Donald Trump used contentiousness around transgender people’s access to sports and bathrooms to fire up conservative voters and sway undecideds.

Transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they have become a major piece on the political chess board.

Many Americans believe those rights had grown too expansive.

In the same election that saw Trump return to the presidency, Delaware voters elected Sarah McBride , the first transgender member of Congress .

The full political fallout remains to be seen.

Some Democrats have said the party spends too much effort supporting transgender rights.

Republicans say the support of transgender rights is evidence they are out of step with the times.

The Supreme Court will hear Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic on April 2 .

The case could determine whether states can prohibit all state Medicaid funds from going toward Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered the state to deem abortion providers unqualified for Medicaid reimbursements for family planning services.

South Carolina argues that the Medicaid statute does not create an enforceable individual right.

The state says letting patients sue under Section 1983 would undermine states’ discretion.

Supporters of Planned Parenthood argue that the law’s plain text supports patient choice.

A ruling for South Carolina could open the floodgates for other Republican -led states to take similar action.

The White House is reviewing active Title X family planning grants and could decide to revoke funds from health clinics , including Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country.

The measure is being considered in part because abortion is less expensive than labor and delivery costs.

The outcome could leave Planned Parenthood scrambling to maintain services in red and purple states alike.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the authority to conduct warrantless device searches at the border, including in international airports.

People can take measures to generally safeguard their phones and personal information while traveling.

"Just assume that phone is not going to be yours at some point during your trip," an expert says.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is demanding answers from the Department of Homeland Security .

Immigration agents detained a graduate student from the University of Minnesota earlier this week .

President Donald Trump has vowed to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from the country as he looks to fulfill his campaign vow of mass deportations.

The student was arrested on Thursday at an off-campus residence.

Alumni for Palestine ripped up their Columbia University diplomas in protest.

The protest follows the detention of Mahmoud Khalil , a Palestinian activist and a green card holder.

Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at his university-owned apartment on March 8 .

The Trump administration said it wants to deport Khalil because of his role in the pro-Palestinian protests.

Sarryeh said she has also lost faith in the value of the education she’s getting from Columbia .

“ Columbia University used to be a bastion of freedom of speech and academic freedom,” she said. “I hope the university doesn’t go down.”.

President Trump has taken action against individuals, law firms, private corporations, media companies and universities he regards as adversaries.

Trump has set out to impose his will across a broad swath of American life, from individuals who have drawn his ire to institutions known for their own flexes of power and intimidation.

Some targets have not given in, with two law firms suing to block executive orders.

The White House targeted Paul Weiss in part because a former partner had overseen an investigation into Trump 's finances on behalf of the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

The order presented an “existential crisis” for the law firm, Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp said.

He pledged pro bono legal services for causes such as the fight against antisemitism as well as representation without regard to clients' political affiliation.

The administration suspended about $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over a transgender swimmer.

ABC News agreed to pay $15 million toward Trump ’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit.

The administration has taken action against news organizations whose coverage it disagrees with.

A federal judge halted plans to fire more than 1,200 journalists, engineers and other staff.

Many eyes are focused on two previously Republican -held congressional seats in Florida .

Mike Waltz left to take up a cabinet job for Trump and Matt Gaetz resigned to pursue a failed bid to become attorney general.

The old district of Waltz , Trump ’s embattled national security adviser, is most at risk.

Musk 's influence will be tested on Tuesday in a crucial race for a seat on Wisconsin 's supreme court .

Ruben Navarrette : Donald Trump's approach to elections has been consistent since he entered politics in 2015 .

He says when he says elections are rigged to harm his chances, he really means he's working as hard as he can to rig elections in his favor.

He's intent on making changes in areas where he has little or no authority, he says, to provoke legal challenges.

Trump is still scalded by verified instances of Russia attempting to interfere in our elections, often when he is on the ballot.

His oh-so-fragile ego is still wounded from his loss in the popular vote in 2016 and in 2020 .

So he'll abuse the power of the presidency with an executive order that will eventually reach the Supreme Court .

Second week of campaign underway amid criticism, leaks within Conservative ranks.

Leader Pierre Poilievre is attracting crowds of several thousand to rallies in Quebec , Ontario , British Columbia and Manitoba .

Conservative strategist Amanda Galbraith said the repeated leaks and anonymous insiders complaining are “unhelpful, irritating, and unnecessary”.

Poilievre has promised to mandate life sentences for people found guilty of trafficking large amounts of fentanyl.

The NDP has seen its support crater, with just six per cent in the recent Leger poll.

The New Democrats ’ slump in the polls could however see the Liberals win ridings that would normally see the centre-left vote split between those two parties.

Catholic Charities will try to convince the Supreme Court on Monday that Wisconsin ’s denial violates religious freedoms protected by the First Amendment .

Wisconsin said the work done by the diocese's social ministry arm was primarily secular.

The appeal is one of three religious rights cases the high court is hearing in the next few weeks .

Wisconsin attorney general asks Supreme Court to consider what would happen if state was required to exempt a religiously affiliated hospital that doesn’t base hiring decisions on its religion.

Catholic Charities , which does not operate a hospital, says it prefers to protect employees through the church’s unemployment program.

The Catholic Church accuses Wisconsin of having a peculiar view of what constitutes religious behavior”.