WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Wednesday to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices' decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by another 25 states and a range of other efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which restrooms they can use. The case is being weighed by a conservative-dominated court after a presidential election in which Donald Trump and his allies promised to roll back protections for transgender people. The Biden administration's top Supreme Court lawyer warned a decision favorable to Tennessee also could be used to justify nationwide restrictions on transgender health care for minors. Supporters of transgender rights rally Wednesday outside the Supreme Court in Washington. In arguments that lasted more than two hours, five of the six conservative justices voiced varying degrees of skepticism over arguments made by the administration and Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer for Tennessee families challenging the ban. Chief Justice John Roberts, who voted in the majority in a 2020 case in favor of transgender rights, questioned whether judges, rather than lawmakers, should be weighing in on a question of regulating medical procedures, an area usually left to the states. "The Constitution leaves that question to the people's representatives, rather than to nine people, none of whom is a doctor," Roberts said in an exchange with Strangio. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion in 2020, said nothing during the arguments. The court's three liberal justices seemed firmly on the side of the challengers, but it's not clear that any conservatives will go along. People attend a rally March 31, 2023, as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility, near the Capitol in Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor pushed back against the assertion that the democratic process would be the best way to address objections to the law. She cited a history of laws discriminating against others, noting that transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, according to studies. There are an estimated 1.3 million adults and 300,000 adolescents ages 13 to 17 who identify as transgender, according the UCLA law school's Williams Institute. "Blacks were a much larger part of the population and it didn't protect them. It didn't protect women for whole centuries," Sotomayor said in an exchange with Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she saw some troubling parallels between arguments made by Tennessee and those advanced by Virginia and rejected by a unanimous court, in the 1967 Loving decision that legalized interracial marriage nationwide. Quoting from that decision, Jackson noted that Virginia argued then that "the scientific evidence is substantially in doubt and, consequently, the court should defer to the wisdom of the state legislature." ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, left, and plaintiff Joaquin Carcano address reporters after a June 25, 2018, hearing in Winston-Salem, N.C., on their lawsuit challenging the law that replaced North Carolina's "bathroom bill." Justice Samuel Alito repeatedly pressed Strangio, the first openly transgender lawyer to argue at the nation's highest court, about whether transgender people should be legally designated as a group that's susceptible to discrimination. Strangio answered that being transgender does fit that legal definition, though he acknowledged under Alito's questioning there are a small number of people who de-transition. "So it's not an immutable characteristic, is it?" Alito said. Strangio did not retreat from his view, though he said the court did not have to decide the issue to resolve the case in his clients' favor. There were dueling rallies outside the court in the hours before the arguments. Speeches and music filled the air on the sidewalk below the court's marble steps. Advocates of the ban bore signs like "Champion God's Design" and "Kids Health Matters," while the other side proclaimed "Fight like a Mother for Trans Rights" and "Freedom to be Ourselves." Four years ago, the court ruled in favor of Aimee Stephens, who was fired by a Michigan funeral home after she informed its owner she was a transgender woman. The court held that transgender people, as well as gay and lesbian people, are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace. The Biden administration and the families and health care providers who challenged the Tennessee law urged the justices to apply the same sort of analysis that the majority, made up of liberal and conservative justices, embraced in the case four years ago when it found that "sex plays an unmistakable role" in employers' decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate. Demonstrators against transgender rights protest Wednesday during a rally outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. The issue in the Tennessee case is whether the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same. Tennessee's law bans puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors, but allows the same drugs to be used for other purposes. