Democratic senators raise alarm over foreign investment in Paramount, Warner Bros merger

May 21, 2026 10:16 AM UTC / Reuters

By David Shepardson

Paramount sign outside their offices at 1515 Broadway in New York City, U.S., February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) – A group of six Democratic senators have expressed serious concerns about planned foreign ownership interests, including from Gulf sovereign ​wealth funds, in the proposed $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger.

Last month, Paramount Skydance asked ‌the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve foreign investments backing its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. The senators raised concerns about Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and Chinese companies taking part.

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“Foreign governments hostile to a free and independent ​press could exert unprecedented influence over a media conglomerate vital to American journalism and ​culture,” said a letter signed by Senators Maria Cantwell, Ed Markey, Ben Ray ⁠Lujan and others to FCC Chair Brendan Carr, seen by Reuters and sent late on Wednesday.

Cantwell ​is the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the FCC, and other signatories ​of the letter are members of the committee.

The senators noted the deal involves sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi investing in a company that would control CBS stations, as well as major cable ​news operations including CNN. They also cited reports that China’s Tencent could also take part.

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The combined ​firm would include the 28 television stations owned by CBS, the movies and television shows of Paramount, and CNN, ‌HBO, ⁠and other media properties.

The family of Paramount CEO David Ellison will continue to control voting shares, the company said in its filing seeking a waiver.

Carr told reporters Wednesday the FCC had sought public comment on Paramount’s request and that it would also be reviewed by CFIUS, a Treasury-led interagency ​committee that vets foreign ​investments for national security ⁠risks.

“We urge you to conduct a rigorous and thorough review of the foreign investment in Paramount, its impact on editorial independence, and its implications ​for U.S. national security,” the senators wrote.

The FCC did not immediately comment ​on the letter.

Paramount ⁠said last year that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Abu Dhabi-based L’imad Holding Company, and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) had agreed to back its proposed takeover of Warner Bros.

The senators asked what specific assurances had been ⁠provided ​by the Saudi, Emirati, and Qatari sovereign wealth funds and ​Tencent to the FCC “that they will not attempt to influence the editorial, journalistic, or content decisions at Paramount.”

Last July, the ​FCC approved CBS-parent Paramount’s tie-up with Skydance Media.

Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Susan Fenton

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

经巴基斯坦新加坡斡旋 遭美军扣押伊朗船员回国

2026年5月21日 18:16 / 联合早报

伊朗媒体报道，经外交斡旋，早前在新加坡附近海域遭美国扣押的一艘伊朗船只上的20名船员已回国。

伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社报道，美军上周在新加坡附近海域非法扣押这艘伊朗船只，20名船员随后被转移到美伊冲突调解国巴基斯坦，并于星期四（5月21日）从伊斯兰堡返回伊朗首都德黑兰。

报道说，此次伊朗船员获释，是在伊朗外交部长阿拉格齐与巴基斯坦和新加坡两国外长紧密磋商后实现的。

韩国估计：朝鲜军援俄罗斯获利166亿元

2026年5月21日 18:19 / 联合早报

5月9日，朝鲜军人参加在莫斯科红场举行的俄罗斯胜利日阅兵式。 （路透社）

（首尔讯）朝鲜在俄乌战争期间，通过向俄罗斯提供军事支持，从中获得前所未有的意外之财。朝鲜以武器和兵力换取外汇和能源供应，过去三年已赚取高达130亿美元（约166亿新元），几乎相当于朝鲜一年的国内生产总值（GDP）。

《日经亚洲》报道，韩国国家情报院属下一个研究机构估计，截至2025年，朝鲜已向俄罗斯输出价值70亿至138亿美元的武器。除了提供火箭炮和炮弹，朝鲜据信还运送了近250枚KN-23短程弹道导弹，据说这些导弹是朝鲜在俄罗斯的协助下研发的。作为交换，朝鲜很可能不仅从俄方那里获得外汇，还获得武器材料、军事技术以及日用品。

自2024年秋季以来一年多内，莫斯科为朝鲜部队赴俄参战支付了超过6亿美元。根据今年2月访问乌克兰的一名韩国议员汇报，目前约有1万名朝鲜特种部队仍在战区，另有约1万名工程人员以及数以百计无人机操作员和士兵也在前线提供火力支援。据报道，朝鲜还计划再向俄罗斯派遣3万名士兵。

