A federal judge has ruled in favor of Maine, ordering the Trump administration to release federal funds allocated to the state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which had been withheld due to a dispute over transgender athletes. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock, appointed by George W. Bush, issued a temporary restraining order on Friday, siding with Maine’s request to restore the funds. The USDA, which had previously frozen financial support for various state programs, has not yet responded publicly to the ruling. This legal clash stems from broader political and legal disputes surrounding transgender rights, Title IX, and state versus federal authority.
