After an epic filibuster that blocked legislation for nearly three months, state lawmakers in Nebraska approved a Republican-led ban on abortion care at roughly 10 weeks of pregnancy, combined with a bill that bans gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The extraordinary maneuvers in the smallest legislative body in the country have drawn national attention, as lawmakers across the United States take up a wave of bills targeting abortion rights and LGBT+ people. Protesters surrounded the state capitol chambers in Lincoln on 19 May chanting “keep your bans off our bodies” and “save our lives” as lawmakers made their final round of votes on the bill, which now heads to the desk of Republican Governor Jim Pillen, who intends to sign it into law. At least six protesters were arrested. At a show in Nebraska hours after the vote on Friday night, the artist Lizzo lambasted the legislation from the stage. “It really breaks my heart that there are young people growing up in a world that doesn’t protect them,” she said. “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are. ... These laws are not real. You are what’s real, and you deserve to be protected.” LGBT+ advocates and abortion rights groups have also signalled they are prepared to sue the state to block the measure once it is signed into law. “To be clear, we refuse to accept this as our new normal,” according to a statement from ACLU of Nebraska interim director Mindy Rush Chipman. “This vote will not be the final word. We are actively exploring our options to address the harm of this extreme legislation, and that work will have our team’s full focus. This is not over, not by a long shot.” The legislation directs the state’s chief medical officer – appointed by the Republican governor – to draft the rules for how young trans people and their families can access nonsurgical affirming healthcare. It also bans abortion at 12 weeks gestational age, or roughly nine or 10 weeks, from fertilization. The bill’s passage comes roughly three months after a group of LGBT+ and abortion rights-supporting lawmakers launched a filibuster to block any legislation from advancing in the state’s unicameral legislature until a measure banning gender-affirming care was withdrawn, or until time ran out in the 90-day session. Last month, the filibuster successfully blocked a measure from anti-abortion lawmakers to ban abortion at roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Attaching another anti-abortion measure to the gender-affirming care ban gave proponents of the bill a second chance of advancing both. Opponents forcefully opposed the inclusion of an abortion ban in a bill targeting gender-affirming care, two wholly separate issues combined into one, “but you all don’t care”, state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, who launched the filibuster effort in February, told lawmakers this week. “I wish the people in here cared about what they’re doing to people, but they don’t,” she said during debate. “Why are you doing this to our kids? Why are you doing this to our doctors? … Please stop.” State Sen. Megan Hunt, the first openly LGBT+ person elected to the state’s legislature, lambasted a Republican colleague who complained that she was missing her grandson graduate from preschool so she could vote on the bill. Ms Hunt, who changed her party affiliation from Democratic to Independent during this legislative session, also is the mother of a 12-year-old trans son. “If you want to see your grandson graduate from preschool, you should do that,” Ms Hunt told Republican state Sen Lou Ann Linehan. “Instead, you are here to drag out this session because you won’t come off this bill that hurts my son,” she said on 18 May. “You hate him more than you love your own family. And that’s why you’re here. … I am not asking you to sit here through late nights to vote on these bills that we’re dragging out. I’m asking you to love your family more than you hate mine.” She also eviscerated another lawmaker, state Sen. Ray Aguilar, who took issue with being labelled anti-LGBT+ because he said he has a gay daughter. Mr Aguilar voted in favour of the legislation. “You’re part of the problem, that is the scourge of hate and discrimination that your party is standing on in the middle of an ocean like it’s the most important thing in the world to them,” Ms Hunt said. “Your proximity to gayness does not make that OK.” More than a dozen states, mostly in the South, have severely restricted or effectively outlawed abortion in the year after the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade, which affirmed a constitutional right to abortion access. In this past week, lawmakers in North Carolina and South Carolina approved abortion bans, extending restrictions on abortion care from Texas and Oklahaoma through the entire Gulf Coast and throughout the southeast. Nebraska’s legislation also joins a nationwide campaign that has seen hundreds of bills aimed at LGBT+ people, particularly at young trans people, filed in nearly