Happy New Year 2025

Tag: ban

State takes on ‘woke’ language, introduces bill to ban terms such as “pregnant person” and “chestfeeding”

West Virginia lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill that bans “woke words” and agendas from state government content, citing concerns about the terms being “sexist” and “exclusionary.”

The changes, which center around “accurate, female-affirming alternatives,” would restrict wording used in state government documents, websites, literature and in-person, according to legislators.

Specific terms included in the bill include using “pregnant women” instead of “pregnant people,” using “woman” instead of “womxn or womyn,” and using “woman” instead of “birth-giver.”

Wording changes would affect typically female-related topics. (iStock)

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The phrases were designed for gender inclusivity, as some people do not identify with their biological anatomy.

Other wording changes noted in the bill relate to breastfeeding and other pregnancy-related topics.

Legislators suggested using “breastfeeding” as opposed to “chestfeeding,” “breast fed” as opposed to “body fed” or “person fed,” and “breast milk” instead of “human milk.”

(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

While supporters claim the gender-neutral terminology can “streamline” communication about various topics, critics allege the wording is “made up” and can lead to confusion.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2023 posted advice on its website for transgender and non-binary people wishing to “chestfeed” their children.

Portions of the guidance detailed instructions for those who had breasts removed in gender-reassignment surgery or for biological men taking hormones to grow breasts on how to feed their newborns.

Several doctors criticized the information, claiming the CDC failed to gauge the risks posed to children drinking milk produced by chemicals used in gender-reassignment medical operations.

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House Bill 2406, which is sponsored by 11 delegates, would take effect on June 1.

On Feb. 7, CDC researchers were told to remove words frequently associated with gender ideology from research manuscripts that they intend to publish.

A screenshot of a leaked internal email sent out to CDC staff, obtained by the newsletter Inside Medicine, showed a list of terms and phrases that must be removed from scientific manuscripts produced by the agency’s researchers and intended for publication.

Those terms included: “gender,” “transgender,” “pregnant person,” “pregnant people,” “LGBT,” “transsexual,” “non-binary,” “nonbinary,” “assigned male at birth,” “assigned female at birth,” “biologically male” and “biologically female.” According to the Washington Post, the list includes about 20 terms. They indicated that the directive also ordered the removal of any use of “they/them.”

The bill will affect language relating to pregnancy and women. (iStock)

West Virginia University is the latest education institution to curb its diversity, equity and inclusion office due to reverse-discrimination claims.

The delegates did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

February 19, 2025
First openly gay DC federal judge rakes Trump admin over military trans ban

The first openly gay federal judge in D.C. spent hours Tuesday grilling the Trump administration over its attempt to codify terms of service for transgender service members in the U.S. military, seeking to determine the extent of potential harm to transgender military personnel.

At issue is a Jan. 27 executive order signed by President Donald Trump requiring the Defense Department to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service,” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.”

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyers harshly questioned the Trump administration at length over the order, demanding to know whether it was a “transgender ban” and if the government’s position is that being transgender is an “ideology.”

Civil rights groups sued earlier this month to block the order on behalf of six transgender U.S. service members, arguing that the order is both discriminatory and unconstitutional, and alleging it threatens U.S. national security, as well as years of training and financial investments made by the Department of Defense.

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E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse is seen after former President Donald Trump’s arraignment on August 3, 2023, in Washington, D.C. ((Photo by Sha Hanting/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images))

Tuesday’s court hearing focused largely on how, or to what extent, the order might cause harm to transgender service members. While Trump has instructed that “radical gender ideology” be banned from all military branches, the executive order stopped short of detailing how the Pentagon should do this, prompting a flurry of questions and concerns from plaintiffs and the judge.

Reyes, a Biden appointee and first openly gay member of the D.C. federal bench, spent much of the hearing Tuesday asking how the order would be implemented and whether the transgender service members named in the lawsuit would be removed from their roles or separated from their units.

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Pentagon on Feb. 5 in Arlington, Va. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Can we agree that the greatest fighting force that world history has ever seen is not going to be impacted in any way by less than 1% of soldiers using a different pronoun than others might want to call them,” she asked Lynch.

