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Nearly 20 states sue HHS over declaration to restrict gender transition treatment for minors
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A group of 19 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a declaration that aims to restrict gender transition treatment for minors.
The lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and its inspector general comes after the declaration issued last week described treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender surgeries as unsafe and ineffective for children experiencing gender dysphoria.
The declaration also warned doctors they could be excluded from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, if they provide these treatments to minors.
The move seeks to build on President Donald Trump’s executive order in January calling on HHS to protect children from «chemical and surgical mutilation.»
HHS UNLEASHES SWEEPING CRACKDOWN ON CHILD ‘SEX-REJECTING PROCEDURES,’ THREATENS HOSPITAL, MEDICAID FUNDING
The lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and its inspector general. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
«We are taking six decisive actions guided by gold standard science and the week one executive order from President Trump to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation,» Kennedy said during a press conference last week.
HHS has also proposed new rules designed to further block gender transition treatment for minors, although the lawsuit does not address the rules, which have yet to be finalized.
The states’ lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Eugene, Oregon, argues that the declaration is inaccurate and unlawful and urges the court to prevent it from being enforced.
«Secretary Kennedy cannot unilaterally change medical standards by posting a document online, and no one should lose access to medically necessary health care because their federal government tried to interfere in decisions that belong in doctors’ offices,» New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the lawsuit, said in a statement.
The lawsuit claims the declaration attempts to pressure providers into ending gender transition treatment for young people and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. The complaint said federal law requires the public be given notice and an opportunity to comment before substantively amending health policy and that neither of these were done before the declaration was released.
HHS’ move seeks to build on President Donald Trump’s executive order in January calling on HHS to protect children from «chemical and surgical mutilation.» (Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The declaration based its conclusions on a peer-reviewed report that the department conducted earlier this year that called for more reliance on behavioral therapy rather than broad gender transition treatment for minors with gender dysphoria.
The report raised questions about standards for the treatment of transgender children issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and brought concerns that youths may be too young to give consent to life-changing treatments that could result in future infertility.
Major medical groups and physicians who treat transgender children have criticized the report as inaccurate.
HHS also announced last week two proposed federal rules — one to cut off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that offer gender transition treatment to children and another to block federal Medicaid money from being used for these procedures.
HOUSE APPROVES MTG-SPONSORED BILL TO CRIMINALIZE GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS
New York Attorney General Letitia James led the lawsuit against the Trump administration. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The proposals have not yet been made final and are not legally binding because they must go through a lengthy rulemaking process and public comment before they can be enforced.
Several major medical providers have already pulled back on gender transition treatment for youths since Trump returned to office, even those in Democrat-led states where the procedures are legal under state law.
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Medicaid programs in just under half of states currently cover gender transition treatment. At least 27 states have adopted laws restricting or banning the treatment, and the Supreme Court’s decision this year upholding Tennessee’s ban likely means other state laws will remain in place.
Democrat attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington state and Washington, D.C., as well as Pennsylvania’s Democrat governor, joined James in the lawsuit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
robert f kennedy jr,health,politics,culture trends,donald trump
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Error de cálculo o mecanismo de provocación: los motivos detrás del inesperado ataque de Irán a Turquía
Irán lanzó este miércoles un misil balístico hacia Turquía, un país miembro de la OTAN, en un ataque inesperado que sorprendió al gobierno turco de Recep Tayyip Erdoğan y puso en alerta máxima a la alianza atlántica.
El gobierno iraní se había cuidado hasta ahora de no atacar a ningún integrante de la coalición militar liderada por Estados Unidos. Por caso, lanzó misiles hacia Chipre, un país miembro de la Unión Europea pero no de la OTAN y que alberga una base militar británica.
Leé también: Guerra de Medio Oriente: dos bandos y 13 países involucrados en un conflicto que jaquea al mundo
El misil fue interceptado por fuerzas defensivas de la OTAN. Los restos de la munición antiaérea cayeron en el extremo sur del país sin causar daños. El gobierno turco advirtió que “no dudará en defender su territorio y espacio aéreo” y “responderá a actitudes hostiles dentro del marco del derecho internacional”.
