China, once GM’s largest and most important market, has become its biggest problem.
General Motors told shareholders on Wednesday that it would record two non-cash charges totaling more than $5 billion on its joint venture in China, one related to the restructuring of the operation and another reflecting its reduced value.
GM expects the charge for restructuring costs to be $2.6 to $2.9 billion and the charge for reduced joint-venture value to be $2.7 billion.
The automaker’s shares were down 2.7% before the bell.
GM partners with SAIC Motors in China to build Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles.
The company’s board of directors determined that the non-cash charges were necessary “in light of the finalization of a new business forecast and certain restructuring actions” with the joint venture, according to a company filing.
GM has not disclosed details of the restructuring.
Most of the charges will be recorded in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings, reducing net income but not adjusted results, according to a company spokesperson.
CEO Mary Barra has been transforming GM’s operations in China as the former profit engine slipped to a loss in the last year. Barra told investors in October that they would see improvements from this effort by the end of the year, saying there would be “a significant reduction in dealer inventory and modest improvements in sales and share.”
The automaker lost about $350 million in the region in the first three quarters of this year.
In March, Reuters reported that SAIC aimed to cut thousands of jobs, including at its joint-venture with GM.
Barra previously warned that the China market was becoming untenable for many corporations.
“It’s a difficult market right now. And frankly, it’s unsustainable, because the amount of companies losing money there cannot continue indefinitely,” Barra said in July.
Stiff competition from domestic manufacturers in the country along with a price war has already had visible effects.
Sales at SAIC-GM slumped 59% in the first 11 months this year to 370,989 units while local new energy vehicle champion BYD sold more than 10 times of the cars in the same period. The GM joint venture peaked in 2018 with an annual sales of 2 million cars.
Volkswagen, which lost its best-selling brand title in China to BYD in 2022, is doubling down on efforts to deepen ties with Chinese partners including Xpeng Motor and SAIC for EV technologies to counter its flagging sales in its biggest market. The German automaker and SAIC agreed recently to extend their joint venture contract by a decade to 2040.
Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor is also cutting 9,000 jobs and significantly reducing its manufacturing capacity due to its slipping sales in China and the U.S.
In Detroit, GM’s cross-town rival Ford Motor is transforming its presence in China to become a vehicle export hub, though some analysts are urging Detroit’s automakers to cut their losses and exit the world’s largest auto market altogether.
NO DOUBT: JK Rowling may have just won the culture war
It is an unlikely return reminiscent of Harry Potter, “The Boy Who Lived”, himself (or the Dark Lord Voldemort depending on your opinion). J.K. Rowling, author of the globally adored fantasy series who in recent years became a pariah in some quarters over her views on transgender people, appears to have just won the culture war she has been fighting for the past five years.
Since 2019, Rowling has sparked impassioned debate—and backlash—over her statements on trans women and insistence on using male pronouns to describe them. The British-born writer has publicly supported women who question the legitimacy of trans women’s gender identities and has dedicated much of her feed on X, formerly Twitter, to speaking out on the issue.
Celebrities condemned her statements, social media users labeled her views “disgusting,” and activists branded her a “TERF”—a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. Conversely, she has also received an outpouring of support for her stance, with “#IStandWithJKRowling” trending intermittently on social media whenever the debate resurfaces.
Now, long after Rowling had accepted she might have irreparably tarnished her legacy, she finds herself firmly back in the fold. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the entertainment behemoth bringing her Harry Potter franchise back to screens as an HBO TV show, stated in November that not only will it be working with her on the project, it sees no reason to wade into the furor over her trans-related utterances.
HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said at a November 12 press event that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director,” and added that Rowling’s trans statements “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff” for the show.
A spokesperson for the network followed up with a statement calling Rowling’s contributions “invaluable” and saying about her trans crusade: “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
It is a remarkably loud ringing endorsement from a company that has long kept quiet on Rowling over fears of a backlash from fans. The cultural debate over transgender rights is entering a new phase, and Rowling appears to have emerged as one of the victors. When contacted by Newsweek, a representative of Rowling declined to provide comment for this article.
JK Rowling’s Battle Over Transgender Issues
The debate surrounding Rowling’s views on transgender issues began in December 2019 and intensified in June 2020, following a series of statements and actions that sparked widespread controversy.
In 2019, Rowling publicly supported Maya Forstater, a researcher who lost her job after making gender-critical statements. In a tweet, Rowling wrote: “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like… But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?”
In 2020, Rowling published a 3,600-word essay on her website defending her views. She expressed concerns about transgender activism, the safety of single-sex spaces, and the rights of women and girls. These views were met with widespread criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, fans, and individuals who accused her of transphobia.After years of backlash over her stance on trans issues, the “Harry Potter” author has received major business backing.
Online fan communities distanced themselves from her, with some removing her name from fan content or organizing boycotts of Harry Potter-related products. Rowling herself leaned into her controversial status by engaging with her critics on X, framing herself as someone standing against “cancel culture” and advocating for women’s rights. “The thing is, those appalled by my position often fail to grasp how truly despicable I find theirs,” she wrote in an essay earlier this year.
