Two high-profile “detransitioner” cases involving young women whose bodies were irrevocably altered as teens by transgender surgery are expected to go to trial early next year.
|
|
|
| “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” |
| |
|
| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
|
|
| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
|
|
Good morning! It’s Presidents’ Day. Here are this morning’s top stories: |
-
Two high-profile “detransitioner” cases involving young women whose bodies were irrevocably altered as teens by transgender surgery are expected to go to trial early next year.
-
This feature of Obamacare was supposed to cut costs. It did the opposite.
-
The Department of Energy has invested billions of dollars to encourage U.S. companies to make enriched uranium, which is essential for advanced nuclear reactors. Yet a fuel crunch that could hobble President Donald Trump’s nuclear renaissance drive may loom as soon as 2028, experts warn.
-
President Donald Trump said member states of his Board of Peace will announce a combined pledge of more than $5 billion towards Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts.
-
Presidents’ Day: If America’s presidents had a yearbook, it might look like this.
|
Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old woman who regrets surgically removing her breasts, holds testosterone medication used for transgender patients in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) |
Two high-profile “detransitioner” cases involving young women whose bodies were irrevocably altered as teens by transgender surgery are expected to go to trial in early 2027.
Chloe Cole, who drew national attention after speaking out against subjecting children to gender-reassignment procedures such as hormones and surgeries, has an April 5, 2027, trial date, according to Mark Trammell, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, which represents several detransitioners.
Cole and others, known as detransitioners, stopped or reversed a medical gender transition they started earlier. She sued Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and other health care providers in California after receiving life-altering hormones and a double mastectomy when she was 15.
“Kaiser has done everything in its power to keep Chloe out of a courtroom and to ensure that members of the press are not in the gallery,” Trammell told The Epoch Times. For Cole, getting a trial date signifies a victory after years of legal wrangling and delays, she told The Epoch Times via text. “After years of fighting for the voices of my generation to be heard, I’ve been given a date for trial. Every victim, every family who spoke up, every step in the culture, all led to this moment,” she said. “I’ve waited for my day in court, not just for my sake, but for that of every child who should’ve been protected from irreversible harm.”
Kaiser Hospitals did not immediately respond to a request for comment concerning the lawsuit moving forward. However, the medical group told local news outlets in 2023 that it followed medical standards of “gender affirming care.”
Trammell also represents Luka Hein, whose case is expected to head to trial in early 2027. Hein’s Nebraska case names the University of Nebraska Medical Center Physicians, the Nebraska Medical Center, doctors, therapists, and others as defendants.
Like others, Hein had both breasts removed in 2018, when she was 16, as the first step in her “gender-affirming care,” according to the lawsuit. (More) More U.S. News: |
- The search for the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie entered its third week on Sunday as officials confirmed they are testing gloves that were recovered in connection with the case. Here’s the latest on the disappearance.
|
| Advertiser’s Note: |
|
Twenty years ago, Shen Yun began with a simple dream and a handful of performances. Today, it has grown into a global phenomenon, touching hearts across six continents and bringing the beauty of 5,000 years of Chinese culture before communism to life on stages around the world.
Now, Shen Yun’s new season is finally here, we invite you to be part of a milestone unlike any other. Join us as we celebrate two decades of artistry, tradition, and wonder.
Find tickets to a performance near you »
|
|
Children climb through rubble in a hole in a wall at the Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on February 11, 2026. (Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images) |
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 15 that member states of his Board of Peace will announce a combined pledge of more than $5 billion towards Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts at a meeting in Washington this week.
“Just last month, two dozen distinguished Founding Members joined me in Davos, Switzerland, to celebrate its official formation, and present a bold Vision for the Civilians in Gaza,” Trump wrote on social media.
“On February 19th, 2026, I will again be joined by Board of Peace Members at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., where we will announce that Member States have pledged more than $5 BILLION DOLLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police to maintain Security and Peace for Gazans.” Thursday’s summit will be the first official meeting of the group, featuring delegations and heads of state from the more than 20 countries that have signed onto Trump’s initiative so far.
A United Nations Security Council resolution approved the creation of the board, which is aimed at finally bringing the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza to a close.
Following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, the two sides had been at war until agreeing to a cease-fire in October 2025. Both Israel and Hamas have accused one another of violating the terms of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire.
Hamas killed four Israeli soldiers since the cease-fire took hold, the Israeli government alleges, and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry has accused Israeli troops of killing more than 590 Palestinians in the same period. (More) More World News: |
- The U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva may include energy, mining, and aircraft deals, according to Tehran.
-
The United States intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean during the overnight hours of Feb. 15, according to the Department of War.
-
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency released a video in Mandarin Chinese on Feb. 12 to recruit Chinese military officers as informants less than a month after the dramatic takedown of the Chinese regime’s top generals.
-
China says Canadian passport holders will be able to travel to China without needing a visa starting Feb. 17 for tourism and business stays of up to 30 days.
|
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (L), former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (C), and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins (R) take photos during an event to "Celebrate the Implementation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans" at the Health and Human Services Headquarters in Washington on Feb. 11, 2026. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) |
🇺🇲 📸 America in Photos: Nancy Guthrie Search, Revoked EPA Finding, and Social Media Trial (Look)
🎙️ Podcast: Daylight Exposure Linked to Better Blood Sugar Control, Study Finds—The Report (Listen)
🍵 Health: Stretching before bed relaxes muscles, eases tension, calms the nervous system, and signals your body it’s time to sleep.
🎵 Music: Mozart - String Quintet No. 6 (Listen)
|
Many different personalities have held America's highest office. (Public domain, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress) |
Many high school yearbooks used to include lists of Senior Superlatives, like Best Dressed, Best Couple, Class Clown, and Most Likely to Succeed.
On this Presidents’ Day, we might have some fun applying our own inventory of Superlatives to graduates of the White House, assigning some of them tags that marked them as outstanding.
To avoid exacerbating our current ill-tempered culture, the lists below contain only the presidents who have taken that final step from the graduation stage into the Great Beyond. Living presidents—George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump—are out of bounds. So, here we go. Best All Around: George Washington (1789–1797)—Here’s the man who led Americans to victory in the Revolution, put down his sword, and returned to his estate until his country called him into service as president.
Washington was our only president elected unanimously by the electoral college and the only one who belonged to no political party. He had a hand in making the new Constitution, was the first delegate to sign it, and made every effort to honor it as commander-in-chief. A man of great gravitas, he brought dignity to the presidency.
Best Dressed: Harry Truman (1945–1953)—This former haberdasher was meticulous about the apparel he wore, how it was made, and even the material that was used. As president, he favored “double-breasted suits with large, peaked lapels.” He was well-known for his love of good footwear, and at one time, owned 96 pairs of shoes, including 41 sets of slippers. (More)
|
|
|
Thanks for reading 🙏 Have a wonderful day! |
—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li. |
| Advertisement: |
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2026 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is: The Epoch Times. 229 W. 28 St. Fl. 7 New York, NY 10001 | Contact Us
Our Morning Brief newsletter is one of the best ways to receive the most up-to-date information. Manage your email preferences here or unsubscribe from Morning Brief here.
|
|
|
|
