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HHS finalizes report on gender-affirming care for youth, medical groups push back

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a final version of its report on pediatric gender-affirming care on Wednesday, claiming it found “medical dangers posed to children,” which is receiving pushback from medical groups.

The report alleged that gender-affirming care — including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender-affirming surgeries — caused significant, long-term damage.

It comes after HHS published in May an early version of what it referred to as a “comprehensive review” of transgender care for children and teens, in which it called for a broader use of psychotherapy for young people with gender dysphoria rather than gender-affirming medical interventions.

The HHS referred to the final version of the report as “peer-reviewed,” but some of those who reviewed the contents are researchers who have spoken against gender affirming care.

Some major medical groups have pushed back, stating that psychotherapy first is the standard approach in gender-affirming care and that additional care, such as hormonal therapies, only occurs after in-depth evaluations between patients and doctors.

The American Psychological Association (APA), which reviewed the report, argued it lacks transparency and that scientific research does not support the authors’ theories.

Experts in the gender-affirming care space questioned the validity of the findings, saying that studies have found that gender-affirming care is generally safe and that youth with gender dysphoria are typically evaluated, diagnosed and treated based on an individual assessment by qualified providers.

“This report does not add to the science. It adds to the noise around care for transgender young people, care that is provided by licensed clinicians according to a standard of care,” Kellan Baker, senior advisor for health policy at the Movement Advancement Project, an independent think tank that provides research, insight and analysis on LGBTQ+ issues, told ABC News.

“That standard of care is based on the same comparable quality of evidence as care across any other area of medicine,” Baker continued. “There is nothing new or unusual about care for transgender young people except for the extraordinary degree of political antagonism that is being focused on this very, very small group of young people.”

In a press release on Wednesday, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, called the report “a turning point for American medicine,” adding that “we are committed to ensuring that science, not ideology, guides America’s medical research.”

David Aizuss, MD, chair of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees and Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, released a joint statement on Wednesday.

“We reject characterizations of our approach to gender-affirming care as negligent or ideologically driven, and take particular issue with the false assertion that our members have committed ‘malpractice’ or betrayed their oath in any way,” the statement read.

“These claims, rooted in politics and partisanship, misrepresent the consensus of medical science, undermine the professionalism of physicians, and risk harming vulnerable young people and their families,” Aizuss and Kressly added.

The final version of the HHS report listed nine authors, all of whom have expressed skeptical views of, or have opposed, pediatric gender-affirming care.

The initial May report did not list the names of its authors to “help maintain the integrity of this process.” Critics at the time pointed out that this prevented readers from gauging whether the names were credible or had any conflicts of interest.

The disclosures in the final report show that at least six of the nine authors have financial interests or have spoken out extensively opposing gender affirming care.

This includes authors who have been paid to offer expert testimony on legislative efforts to ban pediatric gender medicine and have published papers critical of pediatric gender medicine, including claims that such care does not improve depression or suicidality among trans youth.

The report included 10 reviewers, including individual physicians and medical groups, some of whom praised the report as “scientifically sound” and said the main findings and conclusions are “correct.”

Other reviewers were critical, including the APA, which accused the authors of the report of cherry-picking which studies it used in its findings and not justifying why other studies were excluded. Additionally, it says key findings in studies that were relied on were unexplained or absent.

“While the HHS Report purports to be a thorough, evidence-based assessment of gender-affirming care for transgender youth, its underlying methodology lacks sufficient transparency and clarity for its findings to be taken at face value,” the APA wrote in its review, found in the report’s supplement.

In conclusion, the group wrote, “the report’s claims fall short of the standard of methodological rigor that should be considered a prerequisite for policy guidance in clinical care.”

In a response to the report, the Endocrine Society said in a statement to ABC News that mental health care is already part of treating transgender and gender-diverse youth with health care protocols requiring initial mental health support and evaluations.

However, they add that access to medication such as hormone therapy can be used in conversations between patients, their families and their doctors. They add that such care is also relatively rare.

“The use of puberty-delaying medication or hormone therapy remains rare and reflects a cautious approach as recommended in our guideline,” the statement read. “Fewer than one in 1,000 U.S. adolescents with commercial insurance received either treatment during the five-year period from 2018 to 2022, according to a January 2025 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And our 2017 guidelines recommend against prescribing any medication for gender dysphoria before puberty starts.”