据称，为俄作战的朝鲜士兵每月可领取约2000美元的津贴，阵亡士兵可获得最高1万美元的抚恤金。根据韩国国家情报院的报告，截至今年2月，约有6000名朝鲜士兵在战争中伤亡。

据报道，金正恩将归国士兵视为民族英雄，阵亡士兵的家属所获补偿包括平壤豪华住房。朝鲜也建造纪念馆向赴俄参战士兵致敬，多名俄罗斯高级官员上月底应邀前往朝鲜参加纪念馆的落成仪式。

朝鲜因进行核试验和试射弹道导弹，这十年来受到国际社会制裁，商品出口和石油进口严重受限。不过平壤与俄罗斯的军火交易削弱了这些制裁的有效性。

朝鲜军工产业蓬勃发展以及能源供应获得改善，惠及首都平壤的民众。去年秋天访问平壤的一名消息人士说，街上的豪车数量与以往相比显著增多，还有很多挂着私人牌照的日本和欧洲汽车。

韩国估计：朝鲜军援俄罗斯获利166亿元

2026年5月21日 18:19 / 联合早报

5月9日，朝鲜军人参加在莫斯科红场举行的俄罗斯胜利日阅兵式。 （路透社）

（首尔讯）朝鲜在俄乌战争期间，通过向俄罗斯提供军事支持，从中获得前所未有的意外之财。朝鲜以武器和兵力换取外汇和能源供应，过去三年已赚取高达130亿美元（约166亿新元），几乎相当于朝鲜一年的国内生产总值（GDP）。

《日经亚洲》报道，韩国国家情报院属下一个研究机构估计，截至2025年，朝鲜已向俄罗斯输出价值70亿至138亿美元的武器。除了提供火箭炮和炮弹，朝鲜据信还运送了近250枚KN-23短程弹道导弹，据说这些导弹是朝鲜在俄罗斯的协助下研发的。作为交换，朝鲜很可能不仅从俄方那里获得外汇，还获得武器材料、军事技术以及日用品。

自2024年秋季以来一年多内，莫斯科为朝鲜部队赴俄参战支付了超过6亿美元。根据今年2月访问乌克兰的一名韩国议员汇报，目前约有1万名朝鲜特种部队仍在战区，另有约1万名工程人员以及数以百计无人机操作员和士兵也在前线提供火力支援。据报道，朝鲜还计划再向俄罗斯派遣3万名士兵。

据称，为俄作战的朝鲜士兵每月可领取约2000美元的津贴，阵亡士兵可获得最高1万美元的抚恤金。根据韩国国家情报院的报告，截至今年2月，约有6000名朝鲜士兵在战争中伤亡。

据报道，金正恩将归国士兵视为民族英雄，阵亡士兵的家属所获补偿包括平壤豪华住房。朝鲜也建造纪念馆向赴俄参战士兵致敬，多名俄罗斯高级官员上月底应邀前往朝鲜参加纪念馆的落成仪式。

朝鲜因进行核试验和试射弹道导弹，这十年来受到国际社会制裁，商品出口和石油进口严重受限。不过平壤与俄罗斯的军火交易削弱了这些制裁的有效性。

朝鲜军工产业蓬勃发展以及能源供应获得改善，惠及首都平壤的民众。去年秋天访问平壤的一名消息人士说，街上的豪车数量与以往相比显著增多，还有很多挂着私人牌照的日本和欧洲汽车。

欧元区采购经理人指数连续第二个月低于50荣枯分界线。图为德国西部城市法兰克福的银行区，右边为欧洲中央银行。 （法新社）

欧元区采购经理人指数显示，受中东战争导致的疲软需求拖累，欧元区5月商业活动进一步萎缩。

法新社报道，标普全球星期四（5月21日）发布的欧元区采购经理人指数（PMI）是衡量欧元区整体经济健康状况的重要指标，该指数录得47.5，创31个月新低，低于4月份的48.8。

