Yasmin Desugian (3:23)

So in keeping with these evacuation orders, it's pushing people northwards. It seems they are without homes, as you mentioned, children in tow as well. It's becoming a humanitarian crisis.

Danielle Hamamjan (3:39)

Absolutely. And it's not just the scale of the displacement. The death toll is also quickly rising. Over 500 dead. And at some point last week, 10 children every day were dying. So dozens of kids have been killed. And so we were given access today to the pediatric ward at a central Beirut hospital. And we saw in one case a four year old who had massive injuries in her face because of shrapnel. But in that hospital ward are also children who suffered from Israeli strikes in Gaza. They came to Beirut for treatment and, and they are now hearing the sound of Israeli strikes not too far away. And for some of those kids, you know, the aunt told me he was walking down the stairs, heard the boom, ran back up. It was also painfully familiar. And so the fear now among so many is that this conflict between Israel and Hezbollah will go on long after there is a resolution in the rest of the Middle east or some kind of peace is reached.

Yasmin Desugian (4:44)

You speak about, obviously, the physical harm that these children have experienced. You can't also help but think about the emotional harm, the PTSD that they experience every day as they sit in that hospital and continue to hear those explosions outside, likely their hospital windows.

Danielle Hamamjan (5:02)

And if I can just add something, Yasmin, the strikes on Beirut have not just been concentrated in that southern suburb where there's. Hezbollah has a lot of, of influence. There seems to be a pattern now of precision strikes, targeted strikes. There have been two on hotels, one in central Beirut not far from here. It's about half a mile from us. And just last night there was another one in an apartment building. And you can see, we talk about precision strikes. You can see the corner room of the fifth floor of the hotel, for example. And the IDF is targeting specific individuals. In many cases, it's been commanders of the irgc, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who are here. How many of them? Who knows? Experts tell me that once Israel killed the former leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, the IRGC became sort of micromanagers they came, they helped them retrain, regroup, et cetera. And so they are here. And the fear is that they're hiding among civilians, but they are being targeted by Israel. And there could be, you know, and there are civilians walking by who also could get hit.

Interviewee (Jalen Abeg / Matthew Newman) (6:11)

Right.

Yasmin Desugian (6:11)

There's collateral damage oftentimes to even precision strikes. I want to talk about a potential diplomatic way out of this thing. We mentioned that the UN Is holding this emergency Security Council meeting today. Is there potential for a diplomatic exit from this conflict, specifically with Lebanon? We have heard what has come out of a potential diplomatic ending between Iran and the US and right now it doesn't seem like it's possible today as of this hour. But when it comes to Lebanon, is it possible, or is there a potential for this to spiral even further into a ground war inside of Lebanon?

Danielle Hamamjan (6:53)

The fear here is that Israel will take this opportunity to seize territory in Lebanon. At the end of the day, you know, what will make Israel retreat would be pressured by the US Government. It's unclear if that's going to happen anytime soon. Without going into the weeds of domestic politics here, what I will say was a seismic event in Lebanese politics earlier this week was a Lebanese president openly urging for direct talks with Israel, wanting permanent security arrangements, calling Hezbollah's actions a betrayal. There is no appetite in this country for more war. I mean, obviously, this is a very diverse society in terms of Sunnis and Shia and Christ. But even among the Shia Muslims who are ideologically aligned with Hezbollah, many have told us, certainly off camera, that, you know, this was a bad decision by Hezbollah. They do not want to be dragged into another war. France. Emmanuel Macron had put in a few calls before this UN meeting that didn't go anywhere but following the president of Lebanon's calls for direct talks. We've not really yet heard an official response by Israel, but Israel keeps launching strikes into Lebanon. So again, unless there is, I think, pressure by the US Government, this is not going to be. Things are not going to slow down here.

Yasmin Desugian (8:18)

Danielle Hamamjan, thank you.

Danielle Hamamjan (8:20)

Thanks, Yasmin.

Yasmin Desugian (8:24)

Coming up, we're going to go to Kansas, where a new law is leaving transgender Americans in a legal lurch. That's after a very quick break,

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Yasmin Desugian (9:39)

And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Transgender rights are facing increasing restrictions from Washington to local state houses. President Trump wants to add revisions to the SAVE act that could put anti trans measures into the new voter eligibility bill. And this week, a judge upheld a law that immediately invalidated the driver's licenses of 1700 transgender Kans. Unlike other states that only prohibit future gender marker changes, Kansas is also retroactively canceling them, some dating back two decades. So I want to bring in NBC News Enterprise reporter Joe Yerkaba, who spoke with some of the transgender folks impacted by this in Kansas. Hi, Joe.

Joe Yerkaba (10:22)

Hi. Thanks for having me.

Yasmin Desugian (10:23)

It's great to have you. So, as I said, you have this judge in Kansas who has upheld a law that was enacted back in in February over Governor Laura Kelly's veto. Two transgender residents had filed a suit against this law last month arguing that it violates their rights to personal autonomy, to privacy, to equality, due process, and freedom of speech. Tell us more about how this law actually came to pass. Sure.

