Patch Morning Briefing: Trans Protections Stripped; 'Earth-Like Planets' Discovered; Standing Rock Burns

Good morning, Patchers! It's almost the weekend. Here's what you need to know before you start your day.

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Trump Administration Rolls Back Transgender Student Guidelines

The Trump administration says that the issue was best left up to the states. A memo announcing the change, released Wednesday night, reversed an Obama-era policy that had argued discrimination against transgender students violated Title IX. (Patch)

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NASA Reveals 7 Earth-Like Planets Around Nearby Star

Three of these planets are in what scientists call the "habitable zone" around the star, a place where it's not too hot and not too cold for life to (theoretically) exist. For anyone hoping to make a quick getaway, though, please note that the "nearby" is relative — the star, TRAPPIST-1, is 40 light-years away, in the constellation Aquarius. (Patch)

These 7 Earth-sized planets were seen by @NASASpitzer around a nearby, ultra-cool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1: https://t.co/G9tW3cJMnV pic.twitter.com/Z6gvaH96Tz
— NASA (@NASA) February 22, 2017

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Standing Rock Protest Site Goes Up In Flames

Demonstrators have been camped out for months in the Dakotas, working to prevent the construction of the Dakota Pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. With a federal deadline to evacuate the land looming, some set their camps on fire before leaving permanently. (USA Today)

About 100 people voluntarily marched out of the #StandingRock protest camp ahead of today's deadline https://t.co/IWFa7ZEPND pic.twitter.com/T2j2BpVsmB
— CNN (@CNN) February 22, 2017

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QUICK HITS

Cop Gives Ohio 5th Grader Bad Math Advice, America Still Loves Him (Patch)

ACLU Lawsuit Accuses Milwaukee Police of Unconstitutional Racial Profiling, Stop and Frisk (Patch)

More Sexual Assault Charges Against Former USA Gymnastics Doc (Patch)

Vegans Plan Vigil For Bull Who Escaped Queens Slaughterhouse, Died In NYPD Chase (Patch)

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Some Shameless Self-Promotion

We have a brand new White House Patch, where we'll be posting anything and everything from Trump-land and Capitol Hill — and you can post too! Learn how to do that here.

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Now, let's watch that dang cow run around one more time:

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White House Blames Town Hall Crowds On 'Professional Protesters,' Cites No Evidence

Sean Spicer on Wednesday continued to push the presidential line that the raucous crowds showing up to Republican town hall meetings are paid, partisan protesters and not earnest Americans with real concerns. (Patch)

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Sen. Susan Collins Calls For Investigating Michael Flynn, Russia Ties

Another Republican lawmaker joins the growing chorus. (Patch)

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More 'Professional Protesters':

Voter to @SenTomCotton: My husband is dying. We can't afford health insurance. What kind of insurance do you have? https://t.co/iYFiZtwJ1F
— CNN (@CNN) February 22, 2017

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This Day In History

1945 — U.S. Marines raise the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima, which would produce this iconic photo by Joe Rosenthal of The Associated Press. The AP still owns the copyright to the historic snapshot.

In a statement last summer, the Marine Corps said that one of the six men in the picture had been misidentified:

The Marine Corps now believes Navy Pharmacist's Mate 2nd Class John Bradley was not in the Rosenthal image, but was involved in the initial flag raising hours before the famous photo was taken. Based upon the evidence reviewed, another Marine, Private First Class Harold Schultz, from Detroit, Mich. was the sixth man caught in the frame of what is considered the most famous war photograph.

Read more about the historic photo here.

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Famous Birthdays

1994 — Dakota Fanning, actress

1983 — Aziz Ansari, comedian

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Lead image via Morag Riddell, Flickr, used under Creative Commons