Summary — NPR Up First

Content Title: National Guard Powers, Marking October 7th, SCOTUS: Conversion Therapy
Host: Steve Inskeep with Michelle Martin

Overview

This episode covers three major news items:

1. Legal and political disputes over President Trump's efforts to federalize National Guard troops and the use of the Insurrection Act (and an alternative legal provision) to deploy troops to U.S. cities.
2. The second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel — commemorations in Israel, the humanitarian toll in Gaza, and ongoing hostage-release negotiations.
3. The U.S. Supreme Court hearing a high-profile case over state bans on conversion therapy for minors, centering on conflicts between free-speech claims by therapists and medical/community standards.

Key points and main takeaways

1) National Guard deployments and presidential power

• President Trump directed movement of Texas National Guard troops to support operations in Democratic-led cities (e.g., Portland, Chicago), citing public-safety and immigration enforcement concerns.
• Legal challenges: Illinois and Chicago sued to stop federalizing hundreds of National Guard troops; a federal judge declined to block the Chicago deployment for now. A different federal judge temporarily blocked the federal deployment to Portland.
• Legal basis dispute: Rather than invoke the Insurrection Act (rarely used since the early 1990s), the administration cites Section 12406 of Title 10 (a 1903 law) to federalize Guardsmen, a move that has produced mixed judicial responses.
• Experts note the Insurrection Act is politically sensitive ("a third rail"), and traditional Guard usage is under state control unless federalized.

2) October 7 anniversary and Israel–Hamas war

• Two-year anniversary prompted memorials across Israel and among diaspora communities remembering the ~1,200 killed on October 7, 2023.
• Israel remains deeply divided; many communities feel betrayed by perceived security failures and by the government's handling of hostages.
• Current status: about 48 hostages remain in Gaza; roughly 20 are believed to be alive.
• Gaza toll and conditions: Gaza Ministry of Health reports over 67,000 killed (about 30% children); roughly 78% of structures are destroyed or damaged; pervasive displacement, famine risk, and daily bombardment.
• Diplomacy: Negotiators in Egypt are discussing a proposal to free remaining hostages in exchange for roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners — described as the most significant diplomatic breakthrough yet, though talks may take days.

3) Supreme Court case on conversion therapy bans

• The Court is hearing a challenge by the Alliance Defending Freedom and plaintiff Kaylee Childs (a Colorado licensed therapist) to Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors.
• Plaintiffs argue bans constitute impermissible viewpoint-based restrictions on therapists’ speech — they characterize the practice as talk therapy protected by the First Amendment.
• States and medical groups counter that conversion therapy is a discredited, harmful practice condemned by major medical associations; about half of U.S. states ban it for minors.
• Colorado’s defense: the law is narrow (applies only to minors), permits religious counseling outside state licensure, and states may set standards to protect patients from substandard or harmful care.
• The case frames tensions among free-speech protections, professional licensing, medical standards, and LGBTQ youth protections.

Notable quotes / insights

• President Trump on the Insurrection Act: “I do it if it was necessary... If people were being killed... I’d do that.”
• Law professor Stephen Vladeck: The Insurrection Act “has been a third rail politically for much of its history.”
• Ret. Maj. Gen. William Enyart: “It’s an appropriate use of the Guard to use them for civil disturbances. But these aren’t civil disturbances.”
• Rotam Cooper (Israeli kibbutz member): the community feels “the government kind of deserted them, not just once, but twice.”
• Ahmed Abou Saif (Gaza resident): the world has “let this happen by being silent and cowardly.”
• Kaylee Childs (plaintiff therapist): “I want to be able to operate genuinely and create therapeutic relationships that are not hindered by the values and position of our state.”

Topics discussed

• Presidential authority to deploy domestic troops (Insurrection Act; Title 10 §12406)
• Federal vs. state control of National Guard
• Legal battles and recent court rulings related to Guard deployments
• Two-year anniversary of October 7 attacks; hostages; Israeli public sentiment
• Humanitarian crisis in Gaza (casualties, displacement, infrastructure damage)
• Diplomatic negotiations in Egypt for hostage-prisoner exchange
• Supreme Court review of conversion therapy bans; First Amendment vs. medical regulation
• Role of medical associations and state licensing in setting care standards

Action items / recommendations

• Follow developments in:
  • Court decisions on National Guard federalization and any precedent-setting rulings about Titles used to deploy troops domestically.
  • Egypt-mediated negotiations and official statements about any hostage-exchange agreement or ceasefire terms.
  • The Supreme Court’s decision on conversion therapy, which will affect state authority to regulate licensed therapeutic practices.
• If you want more depth:
  • Read NPR’s full reporting on each topic for updates and context.
  • For legal analysis: look up recent rulings in the Portland and Chicago cases and commentary from constitutional law experts.
  • For those concerned about conversion therapy and LGBTQ youth: consult major medical associations (e.g., American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association) and local state laws detailing protections and bans.

If you'd like, I can produce a one-paragraph brief for sharing on social media, or a timeline of the legal decisions mentioned.