Texas: Parents of trans youth fear having their kids taken away after Abbott order – National & International News – WED 2Mar2022

Texas sued to block criminalization of treatment for trans youth. Many disappointed Biden didn’t mention student debt in speech. Russian attacks escalate in Ukraine.

NATIONAL NEWS

ACLU sues to block Texas’ criminalization of treatment for trans youth

Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an order labeling the parents of transgender children undergoing hormone therapies as child abusers. The order requires the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to open child abuse investigations of parents suspected of allowing their transgender children to undergo gender-affirming procedures. Legally speaking, the order also means that teachers are obligated to report such instances among their students.

Gender-affirming treatment for minors typically include only non-surgical procedures such as puberty blockers. Potentially, any parent allowing their child to undergo these procedures in Texas could have their kids taken away. The state has already initiated several such investigations since Abbott signed the order.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal are suing Gov. Abbott and DFPS to block these investigations. The suit argues that the order violates the constitutional rights of transgender children and their families. Paul Castillo of Lambda Legal states that “Criminalizing that care and threatening to tear children from their families is unconscionable and terrifying, and cannot stand”.

Many have pointed to the timing of Abbott’s order, just days before a primary in which he faced opponents even further to the right.

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Many disappointed Biden didn’t mention student debt in speech

At the beginning of the pandemic, former President Trump called a pause on repayments of student debt. President Biden has continued that pause, but it is set to expire on May 1. The White House has been facing increasing pressure to either extend the break on repayments or even wipe out student debt altogether.

Around 45 million Americans owe a staggering $1.73 trillion in student debt, the vast majority of which is held by the federal government. Student debt is one of the greatest financial burdens on the middle and working classes in America. And even the conservative-leaning Chamber of Commerce says that student debt is a tremendous drag on the U.S. economy as a whole. The debt burden prevents millions of college-educated people from buying homes and investing in businesses, which are the surest ways to pass on generational wealth. It is also the one type of debt that doesn’t go away if you file for bankruptcy.

Biden or any U.S. president could forgive much of that debt with a stroke of a pen. Debt relief advocates have called on Biden to either forgive the debt, or at the very least extend the pause on repayments until the mid-term elections. Economists say that if repayments resume in May, it could jeopardize the economic recovery post-pandemic. The economic impacts could also jeopardize Democrats’ chances in the coming mid-terms.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russian attacks escalate in Ukraine

As Russia’s full-scale of Ukraine closes in on a week, reports from across the county show that the military assault is intensifying. The eastern city of Kharhiv endured days of intense shelling, killing hundreds of civilians. Last night, a missile strike near the capital Kiev damaged a TV tower and a Holocaust monument and killed 5 people. Today, missiles have rained down on Mariupol, a vital Black Sea port city. One neighborhood of Mariupol, which is normally home to 150,000, is almost totally destroyed.

Today, Ukraine reports that at least 2000 civilians have died since the invasion began. This is a large uptick since yesterday. It’s unclear if these are new deaths or revised figures from previous days.

Meanwhile, a miles-long Russian convoy continues to creep towards Kiev from the north. U.S. intelligence sources say it hasn’t moved “appreciably” for a day and a half. Some have speculated that the convoy has suffered breakdowns, fuel shortages, or dissent among the troops.

There is also growing concern over food shortages throughout Ukraine. The continuous Russian shelling also threatens to cut off power and fresh water to some cities.

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