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the administration's top Supreme Court lawyer, called the law sex-based line drawing to ban the use of drugs that have been safely prescribed for decades and said the state "decided to completely override the views of the patients, the parents, the doctors." She contrasted the Tennessee law with one enacted by West Virginia, which set conditions for the health care for transgender minors, but stopped short of an outright ban. Gender-affirming care for youth is supported by every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychiatric Association. For many trans and nonbinary people, bathrooms can be complicated places to navigate — a fact highlighted by the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is far from an outlier when it comes to failing to provide safe and equitable bathrooms for transgender people. According to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks LGBTQ+ policy, 13 states have a policy that prevents transgender people from safely or legally using public bathrooms. But data shows that even in states with trans-friendly policies, transgender and nonbinary people report high rates of harassment in public bathrooms. Advocates say everyday people can have a big impact in interrupting discrimination in gendered restrooms. The 19th shows how anyone can help prevent abuse. Sex-segregated restrooms have historically been a hostile space for Tat Bellamy-Walker, a Seattle-based journalist and Black gender-fluid trans person. In graduate school and at journalism internships, they had to go far out of their way to find all-gender single-stall restrooms they could use safely. "You never forget being told you don't belong in a restroom, you never forget not having a place to dispose of sanitary products if you're on your period in the men's bathroom," Bellamy-Walker said. "It's just clear you do not belong in public spaces." Allies can help tremendously by locating and pointing out gender-neutral bathrooms to friends or family who might need them. This is especially important for people planning events or parties. Make sure your space has safe bathrooms. Carrie Soto, a South Dakota parent of a transgender child, said she lives by the mantra "see something, say something." That means speaking up when there is bullying and harassment and volunteering to accompany a trans/nonbinary friend or family member when they have to head into a public bathroom. "Validate a trans person's fears and anxiety about the situation," Soto said. " If [my daughter] uses a gendered restroom and feels anxious, I go with." It may seem obvious, but transgender health advocate Jamison Green notes this step can really help trans people feel safe. Consider first that according to 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey , 59 percent of trans people avoided using a public restroom due to fear of harassment. Data from 2022 found that 6 percent of trans people said they were physically or verbally attacked while trying to use a bathroom, while 4 percent were denied access to a bathroom. "If you see someone who you clock as trans or nonbinary, just smile or pay them a non-provocative compliment. ... Wish them good day or good evening, and move on," Green said. "Of course that only goes for the women's room! In the men's room, talking is extremely rare." Green recommends that cisgender people offer a kind, silent nod. Twenty-two states and Washington, D.C., allow residents to opt for "X" gender markers on their IDs in addition to selecting "M" or "F." Still, in every state, regardless of laws, most bathrooms in government buildings, schools, businesses, places of worship and cultural institutions are gendered. Advocates say people can help change this by simply asking businesses and building owners for more options to accommodate all genders. "Advocacy is the most important part of the fight for transgender rights," Lambda Legal notes in its guide to restrooms. "And if employers adopt pro-trans policies proactively, instead of waiting for a transgender person to pave the way, there's much less chance of having problems down the line." The internet is full of rants not appropriate for a news article about people using the only single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms available not for safety but for ... well, pooping. As a result, gender-neutral bathrooms, especially in airports, are almost always occupied. There are many reasons why a cisgender person might need a single-occupancy bathroom (accessibility, illness, child care and, yes, even a little more privacy). Just like accessible stalls, it's a kindness to leave gender-neutral restrooms unoccupied when you don't need them. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Trump’s eldest son emerges as key voice influencing cabinet picks WASHINGTON: Donald Trump Jr has emerged as the most influential Trump family member in the transition as the president-elect builds the most controversial cabinet in modern US history, according to a half dozen sources with knowledge of his role, elevating inexperienced loyalists over more qualified candidates for top positions in his administration. Trump, who fiercely prizes loyalty, has long relied on family members for political advice, but which relative has his ear is known to vary. This time, it is Don Jr, who has helped cabinet contenders sink or rise to the fore - from championing Senator JD Vance as Trump’s running mate to blocking former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from joining the cabinet, according to the sources, who include donors, personal friends and political allies. Don Jr is due to join conservative venture capital fund 1789 Capital, although one of the sources said he will continue to host his politics-focused podcast and support candidates that espouse Trump’s brand of politics. He will provide advice to his father in the White House, the source added, although they cautioned that Don Jr was unlikely to be involved in day-to-day deliberations. Don Jr and the Trump-Vance transition team did not