PMI高于50表明经济增长，低于50则表明经济萎缩。指数连续第二个月低于50荣枯分界线。彭博调查的分析师此前预计该指数将与上月持平。

调查显示，“产出、新订单和就业人数均出现更大幅度的下降，企业信心也进一步下滑”。

彭博社指出，欧元区商业活动以两年半来最快速度萎缩，令市场愈加担心伊朗战争及其导致的能源成本飙升正在对地区经济造成严重打击。

制造业再次受益于提前累积库存而增长，服务业则大幅下滑。与此同时，价格压力持续增加，投入成本和商品及服务价格均以三年多来最快的速度上升。

此外，法国商业活动以五年半以来最快速度萎缩，5月标普综合采购经理人指数从4月的47.6降至43.5，连续第五个月低于50荣枯分界线。彭博调查的分析师此前预期该指数会略有上升。

标普指出，法国制造业和服务业指数双双下降，企业称伊朗战争推高了燃料和能源成本，并引发了更普遍的“经济焦虑”。

S&P Global Market Intelligence首席经济师乔·海耶斯（Joe Hayes）星期四在新闻稿中说：“这一冲击已显著加剧欧元区第二大经济体的衰退风险”，并称这些数字“十分糟糕”。他补充说，“令人担忧的是，经济整体价格水平的全面上涨会增加需求进一步萎缩的风险。”

与此同时，德国私营部门活动连续第二个月萎缩，5月标普综合采购经理人指数从4月的48.4小幅升至48.6，但仍保持在50荣枯线之下。

5 things to know for May 21: AI, compensation fund, Iran’s weapons, California wildfires, food preservatives

2026-05-21T10:48:51.913Z / CNN

By Alexandra Banner

PUBLISHED May 21, 2026, 6:48 AM ET

Stephen Colbert will sign off from “The Late Show” tonight, ending his run in the storied CBS chair once occupied by David Letterman. What comes next for one of TV’s biggest personalities is an open question as others across the industry try to navigate the fragile world of network comedy.Write a short intro with link to story.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he leaves the White House on May 12, 2026.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/File

1️⃣ Artificial intelligence

Concerns about artificial intelligence replacing human workers have simmered over the past year as companies slash headcounts, saying automation will streamline operations and cut costs. Officials have also warned that increasingly advanced AI systems could intensify cyberattacks and other digital threats. Amid those concerns, the White House could issue an executive order as soon as today that would push for a government review of new AI models before they’re released publicly. Read more.

MEANWHILE:AI turned Samsung into a $1 trillion company. Its workers want a bigger slice of the pie

2️⃣ Compensation fund

The Trump administration has created a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim they faced political persecution. But the effort is already facing legal challenges: Two police officers who defended the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters rioted, are now suing to stop any payout to violent protesters who could benefit. Read more.

INTERACTIVE:The Trump “Anti-Weaponization Fund” documents, annotated

3️⃣ Iran’s weapons

Iran is rebuilding its military capabilities much faster than expected following recent US-Israeli strikes on its weapons infrastructure. Sources tell CNN that Iran has already restarted some drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, a sign it is rapidly restoring its degraded military capabilities. Read more.

4️⃣ California wildfires

Multiple wildfires have prompted evacuation warnings for tens of thousands in Southern California. A massive blaze that officials say was “human-caused” has scorched nearly a third of Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park, threatening a fragile ecosystem that is home to dozens of rare plants and animals — including some found nowhere else on Earth. Read more.

WATCH:More than a dozen fires rage across California

5️⃣ Food presevatives

Common food preservatives often marketed as “natural” may be linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, according to a new study. Researchers found that people who consumed more foods containing additives like citric acid and ascorbic acid (widely known as vitamin C) had a 22% greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Read more.

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No-cost IVF treatment is still a long way off

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And finally…

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/21/us/5-things-to-know-for-may-21-ai-compensation-fund-irans-weapons-california-wildfires-food-preservatives

Why do prices keep going up?

1:57

▶️ Why do prices keep going up?

Inflation is hitting lower- and middle-income Americans especially hard. CNN senior business reporter David Goldman explains why prices could stay high unless wealthy Americans stop spending.

Today’s edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN’s Andrew Torgan.

