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Smithsonian-linked museum in El-Sayed’s backyard puts America’s post-9/11 response on trial
DEARBORN, MI – Nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, a Smithsonian affiliate in Michigan continues to use its 9/11 exhibits and anniversary programming to focus on discrimination and government actions in the attacks' aftermath, while giving less attention to the nearly 3,000 people killed that day, Fox News Digital found.
The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, features an exhibit arguing that Arab Americans "suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th," both from the attacks themselves and from what the museum describes as unfair treatment by the U.S. government afterward. Since its founding, the museum has repeatedly hosted programs examining what it describes as discriminatory consequences of the U.S. response to 9/11.
Fox News Digital visited the museum earlier this month, reviewed its exhibits and gift shop, and examined years of anniversary programming and federal funding records.
The AANM has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian has been under intense scrutiny from conservative lawmakers in recent months for allegedly allowing political bias to influence its presentation of history.
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One placard criticizes the government’s post-9/11 detention of immigrants investigated for possible terrorist links, noting that "virtually none were charged" in connection with terrorism.
"The Arab American community suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th. As with all Americans, they suffered the horror and grief. However, Arab Americans were unfairly held responsible, yet not a single Arab American was found guilty of any connection to September 11th," it reads.
On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center, and one into the Pentagon. Passengers and crew fought back aboard United Flight 93, the fourth plane, prompting the hijackers to crash the plane in Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people and triggered the largest investigation in FBI history.
The museum placard also argues that Arabs faced harsher immigration enforcement after the attacks, saying some were "deported for minor visa violations or petty offenses which previously would have been overlooked."
In the 11 months after the attacks, immigration authorities detained 762 noncitizens on immigration charges in connection with the FBI’s terrorism investigation, including for overstaying visas or entering the country illegally, according to a Justice Department inspector general report. The watchdog found that some detainees with no terrorism ties were treated harshly and held under unnecessarily restrictive conditions.
Public opinion also showed a more complicated picture of the post-9/11 backlash. President George W. Bush publicly urged Americans not to blame Muslims for the attacks, and polling later suggested attitudes toward Muslim Americans actually improved in the immediate aftermath. The share of Americans who viewed Muslim Americans favorably rose from 45% in March 2001 to 59% in November, two months after the attacks, according to the Pew Research Center.
Beyond its permanent exhibit, AANM has repeatedly used programming around the 9/11 anniversary to examine discrimination and law-enforcement policies affecting Arab and Muslim communities.
The museum holds a "solidarity" town hall each year, where criticism of the American reaction to 9/11 is often the focus. The online description of the event does not mention the deaths connected to the attacks themselves, but rather "offers a safe space for communities to reflect and engage in dialogue about the harmful prejudices that Arab and Muslim (and anyone perceived to be Arab or Muslim) individuals face on both an individual and systemic level."
One such town hall in 2018 examined "how communities of color have been targeted through the frame of national security and profiled as violent threats."
A year later, the AANM’s annual town, which received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, criticized how "institutions and communities of color have been infiltrated" by law enforcement as well as how leaders of those groups have been "targeted" following 9/11.
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The AANM was founded in 2005, partially in response to the increased scrutiny directed at the Arab American community following the attack on the World Trade Center. In addition to receiving well over half a million dollars in funding from the NEH over its lifetime to support its exhibits and educational programming, the museum also benefited from a $385,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which helped it expand its physical footprint in 2013. It received further HUD funding, over half a million dollars, between 2017 and 2019 as well as at least $50,000 from the State Department between 2016 and 2017, according to annual reports published by the museum.
Dearborn, where about 54.5% of residents are of Middle Eastern or North African descent, is a key political center in Michigan ahead of one of the country’s most competitive Senate races this year. Socialist-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Senate, drew strong support from the city earlier this month.
The museum’s focus extends beyond its criticism of the U.S. response to 9/11.
On Sept. 10 — the eve of the 25th anniversary of the attacks — the AANM is scheduled to host a screening of "Seeds for Liberation," a film that portrays Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack as part of a decades-long Palestinian "struggle" and places it within a broader history of "anti-imperialist and decolonial movements."