At another point in the hearing, she challenged lawyers for the Justice Department to find her a declarant or any commissioned officer who would get on the stand and tell the court that they’ve been harmed by the pronoun use of transgender military members.

“I’ll get you a box of cigars,” Reyes told Lynch.

“If you can find someone who will tell me we’re less prepared because we have to use pronouns for a few thousand people… have at it.”

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Aerial view of the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2024. Home to the US Defense Department, the Pentagon is one of the world’s largest office buildings. (DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Lych noted in response that the administration is still awaiting further guidance on the terms of the transgender executive order, which will determine its impact on personnel, including the six transgender plaintiffs named in the case.

That answer did little to assuage concerns of Judge Reyes, who told Lynch the government must inform the court by Wednesday whether they can ensure that the named service members would not be removed from their roles in the military or face discrimination as a direct result of the executive order.

Should they fail to do that, the judge said, the court will reconvene Friday to consider plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order.

Beyond the facts of the case, Reyes did little to disguise her displeasure with the order itself.

At one point during the hearing, she posed a hypothetical to the Justice Department’s attorney, asking: “If you were in a foxhole” with another service member, “you wouldn’t care about their gender ideology, right?”

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She went on to suggest Lynch would be happy to be next to someone with their commendations and bravery.

Lynch agreed he doubted that gender identity would be on his mind in that situation.

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.

February 18, 2025
Novak Djokovic speaks out on Jannik Sinner three-month ban

The fallout from Jannik Sinner’s controversial three-month ban following two positive tests for a banned substance last year has some of the tennis world’s biggest stars calling for more accountability.

Novak Djokovic was asked about the situation ahead of the Qatar Open this week, a tournament Sinner was due to compete in before the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced its final ruling.

Jannik Sinner of Italy gestures as he carries the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

“Right now there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, toward WADA and ITIA and the whole process,” he said.

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“It’s not a good image for our sport, that’s for sure,” he continued. “There’s a consensus, or I would say majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled.”

WADA announced over the weekend that it agreed with the conclusion of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which found that Sinner had not intentionally used a banned substance for competitive gain.

Sinner, 23, tested positive for low levels of metabolite of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use, in March 2024. Eight days after the Indian Wells tournament, Sinner tested positive again in an out-of-competition sample.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after defeating Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

TOP-RANKED TENNIS PRO JANNIK SINNER ACCEPTS THREE-MONTH DOPING BAN WEEKS AFTER AUSTRALIAN OPEN VICTORY

According to the ITIA’s initial findings, Sinner explained that he had tested positive after receiving a massage from a trainer who had used an over-the-counter spray that contained clostebol to treat a small wound after cutting his own finger.

“WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage,” their statement read.

WADA initially was seeking a lengthy ban of at least a year, but agreed to a three-month ban explaining that “an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence.”

Jannik Sinner of Italy in action during his match against Ben Shelton of United States of America in the semifinals of the men’s singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 24, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

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Sinner won two Grand Slams after testing positive — the 2024 U.S. Open and the Australian Open last month. His suspension will lift May 4, meaning that he will not miss any of the remaining Grand Slam tournaments this season.

Djokovic called on both agencies to overhaul their process inlight of Sinner’s ban, saying the current structure “obviously doesn’t work” and appears to lend itself to “favoritism.”

“A majority of the players don’t feel that it’s fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favoritism happening. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers and whatnot.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 18, 2025
French bill would ban headscarves in sport; Amnesty International says it’s discriminatory
- A bill to ban all “ostensibly religious” clothing and symbols, including headscarves, during competitions will be debated from Tuesday in the upper house of the French parliament.
- Amnesty International is urging French lawmakers to reject the bill, saying it would be discriminatory.
- The French parliament’s lower house will have the final say. To pass there, the bill would need a coalition of forces that don’t usually collaborate.
Amnesty International is urging French lawmakers to reject a bill this week that would ban headscarves in all sporting competitions.