欧元区采购经理人指数连续第二个月低于50荣枯分界线。图为德国西部城市法兰克福的银行区，右边为欧洲中央银行。 （法新社）

欧元区采购经理人指数显示，受中东战争导致的疲软需求拖累，欧元区5月商业活动进一步萎缩。

法新社报道，标普全球星期四（5月21日）发布的欧元区采购经理人指数（PMI）是衡量欧元区整体经济健康状况的重要指标，该指数录得47.5，创31个月新低，低于4月份的48.8。

PMI高于50表明经济增长，低于50则表明经济萎缩。指数连续第二个月低于50荣枯分界线。彭博调查的分析师此前预计该指数将与上月持平。

调查显示，“产出、新订单和就业人数均出现更大幅度的下降，企业信心也进一步下滑”。

彭博社指出，欧元区商业活动以两年半来最快速度萎缩，令市场愈加担心伊朗战争及其导致的能源成本飙升正在对地区经济造成严重打击。

制造业再次受益于提前累积库存而增长，服务业则大幅下滑。与此同时，价格压力持续增加，投入成本和商品及服务价格均以三年多来最快的速度上升。

此外，法国商业活动以五年半以来最快速度萎缩，5月标普综合采购经理人指数从4月的47.6降至43.5，连续第五个月低于50荣枯分界线。彭博调查的分析师此前预期该指数会略有上升。

标普指出，法国制造业和服务业指数双双下降，企业称伊朗战争推高了燃料和能源成本，并引发了更普遍的“经济焦虑”。

S&P Global Market Intelligence首席经济师乔·海耶斯（Joe Hayes）星期四在新闻稿中说：“这一冲击已显著加剧欧元区第二大经济体的衰退风险”，并称这些数字“十分糟糕”。他补充说，“令人担忧的是，经济整体价格水平的全面上涨会增加需求进一步萎缩的风险。”

与此同时，德国私营部门活动连续第二个月萎缩，5月标普综合采购经理人指数从4月的48.4小幅升至48.6，但仍保持在50荣枯线之下。

美联储会议纪要：越来越多官员认为可能得升息

2026年5月21日 18:42 / 联合早报

美联储主席沃什上任后，预料将接手一个日益鹰派的决策团队。 （路透社）

（华盛顿综合电）美国联邦储备局官员对伊朗战争推升通货膨胀的担忧进一步加剧，越来越多官员开始接受升息的可能性，这意味着，即将上任的美联储主席沃什将接手一个日益鹰派的决策团队。沃什将在周五（5月22日）宣誓就任美联储主席一职。

美联储周三（20日）公布的4月底会议纪要显示，多数美联储决策官员认为，如果通胀持续高于2%的目标，某种程度的政策收紧可能是适当的。他们认为，政策利率须维持不变的时间，会比之前预期更久。

绝大多数官员指出，即使短期内劳动市场预期仍稳定，但通胀回落至2％目标所需的时间，可能比之前预计的更长。虽有几名官员认为，一旦通胀放缓，降息会是适当的作法，但人数少于3月份的会议。

经济预测与分析机构牛津经济研究院的首席全球经济师斯威特说：“美联储将在6月会议上迎来新主席，但要在短期内就利率走向达成共识并非易事。”

上月美联储政策会议是近几十年来分歧最大的一次，会议结果凸显了两派美联储官员的变化，一派日益壮大，他们对美伊战争引发的通胀，以及对今后是否要降息都态度谨慎；另一派逐渐式微，仍倾向于降低借贷成本。

美伊战争已导致油价上涨超过一半，最新的消费者和批发通胀数据显示，价格压力已开始从能源行业扩散至其他领域。此外，数据显示，美国失业率保持稳定，而且连续两个月的新增就业岗位比预期来得多，表明就业市场仍具有韧性，无需降息支撑。