During Fox News Digital’s visit earlier this month, a section of the museum was dedicated to art criticizing Israel's alleged "occupation" of Palestinian land. One piece of art, the word "wall" presented in a stylized print, accuses the Israeli government of perpetuating a system of "apartheid."
The art installation broadly accuses Israel of targeting civilians in military operations, denying basic necessities to Palestinians and unjustly occupying land.
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One placard accompanying a sculpture states that Israel has killed more than 2,000 Palestinian children since Sept. 29, 2000, citing If Americans Knew (IAK).
The placard’s sourcing is itself controversial. Some pro-Palestinian organizations have distanced themselves from IAK over allegations of antisemitism and ties to white supremacists, allegations the group has disputed. IAK also operates a news site that has published articles rejecting the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Another placard attached to a sculpture pulls a quote from Defense of Children International Palestine, which the Israeli government designated as a terrorist organization in 2021. DCIP and human rights groups have disputed the designation.
The museum gift shop also sells Palestinian-themed merchandise, including map-shaped magnets and key chains, coloring books promising to help children "explore Palestinian heritage" and keffiyehs.
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The AANM, Smithsonian, NEA and NEH did not respond to requests for comment after being reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.
Smithsonian affiliates, like the AANM, are independently operated museums that maintain formal partnerships with the Smithsonian, providing them with access to artifact loans, educational resources and consultations from institutional experts.
In recent months, the Smithsonian has faced mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers and the president over allegations that its museums advance left-of-center ideological causes through their exhibits. Officials have threatened funding cuts against the institution if it does not root out what the Trump administration characterizes as anti-American bias.
GLP-1 boom could reshape restaurant bars as diners cut back on alcohol
The rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs could be changing more than what Americans put on their plates, as restaurants increasingly look to wellness drinks and other alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages.
The National Restaurant Association's new 2026 Restaurant Beverage Trends report found growing interest in a wider range of drink choices, particularly among younger consumers, as restaurants experiment with everything from wellness and energy drinks to smoothies, lemonades and alcohol-free cocktails.
Chad Moutray, chief economist at the Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association, told Fox News Digital that the growing use of GLP-1 medications is one of several health trends restaurant operators are watching.
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The report, which was conducted by the National Restaurant Association and is based on surveys of consumers and restaurant operators across the country, found that health is already influencing some Americans' decisions about alcohol.
Among adults surveyed who said they don't drink alcohol, 25% cited health reasons. That figure climbed to 34% among Gen Z nondrinkers.
Several trends are converging as younger consumers become more health-conscious and GLP-1 medications become more widely used, Moutray said.
"I think you're seeing a lot younger folks who are, in general, wanting to be healthier. You have the Make America Healthy Again movement, which is also driving some of this trend," he said.
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"You have people drinking energy drinks and health drinks and all those things. And then you add to that the GLP-1 notion, where if you're taking one of those drugs and your appetite is more suppressed, you're not going to drink as much alcohol."
Restaurants are already preparing to broaden their drink selections.
Among limited-service restaurant operators, 24% said they planned to add new wellness drinks in 2026, while 26% planned to add energy drinks, 29% smoothies and 27% lemonades.
Just under half, 46%, planned to add new coffee offerings.
"I think as GLP-1s become less expensive as this year goes on and as we move into 2027, you're going to see restaurant operators continuing to look for alternatives that can be good menu options for consumers that might be taking those drugs," Moutray said.
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Derek Brown, a hospitality consultant and founder of Drink Company, said he's also seeing GLP-1s contribute to a broader shift toward moderation.
"Yeah, there's no doubt that GLP-1s are having an effect on the way that people consume," Brown told Fox News Digital. "And it's part of a basket of things that's contributing to people moderating more often."
The drugs can affect people's appetites for both food and drinks, Brown said, potentially leading some customers to consume less alcohol or choose nonalcoholic alternatives.