Rowling’s own Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—whose careers were launched through the franchise—went on record to publicly condemn her comments. Eddie Redmayne, the star of Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts spinoff series, also joined the detractors.
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people,” wrote Radcliffe in an essay for The Trevor Project nonprofit in 2020. Newsweek contacted representatives of Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, and Redmayne for comment.
In 2022, Rowling was notably absent from the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special made with stars of the franchise, leading to unconfirmed whispers that her stance on transgender issues had made her too much of a toxic entity. Rowling herself said she declined an invitation to be included in the special.
Why Warner Bros. Is Now Embracing JK Rowling
WBD is hoping Harry Potter can bring the magic back to the troubled entertainment titan. The company has faced significant financial challenges in recent years, reporting a nearly $10 billion loss for the second quarter of this year. On top of that, WBD is carrying approximately $40 billion in net debt.
Under CEO David Zaslav, the company has reevaluated its content portfolio, concentrating resources on successful franchises to maximize profitability and audience engagement. The planned HBO Harry Potter TV series, a seven-season project, with each season dedicated to one of the books, is the cornerstone of this strategy. The show is expected to enter production next year before a release in 2026.
For WBD, siding with Rowling suggests the reward of having the author in the creative process outweighs the risk of a backlash.
“By publicly supporting J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. is investing in a colossally creative and successful author, as opposed to taking a public stance on the controversial transgender topic,” Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Newsweek.
“For Rowling, Warner Bros.’ endorsement reinforces her resilience in the face of online invective and positions her as a creative force too integral to the Harry Potter franchise to ignore. Her refusal to be canceled in the face of sustained attacks illustrates how to avoid being permanently silenced,” he added.
WBD’s backing of Rowling “is a business move by a studio plain and simple,” Dylan Thomas Cotter, a publicist and transgender advocate, told Newsweek.
J.K. Rowling is pictured on December 11, 2019 in New York City. The author has clarified her political views in a series of social media posts.Writer and cultural analyst Areej Shaikh said that while the decision by WBD signals a potential shift in how corporations handle cancel culture, Rowling herself might not have won the culture war against her critics.
“This decision indicates a change toward more publicly endorsing contentious personalities when their creative influence is valued, but it does not necessarily mean Rowling has ‘won’ the cultural war,” she told Newsweek.
“Warner Bros. seems to be putting the Harry Potter franchise’s cultural and financial history ahead of the divisive controversy surrounding her personal beliefs. This strategy implies that instead of adopting clear-cut positions, firms may now be navigating cancel culture with a higher emphasis on striking a balance between public opinion and creative contribution.”
Shaikh warns that Rowling might need to be more careful now that her name has been prominently attached to a major project, considering what’s at stake.
“Given the importance of the next Harry Potter television series, Rowling could be better off adopting a more subdued public persona and concentrating her efforts on the project’s artistic elements rather than reviving contentious debates,” Shaikh said.
“She may steer clear of pointless diversions and support Warner Bros.’ goal to maintain the series’ focus by refocusing attention on her contribution to creating the adored Harry Potter universe.”
Tide Turns in Transgender Debate
WBD’s defense of Rowling suggests a shift in the cultural landscape surrounding transgender rights. Earlier this month, Donald Trump triumphed over Kamala Harris in the presidential election with a campaign that put transgender issues center stage. “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,” according to one Trump ad that ran over 15,000 times. Trump also vowed at an October rally in his native New York that he would “keep men out of women’s sports” if elected.
Americans are broadly supportive of preventing discrimination against transgender people. A Pew Research Center survey of 10,188 U.S. adults in May 2022 found that around 8 in 10 said there was discrimination against transgender people and a majority said they should be protected from discrimination in “jobs, housing and public spaces.”
However, on specific issues, such as the involvement in sports that Trump highlighted, there is less agreement. A YouGov poll conducted in January found that 59 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to play on sports teams that match their gender identity compared to 19 percent who support it. The same poll found 50 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity, compared to 31 percent that support it.
“Given Trump’s reelection, this shift is not surprising, and I anticipate that it will become the norm,” Nierman said.
Trump’s win comes amid a growing backlash to transgender rights in recent years. Bud Light’s decision to join forces with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023 prompted a boycott. Sales plummeted as a direct result. Target and other businesses faced similar attacks for their LGBTQ+ marketing, in some cases doing real damage to their profits.
Multiple companies shied away from supporting Pride month this year and are now rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. Bud Light recently announced a new partnership with controversial comedian Shane Gillis, who was fired from Saturday Night Live after making a racial slur about Asian people. Oliver Bateman, writing for online news magazine UnHerd, described the move as “corporate America’s way of declaring that the progressive revolution is officially over.”
With Rowling’s public backing, corporate America appears to have spoken again. But according to Lindsey Chastain, founder and CEO of PR Agency The Writing Detective, Rowling herself is still seen as a pariah figure among her detractors.
