UK

More misery for commuters as rail operators brace for budget cuts

TORY AUSTERITY

Matt Oliver
Thu, 28 December 2023 

Ticket revenues are £4bn below pre-pandemic levels - Yui Mok/PA Wire

Millions of rail passengers face fresh misery in 2024 after train companies were told to find savings that could lead to reduced services and more overcrowding.

The Government, which nationalised rail franchises during the Covid pandemic, has ordered providers to slash their costs from April.

According to industry sources, the scale of the savings being sought is as much as £2bn to £3bn per year, with companies being asked to put forward initial suggestions within weeks.


Whitehall insiders suggested the request was part of the routine budgeting process and that subsidies for the rail industry remained high compared to pre-pandemic levels, after increased working from home hit demand.

But on Thursday, experts said the cuts, first reported by the Financial Times, would result in worse services, deterring passengers just as greater demand appeared to be returning.

They warned the scale of the savings being asked for would almost certainly force train operators to run services with fewer carriages or less frequently, raising the risk of busier trains and more overcrowding.

William Barter, an independent rail consultant with expertise in operations and planning, said there were anecdotal signs passenger growth had recovered further in the most recent quarter as more employers asked staff to work in offices for at least three days per week.

But he added: “The problem with cuts like this is that railways have very high levels of fixed costs - such as rolling stock - and very low levels of variable costs, so to make any significant savings you have to take out a lot of variable costs.

“That means quality of service goes down, which depresses passenger growth and revenues.

“If you really want to reduce the amount of subsidies being paid, the best way to do that would actually be to find ways to increase revenues - we should be going all-out to get people back on the trains.

“But if more people are having to stand for long-distance journeys, you are just going to achieve the complete opposite.”

Christian Wolmar, a railway historian and host of the Calling All Stations podcast, said: “I have spoken to people in government who say you absolutely can’t make these cuts without there being some kind of reduction in services, and some the ones already imposed have eaten into timetables to some extent.

“You have got places where you now have half-hourly trains instead of services every 20 minutes and others where they have cut back on carriages. So there is going to be a severe impact from this.”

He claimed the need for fresh savings had grown after ministers were forced to backtrack on proposals to close nearly 1,000 ticket offices following a public outcry.

However, a Whitehall insider noted that subsidies for the rail industry had jumped enormously since the pandemic, when lockdowns and remote working hit demand for travel and the Government stepped in to prop up train providers.

Only £9.2bn of ticket revenues were collected in the 2022/23 financial year, more than £4bn below pre-pandemic levels. Over the same period, subsidy levels jumped from £5.1bn to £11.9bn.

It comes amid widespread concern that services are getting worse, with figures showing roughly one in seven rail passengers could expect to stand when travelling between cities in England and Wales last year.

Delays are also common. In the three months to the end of September 2023, two fifths of train departures were late, according to the Office of Rail and Road.

Meanwhile plans to reform the way the railways have been stuck in the sidings since May 2021, when a review recommended the creation of ‘Great British Railways’, a quango that would be responsible for managing tracks and trains.

Those proposals have been delayed under Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, as well as plans to create a government-backed ticketing system and smartphone app to simplify fares for passengers.

On Thursday, the Department for Transport insisted that more budget cuts should not lead to worse services.

A spokesman said: “We have been upfront about the need to reform our railways in order to make them financially sustainable, and we expect operators to maintain services while ensuring passengers are provided better services at no additional cost to the taxpayer.”

Last week, ministers announced rail fares would rise by 4.9pc next year. That is below the normal 9pc increase that would have taken place, had the rise been index-linked to inflation

UK

Post Office breaks daily cash withdrawal record amid cost of living crisis


Mark Sweney
Thu, 28 December 2023 

Photograph: Lucy Ray/PA

More than £62m in cash was withdrawn from Post Office branches on the Friday before Christmas, the most ever in a single day, as people rushed to finish their festive shopping.

The record withdrawals on 22 December from the 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK beat the previous record of just over £51m, set on the final Friday before Christmas last year.

The record also reflects the sharp increase in the cost of living over the past two years as the rate of inflation hit a 41-year high of 11.1% late last year, although it has since eased to 3.9% in November, the lowest rate of increase in two years.

“For some people, being able to withdraw cash for free helped them to finish last-minute shopping for the big day, for others it may have been a last-minute gift,” said Ross Borkett, head of banking at the Post Office.”

Cash payments have made a wider comeback during the cost of living crisis, as people turn to “tangible” physical money to help them manage their budgets. In 2022, cash payments increased for the first time in a decade, rising by 7% to reach 6.4bn payments according to the banking body UK Finance.

On Christmas Day this year, when about 1,500 Post Office branches mostly located in convenience stores were open, personal customers withdrew £800,000.

However, it was also a day that recorded a significant number of consumers aiming to bank their Christmas gifts of cash and cheques, with £1.1m in personal deposits made. Business customers also deposited £1.06m through Post Office branches on Christmas Day.

“Millions of people rely on being able to access cash every day at their local Post Office and it is no different on Christmas Day,” said Borkett.

“Business cash deposits being made on Christmas Day indicate just how vital it is that pub and restaurant owners have somewhere open and convenient to deposit their much-needed Christmas cash takings ahead of a quieter January.”

Cash withdrawals hit all-time high on last Friday before Christmas – Post Office

Anna Wise, PA Business Reporter
Thu, 28 December 2023 



The amount of cash withdrawn at Post Offices hit an all-time high on the last Friday before Christmas as people sourced last-minute gifts, the group has revealed.

More than £62 million was withdrawn by personal customers on Friday December 22, the highest amount ever taken out on a single day.

The total beats the previous record by more than £10 million, when £51.5 million was taken out over the counter on Friday December 23 2022.

Some £800,000 was withdrawn on Christmas Day itself, the Post Office revealed.

Furthermore, about £1.1 million was deposited by personal customers and the same amount by business customers over the counter.

Ross Borkett, the Post Office’s head of banking, said: “For some people, being able to withdraw cash for free helped them to finish last-minute shopping for the big day, for others it may have been a last-minute gift.

“Business cash deposits being made on Christmas Day indicate just how vital it is that pub and restaurant owners have somewhere open and convenient to deposit their much-needed Christmas cash takings ahead of a quieter January.”