Desde la OTAN reaccionaron con cautela. Incluso, el secretario de Defensa estadounidense, Pete Hegseth, dijo que el Pentágono no considera que este incidente sea suficiente para activar la cláusula de defensa colectiva de la coalición, estipulada en el Artículo 5 del Tratado de Washington.
“No tiene sentido que se active algo parecido al Artículo 5”, afirmó. Este apartado establece que si un país de la OTAN es atacado, la respuesta será colectiva. La última vez que se activó fue tras los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001 en Nueva York. El mapa de la guerra en Medio Oriente (Datos y coordinación visual: Damián Mugnolo
Diseño de infografías: Iván Paulucci)
Qué dijo Irán sobre su fallido ataque a Turquía
El gobierno iraní se mantuvo en silencio público, pero buscó calmar a Turquía, un país de mayoría musulmana con el que mantiene una relación pragmática y comercial más allá de su pertenencia a la OTAN.
Incluso, Turquía tiene un vínculo ambiguo con Israel. Si bien mantienen lazos diplomáticos y distintos acuerdos bilaterales, Erdogan ha sido un duro crítico de la guerra de Gaza y llegó a denunciar un “genocidio” en el enclave palestino. ARCHIVO – El presidente de Turquía, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AP Foto/Khalil Hamra, archivo)
Analistas internacionales sostienen además que Israel y Turquía están destinados a rivalizar, tarde o temprano, en la región. De hecho, Ankara mantiene un gran poder en la nueva Siria surgida tras la caída del gobernante prorruso y proiraní Bashar al Assad y hoy bajo el gobierno del antiguo “terrorista” de Al Qaeda, Ahmad Al‑Sharaa, reconvertido en un buen “socio” de Washington.
Por eso sorprendió tanto el ataque iraní.
Un funcionario turco, citado por AFP, dijo que el gobierno cree que Turquía “no era el objetivo” del misil iraní. La sospecha es que se trató de un error de cálculo. “Creemos que su objetivo era una base en la parte griega de Chipre, pero se desvió de su rumbo”, indicó.
Leé también: Qué quiere Trump en Irán: la nueva estrategia “venezolana” y una alternativa islámica alineada con EE.UU.
La isla de Chipre, en el Mediterráneo, está dividida en dos desde su independencia en la década del 60. Una parte de mayoría griega miembro de la UE y otra de mayoría turca bautizada como República Turca del Norte de Chipre y solo reconocida por Ankara.
Pero según la agencia española, EFE, la trayectoria descrita del disparo es coherente con un misil lanzado desde el oeste de Irán hacia la base militar de Incirlik, cerca de Adana, en el sur de Turquía. Se trata del principal punto de apoyo de la OTAN en el país. Además, alberga unidades estadounidenses.
Según una fuente de la cancillería de Ankara, citada por la agencia de noticias estatal Anadolu, el canciller Hakan Fidan habló con su homólogo iraní Abás Araqchi y le transmitió que “debe evitarse cualquier medida susceptible de causar una escalada del conflicto”.
Las dudas crecen en Turquía tras el ataque de Irán
El periodista y analista español Ilya Topper, co-fundador del Colectivo Mediterráneo Sur y radicado desde hace años en Estambul, dijo a TN que el debate hoy en Turquía se centra en determinar si este ataque, al que se califica de “inverosímil”, puede “ser de falsa bandera para arrastrar al país a la guerra”.
“Otros, más prudentes, creen que simplemente hay comandantes en Irán aislados por la guerra de la cadena de mando que lanzan misiles a donde pueden”, señaló.
Leé también: Irán: el hijo del ayatollah asesinado Alí Jamenei fue elegido como el nuevo líder supremo
Para Topper, “es lógico que haya algún misil programado desde siempre con las coordenadas de Incirlik. Todo ejército que se precie tiene este tipo de preparaciones para objetivos importantes en caso de guerra”.
“Turquía quiere quitarle hierro (minimizar) y correr un velo para no incrementar la tensión. El canciller Fidan ya ha hablado con Araqchi. Creo que fue más bien un error o un acto individual de alguien en Irán que una estrategia planificada y consensuada en Teherán”, concluyó.
