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1. The tide is turning on transgender ideology

By Beth Ann Rosica

The gender ideology movement affecting countless children and adolescents across the country shows clear signs of fracture.

“Gender affirming care” — the practice of supporting and affirming an individual’s perceived gender identity when it conflicts with their sex — is now under a microscope, thanks to a landmark court case and two national medical associations.

Just last month, a West Chester County, New York jury awarded $2 million in damages to a young woman who, at age 16 transitioned from a girl to a boy and underwent a double mastectomy. Three years later, she regretted the decision, began the process to detransition, and filed a medical malpractice case against both her long-time psychologist and the surgeon who performed the mastectomy.

Why It Matters. This is the first medical malpractice case against mental and physical health care providers related to sex change procedures for minors. Other cases are currently pending, and this award will likely spur more legal actions.

The $2 million award may be the beginning of the end of surgeries and prescriptions, such as hormones and puberty blockers, for children and adolescents. If future cases follow this same pattern, insurance companies may stop insuring doctors and practitioners who engage in these interventions.

While the financial aspect may be the impetus for the end of gender affirming care, professional ethics considerations may ultimately guide decision-making.

Until recently, every major medical association in the United States not only supported, but strongly recommended, both medical and mental health interventions for minors aligned with gender affirming care — despite two comprehensive reports to the contrary. However, just this month, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released an unequivocal statement, reversing course from previous positions.

2. Part-time Governor Shapiro promotes cotton candy budget

By Guy Ciarrocchi

Governor Shapiro graciously paused his 2028 Presidential campaign (masquerading as a national book tour) to offer his 2026 Pennsylvania budget address.
Shapiro, his $2 million taxpayer-funded (and growing) communications team and an army of consultants — sadly — offered us cotton candy.

A fluffy, quick sugar rush that soon leaves you looking for something substantive to fill your stomach, and — if you eat too much — eventually leads to cavities, bringing pain and lots of expensive bills.

Why It Matters. By his own projections — for the fourth year in a row, Shapiro presented a multi-billion-dollar-deficit budget. The bigger problem is that — if he gets his wish — there would be no savings left next year.

Then what happens in 2027? Massive tax increases, draconian cuts, or a lot of both. No worries, his “budget” sells to the Democratic activists in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But, that’s nothing compared to ignoring energy affordability and reliability. Putting forth his…fourth? fifth? sixth?…different position on Pennsylvania energy, presidential candidate “flip flop” sadly has chosen the path of left-wing ideology over common sense. His plan would tax (punish) those who now produce energy to keep our lights on, heat our homes and power our hospitals, schools and factories. Guess who would pay those taxes?

3. Lightning Round

From the Editors: DOJ involvement in Greenberg case shows failure of Pennsylvania’s transparency law
Seth Higgins: Harrisburg’s AI bills are a mixed bag
Christine Flowers: In memory of Justice Sandra Schulz Newman
Thom Nickels: The new journalism? Two can play at that game.
Paul Davis: ICEbreakers 2 — Larry Krasner and the War on ICE
Dan Bartkowiak: Getting stuff wrong — Why Pennsylvania must reject Gov. Shapiro’s push for marijuana legalization

4. What we're reading

As the debate around ICE and illegal immigration rages on in the halls of Congress and around the country, it’s worth remembering, as James Kirchick does in The Dispatch this week, how we got here: through the Democrats’ bizarre turn to policies that effectively gave us open borders. “After winning the White House," he writes, "Joe Biden presided over a record number of illegal crossings, his administration’s comparatively lax approach a deliberate reaction in the words of a former Biden official to the ‘excesses of the Trump administration.’”

But elections have consequences, and Trump’s zeal to clean up Biden’s mess may cause some concerns and may, at times, go too far. But we would never be here if Biden had stuck to the policies of his predecessors and enforced border security even a little bit.

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