NBA Finals, transgender ruling, WHCD drama and Uber's oddest lost items: Week in review
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., dealt a significant blow to the Trump administration's policy on transgender military service this week, ruling 2–1 that the military cannot expel transgender individuals from its ranks. Judge Robert Wilkins wrote that the policy was “arbitrary and based upon animus,” and appeared to be driven by “the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group.” While the decision blocks removals, a ban on new enlistments by transgender people remains in place. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who has publicly argued that transgender people “cannot satisfy the rigorous standards” needed to serve, took to X with a defiant post: “See you at SCOTUS,” signaling an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The White House Correspondents' Association dinner, originally scheduled for April 25, was thrown into chaos after a gunman attempted to storm the event. Now it’s back on — but in a much smaller form. Association president Weijia Jiang announced the gathering will take place July 24 as “a more intimate gathering,” adding, “We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word.” The venue remains under wraps, but President Donald Trump confirmed he’ll be there, posting on Truth Social: “I don't know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people. In any event, it will be a 'HOT' ticket!”
Capital in chaos: Relive the White House Correspondents' Dinner attack in videos.
Uber released its annual Lost & Found Index this week, and let’s just say riders left behind more than the usual phone or wallet. The 2026 list includes dentures, breast milk, an ankle monitor, an oxygen tank, live fish, a mini-fridge, a dishwasher, handcuffs, a mannequin, pelvis implants (yes), wedding gowns, 20 pounds of duck sausage, grass, trees, a sack of marbles, a Donny Osmond group photo — and, of course, a kitchen faucet. It’s enough to make you wonder what people are actually doing in the back of those cars.
President Donald Trump, a real estate developer at heart, took evident pride in giving King Charles III and Queen Camilla a tour of his gilded Oval Office during their April visit. “They said, ‘This is something,’” Trump recalled in a May 30 interview, adding, “You know, they have Buckingham Palace.” Some sharp-eyed British social media users pointed out that “this is something” can be a diplomatic way of saying nothing nice. “It's what you say when you have nothing good to say,” one X user wrote. The palace, for its part, hasn’t clarified.
New York City kids have one more reason to love the NBA Finals this year. Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order temporarily “repealing” bedtimes on school nights so young fans can stay up and watch the New York Knicks face the San Antonio Spurs in a best-of-seven championship series. The Knicks are in the Finals for the first time since 1999. “As Mayor, you're forced to make many difficult decisions,” Mamdani posted on X. “This was not one of them.” − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY.