Josh Kruger, Gay Philadelphia journalist, shot dead outside home
Philadelphia journalist and activist Josh Kruger, a Gay man, was shot to death early Monday at his home in the city.

Police were called to Kruger's neighborhood about 1:30 a.m., the Philadelphia Inquirer and other outlets reported. He had seven gunshot wounds in his chest and abdomen and had collapsed on the sidewalk outside his home. Police believe Kruger was shot in his home and went outside to seek help.

He was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died about 2:15 a.m. He was 39.

Kruger had written for numerous news sources, including the Inquirer, the Philadelphia Citizen, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City Paper, The Advocate, and Plus (a sibling publication of The Advocate). Many of his articles dealt with LGBTQ+ issues and his experiences of homelessness and living with HIV.
Kruger won several awards for his work, including for commentary from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2014 and 2015 and the Edith Hughes Emerging Journalist Award from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association in 2015.

Kruger's death has ushered a flood of mourning and support from the Philadelphia community, including from US Sen. John Fetterman, who, in a post on X (Twitter), called Kruger's death "a devastating loss," and District Attorney Larry Krasner, who praised Kruger for having "lifted up the most vulnerable and stigmatized people in our communities — particularly unhoused people living with addiction."

"We are shocked and saddened by Josh's death," said a statement from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.

"Josh cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident both in his public service and in his writing," the mayor continued. "His intelligence, creativity, passion, and wit shone bright in everything that he did — and his light was dimmed much too soon. We were exceedingly fortunate to call him a colleague, and our prayers are with everyone who knew and loved him."

Police have not identified a suspect and have not indicated any signs of forced entry. In recent postings to social media, Kruger detailed fraught interactions with a former partner who had gained entry to his home with a copy of his keys, a rock being thrown through his window, and a stranger who had entered his house, looking for his former partner, and threatened him.

Kruger's friends remember him as a resilient person who was always open about his struggles with addiction, homelessness, and poverty, and whose faith helped him through tough times.

Nebraska Governor signs emergency regulations banning Trans healthcare
On Sunday, October 1, the Nebraska State Department announced new emergency regulations for Transgender healthcare for minors. Persons under 18 must now wait a mandatory seven days before starting puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy and attend at least 40 hours of "clinically neutral" with a "gender-identity focused" therapist before they can obtain medication. The new law also bans all transition-related surgeries for youth under 19.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed the emergency regulations on Sunday but said the state Department of Health and Human Services will now be taking comments before they propose a final version of the law by the end of October. At the signing ceremony, Pillen described gender-affirming treatment as "Lucifer at its finest." A public hearing for the legislation is set for November 28.