Irán, Israel, Donald Trump, Turquía
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74 retired US generals, admirals back Iran strikes, warn Tehran seeks to ‘spill American blood’
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A group of 74 retired U.S. generals and admirals recently voiced strong support for the joint U.S.-Israel military operation targeting Iran, calling it a necessary response to decades of threats from the Islamic Republic against the United States, its allies and regional stability.
The endorsement came in an open letter published Tuesday by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and signed by dozens of former senior American military commanders.
The letter backs the current military actions, known as Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion, which aim to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and partners across the Middle East.
«As retired senior American military leaders, we support the joint U.S.-Israeli military action to degrade and weaken the Iranian regime’s ability to threaten the United States, our allies and partners, and the Iranian people,» the letter states. «And we commend the valor of the outstanding United States Military and our Intelligence Community engaged in this operation.»
Open Letter from 74 Retired U.S. Military Leaders in Support of Joint U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran (Jewish Institute for National Security of America)
Among the prominent signatories are former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., who served during the height of the Iraq War; former Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jerome Johnson; former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. W.L. Nyland, who held the post during the early Iraq War; former Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command Gen. Philip M. Breedlove; and former U.S. Pacific Command chief Adm. Timothy J. Keating.
The retired commanders argue that Iran’s leadership has spent decades threatening American interests and supporting militant groups across the region.
«Since its inception 47 years ago, the radical regime, whose slogan is ‘Death to America, Death to Israel,’ has committed to endangering the lives of U.S. troops, diplomats, and civilians across the Middle East and here at home,» the letter says, noting that «hundreds of Americans have lost their lives at the hands of the Islamic Republic and its terrorist proxies.»
According to the signatories, the current military campaign is a direct response to Iran’s continued efforts to expand its military capabilities.
LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC CREDITS HIM FOR RESTORING ‘CREDIBILITY OF US DETERRENCE’ AS IRAN STRIKES UNFOLD
The Commander of the United States Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper recently visited Israel as the official guest of the chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit.)
«U.S.-Israel military action is a response to Iran’s unstinting efforts to make those ambitions a reality,» the letter states. «Following last summer’s 12-Day War, Tehran has redoubled its missile building program to hold at risk our bases, our partners, and ultimately our homeland.»
Iran’s regional proxy network also remains a central concern, the letter warns. «Its proxy forces in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere continue to threaten U.S. targets, Israel, and freedom of navigation in some of the world’s most vital waterways.»
The letter further argues that Iran has continued pursuing nuclear capabilities despite previous military setbacks.
«Since Operation Midnight Hammer against its main enrichment sites last June, Iran has attempted to rebuild elements of its destroyed nuclear infrastructure,» the letter states.
The signatories also point to Iran’s domestic repression as evidence of the regime’s nature.
«The regime’s brutal crackdown on protestors showed the entire world just what it is willing to do to keep its people and the region under its thumb,» they wrote.
ISRAEL STRIKES IRANIAN LEADERSHIP MEETING CHOOSING KHAMENEI SUCCESSOR
A U.S. Navy ship launches Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in support of Operation Epic Fury. (U.S. Central Command Public Affairs)
At the same time, the letter stresses that coordination between the United States, Israel and regional partners will be critical for the campaign’s success.
«For all these reasons, it is noteworthy that the United States is working so closely with Israel and other regional partners,» the letter states. «Such cooperation is vital to degrade and eliminate the regime’s arsenals, undermine its organs of oppression, and signal unmistakably that it cannot continue threatening not only core U.S. interests, but the broader security and prosperity of the Middle East and its own population.»
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the joint campaign as a decisive military operation aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile and air defense networks.
Speaking Wednesday, Hegseth said the Israeli and U.S. air forces were quickly establishing air superiority over Iran.
«Starting last night and to be completed in a few days … the two most powerful air forces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies. Uncontested airspace,» Hegseth said.
Critics, however, have warned the operation could have the opposite effect, increasing the risk of a wider regional war.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged restraint following the strikes, warning that further escalation could destabilize the region, while U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that the confrontation could spiral into a broader conflict and called for renewed diplomatic efforts.
Several Democratic lawmakers have also raised concerns about the strikes.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said he believed the operation amounted to «a war of choice with no strategic endgame.»