“If you visit BookTok, Bookstagram, or Booktube, you will find that she is very much still considered a problematic author and is not widely promoted,” Chastain told Newsweek.
“Many millennials still mourn the loss of their favorite characters.”
Mark Zuckerberg, center, is angling for an “active role” in the incoming Trump administration, potentially setting himself up to work with a president who threatened to jail him for life and a rival tech billionaire, Elon Musk, who once challenged him to a cage match.
Evan Vucci/David Zalubowski/Alex Brandon/AP
The New York Times once wrote a story about how Mark Zuckerberg, the 40-year-old Meta CEO, had become disillusioned with the politics he’d once promoted. Zuck was “declining to engage with Washington except when necessary,” “stopped supporting programs at his philanthropy that could be perceived as partisan” and “tamped down employee activism at Meta.”
In short, the Times concluded, he was over it, even as he was trying to smooth over his long-strained relationship with Donald Trump.
But that was a long time ago — all the way back in September — and a quite a lot has changed.
Now, as my colleague Clare Duffy reports, Zuck is angling for an “active role” in shaping tech policy in the incoming administration — potentially setting himself up to work directly with a president who recently threatened to jail him for life and a rival tech billionaire who once challenged him to a cage match.
What happened in the two-ish months between the Times’ story and today is pretty simple: Trump won reelection, obviously.
And in this bareknuckle world of corporate executive leadership, Zuckerberg and the like have little choice but to spin up some flattery and lay it on thick.
Failing to do so risks upsetting a leader with a short fuse and the power to sink a company’s stock or ignite a boycott with a single social media post.
Trump also welcomed his faithful “first buddy” Elon Musk into his inner circle, where Musk appears to be relishing his role as a kind of gatekeeper for executives hoping to snag an audience with the president-elect, per the Wall Street Journal. (Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI and the most prominent spokesman for the AI industry, is reportedly persona non grata around Mar-a-Lago because Musk “despises” him.)
The Musk factor adds a wrinkle to an already tricky diplomacy that Zuck, who has a history of beef with both men, would have had to engage in anyway.
But zooming out, it also reflects a broader shift in recent years in the way business leaders approach their job. If at one point it was cool to speak out on political issues — as many executives did during the first Trump administration and early in Joe Biden’s term — the pendulum has swung fully back.
The mood now: Bend the knee, or say nothing and pray no one notices.
We can see that happening not only in the parade of tech CEOs tweeting fawning congratulations to Trump but more broadly in the wave of companies backtracking on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Last week, while many of us were either on vacation or busy typing “let’s circle back after the holiday” emails, Walmart said it would end its employee training programs designed to promote racial equity and evaluate funding for Pride events, among other things.
To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups.
But now that Trump has locked up a second term, businesses feel less pressure to fake it till they make it on the DEI front.
“Trump’s election gives business leaders who were never committed to DEI an easy out,” Shaun Harper, a professor of education and business at the University of Southern California, recently told my colleague Nathaniel Meyersohn.
In other words, as the country embraces its strongman era, the idea of “stakeholder capitalism” — that companies should strive to be more than just profit machines — is losing its tug of war with the more traditional profit-at-all-costs model of “shareholder capitalism.”
Zuckerberg knows the stakes with Trump better than anyone.
This past spring, Trump called into CNBC to lash out at Facebook, calling the site an “enemy of the people” and sending Meta’s stock into a tailspin. And it’s more than just a single bad day on Wall Street that Zuck has to worry about.
Meta (META) got to be a $1.5 trillion company thanks in part to a regulatory environment that allowed it to gobble up potential competitors, including Instagram and WhatsApp. That could be the key to Meta’s future growth as it contends with TikTok and YouTube’s stranglehold on Gen Z.
Privately, Zuck may well be fed up with politics. But he seems to recognize that as the head of one of the world’s largest publicly traded companies, he doesn’t have much choice.
Emma Watson stuns at Milan Fashion Week with adorable four-legged date
Emma Watson brought her adopted pooch Sofia with her to explore Milan Fashion Week (Picture: Mega)
Emma Watson chose to bring a special date with her to Milan Fashion Week.
The Harry Potter star, 33, was spotted on the streets of Milan this week as she – along with plenty of other celebs – descended on Italy for the exclusive annual event.
Emma looked as effortlessly chic as ever, snapped entering a hotel in an outfit that mixed cosy with glam – but it was her date that got people talking.
The Circle actress chose to bring her pet dog Sofia along for the ride, with the loyal dog seen following her every move as they meandered among the luxury cars, shops and hotels in the city.
Emma didn’t even appear to worry about Sophie getting lost or wandering off, as the sweet pup had no collar or lead, instead traipsing along behind her owner with Emma just giving a tap on her thigh for encouragement.
While Emma looked gorgeous in a white shirt, short black skirt with gold buttons, an oversized white cardigan draped across her shoulders, a small white bag and white kitten heels, puppy Sophie stole the show.
