Tennessee law restricting drag shows unconstitutional, federal judge rules

A federal judge has ruled that Tennessee’s law restricting drag performances in public or where children are present is unconstitutional, striking a blow to efforts to regulate LGBTQ conduct in US states. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in March signed the bill passed by the state’s assembly that aimed to restrict drag performances, putting the state at the forefront of a Republican-led effort to limit drag in at least 15 states in recent months. US District Judge Thomas Parker, an appointee of former Republican president Donald Trump, ruled late on Friday that the law was “both unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad,”…

Kenneth Law investigations see rise of wellness checks: sources

Editor’s note: If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health there are a number of ways to get help, including by calling Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566. A list of local crisis centers is also available here. Amidst a global recognition around the unregulated sale of sodium nitrite online for the purpose of suicide, Peel Region is reporting a 10 per cent increase in calls “involving either attempted suicide or suicide” in 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The police response to those calls in some jurisdictions, sources allege, has been intense. The uptick…

China revises military conscription laws in space warfare push | China

China’s government has revised its conscription laws, allowing retired service people to re-enlist and increasing recruitment focused on expertise in space and cyberwarfare. The amended regulations, approved by the state council and the central military commission, came into force on Monday, and covered all aspects of China’s military recruitment and personnel deployment processes, for domestic emergencies and wartime. The changes aim to provide “institutional guarantees for consolidating national defense and building strong armed forces”, reported state media. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undergone a major overhaul and modernization under the leadership of Xi Jinping, which has accelerated Beijing’s expansionist…

Kenneth Law: New details on sodium nitrite sales as family speaks out

Editor’s note: If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health there are a number of ways to get help, including by calling Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566. A list of local crisis centers is also available here. As new details surface in the investigation into Kenneth Law, representatives for the family of a 17-year-old boy who died after ingesting a chemical allegedly sold by the Ontario man who is speaking out after his death, calling on online retailers to pull the compound from digital shelves. Lawyers for the family of 17-year-old Anthony Jones, from Detroit, US, told…

SVU’ Fans Are Flipping Out About Exciting Kelli Giddish Comeback News

“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.” This story contains spoilers from season 24 of Law and Order: SVU. If you thought you had seen the last of Rollins on Law and Order: SVU, you thought wrong. Actress Kelli Giddish is readying her return on the NBC drama — but it comes with a few caveats. On April 11, news broke that the former Law and Order: SVU cast member is coming back to the show after leaving at the end of 2022. According to TVLine, Kelli will reprise her role as…

Michigan governor strikes 1931 abortion ban from law

A near-century old abortion ban that fueled one of the largest ballot drives in Michigan history was repeated Wednesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, just months after voters enshrined abortion rights in the state’s constitution. “Today, we’re going to take action to make sure that our statutes and our laws reflect our values ​​and our constitution,” Whitmer said at a bill signing outside of Detroit. The 1931 abortion ban made it a four-year felony to assist in an abortion. Roe v. Wade had made the law null and void until the landmark decision was overturned in June by the US Supreme…

What three luxury homes reveal about who owns UK property

Stylised graphic showing Beechwood House, Lubov Chernukhin and Alisher Usmanov Owners of around 50,000 UK properties held by foreign companies remain hidden from public view, despite new transparency laws. The Register of Overseas Entities, launched in August 2022, was meant to reveal who ultimately owns UK property. But analysis by BBC News and Transparency International found that almost half of the firms required to declare who was behind them failed to do so. Labor MP Margaret Hodge said the legislation was not “fit for purpose”. A UK government spokesperson said the register has been an “invaluable source of information for…