The bill is backed by right-wing senators and will be debated from Tuesday in the upper house of the French parliament. Its aim is to ban all “ostensibly religious” clothing and symbols during competitions. Amnesty International says the move would be discriminatory.

The vote is likely to refuel the lingering debate on secularism — still volatile more than a century after the 1905 law on separation of church and state that established it as a principle of the French Republic.

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Until now, sporting federations have been free to decide whether or not to allow headscarves, with two of the country’s most powerful sports, soccer and rugby, opting to ban them.

The bill is at an early stage and this week’s vote marks the beginning of a long legislative process with an uncertain outcome. Even if senators vote in favor, the bill’s future will remain unclear since the lower house has the final say.

To pass, the bill would need a coalition of forces that don’t usually collaborate in the deeply divided lower house.

Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina walks around the ground during a familiarization tour ahead of her Women’s World Cup Group H match with Germany in Melbourne, Australia, on July 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Victoria Adkins, File)

Amnesty International’s calls come after French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla said last summer she was barred from the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics because she wears a hijab. She was eventually allowed to take part, wearing a cap to cover her hair.

France enforces a strict principle of “laïcité,” loosely translated as “secularism.” At the Games, the president of the French Olympic Committee said its Olympians were bound by the secular principles that apply to public sector workers in the country, which include a ban on hijabs and other religious signs.

“At the Paris Olympics, France’s ban on French women athletes who wear headscarves from competing at the Games drew international outrage,” said Anna Błuś, an Amnesty International researcher on gender justice.

“Just six months on, French authorities are not only doubling down on the discriminatory hijab ban but are attempting to extend it to all sports.”

Experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have previously criticized the decision by the French soccer and basketball federations to exclude players wearing the hijab, and the French government’s decision to prevent its athletes wearing headscarves from representing the country at the Paris Games.

Amnesty International said the bill in reality targets Muslim women and girls by excluding them from sporting competitions if they wear a headscarf or other religious clothing.

“Laïcité…which is theoretically embedded in the French constitution to protect everyone’s religious freedom, has often been used as a pretext to block Muslim women’s access to public spaces in France,” Amnesty International said.

“Over several years, the French authorities have enacted laws and policies to regulate Muslim women’s and girls’ clothing, in discriminatory ways. Sport federations have followed suit, imposing hijab bans in several sports.”

Two years ago, France’s highest administrative court said the country’s soccer federation was entitled to ban headscarves in competitions even though the measure can limit freedom of expression.

Wielding the principle of religious neutrality enshrined in the constitution, the country’s soccer federation also does not make things easy for international players who want to refrain from drinking or eating from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, an Islamic holy month.

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Supporters of the bill cite growing attacks on secularism in sport, arguing that its core values are based on a principle of universality. To protect sports grounds from any non-sporting confrontation, they say, a principle of neutrality needs to be implemented to ensure that no political, religious or racial demonstration or propaganda can be promoted.

The bill also states that using part of a sports facility as a place of worship would be a misuse of its purpose, and bans the wearing of religious clothing, such as the burkini, in public swimming pools.

“By placing the wearing of a headscarf on the spectrum of “attacks on secularism,” which range from “permissiveness” to “terrorism,” this legislation, if passed, would fuel racism and reinforce the growing hostile environment facing Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim in France,” Amnesty International said.
February 18, 2025
South Carolina bill would ban smoking in cars while children are inside

A bipartisan group of senators in South Carolina introduced a bill this week that would ban smoking in the car with a child present.

South Carolina Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Democrat, said it is aimed at protecting kids from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and is similar to legislation already in place in a dozen other states.

“I think the time has come for us to have a serious discussion, having South Carolina join these other states. Many of them are Southern states,” Jackson said.

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A South Carolina group of senators introduced a new bill this week that would ban smoking in a vehicle with a child 12 years or younger present. (iStock)

“As a father and grandfather, I believe we have a duty to create a healthier future for the next generation,” Jackson said. “This legislation is not about punishing smokers; it’s about ensuring our kids can grow up in an environment free from unnecessary health risks.”