ATM network Link also said the last Friday before Christmas had been the busiest day of the year for cash withdrawals, and the biggest total since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around £460 million was withdrawn on December 22, on what was the last working day before Christmas for many people, ahead of a four-day break.

The average value of a withdrawal on that day was just under £105, according to Link.

Link chief executive John Howells said: “We generally see higher withdrawals ahead of bank holidays and the end of the month, but ATM use is changing.

“Pre-pandemic, people would typically visit ATMs around twice a week and take out around £65. Post-Covid, with more people comfortable using contactless payments, people tend to visit once and take out more, on average £85.

“Over the past few years, our research shows cash use is highest at convenience stores, supermarkets but also paying family and friends.”

The Post Office has previously stressed that businesses, particularly in the leisure and hospitality sector, rely on its branches to deposit cash, especially in communities where bank branches have been shut down.

It has also suggested that the rising cost of living has led people to increasingly turn to cash to manage their budgets on a weekly basis and often day by day.

Simon Trevethick, head of communications at StepChange Debt Charity, said: “Christmas is always a difficult time for people in financial difficulty, but this year more than most, given the past two years of rampant inflation and rising interest rates, millions of households are feeling the squeeze.

“Our research earlier this month found that one in four people said they would struggle to afford Christmas this year, rising to more than one in three households with children.”

Cat Farrow, chief operating officer at Cash Access UK, said: “Although more people are making digital and contactless payments, cash is still important to millions of people to help manage their money, and it’s still a popular way of giving gifts to family members.”

UK
Nurses’ strikes won only ‘modest progress’ on pay and conditions, says leader


Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent
Wed, 27 December 2023 

Strikes by nurses this year only led to modest progress in pay and staffing in the NHS, according to a union leader.

Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said politicians did enough to “save their own skins, not the revolution needed”.

In a new year message to half a million RCN members, Ms Cullen broadened the union’s campaign for 2024 to include seeking commitments on safe staffing levels as well as a fair pay rise for nursing.

She urged RCN members to “again push ministers further than they want to go”.

There are currently more than 40,000 nursing vacancies in England’s NHS and nursing staff routinely care for 10-15 patients, which the RCN warns is unsafe.

Ms Cullen said the nursing year started with an unprecedented amount of anger as well as optimism.

“We were on picket lines across the country either side of last Christmas and we’d never been louder as a profession – pushed there because nobody was listening but very firmly believing something positive would come out of it all.

“Politicians only granted us modest progress – enough to save their own skins but not the revolution that nursing needs and patients deserve.

Pat Cullen joined RCN members on the picket line outside University College Hospital, London, this year (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

“Would we do it over again? Yes, by your actions you forced ministers to announce a top-up on the previous year’s pay settlement and give more than they had wanted to for the current year.

“Me and other RCN negotiators got every penny they were ever going to give – and that was real money in your banks when it’s really been needed most – but their desire to fix nursing was simply not as strong as ours.

“What’s your appetite to campaign for more? Not just a pay rise but a big commitment to improve staffing levels and patient safety.

“2024 is a general election year and every party will be challenged by the RCN to demonstrate clear vision and hard cash for nursing, the NHS and social care. Let’s make sure we again push ministers further than they want to go.”

Reacting to new regulations expected to be laid in Parliament in January relating to strikes by hospital workers, the RCN leader added: “Despite promises earlier this year that the new Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act would not target nursing staff, we’re now faced with proposals for hospital workers that could see them forced to work during strikes or face the sack.”

Unions have pledged to campaign against the controversial new law, which was brought in after an unprecedented 18 months of strikes by hundreds of thousands of workers.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We hugely value the hard work of NHS nurses, which is why we provided a 5% pay rise and two significant one-off awards – worth over £2,000 on average for full-time nurses.

“This deal, which the RCN recommended its members accept, also included a number of commitments to deliver a series of reforms to improve working conditions.

“We have recruited more than 50,000 extra nurses compared to 2019 – hitting our target early – and the Long Term Workforce plan will ensure the NHS has the staff it needs over the next 15 years so patients continue to receive the best possible care.”

India and France to fete 25 years of military ties with Macron visit

Pratap Chakravarty
Thu, December 28, 2023


French President Emmanuel Macron will preside over India’s Republic Day celebrations next month to cap the 25th anniversary of strategic military ties worth billions of euros for France's arms industry.

Delhi's invitation to the French president came after US leader Joe Biden declined an offer to be the guest of honour at the 26 January parade.

Macron will become the sixth French leader to attend the annual military extravaganza since 1976.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is returning the honour after Macron invited him to attend France’s traditional military parade on Bastille Day on 14 July.

“As strategic partners, India and France share a high degree of convergence on a range of regional and global issues,” India’s External Affairs Ministry said.

It will be the second meeting between Macron and Modi since September, when the two leaders promised to take India-France relations to new heights during talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Delhi.

Delhi G20 summit ends with mixed success

France is India’s closest strategic partner in Europe and its second-largest arms supplier after Russia, having edged past the US last year.

France now supplies 29 percent of India’s military hardware imports, and is hoping for more.


In Moscow to meet Putin and Lavrov, India's foreign minister praises growing trade

Wed, December 27, 2023 



MOSCOW (AP) — India's foreign minister met Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said relations between the countries are progressing even amid turbulent times.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's meeting was part of a five-day visit. At the start of the meeting, Putin said he would inform the Indian diplomat about the fighting in Ukraine, on which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a neutral stance.

"I know about his desire to do everything to resolve this problem through peaceful means,” Putin said.

India is increasingly important to Russia as a market for oil exports, the backbone of its economy, as Western sanctions curtail oil shipments.

“It is very important to make our trade interaction more sustainable. We need to think about how to achieve this,” Jaishankar said, according to a Kremlin transcript of the meeting's opening.

Jaishankar also met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who said they discussed “the prospects for military-technical cooperation, including the joint production of modern types of weapons.”

India’s foreign minister praised the “all-time high” trade turnover between the two countries, which he said exceeded $50 billion in 2022.

“We expect to exceed that this year. And what is important is that this trade is more balanced, it is sustainable, and it provides for fair market access,” he said.

The Associated Press


Russia, India closer to joint military equipment production - minister

Reuters
Wed, December 27, 2023 at 5:15 a.m. MST·1 min read


Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and India have made tangible progress in talks on plans to jointly produce military equipment, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, after talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow.

Speaking at a news conference, Lavrov said such cooperation was of a strategic nature and was in both countries' interests and would help ensure security on the Eurasian continent.

