Kean had not taken part in votes since the beginning of March and did not initially make his illness public. It was only at the end of April that he spoke of a “personal medical problem” without giving any further details. His long absence also caused unrest within the party, as Kean has to defend a politically competitive constituency in the congressional elections in the fall and the Republicans only have a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
At the end of his speech, Kean called for a more open approach to mental illness. Depression is not a partisan issue, he said. Accepting help is “not a weakness, but a strength.” The MP subsequently did not answer questions from journalists about his late disclosure of his diagnosis.
US Supreme Court upholds bans on trans athletes in women’s sports
The Supreme Court has upheld laws in the US states of Idaho and West Virginia that ban trans athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports, writes Politico. The ruling is seen as a victory for President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order in February 2025 banning biological men from women’s sports. At the same time, it is a serious blow to the protection of trans students from discrimination.
The justices upheld the laws by a vote of six to three. They argued that federal law allows schools to separate women’s and men’s teams based on biological sex. The Supreme Court majority also rejected claims that such measures violate the constitutional rights of transgender people.
More than half of US states have already passed such bans. The majority of conservative supporters of the exclusion rules believe they are necessary to guarantee fair competition in women’s sports. Those affected, on the other hand, believe that the principle of equal treatment in the US Constitution and other provisions against discrimination have been violated.
Donald Trump calls for lower gas prices
The US President has harsh words for the US petroleum industry in a post on Truth Social. “Gas station operators must lower their prices IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on the platform. Due to the drop in oil prices, the 80-year-old demanded a gasoline price of around $2.50 per gallon (3.8 liters). That corresponds to around 58 cents per liter. “If the gas station operators don’t comply, you will have problems,” threatened the president.
Currently, the national average for regular gasoline is just under four dollars per gallon (0.93 cents per liter). This is lower than it was at the height of the Iran War – but is still considered high by American standards. The fact that the president is trying to impose a price on oil companies is unusual.
