in January. The city has not specified when all the park buildings will be empty, only that it will take several weeks. Volunteers who work with migrants said residents of at least two of the park buildings were told they will begin moving to other shelters Saturday. WHAT ABOUT OTHER SHELTERS? Nearly 20 other temporary shelters are still operating in the city, including churches, hotels, a library and former warehouses. The largest shelters are housing more than 1,000 people while others reported counts closer to 100, according to the city’s latest update this month. The city is aiming to move people to other shelters closer to the park buildings, particularly families with children enrolled in nearby schools, Johnson’s statement said. Chicago began enforcing a 60-day limit on shelter stays in mid-March. But many exemptions, including for families with children in school, have meant few people are actually being evicted yet. The city has reported only 24 people leaving shelters so far because of the caps. Other U.S. cities, including New York and Denver, have used similar shelter limits to cope with limited resource availability for migrants arriving by bus and plane. Mayors also have pleaded for more federal help. In Chicago, people who are evicted can return to the city’s “landing zone” and reapply for shelter. Volunteers have said that sometimes means people leave a shelter and are sent back to the same location. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MIGRANTS? Volunteers who work with new arrivals said they understand the desire for neighborhoods to have park district facilities back, particularly for camps and other programs popular during summer months. But they worry the forced move will upend migrants’ efforts to find work and get their children to school. “Most people are actively, constantly trying to figure out how they get out of shelters,” volunteer Lydia Wong said. “I don’t know that this helps expedite it at all. The city is saying they want to keep people relatively close, but it’s extremely disruptive — needing to find new routes, new ways to get to school or work.” Several people living in the park-based shelters told The Associated Press this week they had received little information about the city’s plan, including where they might be moved. They declined to give their names, with several saying they did not want to face any retaliation from employees of the private agency running the shelters. As of Wednesday, the city said more than 15,000 people have found other housing since officials began keeping data in 2022. Many have sought rental assistance provided by the state. More than 5,600 families have used the program to find housing, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services. With a few exceptions like diplomats and people on tourist visas, immigrants in the U.S. must notify officials when they move. Asylum seekers in the immigration court system have five days to do so after changing addresses, to ensure they receive notifications from the court. Missing mail might not sink their case directly, but failing to show up for a court date could lead to them being deported. ___ Associated Press reporter Cedar Attanasio contributed from New York. Kathleen Foody And Melissa Perez Winder, The Associated Press

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