美国12日公布的4月份通胀率达3.8%，创下2023年以来最高水平，其中，能源和食品价格都显著上涨。

沃什曾说支持降低利率，提名他担任美联储主席的美国总统特朗普已表明，他期待沃什降低利率。不过，会议纪要显示，要说服各方支持宽松政策仍然十分困难。

联邦公开市场委员会上月将基准利率的目标区间，维持在3.50％至3.75％不变，但委员会12名政策委员中，有四名投了反对票，这是自1992年以来反对票最多的一次。

美国和全球债券市场越来越倾向于认为，美联储和其他主要国家的中央银行很快就会调高利率，以抑制战争引发的通胀。同时，路透社周二公布的一项调查显示，经济师们对今年降息的预期大幅下降，约半数受访者预计今年利率不会变动，少数受访者则预计至少会加息一次。

沃什将在6月16日至17日，以美联储主席身份主持上任以来的首次会议。

Taxpayer spending on ‘exorcisms’ derails Senate testimony: ‘What the hell are we doing about it?’

May 21, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

Sen. John Kennedy pressed Acting AG Todd Blanche during a Senate hearing over California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, citing reports that taxpayer-funded coverage includes exorcisms and other faith-based healing practices tied to tribal medicine.

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3 min

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., railed against California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, which is facing scrutiny from the Trump administration over fraud allegations, as Kennedy highlighted reports during a Tuesday hearing that the state covers exorcisms and other faith-based healing practices.

Medi-Cal’s spending practices have faced growing scrutiny as California’s Medicaid spending has more than doubled since 2019, rising from roughly $100.7 billion to a projected $222 billion in 2026.

Just last week, the Trump administration suspended $1.4 billion in federal funding for California home health and hospice programs after Vice President J.D. Vance’s anti-fraud task force identified an estimated $600 million in suspected fraud within the state’s Medicaid system.

Kennedy alleged during his line of questioning to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that taxpayer dollars were being used to cover the cost of exorcisms, a religious practice most commonly associated with the Catholic Church, and other indigenous spiritual practices.

LAWMAKERS IN DEEP BLUE STATE DEMAND AUDIT OVER SKYROCKETING HEALTHCARE COSTS: ‘ALARMING NATURE’

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., arrives at a Senate Republican policy luncheon in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28, 2025.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“California’s got 12% of the population in the last ten years,” Kennedy told Blanche. “They’re responsible for half of these new so-called health providers to provide exorcisms and other things. Now, what the hell are we doing about it? Why has this gone on for so long?”

Reports that California provides Medicaid coverage for exorcisms and other spiritual rituals were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

In 2024, Medi-Cal expanded coverage for recipients seeking traditional healers and natural helpers within tribal communities. Services covered by taxpayer dollars include music therapy and spiritual interventions such as ceremonies, rituals and herbal remedies, according to a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.

To be recognized by the state as a traditional healer, a person must have served as a spiritual leader within an American Indian tribe for at least two years and be contracted by an Indian Health Care Provider. Meanwhile, the requirement for a natural helper is less stringent and can apply to anyone considered a “trusted” member of an American Indian tribe.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs an executive order to expand women’s access to capital and wealth-building opportunities during a press conference at San Lorenzo High School in San Lorenzo, Calif., on March 18, 2026.(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Newsom said this expansion of coverage for tribal medicine was made to assist in “helping heal the historical wounds inflicted on tribes.”

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“Like many of the issues that plague successive generations of Native people, those inequities can be traced back to the historical atrocities the U.S. inflicted on tribes across the country,” Newsom said in a press release announcing the Medi-Cal expansion. “By supporting greater access to traditional medicine and healing, we are taking another step toward a healthier, brighter future.”

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It remains unclear how much Medi-Cal has spent covering services provided by traditional healers or natural helpers. The California Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions by the time of publication.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Families weigh moves with gender-affirming care access under assault in US

2026-05-21T10:06:58.979Z / Reuters

Summary

• Hospitals restrict gender-affirming care due to legal, financial risks, not clinical evidence
• Patients facing medication shortages turn to stockpiling, telehealth to maintain treatment
• Most major US medical groups support such care as potentially life-saving

May 21 (Reuters) – Confronted with Trump Administration threats to gender-affirming care for young transgender people, American families are weighing moves out of their states to gain access to needed healthcare, according to doctors, patients, policy experts and advocacy groups.

Upon taking office ​for the second time, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at limiting access to gender-affirming care for patients under age 19, building on legislation or rules in 27 mostly ‌Republican-led states that restrict such care. The order has been temporarily blocked by a judge but the administration continues to push new bans.