Senator Mark Warner, D-Va., said after attending a classified briefing that he had not seen evidence of an immediate Iranian threat.
Blaise Misztal, vice president for policy at JINSA, said the letter reflects the perspective of commanders who witnessed the Iranian threat firsthand.
«For more than two decades, Iran has been targeting and killing U.S. men and women in uniform,» Misztal said. «The retired senior military leaders who signed this letter have seen that threat up close and firsthand. They understand the threat that Iran poses to America, the urgent need to address it, and the tremendous capabilities that the United States and Israel have to do so, together.»
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A screengrab from a video released by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which accompanied a press release describing the operation dubbed Epic Fury, an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, shows smoke and dust rising following an explosion at an unknown location, in this image obtained from social media released Feb. 28, 2026. (US CENTCOM via X via REUTERS )
While supporting continued military pressure, the signatories concluded that Iran’s long-term future ultimately lies with its citizens.
«It will ultimately be up to the Iranian people to bring down the regime and enable a better future for Iran and the world,» the letter states.
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NY GOP candidate torches Columbia group over ‘Death to America’ post, tells them to ‘get the f— out’
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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican front-runner for governor, blasted a pro-Palestinian Columbia University student group after it posted «Death to America» in Farsi following the reported killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
«To the Columbia University Students and Faculty who posted ‘Death to America’ — I have one message for you — Get the f— out,» Blakeman said in a video message obtained by Fox News Digital.
The controversy quickly spilled into the race against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, with Blakeman arguing progressive leaders in New York have failed to confront what he calls rising anti-American extremism at elite universities.
A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in Tehran in solidarity with the government against Israel’s attacks and to mark Eid al-Ghadir. (Atta Kenare/Getty Images) (Atta Kenare/Getty Images)
Columbia University Apartheid Divest — which is not recognized by the university administration — describes itself as a coalition of student organizations that view a Palestinian state as «the vanguard for our collective liberation» and says it is a continuation of the Vietnam-era anti-war movement.
The group tweeted «Marg bar Amrika» — or «Death to America» — on Saturday after Khamenei was killed. X has since taken down the post.
The development infuriated Blakeman, who is now the top name in the GOP field following the withdrawal of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP SLAMS NEW PRESIDENT AS ‘FASCIST’ OVER PREVIOUS ENCAMPMENT BUST-UP
Blakeman called the situation «disgusting» in an ensuing statement and called for immediate action against the student group.
«Let’s be clear: this isn’t activism. It’s extremism and incites terror. American universities exist because of the freedoms, protections, and opportunities this country provides,» Blakeman said.
«At Columbia University, something has gone seriously wrong for many years.»
After the tweet disappeared, CUAD wrote that the social media platform forced the group to delete it to regain access to its account.
Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei arrives to cast his vote during the 2024 presidential election. (Sobhan Farajvan/Pacific Press/LightRocket) (Sobhan Farajvan/Pacific Press/LightRocket)
«[B]ut the sentiment still stands,» they wrote, according to the New York Post, which reported the follow-up before X again deleted the post.
The group called Khamenei’s death «devastating news» and said their «hearts are with the Iranian people [who] have every right to defend [themselves] against Zionist warfare.»
IRANIAN-AMERICAN JOURNALIST CALLS OUT MAMDANI OVER RESPONSE TO US-ISRAEL STRIKES
As the university ultimately reiterated that it does not recognize the organization, CUAD wrote on X that it has «no affiliation… with the fascist state functionary known as Columbia University.»
«We operate completely outside of the purview of a registered student organization and are proud not to receive any recognition from that institution,» said the group, which also organized the tent-filled anti-Israel «sit-in» protests of 2024 in part with Mahmoud Khalil.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a televised message in Tehran on June 26, 2025, following the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA) (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA)
Khalil, a Syrian-born master’s graduate of Columbia’s School of International & Public Affairs, was held by the Trump administration at an immigration facility in Louisiana in the wake of the encampment controversy until a federal judge ordered him released.
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A Columbia University statement to the Post read in part that CUAD is «illegally using the Columbia name.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the Hochul campaign for comment.
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