A U.S. civil rights agency has determined that the federal government can bar transgender employees from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, dismissing an appeal from a transgender woman who worked for the U.S. Army. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decided Thursday against a civilian IT specialist who worked for the Army at Fort Riley, Kansas and asked to use bathrooms and locker rooms that aligned with her gender identity. In its finding, the EEOC found that the Army’s decision did not violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion and national identity. That’s a retreat from the agency’s landmark finding a decade ago.

British citizenship applications by US nationals hit record high

The number of U.S. nationals applying for British citizenship hit an all-time high in the first year of President Trump’s second term in the White House.

A total of 8,790 Americans sought citizenship through either registration or naturalization in 2025, according to Home Office data, 42% more than the previous high of 6,192 in 2024. A record 2,490 applied in the final quarter of last year.

Americans can apply for citizenship in the UK either through naturalization — open to those who’ve resided in the country legally for at least five years including one year with settled status, or who have a British spouse; or through registration, which is open to people such as Commonwealth citizens, children born abroad to British citizens, or children born in the UK to parents who later get citizenship or settled status.