Emma and Sofia casually strolled through the streets of Milan (Picture: Mega)
The Harry Potter star kept her pup close to her with just a pat on the thigh (Picture: Mega)
Sofia is well-travelled, having been adopted from Mexico and now joining her owner for a luxury trip to Italy (Picture: Mega)
Emma looked on top of the world as she beamed for cameras (Picture: Mega)
The medium-sized multi-coloured pup matched Emma with its white paws – and more than a few photographers present trained their lens on the sweet cross-breed.
Emma first introduced fans to Sofia in a lengthy Instagram post last year where she gave an update on her life, from learning to surf, going to therapy and ‘adopting Sofia in Mexico, who seems to be an angel not a dog.’
The cute outing comes after Emma recently invited her brother Alex along to a red carpet event with her, with snaps of the pair showing off the love the siblings have for each other.
Earlier this year, the Little Women actor opened up on the close relationship she has with her brother, who also appeared in the Harry Potter films as an unnamed Hufflepuff student.
In an Instagram post reflecting on her life celebrating her 33rd birthday, Emma credited Alex with helping her ‘find the most challenging things, with time, incredibly funny.’
Ten points for Gryffindor! Daniel Radcliffe strips NAKED in cheeky scenes from racy Jungle film role… as he sheds innocent Harry Potter past
His most famous role was playing the lovable wizard, Harry Potter.
But Daniel Radcliffe proved he has shed his innocent child star image in new film Jungle, filming nude scenes as well as racy bedroom shots.
The 28-year-old actor is seen stripping off along with co-stars Alex Russell and Joel Jackson in the new film, which is set in the Bolivian jungle.
Baring all! His most famous role was playing the lovable wizard, Harry Potter. But Daniel Radcliffe proved he has shed his innocent child star image in new film Jungle
Whilst the movie is a dramatic tale of one man’s plight to survive in the jungle, the scene is a hilarious one, with the trio inadvertently performing a strip tease for locals as they bathe naked in the river.
These are not the only racy scenes in the film, as Daniel also strips off for a saucy bedroom sequence with co-star, Natasha Pruchniewicz.
Daniel is no stranger to stripping off, however, famously causing a stir when he bared all in the West End production of Equus.
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Stripping off! The 28-year-old actor is seen stripping off along with co-stars Alex Russell and Joel Jackson in the new film, which is set in the Bolivian jungle
Oo la la! Daniel filmed nude scenes as well as racy bedroom shots in Jungle
In Jungle, Daniel plays Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg in Jungle – which follows the real-life story of how Yossi survived alone in the rainforest for three weeks.
The star lost 14 pounds over the course of the shoot to reflect his character’s physical emaciation and hunger as he survived on bird fetuses and berries.
‘I had a fillet of white fish and a chicken breast and a protein bar for a two weeks before the scene,’ he said during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine.
Laugh a minute: Whilst the movie is a dramatic tale of one man’s plight to survive in the jungle, the scene is a hilarious one
Hilarity ensues: The trio inadvertently performing a strip tease for locals as they bathe naked in the river much to the onlookers dismay and shock
Cheeky! The trio seem rather sheepish after realising they’ve been caught in the buff
He then admitted shockingly: ‘For scenes where I was supposed to be thin, I didn’t eat for two days.
‘It is not a healthy thing to do, I don’t recommend it. I did it for a very short period of time, it was kind of okay. It was worth it though for the meal I had afterwards, it was really great.’
Daniel added that his actress partner Erin Darke was worried for him – and pleased when he finally stopped the diet.
‘She was very happy, she was a little worried before,’ he confessed. ‘A lot of people were slightly concerned for me.’
Jungle is out now in cinemas and on demand.
Saucy! These are not the only racy scenes in the film, as Daniel also strips off for a saucy bedroom sequence with co-star, Natasha Pruchniewicz
British actress Emma Watson said she is happy living alone and focusing on working for the community.
The 33-year-old star is the face of British Vogue’s January 2024 cover as a pioneer of sustainable development. Emma said being on the cover of Vogue was her dream when she was 18 years old.
Emma Watson on the cover of Vogue. Photo: Vogue
The beauty shows off her punk style with messy braided hair, dresses by Stella McCartney, Maison Margiela, and poses with Florence the duck. The actor said he was happy to refuse roles for the past four years, wholeheartedly enjoying a quiet life, studying and community activities. She rarely participates in entertainment events. “I feel like I have my own voice, creative space and sovereignty the way I want. I’m more independent and happy being alone,” she said.
In a 2019 interview, Emma was worried about reaching the age of 30 and still not having a stable family. But later, she realized that the time she spent alone brought a lot of value and meaning. Emma feels less lonely when living with her rescue dog Sofia.
Emma Watson attends the 2022 BAFTA awards ceremony. Video: EW
Born in 1990, Emma Watson began acting at a young age as Hermione in the Harry Potter film series. After more than 10 years with the brand, she continued to make her mark in a number of movies such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Little Women (2019) is the most recent film she acted in. The beauty is focusing on studying content creation to get a master’s degree at Oxford University, doing business with her brother, and occasionally trying out the role of producer and director.