Gender-affirming care is supported by multiple major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and the APA, and the Endocrine Society.

Studies have shown that many of the treatment options are generally safe and that care can have a positive impact on mental health, which psychotherapy alone cannot provide, experts said.

Some experts have questioned the significance of interventions on long-term mental health as well as the possibility of regret and point out potential risks to future fertility.

Additionally, systematic reviews from Sweden, Finland and the U.K. have resulted in the three countries restricting gender-affirming care. England’s National Health Service ended prescribing puberty blockers for minors experiencing gender dysphoria outside of clinical trials. Sweden and Finland have followed psychotherapy-first models.

Long-delayed jobs report to show hiring amid wobbly economy

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A long-awaited jobs report to be released on Thursday will offer the latest look at the health of the labor market at a fraught moment for the U.S. economy.

Hiring slowed sharply over the summer, before a government shutdown paused the release of gold-standard federal data for weeks on end. A stock market selloff over recent days underscored the uncertainty looming over the economy as some investors warn of an AI bubble.

Economists expect the U.S. to have added 50,000 jobs in September, which would mark an acceleration from 22,000 jobs added in August, according to a Morningstar analysis of FactSet data.

Still, the anticipated figure would come in well below an average of 97,000 jobs added over the first six months of this year.

Mass layoffs at corporate giants like Amazon, UPS and Verizon in recent weeks have drawn attention to a sluggish labor market — and stoked fears that job losses may spread.

It is likely too early to panic, however, some economists previously told ABC News. While the layoffs reflect a weakened labor market and AI adoption in some corners of the tech industry, they added, the prospect of wider job losses remains highly uncertain.

Inflation has picked up in recent months while hiring has slowed, posing a risk of an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation.”

Those economic conditions have put the Federal Reserve in a bind, since the central bank must balance a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment.

“We have the situation where the risks are to the upside for inflation and to the downside for employment. We have one tool,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., last month. “You can’t address both of those at once.”

Still, Powell said, concern has tilted toward strain in the labor market, prompting the central bank to reduce interest rates a quarter of a percentage point at each of its last two meetings.

“A further reduction of the policy rate in December is not a foregone conclusion — in fact, far from it,” Powell told reporters.

Traders peg the chances interest rates will be left unchanged next month at about 66%, while the odds of a quarter-point rate cut stand at 33%, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.

On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said it would not release a full jobs report for the month of October due to lost capacity during the shutdown. Rather, partial jobs data for October will be released as part of the November report, the BLS said.

Thousands of toxic sites in US at risk of flooding in coming decades due to sea level rise: Study

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Sea level rise caused by climate change could cause thousands of toxic sites in the U.S. to flood in the coming decades, according to new research.

Under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario, more than 5,500 hazardous sites across the U.S. will be at risk of a 1-in-100-year flood by the year 2100, according to a paper published Thursday in Nature. These sites include facilities that handle sewage, toxic waste, oil and gas and other industrial pollutants as well as formerly used defense sites, according to a paper published Thursday in Nature.

Of the the at-risk sites, at least 3,800 locations are projected to flood by 2050, the study found.

Many of the U.S. coastlines are heavily industrialized for a variety of reasons, including access to raw materials and proximity to open seas transportation, Lara Cushing, an associate professor of environmental health science at the University of California Los Angeles and lead author of the paper, told ABC News.

In the past several decades, extreme flooding events caused by storms like Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 flooded industrial facilities, releasing toxic chemicals into the floodwaters and air, Cushing said.

Researchers at UCLA put together a database of industrial and contaminated sites, such as sewage treatment plants, active oil and gas refineries and other types of industrial facilities — a total of nearly 50,000 sites across 23 coastal U.S. states and Puerto Rico, Cushing said. They then estimated flood risks at those locations for the years 2050 and 2100 under greenhouse emissions scenarios: high emissions and moderate emissions.

The findings indicate that the states at most risk of flooding at toxic sites include Florida, New Jersey, California, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts and Texas. Those seven states account for nearly 80% of the hazardous sites at risk by 2100, according to the paper.

“That gives us a sense of where we might want to focus our efforts,” Cushing said.

If these sites were to flood, they could pose serious threats to public health and neighboring communities, according to the paper.

