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Wisconsin court clears way for conversion therapy ban
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for the state to institute a ban on conversion therapy in a ruling that gives the governor more power over how state laws are enacted.
The court ruled that a Republican-controlled legislative committee’s rejection of a state agency rule that would ban the practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ people was unconstitutional. The decision, which has a broad impact far beyond the conversion therapy issue, takes power away from the Legislature to block the enactment of rules by the governor’s office that carry the force of law.
The 4-3 ruling from the liberal-controlled court comes amid the national battle over LGBTQ+ rights. It is also part of a broader effort by the Democratic governor to rein in the power of the GOP-controlled Legislature.
What is conversion therapy?
What is known as conversion therapy is the scientifically discredited practice of using therapy to “convert” LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations.
The practice has been banned in 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank. It is also banned in more than a dozen communities across Wisconsin.
Advocates seeking to ban the practice want to forbid mental health professionals in the state from counseling clients with the goal of changing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed in March to hear a Colorado case about whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children.
What is happening in Wisconsin?
Since April 2024, the Wisconsin professional licensing board for therapists, counselors and social workers has labeled conversion therapy as unprofessional conduct.
But the Legislature’s powerful Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules — a Republican-controlled panel in charge of approving state agency regulations — has blocked the provision twice.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the committee has been overreaching its authority in blocking a variety of other state regulations during Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration. That clears the way for the conversion therapy ban to be enacted, although it’s not immediately known when it will take effect.
Republicans who supported suspending the conversion therapy ban have insisted the issue isn’t the policy itself, but whether the licensing board had the authority to take the action it did.
Evers has been trying since 2020 to get the ban enacted, but the Legislature has stopped it from going into effect.
Evers called the ruling “incredibly important” and said it will stop a small number of lawmakers from “holding rules hostage without explanation or action and causing gridlock across state government.”
But Republican Sen. Steve Nass, co-chair of the legislative committee in question, said the ruling gives Evers “unchecked dominion to issue edicts without legislative review that will harm the rights of citizens.”
Legislative power weakened by ruling
The Legislature’s attorney argued that decades of precedent backed up their argument, including a 1992 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upholding the Legislature’s right to suspend state agency rules.
Evers argued that by blocking the rule, the legislative committee is taking over powers that the state constitution assigns to the governor and exercising an unconstitutional “legislative veto.”
The Supreme Court agreed.
The court found that the Legislature was violating the state constitution’s requirement that any laws pass both houses of the Legislature and be presented to the governor.
The Legislature was illegally taking “action that alters the legal rights and duties of the executive branch and the people of Wisconsin,” Chief Justice Jill Karofsky wrote for the majority. She was joined by the court’s three other liberal justices.
Conservatives decry ruling
Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley said the ruling “lets the executive branch exercise lawmaking power unfettered and unchecked.” She and fellow conservative Justice Annette Ziegler said in dissents that the ruling shifts too much power to the executive branch and holds the Legislature to a higher legal standard.
“Progressives like to protest against ‘kings’—unless it is one of their own making,” Bradley wrote.
Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn, in a dissent, said the court’s ruling is “devoid of legal analysis and raises more questions than it answers.”
Hagedorn argued for a more narrow ruling that would have only declared unconstitutional the legislative committee’s indefinite objection to a building code rule.
The issue goes beyond conversion therapy
The conversion therapy ban is one of several rules that have been blocked by the legislative committee. Others pertain to environmental regulations, vaccine requirements and public health protections.
Environmental groups hailed the ruling.
The decision will prevent a small number of lawmakers from blocking the enactment of environmental protections passed by the Legislature and signed into law, said Wilkin Gibart, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates.
The court previously sided with Evers in one issue brought in the lawsuit, ruling 6-1 last year that another legislative committee was illegally preventing the state Department of Natural Resources from funding grants to local governments and nongovernmental organizations for environmental projects under the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program.
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Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are cheaper than ever thanks to this Prime Day deal
It’s Amazon Prime Day again, except this time it’s a four-day affair, the longest Prime Day ever. There are an overwhelming number of deals and discounts to sift through, but this steep sale on Apple AirPods Pro 2 is one of the best out there. For Prime Day, these wireless, noise-canceling headphones are selling for $149. That’s a new record-low price, and at a regular price of $249, you’re looking at 40 percent off.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 were our overall pick for best wireless earbuds for iPhone, as well as our pick for best overall AirPods. In our hands-on review, we were impressed with the Active Noise Cancelling, as well as the transparency mode for when you’re trying to hear the outside world. We found that the audio quality on the 2nd generation of AirPods Pro was an improvement over the first, thanks to a new amplifier, driver and transducer. We also liked that you could seamlessly switch between Apple devices while using them.
We do wish the battery life was a bit better, as they offer just six hours of listening per charge with an additional 30 hours provided by the case. In looking at the design of these AirPods, we wouldn’t be mad at a bit of an update. I guess if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it? After all, the design of an AirPod is almost instantly recognizable, so perhaps Apple wants to keep it that way.