The justices are considering Tennessee’s ban on certain treatments for minors.
Medical treatments for transgender children, endorsed by major American medical associations and safely used for decades, hang in the balance at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday as the Biden administration and three families with transgender teenagers ask the justices to strike down a state law banning some gender-affirming care for kids.
The landmark case — U.S. v. Skrmetti — comes from Tennessee, which is among 26 states that have moved to prohibit administration of puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy to minors who seek to identify with, or live as, a gender identity inconsistent with his or her sex at birth.
Oral arguments, which began just after 10 a.m., mark the first time the nation’s highest court has openly considered a state law targeting transgender people. It is also the first time an openly transgender litigator, ACLU attorney Chase Strangio, is arguing a case in the Supreme Court chamber.
MORE: Transgender teen implores Supreme Court to strike Tennessee gender-affirming care ban
The historic hearing thrusts the justices to the forefront of a cultural debate that has sharply divided the country and tested the limits of science and parental rights.
In this Oct. 8, 2019, file photo, a giant Trans Flag is unfurled outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
The outcome of the case could determine access to health care for hundreds of thousands of trans teens and more broadly influence how communities treat transgender people in hospitals, schools and on sports fields.
The government argues that Tennessee’s SB1, which was enacted in March 2023, violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause because it discriminates on the basis of sex to decide who can receive otherwise legal medical treatments available to youth.
“Put simply, an adolescent assigned female at birth cannot receive puberty blockers or testosterone to live as a male, but an adolescent assigned male at birth can,” the administration wrote in its brief to the court.
The Tennessee law expressly allows minors who are not transgender to receive gender-affirming treatments to address a “congenital defect, precocious puberty, disease, or physical injury.”
Denying discrimination, the state argues its law is a reasonable regulation of medical treatment based on its purpose, meant to protect children from potential long-term health risks and possible irreversible changes to the body.
MORE: Supreme Court divided over FDA block on kid-friendly flavored vapes
The law’s Republican sponsors claim that contradictory scientific evidence and documented regret among some young people who have transitioned both warrant caution in developing standards of care.
The law also cites a “compelling interest in encouraging minors to appreciate their sex, particularly as they undergo puberty” and preventing them from becoming “disdainful of their sex.” The government says the text proves an intent to enforce gender conformity.
Tennessee is one of 26 states that have passed laws banning certain gender-affirming medical treatments for minors.
Hundreds of Tennessee transgender children were receiving treatments before SB1 was enacted, legislators concluded. It is not known how many suffered alleged harm.
The plaintiffs in the case include 16-year-old LW and her parents Brian and Samantha Williams of Nashville. After several years of successful hormone therapy, LW now has to travel out of state to continue treatments she says have dramatically improved her quality of life.
“I feel normal now,” LW said in an exclusive interview with ABC News last month.
“Our state legislature had made such a big deal out of parents rights during COVID, about masks and vaccines — that that’s for parents to decide these medical decisions for their children,” noted Samantha Williams. “And then, they made this medical decision for our child.”
LW, who asked not to show her face, is a 16-year-old transgender teenager challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical treatments that have improved her quality of life.
Nationwide, an estimated 300,000 Americans ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Of those, nearly 100,000 live in states that have banned access to gender-affirming medical treatments for minors.
“It’s a case of enormous significance that presents fundamental questions about the scope of state power to regulate medical care for minors, of the rights of parents to make medical decisions for their children… and the level of scrutiny that courts should apply to laws that discriminate against transgender people in general,” said Deepak Gutpa, a veteran Supreme Court litigator. “This is a major, major constitutional civil rights issue.”
More than 60% of Americans say they oppose law banning certain types of gender-affirming medical treatment for minors, according to Gallup.
In this Oct. 8, 2019, file photo, hundreds of LGBTQ+ advocates protest outside the the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.
Major American medical associations have endorsed the treatments for more than a decade as part of “individually tailored interventions” to support trans kids and affirm their sense of self. Not all transgender children seek medical care to facilitate transition to another sex.
“It needs to be part of a very deliberate process that involves medical specialists, who are expert at doing this, and, again, are following the science,” said Dr. Ben Hoffman, a pediatrician and president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It all begins and ends with science. This is not about any sort of agenda.”
Clinical practice guidelines from the American Endocrine Society, based on more than 260 research studies, recommend the use of puberty-delaying medications and waiting until a child reaches adulthood to consider gender-affirming surgery.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says the effects of puberty blockers are not permanent if treatment is discontinued. Many effects of hormone therapy can also be reversed. Long-term risks may include fertility challenges and possible harm to bone density, but the group says those risks require further study.
In contrast to the U.S. medical establishment, several European countries, including the United Kingdom, have reversed course on the use of gender-affirming treatments as a standard-of-care for transgender children, citing insufficient scientific evidence of long-term benefits.
