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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz (right) will announce new restrictions to gender-affirming care for minors Thursday.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration is expected to announce several moves Thursday that will have the effect of essentially banning gender-affirming care for transgender young people, even in states where it is still legal.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be announcing the measures in a press conference at 11 a.m. at the headquarters of the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Dr. Marty Makary, who leads the Food and Drug Administration, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the National Institutes of Health, will all be at the press conference.
In October, NPR exclusively reported on two new proposed rules for hospitals that Oz is expected to announce Thursday. The first would prohibit doctors and hospitals from receiving federal Medicaid reimbursement for medical care provided to transgender patients younger than age 18. The second would block all Medicaid and Medicare funding for any services at hospitals that provide pediatric gender-affirming care. Medicaid provides health care coverage to low-income children and adults in the U.S. Medicare is the health program for Americans over 65 and disabled people. Virtually every hospital in the country takes Medicare and relies on it, so the rule would have a wide-ranging effect.
Makary and Bhattacharya are also expected to make announcements about health care that transgender young people receive.
Legislative action
The pivot to the topic of transgender minors comes one day after Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a package of health care bills that do not extend subsidies for people who buy health insurance in Affordable Care Act plans.
The legislative package included a bill, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., that makes it a crime to provide gender-affirming care to transgender minors, punishable by a fine or prison time of up to 10 years. It passed on Wednesday.
Another bill, introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, would prohibit Medicaid reimbursement for gender-affirming care for youth. It is scheduled for a vote on Thursday. Both bills would also have to pass the Senate to become law.
Supporters and opponents of transgender rights agree that, taken together, the forthcoming hospital rules could make access to pediatric gender-affirming care across the country extremely difficult, if not impossible. The care is already banned in 27 states. The proposed rules will start a comment period after they are entered into the Federal Register; they will not take effect immediately.
This story will be updated later Thursday, following the official announcements.
If you have determined via a test that your pH is low – below 6.5 – you can also choose to add ashes directly to the garden to reduce acidity.
Incorporating ashes can also increase the bioavailability of potassium, phosphorus, and various micronutrients, thereby increasing fertility.
A Note of Caution:
Never mix ashes with nitrogen fertilizer, it can cause a reaction that releases ammonia gas. Always wear eye protection, a face mask, and gloves when handling wood ashes.
Spread on calm days to prevent it from blowing around and scattering to unwanted areas – including all over your clothes.
Apply in moderation, lightly dusting a small amount on the garden surface and working it into the soil several inches deep with a fork.
Soils that are slightly acidic (pH 6.0 to 6.5) should not be harmed by the application of 20 pounds per 100 square feet annually, if the ash is worked into the soil about six inches or so.”
Be sure to test the soil again the following year. You can reapply if the pH is still too low, but if it has reached 6.5, don’t add any more.
If you raise the pH too much, this can deplete the bioavailability of essential nutrients.
Continue to test your soil every few years and amend as necessary.
Ashes to Dust
While it is never wise to dump a whole bucket on your compost or in the garden beds, used in moderation with careful planning and an understanding of your soil, wood ashes can be repurposed as a useful amendment.
Though my wood stove churns out far more than I can safely use each winter, I am still able to recycle much of it back into my compost.
Have you used wood ashes in your garden? Please share your experience in the comments below!
Make this easy sheet pan gnocchi with kielbasa and veggies for a quick, flavorful weeknight dinner. One pan, minimal prep, and ready in just over 30 minutes.
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Psychologist Cami Winkelspecht decided to familiarize herself with artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, after patients started asking her for advice about how they could use the technology responsibly.
“One of the interesting questions that kids and teenagers, in particular, brought in is how can you utilize AI to help support ideas or editing process or things like that for papers and assignments and presentations, but also make sure that you’re not utilizing it to write something for you, [so] that you’re not violating your school’s honor code” says Winkelspecht, who is a child and adolescent psychologist with a private practice in Wilmington, Delaware.
“So I have also then started to experiment with it to see what these tools will also do,” she says, so she could feel “confident and comfortable” in her own understanding of these platforms, their advantages and risks.
Winkelspecht is among the 56% of psychologists recently surveyed by the American Psychological Association who are using AI tools in their practices. That’s significantly higher than the 29% who said the same last year. And nearly a third of respondents said they use these tools on a monthly basis — up by more than two fold since last year.
Winkelspecht incorporates AI into some of her office and administrative tasks, like creating templates for letters she has to send to her collaborators — schools and pediatricians. It saves her time, but she can still write and edit the letters each time.
Most psychologists are “using AI to help write emails, to help develop homework assignments, to help maybe with some report writing or using AI scribes to assist with documentation,” says psychologist Vaile Wright, senior director of the Office of Health Care Innovation at the APA.
“Psychologists are seeing potential opportunities to incorporate AI into their practices, by making their work more efficient, which we think could have downstream effects to reducing burnout, reducing those aspects of the workplace that people don’t particularly enjoy,” she adds. “And that would then give them more time to really provide patient care. So I think that that’s really promising.”
