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Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for nearly all transgender minors for now
Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to allow Idaho officials enforce a ban on gender-affirming medical care for nearly all transgender minors statewide, granting a request from state officials to narrow the scope of a lower court’s order that blocked the law from taking effect.
The court’s conservative majority granted the state’s request for a stay over the objections of the three liberals, Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The stay does not apply to the two transgender teenage plaintiffs in the case and the care they are seeking, but blocks the more expansive portions of the lower court’s decision.
“The district court’s order promised to run for the life of this lawsuit, thus preventing Idaho from executing any aspect of its law for years. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs face no harm from the partial stay the State requests,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in an opinion that was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Jackson, in a dissent joined by Kagan, argued that the court should decline to intervene at this stage.
“This Court is not compelled to rise and respond every time an applicant rushes to us with an alleged emergency, and it is especially important for us to refrain from doing so in novel, highly charged, and unsettled circumstances,” she wrote, adding that “caution is especially warranted” in this case.
The Idaho case
The legal battle involves Idaho’s Vulnerable Child Protection Act, or H.B. 71, which was signed into law by GOP Gov. Brad Little last year. The measure bars health care providers in the state from providing certain medications or surgeries “for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex.” Among the restricted treatments are puberty blocking-drugs, hormone therapy and surgeries. Violators of the law may face up to 10 years in prison and fines.
Parents to two transgender girls sued the state over the law, arguing it violates the Constitution. The two, identified in court filings by the pseudonyms Pam Poe and Jane Doe, were diagnosed with gender dysphoria and have taken puberty blockers and estrogen therapy. In addition to challenging the constitutionality of the law, the families asked a federal district court to block enforcement of the law while their case proceeds.
The district court granted their request in December 2023, finding in part that the law is likely unconstitutional. The lower court also ruled that prohibiting gender-affirming care would have “serious consequences” for Pam Poe and Jane Doe, including “severe psychological distress.”
“Transgender children should receive equal treatment under the law,” U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill wrote in his decision. “Parents should have the right to make the most fundamental decisions about how to care for their children.”
The injunction reached statewide, in part because Winmill found that because Pam Poe and Jane Doe used pseudonyms, it would be difficult to provide them relief without compromising their anonymity. The judge also said that if the injunction applied only to the plaintiffs, there would likely be follow-on lawsuits, which would “create needless and repetitive litigation.”
State officials asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to pause the district court’s order or narrow its scope to cover just Pam Poe and Jane Doe, but the request was denied. Idaho then sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court while the 9th Circuit considers the appeal, asking the justices to limit the injunction to apply only to Pam Poe and Jane Doe. The high court agreed in its order on Monday.
In their request to the justices, Idaho officials, represented by the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, criticized the scope of the district court’s injunction as “exorbitant” and said it reached too far by blocking enforcement of the law “in all circumstances against all parties.”
Relief specific to the teenagers involved in the case was “easy to conceive,” they said, as an injunction could prohibit enforcement against those who provided Pam Poe and Jane Doe with the treatments they’ve sought.
“Plaintiffs only seek estrogen hormone therapies, yet the district court issued a universal injunction against the law in its entirety, stopping enforcement even in situations where Plaintiffs’ experts agree medical intervention is not appropriate,” Idaho officials wrote. “Those applications involve the most extreme surgical treatments and the most vulnerable minors, who will lose the protections of Idaho’s law and will instead be governed by an injunction obtained by others who do not and cannot speak for them.”
They went on to claim that the “overbroad” injunction would allow doctors to experiment on minors with “dangerous” surgeries, such as mastectomies for patients with gender dysphoria.
But the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the family, warned the Supreme Court that allowing the state to enforce the law would cause severe harm to Pam Poe and Jane Doe.
Granting the request from Idaho officials would jeopardize “their ability to continue receiving the medical care that they, their parents, and their doctors all agree is medically necessary for their health and well-being” and require them to “give up their anonymity as transgender plaintiffs in this case to try to access that care,” ACLU lawyers wrote in a filing.
They also noted that because the law imposes criminal penalties on doctors and pharmacists who provide gender-affirming care to minors, harm to Pam Poe and Jane Doe cannot be remedied without an injunction shielding health care providers from prosecution so they can continue treating them.
Additionally, because Pam Poe and Jane Doe are receiving ongoing medicare care, Idaho’s ban would disrupt that treatment, and a narrowed injunction would jeopardize their access to care.
“The preliminary injunction maintains the status quo — that the decision about whether to pursue gender-affirming medical care for adolescents with gender dysphoria is made by their parents, in consultation with the children’s doctor,” the ACLU lawyers wrote. “With the advice of their doctors, parents weigh the risks and benefits of treatment just as they do for other medical decisions.”
