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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 5 OctOber 2022
Garland is asked to probe threats to children’s hospitals

BOSTON (AP) — Three ma- 220 hospitals serving kids
jor medical associations nationwide.
have asked Attorney Gen- Laws and proposed legisla-
eral Merrick Garland to in- tion in several states seek-
vestigate and prosecute ing to limit kids’ access to
people who are threaten- transgender care or crimi-
ing violence against chil- nalize doctors and parents
dren’s hospitals and physi- who seek it have embold-
cians that provide gender- ened attacks by popular
affirming health care. conservative Twitter ac-
The American Academy counts. Some tweets have
of Pediatrics, the Ameri- misled their large followings
can Medical Association about the procedures for
and the Children’s Hospital gender-affirming care.
Association wrote to Gar- Boston Children’s became
land on Monday. Their de- the focus of far-right social
mands come amid a spate media accounts, news out-
of threats against doctors lets and bloggers after they
and institutions that provide A woman walks past a sign outside the Boston Children’s Hospital, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, in found informational You-
medical care for transgen- Boston. Associated Press Tube videos published by
der kids, sometimes includ- the hospital about surgical
ing hormones or surgery for ment of Justice will ensure harassing emails, phone “These attacks have not offerings for transgender
older teens. equal protection of trans- calls and protesters at only made it difficult and patients.
Children’s hospitals nation- gender people under the health care sites, causing dangerous for institutions The medical associations
wide have substantially in- law. “elevated and justifiable and practices to provide argue that the attacks are
creased security and are Rollins said she would not fear among families, pa- this care, they have also rooted in an “intentional
working with law enforce- let “hate-based criminal tients and staff.” One hos- disrupted many other ser- campaign of disinforma-
ment, while some providers activity” continue in her dis- pital’s neonatal intensive vices to families seeking tion.” While Americans
now need constant secu- trict after Boston Children’s care unit went on lock- care.” agree that online disinfor-
rity, the associations said. Hospital said in August that down because of a bomb The American Medical As- mation is a problem, there
Garland did not immedi- its doctors and other staff- threat, they said. sociation and the Ameri- is widespread apprehen-
ately comment publicly, ers were being threatened “From Boston to Akron to can Academy of Pediatrics sion around federal efforts
and a spokesperson did with violence over its surgi- Nashville to Seattle, chil- are two of the nation’s most to monitor domestic, online
not immediately respond cal program for transgen- dren’s hospitals, academic influential physician groups, disinformation, with privacy
to an email seeking com- der youths. health systems and physi- helping shape government and free speech advo-
ment Tuesday. The medical associations cians are being targeted policy at the national level cates expressing concerns
Massachusetts U.S. Attor- said in their letter that the and threatened for provid- and in doctors’ offices. The about the government
ney Rachael Rollins said this social media threats have ing evidence-based health Children’s Hospital Associa- impinging on free speech
summer that the Depart- continued, coupled with care,” the letter states. tion represents more than rights. q

Trump asks Supreme Court to intervene in Mar-a-Lago dispute

By ERIC TUCKER ited the special master’s rent status of any disputed would supersede the es- a special master to do an
Associated Press review to the much larger document cannot possibly tablished authority of the independent review of the
WASHINGTON (AP) — Law- tranche of non-classified be determined solely by Chief Executive.” records.
yers for former President documents. The judges, in- reference to the markings The FBI says it seized roughly Cannon subsequently as-
Donald Trump asked the cluding two Trump appoin- on that document,” the 11,000 documents, includ- signed a veteran Brooklyn
U.S. Supreme Court on tees, sided with the Justice application states. ing about 100 with clas- judge, Raymond Dearie,
Tuesday to step into the Department, which had It says that without the spe- sification markings, during to review the records and
legal fight over the clas- argued there was no legal cial master review, “the its search. The Trump team segregate those that may
sified documents seized basis for the special master unchallenged views of the asked a judge in Florida, be protected by claims of
during an FBI search of his to conduct his own review current Justice Department Aileen Cannon, to appoint attorney-client privilege
Florida estate, escalating of the classified records. and executive privilege.
a dispute over the powers But Trump’s lawyers said in The Justice Department
of an independent arbiter their application to the Su- objected to Dearie’s ability
appointed to inspect the preme Court that it was es- to review the classified re-
records. sential for the special mas- cords, prompting the 11th
The Trump team asked the ter to have access to the Circuit to side with the de-
justices to overturn a lower classified records to “deter- partment.
court ruling and permit an mine whether documents Trump’s lawyers submitted
independent arbiter, or bearing classification mark- the Supreme Court appli-
special master, to review ings are in fact classified, cation to Justice Clarence
the roughly 100 documents and regardless of classifi- Thomas, who oversees
with classified markings cation, whether those re- emergency matters from
that were taken in the Aug. cords are personal records Florida and several other
8 search of Mar-a-Lago. or Presidential records.” Southern states. Thomas
A three-judge panel from “Since President Trump had Former President Donald Trump listens to applause from the can act on his own or, as
the Atlanta-based U.S. absolute authority over crowd as he steps up to the podium at a rally Friday, Sept. 23, is usually done, refer the
Court of Appeals for the classification decisions dur- 2022, in Wilmington, N.C. emergency appeal to the
11th Circuit last month lim- ing his Presidency, the cur- Associated Press rest of the court.q