(The Telegraph) — The Islamic State’s “capital” fell on Tuesday after US-backed forces declared victory in the Syrian city where the jihadist group plotted attacks on the West. Brig Gen Talal Silo, the spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, said that clashes with Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) fighters in Raqqa […]

(Los Angeles Times) — California Gov. Brown declared a state of emergency Friday because of a hepatitis A outbreak that has killed at least 18 people in the state. The declaration allows state health officials to buy additional doses of the hepatitis A vaccine to try to halt the outbreak, which is already the nation’s second […]

(Evening Standard) — A boarding school in Surrey will let boys who question their identity wear skirts and sleep in girls’ boarding houses. Pupils may also request to be addressed by different names or gender-neutral pronouns such as “zie” at Gordon’s School in Woking, the Sunday Times reported. The £15,000-per-year school, which has five boarding […]

(Los Angeles Times) — Fire officials said Saturday that wind gusts up to 45 mph across Northern California could further spread the massive blazes that have been ravaging the region for almost a week. Strong winds kicked up overnight in the central Napa Valley region, Cal Fire fire protection deputy director Dave Teter said at […]

(NBC News) — The Boy Scouts of America announced on Wednesday that girls will soon be allowed to become Cub Scouts and to earn the coveted rank of Eagle Scout, the organization’s highest honor. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for […]

(Fox News) — California health care workers who “willfully and repeatedly” decline to use a senior transgender patient’s “preferred name or pronouns” could face punishments ranging from a fine to jail time under a newly signed law. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the legislation last week. The sponsor, Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener, has argued […]

(The Guardian) — Elan Anthony knows more than most about trans identity issues. Born a boy 42 years ago, he transitioned from male to female at 19 and then detransitioned to male three years ago. While his story is enlightening, it is also immensely challenging and it took him a long time and a lot […]

(BBC) — A female-only Cambridge University college will now accept applications from transgender students. Murray Edwards, whose alumni include broadcasters Claudia Winkleman and Sue Perkins, had only admitted women since its creation in 1954. It will now consider those who identify as female and, where identified as male at birth, have “taken steps to live […]

(BBC) — A terminally ill man has lost his high court challenge against the law on assisted dying. Noel Conway, 67, from Shrewsbury, who has motor neurone disease, wanted a doctor to be allowed to prescribe a lethal dose when his health deteriorates. Currently any doctor helping him to die would face up to 14 […]

(National Post) — Five years ago, Professor Miroslav Djordjevic, the world-leading genital reconstructive surgeon, received a patient at his Belgrade clinic. It was a transgender patient who had surgery at a different clinic to remove male genitalia—and had since changed their mind. That was the first time Djordjevic had ever been contacted to perform a […]