Pentagon to resume medical care for transgender troops

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/24/transgender-troops-military-care-00306827

The move is another setback for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has made culture war issues a major part of his role.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gives the thumbs-up.

The Pentagon will resume gender-affirming care for transgender service members, according to a memo obtained by POLITICO, an embarrassing setback to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to restrict their participation.

The memo says the Defense Department is returning to the Biden-era medical policy for transgender service members due to a court order that struck down Hegseth’s restrictions as unconstitutional. The administration is appealing the move, but a federal appeals court in California denied the department’s effort to halt the policy while its challenge is pending.

As a result, the administration is barred from removing transgender service members or restricting their medical care, a priority of President Donald Trump and Hegseth. The administration insisted its restrictions were geared toward people experiencing medical challenges related to “gender dysphoria,” but two federal judges said in March that the policy was a thinly veiled ban on transgender people that violated the Constitution.

The Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to allow the Pentagon to ban transgender servicemembers while legal battles continue to play out.

Both judges ordered the military to refrain from forcing out more than 1,000 transgender troops and to resume providing for their medical care, including surgical procedures and voice and hormone therapy. The memo is the latest move by the Pentagon to comply with those orders.

But it presents another headache for Hegseth, who has made culture war issues — such as changing recruitment standards and reinstating the ban — a key piece of his effort to make the military more lethal. Hegseth has emphasized this theme as he’s sought to defend himself amid multiple scandals, including texting sensitive details of military operations in Yemen to multiple Signal group chats and a vicious brawl between his top advisers.

“Service members and all other covered beneficiaries 19 years of age or older may receive appropriate care for their diagnosis of [gender dysphoria], including mental health care and counseling and newly initiated or ongoing cross-sex hormone therapy,” Dr. Stephen Ferrara, the Pentagon’s acting assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs, said in a memo dated April 21.

President Donald Trump signed a long-expected order banning transgender people from serving in the military at the outset of the administration, just as he had done in 2017. But LGBTQ advocacy groups quickly pounced, calling the order discriminatory.

So far, the courts have rejected the Pentagon’s arguments that including transgender troops reduces the military’s ability to fight. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle ruled in March that there is no evidence that transgender troops harm military readiness, and ordered the Pentagon to return to the status quo.

A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday became the first appellate court to hear arguments on Trump’s transgender military policy but gave little indication of how it might rule.

Defense officials acknowledged in a March memo sent to Pentagon leadership that the agency would comply with the court order, but did not detail the steps the department would take to follow it. Hegseth has openly attacked one of the judges, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, for her order, labeling her “Commander Reyes” in a pejorative post on X.

Hegseth has faced pressure from Democrats to follow the court order, suggesting he was undermining military recruitment needs.

“Given the unwillingness or inability of 99.6 percent of the U.S. population to serve in our military, the last thing our nation should be doing is rejecting patriotic Americans who are ready and willing to serve our country,” a group of 14 Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq veteran, wrote Tuesday to Hegseth. “The Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the transgender community reveal an ideological obsession rooted in a poor understanding of science.”

The Pentagon referred questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

February memo signed by then-acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness Darin Selnick — who was fired by Hegseth last week — said service members or potential recruits interested in the military who have “a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria” are “incompatible” with U.S. military service.

Some officials saw the move as a capitulation by the administration, which was settling for a loss in court while continuing to wage a public relations war to keep transgender service members out of the military.

“They’ve scared all of the trans people off,” said one person close to the Pentagon familiar with the conversations, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. “What’s to be gained by continuing to fight with the courts? It seems pretty easy to stop getting crazy with it. You won. You got what you wanted.”

Video shows doctor with measles treating kids. RFK Jr later praised him as an ‘extraordinary’ healer

https://apnews.com/article/texas-measles-outbreak-rfk-jr-ben-edwards-2dd7c79d47c64ad2e6d4a4ac3c87ec1f

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, stands with Dr. Ben Edwards, right, outside the Reinlander Mennonite Church in Seminole, Texas, on Sunday, April 6, 2025, after a second measles death. (AP Photo/Annie Rice, File)

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., right, stands with Dr. Ben Edwards, left, outside the Reinlander Mennonite Church in Seminole, Texas, on Sunday, April 6, 2025, after a second measles death. (AP Photo/Annie Rice, File)

More ugliness from republicans

Trump Blames Zelensky And Biden For Ukraine War

Bukele Refuses To Return Wrongly Deported Man

 

Trump Admin Sued For Hiding Spending Database

Trump Defies Court Order On Associated Press Access

Plan Calls For Closing Dozens Of Embassies, Consulates

 

