Gender-affirming care rules create legal quagmire, critics say

WASHINGTON — Trump administration proposals that would sharply limit pediatric gender-affirming care could face a host of legal challenges if implemented, from accusations of overriding the state regulation of Medicaid to undermining Congress, lawyers and civil rights groups say.

Accusations of subverting the will of Congress have been common in President Donald Trump’s second administration. Critics say the proposed rules, issued Dec. 18 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would place unprecedented limitations on hospitals and physicians that lawmakers never intended.

Organizations seeking to stop the proposals are prepping lawsuits, once again sending a Trump executive branch action to the courts, where the Supreme Court has sided with Trump frequently on other issues.

One proposal would ban federal Medicaid funds and the Children’s Health Insurance Program from paying for gender-affirming care for children under age 19. Another would ban Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to any hospital that provides gender-affirming care to minors.

—CQ-Roll Call

Skyrocketing Affordable Care Act premiums are pushing some to extreme measures

Mary Jo Armstrong and her ex-husband, William, didn't exactly remarry for love. They remarried for health insurance.

After 18 years of marriage and a divorce, finalized in 2014, the Upper Burrell, Pennsylvania, couple found themselves side-by-side again Dec. 18. Joining them — not in a church or courthouse, but over a Microsoft Teams call — was Buff Jackson from the Allegheny County Department of Court Records.

Eight witnesses — including their twin daughters, coincidentally celebrating their birthday that day — looked on as they confirmed their marriage license application, choosing the self-uniting option to make it official. The video call took place during Mary Jo's lunch break, and the plan was to mark the occasion with a lighthearted exchange of vows later that evening during happy hour at the Hayloft in West Deer.

The reason for remarrying, however, was anything but playful: Mary Jo's monthly health insurance premiums were about to skyrocket from $350 to $1,400 — almost 50% of her monthly income, and it was the best solution they could muster.

—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Video alleging day care fraud in MN draws federal response; state casts doubt on claims

Top officials in the administration of President Donald Trump are directing more federal law enforcement resources to investigate allegations of rampant government fraud in Minnesota — a move that comes in the wake of a viral video claiming significant abuse in Somali-run day care programs.

A video posted to social media platforms on Friday by YouTuber Nick Shirley shows what appear to be empty day care centers in Minneapolis and claims to expose millions of dollars in fraud in the state’s federally funded child care program. The video has more than 100 million views on X.

The video is based on existing allegations about fraud in Minnesota’s child care program, which until recently was run by the state’s Department of Human Services and is now under the authority of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, a spin-off agency.

In the video, Shirley visits several day cares, including Quality Learning Center, which had already been under investigation by state officials for various violations and had collected $7.8 million from the state since 2019, according to a January report by KSTP-TV.

—Pioneer Press

Syrian protests turn violent after Alawite mosque bombing

Clashes broke out between Syrian security forces and demonstrators led by the Alawite religious minority as pressure mounts on President Ahmed Al Sharaa to reconcile long-standing sectarian disputes.

People took to the streets in coastal cities of Latakia, Tartus and other areas on Sunday to protest the bombing of an Alawite mosque in Homs last week, which killed at least eight people. Some called for more local autonomy, which the government rejects.

Security forces, backed by armored vehicles, deployed heavily to the region in response. Demonstrators were assaulted by pro-government groups and two people were killed by live fire, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a network of activists that reports on the country.

Syria has witnessed several bouts of sectarian violence since Sharaa, who once led an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, helped oust former leader Bashar Assad just over a year ago. An uprising against the Assad family’s reign in 2011 turned into a civil war that deepened sectarian sentiment, destroyed much of the country’s economy and displaced millions.

—Bloomberg News