Number of global cholera cases continues to grow, World Health Organization says

The world’s cholera situation is deteriorating, the World Health Organization confirmed in an update Wednesday, with two dozen countries now reporting cases, including Yemen. 

Photo by Yahya Arhab/EPA-EFE

March 22 (UPI) -- The world's cholera situation is deteriorating, the World Health Organization confirmed in an update Wednesday, with two dozen countries now reporting cases.

The 24 separate countries are reporting some level of cholera cases as of Monday, the WHO said in a statement.

A majority of cases are in southeast Africa, with extended outbreaks continuing to plague Malawi and Mozambique.

Since January, new outbreaks were reported in Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, according to the WHO.

Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which pummeled parts of East Africa in February only exacerbated the situation.

The storm approached levels equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, and the heavy rain, flooding and damage to water and sewer systems is helping to fuel further cholera outbreaks.

Overall, more than 36,000 people have been infected and 1,700 killed since "unprecedented rise in cholera cases worldwide" last year, according to the WHO.

Many of the countries reporting outbreaks are also seeing a higher mortality rate among those that contract the acute diarrheal illness, caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

About 1 in 10 people with cholera will experience severe symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though the infection can sometimes be severe or life-threatening, it is more often mild or entirely without symptoms

"The overall capacity to respond to the multiple and simultaneous outbreaks continues to be strained due to the global lack of resources, including shortages of the oral cholera vaccine, as well as overstretched public health and medical personnel, who are dealing with multiple disease outbreaks and other health emergencies at the same time," the WHO said Wednesday.

"Based on the current situation, WHO assesses the risk at the global level as very high."

Overcrowding leading to poor sanitary conditions in internally displaced persons camps and communities contributed to further cholera outbreaks in Borno, Nigeria. File Photo courtesy of Norwegian Refugee Council

Dry-docked ship dislodges in Scotland, injures 25 people


A dry-docked ship dislodged on the Imperial Dock in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday, causing injuries to 25 people. 

Photo courtesy of Councilor Adam McVey/Twitter

March 22 (UPI) -- A dry-docked ship dislodged at the Imperial Dock in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Wednesday, injuring 25 people.

The large research vessel, Petrel, tipped over at the Port of Leith at about 4:30 a.m. EST, coming to a 45-degree tilt. Fifteen people were transported to local hospitals and 10 more received treatment on the scene, according to CBS News.

Large ships often are dry-docked so their hulls can be inspected or repaired.

Dales Marine Services, which operates the dry dock, confirmed what it called a "serious incident" in a statement posted on Twitter. It said it was "liaising with the emergency services and relevant authorities in dealing with the ongoing incident," about 4 hours after the incident was first reported.

Councilor Adam McVey, a local politician, tweeted that the ship became dislodged from its holding, "in strong winds."

"Terrifying for those on board, my thoughts are with those who've been injured & hope everyone recovers quickly," he tweeted. "Please avoid area."

The estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen owns RV Petrel, which has been used to discover several historic shipwrecks, such as the Japanese Imperial Navy's IJN Musashi, which was lost for more than 70 years.

According to ABC News, the ship is 250-feet long and has remained docked since 2020 due to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

PRICE GOUGING IS INFLATION

Appeals court says Texas agency set electricity prices too high during 2021 winter storm

By Erin Douglas and Emily Foxhall, The Texas Tribune

Congress Avenue in Austin during Winter Storm Uri on Feb. 16, 2021. 

Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar/The Texas Tribune

March 19 (UPI) -- A Texas appellate court surprised the electricity world Friday by ruling that the Public Utility Commission overstepped its authority during the deadly February 2021 winter storm when it raised the price of electricity to the maximum, $9,000 per megawatt-hour.

The price was set that high on Feb. 15 and 16 and kept there for days by the commission in charge of regulating Texas' electricity in an effort to tell the market that more power generation was urgently needed. Its leadership believed that the financial tool meant to adjust the cost of electricity was malfunctioning as electricity generators fell offline and grid operators cut power to homes and businesses, the ruling explains.

