WARREN & COLLINS PUSH FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TAX EQUALITY
On the 10th anniversary of the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have reintroduced the Refund Equality Act. This bipartisan bill would allow same-sex married couples to amend past tax returns, enabling them to claim an estimated $55 million in refunds to correct previous financial disparities.
NEW INJECTABLE DRUG OFFERS 96% PROTECTION AGAINST HIV
The FDA has approved Yeztugo (lenacapavir), a new injectable drug from Gilead that offers 96% protection against HIV. Administered every six months, it nearly eliminated the virus’s spread in trials. While a significant prevention advancement, its $14,109 per injection price raises accessibility concerns. The drug was previously approved for treating multi-drug-resistant HIV.
SUPREME COURT BACKS PARENTS ON OPT-OUT FOR LGBTQ+ BOOKS
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, can opt their children out of elementary school classes using LGBTQ-themed books. The conservative majority, led by Justice Samuel Alito, found the school board’s refusal violated parents’ First Amendment religious freedom rights. Dissenting Justice Sonia Sotomayor warned of “chaos for this nation’s public schools.”
FEDS ORDER CALIFORNIA TO RESCIND TRANS ATHLETE PRIZES
The Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, has ordered California to rescind sports prizes awarded to transgender athletes and ban them from competition within 10 days. McMahon claims the state’s allowance of transgender athletes on teams aligning with their gender identity violates Title IX, directly challenging a 2013 California law. The California Department of Education has not yet commented.
JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP PASSPORT POLICY FOR TRANSGENDER, NONBINARY, AND INTERSEX AMERICANS
A federal judge has expanded an order blocking a Trump administration policy that required passport applicants’ sex designations to reflect their sex “at conception.” This ruling now allows all transgender, nonbinary, and intersex Americans to seek passports aligning with their gender identity, as the government failed to justify the policy.