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By the time the Justice Department began subpoenaing healthcare providers for patient records related to gender-affirming care last July – another action temporarily blocked by courts – Harleigh Walker, a 19-year-old transgender girl from Alabama, was considering a move.

“My family and I were discussing, after high school where I might go to college, and I’m from Auburn, Alabama, next to one of the best schools in that ​state,” Walker said. “But I could not stay in the state of Alabama because my parents, my doctors, and I were being criminalized.”

She now attends college in Maryland, a state that protects access ​to gender-affirming care. “There’s a level of safety here. This is a very accepting, pretty progressive state,” Walker said.

The family still talks daily about a move either to ⁠a friendly state or out of the country, her father, Jeff Walker, said.

Newly released data from a survey conducted from March 4 to October 15, 2025, by the non-profit Trevor Project, which provides free, specialized support ​to LGBTQ+ youth, found that Harleigh’s story is a common one. Nearly one-third of 16,000 LGBTQ respondents aged 13 to 24 said they or their families were considering moving to a different state for care.

US States limiting gender affirming care for minors

Nearly 1.5 million ​people aged 13 to 24 identify as transgender in the U.S., a UCLA study based on health records found.

POLICY VS SCIENCE

The Trump Administration’s effort to end gender-affirming care includes threatening hospitals with cutting off access to lucrative Medicare payments. The program for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities serves 70 million people.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment.

Gender-transition care can range from advice on adopting a preferred name or pronoun to puberty-blocking drugs and hormones or surgery. Medical care is ​often given to people diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or distress when a person’s gender identity doesn’t align with their sex assigned at birth.

Most medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the Endocrine Society, and the American ​Academy of Pediatrics, say such care can be life-saving.

In February, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommended delays in gender-related surgeries for young people.

Decisions by hospitals to reduce or pause these services are driven by legal and financial risk assessments, not ‌changes in ⁠clinical evidence or patient need, said Alex Sheldon, executive director at LGBTQ health advocacy group GLMA.

The Trevor Project survey found about 75% of young people had experienced difficulties in accessing gender-affirming care.

FEWER OPTIONS

Since January 2025, more than 40 hospitals have restricted such care for young people, STAT News reported in February based on its own analysis.

But some hospitals, such as Children’s Minnesota, have begun offering care again following a federal court ruling that vacated the U.S. health agency’s restrictions. It had paused care on February 27.

University of Michigan Health stopped providing hormone therapies and puberty blockers as gender-care treatments for people under 18 last August, citing the July federal subpoena and “unprecedented legal and ​regulatory threats to our clinicians and our institution.”

Claire Cabrera, ​43, is the mother of a teenager who ⁠traveled from a rural part of the state where they live to receive care there. The adolescent spent six years navigating their gender journey, from new pronouns and clothes in fourth grade to puberty blockers and testosterone.

After running out of a three-month supply of testosterone, they now rely on a telehealth service to prevent missing an ​injection, which can lead to hormonal shifts, menstrual cramps and anxiety.

“We will do whatever it takes to support our child, including looking at other options outside ​of the state and outside ⁠of the country,” Cabrera said.

SCRAMBLING FOR ALTERNATIVES

Canada and European countries have become more attractive options as U.S. care access dwindles, said Kellan Baker, a health-policy adviser at Movement Advancement Project, a transgender rights advocacy think tank.

In California, prominent healthcare provider Children’s Hospital Los Angeles shut its gender clinic in 2025 after 30 years, describing external pressure and “no viable path forward.”

Maria Do, an organizer with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, said families were scrambling for alternatives since the closure, ⁠stockpiling medicines and ​seeking treatment abroad.

Dr. Beth Cronin, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Rhode Island, said she has patients coming from Texas and Florida, looking for ‘blue ​state’ stability for treatment.

Opposing court rulings on whether a Rhode Island hospital must comply with handing over medical records of trans youth are currently being appealed.

One patient with family in Canada was considering a move there, while another young father said such a move was too expensive, ​Cronin said.

“I don’t think it’s a realistic option for most patients in general,” Cronin said.

Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Caroline Humer, Mrinalika Roy and Bill Berkrot