In this Feb. 20. 2024, file photo, Sen. Jack Johnson presents a proposed amendment to the state constitution during a Senate Judiciary committee meeting in Nashville, Tenn.
“When you look at the totality of the medical research, to me there is more than enough uncertainty and evidence of bad outcomes for kids who’ve gone through these treatments when they reach the later stages in life,” said Tennessee Senate GOP Leader Jack Johnson.
A federal district court sided with the plaintiffs, temporarily halting enforcement of SB1, but the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reversed. The panel of judges concluded Tennessee had a rational basis for enacting the law.
“Kind of the whole ballgame in the case is the debate about whether there actually is discrimination on the basis of sex,” said Erin Murphy, a Supreme Court litigator and former clerk to Chief Justice John Roberts.
“It’s really not,” Murphy argued. “To say providing testosterone to a biological boy and biological girl is the same thing because testosterone is involved — it’s a different treatment that has different risks.”
MORE: Sotomayor has no plans to resign from Supreme Court, sources say
David Cole, former legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the Williams family, says the court’s conservative majority will have to confront the legacy of its decision.
“I think there’s no question in 25 years that the court will have recognized that treating people differently because their gender identity is sex discrimination,” Cole said.
“The question is whether the court wants to write a decision will be overturned, you know, in the course of the next 10 years or 15 years,” he said, “or whether it wants to recognize what is going on, which is sex discrimination.”
A decision in the case is expected by the end of June 2025.
A startled woman holding a cake | Source: Shutterstock
My BIL Asked Me to Bake a Cake for His Birthday Party — When I Saw the Decorations, I Was Stunned by His Lies
For years, Jacqueline’s in-laws dismissed her as “not good enough.” Then, out of the blue, her brother-in-law asked her to bake a cake for his birthday. Hoping for acceptance, she arrived at the party, only to be mortified by the decorations and the true reason for the celebration.
My husband Tom’s family never truly accepted me. From the moment we got engaged, I was an outsider. Every family gathering was a battlefield, and I was always the walking wounded.
I remember the first time my mother-in-law, Alice, looked me up and down with that trademark condescending smile and said it outright: “You’re sweet, dear, but Tom… he’s always been ambitious. You’re just so… simple.”
I heard it loud and clear. I WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH.
Portrait of a distressed woman | Source: Midjourney
Jack, Tom’s brother, was worse. At every family gathering, his favorite sport was undermining my confidence.
“Hey, Jacqueline,” he’d drawl, “I didn’t realize ‘professional cake decorator’ was such a demanding career. Must be exhausting, all that frosting and free time!”
When I’d try to defend myself, to show some spark of the intelligence and strength I knew I possessed, Jack would lean back, his hands raised in mock surrender. “It’s just a joke, lighten up!”
But we both knew it wasn’t a joke. It was a calculated attack, a smile wrapped around a blade, designed to keep me off-balance and uncertain.
A man staring at someone | Source: Midjourney
Whenever I brought up such instances to Tom, his response was always the same predictable, placating, almost desperate attempt to smooth over the rough edges.
“They don’t mean it, Jackie,” he’d say. “They’re just set in their ways.”
But his words rang hollow. The cold stares, the sharp whispers, the subtle exclusions… they spoke volumes that his gentle reassurances could never silence.
I was an outsider. A perpetual guest in a family that had already decided I didn’t belong.
The ache of constant rejection had turned me into a dessert-making machine, each carefully crafted treat a desperate plea for acceptance.
An anxious woman | Source: Midjourney
Baking was my silent love letter, my most vulnerable communication in a family that seemed determined to keep me at arm’s length.
Every holiday became a performance of perfection. On Thanksgiving, I’d arrive early, my hands trembling slightly as I offered to help Alice in the kitchen.
But her dismissive response was a familiar wound. “I’ve got it, Jacqueline. Why don’t you set the table instead?”
The words were polite, but the message was clear: I didn’t belong. Not yet.
An older lady smiling | Source: Midjourney
Christmas was no different. Handmade gifts wrapped with hope and precision, each stitch and fold a testament to my desire to be seen and loved. But they were always met with forced smiles, quick glances, and moments later… forgotten.
Baking became my language of love, my desperate attempt to translate my worth into layers of cake, swirls of frosting, and perfectly piped decorations.
I believed (foolishly, perhaps) that if I could just create something extraordinary enough, they would finally see me. See my heart. And my devotion to this family.
But love, I was learning, isn’t measured in calories or confectioner’s sugar.
A smiling woman baking a cake | Source: Midjourney
So when Jack’s text arrived one night, unexpected and unusually cordial, my heart skipped a beat.
“Hey, Jacqueline, could you make a cake for my birthday this weekend? Nothing fancy, just plain. Thanks.”
Plain? The word echoed in my mind. Jack, who always critiqued and constantly found something lacking, wanted something plain? A lifetime of family dynamics screamed a warning, but a tiny, hopeful part of me wondered: Was this a peace offering? An olive branch?