respond to a request for comment. In addition to ensuring candidates are loyal to his father, Don Jr typically seeks out contenders who embrace an anti-establishment worldview, including protectionist economic policies, and a reduction in military interventions and overseas aid, according to a handful of the sources and Don Jr’s own comments on social media site X and in public. Don Jr was also instrumental in lobbying his father to pick his close friend Vance as Trump’s running mate. Vance was popular with Trump’s base, but his anti-corporate rhetoric, opposition to Ukraine aid and past comments panning some Democratic women as “childless cat ladies” gave some donors and supporters pause. Trump was ultimately happy with Vance, giving Don Jr extra political capital as an adviser during the transition, one of the sources added. Not all of Don Jr’s picks have landed jobs. He was keen on Ric Grenell, a personal friend and former ambassador to Germany, getting secretary of state, according to a separate source familiar with the matter. His father ended up picking Senator Marco Rubio, whose views are deemed by Trump’s core supporters as too traditional and internationalist. Two of the sources close to Don Jr said he does not weigh in on all personnel decisions and is not working on the transition process or at Mar-a-Lago full time.
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Which country has the world's best fighter jets ? Short answer and spoiler alert, it's the country with the most F-35 Lightning II fighter jets . That said the best fighter jet for a particular country depends on its needs (e.g., the F-35 is likely excessive for the needs of a small country like Slovakia - F-16s are better suited). Note that little is known about the performance of the new Chinese J-20 Mighty Dragon so that jet will not be considered here (it may prove to be a great jet). The US has the world's best multirole fighter (the F-35 ), the best air superiority/dominance fighter (the F-22 Raptor ), and the best naval fighters (the F-35B and F-35C). Meanwhile, the US's best fourth-generation fighters - the F-15EX and F/A-18 Super Hornet can give any other fighter in the world a run for its money. Best 4th generation fighter value for money What is the best fighter? If the question is value for money for air forces that can't afford or acquire the F-35, then Alex Hollings from Sandboxx News makes a case for the Swedish Saab Gripen E fighter jet (the "E" variant is the latest variant of the Gripen series of fighters). However, it seems most air forces in the world would not agree with Alex Hollings (the Gripen E has seen relatively poor international sales). Most air forces looking for a capable but affordable fourth-generation fighter pick the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F-16 has been constantly upgraded over the years, and its latest Block 70 variant makes it a formidable fighter jet. Fifth-generation fighter jets: Country: Number produced: F-22 Raptor: United States: 187 (serial production) F-35 Lightning II: United States: 1,070+ J-20 Mighty Dragon: China: 200+ FC-31/J-35: China: Prototypes Su-57 Felon: Russia: A couple dozen serial production models The F-16 is also the most common fighter jet in the world today. This is partly why it is the best solution for many air forces - there are plenty of parts, logistical support networks, and know-how - making it much easier to support the fleet. The Typhoon and Rafale are also popular. They are also both extremely capable and versatile fighter jets. Outside of Europe, they generally compete with fourth-gen US fighters and are purchased by countries that can't buy the F-35 (e.g., India, Gulf states, and Turkey). Although it's difficult to think in what categories they could be considered the "best" - after all, export flyaway costs for these jets are actually greater than the F-35 (despite detractors and sensational headlines suggesting it is the world's most expensive jet). Even the flyaway costs of the F-15EX is greater than the F-35. The F-16 is, by a considerable margin, the most common fighter jet of the 14,665 fighters in service today. Best air superiority fighter jet When measured by its air-to-air combat record, the F-15 is the world's most successful fighter jet (most of its victories were scored in Israeli Air Force service). However, while it is a fantastic jet (and has been upgraded to the extremely capable F-15EX Strike Eagle II variant), it is no match for the F-22 Raptor in the air-to-air role. In an air dominance role, the F-22 Raptor is the undisputed king of the skies. The Raptor doesn't get mentioned when listing aircraft with the most air-to-air victories because it has never been used in air-to-air roles (other than to pop a Chinese spy balloon). However, in exercises, the Raptor dominates by astounding ratios (so much so that, its world news if a Typhoon or other jet manages to score a lucky victory over it). Notable 4th-gen fighters in production: Country: F-15EX Strike Eagle II: United States: F/A-18 Super Hornet: United States: F-16 Block 70/72 (export only): United States: J-10C Vigorous Dragon: China: Saab Gripen E: Sweden: Dassault Rafale: France: Eurofighter Typhoon: Europe: Sukhoi Su-34: Russia: Sukhoi Su-35/Su-30: Russia: However, the F-22 may eventually be dethroned as the world's most formidable air dominance fighter. This is because the F-22 is a mature program (although they are still being upgraded), while the F-35 is not mature. The F-22 is excellent in the air-to-air role as it was built to do exactly that, while the F-35 was built to be the jack of all trades. To