More than 20 states have imposed bans on gender-affirming medical care for minors, though laws in some states have been blocked by courts, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
CBS News
The U.S. celebrates July 4, but independence from Britain is marked around the globe. Here’s a look at how and when different countries celebrate.
On July 4, the United States celebrates its independence from Britain with displays of fireworks, barbeques, shopping — and for an estimated 70 million citizens this year, travel.
The United States’ celebration is held on the anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But America isn’t the only country that celebrates independence from Britain. Much of the global population — around one-fifth of the world, according to Guinness World Records — were subjects of Great Britain prior to 1914.
Minh Connors/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Some countries don’t celebrate their independence from the United Kingdom, but instead dedicate a day to celebrating their formation. Others celebrate similarly to the United States, on the day the country either declared or formally gained independence from the United Kingdom.
Here’s when and how several former British colonies celebrate their freedoms.
Kite flying on India’s Independence Day
India celebrates its independence on August 15, marking the end of 200 years of British rule in 1947 — when the Indian Independence Act separated British India into India and Pakistan — and its ascendence to becoming the world’s largest democracy.
The prime minister starts the day by raising the country’s flag at the Red Fort in Old Delhi, marking the anniversary of the first time the modern flag was officially hoisted in the country.
ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images
Following the flag-raising, there is a parade — but most families celebrate the day by flying kites. Indians used to fly kites as a form of protest. In 1927, slogans were written on kites deriding the Simon Commission, a group appointed by the British Conservative Government to report on the workings of the fledging Indian constitution. Since then, kites have been seen as an integral part of protest — and subsequent freedom.
As Independence Day is one of three major national holidays, many people have the day off and gather on streets, beaches and other locations to fly kites of various colors.
Aimee Dilger via Getty Images
Bahamas celebrates independence with Junkanoo
Independence Day in the Bahamas is celebrated annually on July 10. After 300 years of British rule, the Bahamas became a fully independent nation in 1973.
Bahamians start their celebrations 8 to 10 days before July 10, marking the momentous occasion with numerous cultural activities and events. Its most famed celebration is Junkanoo, a vibrant Bahamian street parade with music, dancing and elaborate costumes.
/ Getty Images
Although the exact origins of Junkanoo are unknown, a popular belief is that the traditions evolved from the days of slavery and now represent the Bahamian culture, according to the Bahamas.com. There is also a Junkanoo parade on Boxing Day, which takes place the day after Christmas.
Australia’s independence marks the arrival of convicts
Australians celebrate Australia Day annually on January 26. The day isn’t tied to independence from Britain — but instead, marks the day that the first convict ships arrived from the United Kingdom.
It’s the Commonwealth’s only public holiday celebrating the date of physical colonization, rather than the date of the country’s independence or another significant day.
Don Arnold via Getty
Many Australians celebrate the summer holiday with barbeques. Australians also honor the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who inhabited the land for 65,000 years, according to Australia Day Council.
It is also a day when many new citizens are minted — the country added over 22,000 new Australians in 2024, according to the Australian Ministry for Immigration, Citizenship, and Multicultural Affairs.
July 4th has arrived and millions of people plan to celebrate the nation’s independence simply by having fun with family and friends.
For many Americans, the festivities will most likely include hosting a barbecue or attending one. But if you’re short on burger buns or looking to eat out, no worries, many retailers will be open.
Here’s a list of what is and isn’t open on the Fourth of July.
What places are open on July 4th 2024?
Retailers
- Academy Sports + Outdoors
- Barnes & Noble
- Bass Pro Shops
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Best Buy
- BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Cabela’s
- Crate & Barrel
- CVS
- Dollar General
- Dollar Tree
- Family Dollar
- Food Lion
- Guitar Center
- Home Depot
- HomeGoods
- Kohl’s
- Krogers and its network of grocery stores — including Ralphs, King Soopers, Metro Market, Pick’n Save and more
- Lowe’s
- Macy’s
- Marshalls
- Menards
- Michaels
- Petco
- Publix
- REI
- Rite Aid
- Sam’s Club
- Sephora
- T.J. Maxx
- Target
- Trader Joe’s
- Tractor Supply Company
- Walgreens
- Walmart
- Whole Foods
Restaurants, fast-food chains open on July 4th 2024
- Bahama Breeze
- Bob Evans
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Burger King
- Chili’s
- Chipotle
- Chick-fil-A
- Cracker Barrel
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Dairy Queen
- Denny’s
- Dunkin’
- Golden Corral
- IHOP
- Olive Garden
- Pizza Hut
- Popeyes
- Ruby Tuesday
- TGI Fridays
- Sonic
- Subway
- Waffle House
Places with special hours of operation on July 4th 2024
- Applebee’s
- Aldi
- Ace Hardware
- Foot Locker
- GameStop
- IKEA
- Old Navy
- Starbucks
- Wendy’s
What places are closed on July 4th 2024?