The price of electricity is fluid in Texas; it goes up when demand is high in order to incentivize more production and keep the grid from being overloaded. But the state's electricity market monitor said in the aftermath of the storm that Texas overcharged retail electricity providers by $16 billion for the power used as the storm dragged on -- prices that left providers with massive debt and in some cases landed customers with giant bills.

The exorbitant price of electricity during the storm pushed retail power providers and electricity cooperatives into financial distress across Texas. Many were forced to buy power on the wholesale market at high prices and filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of the storm.

During the 2021 legislative session, Texas senators pushed for a financial remedy to a 32-hour period during the week of the storm when regulators kept wholesale power prices at the $9,000 cap after more generation came online, but they couldn't come to an agreement with their counterparts in the House. The power grid legislation that passed ultimately did not address the issue. Instead, legislators passed laws that would allow companies to access cheap, long-term loans to avoid passing the large costs on to consumers all at once.

The electric utility Luminant appealed the PUC's pricing decisions in the month after the storm. It argued that the commission exceeded its authority in setting the price at the maximum, among other points. The Austin-based Third Court of Appeals agreed in its ruling Friday. But the consequences for its decision are unlikely to be immediately felt in Texas' electricity market, since the court remanded the case for further consideration and the decision may still be appealed to the Texas Supreme Court.

Vistra Corp., Luminant's parent company, lost at least $1.6 billion during the storm because it paid very high prices for natural gas to run its plants and was forced to procure electricity in the wholesale market to meet its delivery obligations to customers.

"We agree with the decision today by the Court of Appeals in Austin, but this is an ongoing legal proceeding and we cannot predict the final outcome," Vistra said in a statement.

The Public Utility Commission declined to comment on the decision, first reported by The Dallas Morning News.

If the order stands, it could theoretically create a "gigantic mess" for the PUC and the state's grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to unwind the transactions that occurred during the days when the price was set at the $9,000 cap, said Alison Silverstein, who previously worked as a senior advisor for both the PUC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

"You would have to figure out who paid what to whom and sort of undo the daisy chain of transactions and sales as you're repricing," said Silverstein, who now works as an energy consultant in Austin.

That would be a long process with little chance of benefiting end users, she said. "I don't think the end consumer will ever see a penny of benefit out of this."

But Silverstein and other electricity experts who spoke with the Tribune on background doubted whether a legal remedy would go as far as unwinding the transactions that occurred during the storm -- more likely is that it would impact other litigation among energy companies still battling in court rooms in the aftermath of Winter Storm Uri, or provide a specific remedy for Luminant.

"Practically speaking, the odds of getting a meaningful resolution apart from the legal principles would be very challenging," Silverstein said. There might be many lawsuits, she said, but, "the money is long gone."

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy.

Louisiana residents in 'Cancer Alley' file lawsuit to ban new petrochemical plants


Residents in a Louisiana community, known as “Cancer Alley,” have filed a federal lawsuit against St. James Parish, calling decisions to put petrochemical plants in Black neighborhoods racist as they demand new plants be banned. 

Photo courtesy of Denka Performance Elastomer LLC

March 21 (UPI) -- Residents in a Louisiana community known as "Cancer Alley" have filed a federal lawsuit against St. James Parish, calling decisions to put petrochemical plants in Black neighborhoods racist. They demanded new plants be banned.

A coalition of environmental groups, founded by Black women, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. Eastern District Court in New Orleans. The suit says parish officials "intentionally chose to locate over a dozen enormous industrial facilities in the majority Black 4th and 5th Districts, while explicitly sparing white residents from the risk of environmental harm."

The lawsuit calls for a ban on new petrochemical plants and a ban on expanding existing facilities -- which would be a first in Louisiana -- because of concerns over pollution and adverse health effects.

Residents say the parish approved nearly every petrochemical company request during the past 46 years in order to locate their facilities in majority-Black areas, while rejecting requests to locate them in white areas, the lawsuit states.

In a news conference before the lawsuit was filed, the groups said their requests have been ignored repeatedly, including in 2019 after a number of new facilities were approved by the St. James Parish Council.

"Over and over, St. James Parish has ignored our cries for basic human rights," said Shamyra Lavigne of the group Rise. "Enough is enough."