Oil-related infrastructure, such as refineries, ports and terminals, are particularly risky due to the possibility of oil spills but also because of the chemicals that are used to refine the oil, Cushing said.

The researchers also found that residents in marginalized communities will likely be impacted by flooding at toxic sites at higher rates.

The researchers defined neighborhoods across the U.S. into census block groups, classifying them as either being near at-risk sites or not near at-risk sites, but still in coastal areas, Cushing said. They then compared the census geography to different metrics of social marginalization or vulnerability to flooding related to adverse outcomes, such as income, housing tenure, linguistic isolation, access to vehicles and other demographic factors.

They found that low-income communities, communities of color and communities with low levels of voter turnout and access to vehicles are more likely to live near sites of future flood risk due to sea level rise, Cushing said.

Human-amplified climate change is the primary cause for present-day rising sea levels, according to climate scientists. Sea level rise is also accelerating, with the U.S. coastline projected to experience an sea level rise of about 11 inches, according to the federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment. That amount of sea level rise previously took 100 years to reach, between 1920 and 2020.

The Gulf Coast — especially in states like Louisiana and Texas — is of particular concern due to the high concentration of petrochemical industries in low-lying areas, increased threat of strong hurricanes and projected level of sea level rise in the region, Cushing said.

By 2050, the eastern Gulf Coast is projected to experience an average sea level rise of 8 to 12 inches, with an even greater increases of 12 to 16 inches along the western Gulf Coast, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment.

Much of the risk of sea level rise is already locked in due to past emissions, the researchers said. But mitigation for global warming is needed to prevent the most drastic outcomes, Cushing said.

“The implications of our research suggests that this issues needs more attention, both in terms of mitigation plans and emergency preparedness and also things like cleanup plans and standards for legacy contamination,” she said.

In addition, coastal communities, including underserved groups, need access to critical data and resources in order to effectively fortify their resilience to climate change, said Rachel Morello-Frosch, a professor of environmental health sciences community health sciences at UCLA and co-author of the paper.

“There are potential solutions, if policy makers are ready to move forward,” Morello-Frosch said in a statement. “And there is a clear need for disaster planning and land-use decision-making, as well as mitigation strategies to address the inequitable hazards and potential health threats posed by sea level rise.”

Jeffries calls Oversight Chair Comer a ‘stone cold liar’ after Epstein accusation

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries batted away questions Wednesday about whether he’d sought campaign donations from Jeffrey Epstein, calling House Oversight Chairman James Comer a “stone cold liar” after Comer alleged Tuesday that Jeffries had solicited money from the convicted sex offender in 2013.

During floor debate on the Epstein files bill Tuesday afternoon, Comer took direct aim at Jeffries.

“Democrats have been silent about their colleague’s coordination with Epstein,” Comer, R-Ky., said. “Another email shows Democrat fundraisers invited Epstein to attend an event, or meet privately with Hakeem Jeffries in 2013 as part of their effort to build a Democrat House majority.”

Jeffries shot back.

“Was that a serious question or a serious statement from malignant clown James Comer that I had Jeffrey Epstein over for dinner, that I accepted money from Jeffrey Epstein?” Jeffries said. “What’s extraordinary to me about the clown show on the other side of the aisle is that they lie with impunity on things that are objectively verifiable.”

According to documents released by Oversight Republicans last week, Epstein received a campaign solicitation on May 7, 2013, from a fundraising firm touting Jeffries as “one of the rising stars in the New York Congressional delegation” and a “staunch supporter of President Obama.”

“Hakeem is committed to electing a Democratic majority in 2014 and is encouraging his friends to participate in the DCCC/DSCC fundraising dinner with President Obama this coming night,” the email said and shared directions with recipients who “would like to get involved with the dinner, or would like to get an opportunity to get to know Hakeem better.”

The email included the text of a NY1 profile of Jeffries and is signed by Darren Rigger, Lisa Rossi and Walter Swett of Dynamic SRG, which touts itself as a top political fundraising and public affairs firm for progressive candidates and causes in New York City.

Dynamic SRG did not respond to ABC News’ inquiry about whether Jeffries knew about the email.

On Wednesday, Jeffries did not directly answer whether he’d ever solicited donations from Epstein — contending instead that Republicans “have been burying the Epstein files” for months.

