By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A U.S. judge in Washington state has blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s order banning transgender people from serving in the military, the second nationwide injunction against the policy in as many weeks.

The order Thursday from U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma came in a case brought by several long-serving transgender military members who say the ban is insulting and discriminatory, and that their firing would cause lasting damage to their careers and reputations.

In his 65-page ruling, Settle — an appointee of former President George W. Bush and a former captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps — said the administration offered no explanation as to why transgender troops, who have been able to serve openly over the past four years with no evidence of problems, should suddenly be banned.

“The government’s arguments are not persuasive, and it is not an especially close question on this record,” Settle wrote. “The government’s unrelenting reliance on deference to military judgment is unjustified in the absence of any evidence supporting ‘the military’s’ new judgment reflected in the Military Ban.”

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., similarly issued an order blocking the policy last week but then put her own ruling temporarily on hold pending the government’s appeal. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia late Thursday told the parties that it would consider putting the ruling into effect if “any action occurs that negatively impacts” transgender service members.

In a more limited ruling on Monday, a judge in New Jersey barred the Air Force from removing two transgender men, saying they showed their separation would cause lasting damage to their careers and reputations that no monetary settlement could repair.

Trump signed an executive order Jan. 27 that claims the sexual identity of transgender service members “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” and is harmful to military readiness.

In response, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a policy that presumptively disqualifies transgender people from military service.

“They can do the right number of pullups. They can do the right amount of pushups. They can shoot straight,” Sasha Buchert, an attorney with the civil rights law firm Lambda Legal, said after arguments Monday in Tacoma. “Yet, they’re being told they have to leave the military simply because of who they are.”

Those challenging the policy and Trump’s executive order in Tacoma include Gender Justice League, which counts transgender troops among its members, and several transgender members of the military. Among them is U.S. Navy Cmdr. Emily “Hawking” Shilling, a 42-year-old woman who has served for more than 19 years, including 60 missions as a combat aviator in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In his ruling, Settle highlighted her case.

“There is no claim and no evidence that she is now, or ever was, a detriment to her unit’s cohesion, or to the military’s lethality or readiness, or that she is mentally or physically unable to continue her service,” he wrote. “There is no claim and no evidence that Shilling herself is dishonest or selfish, or that she lacks humility or integrity. Yet absent an injunction, she will be promptly discharged solely because she is transgender.”

During arguments Monday, Justice Department lawyer Jason Lynch insisted that the president was entitled to deference in military affairs and suggested the service ban was not as broad as the plaintiffs had suggested.

The judge peppered Lynch with questions, noting that the government had offered no evidence that allowing transgender troops to serve openly had caused any problems for military readiness.

Thousands of transgender people serve in the military, but they represent less than 1% of the total number of active-duty service members.

In 2016, a Defense Department policy permitted transgender people to serve openly in the military. During Trump’s first term in the White House, the Republican issued a directive to ban transgender service members, with an exception for some of those who had already started transitioning under more lenient rules that were in effect during the Obama administration. The Supreme Court allowed that ban to take effect. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, scrapped it when he took office.

The rules imposed by Hegseth include no such exceptions.

When grocery stores offer specials on fresh strawberries this time of year, I jump at the chance to make Strawberry Preserves with Balsamic Vinegar. The balsamic vinegar, aged in special fruitwood barrels, pairs with berries, resulting in a magical dish that balances sweetness, earthiness, and tartness.

Drizzle it over chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano placed in spoons or spread it on rustic toast (or crackers) that are spread with soft goat cheese.

Strawberry Preserves with Balsamic Vinegar is a dish that balances sweetness, earthiness and tartness. (Photo by Cathy Thomas)

Strawberry Preserves with Balsamic Vinegar

Yield: About 2 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 cups hulled and quartered fresh strawberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons water

For serving: Cubes of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or toasted rustic bread (or crackers) spread with soft goat cheese

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a deep, medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan bring strawberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar and water to boil on high heat, stirring, and skim surface (watch carefully to prevent a boil-over). Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture, stirring and skimming foam occasionally, 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened and translucent (you may need to add 5 to 10 minutes). The skimming process can be challenging — just get off as much foam as you can without obsessing — a little foam left among the berries won’t matter.

2. Remove pan from heat and cool completely. Preserves keep, covered and chilled, up to 1 month.

3. To serve, place a cube of Parmigiano Reggiano in several spoons placed on a plate or platter (Asian-style soup spoons or tableware teaspoons). Top with about a teaspoon of preserves. Or serve atop toast or crackers spread with soft goat cheese.

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

(Drue Wagner)

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By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Suspected U.S. airstrikes pummeled sites across Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels early Friday, including neighborhoods in the capital, Sanaa.

The extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn’t immediately clear, though the number of strikes appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.

An Associated Press review has found the new American operation under President Donald Trump appears more more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities.

Initial reports from the Houthis described at least seven people being hurt in the attacks Friday in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital that the rebels have held since 2014. Other strikes hit around the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, the rebel’s stronghold of Saada and in Yemen’s al-Jawf, Amran and Marib governorates.

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)

The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge what at those sites had been targeted, other than Sanaa International Airport, which is used for both civilian and military traffic. Neighborhoods in the capital also are home to military and intelligence service sites — as well as crowded with civilians.

An Associated Press video showed one bomb dropping into Sanaa, with a huge plume of smoke rising into the night sky as many people were awake in the final days of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Other areas hit included mountainous terrain north of Sanaa in Amran, where military camps and other installations are believed to be. The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news network described communication networks going down after the attacks, which included at least 19 strikes there alone.

The U.S. military’s Central Command, which now has authority from the White House to strike offensively in Yemen without pre-approval, did not immediately acknowledge conducting any strikes. The command, which under Biden offered details on individual strikes, has not provided that information in this campaign.

The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis say have killed at least 57 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.

The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.

The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.