Far and away our biggest gripe is the price of the Apple AirPods Pro. $249 is a hefty price to pay for a set of earbuds, so we’re grateful that sales like Amazon Prime Day provide a great opportunity to snag a pair for far less. If you’re looking to spend even less, both models of the AirPods 4 are also on sale for Prime Day. You can get the standard version for $89 or the model with active noise cancellation for $119.
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Giants catcher Patrick Bailey makes history with game-ending, inside-the-park home run
SAN FRANCISCO — Patrick Bailey’s entrance into the Major League Baseball record books on Tuesday night began with a tight swing that sent a fastball from Phillies reliever Jordan Romano into Triples Alley.
It ended with Bailey chugging his way around third base then getting mobbed at home plate by his teammates after becoming the third catcher in major league history to hit a game-ending, inside-the-park home run.
The three-run shot had an exit velocity of 103.4 mph and bounced off the brick wall at the Giants’ waterfront ballpark. It ricocheted back toward center field as Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh gave chase.
Bailey said his initial thought was to get a triple before he saw third base coach Matt Williams waving him in.
“Off the ball I just knew I got it well,” Bailey said. “I saw it was towards Triples Alley and I was like, ‘Oh I gotta go. I at least gotta get to third.’ Once I saw the bounce, I was like ‘All right, just don’t fall over.’ ”
It’s the ninth time this season that the Giants have won in their final at-bat, tops in the majors.
It was also the first time in nearly nine years that a player has hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run in the majors. Cleveland’s Tyler Naquin was the last to do so on Aug. 19, 2016.
The three-run home run lifted the Giants to a 4-3 victory that had the Oracle Park crowd roaring as Bailey crossed the plate.
“He has gotten some big hits this year,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “In big situations he’s come through. Not as much as he would like. Hopefully that’s something that catapults him. Haven’t seen him drive a ball like that in a while.”
Bailey couldn’t recall if he had previously hit an inside-the-park home run at any level. And as nice as this one was, Bailey said that he would have preferred to hit a regular home run.
“Tired,” Bailey said when asked how he felt. “I wished it would have gone over the fence.”
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Ukraine suffers heaviest attack as Trump criticises Putin
President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine has been hit by the biggest ever aerial attack from Russia – 728 drones and 13 cruise or ballistic missiles hit cities around the country in multiple waves.
Zelensky condemned the “telling attack”, adding: “It comes precisely at a time when so many efforts have been made to achieve peace, to establish a ceasefire, and yet only Russia continues to rebuff them all.”
The overnight strike came after President Donald Trump said the US would send more weapons to Kyiv – a reversal of last week’s suspension which US media said Trump had not known about.
On Tuesday, the US leader expressed growing frustration at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump told reporters. “He’s very nice to us all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was “pretty calm about this. Trump’s way of talking is generally quite harsh, the phrases he uses.”
The two leaders have been in regular contact but this has so far failed to translate into tangible steps towards a ceasefire in Ukraine – something Trump once said he would be able to achieve in a day.
Last week, following a phone call with the Russian president, Trump said he was “very unhappy”.
“He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people, it’s no good,” Trump said of Putin.
The criticism came even as the Trump administration announced a suspension of military aid to Ukraine, reportedly authorised by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Elbridge Colby, the under-secretary of defence for policy.
Asked by reporters on Tuesday who had taken the decision, Trump – sitting right next to Hegseth – replied: “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
The reversal of the decision may now mean that 10 Patriot missiles may be sent to Ukraine, according to US outlet Axios.
Kyiv relies on the interceptors to try to counter Russia’s missile and drone attacks, which continue to grow in intensity and frequency.
On Tuesday Trump also said he was “looking at” a sanctions bill by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham that would see 500% tariffs imposed on countries that trade with Russia.
Trump has been threatening sanctions on Russia since taking office in January but has so far failed to impose any. In June, he stated that he pointed out sanctions “cost a lot of money” and signalled he was waiting to see whether a deal between Russia and Ukraine would be signed instead.
However, last week the US president said he and Putin had discussed sanctions “a lot” and added: “He understands it may be coming.”
Although the east of the country and Kyiv come under fire on a regular basis, no corner of Ukraine has been spared by Russian strikes.
The city of Lutsk – which lies 90km (56 miles) from the Polish border and is a transit hub for military and humanitarian aid – suffered the brunt of Tuesday’s overnight attack.
Explosions were also reported in the western cities of Lviv and Rivne.
For their part, Russian authorities have said that a Ukrainian drone attack on the border region of Kursk killed three people and injured seven others on Tuesday.
Two rounds of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place earlier this year but no other meetings have so far been scheduled – and neither Moscow nor Kyiv appear optimistic that diplomacy will solve the conflict, which was sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Meanwhile, Russia’s summer offensive in eastern Ukraine grinds on.
“We are moving forward,” said Peskov on Wednesday. “Each new day the Ukrainians have to accept the new realities.”
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