Texas court: Gays’ rights uncertain
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday said that while samesexmarriage is legal nationwide, the “reach and ramifications” of the rights of gay couples have yet to be determined.
Ina unanimous decision, the nine-member court reversed a lower court’s ruling in favor of the city of Houston’ s decision to extend spousal benefits to same-sex city employees and their married partners. The court ordered the case sent back to thetrial court in Houston.
The high court conceded the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriage two yearsago but said it is unclear what other rights the decision extends to same-sex couples and that must be hashed out in the courts.
Transgender enlistments
WASHINGTON—Defense Jim Mattis is giving military chiefs another six months before they begin allowing transgender individuals to enlist in the armedservices.
Mr. Mattis made the decision Friday, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.
A Mattis memo obtained by The Associated Press sayshe wanted to give the services time to ensure the change won’t affect the readiness and lethality of the force.
His decision endorses an agreement hammered out lastweek by the military service leaders. That plan rejected Army and Air Force requests for a two-year wait and reflected the broader worry that a longer delay would trigger criticism on Capitol Hill. Transgender servicemembers have been able to serve openly in the military since last year but not allowed to enlist as new recruits.
Four clinics closing
Four Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa were set to close Friday, following approval of a state budget in May that stripped the organization of its Medicaid funding.
Planned Parenthood officials said the closures will affect one-third of its clinics in Iowa and will cut off access to essential health care services for nearly 15,000 women.
The non profit — which provides birth control, breastcancer screenings and other women’s health services but has become a political lightning rod for its abortion services — says the closures foreshadow what could happen across the country should the GOP healthcare bill become law. The Senate bill contains a provision, which closely mirrors the Iowa law, that would eliminate Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid funding for one year.
Some clinics could lose as muchas 40 percent of their funding.
Chicago crackdown
CHICAGO — Chicago police, federal agents and prosecutors launched a new initiative Friday to stem the flow of illegal firearms in the city as part of efforts to curb rampantgun violence that President Donald Trump saidis at “epidemic proportions.”
Mr. Trump’s tweet came before an announcement by Chicago police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about the formation of the Chicago Crime Gun Strike Force. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office said an additional20 ATF agents have been sent to Chicago.
Statepolice, intelligence analysts and state and federal prosecutors will target illegal guns and repeat gun offenders, Chicago police said.
Police superintendent Eddie Johnson said in a statement Thursday that “weare foundationally changing the way we fight crime in Chicago.”