The bill would make it unlawful for a person to smoke a tobacco product in a motor vehicle with a passenger under the age of 12 present. It goes on to outline “tobacco product” as a product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption.

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If passed, smoking with a child younger than 12 in the car would result in a fine of no more than $100 for the driver each time the law is violated. (Kids and Car Safety)

The bill suggests a person in violation “must be fined not more than one hundred dollars” each time the offense takes place.

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Jackson filed similar legislation in the state almost two decades ago. Though it passed the state Senate, it never reached the governor’s desk.

February 18, 2025
Top-ranked tennis pro Jannik Sinner accepts three-month doping ban weeks after Australian Open victory

Top-ranked men’s tennis pro Jannik Sinner has been suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after twice testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid nearly a year ago. News of the ban comes just weeks after the Italian tennis pro won his third Grand Slam title.

WADA announced in a statement on Saturday that it agrees with the conclusion of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which found that Sinner had not intentionally used a banned substance for competitive gain.

Jannik Sinner of Italy in action during his match against Marcos Giron of the United States of America in the third round of the men’s singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 18, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision,” the statement read.

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“WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.”

Sinner, 23, tested positive for low levels of metabolite of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use, in March 2024. Eight days after the Indian Wells tournament, Sinner tested positive again in an out-of-competition sample.

According to the ITIA’s initial findings, Sinner explained that he had tested positive after receiving a massage from a trainer who had used an over-the-counter spray that contained clostebol to treat a small wound after cutting his own finger.

Jannik Sinner plays in the men’s singles final of the 2024 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Sept. 8, 2024. (Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)

JANNIK SINNER WINS AUSTRALIAN OPEN FOR 2ND STRAIGHT TIME

While WADA accepted the no-fault explanation, the organization said the three-month suspension was necessary as “an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence.” WADA had initially challenged the ITIA’s decision for no suspension and was seeking a one-year ban minimum before agreeing to settle with a three-month suspension.

WADA said that Sinner’s wins would not be rescinded in this case because of the ITIA’s findings that the positive test results had not provided a competitive advantage.

Sinner released a statement Saturday accepting the WADA’s discipline.

“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year,” he said. “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”

Jannik Sinner of Italy in action during his match against Ben Shelton of the United States of America in the semifinals of the men’s singles at the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 24, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn Images)

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Sinner’s doping scandal has received mixed reactions from the tennis community, but Saturday’s announcement was met with overwhelming disappointment from the sport’s biggest stars.

Among the most outspoken critics was Australian tennis star Nick Kryrgios.

“So wada come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban,” Kryrgios said in a post on X. “Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

Sinner’s suspension will last until May 4. He will not miss the Italian Open or any of the Grand Slam tournaments remaining.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 15, 2025
Goldman Sachs will no longer ban companies with all White boards from IPO services

Anton Schutz of RMB Mendon Financial Services on Goldman Sachs kicking off earnings season with strong numbers and his outlook for Bank of America and regional banks.

Goldman Sachs has lifted its ban on companies with all White or all male boards from receiving initial public offerings services, marking it one of the biggest Wall Street firms to do an about-face on DEI.

The ban, first instituted in 2020, stipulated that the investment bank would not take a company public in the U.S. or Western Europe unless it had one non-White board member and one female board member.

Goldman issued the ban as DEI swept much of Wall Street and corporate America during the nation-wide racial turmoil and riots sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin.

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Goldman Sachs has dropped its ban on companies with all-White boards receiving IPO services. (Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“As a result of legal developments related to board diversity requirements, we ended our formal board diversity policy. We continue to believe that successful boards benefit from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we will encourage them to take this approach.” Goldman Sachs spokesperson Tony Fratto said in a statement.

The Wall Street titan will continue to source diverse candidates for its clients’ boards when requested, a spokesperson said.

Goldman’s move comes amid a changing legal landscape which has seen the courts and the Trump administration take an aggressive posture towards DEI measures.

A nearly identical 2022 Nasdaq rule that required companies listed on the exchange to either have one female director and one director who identified as an underrepresented minority/LGBTQ, or explain why the board didn’t meet these requirements, was struck down by a federal appeals court in 2022.