The groups, filing the lawsuit, said a ban on solar farms was approved by the parish council last year after the mostly white community of Vacherie complained the farms could lower property values and cause damage during hurricanes.

"White residents didn't want solar farms in their backyards because they didn't like the aesthetics," Lavigne said. "But we have petrochemical plants in our backyards, and they're polluting us."

The industrial corridor west of New Orleans, known as "Cancer Alley," has also become a focus of the Biden administration as it works to mitigate the environmental effects of long-term pollution on overburdened communities.

The Justice Department has even taken action against Denka Performance Elastomer LLC over its "unacceptable cancer risk" to neighborhoods near the plant.

RELATED Evacuations ordered in Louisiana parish as train derailment causes acid leak

While parish leaders say the plants create new jobs, residents say that is not the case as many of the facilities are heavily automated.

"They always promise jobs and economic opportunity, but our neighborhoods don't see any of that," said Barbara Washington of Inclusive Louisiana. "All we see is smoke and smog and smell the pollution."

SEE

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/03/residents-sue-louisiana-parish-to-halt.html

$625M settlement in Michigan water crisis makes it largest civil settlement in state history

A Michigan judge Tuesday approved a final settlement related to the tainted-water cases from the city of Flint, creating what will become the largest civil settlement in the state’s history.

 Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

March 21 (UPI) -- A Michigan judge Tuesday approved a $625 million final settlement related to Flint's tainted-water crisis, creating what will become the largest civil settlement in the state's history.

Genesee County Circuit Court Chief Judge David Newblatt finalized the settlement between the defendants, the City of Flint, and the State of Michigan, the state's attorney general, Dana Nessel, confirmed in a statement.

The historic settlement will see the state pay $600 million, while the city will cover $20 million. Flint-based McLaren Regional Medical Center will be required to pay $5 million, while Michigan-based Rowe Professional Services is responsible for $1.5 million.

The combined $625 million settlement was given preliminary approval in November 2021.

On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling related to attorney fees. Defendants had argued attorneys in the case should be entitled a lower percentage of the settlement.

The settlement establishes a process for those defendants to submit claims. Claimants are eligible if they owned or lived in a residence or owned a business that received water from the Flint Water Treatment Plant. A person is also eligible if they ingested or came into contact with water received from the plant for at least 21 days during a 30-day period or were diagnosed with Legionnaires' Disease.

"This historic settlement cannot undo the unimaginable hardship and heartbreaking health effects these families and children in Flint have endured," Nessel said in the statement.

The water crisis began on April 25, 2014, when Flint switched its drinking water supply to the Flint River and away from Lake Huron and the Detroit River. The water supply was not properly treated, exposing residents to lead and other contaminants, including bacteria. The drinking water was not declared entirely free of lead until January 2017.

Thousands of people are still suffering the psychological effects of the water crisis.

Tuesday's settlement will see Michigan pay more than $600 million to defendants in Flint's tainted-drinking water crisis. The city of Flint will pay $20 million. 

Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

 

Volunteers distribute cases of water at City Hall in Flint, Mich., in 2016 after drinking water was found to be contaminated with lead after the city's source was switched from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Dept. to the Flint River in 2014. File Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

Milestone Carbon plans carbon capture, sequestration facility in Louisiana


Climeworks, already a leader in Europe in the technology needed to pull CO2 out of the air, joined a consortium petitioning for funds to build a similar facility in Louisiana. Image courtesy of Climeworks

March 21 (UPI) -- Adding its name to a growing chorus of voices, carbon abatement company Milestone Carbon said Tuesday it launched plans to build a carbon capture and sequestration facility in Louisiana.

Louisiana and the broader Gulf Coast region are adopting carbon abatement technology as the global energy sector tries to find a way to address climate concerns while still using the forms of energy that are available today.

Milestone said it was interested in developing carbon storage technology on 46,000 acres of land in Louisiana's Terrebonne Parish. The company said it could store "hundreds of millions of tons" of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, in underground geological formations.

"Louisiana has many of the critical elements for successful carbon capture projects, including great geology, strong policy support, and significant industrial emissions," said Milestone Carbon Senior Vice President Chris Davis.