every state within the last two years. At least 15 states have enacted laws or policies banning gender-affirming care for young trans people, and more than a dozen others are considering similar measures. Court injunctions have blocked bans from going into effect in three states. More than half of all trans youth in the US between the ages of 13 and 17 are at risk of losing access to what major health organisations consider age-appropriate, medically necessary and potentially life-saving affirming healthcare in their home state, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The onslaught of legislation and volatile political debate surrounding the bills have also negatively impacted the mental health of an overwhelming majority of young trans and nonbinary people, according to polling from The Trevor Project and Morning Consult. A separate survey from The Trevor Project found that 41 per cent of trans and nonbinary youth have seriously considered attempting suicide over the last year. If you are based in the US and seek LGBT+ affirming mental health support, resources are available from Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) and the LGBT Hotline (888-843-4564), as well as The Trevor Project (866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678). If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the US, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. Read More How one North Carolina lawmaker's defection from the Democratic Party upended abortion protections Trans rights groups pledge Texas lawsuit over gender-affirming care ban: ‘Anti-science, discriminatory fear-mongering’ Republican-appointed federal judges grill FDA in mifepristone hearing Anti-abortion laws harm patients facing dangerous and life-threatening complications, report finds

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Incessant sneezing, runny, red hot nose, dry itchy eyes and a banging head from wheezing all the time, it’s exhausting! So far it’s really proving to be far from a summer of fun for hay fever sufferers. While we love verdant trees, green grasses (grass pollen being the most common cause of hay fever coming into July) and flower beds to delight our bees and boost our picnic plans, the pollen plants release cause any number of allergic reactions. According to Allergy Ireland, about 25 per cent of all Europeans suffer some type of nose/sinus/chest allergy and this is set to rise to 50 per cent within the next decade Hay fever sufferers should have antihistamines handy and should visit their GP if things get really bad, but in the meantime, here’s how to help ease any irritation, at least a little… 1. Be prepared with an app My Pollen Forecast Pro UK is cited as one of the best apps for tracking the pollen count and your allergens. With a five day forecast, a diary feature to track your allergies and a live pollen map, at least it can help you prep for the great outdoors. Available on the App Store. The Asthma Society of Ireland offers a similar app with a pollen tracker for daily updates on pollen levels around Ireland, including a forecast and predictions for the following day. Plus it’s free. 2. Keep the windows closed Sunshine and blue skies? It’s only natural to want to throw open the windows. Unfortunately, this can let all those nasties in, so try to avoid opening them during peak pollen hours of late morning and late afternoon; and close them at night when there’s a high pollen count too. 3. Vaseline can help in various ways A godsend when you have dry lips, eyelids or cracked skin, Vaseline can also help soothe and protect your nose. Try smearing it inside each nostril to ease any soreness and catch pollen entering the nasal passages. 4. Take a cool shower If your eyes are streaming and you can’t stop sneezing, take refuge under the coolness of cold running water. Not only will it help ease symptoms, but you should wash your hair and change your clothing if you’ve been spending any length of time sitting or working outside. If a shower isn’t practical, put a cold facecloth on your face and lie down for a few minutes. 5. Used tea bags can help ease puffy eyes Make the most of your morning cuppa by putting used tea bags in the fridge and use them as a cold compress to help relieve any swelling and soothe sore, itchy eyes. Cucumber slices can work too. 6. Keep your face mask on Face masks have become so much the norm, you may as well use them to filter out particles of pollen. Especially with summer socials in full swing, if you’re going on a picnic, it’s windy or you have to mow the lawn… eek! 7. Wear wraparound sunglasses Fashionable, sporty and with a fair chance of slightly increased protection against pollen getting in your eyes, a cool pair of wraparound sunnies is your best summer investment – an A-list accessory with benefits. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 7 tips and tricks for hay fever relief Top Films: w/c Saturday, May 27 Soap Guide: w/c Saturday, May 27

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