Joe Yerkaba (10:55)

Yeah. So the law was actually a few years in the making. Back in 2023, Kansas passed a law regulating the definition of sex under the Kansas Constitution. And that basically said that you can only be male or female and that is assigned at birth. And so at that time, the attorney general, Kris Kobach, literally weeks after the law passed, sued his own state to try to force the Department of Revenue to do exactly what this law does now, invalidate the licenses of trans Kansans. And the Department of Revenue basically said, no, we can't do that because that's not actually what the law says. And it went back and forth in the courts for a while until the Kansas Supreme Court said, you're not allowed to do that. Trans Kansans licenses are still valid. And so then he pushed the legislature to pass this law last month. And what it does is it invalidates their licenses and also their birth certificates and prohibits them from using restrooms in government buildings that are aligned with their gender identity.

Yasmin Desugian (11:58)

So walk us through the argument here from the judge in upholding this law.

Joe Yerkaba (12:02)

Yeah. So the judge basically said that he doesn't think he has enough information to issue a temporary restraining order. And he said that he has heard from both sides that, you know, Kansans, for the most part, are accepting and inclusive. And so he just didn't really buy the argument that trans Kansans could face discrimination or harassment from employers or from police officers if they get pulled over or from anyone else that they have to present their ID to.

Yasmin Desugian (12:29)

So not necessarily even steeped in law, that it was more a feeling that this judge had.

Joe Yerkaba (12:33)

Right, Exactly.

Yasmin Desugian (12:34)

That's the reporting that you have.

Joe Yerkaba (12:35)

Yeah. And he did say that he doesn't think that the ACLU had enough past state case law to go on to show that the Kansas Constitution protects people in this way from state intervention.

Yasmin Desugian (12:49)

It's not just about, for instance, being able to drive a car. There are a lot of other reasons why one needs a driver's license in life, especially in this country right now of all times. It's to fly domestically. You need it to be able to vote, to open a bank account, get into a bar, for instance. Right. Prove that you're 21 years of age. You spoke with a number of transgender folks in Kansas, including Jalen Abeg. I want to listen to what Jalen had to say.

Interviewee (Jalen Abeg / Matthew Newman) (13:18)

I was equal parts outraged and unclear on the exact interpretation of the law, and, you know, disappointed, disheartened. You know, Kansas has been my home for many, many years now. And yet ever since I have been out as a woman and as a transgender person, that's done nothing but break my heart.

Yasmin Desugian (13:44)

How is the law now going to change Jalen's life? What are the things that she is most worried about?

Joe Yerkaba (13:49)

So Jalen is actually leaving the state as a result of the law. She's a lifelong Kansan.

Yasmin Desugian (13:55)

Oh, wow.

Joe Yerkaba (13:55)

But she's choosing to move to another state because she said that she doesn't want to have to live in Kansas under this. She doesn't feel welcome anymore. She actually drives Lyft as her primary source of income. Right now, she can't do that because her car is in the shop, but once she's able to drive again, this would basically put her at risk every single day when she's out on the roads doing her job. And she said she doesn't want to have to live life again with a license that doesn't reflect who she is.

Yasmin Desugian (14:23)

Okay, so Jalen's leaving the state. She has that option. A lot of people inside the state of Kansas right now do not have that option. Don't even want that option. Really. You spoke with Matthew Newman, who is the director of LGBTQ Kansas. I want to play what Matthew said.

Interviewee (Jalen Abeg / Matthew Newman) (14:41)

I love Kansas, and there's no way you're going to get me to leave.

Yasmin Desugian (14:46)

Matthew's sticking it out. So what is everyday life? What are obstacles? Matthew and other folks that choose to remain in Kansas with this law now in place, what are they going to be up against?

Joe Yerkaba (14:58)

Yeah. And the ACLU attorney said this at the hearing. Basically, every time they have to resent their driver's license, whether it's to a hotel clerk, a bank teller, if they're renting a car, when they go to vote, they're going to out themselves as transgender. If they do end up having to get the license on their, the gender marker on their license changed back. So anytime they present that id, it's going to create confusion for the person looking at it and basically just make it so that they have to disclose this very private information about themselves.

Yasmin Desugian (15:31)

Explain for people that don't know or understand what it is like to live as a transgender person in this country, how that could feasibly be a difficult, worrisome, anxiety inducing conversation to have.

