SUMMARY: FOX 14’s “Zoo to You” featured a young female panther chameleon from Madagascar’s rainforest. Unlike vibrant males, females are mostly tan with pink and orange markings for camouflage while nesting. These insectivores use long, rapid tongues to catch prey midair. They have prehensile tails to grasp branches. Panther chameleons are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females differ in color and behavior. Males display bright colors based on location, while females remain more muted for protection. Though beautiful, panther chameleons are high-maintenance pets requiring specialized terrariums and foliage. The segment emphasized their unique biology and care needs.

FOX 14 Your Morning News: Zoo to You

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by Kate Sosin, The 19th, Louisiana Illuminator
June 20, 2025

After three years and 1.3 million texts and phone calls, the national LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline is shutting down. The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was ending LGBTQ+ services for 988, the crisis hotline for queer youth that launched in 2022.

“Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress,” the administration said in an announcement. “Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help.”

The statement does not specify why services specific to LGBTQ+ callers are ending.

LGBTQ+ rights organizations decried the news as a crushing blow to young queer Americans, many of whom are already suffering through increasingly hostile laws and policies.

“This is devastating, to say the least,” said Jaymes Black, CEO of the queer youth suicide prevention organization Trevor Project, in a statement. “Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. The administration’s decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible.”

The announcement came on the eve of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the United States vs. Skrmetti, in which the court upheld a Tennessee law barring gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The ruling is expected to bolster anti-transgender medical bans for youth in 25 states and risks undercutting constitutional protections for all transgender people.

Over the past five years, LGBTQ+ people have increasingly been the target of hostile policy and political attacks. Against that backdrop, the 988 hotline was praised as a lifeline for young people in desperate need of support. But the Trump administration’s moves to unravel diversity, equity and inclusion policies have undercut services for LGBTQ+ people broadly.

The Trevor Project, which staffs its own crisis line, worked with the federal government to field approximately 50% of the 988 calls. Six other providers also do that work. According to the Trevor Project, it served 231,000 crisis contacts last year alone.

The organization reports that LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide as their straight cisgender peers. According to their 2023 survey, roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth had seriously considered suicide, and 41% of queer youth overall had.

This story was originally reported by Kate Sosin of The 19th. Meet Kate and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy.

Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

The post Trump administration to end national LGBTQ+ suicide hotline appeared first on lailluminator.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This content emphasizes support for LGBTQ+ rights and mental health services, critiquing decisions made by the Trump administration that are framed as harmful to vulnerable queer youth. It highlights bipartisan support for LGBTQ+ suicide prevention and expresses concern about anti-transgender policies. The tone and focus suggest a leaning that favors progressive social policies and is critical of conservative administration actions, placing it in a Center-Left political bias category.

SUMMARY: Dr. Michael McCaskill has spent nearly a decade studying sickle cell disease and its link to vitamin D, which plays a vital role in regulating inflammation, immune response, and mental health. His team found that higher vitamin D levels correlate with reduced inflammation in sickle cell patients. Despite the body’s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight, over 80% of Black Americans are deficient due to melanin’s UV-blocking properties and geographic factors. The Fitzpatrick scale helps estimate vitamin D conversion based on skin tone. McCaskill urges people to request vitamin D tests, as treatment is often simple if deficiency is found.

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The post The importance of vitamin D appeared first on wgno.com