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Jamie Dimon defended his bank’s DEI practices at a Davos interview. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Goldman’s turn away from DEI comes as other Wall Street outfits have dug in their heels. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told CNBC “bring them on” at a Jan. Davos interview when asked about anti-DEI investors targeting his bank. Dimon went on to say that he supports the approach his bank has taken on diversity issues, but will course correct when necessary.

“We are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the veterans community. We have a special program, a disabled second chance initiative. And wherever I go, red states, blue states, green states, mayors, governors, and they say they like what we do,” he said.

Trump has been rooting out DEI from the federal government. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)

JPMorgan has also set up a “war room” to analyze new Trump policies as the president issues a flurry of executive orders purging DEI from the federal government and private businesses and other regulations.

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“At JPMorgan, we have a war room set up to analyze and evaluate each and every one of these, so they’ve been up all night and are working on it,” Mary Erdoes, CEO of JPMorganChase’s Asset & Wealth Management line of business, said at the Davos World Economic Forum in January.

February 13, 2025
India vs England 2nd ODI Live

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)’s refusal to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports has prompted outrage within the state.

On Friday, residents gathered in Long Beach, California, to protest outside of a CIF federated board meeting.

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The protesters then spoke at the board meeting, pleading with the CIF officials to follow the president’s order.

Protesters even threatened civil lawsuits against the CIF and state in case they continue to refuse compliance with Trump. Currently, there is one lawsuit against the CIF and the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, over a situation at Martin Luther King High School involving a trans athlete on the girls’ cross-country team.

“There will be more lawsuits to follow if the CIF does not follow federal law,” said Julianne Fleischer, a Legal Counsel at Advocates for Faith & Freedom, at the event. “I want CIF to know that it is important you follow federal law or you will be held accountable for failing to enforce federal law throughout the school districts … with more lawsuits they’re going to spend significant funds on litigation.”

Trump’s executive order states that any school receiving federal funding that allows biological males to compete in the girls’ or women’s category will lose that federal funding. According to USA Facts, California public schools receive about $16.8 billion per year, which is 13.9% or one in every seven dollars of public school funding, which is well above the national average.

Many of the protesters there made it a point to warn the state of the consequences of losing that federal funding.

A California school district employee showed up at the protest to plead with the CIF to follow Trump’s order. Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School Board President, spoke from her perspective as a mother and became visibly emotional when she scolded the CIF for its decision, calling it “shameful.”

“Whoever is in CIF at the top level putting out those woke weird toolkit on telling boys about how to compete against girls, if you’re a part of that, you’re disgusting, and you need to step out of here,” Shaw said.

In California, a law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014, giving California students at the scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

California Code of Regulations section 4910(k) defines gender as, “A person’s actual sex or perceived sex includes a person’s perceived identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with a person’s sex at birth.”

CIF Bylaw 300.D. mirrors the Education Code, stating, “All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.”

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These laws and the subsequent enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state have resulted in multiple controversies over the issue in the last year alone.

At Martin Luther King High School, the father of a girl who lost her varsity spot to the trans cross-country athlete previously told Fox News Digital that his daughter and other girls at the school had been told that “transgenders have more rights than cisgender[s]” by school administrators when they protested the athlete’s participation.

That father, longtime firefighter Ryan Starling, showed up at the protests and board meeting on Friday and shared his daughter’s story.

“We’re asking you guys today to be bold and be brave and stand up for our girls,” Starling said.

Starling also suggested that the CIF set up a category specifically for trans athletes, to avoid exclusion.

“How about you make an open category? Start protecting our girls immediately so that everybody can still compete, but that everybody has their place,” Starling said.

Starling’s family is a plaintiff in the current lawsuit against CIF and Bonta. The suit challenges AB 1266, which allows transgender athletes to compete against girls and women, claiming it is a Title IX violation.

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“Plaintiffs seek a federal ruling that AB 1266 violates Title IX as well as a decision holding the District accountable for violating their First Amendment rights. They demand injunctive relief to stop schools from forcing biological girls to compete with and against males, a judgment affirming sex-based protections in athletics and compensation for damages caused by these discriminatory policies,” an Advocates for Faith & Freedom spokesperson said.