RELATED Norway sees strong energy sector interest in offshore carbon storage

Milestone's is but one of the many carbon storage projects planned for Louisiana. Billions of dollars in investments are going toward commercial-scale developments, which was heralded late last year by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

"The collaboration and innovation to bring carbon capture and storage technology forward at this scale reaffirms our state's ability to grow our economy without sacrificing our long-term emission-reduction goals to net zero by 2050," he said.

Last week, Battelle, Climeworks and Heirloom Carbon submitted their proposal to the Energy Department to secure funds from last year's bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act to support the development of the planned Project Cypress direct air capture (DAC) hub along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

RELATED Denmark awards first-ever contracts for carbon storage offshore

DAC technology uses large fans to blow air through a solution of potassium hydroxide to pull CO2 from the atmosphere.

Climeworks has already built two carbon capture facilities similar to what's proposed for Louisiana. The first can pull 900 tons of CO2 from the air each year for use in greenhouses. Its second facility can capture 50 tons per year, which the company plans to bury in basalt formations deep beneath Earth's surface.

Scottish energy company SSE makes $120M investment in hydro-storage facility

The Pitlochry Dam. Scotland has made novel uses of its water resources for decades. Photo courtesy of SSE Renewables

March 21 (UPI) -- Scottish energy company SSE Renewables said Tuesday it planned a major investment in what could be the region's largest hydro-storage facility, doubling existing capacity.

SSE said it was providing a $120 million investment in the so-called Coire Glas project, a project that could hold 30 gigawatt hours of long-term storage of water-based renewable energy.

"At the flick of a switch, Coire Glas would begin generating enough renewable energy to be able to power 3 million homes in just under five minutes," SSE stated. "Critically, the Coire Glas project could provide this level of firm, flexible power for up to 24 hours non-stop."

Hydro storage works by utilizing a series of reservoirs. Water moves uphill through the system when energy is ample and comes back downhill to drive turbines when resources are scarce.

RELATED Italian energy company Eni makes breakthrough in wave energy

The Scottish government has focused on novel renewable sources of energy for years, with German energy company RWE starting a prototype for turbines that run on wave energy in the early 2010s.

In February, a tidal energy array off the northern coast of Scotland, MeyGen, became the first facility of its kind to generate 50 gigawatt-hours of electricity over its lifespan.

Construction for the first phase of the MeyGen project began in January 2015 with the installation of four tidal turbines boasting a peak capacity of 1.5 megawatts each. A second phase could start as early as 2027 and developers are already in the planning stages for a 312 MW phase four.

RELATED Dogger Bank: World's biggest offshore wind farm could get even bigger

Coire Glas received planning consent from the Scottish government in 2020 and SSE hopes to make a final investment decision on the facility next year. If approved, it could be up and running by the turn of the decade, making it the first such facility to be built in 40 years.

While it has Scotland's consent, SSE says it needs support from the government in London before moving forward.

"Whilst Coire Glas doesn't need subsidy, it does require more certainty around its revenues and it is critically important the U.K. government urgently confirms its intention on exactly how they will help facilitate the deployment of such projects," SSE's Finance Director Gregor Alexander said.

Scottish energy company SSE Renewables is planning the region's first major hydro-storage facility in 40 years. Image courtesy of SSE Renewables

Norway's oil and gas production misses government expectations

Norway's government reported that both oil and gas production levels were lower than expected, though the country has made a steady string of new discoveries already this year. 

Photo courtesy of Harald Pettersen/Equinor


March 21 (UPI) -- Norway, among the major energy suppliers to the European economy, reported Tuesday that both crude oil and natural gas production in February were short of the government's expectations.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the nation's energy regulator, reported that crude oil production averaged 1.77 million barrels per day in February, about 2.8% lower than the government expected and comparable to January. January production of 1.76 million bpd, however, was about 0.4% more than forecast.

Gas production averaged 12 billion cubic feet per day, off 1.2% from the government's and again on par with January levels. January gas production was 0.8% below forecast.

The NPD in its monthly production report does not offer reasons for any month-on-month variances.