As more psychologists adopt AI tools, Wright says there is also growing awareness about artificial intelligence tools, especially with respect to patient safety and data privacy.
A majority of psychologists said they are concerned about potential harms of this technology, with more than 60% saying they are worried about potential data breaches, biased inputs and outputs and social harms. Many also expressed concerns about hallucinations, where the platforms fabricate facts or present inaccurate information.
“What’s clear to us is that we need to help continue to provide both resources to members so that they can and effectively, responsibly incorporate these types of technologies,” says Wright. “And we have to ensure that these technologies are regulated in ways that ensure to the best of their ability, safety and efficacy.”
Messy gardening. It’s a familiar term for many of us, especially gardeners seeking to boost their garden’s ecological value. As we leave the leaves, add native plants and rain gardens, and keep those dead perennial stems standing through the winter and into spring, we’re encouraged to adopt a messier, less strict aesthetic that increases opportunities for other creatures to share the abundance our gardens can offer.
Imagine, however, ecologically friendly garden enhancements that increase the sense of order and rhythm in your yard. Even better if these creations are beautiful, dynamic, and provide shelter for birds, amphibians, and invertebrates. And the best part? The only supplies are your creative energy and materials you already have on hand.
Introducing . . . the dead hedge!
Removal of an ailing shagbark hickory (Carya ovata, Zones 4–8) prompted the creation of this dead hedge. Cutting the lengths of wood to uniform lengths and beginning the stacks with heavier pieces on the bottom will keep the dead hedge tidy.
A dead hedge is a garden structure built from dead and dormant plant material ranging from fallen leaves and cutback perennial stems to twigs, branches, and stumps. The shape is only limited by your imagination; a tidy conical heap could be a good place to start, but a sinuous curving dead hedge can be a striking garden feature.
The benefits of building a dead hedge
Dead hedges offer a myriad of benefits for your garden ecology. After spring garden cutback, loosely layering the clipped perennial debris in a dead hedge gives insects that could be overwintering in leaves and stems an opportunity to emerge as the weather warms. Other beneficial insects shelter or overwinter on bark, branches, and leaves safely tucked away in a dead hedge.
These angle-wing katydid eggs were found on a witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana, Zones 3–8) branch after pruning. Tucking the cut branch into a dead hedge provides safe shelter for the katydid eggs until the nymphs hatch in spring.
Birds benefit too; dead hedges can offer a buffet of plant fibers for nesting, while ground-foraging woodland birds like thrushes are drawn to the hedge’s shelter and snack on ants and beetles hiding underneath. Gradual decomposition within the dead hedge also builds soil, as fungi and microbes slowly break down the plant materials and return organic matter to your garden beds.
3 Guidelines for Great Dead-Hedge Design
For gardeners who may be getting antsy during our long Midwestern winters, creating the framework for a dead hedge is a fun winter project. The design, materials, and goals are open to experimentation, but a few guidelines will keep your new creation functional and beautiful for years to come.
1. Consider the site and placement
This rustic dead hedge is stacked into the side of the slope to break up the grade and prevent erosion.
Dead hedges can be great problem-solvers in the landscape. A vertical dead hedge can screen undesirable views like utility boxes or tool storage, and a striking dead hedge offers a great focal point in parts of your yard that lack definition and winter interest. Two parallel dead hedges can define a new walking path, while placing one perpendicular to a slope can slow down stormwater and decrease erosion.
Save steps by positioning dead hedges close to the source of garden debris; a dead hedge bordering perennial gardens makes spring cutback a breeze, while a dead hedge constructed from woody material can be a great way to skip hauling heavy trunks after a tree is cut down.
2. Build in “cues to care”
Vertical posts flanking this dead hedge make it easy to add material like cut grasses and perennial stems.
Especially in naturalistic gardens that tend toward looking wild, it’s important to pay attention to details that add order and aesthetic value. Before construction starts, a base of mulch or wood chips for your dead hedge provides a tidy surface to work from. As you begin stacking, place heavier materials at the base to create a stable foundation and prevent your hedge from wobbling or falling over. For more precise designs, cutting ingredients into uniform pieces before stacking can help you stay true to your vision, so keep your hand pruners and pruning saw sharp and at hand.
The same zigzag dead hedge draws the eye through an abundance of spring ephemerals.
A dead hedge with a smoothly curving shape or a zigzag reminiscent of split-rail fencing can look more artful than a straight line. Plus, perfectly straight lines can be hard to achieve with natural materials, so a curve is usually more forgiving.
Consider adding wooden stakes or rebar posts along the edges of the dead hedge to make it easier to keep the hedge tidy and vertical as materials are added and the height grows. A width of about 12 to 18 inches is the sweet spot for most dead hedges. You may be surprised at how much material it takes to start building upward!
Vertical posts that define and support the dead-hedge walls are topped with drilled wooden rounds . . . a playful gesture evoking a marshmallow on a stick.