The issue of trans athletes competing with girls and women has caused other controversies within the state in recent months.

Stone Ridge Christian High School’s girls’ volleyball team was scheduled to face San Francisco Waldorf in the Northern California Division 6 tournament but forfeited in an announcement just before the match over the presence of a trans athlete on the team.

A transgender volleyball player was booed and harassed at an Oct. 12 match between Notre Dame Belmont in Belmont, California, and Half Moon Bay High School, according to ABC 7. Half Moon Bay rostered the transgender athlete.

California State Assembly member Kate Sanchez announced on Jan. 7 that she is introducing a bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Sanchez will propose the Protect Girls’ Sports Act to the state legislature. Currently, 25 states have similar laws in effect.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 8, 2025
Fox News AI Newsletter: Bill would ban DeepSeek

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– House reps unveil bill banning DeepSeek from US government devices over alleged ties to Chinese government
– Perplexity AI bids on TikTok, CEO says it’s a win-win for Trump
– Donny Osmond adds AI version of himself as a teen to Las Vegas residency

DeepSeek (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

‘DEEPLY DISTURBING EVIDENCE’: House lawmakers are introducing legislation Thursday to ban the Chinese AI DeepSeek from U.S. government devices, arguing that the software is “directly linked to the Chinese Communist Party” and poses a “five-alarm national security fire.”

AN AMERICAN TIKTOK: The CEO of AI startup Perplexity, Aravind Srinivas, confirmed his company’s bid for TikTok U.S. and said the deal checks all the boxes for investors and President Donald Trump, including an ownership stake for the U.S.

SEEING DOUBLE: Donny Osmond is bringing on a new co-star for his Las Vegas residency: himself.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a series of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on January 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

‘AI POWERHOUSE’ : The White House is opening its artificial intelligence plan up to Americans to contribute policy ideas to the Trump administration to ensure that the United States is “the undeniable leader” in AI technology.

PEDAL TO THE METAL: For a commander on the battlefield, a split second of decision advantage can determine the difference between victory and defeat. In every battlespace, AI is critical to enabling action at the speed of kinetic and non-kinetic conflict. It is already being successfully applied to rapid data processing, target recognition, combat simulation, countering drones and strategic decision-making for defense missions. And looking across current conflict zones and hot spots, we need its benefits faster than ever before, in environments from urban terrain to cyber, sea and space.

TAKING CHARGE: Sylvester Stallone is the latest celebrity embracing artificial intelligence. The “Rocky” star invested, along with several others, in Largo.ai, an AI-driven analytics platform for film, TV and advertising, raising $7.5 million in financing for the company.

Celine Udriot, COO of Largo.ai, Sylvester Stallone, and Sami Arpa, CEO & co-founder of Largo.ai (Courtesy of Largo.ai)

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This article was written by Fox News staff.

February 8, 2025
Walz’s home state joins California in ignoring Trump’s executive order to ban transgenders from girls sports

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban them from doing so.

Trump on Wednesday signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, fulfilling one of his major campaign promises of keeping biological men out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota organization said in an email to member schools that participation by, and eligibility of, transgender athletes is controlled by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ+ people, and the Minnesota Constitution.

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President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s or girls sporting events in the East Room of the White House Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“The Minnesota State High School League, similar to other youth sports organizations, is subject to state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity,” the organization said in a statement. “Therefore, students in Minnesota are allowed to participate consistent with their gender identity.”

Minnesota joins California in ignoring Trump’s executive order. The state is governed by Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ running mate for the 2024 election; the Democrats won the state.

The state was home to a Supreme Court case where a transgender powerlifter was continuing the fight to compete against biological women.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

President Donald Trump signs the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

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Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In response to Trump’s order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.

The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

Save Women’s Sports advisor Beth Stelzer holds a press conference outside the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championship at Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 17, 2022. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)

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The study, “Violence against women and girls in sports,” said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 8, 2025