The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is in the process of drafting a controversial athletic policy that would allow transgender students to play on either boys' or girls' sports teams, depending on which gender they identify with and regardless of their biological sex.

The MSHSL, which decides policy for all extracurricular activities in public, private, religious, and home schools, says the policy would allow "participation for all students regardless of their gender identity or expression." The league continues:

This policy is designed to guide member school personnel as they create an environment free from discrimination and provide an equal opportunity for participation in athletics in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations. [MSHSL]

While supporters say that the policy is about leveling the playing field to allow transgender students the same opportunities as cisgender students, the MSHSL has faced heavy opposition from conservative groups. The Child Protection League Action, for example, ran ads suggesting that the new policy could force invasions of privacy by allowing for co-ed locker room situations.

According to the Federalist, Minnesotans sent more than 10,000 protest emails to MSHSL, forcing the organization to table the decision until December 4. Teresa Mull

Just three decades ago, there were less than two dozen California condors in the wild, driven to the brink of extinction due to poaching, habitat destruction, and lead poisoning.

Biologists quickly came up with a conservation plan: capture the remaining condors and start breeding them in captivity. They got to work, and today, there are more than 300 condors in the wild and 500 total in the world, including birds still at breeding centers. In March, biologists discovered that a condor released into the wild laid an egg at Utah's Zion National Park, and earlier this month, they determined that the baby bird — the 1,000th chick to hatch thanks to the California Condor Recovery Program — is still alive and well.

"We're seeing more chicks born in the wild than we ever have before," Tim Hauck, condor program manager at the Peregrine Fund, told NPR. "And that's just a step towards success for the condor and achieving a sustainable population." The California condor is the largest bird in North America, with an average lifespan of 60 years. Hauck said condors are "very unique" in that they are "extremely personable. They'll have individual personalities." Conservation efforts are nowhere near being finished, he told NPR, but he's excited at the possibility of having a population increase every year. Catherine Garcia

The live-action Lion King had an incredible North American debut, bringing in $185 million over the weekend — the biggest domestic opening of all time for a Disney remake.

The previous record-holder was Beauty and the Beast, which earned $174.7 million during its March 2017 debut. The Lion King also had the biggest Disney opening outside of Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, beating Incredibles 2, which earned $182.7 million in 2018.

Additionally, The Lion King had the largest domestic launch ever for a PG movie, once again beating Incredibles 2, and the biggest July opening of all time, edging out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2, which grossed $169.2 million in 2011.

Directed by Jon Favreau, with voice work by Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, and Billy Eichner, The Lion King "resonated across the board," Disney distribution chief Cathleen Taff told The Hollywood Reporter. Catherine Garcia

Islamic State militants who were able to survive intense fighting in Syria this spring have been slipping across the border into Iraq, settling in rural areas and joining new insurgent groups, security officials said.

Over the last eight months, about 1,000 fighters have made their way to Iraq, some by foot but most by car, officials told The Washington Post. Most are Iraqis who left to join ISIS in Syria, and they are now helping other militants with sniper attacks and roadside bombings outside of Iraq's major cities. Experts say they are mostly targeting security forces and community leaders.

This month, security forces started working to root out militants along Iraq's 370-mile border with Syria, and have found multiple bomb making factories, the Post reports. The insurgency is primarily in the central and northern part of Iraq, security officials said, and the Iraqi government does not believe the ISIS fighters will be able to take over huge areas of land. Catherine Garcia

A new law in Oregon championed by teen activists lets students take mental health days like they would sick days.

Previously, schools only had to excuse absences due to physical illnesses. The teenagers wanted schools to treat mental and physical health equally, and erase the stigma that can go along with mental health treatment. Activist Haily Hardcastle, 18, said she was inspired by the students in Parkland, Florida, who campaigned for gun control following the deadly school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Those teenagers "showed us that young people can totally change the political conversation," Hardcastle told The Associated Press. "Just like those movements, this bill is something completely coming from the youth." She is hopeful this will "encourage kids to admit when they're struggling" and seek help. Jason Wilson of Eugene, whose 14-year-old daughter Chloe died by suicide in 2018, told AP this is a major step, as "we need to do everything we can to open up that dialogue between parents and children when it comes to mental health." Catherine Garcia

Authorities in Costa Rica are sounding the alarm about tainted alcohol.

Since the beginning of June, at least 19 people — 14 men and five women — have died in the country after ingesting alcohol with toxic levels of methanol, Costa Rica's National Health Ministry said. The victims were between the ages of 32 and 72.

Methanol poisoning can cause dizziness, headaches, confusion, and drowsiness, and is often linked to counterfeit alcohol. The Costa Rican government has confiscated approximately 30,000 bottles of alcohol believed to have been tainted. Catherine Garcia

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló will not seek re-election in November 2020, he revealed on Sunday, and while he is stepping down as president of the New Progressive Party, he has no plans to resign as governor.

Earlier this month, 900 pages of conversations between Rosselló and several of his top aides and advisers were leaked, showing them mocking the victims of Hurricane Maria and making sexist and homophobic comments about critics and political opponents. This set off protests, and more are expected Monday in San Juan.

"To every Puerto Rican: I have heard you, and I hear you today," Rosselló said on Sunday. "I have committed errors and I have apologized. I am a good man that has a grand love for my island and for all." Last week, Rosselló said he was "not proud of what I did," but needed to "move forward" and "continue on with the work I"m doing for Puerto Rico." Catherine Garcia