I couldn’t say no. I was the family baker, after all. The one who existed in their world through carefully crafted desserts and silent endurance.
A cheerful woman holding a cellphone | Source: Midjourney
I poured every ounce of my pain, hope, and desperation into that cake. Three tiers of soft blue and silver buttercream, adorned with hand-painted fondant flowers so delicate they seemed to breathe.
It was elegant and understated. A masterpiece that represented everything I’d ever tried to be for this family. Perfect. Unimpeachable. Invisible.
Saturday arrived, and it was time to deliver the cake to the address Jack had texted me. But the moment I stepped into the event space, my heart CRACKED.
A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney
“Bon Voyage!” signs glittered in gold and white. My hands trembled, the cake suddenly heavy with more than just buttercream and sugar.
Photos lined the walls… of Tom and another woman, captured in moments that sliced through my heart like the sharpest knife. A beach scene. Laughter. Cherry blossoms. Her head on his shoulder. The intimacy was undeniable. She was his… mistress.
This wasn’t a birthday party. This was my… funeral.
A couple on the beach | Source: Unsplash
Jack approached with a predator’s grace, that familiar smug grin spreading across his face like a disease. “Nice cake,” he drawled, eyes glinting with a cruelty that went beyond simple malice. “Really fits the theme, don’t you think?”
My hands gripped the cake board so tightly I could feel my knuckles turning white. Rage, betrayal, and a devastating sense of humiliation battled inside me. I wanted to scream. To throw the cake. To shatter something — anything — to match the destruction happening inside my heart.
“What is this?” I gasped.
“Tom’s going-away party!” Jack said. “Didn’t he tell you? That he was going to… leave you?!”
An utterly stunned woman | Source: Midjourney
Tom approached, hands shoved deep in his pockets. The woman from the photos stood behind him, her hand possessively on his arm. A territorial marking I was meant to see.
“Jacqueline…” He sighed, as if I were an inconvenience. A problem to be managed.
“What’s going on?” I mustered every ounce of my strength to spit out the words.
“It’s not working between us,” he said, refusing to meet my eyes. “We’ve grown apart. I’m moving. With her. To Europe. The divorce papers will be ready soon.”
Divorce papers. Those clinical, cold words that would erase our years together.
Divorce papers on a table | Source: Pexels
I looked around the room. Alice. Jack. The rest of the family. Each face a mirror of smug satisfaction and calculated avoidance. They’d known. All of them. This wasn’t just Tom’s betrayal. It was a family conspiracy.
“You asked me to bake this cake to celebrate your brother’s affair?” I asked.
Jack’s final words landed like a punch. “You’re good at it. Why not?”
The cake in my hands suddenly felt like a doomed offering… something beautiful, carefully crafted, created with love, about to be destroyed.
And I was the only one who didn’t see it coming.
A woman holding a birthday cake | Source: Midjourney
For a moment, the walls threatened to crush me. Panic clawed at my throat. I wanted to scream. Cry. And confront everyone. But then something deep inside me crystallized.
If they wanted a performance, I would give them a masterpiece.
“You’re right, Jack,” I said, smiling. “The cake does fit the theme perfectly.”
Silence descended. Every eye followed me as I carried the cake to the center table.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I began, “this cake is a masterpiece. Crafted with patience, care, and love… qualities I brought to this family from the start.” My gaze locked with Tom’s, fury burning in my eyes. “It’s beautiful on the outside, but as with all things, the real test is beneath the surface.”
A man in a room | Source: Midjourney
I cut a slice and offered the first piece to Tom. “For you,” I said. “A reminder that sweetness doesn’t just happen. It takes effort, something you clearly forgot.”
The mistress received her slice with a forced smile that faltered under my gaze. “And for you,” I murmured, my voice dripping with a honey-coated venom, “a taste of what it takes to maintain what you’ve stolen.”
Jack received the final slice. “Thanks for inviting me to this unforgettable event. But I’ve had my share of people who only see me when it suits them.”
The knife clattered against the plate. I turned, walked away, and didn’t look back.
A heartbroken woman staring at someone | Source: Midjourney
Days passed. Silence filled the small rented apartment I’d moved into. When my best friend Emma’s call came a few days later, it brought a different kind of storm.
“Have you seen what’s happening?” she asked, a sharp edge of triumph cutting through her words.
“What do you mean?”
“Tom’s mistress posted everything online. And I mean… EVERYTHING!” Emma laughed. “Her social media’s been a goldmine of disaster.”
I laughed as she shared screenshots of the post. “Bon Voyage, my love! Can’t wait to start this new chapter together 🥂😘” the mistress had written, alongside glamorous party photos of Tom and her kissing at the party.
A delighted woman seeing her phone | Source: Midjourney
What she didn’t know was that one of Tom’s colleagues followed her account. Those innocent, boastful posts traveled fast, landing directly in the inbox of Tom’s boss, who was decidedly not impressed.
