The Big Story

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today that schools can limit girls’ sports teams to biological females, settling cases from West Virginia and Idaho.

The Court said safety and fairness on the field were reason enough and that schools don’t have to make exceptions, even for transgender athletes on hormone treatment.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Views the ruling as allowing states to exclude transgender girls from girls’ sports without requiring evidence of a competitive or safety advantage.
• Sees it as part of a broader trend of courts and legislatures narrowing legal protections for transgender people.

From the Right

• Views the ruling as affirming that states can set eligibility rules for girls’ sports based on biological sex.
• Says statewide rules provide a consistent standard for athletic competition and are intended to preserve fairness in girls’ sports.

What This Means for Us

For most us, nothing changes day to day.

But for schools and athletic organizations, this decision gives states more clarity about how they can set eligibility rules for girls’ sports. It will also influence how other states write similar laws and how future legal challenges are decided.

How They Make Money

Under Armour

• Under Armour generated about $5.2 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025, with apparel making up about 67% of its sales. Women’s apparel remains one of the company’s key growth areas.
• The company also supplies apparel and footwear to athletes, schools, and teams through sponsorships and licensing, making youth, high school, and college sports an important part of its business.

Takeaway

As girls’ sports grow, so does the business behind them.

The Number That Stuck With Me

27

27 states now restrict girls’ sports to biological females by law.

The Big Story

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that Planned Parenthood of Illinois will pay $500,000 to settle a race discrimination investigation.

The agency found reason to believe the organization separated employees into groups based on race, excluded some white employees from certain discussions, and exposed them to race-based comments and training that created a hostile work environment.

The settlement will compensate affected employees and requires Planned Parenthood to change workplace policies.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Employers should be allowed to consider race as one factor when designing programs that increase workplace diversity and expand opportunities
• Helps address historical barriers while remaining consistent with federal law.

From the Right

• Employers should not consider race when making workplace decisions or designing employment programs.
• Hiring, promotions, and training should be based on merit and applied equally to everyone.

What This Means for Us

If you’ve noticed companies changing or scaling back their DEI programs, this is one reason why.

Employers are trying to balance building diverse workplaces with making sure every employee is treated equally under federal law.

How They Make Money

The Winters Group

• Founded in 1984, The Winters Group helps employers build DEI programs through consulting and workplace training. They receive funding through insurance reimbursements, government health programs, grants, and private donations.
• Clients have included Bank of America, Disney, Merck, Shell, and Capital One, which hire the firm to improve workplace culture.

Takeaway

Federal race discrimination laws protect everyone. They apply whether you’re Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, or any other race.

The Number That Stuck With Me

$660 million

The EEOC helped workers recover nearly $660 million from employment discrimination cases in 2025.

The Big Story

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that individual Louisiana prison officers cannot be personally sued for money damages under a federal religious freedom law.

The case began after Damon Landor, a Rastafarian inmate, said prison officers shaved his head even though his faith prohibits cutting his hair. Before the haircut, he says he even showed officers a previous court ruling protecting his religious rights.

But the justices weren’t deciding whether his rights were violated. They were deciding who can be sued under this law. Because the law applies to prison systems that accept federal funding, the Court said the legal responsibility falls on the prison system not the individual officers.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Inmates don’t lose their religious rights in prison.
• Personal lawsuits hold officers accountable when those rights are violated.

From the Right

• Inmates’ religious rights should be protected.
• Officers shouldn’t face personal liability unless Congress clearly says they can.

What This Means for Us

If you’ve ever wondered whether you can sue a government employee personally, the answer isn’t always yes.

This ruling shows that, under some federal laws, the legal responsibility falls on the government agency, not the individual employee.

How They Make Money

CoreCivic

• Founded in 1983, it became the first private prison company in the United States, and is one of only two major publicly traded private prison companies in the U.S.
• The company provides services to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Marshals Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and state governments.
  

Takeaway

The Supreme Court didn’t decide whether anyone’s rights were violated, it decided who can be held personally responsible under this federal law.

The Number That Stuck With Me

1988

The year Congress passed a law that generally protects federal employees from being personally sued for actions taken as part of their jobs.

The Big Story

Federal agents searched Ali Hemani’s home in 2022 as part of a terrorism-related investigation.