He said Moscow respected India's desire to diversify its military hardware suppliers and was ready too to support New Delhi's desire to manufacture things needed by India in India.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet Jaishankar later on Wednesday.

Jaishankar said he expected Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet next year.

Jaishankar said he and Lavrov had discussed the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as bilateral trade and investment.

India has become one of Russia's core economic partners since the West in 2022 imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Russia has diverted much of its oil exports to India and stepped up diplomacy within the BRICS group of nations, a grouping of which both countries are founding members.

According to Jaishankar, Indian-Russian trade is expected to top $50 billion this year.

He said New Delhi was keen to sign a bilateral investment treaty with Russia as well as a free trade agreement with the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Independent lawyers begin prosecuting cases of sexual assault and other crimes in the US military

LOLITA C. BALDOR
Updated Thu, December 28, 2023 


Nate Galbreath, Senior Executive Adviser for the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO), leaves a news conference at the Pentagon. Galbreath, acting director of the Pentagon’s sexual assault prevention and response office, said in April the department was using a budget infusion of $479 million this year to hire as many as 2,400 personnel for a new “prevention workforce.” (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Thursday opened a new chapter in how it investigates and prosecutes cases of sexual assault and other major crimes, putting independent lawyers in charge of those decisions and sidelining commanders after years of pressure from Congress.

The change, long resisted by Pentagon leaders, was finally forced by frustrated members of Congress who believed that too often commanders would fail to take victims' complaints seriously or would try to protect alleged perpetrators in their units.

The new law was fueled by a persistent increase in sexual assaults and harassment across the military. The Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Navy all saw reported sexual assaults go up last year, but a sharp 9% drop in reports from the Army — the largest military service — drove the overall number down. In 2021, reported assaults spiked by 13%.

Under the law, new special counsels will have the authority to make prosecution decisions on a number of major crimes, including murder, rape and several other sexual assault-related offenses, kidnapping, domestic violence, making or possessing child sexual abuse images, stalking and retaliation.

In a statement, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III called it “the most important reform to our military justice system since the creation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950.”

It's unclear, however, what impact the change will have on the broader problem of sexual misconduct in the military, including if it will trigger an increase in prosecutions and, if so, whether that will have any deterrent effect.

Senior officials from the military services who are familiar with the new program said they already have more than 160 certified special trial counsels who will take over the prosecution decisions as of Thursday. Many of those lawyers, however, have already been involved, providing advice and support for months on cases that are underway. The officials spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity to discuss the new program under rules set by the Defense Department.

As of Thursday, the special trial counsels will have sole authority to make prosecution decisions on new cases involving the major crimes. Any advice on already existing cases is nonbinding, the officials said.

According to the officials, the Army will have 65 certified trial counsels, the Air Force will have 40, the Marine Corps will have 33 and the Navy will have 24, with 23 attorneys who are not yet certified assisting in the cases. About 10 more are expected to be certified in the summer.

The lawyers will be scattered around the U.S. and the world, with larger numbers at bases and locations where there are more service members and more crime.

The officials said they expect each trial counsel to handle as many as 50 investigations and roughly eight to 12 trials a year.

An independent commission that studied sexual assaults in the military suggested in its report that the use of special counsels would have a positive impact. It said the special counsels would make better decisions on what cases should go forward, resulting in higher conviction rates. Increased convictions, the report said, will encourage more accused perpetrators to make plea agreements, which alleviates the need for victims to testify at trials.

“These outcomes will also increase confidence in the public that the military is correcting its course in the prosecution of special victim cases,” the report said.

Sean Timmons, managing partner at the Tully Rinckey law firm, which specializes in military cases, said the change doesn't really get at the underlying behavioral problems. As a result, he said, it is unlikely to have any real impact or deterrent effect on misconduct by service members. He said that it could result in more people being fired as a result of board proceedings but that in agreements in which the victims don't testify, the cases may end up being weaker.

“My analogy of that is we’re rearranging the chairs on the Titanic,” said Timmons, a former Army judge advocate general. “Nothing will really change other than semantics and appearances. That's the unfortunate reality.”

The military services have long struggled to come up with programs to prevent sexual assaults and to encourage reporting, including a number of new initiatives in recent years. But they have yet to show any real progress in lowering the number of reported assaults, and anonymous surveys still indicate that many more victims opt not to report.

Defense officials have long argued that an increase in reported assaults is a positive trend, both in the military and in society as a whole. Greater reporting, they say, shows there is more confidence in the reporting system and the support available for victims.

Nate Galbreath, acting director of the Pentagon’s sexual assault prevention and response office, said in April the department was using a budget infusion of $479 million this year to hire as many as 2,400 personnel for a new prevention workforce. He said about 350 had already been hired and as the number grew they would be placed in military installations around the world to help commanders address some of the risk factors that lead to sexual assault.

Russia abducts 10,000 Ukrainian children to Russian ‘health’ camps in Autumn 2023 alone

The New Voice of Ukraine
Thu, December 28, 2023 

Children

Nearly 10,000 Ukrainian children were abducted to Russia from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories for so-called “health improvement” in the fall of 2023 alone, the National Resistance Center (NRC) reported.

Children are subjected to propaganda in these camps and Russian authorities often refuse to return them to their legal guardians.

Russians had set a target to transport 2,500 children from each occupied region, the NRC said.

Read also: UA identifies Russian General responsible for torture, beatings, and kidnap of Ukrainians in Lyman

Doctors brought in from Russia issue medical certificates for such “health improvement.”

A notable incident involved the death of a child on the Tyumen-Adler train, who was returning from one such “health improvement” program, reported Luhansk regional governor Artem Lysohor on Dec. 21.

Read also: Over 380 children abducted by Russia have now been returned, says deputy PM

All children were transported under terrible conditions and were vaccinated with a Russian flu vaccine, leading to the hospitalization of over 100 children, the NRC said.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russian “Children’s Rights” Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for their involvement in the unlawful transportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution on April 27 to recognize the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide.

As of Sept. 27, at least 19,546 children have been deported or forcibly displaced by Russia, reported the Ukrainian state platform Children of War.

According to the European Parliament, the number of Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia could be as many as 300,000. MEPs believe that Russians began taking Ukrainian children back in 2014, after the occupation of Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

Earlier, Lvova-Belova said that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the occupation forces had illegally transferred more than 700,000 Ukrainian children to Russian territory.