Turned out, Tom had fabricated an elaborate lie about relocating for “family reasons,” conveniently omitting his affair and his plans to abandon his current professional responsibilities. His employer’s response was swift and brutal: they rescinded the overseas job offer and terminated his employment.
But the universe wasn’t done serving its cold plate of justice.
An upset man holding his head | Source: Pixabay
When Tom’s girlfriend discovered the cushy international job had evaporated, she dropped him faster than a bad habit. Just like that, his carefully constructed fantasy crumbled.
No relocation. No romance. No job.
Jack, too, discovered that actions have consequences. The social circle that had once welcomed him now turned its back. Whispers became silence, and invitations dried up like autumn leaves.
And in the silence of my small rented apartment, I felt something unexpected: not anger, not even satisfaction. Just a strange, calm acceptance that sometimes, the universe has its own way of balancing the scales.
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
And guess what? Tom’s text arrived without warning a week later.
“I made a mistake,” he wrote. Those four words, so small, yet attempting to collapse an entire landscape of betrayal into a moment of convenient remorse.
I stared at the screen, feeling the familiar rage rising. Not the explosive anger from the party, but a deep, calm fury. The kind that burns slow and steady, like embers that never quite go out.
My eyes drifted to the kitchen counter. The cake stand sat empty, a silent witness to my agony. Slowly and deliberately, I raised my phone and snapped a picture of it.
An empty cake stand in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney
My response to Tom was simple:
“All out of second chances!”
My heart felt lighter than it had in days as I hit send.
This wasn’t my failure. The rejection and betrayal… none of it was my fault. My worth wasn’t determined by their acceptance or rejection. I was more than their whispers, more than the cake I baked, and more than the role they tried to confine me to.
Life was waiting. And I was ready to move forward… unburdened and unbroken.
A cheerful woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
Here’s another story: When her husband urgently left the house on Thanksgiving morning, Claire dismissed it. But when he didn’t return the whole day, unease crept into her heart, prompting her to track him down. What she saw when she found him left her shaken.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead in Midtown Manhattan, masked gunman at large
The shooting appears to be targeted but police do not know why.
Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was shot and killed by a masked man near a Midtown Manhattan hotel early Wednesday, according to police sources.
The shooting appears to be targeted but police do not know why, sources said.
The scene of a shooting in Midtown NYC on Dec. 4, 2024.
Thompson was not staying at the Hilton outside of which he was shot, sources said.
The gunman, who was wearing a ski mask, fled down an alleyway near West 55th Street and remains at large, police said.
The suspect is described as a skinny man wearing all black who stands at about 6-foot-1, police said.
The scene of a shooting in Midtown NYC on Dec. 4, 2024.
The scene of a shooting in Midtown NYC on Dec. 4, 2024.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Heavy snow and freezing winds forecast for Eastern US
Several inches of snow are expected to fall near the Great Lakes.
A fast-moving, low-pressure clipper system is forecast to bring snow and strong winds to the Midwest and the Northeast over the next two days, as cold air drives temperatures down towards freezing.
More than 20 states from the Dakotas to New Jersey were under wind and snow alerts as of Wednesday morning.
Buried cars along East 6th Street after a record snowfall left over 3 feet on the ground on Dec. 2, 2024 in Erie, Penn.
Area residents dig out stranded and buried cars after a record snowfall left over 3 feet on the ground on Dec. 2, 2024 in Erie, Penn.
The Appalachian Mountains in Maryland and West Virginia are under a blizzard warning with potential wind gusts of up to 65 mph and up to 10 inches of snow.
The heaviest snow is expected to fall near the Great Lakes, where a reinforcing shot of cold air will create heavy lake-effect snow bands.
This image created on Dec. 4, 2024, shows the snow forecast for the northeastern U.S.
Snow covers the sign for the North Perry Village Hall in North Perry, Ohio on Dec. 3, 2024.
Between 1 and 2 feet of snow is possible from Michigan to upstate New York, while between 3 and 10 inches is possible from Worcester, Massachusetts, to Caribou, Maine.
The I-95 corridor — including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston — is not expecting any snow accumulation. But major cities can expect high wind gusts of up to 40 to 50 mph. High winds are especially likely for Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City.
A man clears a path through the snow using a tractor in Elma, N.Y., Dec. 2, 2024.
Snow is piled at a parking lot in Lowville, N.Y., on Dec. 3, 2024.
Below-freezing temperatures were already biting as far south as Florida on Wednesday. Asheville, North Carolina, on Tuesday reported its first snowfall for 966 days.
The clipper system will be followed by strong winds and Arctic air, driving temperatures down across the eastern half of the U.S. Wind chills are forecast to push temperatures below freezing in the Midwest by Thursday morning.
This image created on Dec. 4, 2024, shows the wind chill forecast for the Midwest.
Temperatures may feel as low as -10 degrees in Chicago as of Thursday morning, with Boston temperatures feeling like 6 degrees by Friday morning.
The Carolinas, meanwhile, may record record low temperatures over the coming days.
