Flavio Coelho/Getty Images (NEW YORK) — Misty Stamm was working tirelessly to figure out the details: waking up early, the hourslong drives, booking hotels and finding doctors who could legally administer gender-affirming hormone therapy to her 16-year-old transgender daughter. Stamm is living in one of the 24 states where legislation is restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, so she …

Unbroken Ukraine (KYIV, Ukraine) — A Russian missile strike on April 8, 2022, changed Yana Stepanenko’s life forever. She was at a railway station in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, with her mom, Natalia, and brother, Yaroslav, when a missile hit, killing more than 60 people. She lost her legs. Her mom lost the left one.  A tragic story of loss turned …

Scavengers collect plastic waste to sell to a recycling centre at a landfill in Medan, North Sumatra, March 27, 2024. (Kartik Byma/AFP via Getty Images) (NEW YORK) — As Earth Day 2024 puts a spotlight on the world’s climate crisis, negotiators from 175 countries are gathering for the fourth round of the United Nations Plastics Treaty negotiations next week in …

A United Auto Workers (UAW) lawn sign sits on the ground near a Volkswagen automobile assembly plant on March 20, 2024 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) (NEW YORK) — Carmakers and labor leaders are closely watching for results to be released on Friday in a seismic union election that could supercharge organizing in the nation’s auto sector and demonstrate …

Rep. Matt Gaetz walks past reporters as he leaves a House GOP caucus meeting at the U.S Capitol, on April 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — The House Ethics Committee is investigating whether or not Rep. Matt Gaetz used illicit drugs as a member of Congress, multiple sources familiar with the committee’s work told ABC News. …

Dr. Jill Biden speaks onstage during the 2024 Human Rights Campaign dinner, Mar. 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — First lady Jill Biden, in Minnesota on Friday, will launch Educators for Biden-Harris — a national organizing program intended to engage and mobilize teachers, school staff and parents to vote for President Joe Biden, the Biden-Harris campaign …

Photos: Kenji Fitzgerald/Brigette Lacombe Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has teamed up with a seemingly unlikely collaborator — Oscar-winning movie legend Martin Scorsese — to save some cartoons.  The Seth MacFarlane Foundation and Scorsese’s The Film Foundation are funding The Film Foundation’s first-ever restoration of a “curated selection of historically significant animated shorts” from the 1920s through the 1940s. Included will …

Dr Pepper (NEW YORK) — Dr Pepper has a new flavor hitting stores soon to jumpstart the summer mood. The soda company announced that Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut and Creamy Coconut Zero Sugar drinks are coming to stores starting May 1. “Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut brings together the perfect combination of the original 23 Dr Pepper flavors with layers of …

Beyond Meat (NEW YORK) — Beyond Meat has pared down its ingredient list and upgraded the recipe to add more nutrient-dense plant-based ingredients — including heart-healthy avocado oil — for its latest innovation of the plant-based meat alternative. The California-based company announced its new and improved Beyond Meat IV on Thursday as two new products, Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef, …

Tetra Images/Getty Images (NEW YORK) — Barcelona is among the top 20 summer destinations of 2024, and for anyone planning to visit the bustling Mediterranean metropolis known for its art and architecture, or other tourist-filled hotspots during high-season, there may be some additional costs to consider. Many countries across Europe including Spain, Greece, and Germany have implemented fees for foreign …