RELATED High production and higher temperatures to keep natural gas prices in check

Variances month-on-month are nonetheless small and Norwegian energy companies continue to boast a string of successes that began at the start of the year.

Energy major Equinor last week said it made its eight discovery since 2019 in the Troll field in the North Sea. Named Heisenberg, Equinor believes the discovery holds between 24 million and 84 million barrels of oil equivalent, with most of that in the form of natural gas.

"Our Troll exploration play keeps delivering," said Geir Sortveit, a senior vice president for exploration and production at Equinor. "With discoveries in eight out of nine exploration wells, we are approaching a success rate of 90%."

RELATED A new oil discovery off Norway has a substantial upside, the government said

Norwegian production peaked at around 3.4 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2001 and has been on a slow decline ever since. Despite lower volumes relative to major producers such as the United States, its proximity to Europe makes it an important part of the regional energy economy.

The United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden account for about half of Norway's total exports of natural gas. Almost all of its crude oil exports go to European economies.

Revelers in Spain celebrate Fat Sunday

(17 images)

Photos by Paul Hanna/UPI

License photo | Permalink

Revelers turn out for the annual Fat Sunday Carnival celebrations in the small Spanish towns of Navalosa and Navalacruz on Saturday and Sunday. People dress up in traditional half man/half beast costumes and masks made of animal parts -- cow horns, horsehair, etc. -- or local plants ahead of Lent.

A carnival reveler dressed as a traditional "Harramacho" poses during a carnival festival in the village of Navalacruz, Spain, on February 18, 2023. The "Herramacho" figures, whose costumes are made from natural materials collected from the surrounding environment, were believed to protect family and cattle in pre-Roman rituals. 

The "Herramacho" figures' costumes are made from natural materials collected from the surrounding environment.

The ancient festival has been celebrated for centuries in Navalacruz. 

Parades are part of the weekend-long festivities. 

The festival was traditionally held to protect cattle and children. 

Traditional music and dance are also part of the festival, which comes before Lent and the arrival of spring. 

Onlookers gather to watch a man jumps over a bonfire. 

Participants also walk through the mountains and participate in rituals as part of the celebration.

The celebration comes from the traditions of the vettones, a pre-Roman people that lived in the region. 

A carnival reveler looks down from the mountain. 

A carnival participant arrives in costume.

The costumes are meant to appear fierce. Some of half-man/half-beast. 

A group attends in agricultural-themed costumes. 

Carnival revelers dressed as "Cucurrumachos" with masks made out of animal parts, including horse hair, ram or cow horns, and dressed with striped blankets and cowbells, take part in a traditional Fat Sunday carnival in Navalosa, Spain, on Sunday. 

The origins of the Cucurrumachos are believed to be Celtic and related to agriculture and animal breeding. 

The "Cucurrmachoes" wear striped blankets and cowbells. 

Revelers dressed as "Cucurrumachos" carry animal horns through the street. 

LGBTQ RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS!

Republicans seize on transgender rights ahead of 2024

BY BROOKE MIGDON AND JULIA MANCHESTER - THE HILL  - 03/22/23 

Getty Images/Tommy Wu

Republicans have seized on transgender rights ahead of 2024, with policy proposals including punishing doctors who treat transgender youths to barring transgender women and girls from playing on school sports teams with their peers.

In a February campaign video, former President Trump pledged to enact a federal law that recognizes only two genders if he is reelected in November, claiming that being transgender is a concept that has only recently been manufactured by the “radical left.” The former president in the video also announced his intent to enact close to a dozen policies if he is elected in 2024, all of them targeting transgender people.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is seen as a top 2024 GOP contender, has called for physicians who provide gender-affirming health care to transgender minors to be sued, and Florida under his administration has barred transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgeries. A state health department rule adopted in August prohibits transgender Floridians, regardless of age, from using Medicaid to help pay for gender-affirming health care.

Other declared and potential GOP candidates, including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations, have proposed policies or made comments that have drawn criticism from the transgender community.

The trend has left transgender Americans watching with concern as the 2024 presidential race kicks into gear.