More Ukrainian children from Ukraine's Russia-held regions arrive in Belarus despite global outrage

YURAS KARMANAU
Thu, December 28, 2023 

FILE - Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin greet each other prior to a session of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Minsk, Belarus, on Nov. 23, 2023. The International Red Cross on Friday Dec. 1, 2023 suspended the Belarusian chapter after its head stirred international outrage for boasting that it was actively ferrying Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled areas to Belarus. (Valery Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)More


TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus' authoritarian president on Thursday attended a government-organized meeting with children brought from Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine, openly defying an international outrage over his country's involvement in Moscow's deportation of Ukrainian children.

Speaking at the event marking the arrival of a new group of Ukrainian children ahead of the New Year holiday, President Alexander Lukashenko vowed to “embrace these children, bring them to our home, keep them warm and make their childhood happier."

Belarusian officials did not say how many Ukrainian children were brought into the country.

A recent study by Yale University has found that more than 2,400 Ukrainian children aged 6-17 have been brought to Belarus from four Ukrainian regions that have been partially occupied by Russian forces. The Belarusian opposition has urged the International Criminal Court to hold Lukashenko and his officials accountable for their involvement in the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children.

Pavel Latushka, a former Belarusian culture minister turned opposition activist who has presented the ICC with evidence of Lukashenko's alleged involvement in the unlawful deportation of the children, said the arrival of a new group from Russia-occupied territories “underlines the need for the ICC to investigate those crimes.”

“Lukashenko, his family members and associates together with the Kremlin have organized a system of transfer of Ukrainian children, including orphans, from the occupied territories to Belarus, and this channel is still working,” Latushka told The Associated Press.

In March, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of the war crimes of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Moscow has rejected the allegations.

Ukraine's human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said in televised remarks Thursday that the transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children to Belarus helped Moscow cover up the information about the unlawful deportation of children.

Earlier this month, the International Red Cross suspended the organization's Belarusian chapter after its chief, Dzmitry Shautsou, stirred international outrage for boasting that it was actively ferrying Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled areas to Belarus.

Shautsou called the move “absolutely politicized," claiming that Ukrainian children who visited Belarus for “health improvement” returned home safely.

Belarus has been Moscow’s closest ally since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, when Lukashenko allowed the Kremlin to use his country's territory to invade Ukraine. Russia has also deployed some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Justice Department says new Texas immigration law violates Constitution

Priscilla Alvarez and Michael Williams, CNN
Thu, December 28, 2023 



A new law that gives local law enforcement in Texas the authority to arrest migrants “violates the US Constitution,” the Department of Justice said in a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday, threatening to sue unless Abbott backs down from enforcing it.

The letter, obtained by CNN, marks the latest escalation between President Joe Biden and Abbott over the handling of the US-Mexico border.

Earlier this month, Abbott, a Republican, signed into law the measure, known as Senate Bill 4, which gives local law enforcement the power to arrest migrants and gives judges the ability to issue orders to remove people from the United States. The White House slammed the law, calling it “incredibly extreme.” It’s expected to take effect in March.

Principal deputy assistant attorney general Brian Boynton said in his letter to Abbott Thursday that “the United States intends to file suit to enjoin the enforcement of SB 4 unless Texas agrees to refrain from enforcing the law.”

While the federal government is “committed to … securing the border,” Boynton wrote, the Texas law is “contrary to these goals.”

Abbott slammed the Justice Department’s letter later Thursday and accused President Joe Biden of “destroying America.”

“The Biden Admin. not only refuses to enforce current U.S. immigration laws, they now want to stop Texas from enforcing laws against illegal immigration,” Abbott said in a post on X. “I’ve never seen such hostility to the rule of law in America.”

The ongoing surge of migrants at the US-Mexico border has placed immense pressure on local and federal resources. Thursday’s legal threat follows a DOJ lawsuit against Texas earlier this year over the state’s use of floating barriers in the Rio Grande. That lawsuit is still making its way through the courts.

The enforcement of immigration law is a federal responsibility, and opponents of the Texas measure argue it’s unconstitutional.

The law has sent ripples of fear throughout the Latino community in Texas, which makes up 40% of the state’s population. Civil-rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, filed a lawsuit seeking to block the measure.

The Justice Department’s threat to sue comes on the heels of a high-levels talks between senior US and Mexican officials this week

Officials from both countries described talks as productive, and Mexican officials are expected to visit Washington next month to continue the discussions.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

What percentage of the US population is LGBTQ? New data shows which states have the most

Claire Thornton, USA TODAY
Updated Wed, December 27, 2023

New data estimates the greatest number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender U.S. adults live in the South, confirming findings from recent years.

Across the country, researchers estimate more than 5% of U.S. adults are LGBTQ+, matching prior LGBTQ+ population data. Young people ages 18-24 are much more likely to identify as LGBTQ+, according to the report from the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles.

The report, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, found that in 2020 and 2021, there were nearly 14 million LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. − with some states having noticeably higher percentages of gay and queer residents than others.

Earlier this year, a poll from Gallup found a slightly higher percentage of U.S. adults are LGBTQ+. Overall, multiple polls show that the adult LGBTQ population has been steadily increasing for years.

"Look at the numbers, more people are coming out younger and people are coming out in places where LGBTQ folks have been less out and visible," Cathy Renna, a spokesperson for the National LGBTQ Task Force, told USA TODAY.

Broken down by state, the report shows Washington, D.C., Oregon and Delaware top the list for greatest percentage of gay and queer residents.

The census, the nation's most well-known population survey, does not gather data on Americans' sexuality or gender identity. In 2021, other, smaller surveys from the bureau began asking those questions of respondents for the first time.
How many people in the US are LGBTQ?

Researchers at the Williams Institute, a leading national LGBTQ+ population data research group, estimate more than 13.9 million LGBTQ+ adults live in the U.S., representing 5.5% of the population.

Every year, Gallup also releases results of a poll estimating how many Americans are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Gallup's last report, which polled a nationally representative group of 10,000 respondents, found 7.2% identified as LGBTQ+. The number was highest among adult Gen Zers, or people born between 1997 and 2012, according to Pew Research Center.
South continues to have highest percentage of LGBTQ+ people

The new data shows nearly 36% of the nation's adult LGBTQ+ population lives in the South, representing more than 5 million people. The number is also an increase from the last data released by the Williams Institute in 2014, showing 35% of the nation's LGBTQ+ population lived in the South.