call the F-22 the world's best fighter jet would be something like naming the best sniper rifle and saying that it's the world's best gun. The F-35 is continuing to be matured and this process will continue for many years. For example, the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade may have been in the news for all the wrong reasons, but the extra processing power and improved computers will make the jet much more capable . It is very possible that the F-35 may surpass the F-22 in its own game in the 2030s. Unless the US changes its export criteria, few new countries are left that could plausibly purchase the F-35. The F-35 is king The F-35 is king of fighter jets today. No fighter jet can match the performance of the F-35. The F-22 Raptor may be the best at its job, but that doesn't make it useful in the majority of missions (the F-22 has rarely been used in combat). By contrast, the F-35 is regularly used for a wide range of missions. Actual combat performance is a way of seeing how fighter jets perform in reality - instead of how they should theoretically perform based on their reported specs. The Russian Air Force has failed to suppress Ukraine's air defense network (for the first year of the conflict, Ukraine relied on aging Soviet-era S-300 SAMs). After almost three years of conflict, the Russian Air Force has failed to secure air superiority with the British MoD noting it has become relegated to an "airborne artillery" role. By contrast, the Israeli Air Force is now confirmed to have destroyed Iran's S-300 systems in a single night with zero losses . That massive raid was spearheaded by the F-35. It's also worth noting that Israel lacks many of the electronic warfare assets the US can employ (such as the EA-18G Growler and the EC-130H Compass Call). Professor Justin Bronks of the think tank Rusi explained the massive US advantage in building and developing fighter jets over the Europeans. He said the US's advantage is in the sustainment and development of the jets adding, ".. .all that unseen stuff, unless you're in the cockpit, is where you see the unbearable weight... of sustained tens of billions of dollars every year for decades on the American side in multiple programs ." Saying the F-35 is the world's best jet is apparent from the orders it has received. As Justin Bronks says, " Despite its higher operating costs, every single air force that has been allowed to assess the F-35 directly against its European and US competitors has ultimately opted for the F-35—the operational capability in contested airspace is simply in a different class. " This has a flow on effect where there more countries that operate the F-35, the more supporting infrastructure and training there is for it. It is a positive feedback loop. The United States boasts all the world's F-22 Raptors, most of its F-35 Lightning IIs, most F/A-18 Super Hornets, and most F-15E/F-18EX fighters. The US has more fifth-generation fighters than the rest of the world combined. It also has far more of the assets needed to make these jets effective (e.g., tankers, AWACS, EW aircraft, aircraft carriers, advanced training, ISR assets, forward deployed bases, and much more). The X-15's speed record remains unbroken, and (by some definitions) its altitude record wasn't broken until 2004. Aerobatic performance is not the focus of a modern fighter Some may point out that Soviet/Russian aircraft often boast excellent speed and maneuverability, but to focus on these factors would be to miss what makes a modern fighter jet capable and lethal. The fastest fighter jet currently in service is the MiG-31 " Foxhound ", which can fly at speeds of Mach 2.8. However, this jet is all but obsolete. Only two countries have operated the MiG-31 - Kazakhstan and Russia. Kazakhstan has now retired its aging MiG-31s while Russia's MiG-31s are mostly sidelined in Ukraine as delivery trucks carry the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missile. The US built the world's fastest aircraft—the rocket airplane, the X-15, which flew hypersonically (Mach 6.7), while the F-4 Phantom II flew at Mach 2.2. However, the F-35 has been deliberately slowed down (from the intended Mach 1.8 to Mach 1.6). High speeds render the aircraft unmaneuverable, drastically reduce its combat range, and the air friction heats the aircraft (reducing its stealth). "" it's comparatively easy to produce something that looks like a stealth fighter-ish thing, that will fly. It is incredibly difficult and unbelievably expensive to sustain the production of a weapons system that works as a low observable fighter... and also all the things you don't see when you look at a plane. The integration between the weapons and the sensors... [and other integrations] " - Professor Justin Bronks of Rusi Russian jets like the Su-57 Felon and Su-27 Flanker family may wow spectators with the (originally Swedish) Cobra Maneuver. But these super stall maneuvers have little real-life value (besides bleeding off all the aircraft's speed and presenting the largest possible radar cross-section for the missile homing in). The US F-22 Raptor and experimental F-16s can also perform the Cobra maneuver. Jets have been able to do it since the 1950s when the Swedish Saab 35 Draken pioneered the maneuver . Russian fighter jet exports have collapsed in recent years with almost no countries that have the option of choosing to buy Russian (e.g., Iran has no option but to buy Russian). This may be partly driven by performance, but a large part is driven by the threat of US sanctions under the 2017 CAASTA Act .
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