A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit claiming the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is illegally failing to protect transgender workers on the job. Chief Maryland District Judge George Russell ruled that the court does not have the authority to hear the case and that the plaintiff — a Maryland LGBT advocacy organization — does not have legal standing to bring the suit. Under Chair Andrea Lucas, the EEOC has moved quickly to align with President Trump’s 2025 executive order recognizing only two biological sexes that cannot be changed. The agency has significantly reduced legal actions taken against employers on behalf of individuals living as the opposite sex.
In Idaho, a judge has decided that men will not face criminal prosecution for entering women’s restrooms, at least for now. U.S. District Judge Amanda Brailsford issued a ruling that temporarily blocks enforcement of major parts of a law that was scheduled to go into effect July 1st. The Idaho law goes beyond similar measures in other states by prohibiting men from using women’s restrooms in both publicly and privately owned facilities. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador announced plans to appeal, saying the ruling “misapplied the law, confused the issues, and misrepresented the position of the State. Biological sex is not vague, and neither is this law.”
A new study from the Barna Group, conducted alongside Gloo, shows that the overwhelming majority of pastors are already incorporating artificial intelligence into their work — only 13 percent report never using it. However, the same survey found that 71 percent of pastors describe themselves as cautious about AI, while 40 percent say they feel torn about the technology. Barna spokesman Daniel Copeland explained that “Pastors are predominantly using AI for behind-the-scenes work. They’re using it to prepare for ministry, not to replace what happens when they’re actually with people.” The study also found that a large share of pastors are concerned that AI could begin to substitute for a personal relationship with God.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, a new AP-NORC poll is taking stock of how Americans feel about their constitutional rights. Roughly 90 percent of adults say freedom of speech is central to the nation’s identity, and about 80 percent feel the same way about religious freedom. Despite that, nearly half of those surveyed believe free speech is currently facing a major threat, and around three in ten say the same about religious liberty. An overwhelming majority of respondents view voting rights as critically important, and two-thirds believe those rights are also under threat.