Researchers defined the South as states spanning from Texas and Oklahoma, to Florida and north through Delaware. Kentucky, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., are included in the grouping.

In recent years, Southern Republican-led states passed more laws restricting transgender health care, access to school sports and instruction on LGBTQ+ history than any other part of the country.

For that reason, the South is at the forefront of the national fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality, Renna said.

"Despite the backlash and despite challenges we're facing, we're resilient and we're not going anywhere," Renna said.

Speaking from New Orleans, which the National LGBTQ Task Force selected for its next annual conference, Renna said the South is where there's the most at stake for people's lives because it's home to the most people living under the most oppressive laws.

"This is where a lot of the work really needs to happen," she said, adding that her organization chose to host its conference in Louisiana because "there are so many LGBTQ people here that are underrepresented in media, culture and frankly in the movement."

Researchers found that 5.7% of Louisiana's adult population is LGBTQ+, ranking slightly higher than states like New York, California and Illinois.

In 2021, another LGBTQ+ advocacy group, GLAAD, analyzed Southern media coverage of LGBTQ+ communities and found that dozens of outlets published few or zero substantive stories on LGBTQ+ issues, including HIV/AIDS, during the 18-month period ending in December 2020.

The Rainbow PAC of Northwest Louisiana hosted a protest against Louisiana bills HB466, HB81, and HB648 for the LGBTQ+ community in front of the courthouse in downtown Shreveport on May, 20, 2023.
Gen Z most likely to be LGBTQ+

Generation Z, the youngest American generation to include adults, has a much higher percentage of LGBTQ+ members than older generations.

Researchers found that in 2020 and 2021, 15.2% of Gen Z identified as LGBTQ+, representing more than 4.6 million people.

Earlier this year, Gallup found 19.7% of Gen Z − or nearly 1 in 5 − said they were LGBTQ+ in 2022.

"It's certainly not uncommon for younger people to say they're lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or however else they would identify themselves," said Jeff Jones, a researcher at Gallup who has been tracking LGBTQ+ population data since 2012.

With each passing year, as more Gen Zers enter adulthood, the cohort's LGBTQ+ members also push the entire adult national total higher, Jones said.

"As more come into adulthood, replacing the older people, the overall number should go up," he said.
Bisexuals make up majority of LGBTQ+ population

Researchers have long found that bisexual people − people who are attracted to more than one gender − make up more than half of America's LGBTQ+ population.

Researchers at the Williams Institute did not break down data based on sexuality, instead focusing on state-by-state LGBTQ+ populations.

The most recent data from Gallup found more than 58% of all adult LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. are bisexual.

Researchers in 2019 found that compared with gays and lesbians, bisexuals are far less likely to be out about their sexuality with people they're close to. Some public health professors who study sexuality say biphobia could be playing a role.
What states have the most LGBTQ+ people?

This month's new data from the Williams Institute is the latest batch from the group to rank the states that have the greatest percentage of LGBTQ+ residents.

As in recent years, Washington, D.C., takes the top spot, with 14.3% of adults identifying with the acronym.

Here are the other top states, and the percentage of adult residents who said they're LGBTQ+:

Washington, D.C. − 14.3%


Oregon − 7.8%


Delaware − 7.5%


Vermont − 7.4%


New Hampshire − 7.2%


Washington − 6.9%


Colorado − 6.8%


Maine − 6.8%


Nevada − 6.6%


Massachusetts − 6.5%

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Adult LGBTQ population by state


Christianity Is Complex to LGBTQ+ People–But These Facts Are Certain

Ryan Adamczeski
Thu, December 28, 202

LGBTQ+ Baptist Pastor

Christianity is a complicated topic among LGBTQ+ people, but there are still groups in the community that embrace their faith — sometimes to the detriment of their health, and sometimes to their benefit.

Nearly two-thirds of LGBTQ+ people who were raised Christian no longer identify with the religion, according to a new study from Utah State University and the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law. Among those who remain, adults report more internalized homophobia and transphobia.

Those who are older, Black, cisgender men, and/or live in the South were more likely to continue to identify as Christian as adults, the report found. Among those who stayed Christian, more reported having a history of conversion therapy than those who left or who were never part of the religion.

Those who were never raised Christian reported coming out to family and friends at younger ages than those who were, and those who left Christianity were more likely to report being bullied in childhood than those who stayed Christian.


While the experiences of LGBTQ+ people who have identified as Christian at some point in their lives differed from those who have not, the groups did not differ in health indicators, including stress and well-being. Both groups were out to family and friends at similar rates, and both reported a "sense of connectedness" to the LGBTQ+ community, including in levels of social support.

However, there were some groups who notably benefited from their Christian faith, as well as some who did not. Black LGBTQ+ people were more likely than their White counterparts to be raised Christian, and less likely to leave Christianity. Out of the 87 percent of Black LGBTQ+ people who were raised Christian, 54 percent stayed Christian.

“Some LGBTQ people, for example, Black LGBTQ people, maintain their connection to Christianity despite minority stressors because the social, cultural, and religious support outweighs the negative experiences,” co-author Ilan Meyer, Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute, said in a statement.

“For other LGBTQ people, the heightened experience of minority stressors within Christian environments may contribute more to stigma than support, leading them to distance themselves from their religious faith and communities, sometimes seeking LGBTQ-affirming religious or spiritual environments," he continued.

This rang true for transgender people, as the report found that those who were never Christian experienced less discrimination than those who were raised Christian. This has swayed transgender adults away from the religion, in contrast to LGB adults. LGB people who were never Christian experienced higher psychological distress than LGB people who remained Christian.

This phenomenon is not unique to the LGBTQ+ community, as the study suggested that "religiosity may have a protective effect." Regardless, researchers believe this information surrounding Christianity in the queer community could benefit healthcare providers when working with LGBTQ+ patients.

“The finding that LGBTQ people are likely to have been raised in a religious background, regardless of their current identification, may be particularly helpful to therapists with LGBTQ clients,” said lead author Tyler Lefevor of Utah State University. “Therapists may want to encourage clients to articulate the pieces they find valuable about religion (e.g., believing, bonding, behaving, belonging) and either grieve or strive to maintain these aspects.”