During the search, Hemani cooperated, turned over a gun, and told agents he used marijuana almost every day. No terrorism charges were filed. Instead, the government charged him under a federal law that says people who regularly use drugs like marijuana cannot legally possess guns.

The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled that using marijuana alone wasn’t enough to automatically take away someone’s gun rights.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Marijuana use is increasingly accepted, and federal laws should better align with state laws.
• Focus restrictions on dangerous behavior, not marijuana use alone.

From the Right

• Gun ownership is a constitutional right that should not be lost automatically because someone uses marijuana.
• Focus restrictions on people who have proven to be dangerous, not broad categories of people.

What This Means for Us

Marijuana is legal for medical use in 40 states and recreational use in 24 states, but it remains illegal under federal law.

According to the federal government, more than 64 million Americans used marijuana in 2024. That means millions of people are living under two different sets of law.

The Hemani case shows how these inconsistent laws affect everyday things in our lives like gun ownership, federal employment, military service, security clearances, and other federal benefits and programs.

How They Make Money

Curaleaf

• Founded in 2010, Curaleaf grew from a startup into one of the largest cannabis companies in America while marijuana remains illegal under federal law.
• Curaleaf is publicly traded and generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue.

Takeaway

As marijuana use grows, the gap between state and federal law keeps getting harder to ignore.

The Number That Stuck With Me

15

15 years was the maximum prison sentence Hemani faced.

The Big Story

The law, known as House Bill 752, was passed earlier this year. The law says people must use certain public restrooms and changing rooms based on their biological sex.

Before the law could fully take effect, a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• View the law as unfairly targeting transgender people in ordinary public spaces.
• Raises questions about how the law would be enforced in practice and should be narrowed or blocked by the courts.

From the Right

• View the law as protecting privacy in public restrooms and changing areas.
• States should be allowed to set restroom rules based on biological sex.

What This Means for Us

Cases like this reach beyond one state. As the lawsuit moves forward, we will all be watching. It affects how laws are written, how police will enforce them, and how businesses open to the public offer restrooms.

This case is really about where states can draw the line when creating rules for public spaces. The courts will now decide whether Idaho’s approach stands.

How They Make Money

Resolute Road Hospitality

• Founded in 2023, Resolute Road Hospitality grew to 25 hotels in just a few years, operating properties under some of the biggest names including Marriott and Hilton.
• Unlike a hotel owner tied to one location, Resolute Road operates across multiple states. That means one change in state law creates a ripple effect across policies, employee training, and guest services throughout its portfolio.

Takeaway

When a state law reaches public businesses, a social policy debate quickly become an operations issue.

The Number That Stuck With Me

5

A second offense under the Idaho’s bathroom law could be treated as a felony with up to five years in prison.

The Big Story

The York Revolution forfeited a scheduled game after multiple players said they would not wear themed Pride Night jerseys.

In an official statement, the team said it faced two choices: force players to wear the jerseys or proceed with Pride Night without a game. The organization chose to move forward with the event, canceled the game, and accepted the forfeit. The team also announced a $10,000 donation to the Rainbow Rose Center.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Organizations should stand by community events they publicly commit to hosting.
• Themed events lose meaning if participation becomes optional after the event is announced.

From the Right

• Employees should not be required to wear clothing that conflicts with their personal beliefs.
• Participation in a themed event should remain voluntary when it involves expression beyond normal job duties.

What This Means for Us

Sports teams increasingly host themed nights tied to social causes, charities, and community groups.

This situation highlights a growing question for all us: when do workplace expectations end and personal expression begin?

How They Make Money

York Revolution

• The York Revolution were founded in 2007 and play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent league not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
• The team is one the Atlantic League’s most successful franchises, with five league championships, including the 2025 title.
  

Takeaway

A Pride Night themed jersey became bigger than the baseball game itself.

The Number That Stuck With Me

7

The York Revolution has hosted a Pride Night community event and game for seven years before this game was forfeited.

Who was Robert Smalls?

Robert Smalls was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1839.

During the Civil War, Smalls gained his freedom after taking control of a Confederate transport ship and delivering it to Union forces. He later entered politics and served in both the South Carolina legislature and Congress.

In 1868, Smalls served as a delegate to the convention that created South Carolina’s first free public school system.

For many families, especially those who had recently emerged from slavery, it was their first opportunity to access free public education.

Smalls saw education as an important part of building opportunity after the Civil War.