3. Plant for maintenance
A little annual touch-up keeps the hedge looking sharp. As materials decompose, there may be some shifting, so adding and redistributing materials, especially after winter settling, helps keep a uniform height and appearance.
After a few years, the dead hedge built into the slope blends in beautifully as decomposition creates an abundance of habitat opportunities for amphibians and invertebrates.
It may be obvious, but avoid moving materials from the base layer of your dead hedge. The base is where contact with the soil promotes development of fungal networks and boosts soil health as the hedge materials are decomposed and add organic matter into the soil.
Extend the “life” of your plants
These design and maintenance tips will make your dead hedge a creation that combines beauty and function for many years to come, with character that grows over time as it becomes one with the landscape. Keeping our organic materials on-site is just another step toward a sustainable garden. Our plants work so hard to add beauty and support other life in our gardens while they are growing, and a dead hedge is a living monument that helps honor and extend their contributions in death as in life.
A zigzag dead hedge offers winter interest during long Midwestern winters.
Find more information on wildlife-friendly gardening:
Discuss this article or ask gardening questions with a regional gardening expert on the Gardening Answers forum.
And for more Midwest regional reports, click here.
Erin Presley is a horticulturist at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin.
Photos: courtesy of Erin Presley
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Gardener’s Log Book from NYBG
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This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features:
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A hearty and filling recipe to add to your rotation this cozy season. This vegan mushroom pot pie delivers on flavor with a filling made from mushrooms and wild rice topped with crispy puff pastry.
When it comes to cozy dishes that are perfect for cold weather, this mushroom wild rice pot pie checks all the boxes. (Just like my shepherd’s pie recipe!) I’ve actually teamed up with USA rice to create this delicious recipe using California-grown wild rice. The nutty flavor and chewy texture of the wild rice complements the mushrooms and veggies in this flavorful dish. Not just that, wild rice adds onto the fiber total and provides essential nutrients like thiamine and iron. The deep rich color is also an indicator that it is loaded with antioxidants.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick rundown of the main ingredients you’ll need for this easy salad recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the specific amounts of each ingredient you’ll need.
Wild Rice: I love the chewy texture that a bit of wild rice adds to this dish. For those looking to get more fiber in your diet, the wild rice delivers on fiber too!
Mushrooms: For maximum flavor, you’ll use a variety of different mushrooms like cremini, shiitake, button, and/or baby portobellos since button mushrooms by themselves aren’t that rich in flavor. If you have dried mushrooms, you can add rehydrate them and add a couple to the mix as well.
Herbs: use fresh herbs since they deliver more flavor in this filling for this recipe.
Red Wine: you’ll cook this off when you make the filling but it complements the flavor of the mushrooms well. Be sure to reach for a dry red wine rather than a sweet one.
Non-Dairy Milk: you’ll want to use a non-dairy milk that is thicker than almond milk so either a soy milk, coconut milk or a protein-rich one like Ripple. They cook down into a creamier sauce than others.
Puff Pastry: most puff pastry isn’t vegan so you might have to shop around a little to find a vegan-friendly one. They are sold frozen too you’ll want to plan ahead a little bit since it needs to be thawed before you add it to the pot pie. (Thaw 30 minutes at room temperature or 4 hours in the fridge.)
How to Make Mushroom Pot Pie
Cook Rice and Start Filling: Rinse the wild rice well under cold water using a fine mesh strainer. Add 6 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue cooking, reducing to a simmer, for 40 to 55 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain any excess water and set aside. Add the olive oil and mushrooms, saute until most of the liquid is cooked out of the mushrooms.
Cook the Filling: Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and herbs. Saute another 5-7 minutes until the veggies are tender. Add the butter and stir in until melted. Sprinkle with flour then stir to coat the veggies. Pour in the wine, broth, and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in the cooked rice.
Top with Puff Pastry: Top with the puff pastry and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden.
Serve: allow to sit for 5 minutes then serve!
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
Fridge: store any leftover mushroom pot pie in an airtight container in the first for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Unfortunately, this one doesn’t freeze that well after baking since the puff pastry gets soggy when reheated. However, if you want to prep some of it in advance for the freezer, you could make the filling and freeze that in an airtight container. Once you’re ready to make the pot pie, just thaw the filling and top with puff pastry and bake.
A hearty and filling recipe to add to your rotation this cozy season. This vegan mushroom pot pie delivers on flavor with a filling made from mushrooms and wild rice topped with crispy puff pastry.
1sheetvegan puff pastry (thawed according to package instructions)
Instructions
Rinse the wild rice well under cold water using a fine mesh strainer. Add 6 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed rice and continue cooking, reducing to a simmer, for 40 to 55 minutes or until rice is tender. Drain any excess water and set aside.
Heat a large cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and mushrooms, saute until most of the liquid is cooked out of the mushrooms.
Now, stir in the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and herbs. Saute another 5-7 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Add the butter and stir until melted. Sprinkle with flour then stir to coat the veggies. Pour in the wine, broth, and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in the cooked wild rice.
Top with the puff pastry and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
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