Aug 24, 2017

Trump moving forward with military transgender ban

Dave Lawler, author of World

Steve Helber / AP

The Trump administration will soon issue guidance to the Pentagon for how to enforce President Trump's military transgender ban, the Wall Street Journal reports.

  • Secretary Mattis will have 6 months to implement the ban, according to the 2.5 page memo.
  • Transgender recruits will not be admitted, and removal of currently serving transgender troops will be at Mattis' discretion.
  • "Deployability," described by WSJ as "the ability to serve in a war zone, participate in exercises or live for months on a ship," is the legal justification Mattis will use to determine who can and can't serve. The idea that transgender troops are less "deployable" has met with fierce resistance.

Flashback: Trump tweeted on July 26, "The United States Government will not accept or allow....Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," but didn't follow up with a direct order so the ban has not been enforced.

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Rebecca Falconer
12 mins ago - Sports

LeBron James on Trump NBA protest remarks: "We could care less"

The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James kneels during the national anthem before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Wednesday. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

LeBron James responded on Wednesday night to President Trump's comments calling NBA players "disgraceful" for kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism and that he won't watch games because of the action.

The big picture: Trump has repeatedly criticized sports players for taking the knee since 2016. But James said during a news conference, "I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership, him viewing the game." November's elections marked "a big moment for us as Americans," he said. "If we continue to talk about, 'We want better, we want change,' we have an opportunity to do that," he added. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said the league will "respect peaceful protest."

Go deeper: LeBron James forms voting rights group to inspire Black voters

Axios
Updated 3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of midnight ET: 18,752,917 — Total deaths: 706,761— Total recoveries — 11,308,298 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of midnight ET: 4,821,296 — Total deaths: 158,249 — Total recoveries: 1,577,851 — Total tests: 58,920,975 — Map.
  3. Public health: Florida surpasses 500,000 confirmed cases — Fauci calls U.S. coronavirus testing delays "totally unacceptable."
  4. Business: America's next housing crisis.
  5. States: Virginia launches contact tracing app using specs from Apple and Google.
  6. Cities: L.A. mayor authorizes utilities shut-off at homes hosting large gatherings
  7. Politics: White House, Democrats remain "trillions of dollars apart" on stimulus talks.
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Rebecca Falconer
3 hours ago - Health

L.A. mayor authorizes utilities shut-off at homes hosting large gatherings

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during a January event in Los Angeles. Photo: Sarah Morris/Getty Images

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Wednesday he's authorized the city's Department of Water and Power (DWP) to shut down utilities at locations that host large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

Driving the news: Garcetti's announcement follows a fatal shooting at a house party attended by roughly 200 people last Monday, the Los Angeles Times notes.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow