2025 is the first year the index included health as a category. It’s something that Dr. Bartosz Bartoszewicz, Director and Co-creator of the Index, tells CNBC Make It was an important addition because of the covid-19 pandemic. The United States didn’t have any cities rank in the top 10, but did have two get the “gold city” distinction: New York City at No. 17 and Minneapolis at No. 30. (Fernandez, CNBC)
Read MoreThe California Supreme Court ruled against a Christian baker May 29 who said she refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple because the union contradicts the biblical principles that govern her business. The court said Tastries Bakery owner Cathy Miller violated the civil rights of Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez-del Rio when she referred them to another baker for a wedding cake in 2017, explaining to them that she only designed wedding cakes for couples whose unions conformed to the biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman. (Chandler, Baptist Press)
Read MoreWorld Boxing rose to prominence after the IOC cut ties with the International Boxing Association in 2023. Absent a global organization for the sport, the IOC oversaw the boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which then was disrupted by unsubstantiated claims by the IBA that Khelif has XY chromosomes and should not have competed as a woman. The resulting outcry became a dominant story of the Paris Games and continued to resonate into last fall’s U.S. presidential election. (Carpenter, The Washington Post)
Read MoreMany U.S. corporations this year stopped supporting Pride events that celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and rights, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in budget shortfalls ahead of the summer festivities and raising questions about corporate America’s commitment to the cause. The moves come as President Donald Trump has shown antipathy for trans protections and has attempted to roll back some LGBTQ+ friendly federal policies. (Rodriguez, AP News)
Read MoreThree women and two doctors are suing Kansas over a law that nullifies a person’s decisions about end-of-life care if they are pregnant in what appears to be the first such lawsuit since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and a constitutional right to abortion. The women, one of whom is pregnant, argue that preventing pregnant people’s advance medical directives from being acted upon violates their rights to personal autonomy and equal protection under the Kansas Constitution, according to a petition filed Thursday in a state district court. (Somasunderam, The Washington Post)
Read MoreEight people were arrested after pro-transgender demonstrators clashed with Christian protesters. Christian activists with Mayday USA organised a demonstration outside Seattle City Hall on Tuesday that descended into aggressive scenes after it was swarmed by pro-transgender counter-protesters. Footage of the incident shows a woman and three children surrounded by counter-protesters who heckled and pointed at her. (Henderson, The Telegraph)
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