“Across the community, there’s a broad array of reactions,” said Imara Jones, the founder and chief executive of TransLash Media. “Some people are afraid, others are motivated, others are angry, others are fighting back.”

For Jones, a Black transgender woman who discusses the politicization of her identity on her podcast, “The Anti-Trans Hate Machine,” the fact that all of the major GOP hopefuls have proposed or enacted policies seen as targeting transgender and LGBTQ rights is disappointing, but not surprising.

“This is the result of a decades-long strategy,” Jones argued, pointing to lobbying efforts and model legislation pushed by conservative evangelical organizations, including the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council.

Despite consensus among most major medical organizations that gender-affirming care for both transgender youths and adults is safe and medically necessary, more than 100 state bills introduced this year seek to restrict access to care, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Meanwhile, state Republican parties across the country have targeted transgender identities in their party platforms. In its official party platform adopted last year, the Texas GOP said state Republicans should oppose “all efforts to validate transgender identity” and said the party recognized homosexuality as an “abnormal lifestyle choice.” Maine Republicans similarly adopted a platform that promised to classify the “promotion of biological genders other than those of male and female homo sapiens” in public schools as child sexual abuse under state law.

Polling shows a divide on the issue overall. An NPR/Ipsos survey released last year found that just 24 percent of Americans support allowing transgender women and girls to play on sports teams consistent with their gender identity, while 63 percent of respondents said they were against it, including 88 percent of Republicans.

Democrats, according to the survey, are especially split, with 46 percent in support of allowing transgender athletes to compete and 41 percent opposed. Most Independents polled — 63 percent — said transgender women and girls should not be permitted to compete on female sports teams, while 21 percent said they should.

Just three in 10 respondents said they support laws or policies that prevent transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming health care, according to the survey.

Republicans have cited the polling in arguing they have room to make inroads with voters outside of their party.

“I don’t think Republicans are actively campaigning on the issue but responding to a handful of instances that have recently become a big deal,” said Alex Stroman, a Republican strategist.

Among the issues that garnered media attention recently was the debate surrounding former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who made waves last year as the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division 1 national championship in any sport.

Noem was among the potential 2024 Republicans who weighed in, rolling out ads critical of rules allowing transgender women to compete in sports. Under Noem’s leadership, South Dakota in 2022 enacted the year’s first law prohibiting transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity. Since then, 10 states have followed suit, bringing the national total to 19.

While some Republicans agree the issue could play well with their base, there are questions as to how it would translate to a broader electorate in a general election. Some have argued that focusing on the economy, crime and the situation at the southern border is better for reaching more voters in a general election.

A poll released by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group, last year found that a majority of voters were largely motivated by issues like inflation and abortion to cast a ballot in November’s midterm elections. Less than 5 percent of voters said gender-affirming health care for transgender youth or transgender participation in sports motivated them to vote.

Stroman blamed Democrats for shifting the conversation away from kitchen table issues.

“Republicans do want to talk about actual issues facing the American people,” Stroman said, “but Democrats are afraid of their abysmal record on failing banks, multiple train derailments and defeating China, so they use these types of wedge issues — which affect very few actual people in this country — to try and change a system that doesn’t need fixing in the first place.”

Another national GOP strategist told The Hill that Republicans are not targeting transgender people, or LGBTQ people more broadly, at all, maintaining that Republican candidates are laser-focused on protecting children and families.

“I think that phrasing it that way as an LGBTQ issue is kind of feeding into the talking points of the left because that is how they will frame it,” the strategist said.

Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Republicans of weaponizing the issue to generate a political response.

“It also speaks to the hypocrisy of the Republican Party because they act as if certain communities are only represented within certain political parties,” Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright told The Hill.

“I think what we have to do is always respond with truth and continue to stand up for people,” Seawright said.

But Democrats have been noticeably quieter than Republicans when it comes to transgender rights, focusing instead on issues like infrastructure and inflation. It’s a strategy that could backfire, said Jones, of TransLash Media.

“By not commenting or saying anything, Democrats are allowing Republicans to define the issue,” Jones said.

“What that means is that when the conversation comes up for debate, it’s largely going to be held on Republican terms, which can’t be good for Democrats,” she said.