NIH Scientists Reduced To Bartering Critical Supplies

So what is the goal here, to save money, or ultimately to kill unhealthy Americans that Republicans think are a drag on their wallets? Inside U.S. health agencies, workers confront chaos and questions as operations come ungluedflip.it/3rz_Ee

Deeds Not Words (@nodderuf.bsky.social) 2025-04-11T23:44:43.515Z

DHS Spox Ridicules Pleas To Free Wrongly Deported Man: “Osama Bin Laden Was Also A Father” [VIDEO]

REPORT: WH Told Warner CEO To Give Junior A Show

https://x.com/ReutersLegal/status/1912091067798659396

https://x.com/NewsHour/status/1901420214887096815

 

Let’s talk about Johnson admitting they’re cutting Medicaid….

Crazy Republican stuff from Joe My God

I was going through Joe My God for news and memes.  I found these stories either outrageous enough or so crazy I felt I should share them.  Hugs.  

Not much to say about the RFK ones.

The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations#Measleshttps://www.propublica.org/article/measles-vaccine-rfk-cdc-report

Gail Waldby (@gailwaldby.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T21:18:30.238Z

So much for cutting fraud, waste, and inefficacies.  Hugs

The U.S. has spent $40 million to jail about 400 migrants at Guantanamo BayEarly costs of the enterprise emerged over the weekend along with a statement from five senators who toured the base Friday and urged the Trump administration to “immediately cease this misguided mission.”

Carol Rosenberg (@carolrosenbergnyt.bsky.social) 2025-03-31T19:26:19.913Z

CRT and DEI hate from the right is all about racism and bigotry.  It is so clear that to them a mediocre white male is better than the most talented gifted woman, person of color, or anyone LGBTQ+.  It doesn’t matter to them how good and educated anyone is if they are not a white male they are inferior to any white man.  These people, these Nazi wannabees in charge of our government are desperate to enshrine in the law that white males are always better than anyone else.  Why do they feel so inferior that they need to get rid of any attempts to allow others the same opportunities they have, to have shows and movies that represent the entirety of the population / society?  What are they afraid of.   Hugs 

Talk about corruption much?  The last voter give away he ran he first called it a lottery that anyone voting for a republican could win.  But when he was taken to court because that was illegal he admitted that it was all a preplanned scam.  Musk had already picked the winner which was some GOP insider.  Seems he did the same thing here.  Yet maga cult falls for it all the time.  Hugs

Gee tRump is banning refugees from most other countries, trying hard to close the Southern border, revoking the visas and green cards of legal non-white residents … yet opening the door to white South Africans.  Begging the white people who formerly keep the black people as impoverished near slaves in their own country to move here.  tRump influenced by the South African immigrant currently screwing up every department of the government maybe, you know the guy that gave the Nazi salute?  Or self avowed white supremacist Stephen Miller?  The reason given is the South African government is being mean to white people and taking their land.  That is not what the law says.  The fact is that the whites took the farm land from the blacks and they couldn’t legally own it.  The law seeks to balance that ownership out fairly.  The law has safeguards for the white owners.  The law says … expropriate land from private parties if it’s in the public interest and allows for expropriation without compensation, but only if negotiations for a reasonable settlement have failed, the government says.  It says it does not allow land to be taken arbitrarily.   Hugs

Gee, and here I thought these Nazi-racist-clowns claimed that it was wrong to use race as a basis for any decision-making; that they don't see race as a basis for admissions anywhere. ‘Mission South Africa’: How Trump Is Offering White Afrikaners Refugee Status http://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/u…

(@theunderminer.bsky.social) 2025-03-30T21:19:47.591Z

So much for lowering prices on … groceries.  You know that word that seemed to fascinate tRump.  Guess cars are not eggs.  And yes why would billionaires and millionaires care if prices rise and the lower incomes can’t afford to live, it won’t stop them from eating, from having homes, from driving nice cars.   Hugs

Why not let the Department Of Defense, the upper ranks and people who understand the military and its equipment / abilities.  Why farm the work out to a political regressive think tank that wants desperately wants a 1950s world.  From the article … It outlines, in broad and sometimes partisan detail, the execution of Trump’s vision to prepare for and win a potential war against Beijing and defend the United States from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama Canal. Hugs

In the land of the free where we are supposed to have freedom of speech and the right to protest.  But anyone that says anything supporting the Palestinians being exterminated and going through a genocide done by Israel.  Any acknowledgment of what Israel is doing the administration now claims is an antisemitic attack on Jewish people.   That is wrong!  It is a gross lie and crazy misinformation made to vilify the people who are correct.  Oh I have a post cued up to make about the father shipped by mistake to El Salvador but PINO tRump refuses to bring him back.  After all he is brown you know.  The real reason these people are being targeted is some are brown and others are Muslim, or both Hugs

Some of the students don't appear to have been activists or even op-ed writers; they're seemingly being targeted for being from a Mideast or Muslim country.SCOOP: ICE Revoking Students’ Immigration Statuses Without Their or the University’s Knowledge zeteo.com/p/ice-manual…

Barry Deutsch (@barrydeutsch.bsky.social) 2025-03-30T03:01:28.359Z

I think the constitution is very clear.  After this term he can’t serve as either president or vice president.  The 22nd forbids more than two terms, and the 12th forbids anyone who can not be president from being the vice president.  Plus with his mental decline so clear he soon will be sitting in a corner talking to the wall where he thinks there are people listening to him.  The way he eats and his health he will be lucky if he doesn’t have a health emergency before the end of the year much less by 2028.  I wonder if he says this stuff just for distraction?  He does think he is entitled to anything he wants and always has.  Hugs

Held Hostage!

If it can happen to them, being held without due process.  It can happen to any of us.  We know it has happened before with US citizens of Mexican heritage that were not allowed any due process but just deported.  We know tRump had unmarked black bag groups just adduct people off the streets during the BLM protests.  They were held with no charges, interrogated by people who did not identify themselves, and had their items take and phones searched.  In some cases they never got their phones back.   It can and will happen to any of us if it is not stopped now.  Hugs

 

A man being held by ICE at the KROME detention center in Miami is posting videos to TikTok about the inhumane conditions and treatment.

Why I have been a bit off line

The last few days, I have been driving Ron from different stores to other places he wants to go.  Yes he can still drive, but since the doctor talked to him about possible dementia he wants me to drive him everywhere.  Plus I have caught him in several forgetful moments the last two days like forgetting to lock a door or forgetting to do something else important, he now shrinks like I hit him when I remind him of it. 

It tears the shit out of me.  I have never hit or abused Ron, but to see him cringe like I did as a child waiting for the blow … It is killing me.  I find my self talking very gently around him, which then bothers him.  I find myself checking up behind him like tonight he is cooking supper and I helped him get sauces out and small dishes.   Then he noticed me checking the setting on the stove and oven. 

That set him off, you don’t trust me.  My response was Ron love you asked me what stuff we should get out and have with our supper.  I feel this is a rollercoaster I am not prepared for as with my own memories of abuse hitting I go in and out of that same roller coaster.   I can not have two of us cycling at the same time.   

I have changed how I do my pills so it is clear and no doubt when I take them.  I have added a note suggested by Suze to my desk reminding me to take my evening insulin.  Again thanks to Suze I added a phone alarm to both Ron’s phone and mine that alert him to take his pills.  It worked today, as I walked around trying to figure out why that sound was playing and Ron told me … it is time for me to take my pills.   

Right now this is the best I can do. To say I am worried or scared is a large understatement.  Please keep suggestions coming.   Hugs

Oh a major issue has developed with my computers that I need to dump them and reset them to fix.  But not today, not now, and hopefully I have a few days to do it.  Tomorrow morning I have to get up at 5AM to get us ready for Ron’s brain scan first thing in the morning.   Love to all that care about us, best wishes for all, and hugs for those that want them.   Scottie

Some of the worst of the republicans.

Canada is furious at tRump for the bullying treatment they are receiving.  But Canada is not a small country that tRump can bully with impunity.  The border is a treaty.  tRump has no legal authority to violate it, especially for his personal gain.  Ask yourself why tRump and crew want Canada to be only one state?  It is made up of thirteen administrative divisions: ten provinces and three territories.  Why not bring all of them in to one big country.  Because that would wipe out the republicans, they wouldn’t win elections.  Canada is far more progressive than the US.  But again why does tRump want Canada.   Because they have a much higher standard of living, longer life expectancies, the government works much better for the people than in the US.  It would stop people in the US from pointing to the north and saying … “see they understand how to do it, why can’t we”.   Now tRump is on to something great he is just too stupid to realize it.   I would love to see the three major countries in the Americas join as one state, with equality and inclusion of all. Something like the EU but closer.  Eventually it could include the lesser nations.  Think of the ways these countries could help build a better future for all if it could be one country.   But tRump doesn’t want Mexico because those people are mostly brown in his mind, Canada is white in his mind.   He should have watched more Star Trek.   Hugs

