The battle over parental rights is hitting a fever pitch in California, where the state is suing to stop a local district from notifying parents when their kids seek to change their gender identity. As The Washington Times’ Valerie Richardson reported, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued to stop the Chino Valley Unified School District from informing parents.

“The forced outing policy wrongfully endangers the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of non-conforming students who lack an accepting environment in the classroom and at home,” Mr. Bonta said. “Our message to Chino Valley Unified and all school districts in California is loud and clear: We will never stop fighting for the civil rights of LGBTQ+ students.” Read more here.

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Pope ignites fury

Meanwhile, Pope Francis made headlines this week for recent comments that have come to light on what he called a “reactionary attitude” among some powerful American Catholics.

“Francis defined his American critics’ ‘reactionary attitude’ as ‘organized’ and that it shapes the way people belong, even emotionally,’ according to the Jesuit magazine [La Civilta Cattolica],” The Times’ Mark Kellner writes. “He said being ‘backward-looking’ or nostalgia for earlier times in the church ‘is useless’ and Catholics ‘need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals.’”

See what else the pontiff had to say — and how critics responded.

Riley Gaines shares powerful faith message

Riley Gaines, a college swim champion and women’s sports advocate, shares with Higher Ground what it was like to wait for someone to stand up for her and other women athletes when Lia Thomas, a man who identifies as a woman, began competing on her college women’s swim team and changing in the women’s locker room.

When that help didn’t come, she decided to speak out against “the betrayal” and share the trauma she and others experienced. She sits down with Higher Ground’s Billy Hallowell to discuss these topics and more.

Popular evangelical college set to close

In other news, King’s College, an evangelical school in New York City, is set to close — a blow to religious education reverberating through the American faith community.

As The Times’ Sean Salai reports, King’s College was due to lose its accreditation by the end of August. Mr. Salai writes, “The Middle States Commission on Higher Education said…that King’s College has failed to submit a ‘required substantive change request for institutional closure” to maintain accreditation.”

The institution, which has had a long and complex history, had already announced it wouldn’t hold fall classes. Read more about the story here.

Canada’s eyebrow-raising warning to LGBTQ travlers

And America’s neighbor to the north has issued a stunning travel advisory, warning LGBTQ citizens about potential perils they face in if they venture into the U.S.

“Some states have enacted laws and policies that may affect 2SLGBTQI+ persons,” reads the Canadian travel advisory. “Check relevant state and local laws.”

According to The Times’ Victor Morton, state names weren’t given, though Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said officials try to “look carefully around the world and to monitor whether there are particular dangers to particular groups of Canadians.”

Five pro-lifers found guilty of ’invading’ D.C. clinic

Meanwhile, the abortion wars forge on, with Mr. Kellner writing about five pro-life activists who were found guilty in federal court Tuesday on federal felony civil rights conspiracy charges and violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The group, ranging in age from 25 to 67, were accused of an “invasion” in October 2020, with defendants Lauren Handy, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, William Goodman, and Herb Geraghty, jailed in the wake of the jury’s decision.

“The five were convicted on charges related to what the [Justice Department] called an ‘invasion’ of the Washington Surgi-Clinic reproductive health clinic,” Mr. Kellner writes. “Some participants came to the District ‘from various northeast and midwestern states,’ the department said, as part of the conspiracy. The agency said the blockade was also livestreamed on Facebook.” Read the details of the polarizing case here.

American Library Association’s ’Bud Light Moment’

And it seems troubles haven’t stopped percolating for the American Library Association, with Ms. Richardson reporting that the nation’s  largest library association is in the midst of its own “Bud Light Moment” after debates over events such as drag queen story hours.

Ms. Richardson cites reports that the ALA’s “newly installed president calls herself a ‘Marxist lesbian,” adding, “Pressure is mounting on conservative-leaning states to sever ties with the 147-year-old ‘voice of America’s libraries’ over concerns about the leftist advocacy of American Library Association President Emily Drabinski.” Read more here.

California district settles over trans row

In other news, a California school district is paying a mother $100,000 after she accused educators of encouraging her daughter’s gender transition without her knowledge. The Spreckels Union School District settled with mom Jessica Konen in what’s being labeled a win for parental rights.

“Today’s settlement is a clear message to schools: Parents will not stand idly by as schools trample on their right to raise their children,” the Center for American Liberty, the firm representing the family, said in a statement. Read more about the case here.

In our opinion

And on the opinion pages, Mr. Hallowell sits down with Columbine survivor Evan Todd to discuss violence in America. Gun control is often the first solution mentioned in the wake of mass shootings, but Mr. Todd doesn’t believe this will fix the nation’s epidemic of violence.

“More laws are not going to stop a mass shooter,” Mr. Todd said. “The two murders at Columbine broke more than 29, 30 laws. When [someone is] intent on murdering other individuals, they don’t care about the law. The law doesn’t matter whether it’s a gun law or any other law. They will break them.” Read the column.

Mr. Todd also joins the “Higher Ground With Billy Hallowell” podcast to explain why he believes some activists have it all wrong: listen here.

Getting kids out of ‘crazy’ public schools?

And over on the “Ask Dr. E” column, Dr. Everett Piper fields a question from a woman who wants to convince her daughter not to send her grandkids to public schools.

“Saint James tells us in the Bible that ‘faith without works is dead,” he writes. “Maybe the lesson your daughter should consider before she chooses a school for her children is that education emasculated of character is just about as worthless.”