A federal judge has ruled in favor of Washington state and a coalition of 20 other states and the District of Columbia against the Trump administration's attempt to pressure health care providers to stop treating transgender youth. The decision would halt actions related to a directive from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stating that certain gender-affirming treatments were unsafe and ineffective, and potentially excluding providers from Medicaid and Medicare. The judge stated that Kennedy exceeded his statutory authority and the agency failed to follow required rulemaking procedures. The ruling, once finalized, would preserve access to gender-addressing care for transgender youth in the states challenging the federal action.