Trump Told Trudeau US-Canada Border Treaty Is Invalid


Stop the testing tRump demanded during his first term.  If we don’t admit the bad thing exists we can pretend it doesn’t hurt us.  Right.  Tell that to every frightened child.  The free tests are very important to people on a limited budget and it is a way to keep co-workers safe.  If these people can test themselves before they go to work then they might not spread what they have to their friends, family, and fellow workers.  In the story after this one is about a pregnant Texas woman unvaccinated who had measles and never told the hospital staff when she went in to deliver her baby.  She exposed every one of the newborns there, she exposed all the woman who gave birth, their families and the staff.  All of them should sue her if any of the newborns have issues or die.  These people are so stupid.  The US used to have massive infant / child mortality over measles.  If it did not kill you, like covid it can leave lasting organ damage.  It will make the other newborns getting their vaccinations in question.  Selfish people who have not lived through the horrifying consequences of these preventable diseases, so they ignore history and science.  How many children need to needlessly suffer for them to wake up?  Hugs

Trump Administration Ends Free At-Home COVID Tests

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Newborn Babies Exposed To Measles At Texas Hospital

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The Governor and Lt Governor have referenced “measles’ on their Twitter 0 times. Dan Patrick has however posted about renaming the New York Strip the Texas strip, served with Gulf of America shrimp, 5 times”.

USDA Cancels $11M In Funding For NC Food Banks, Asheville Must End Diversity To Get Hurricane Relief

 


I love how people who never served in any branch of the military feel they know all about what it takes to do so.  I love that people who claim to honor the Vet’s and then cut all funding that would actually help veterans and military people.  It is like the pro-life crowd that claims they need to erase the LGBTQ+ people from society to protect the children then slashing all funds for feeding and caring for those very same children.   Hugs

Musk Brands Decorated Combat Veteran/Astronaut And Dem Senator Mark Kelly A “Traitor” For Visiting Ukraine

 

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Study after study has been done by both serious military leaders and hate groups.  It doesn’t matter who does a serious study of LGBTQ+ people in the military as they all show that LGBTQ+ are great assets for the military that increase military effectiveness.  I have often told the story of how my sub unit begged me to reenlist when I was saying good by the site went down and I was the one that got us back on the bird.  But the new company commandeer was a homophobe Christian and he told me he would destroy me if I reenlisted.  The unit lost a grand technician with a great future in the military due to bigotry.  Compare the personal life of Pete Buttigieg a gay man who was in the military, seen action in Afghanistan and is in a stable same sex marriage with children to the life of the new straight cis Christian Nationalist Pete Hegseth.  Hegseth often called kegseth by late night TV hosts, has married and devoiced several times currently on his third marriage, he has been married three times, his first wife, who he admitted to cheating on five times, is Meredith Schwarz. He is also stepdad to Rauchet’s three children so Trump’s appointee for Secretary of Defense has four biological children and is stepdad to three.   He is credibly accused of being a drunken jerk who harasses women, has committed domestic violence on one of his wives.  Really a moral guy compared to the gay guy though right because he has the right religion and is straight cis.  Hugs.

Trump Shares “No LGBTQs” Symbol On Truth Social

Read the full article. The Washington Times is a far-right outlet founded and owned by the Unification Church – which is better known as the Moonies. Surely homocons Scott Bessent and Richard Grenell are thrilled with a no-gays symbol.


My but all those pesky freedoms in the constitution being thrown away as fast as possible.  Freedom to protest the goverenment, the freedom of the press.  You know the very things keeping the government in check.   Look the democrats said the project 2025 was designed to destroy democarcy and install a authoritarian dictatorship such as Russia or Hungry.  Wake up and act because tRump  / republicans want to make it illegal to do anything that is not supportive of the cult leader.   Think about what is being protected in the stories below, it is the profits of the wealthy and the ability of the cult leader to simply ignore any law or normal decency that displeases him.   Hugs.  

 

I’ll be reposting this on many stories I’m sure…
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The GOP clearly hates American values.

https://www.joemygod.com/2025/03/bondi-vows-to-jail-anyone-funding-tesla-protests/

Felon Vows To Prosecute Outlets That Displease Him

The setting was part of an effort to emphasize the power of the institution Mr. Trump controls through loyal and compliant appointees.

CNN’s Jake Tapper just noted on-air that in the same breath in which Trump raged about a “weaponized” justice system, he vowed to himself weaponize that same system against reporters and outlets that serve up anything other than lavish praise.