Pressed whether he had ever solicited money from Epstein in exchange for a meet-and-greet, Jeffries called Comer a “stone cold liar.”

“I have no idea what James Comer is talking about in terms of anything that any prior consultant may have sent,” Jeffries said. “I had no idea about that either, but James Comer apparently made the representation on the floor of the House that I sat down with Jeffrey Epstein, had dinner with Jeffrey Epstein, have contributions from Jeffrey Epstein. He’s a stone cold liar, and James Comer knows it.”

On Tuesday, Jeffries told CNN he didn’t recall the email and that he’d never met Epstein.

“I have no recollection of the email,” Jeffries said. “I’ve never had a conversation with him, never met him, know nothing about him other than the extreme things that he’s been convicted of doing.”

A Comer spokeswoman argued that the email released by the committee speaks for itself.

“Hakeem Jeffries is the stone cold liar,” she said. “The email, which came to light as a result of Chairman Comer’s subpoena to the Epstein estate, is real and speaks for itself. Hakeem’s fundraisers made a solicitation on his behalf to invite Jeffrey Epstein to a dinner or meet with him privately.”

The solicitation came years after Epstein had already registered as a sex offender in 2010, and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor.

ABC News could find no records of donations from Epstein to Jeffries or groups affiliated with him and Jeffries has never been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein.

Scoreboard roundup — 11/19/25

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Rockets 114, Cavaliers 104
Hornets 118, Pacers 127
Raptors 121, 76ers 112
Warriors 96, Heat 110
Wizards 109, Timberwolves 120
Nuggets 125, Pelicans 118
Kings 99, Thunder 113
Knicks 113, Mavericks 111
Bulls 122, Trail Blazers 121

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Oilers 4, Capitals 7
Flames 6, Sabres 2
Hurricanes 3, Wild 4
Bruins 3, Ducks 4

‘The Family Stone’ writer, director working on a sequel following Diane Keaton’s death

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

A sequel to The Family Stone is in the works.

Thomas Bezucha, who wrote and directed the 2005 film, said in a recent interview with CNN that he has been working on a follow-up to the original film. The original movie follows the Stone family at Christmastime as they navigate matriarch Sybil Stone’s (Diane Keaton) cancer diagnosis.

Bezucha said he was working on the new script when he learned of Keaton’s death on Oct. 11 at the age of 79.

“I’ve been haunted by the loss of Sybil for months now while I worked on it, and so this was a low on a tender bruise already,” Bezucha said. “Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already.”

He added that Keaton’s death made him want to “do a good job by the rest of the cast” and “honor her even more.”

Keaton starred alongside Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Brian J. White, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider and Jamie Kaler in The Family Stone.

The film, which was produced by 20th Century Fox and has since been acquired by Disney, follows businesswoman Meredith (Parker), who accompanies her boyfriend, Everett (Mulroney), to his family’s Christmas celebration and learns she’s a fish out of water in their spirited way of life.

Bezucha said that when he first took his idea for a sequel to his producer, he said he was only interested in making a second film if it involved the principal cast.

“I’m not interested in the Brady family reunion without the original Jan,” he said, adding that when he reached out to the rest of the cast, he received “positive responses.”

According to CNN, the sequel film has not yet been greenlit. Good Morning America has reached out to 20th Century Studios for comment.

Disney is the parent company of 20th Century Studios and ABC News.

David Archuleta on new Christmas EP, Jordin Sparks duet and ‘Only Murders in the Building’ bop

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

David Archuleta was busy this year, releasing a bunch of music, going on tour and prepping his memoir, Devout, for a February release. He’s also just released a new Christmas EP, My Only Wish, and scheduled LA and New York residencies to promote it. Why put himself through all of that?

“Cause I’m crazy,” David jokes. “My manager was like, ‘What if we wait ’til next year so that we can properly set it up?’ At the time I was like, ‘No, I want to do it this year because I’m in the mood now.'”

He laughs, “But now it’s like, sometimes you give yourself too much work to do.”

One track on the EP, “Wish at the Top of My List,” teams David with another American Idol alum, Jordin Sparks, for a collaboration that’s been a long time coming.

“We’ve been talking for over a decade to do a duet,” David says. “To hear her singing on a song that I wrote, like, singing with me … it just made me feel so good.”