- Costco
- Natural Grocers
- UPS
- FedEx
- Government offices
- Post offices
- Courts
- Schools
- U.S. stock markets
- Banks
CBS News
How to watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show: Livestream options, starting time, more
Getty Images
The 4th of July is here, which means fireworks celebrations galore. We found the best view of the 4th of July fireworks is actually from home. This year, Macy’s promises an epic July 4th fireworks show you won’t want to miss. Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show, even if you don’t have cable.
How and when to watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show
On Thursday, July 4, 2024, the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show will air from 8-10 p.m. ET. An encore presentation will broadcast at 10 p.m. ET. The fireworks spectacle will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.
How to watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show without cable
If your cable subscription doesn’t include NBC, or you’ve cut the cord with your cable company completely, you can still watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show without cable.
Watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show on Peacock
Peacock offers its subscribers live streaming access to the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show, and other top-tier content airing on NBC including NFL Sunday Night Football games. The streaming service has plenty more live sports to offer, including Big Ten football, Premier League soccer and WWE wrestling (including formerly PPV-only events such as WrestleMania). There are 80,000 hours worth of recorded content to watch as well, including hit movies and TV series such as “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.”
A Peacock subscription costs $6 per month. An annual plan is available for $60 per year. You can cancel anytime.
Top features of Peacock:
- Peacock will have exclusive Paris 2024 Olympics coverage and live streams of Olympic coverage airing on NBC.
- Peacock features plenty of current and classic NBC and Bravo TV shows.
Stream the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show on Sling TV for half price
One of the most cost-effective ways to stream the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show and more this year is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to the NFL Network, local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available) and ESPN with its Orange + Blue Tier plan. Also worth noting: Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud-based DVR recording space included, perfect for recording all the season’s top NFL matchups.
That plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer is currently offering a 50% off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. You can learn more by tapping the button below.
Note: Because Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, you won’t be able to watch CBS-aired programming like next year’s NFL games on CBS. To watch these games, plus PGA golf, UEFA Champions League and more live sports, we recommend you also subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12 per month after a one-week free trial.
CBS Essentials and Paramount+ with Showtime are both subsidiaries of Paramount.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
- There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
- You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
- All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
Watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show free with Fubo
You can also catch the epic Macy’s fireworks show on FuboTV. FuboTV is a streaming service that offers access to the live feed of network affiliates (where available), and favorite cable channels. Sports fans gain access to almost every NFL game of the season, NBA and NHL next season, as well as network-aired MLB games happening now. Packages include CBS, Fox Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox”, NBC (Sunday Night Football), ESPN (Monday Night Football), NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just today’s 4th of July celebration, all without a cable subscription.
To watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. A subscription to FuboTV starts at $80 per month after a seven-day free trial.
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
- There are no contracts with FuboTV — you can cancel at any time.
- The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network. (You’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
- FuboTV includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
- All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
- Stream on your TV, phone, and other devices.
Watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show free on Hulu + Live TV
You can watch the festivities, and gain access to top-tier content and sports airing on network TV, NFL Network, with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including NBC, CBS and ABC. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $70 per month.
Watch the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show with a digital HDTV antenna
Amazon
You can also watch tonight’s fireworks show on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch TV without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This ultra-thin, multi-directional Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro digital antenna with a 65-mile range can receive hundreds of HD TV channels and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV, top-tier sound and features a 12-foot digital coax cable.
This antenna is on sale at Amazon for $56, reduced from $70 with coupon.
Who is hosting the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show?
Four-time Grammy Award-nominated recording artist Mickey Guyton and Zuri Hall of “Access Hollywood” will host tonight’s fireworks spectacular.
The U.S. celebrates July 4, but independence from Britain is marked around the globe. Here’s a look at how and when different countries celebrate.
Twin Cities law enforcement plans team effort for Fourth of July
What’s open and closed on July 4th? See which stores and restaurants are operating today.
The U.S. celebrates July 4, but independence from Britain is marked around the globe. Here’s a look at how and when different countries celebrate.
Twin Cities law enforcement plans team effort for Fourth of July