Lack of ‘Affirmation’ Is Child Abuse: New Biden Rule Applies Transgender Standard to Foster Care

Transgender orthodoxy may soon become a litmus test for parenthood, according to the logic of a new policy working its way through the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. A new rule in HHS’ Administration for Children and Families would apply the idea that any lack of “affirmation” constitutes a form of child abuse to foster care placements. Once that idea takes root in foster care, child protective services agencies might start applying it more broadly. The rule would reinterpret the Social Security Act, which requires…

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New HHS Rule Would Force Insurers to Pay for Children’s Sex Changes

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a new rule Monday that would force insurance providers to pay for breast removal and other transgender surgeries, including for minors.   The proposed rule change by the federal agency concerns Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, a section of the law that prohibits discrimination in health programs based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.    In a conference call with reporters, Melanie Fontes Rainer, acting director of the Office for Civil Rights at…

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Charlie Baker and the Rise of One-Party Rule

At least once a week during the past two years, a flock of protesters could be found outside the seaside home of the Republican governor of Massachusetts, airing their grievances about the man they call “Char-lie Baker.” (It rhymes with pie—get it?) Two years of “Char-lie Baker” would be a lot for any person to take, especially when the clamor is coming from members of your own party. The gatherings began in April 2020, when more than a dozen anti-lockdown demonstrators drove, horns blaring and Trump flags hoisted high, back…

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Nuts & Bolts—Inside the Democratic Campaign: The No. 1 rule in all campaigns

Welcome back to the weekly Nuts & Bolts Guide to small campaigns. Over the course of more than a decade, I’ve taken time to speak with campaign managers, field directors, communications directors, finance directors, and, of course, been a part of as many campaigns as I could. As election season gets close, there are always questions we ask of candidates who are considering running for office.  You would think the first question that the local party or campaign help would ask might be, “Can you raise money?” Another guess is, “How is your name…

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Oil and gas industry petitions to block pipeline monitoring rule that cites Enbridge failures

Two oil and gas industry groups have filed a petition in hopes of eliminating a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) rule that would better hold them accountable. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and GPA Midstream want to halt the implementation of the “Pipeline Safety: Unusually Sensitive Areas for the Great Lakes, Coastal Beaches, and Certain Coastal Waters” rule that went into effect last month. The rule explicitly cites API member Enbridge’s failures with its Line 5 and Line 6B pipelines as to why stricter regulations must take effect. According to the…

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