 

Think about this :

A convicted felon lectures the Dept. of Justice on what should or should not be ‘allowed’, – having just pardoned over a hundred other convicted felons.

Alice in Wonderland would be embarrassed.

All this is carefully planned and orchestrated.

Everything Trump is doing almost exactly mirrors what Orban did to take control in Hungary. In fact, it’s uncanny how similar the takeover is.

If you want to see what Trump does next, look to Hungary.


tRump has a problem.  First he promised he could solve this before being sworn in to office.  Now he talked tough and attacked Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy while saying he would hold Putin to the agreement with the strongest sanctions / efforts.   Yet when Ukraine agreed to a cease fire and Russia did not … where was tRump’s big tough talk.  He back tracked and demanded that Ukraine give in more.  Now when Putin simply used the pause to attack and take over a large part of the region in the fighting, tRump is silent on his promises to make Putin agree to the cease fire.  In fact again he attacks Zelenskyy as the real problem and the other countries supporting Ukraine.  He guys if you just stop supporting Ukraine and agree with the US / Russia we can stop this war right way.  He will not and never can say a bad thing about his boss Putin, he has been compromised and is desperate to change reality.  Hugs

Trump: When I Said That I Can End Russia-Ukraine War In 24 Hours, “I Was Being A Little Bit Sarcastic” [Video]


Along with the above, those that claim tRump is not a racist simply never worked with / for him and don’t watch what he says about people.  Remember that he wants only white South Africans to be able to come to the US on a fast track, he wanted to annex Canada but not Mexico who he has accused of sending the US rapists and murders, he asked in a meeting why we can’t get more European white people to move to the US. His company was sued by the US government which won the case for not allowing black people to move into his apartment buildings.    Any claim tRump is not a bigot or racist denies reality.  In tRump’s mind and many of his racist white supremacist whites must always be in charge over those not white.   Hugs

 with Mr. Trump having accused Mr. Ramaphosa’s government of discriminating against South Africa’s white minority

Rubio Expels South Africa’s Ambassador To The US

Trump had already issued an executive order last month cutting all funding to South Africa over some of its domestic and foreign policies. The order criticized the Black-led South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting “bad actors” in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran.

How long before Trump calls for invading South Africa? Rather obviously, this was done as a favor to Elon Musk, who is wildly unpopular in his home country.

Trump’s “Antisemitism Czar” Retweets Anti-Semites

Read the full article. That Trump’s so-called antisemitism czar is merrily retweeting notorious anti-Semites is classically Trumpian. Terrell last appeared here in January when he declared that Los Angeles’s “DEI firefighters have no intention of putting out those wildfires.” Yesterday Terrell called for a new federal commission on “anti-white bias.”

 

Again look at what these countries have in common.  Being not white is OK if you are wealthy but if you are not, being not white is a ban from tRumpstaia.  Hugs

NYT: Trump Plans To Restrict Visitors From 43 Nations

 In those cases, affluent business travelers might be allowed to enter, but not people traveling on immigrant or tourist visas. Citizens on that list would also be subjected to mandatory in-person interviews in order to receive a visa. It included Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan.


This one is so clear.  The criminal is demanding his crime files never be released.  Why?  If he was as innocent as he claims he is why not release the files for the public to see?  Because he was guilty as hell and this judge was compromised and working with the tRump team to do everything possible to stall the case until possibly he could be reelected making the charges go way.   He was guilty.  Look the facts are clear, he had the files, he was asked to return them, he refused, then told the government he did not have anymore, the government went into his domicile and found he did have them.   What never came out was why he wanted so badly to have these files that was reported he picked himself and why he was desperate to hold on to them.  Everything I have written is fact!  It is reality!  So apparently there is so much more in those files that tRump is terrified will come out.  Why?  again if he is innocent then let the files show it.  But he hides and wants the files hidden and destroyed.   Hugs

DOJ: “Under No Circumstances” Release Docs Report

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Sen. Sanders Responds to Trump’s Congressional Address

Liberal Redneck – On Gutting Medicaid and Food Stamps to Cover More Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

Yes I am desperately trying to get things done so I can work on my own video posts.  Ron has been sleeping for nearly 3 hours.  So enjoy this informative post while I try to finish the few dishes we managed to dirt last night.  Damn my back aches.  Standing at the sink seems to be the worst.  Hugs.

Surprise surprise, the GOP is trying to railroad millions of regular Americans for rich-dragon-people-hoarding-tax-gold purposes. Ain’t that just the way.