Joe Yerkaba (15:44)

Yeah, it can be really terrifying for people. I did a story a few years ago on specifically how this affects voting, and I spoke to a number of trans people in Tennessee, which has an extremely strict voter ID law, about what would happen when they would go to the poll and present an ID where they look like themselves in the photo, but it has an inaccurate gender marker. So, for example, it has an F on it because they were assigned female at birth and now they look like a man. And so they would present that and the poll worker would immediately be confused. And in a lot of cases, they have to call over other poll workers to say, what do I do? Does this ID look legitimate to you? They're double and triple checking the person's signature in the voter books, and basically it causes a scene there as well. So it just makes their lives, just their everyday lives harder. And we know that this is happening as well with passports. A number of trans people have gotten back passports with inaccurate gender markers now because of the Trump administration's passport policy. So this happens at TSA regularly as well. I myself have experienced this going through TSA because I have a passport with an inaccurate gender marker. So it creates a lot of confusion for people, and it just makes it really difficult.

Yasmin Desugian (16:53)

So what's next then? Is this going to the Supreme Court?

Joe Yerkaba (16:56)

Well, what's next is this will go just through the state court. They'll hear the case in its entirety, and this judge will decide if his initial decision was the right one. And then that decision will almost certainly be appealed, regardless of which way it goes.

Yasmin Desugian (17:11)

So this is the first state to issue this retroactive ruling. Kansas, that is. But it's not the only state that's looking at these laws and restrictions I mentioned. Federally, there have been a lot of efforts to roll back rights for LGBTQ people in this country. Right now, the president wants to add anti trans measures to the Save America act, which is ostensibly about voting. You report on the LGBTQ community a lot. How are people in the community feeling right now?

Joe Yerkaba (17:39)

It's a really difficult time for people, especially in the last, I would say two years because there's been a shift in this legislation we're seeing. So I would say about five years ago, we started seeing laws like Florida's don't say gay law, regulating what people can talk about in classrooms. And we saw laws restricting access to transition related medical care for minors and sports in school. Now we're seeing laws specifically target the idea that someone can be trans and whether they can have accurate identification that reflects who they are. There's been a shift to this idea. There's a question of whether you can, whether you can exist as a trans person and be recognized in society at all.

Yasmin Desugian (18:24)

Joe Yerkeba, thank you.

Joe Yerkaba (18:26)

Thank you for having me.

Yasmin Desugian (18:30)

Coming up, how the International Energy Agency is trying to bring down oil prices. Stay with us for the headlines. And while you're waiting, I want to tell you about a special that we have coming up for you on Saturday. We're going to roll out the red carpet and pull back the curtain on the Oscars ahead of Hollywood's biggest night. And of course, we're going to talk movies and actors host Conan o', Brien, but also how the Academy is changing to appeal to a more international audience. That is a special weekend edition of here's the Scoop right here. You do not want to miss it. So be sure to go wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe. We'll be back in a minute.

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Yasmin Desugian (20:44)

And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. Inflation was steady in February before the US And Israel launched a large scale attack on Iran. The February Consumer Price Index out today shows that core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, was up just 2 1/2% from a year ago. Groceries were up 2.4%. Both were in line with expectations. Since the attacks, we have seen steeper price hikes, especially at the pump. Today, the International Energy Agency said its members, dozens of countries will release a total of 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves to bring down oil prices. About 20% of the world's oil goes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been essentially shut down because of the war. In Georgia's 14th congressional district, Trump backed Republican candidate Clay Fuller and Democrat Sean Harris are heading for a runoff with 99% of the votes counted after Tuesday's special election to fill the seat of departing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The two were essentially tied. They're going to go head to head on April 7. Nearly 70 million people from the Great Lakes to the Gulf coast are under the risk for more severe thunderstorms today after multiple apparent twisters caused damage in Indiana and Illinois. NBC's Katherine Prosive has the latest.

Katherine Prosive (22:09)

The same storm system that caused all of the destruction from the reported tornadoes and the destructive hail Tuesday night. That storm system is now on the move. It's heading east with a large area now at risk for more severe thunderstorms today from northern Pennsylvania down to the Gulf coast states. We're talking to cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Washington, D.C. even down Nashville and New Orleans needs to prepared through this afternoon through tonight for more storms capable of a few tornadoes, some of which could be strong, large hail and damaging winds up to 75 miles an hour.

Yasmin Desugian (22:46)

Iran will not be participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Iranian sports minister said that they couldn't after a, quote, corrupt government had assassinated their leader. The remarks came just hours after FIFA President Gianni Infantino said President Trump had assured him Iranian athletes president would be welcome to play in the US Hosted games. Meanwhile, one of the seven Iranian women soccer players who had planned on defecting to Australia has decided to return home. The six others have accepted humanitarian visas and will remain there. And finally, there's Wilt, there's Kobe, and you can now squeeze Bam in the middle to make a basketball trifecta. We are talking about Miami Heat center the Bam Adebayo. In Tuesday's win over the Washington wizards, Bam scored 83 of the Heat's 150 points. With that, he taught late Lakers guard Kobe Bryant second place of 81 points in a game, making him now second only to basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain's 100 point record has been unchallenged since 1962. Adebayo also set league records for free throws made and attempted after his team started intentionally fouling in the last few minutes to extend the game and get him over the record. And that is called teamwork. That's gonna do it for us at here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription@nbcnews.com we'll see you tomorrow.

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