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Texas judges issue additional rulings blocking Title IX revisions

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

From The Center Square

Rule change blocked in 15 states

Two federal judges have ruled in favor of Texas and Texas plaintiffs in separate lawsuits filed to block a Biden administration Title IX rule change from going into effect.

Texas is now the 15th state where the revisions are blocked from going into effect ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division on Friday granted the state’s request in a lawsuit filed by the state and two University of Texas at Austin professors. Kacsmaryk enjoined the U.S. Department of Education from “implementing, enacting, enforcing, or taking any action any manner to enforce” a new rule that revised Title IX pending the resolution of the case.

“The Final Rule inverts the text, history and tradition of Title IX: the statute protects women in spaces historically reserved to men; the Final Rule inserts men into spaces reserved to women,” Kacsmaryk said in his 32-page ruling.

In response, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, said, “Texas has successfully blocked Biden’s Department of Education from destroying Title IX protections for women and forcing radical ‘transgender’ ideology on Texas schools. Biden’s rule would have forced our schools to accommodate biological men on women’s sports teams and in female bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms, and required students and teachers to use incorrect pronouns. A federal judge has halted Biden’s rule pending a final ruling. It’s an honor to defend our State from Biden’s unlawful subversion of Title IX.”

Also on Friday, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor issued a preliminary injunction against the rule in favor of Carroll Independent School District. In May, the district’s board of trustees, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, passed a resolution denouncing the Title IX changes and sued asking the court to block it from going into effect.

Also in May, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott instructed the Texas Education Agency and Texas colleges and universities not to comply with the changes, The Center Square reported. In the last two legislative sessions, Abbott signed bills into law to strengthen student safety and “protect the integrity of women’s sports by prohibiting men from competing against female athletes.” Abbott said, “I will not let President Biden erase the advancements Texas has made.”

Judge O’Connor said in his ruling, “The compliance costs also go beyond monetary harm given the potential to infringe on constitutional rights. Privileging gender identity over biological sex is in no way authorized by the statutory text. And the consequences based on this statutory distortion appear limitless. For these reasons, and those stated by other federal courts, Carroll ISD is likely to succeed on the merits of their challenge to the final rule.”

The rulings were issued after O’Connor in June vacated a guidance issued by the DOE and the Department of Justice requiring schools to implement similar policies to the rule change before it was finalized. He also issued a permanent injunction against its enforcement in Texas, The Center Square reported.

Texas sued in June 2023 over the agencies’ mandates; the agencies are responsible for administering and enforcing Title IX.

At issue is Title IX, part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The law was enacted at a time when women and girls had limited athletic opportunities. Despite widespread opposition, including from women’s groups, the Biden administration began amending Title IX through several methods, arguing doing so would “advance educational equity and opportunity for women and girls across the country.”

It’s guidances and rule changes redefine biological sex to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”

In response, 18 AGs argued the changes “demolished” women’s and girls’ rights, “making a mockery of Title IX’s fundamental organization principle – basic biology.”

After the Biden administration finalized the rule, multiple states sued. Texas sued on its own. Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho filed a lawsuit. Alaska, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming filed another. Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia filed a separate lawsuit. Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina filed another.

So far, federal judges have ruled against the Biden administration.

In June, Louisiana, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty was the first to rule against the administration, blocking the administration’s changes from going into effect in Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho.

O’Connor also ruled against the agency Title IX mandates in June.

In Kansas, U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves blocked the rule change from going into effect in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Then in July, in Kansas, District Judge John Broomes ruled against the administration, blocking the changes from going into effect in Alaska, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming. And Judge Kacsmaryk blocked the rule from going into effect in Texas.

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Crime

Nashville school shooter’s ‘manifesto’ highlights the destructive nature of porn, sexual confusion

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From LifeSiteNews

By Jonathon Van Maren

The disjointed ramblings of gender-confused school shooter Audrey Hale reveal her deep obsession with gender and race, with many disturbing entries centering on aggressive and sexual behaviours.

On June 10 and June 14, I reported on leaked sections of the so-called “manifesto” of Audrey Hale, the trans-identified school shooter who killed three 9-year-old children and three adults at Covenant Christian School on March 27, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. LGBT groups had called for the suppression of Hale’s writings immediately after the murders for fear that (another) transgender shooter would have some politically inconvenient things to say. The press and the police largely cooperated, with the exception of several leaks earlier this year.  

Those leaks included photos of Hale’s journals, in which she wrote of her hatred for her Christian parents, her desire for puberty blockers, and her fervent hope for a “high death count” when she started shooting those “white privileged crackers.” In the second leak, including pages published by Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire, Hale fantasized about having a male body and sodomizing girls, and attacked Christians as transphobic bigots. Some phrases and numbers were difficult to decipher or decode.

READ: Full 90 pages of Nashville shooter’s ‘manifesto’ reveal obsession with gender confusion, suicide 

Now, The Tennessee Star has published the full, unredacted “manifesto” of Audrey Hale (who refers to herself throughout the notebook as “Aiden,” her transgender identity). It is about 90 pages and is not so much a “manifesto” as a series of disjointed ramblings, much of it sounding like it was written by someone tormented by unrequited love; most of it is sexual and obsessive. Combine that with Hale’s gender dysphoria and this Christian school girl turned transgender terrorist was clearly a deeply disturbed and angry person. 

I spent some time reading through all of Hale’s writing and found much of it incoherent. At one point, she writes, “This love will never end until I am up in heaven where hurt is no more and I can love you and be in no more pain,” appearing to refer to a breakup. Shortly thereafter: “Everything hurts.” The name “Syd” shows up frequently; these letters are apparently to or about Hale’s friend Sydney Sims, who died in a car accident in 2022. Hale was clearly infatuated by her. Comments referring to her transgender identity are throughout the notebook: 

“I am a boy with a vagina.”

“Audrey is not my name.”

“A terrible feeling to know I am nothing of the gender I was born of.”

“I am the most unhappy boy alive.”

“I will be of no use of love for any girl if I don’t have what they need: Boy’s body/male gender.”

“If God won’t give me a boy body in Heaven,” followed by a blasphemous declaration.

“Why does my brain not work? Because I was born wrong!”

“I hate society b/c society ignores to see me. I’m a queer; I am meant to die.”

She had apparently been planning her school shooting for some time. On January 16, 2023, she wrote, “I’m so sorry Nikki. I didn’t mean to plan my massacre on the 17th. I’m going to be a terrible s**t for leaving you. How bad my heart hurts. Tomorrow is my last day on earth. I love you. I am so sorry. Audrey (Aiden).” Underneath, she scribbled: “Ps—Not leaving yet. I couldn’t do it. I don’t want to ruin your day. I’ll wait as planned.” 

Two pages later: “Paige, I’m going to kill people someday. Please don’t be mad … I’m going to do something bad. It’s too sad to think what you might feel. I’m so sorry. I love you. I just have to die. I think God will enter me in heaven. If I do get there I’ll be waiting for you. Aiden.”  

Paige Patton was one of Hale’s friends. Hale messaged her the day of the shooting saying that she would die that day; Patton alerted the authorities, but they didn’t respond to her until after the shooting.  

The final page was written on the day of the massacre. “Forgive me God, this act will be inglorious,” she wrote. 

Death Day! Today is the day. The day has finally come! I can’t believe it’s here. Don’t know how I was able to get this far, but here I am. I’m a little nervous, but excited too. Been excited for two weeks. There were several times I could have been caught, especially back in the summer of 2021. None of that matters now. I’m almost an hour and 7 minutes away. Can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m ready … I hope my victims aren’t. My only fear is if anything goes wrong … God let my wrath take over my anxiety. It might be 10 minutes tops. It might be 3-7. It’s gunna go quick. I hope I have a high death count. Ready to die haha.

It was signed “Aiden.”

Shortly after writing those words, 28-year-old Audrey Hale entered The Covenant Christian School with two AR-style weapons and a handgun, shooting open a locked side door to gain access. She began her shooting spree at around 10:13 a.m., killing three 9-year-old children – Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney – and three adults – 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old principal Dr. Katherine Koonce, and 61-year-old custodian Mike Hill. Less than 15 minutes later, Hale was shot and killed by two police officers. 

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Jonathon’s writings have been translated into more than six languages and in addition to LifeSiteNews, has been published in the National PostNational ReviewFirst Things, The Federalist, The American Conservative, The Stream, the Jewish Independent, the Hamilton SpectatorReformed Perspective Magazine, and LifeNews, among others. He is a contributing editor to The European Conservative.

His insights have been featured on CTV, Global News, and the CBC, as well as over twenty radio stations. He regularly speaks on a variety of social issues at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

He is the author of The Culture WarSeeing is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of AbortionPatriots: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Pro-Life MovementPrairie Lion: The Life and Times of Ted Byfield, and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide with Blaise Alleyne.