Here are the 23 top LGBTQ news stories of 2023

Brooke Sopelsa and Jo Yurcaba and Matt Lavietes
Thu, December 28, 2023

For those covering the LGBTQ beat, one thing is certain: There’s never a slow news day.

The year has been marked by a historic level of protest — both in support of and in opposition to LGBTQ rights.

State legislators filed more than 500 bills targeting LGBTQ people, Dylan Mulvaney’s partnership with Bud Light led to mass boycotts of the brand, and arrests were made following mysterious druggings that stalked patrons of New York City’s gay bars for years.

But despite the political division, more LGBTQ people are coming out than ever before, particularly among Generation Z, and lesbian bars, which were in decline before the pandemic, have had a resurgence. We’ve also seen a wave of queer-inclusive movies and books this year that have dazzled filmgoers and bibliophiles.

Without further ado, here are 23 of our top LGBTQ news stories of 2023.
Lesbian mom loses parental rights, and wife, to child’s sperm donor

Kris Williams, right, and Rebekah Wilson with their son. (Courtesy Kris Williams)

The boy’s biological mother and his sperm donor, who are now dating, are the child’s “legal parents,” an Oklahoma district judge ruled. (Feb. 15)
Click for full story
Gallup Poll finds 7.2% in U.S. identify as LGBTQ

a Pride flag (Jessica Rinaldi / Boston Globe via Getty Images file)

Nearly 20% of Generation Z, or those ages 19 to 26, identify as something other than heterosexual, the latest Gallup Poll finds. (Feb. 22)
Click for full story
Bud Light partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney prompts right-wing backlash

Dylan Mulvaney shared a video promoting Bud Light's March Madness contest. (@dylanmulvaney via Instagram)

The beer brand teamed up with “Days of Girlhood” TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney during the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament. (April 5)
Click for full story
Raising a trans kid in Missouri has become a ‘dystopian nightmare’ for families

Kyle and Rene Freels moved to St. Louis 17 years ago, just before the birth of their daughter, Chelsea. (Kyle Freels)

State leaders are attempting to restrict access to transition-related care in a variety of ways, forcing families to come up with backup plans. (April 27)
Click for full story
Pride Month boycotts: How major brands were roped into targeting LGBTQ people

Pride month merchandise is displayed at the front of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J. (Seth Wenig / AP)

Target, Bud Light, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Disney have all been backed into corners over their support of the LGBTQ community. The strategy has conservative activists celebrating. (May 25)
Click for full story
Anti-drag protests, threats and violence ramp up across the U.S., report finds

Pro- and anti-drag queen protestors gather outside of Sidetrack Bookshop in Royal Oak, Mich. (Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty Images file )

The U.S. has exported anti-drag sentiment abroad, including to the U.K., which has also seen an uptick in anti-drag actions, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue says. (June 23)
Click for full story
Supreme Court rules for web designer who refused to work on same-sex weddings

Christian graphic artist and website designer Lorie Smith speaks to supporters outside the Supreme Court (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

In a blow to LGBTQ rights, the court said creative businesses can refuse to sell certain products and services if they disagree with the messages customers wish to convey. (June 30)
Click for full story
Trans men enter Miss Italy pageant in droves after trans women are told they can’t compete

Federico Barbarossa. (Courtesy Federico Barbarossa)

Trans activist Federico Barbarossa entered the Miss Italy pageant after its organizer said trans women weren’t allowed. His protest went viral, and more than 100 trans men signed up, he said. (July 27)
Click for full story
Fatal stabbing of NYC gay man is being investigated as a possible hate crime

O'Shae Sibley. (Kemar Jewel)

O’Shae Sibley, 28, was dancing to music by Beyoncé at a Brooklyn gas station before the fatal incident. (Aug. 1)
Click for full story
FDA policy allowing more gay and bisexual men to donate blood goes into effect

Image: Inside A Blood Drive At Chargers Stadium (Bing Guan / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

However, some heterosexuals who aren’t in monogamous long-term relationships are newly ineligible to donate blood. (Aug. 7)
Click for full story

California store owner, mother of 9, fatally shot over a Pride flag displayed in her shop

Laura Ann Carleton. (via Mountain Provisions Cooperative)

The suspect made “several disparaging remarks” about the rainbow flag before shooting the store owner, Laura Ann Carleton, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said. (Aug. 20)
Click for full story
After decades of declines, lesbian bars are having a renaissance

Angela Barnes and Renauda Riddle pose for a photo behind the bar. (Akilah Townsend for NBC News)

From Brooklyn to Oklahoma City, a dozen new venues owned by queer women have opened their doors since 2020. (Aug. 28)
Click for full story
How Zooey Zephyr, Montana’s first trans legislator, became a national celebrity

Rep. Zooey Zephyr walks out of Gild in downtown Missoula, Mont., on Aug. 9, 2023. (Rebecca Stumpf for NBC News)

Zephyr’s Republican colleagues silenced her in the state, but they inadvertently amplified her message across the country. (Sept. 3)
Click for full story
Book challenges reach historic highs, American Library Association reports

The wave of attempted book banning and restrictions continues to intensify, the American Library Association reported Friday. Numbers for 2022 already approach last year's totals, which were the highest in decades. (Rick Bowmer / AP file)

Most of the challenged titles were written by or about people of color or members of the LGBTQ community, the ALA found. (Sept. 20)
Click for full story
Transgender adults in red states fear for the next generation as political attacks accelerate

A side-by-side image of Ashley Swartz and Eli Rigatuso. (Madeline Cass for NBC News)

As conservative lawmakers and activists set their sights on transgender inclusion and health care, trans adults are fearful about what the future holds for their younger counterparts. (Oct. 7)
Click for full story
New House speaker’s views on LGBTQ issues come under fresh scrutiny

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) in Washington, DC. on Nov. 7, 2023. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., has called same-sex marriage a “dark harbinger of chaos” and suggested it could lead to people wedding their pets. (Oct. 26)
Click for full story
A year after Elon Musk bought Twitter, LGBTQ people say it has become toxic

Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, during a conference in Paris on June 16, 2023. (Jeanne Accorsini / Sipa via AP Images file)

On Musk’s X, users are allowed to deadname and misgender transgender people and make money off of anti-LGBTQ content. (Oct. 27)
Click for full story
Meet the 13-year-old West Virginian suing to join her school’s track team

Becky Pepper-Jackson, 13, a transgender teen at the center of a legal battle over transgender participation in West Virginia sports and her mother Heather Jackson after a hearing in Richmond, Va. on Oct. 27, 2023. (Shuran Huang for NBC News)

Becky Pepper-Jackson’s case is one of two against restrictions on transgender students’ playing school sports that could end up before the Supreme Court. (Oct. 28)
Click for full story

Victims of the deadly druggings that terrorized NYC’s gay bars are haunted by unknowns

Julio Ramirez and John Umberger. (Ramirez family photo; Linda Clary)

One of the six defendants was sentenced to nine years in prison. Authorities say the yearslong crime ring victimized 16 people and led to two deaths. (Nov. 20)
Click for full story or all stories in this series

George Santos is expelled from the House

Activists hold a large inflatable balloon of Rep. George Santos as they advocate for his expulsion. (Paul Morigi / Getty Images)

Santos, R-N.Y., who made history in 2022 by becoming the first openly LGBTQ nonincumbent Republican elected to Congress, was expelled from the House of Representatives, making him just the sixth member of the House ever to be expelled and the first in more than 20 years. (Dec. 1)
Click for full story
A ‘renaissance of gay literature’ marks a turning point for publishing

The Ripped Bodice romance bookstore in Los Angeles. (Madeline Derujinsky)

Exclusive data and industry experts — including publishers, booksellers and BookTok influencers — shed light on the yearslong surge in LGBTQ fiction sales. (Dec. 9)
Click for full story
From drag bans to sports restrictions, 75 anti-LGBTQ bills have become law in 2023

Trans rights activists march past the state Capitol during a protest of anti-drag laws in Nashville, Tenn. (John Amis / AP Images for Human Rights Campaign file)

Restrictions on gender-affirming care for transgender youths were the most common, with 21 such laws passed this year. (Dec. 17)
Click for full story
Pope says priests can bless same-sex couples, a radical change in Vatican policy

Pope Francis appears at the balcony to deliver his Christmas blessing in 2022. (Andreas Solaro / AFP - Getty Images file)

The announcement about same-sex blessings triggered both healing and pain for LGBTQ Catholics, and it came just six weeks after Vatican officials said transgender people can be baptized in the Catholic Church. (Dec. 18)
\

Tommy Dorfman Accuses Delta Employee of 'Intentionally' Misgendering Her in Viral Video
Ryan Adamczeski
Thu, December 28, 2023

Tommy Dorfman Delta Airlines Intentional Misgendering Incident


Tommy Dorfman is speaking out after an incident over the holiday weekend where a Delta Airlines employee repeatedly misgendered her before threatening to have her kicked out of an airport.

Earlier this week, the 13 Reasons Why actor and transgender advocate posted a TikTok of an incident between herself and two Delta employees at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. She accused the employees of repeatedly and "intentionally" misgendering her, after one kept referring to her as "he" and using the wrong pronouns, despite being corrected.

— (@)

twitter.com

“You just misgendered me again,” Dorfman says at one point in the video.

“It wasn’t intentional, but if you want to take it personal, that’s also OK," the employee responded. "You’re being condescending, and if you want to continue, I’ll have Port Authority escort you out the building right this moment if you want to play that game with me. Would you like to continue three days before Christmas? I really don’t mind.”

Dorfman wrote in the video's caption that she "didn't realize it was condescending to flag a human rights violation after another employee misgendered me incessantly.” She deleted the TikTok after an onslaught of commenters, but it has since been re-uploaded by other accounts.

Delta said that it is “aware of the video and looking into the matter, including reaching out to our customer to understand more about what occurred," in a statement to Newsweek.

Dorfman has since addressed the incident through her Instagram story, where she urged people to always treat others with respect, and to educate themselves about pronouns. The actor then posted a link to pronouns.org, which she called an "excellent resource."

"Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, including transgender people," Dorfman wrote. "When we are mistreated, i.e. being misgendered repeatedly, trans people should be able to defend ourselves and advocate for our innate human dignity."

A Republican House member spoke in support of a Ugandan law that doles out a death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality'

Madison Hall
Updated Thu, December 28, 2023

In May, Uganda enacted a law letting courts give the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality."


The law's been heavily criticized by humanitarian organizations and even Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.


One GOP House member, though, traveled to the country in October to voice his support for the law.

A Republican member of the House of Representatives spoke in support of a Ugandan law that provides the death penalty for those convicted of "aggravated homosexuality."

The Young Turks uncovered earlier in December that Rep. Tim Walberg, who's represented Michigan in Congress since 2011, made the speech in October in Uganda at a national prayer breakfast with the country's president in attendance.

In his speech, Walberg, a former pastor, railed against "the World Health Organization, or the United Nations, or sadly some in our administration in America" that have been outspoken against a new Ugandan law from May criminalizing homosexuality.

The law not only allows for 20-year sentences for "promoting homosexuality," but also stipulates death for "serial offenders."

The representative also spoke at length about his disdain for the idea of transgender people existing at all.

"I've been told all throughout COVID and everything else, 'Follow the science,'" Walberg said. "But when they come to understanding that there's male and female and God created it, that science and to lie to our children, to groom our children, to think that they can determine whatever they want… That's not science."

He added that "Your esteemed president, his excellence President Musevini, needs a nation that stands with him and says, 'though the rest of the world is pushing back on you, though there are other major countries that are trying to get into you and ultimately change you: Stand firm. Stand firm.'"

Though Walberg supports Uganda's anti-LGBT law, one notable member of Congress, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, spoke out against it online after it was enacted.


Walberg's speaking arrangement in October wasn't the first time he's pushed back against LGBT rights. The representative was a cosponsor of a 2015 bill trying to amend the US Constitution to formally declare that marriages are only between men and women and allow states to not recognize same-sex marriages.

The bill was never brought to a floor vote. Months after it was introduced, the Supreme Court ruled that every state had to recognize and perform same-sex marriages in the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges case.

Less than a month later, Walberg cosponsored another piece of legislation, this time in an attempt to have the House formally declare its opposition to the high court's ruling. That bill was also never brought to the floor for a vote.

Republican Lawmaker Spoke in Support of Bill to Kill Gay People in Uganda: Report

Alex Cooper
Thu, December 28, 2023 

Michigan State Rep Tim Walberg

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, a Republican representing parts of Michigan, encouraged the Ugandan government to “stand firm” amid the international backlash against the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, which includes the death penalty in some cases, during a speech in Uganda last October. The act is also known as the “kill the gays” bill.

Walberg made the remarks at Uganda’s National Prayer Breakfast. The Republican co-chairs the event in the U.S. According to reporting by The Young Turks, the trip was paid for by the secretive conservative group The Family — which is also known as the Fellowship Foundation. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni sat in the audience. He signed the law back in May.

In video in the outlet’s reporting, Walberg is seen “listening to, endorsing and associating himself with the remarks of other speakers. Speakers called LGBTQ+ advocates ‘a force from the bottom of hell’ and urged government officials to adopt ‘Christocracy’ over democracy.”

TYT writes, “Walberg’s trip marks the first time a Family leader or any American lawmaker has publicly embraced the legislation.”

Related: Biden, Blinken, and More Condemn Uganda's Horrific Anti-Homosexuality Act

Though Walberg doesn’t mention the Anti-Homosexuality Act, he urges Uganda’s political leaders to not bow down to U.S. or international pressures.

“Though the rest of the world is pushing back on you,” Walberg said during his speech, “though there are other major countries that are trying to get into you and ultimately change you, stand firm. Stand firm.”

The lawmaker referenced Bible stories and verses throughout his speech, according to TYT.

“Worthless is the thought of the world,” he said to applause. “[W]orthless, for instance, is the thought of the World Bank, or the World Health Organization, or the United Nations, or, sadly, some in our administration in America who say, ‘You are wrong for standing for values that God created,’ for saying there are male and female and God created them.’”

Walberg added: “Whose side do we want to be on? God’s side. Not the World Bank, not the United States of America, necessarily, not the U.N. God’s side.”

The Ugandan president welcomed Walberg’s comments, saying that there were Americans who “think like us,” TYT reports.

The national prayer breakfast movement has been a massive project by The Family and has been protested against in the U.S. over The Family’s connections to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ movements around the world.

Uganda’s breakfast co-chair Member of Parliament David Bahati began championing a “kill the gays” bill more than a decade ago.

In his speech, Walberg told attendees to support the Ugandan president and his violent anti-LGBTQ+ policies: “He knows that he has a Parliament, and … even congressmen like me who will say, ‘We stand with you.’”

Related: Activists Link U.S. Nonprofit to Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws Across Africa

None at the event outright spoke about the legislation, TYT notes. However, given the circumstances and the allusions to international pressure, it’s not hard to make the connections.

“I want to thank the congressman from Michigan, because you have seen that we have got the Western people that we see here. I’m not the only one,” Museveni said. He added that Walberg’s support showed that there were others that backed them.

“There are others, also,” Museveni said, TYT reports, “who come to tell you about homosexuals, about abortion. You now know that there are other Americans, other Western people, who think like us.”

Related: World Bank Cuts Off Funds to Uganda Over Anti-LGBTQ+ Law

Before the new law, Uganda’s penal code already punished same-sex sexual relations with life imprisonment, according to Human Rights Watch. However, the new law created new crimes such as the vaguely worded “promotion of homosexuality” and introduced the death penalty for several acts considered as “aggravated homosexuality.” The new legislation also increased the prison sentence for attempted same-sex conduct to a decade.

The speech hasn’t been widely reported until now. The comments were first reported by the Take Care Tim blog and several other outlets.

During his speech, Walberg said, “I expect some pushback, but I’m not gonna give in to them.”

The Advocate has reached out to Walberg’s office for comment.

POLYAMORY

Warren Buffett Had An Unconventional First Marriage — He Lived With Another Woman, And The Trio Sent Out Christmas Cards Every Year: 'Susie Put Me Together And Astrid Keeps Me Together'

Jeannine Mancini
Wed, December 27, 2023 

Warren Buffett’s marital life, often described as unconventional, diverges significantly from his well-known financial conservatism, as detailed in “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.” Authored by Alice Schroeder and covered in a 2008 Time magazine article, the biography offers an exploration of Buffett’s life, covering both finance and emotions.

While enduring on paper from 1952 until she died in 2004, Buffett’s marriage to Susan Thompson was anything but conventional. Susan’s decision to move to San Francisco to pursue singing marked a pivotal change in their relationship. Despite the physical distance, their bond remained, characterized by extensive phone conversations and an unconventional, understanding of each other’s lives.

Before leaving, Susan Buffett reportedly reached out to several women she knew from a cocktail bar where she performed, requesting them to look after her husband. Among these women was Astrid Menks, a waitress. Susan Buffett asked Menks to cook for Warren and assist in his care during her absence.

Menks moved in with Buffett, and together with his wife, they formed a unique trio. Susan and Astrid reportedly remained close friends. This was exemplified by their joint Christmas cards signed "Warren, Susie and Astrid.”

Buffett captured the essence of his relationships with both women, stating in his biography, “Susie put me together, and Astrid keeps me together.” Susan’s understanding of Buffett’s need for love and absence of criticism played a crucial role in their dynamic.

The biography also sheds light on the more vulnerable aspects of Buffett’s persona. Despite his immense success and seemingly unflappable demeanor in business, he was an emotionally needy husband and, at times, an absentee father. His relationship with his parents, especially the complex one with his mother, who was harsh yet a model housewife in public, deeply affected him. Buffett’s emotional side was significantly shaped by these early experiences, influencing his later relationships.

Schroeder portrays Buffett’s dependence on several women who provided him with emotional support and care throughout his life. Besides Susan and Astrid, figures like Sharon Osberg, Buffett's bridge partner, financial journalist Carol Loomis and former Washington Post publisher the late Katharine Graham played crucial roles in supporting Buffett beyond business. These relationships paint a picture of Buffett not just as a business magnate but as a man seeking connection and care in his personal life.

Business Insider reported that in 2008, Buffett claimed the greatest mistake of his life was letting Susan go.

“It was preventable," Buffett told Schroeder. "It was definitely 95% my fault. ... I just wasn’t attuned enough to her, and she’d always been perfectly attuned to me. She kept me together for a lot of years. ... It shouldn’t have happened.”

The book also details how Buffett coped with Susan’s illness, highlighting his deep love and fear of losing her. Despite his general avoidance of medical discussions, Buffett was by Susan’s side throughout her cancer treatment, showing a side of him that contrasts with his public image. His inability to attend Susan’s funeral, overwhelmed by grief, further showcased the depth of his vulnerability.

© 2023 Benzinga.com.

'

TRIAD