His Political Fight

Smalls spent much of his political career defending Reconstruction reforms, including voting rights, public education, and equal treatment under the law.

At the time, many Democrats in the South opposed those efforts and worked to restore much of the pre-Civil War political system. Smalls argued that citizenship should come with equal opportunities and responsibilities for all Americans.

Smalls once said, “My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be equal of any people anywhere.”

Why His Story Matters

Most of us don’t think much about freedom, public school, and opportunity. We simply expect them to be there.

Robert Smalls helped build a future where more Americans had access to education, opportunity, and a chance to shape their own lives. That’s a legacy worth remembering on Juneteenth.

About FIFA

The World Cup doesn’t belong to a country or a league. It belongs to FIFA, a global soccer organization that coordinates the tournament, chooses host nations, and manages the event.

The organization was founded in 1904, but the first World Cup wasn’t played until 1930.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup starts June 11 and runs through July 19. It will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This is the first World Cup ever hosted by three countries at the same time and is the largest in history featuring 48 national teams and 104 matches.

The tournatment games will be played in cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Kansas City, and New York.

A Little History

Before the World Cup existed, international soccer was only played at the Olympics.

Only eight countries have ever won the World Cup. The United States finished third in the 1930 World Cup. The first World Cup had only 13 countries. Teams do not get the true World Cup trophy, it stays with FIFA and winners receive a replica.

The last time more than one country hosted the tournament was 2002 in Japan and South Korea.

Why It Matters

FIFA estimates the tournament generates more than $40 billion in economic activity and brings millions of visitors.

Whether local businesses ultimately see all of those benefits is something economists and city leaders often debate after the event.

You don’t have to be a soccer fan to notice the World Cup. For a few weeks, it will show up everywhere, from airports and hotels to social media and headlines. Few events reach as many people, places, and conversations around the world.

Real Quick is a simple breakdown of things you hear all the time but don’t always understand.

The Big Story

As demand for artificial intelligence grows, so does the need for data centers and the resources required to power them.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed an executive order directing state agencies to develop a strategy for attracting data centers while protecting the electric grid, local communities, and residents from potential increases in electricity costs.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Data centers drive economic growth, but also create risks around electricity demand, water use, and long-term impacts on local communities.
• Strong oversight and planning before projects are approved ensures growth does not strain resources or raise costs for residents.

From the Right

• Data centers are an economic opportunity, but regulations that are too restrictive discourage investment and push development to other states.
• Maintain basic safeguards while making it easier and faster for companies to build new facilities.

What This Means for Us

When a large data center comes to a community, it brings a temporary surge in construction jobs and new tax revenue. But it also increases demand for electricity and land.

Communities in Northern Virginia and Texas are already debating whether the power plants, transmission lines, and other utility upgrades needed to support data centers are worth the tradeoffs.

How They Make Money

Microsoft

• Microsoft recently announced plans to acquire 3,200 additional acres near Cheyenne to support future data center and AI infrastructure growth.
• It operates one of the world’s largest data center networks, with hundreds of facilities supporting Azure, AI services, and cloud computing around the globe.

Takeaway

The AI race isn’t just about technology. It’s about land, power, and who controls both.

The Number That Stuck With Me

590,000

That’s about how many people live in Wyoming, making it the least populated state in America.

The Big Story

Americans have never had more ways to connect, yet loneliness remains a growing concern.

In 2023, the Surgeon General called loneliness a major public health challenge. Now, companies are increasingly trying to solve that problem through everything from meetups to fitness groups to coworking spaces.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Loneliness is viewed as a growing public health and social challenge.
• Parks, community events, and shared spaces make it easier to build relationships.

From the Right

• Loneliness is a sign that many of the relationships people once relied on are fading.
• Families, friends, neighbors, and local organizations are the foundation of a connected community.

What This Means for Us

More businesses are finding ways to monetize connection and aren’t just selling products or services anymore.

They’re creating places where we meet, spend time together, and feel part of something.

How They Make Money

Bending Spoons

• Bending Spoons owns Meetup, where more than 60 million people have signed up to find people who share their interests.
• Instead of charging people to join, Meetup earns money from the organizers who bring the groups together.

Takeaway

Helping people find their people is becoming big business.

The Number That Stuck With Me

100

The World Health Organization estimates loneliness is linked to more than 871,000 deaths globally each year, or about 100 every hour.