Maria Montaño

Federal Judge Slams DOJ’s Attempt to Seize Trans Youth Medical Records from UPMC A federal judge in Pittsburgh just handed the U.S. Department of Justice a very public, very pointed rejection, and the language she used? Not subtle. Chief U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon ruled Monday that the DOJ cannot force UPMC to hand over records, even anonymized ones, for minor patients who received gender-affirming care at UPMC. And in her four-page order, she didn’t mince words.

A federal judge in Pittsburgh blocked the DOJ from forcing UPMC to hand over records of trans youth who received gender-affirming care. The ruling called the government’s stance “callous” and warned of overreach.

N.Y. Attorney General Orders Hospital to Resume Youth Transgender Care

The New York attorney general's office has ordered NYU Langone to resume gender affirming care for trans youth due to violating New York Human Rights law.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/n...

Bypass here.

archive.ph/4NboB

Torturing trans women prisoners by executive fiat, and doubling down on said torture as soon as they attempt to fight back.

This is what trans genocide in the USA right now looks like.

They went to war with Iran (which nobody in America was asking for) so they could conjure an excuse to allow ICE to keep murdering Americans and teargassing schools here at home with impunity (which nobody in America was asking for).

the incentives here are so obscenely terrible that the entire thing should be illegal by default

“I am sabotaging negotiations because I stand to make piles of money on Polymarket” is absolutely in play, what a horrifying clusterfuck

No war.

Happy birthday mom. I love you and wouldn’t be the woman I am today if it wasn’t for your love and support throughout my life. You have taught me so much about strength, passion, and what unconditional love means. Thank you for loving me and for being there whenever I need you. I love you.

The entire Democratic strategy debate — "moderate" or move left? fight or compromise? — is based on a misreading of data. Voters don't think Dems are too progressive; they think Dems are weak. The actual math on what to do about this isn't even close!
New: www.gelliottmorris.com/p/new-poll-d...

That is not governance. That is state intimidation.

And if you think this stops at Kansas, you haven’t been paying attention.

Trans people are the testing ground. If the government can retroactively erase our legal recognition, it can do it to anyone.

This is a coordinated strategy to make daily life impossible for transgender people.
Not by banning us outright — but by slowly stripping away the documents we need to exist.

No license.
No stable ID.
No safety in traffic stops.
Constant threat of arrest.

The moon.

Moon.

It’s not just Medicaid funding they’re withholding to MN. It’s food assistance, child care assistance, social services, job training, safety testing, public health, disaster relief. SNAP. Free lunch for kids in school.

They hate us for loving our neighbors, and are collectively punishing us for it.

They won't start with banning birth control. First they'll lie about it. Then dictate who can prescribe it, use it, fund it, in what forms, and for how long. Suddenly, your doctor won't call you back. I know this is what they'll do because it's what they're doing to transgender healthcare right now.

Congratulations to Erin, this is a huge acknowledgement of the work she has done locally, and such a tremendous loss for Allegheny County.

Margin: Mazzocco wins the district by 64 points (!)

Former incumbent Dan Miller won it by 33 in 2024.

Turnout around 26%.

Mazzocco: 10,419
Leckenby: 2,330

Happy birthday @someclevername.bsky.social !

The project was never bathrooms or sports it was and always will be about removing me and my community from public life entirely.

I can't even express how important it is to see someone who was willing to give up the thing she was best at, that some would say she was born to do. To only come back when she could love it again, and do it on her own terms. And then win a gold medal BECAUSE she found the joy and the fun in it.

I doubt that there's a more effective way to capture unitary executive theory in an image.

And because it's the DOJ building, it also captures the notion that the President is above the law.

the problem with giving in on things that don't poll well is that as soon as the right wins on the the things that don't poll well, they move on and start lying about more popular things to manipulate public opinion, starting the cycle again.

Congratulations and welcome to Pittsburgh. Best of luck and look forward to reading your work.

COMMENTING GUIDE: Opposing Two Trump Regime Rules Banning Gender-Affirming Care, Deadline 2/17/26 Creator profile picture Shouldn't Need to Be a Lawyer by Matthew Cortland January 26 Edit I. Bottom Line Up Front The Trump Regime's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published two companion proposed rules designed to eliminate access to gender-affirming care for minors nationwide. Together, these rules would: Ban hospitals from providing this care (CMS-3481-P) — regardless of how the care is paid for Prohibit Medicaid and CHIP from covering this care (CMS-2451-P) — cutting off funding for lower-income families You have the opportunity to help defend trans kids by submitting comments against these vile proposed rules. Because even if a state wanted to continue covering gender-affirming care through Medicaid, the hospital rule would prevent hospitals from providing it. The two rules use different regulatory mechanisms to accomplish the same policy goal: eliminating access to gender-affirming care for anyone under 18 (or under 19 for CHIP). You should submit your comment to both dockets. The deadline is 5PM ET on February 17, 2026.

Public comment on Dr Oz's proposed rules to ban gender-affirming care for youth closes 2/17

One rule bans hospital-based care, the other eliminates Medicaid/CHIP coverage

Together they'd make care virtually unavailable nationwide, including in shield law states

www.patreon.com/posts/149210...

Still have a wreath on my door.

Ofelia Torres, the teenage Chicago Public Schools student whose fight against cancer while her father was detained by ICE came to represent the federal government's overreach during Operation Midway Blitz, has died. Brave young woman. I will never forget her. RIP.

I am gonna go out on a limb and say that a Jersey dude so horrified that he went to his first protest and is trying not to cry on camera has a pretty good chance of staying radicalized. And that while Bluesky loves to pick apart things like this, this kinda video moves the needle for OTHER dudes.

This is what authoritarians are never gonna understand: average, everyday citizens do not like watching paramilitary thugs brutalize children. All the vaporware memes in the world can't fix that for them

The image features a gradient background transitioning from pink to blue. Text reads "Introducing the Trans Bill of Rights" with an icon of a paper and pen.

A colorful infographic titled "What is the Trans Bill of Rights?" outlines four points with icons: protections from employment and housing discrimination, equal access to medical treatment without discrimination, legal recognition of gender identity, and the right to use restrooms aligning with a person's gender identity.

ICYMI: I introduced my Trans Bill of Rights with @markey.senate.gov — legislation to defend trans people across this country as Republicans continue to push anti-trans rhetoric and bills.

To our beloved trans community: We see you, we love you, and we will always stand with you.

"Pittsburgh’s medical systems should exercise bravery by supporting their staff and patients and resisting unconstitutional bans while they still can."

Post a tree(s) you photographed

Efforts to keep Pittsburgh Post-Gazette operating appear to stall In less than three months, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is scheduled to close up shop and go out of business.

A few thoughts -- OK a bunch really -- based on this KDKA story on Kevin Acklin's frustration that efforts to "save the Post-Gazette" are being stymied by the seeming disinterest of its owners, the Block family...
www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...