And there’s another song of David’s out there you may have heard: He co-wrote “Wish That You Were Me,” sung by Beanie Feldstein‘s pop star character THĒ in season 5 of Only Murders in the Building. David’s friend John Hoffman, the OMITB showrunner, is a fan of David’s song “Crème Brûlée” and asked him to write a similar song for the show.

David says John told him the synopsis of the season, the character they were developing and the kind of song they needed.

“And I’d never written, really, to fit another character,” David says. “And I was like, ‘That sounds fun.'”

“I was kind of like creating this little bit of a sassier character in my own music with ‘Crème Brûlée,'” he explains. “So it was just fun to channel a little more extreme version of that.”

Gigi Perez premieres ’Back to the Beach’ short film reflecting on breakout year

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Gigi Perez has premiered a new short film called Back to the Beach.

The 15-minute video reflects on the “Sailor Song” artist’s breakout 2025, which included releasing her debut album, At the Beach, in Every Life, opening for Hozier and being named the Vevo DSCVR Artist of the Year.

In Back to the Beach, Perez returns to the Village Music Cafe in Palm Beach, Florida, where she first started performing, and reunites with her very first guitar.

“I think the first few years of putting music out under my artist name, there were a lot of constant roadblocks,” Perez says. “Like, every single day, there was a door that you opened, and behind it was, like, a little fist that punched you in the face.”

“But this year, it was different,” she continues. “Things started to just flow and happen in a way that I just haven’t experienced before … I’m just so grateful.”

Back to the Beach is now streaming on YouTube. It also includes performances of the songs “Fable” and “Sugar Water.”

Gigi Perez’s 2026 plans so far include performances at Coachella.

‘Moses the Black’ gets official release date

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Omar Epps stars as a Chicago gangster in the upcoming movie Moses the Black, which now has an official release date. Fathom Entertainment announced that it is set to release on Jan. 30, 2026.

Moses the Black is inspired by the story of the titular fourth century monk and saint, who transformed his life after years of being a violent gang leader. Omar will take on the role of Chicago gang leader Malik while serving as executive producer alongside Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent and more.

Wiz also appears in the film as 2wo-3ree, the head of Malik’s young crew, while Quavo portrays Straw, the leader of a rival gang competing against Malik’s team for power. Chukwudi Iwuji plays St. Moses the Black.

“This film is about redemption and real change. It’s raw, it’s emotional, and it’s powerful. I can’t wait for audiences to see it,” 50 Cent says in a statement.

Fathom Entertainment CEO Ray Nutt adds it’s “an action-packed drama” and “heart-pounding story” that was made to be seen on the big screen.

Fans can sign up on Fathom Entertainment’s website for information about Moses the Black, for which tickets will become available on Dec. 19.

Alexandros Potter produced the film with Yelena Popovic for Simeon Entertainment on behalf of Simeon Faith.

Steve Martin questioned appearance on Aerosmith/Yungblud single: ‘Can I even play this?’

November 20, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Aerosmith and Yungblud are set to release their collaborative EP, One More Time, on Friday. They recently released an acoustic take on its first single, “My Only Angel,” featuring actor and comedian Steve Martin, who plays banjo on the track.

The Only Murders in the Building star tells ABC Audio that the invite to appear on the song came “out of the blue.” He notes that he heard from his agent that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was trying to reach him, so Martin told his agent to give him his number.

“(Tyler) sent me a little sample of it. And the first thing I think of is, you know, can I even play this? I’ve never played rock ‘n’ roll like that,” Martin says. “So I send him a sample of like, ‘Is this what you mean?’ And then they used it.”

And while he may have been concerned about his contribution, Martin seems pretty happy with the final product.

“I thought it was really good,” he says. “Really, it was so catchy and rock ‘n’ roll and his voice is extraordinary.” He adds, “I was impressed with myself.”

Martin’s version of the song doesn’t actually appear on the EP, but it’s currently available to stream on YouTube.

The five-song One More Time is the first new music from Aerosmith since their last studio album, 2012’s Music From Another Dimension. Prior to the EP announcement, Yungblud performed with Tyler and Joe Perry during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7 for a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne.

A two-day pop-up celebrating One More Time is taking place Friday and Saturday at Complex LA, featuring exclusive merch and more.

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