Jonathon serves as the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform

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COVID-19

The Media Wants a Return to 2020

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From the Brownstone Institute

By Ian Miller Ian Miller 

They’re never going to stop.

We’re a few months away from the end of 2024, four and a half years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a truth that should clearly be universally acknowledged by now, that the pandemic policies enacted by global governments were a catastrophic failure.

Mask mandates were pointless, harmful, and completely ineffective. School closures were one of history’s biggest mistakes, causing learning loss among young people that will set them back an entire generation. Business shutdowns achieved little except for hurting small business owners at the expense of massive corporations and necessitating a rolling series of money printing leading to rampant inflation.

Then we witnessed the formerly unimaginable emergence of vaccine passports.

Regardless, those policies have generally, and thankfully, come to an end. Overwhelming evidence, data, and scientific studies have confirmed that the Anthony Fauci-CDC doctrine was based on nothing, and accomplished less. But among the fearless media columnist set, there’s a desperation to return to the glory days of pandemic restrictions. The latest example coming from an opinion article published over at The Hill, complete with the usual misinformation, poor reasoning, and willful ignorance of current realities.

Continuing the trend that Fauci started.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on December 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Media Personalities Can’t Let Go of Bad Covid Policies

The column by Aron Solomon presents several absurd arguments, blaming a “recent surge” on “new variants” and saying we “need to take stock of where we are” with the virus.

“The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has disrupted summer travel plans, overwhelmed healthcare facilities in certain areas, and left many Americans dealing with the familiar symptoms of fever, cough and fatigue,” Solomon writes. “The summer months, typically associated with lower respiratory virus activity, have instead seen a significant uptick in COVID-19 infections.”

This is factually inaccurate.

The summer months have traditionally been associated with higher respiratory virus activity in certain parts of the country. The South and Southwest have consistently seen higher Covid spread in the summer months, corresponding with past flu patterns. Even the extremist public health agencies such as the one that dictated their edicts to the city of Los Angeles have acknowledged that summer surges have happened every year since 2020.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what the data shows, summer increases in Covid spread, decreasing over time as population immunity grows and testing decreases.

But Solomon’s run of misinformation wasn’t done there.

He then blames the “relaxation of public health measures” for the increased Covid spread this year.

“Second, the widespread relaxation of public health measures has created an environment conducive to transmission,” he writes. “Mask mandates, social distancing guidelines and restrictions on large gatherings have all but disappeared. This return to normalcy, while massively psychologically and economically beneficial, has provided the virus with ample opportunities to spread.”

The pointless mask mandates disappeared years ago in many parts of the country, which is just as well as they conclusively did not matter. Comparing regions with and without mandates has consistently shown that areas with mandates have the same Covid rates, if not worse. Even in California.

It just doesn’t matter, because masks don’t work.

Solomon then advocates for the return of pandemic restrictions and a “commitment to public health” to combat the summer 2024 surge.

“While much progress has been made in terms of vaccination and treatment, the current surge is a stark reminder that complacency is not an option. The road ahead will require a renewed commitment to public health, both from government leaders and from individuals.

We all need to prepare for not only the possibility of continued disruptions but for another new normal that might be a little closer to 2020 than how we’ve recently been living. That means preparing for future waves and the long-term implications of a world in which COVID-19 remains a persistent, if manageable, threat.”

Beyond the absurdity of demanding restrictions that have already failed, Solomon is ignoring that there was effectively no “surge” in summer 2020, in any meaningful metric. Getting sick, unfortunately, is a part of life. People will have colds, flus, Covid, and their resulting symptoms forever. No matter what we do.

But what matters is whether these waves lead to a substantial increase in associated deaths. They conclusively have not. Per the CDC’s Covid Data Tracker, Covid-associated mortality is essentially near all-time pandemic lows.

Roughly 1.8 percent of all registered deaths across the country were even tangentially associated with Covid. Those massive peaks though? Those came with the strictest restrictions of the pandemic, the restrictions Solomon wants to return.

Even the massive increase in 2021-2022 came after vaccines and boosters were widely available.

But a combination of immunity across a wide swath of the population effectively ended the pandemic. It had nothing to do with any pandemic policies from governments here or abroad. The fact that this is even remotely up for debate is a testament to the power of media misinformation and a willingness from people like Solomon to ignore contradictory information.

There is no emergency, there is no need to reinstate restrictions of any kind to deal with Covid. Especially because those restrictions are useless anyway.

Republished from the author’s Substack

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