"I think that's clearly part of this entire moderation trend that we're seeing that's just a part of it, but it's significant enough, so I think that's certainly a real thing," Brown said. "And I definitely think that bars and restaurants are starting to feel that."
The changing beverage landscape, however, doesn't necessarily mean younger Americans are abandoning alcohol.
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Per the report, 71% of Gen Z adults and 74% of millennials surveyed said they drink alcohol either at home or at restaurants. Sixty percent of Gen Z adults and 68% of millennials said they drink alcohol at restaurants.
Moutray believes younger consumers are instead choosing from a broader portfolio of drinks.
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That broader selection could be increasingly important for restaurants. The report found that 87% of full-service operators and 80% of limited-service operators said beverages can be an important driver of customer traffic.
"It's driving traffic, it's getting people excited and it's, hopefully, also helping to improve overall profit margins," Moutray said.
Blue state's water failures could threaten food supplies across US, lawmaker warns
California's aging infrastructure is helping fuel a clean water crisis that could have ramifications across the country, a key House Republican warned.
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of playing politics with the management of the Colorado River, a major body of water that millions of people in the Western United States depend on. She's arguing that the Golden State's bloated bureaucracy and environmental regulations are making it more reliant on the Colorado River, thus stressing its supply and affecting the other six states through which it runs.
"The system is now becoming very, very stressed because California has not kept up with the infrastructure demands and needs of its citizens," Hageman told Fox News Digital. "Pinedale, Wyoming, may be a long way removed from Southern California, but when there are calls on the river and when there are demands that we reduce the amount of water that we are able to use in order to meet a demand downstream, that isn't fair."
California's water infrastructure has largely remained unchanged since the late 20th century, despite a ballooning population.
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Hageman argued that California's growing need paired with a lack of new infrastructure is hurting the agricultural sector in areas that rely on the Colorado River — which could have ripple effects beyond the West.
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"California could grow almost all the food we need in the United States, but they've really decimated their Ag industry because they've taken irrigation water away from their Ag industry to try to meet municipal demand and industrial demand elsewhere. So really it's just, it's a whole parade of bad decisions that are being made," she said.
"Food independence is a national security issue. We do not want to become food dependent on Mexico or Central America or bringing all of our food in from other countries. We have the resources to grow healthy, high-quality food right here while also protecting our environment."
Environmental groups like Tell the Dam Truth have opposed new dam builds in California, arguing they contribute to climate change while harming biodiversity.
"With its strong environmental laws, regulations, and policies, California has the opportunity to not only stop new dam construction, but also decommission dams to restore the biodiversity and carbon sequestration currently inundated in river valleys across the state," the group's website states.
Groups like the Sierra Club have also opposed desalination, an alternative water source that would require California to convert its abundant saltwater into a usable product.
But Hageman said that opposition was misguided.
"They're very backwards people. I kind of look at them like flat-Earthers. They're very backwards people in the way that they approach things. They ignore the fact that humans are also part of the natural environment, and they ignore the benefits of what we can create by building this much-needed infrastructure," she said.
The Colorado River's Upper Basin runs through Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. The Lower Basin runs through California, Arizona and Nevada.
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It has faced growing problems, in part due to climate change and increased dependence, prompting discussions about whether the seven aforementioned states could update their existing water-sharing agreement.
A failure to do so thus far has prompted the Trump administration to step in and force steep cuts to the Lower Basin states for the next two years.
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Newsom praised the plan while pointing out California has reduced its use in recent years, but said it was only a "short-term" solution.
"This is a necessary step to protect a river that 40 million Americans depend on, at a time when climate change is driving a regional water crisis that makes every drop of water count. California continues to lead the way forward, growing our economy while cutting our Colorado River water use to the lowest level since 1949," he said of the Trump administration order. "Any long-term solution must share responsibility fairly across all seven states in recognition of the new reality of the Colorado River."
California also recently made plans for a new reservoir project, projected to cost $6.8 billion, which is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s. The state is also investing in new groundwater infrastructure and other initiatives to expand availability of the critical resource.
A spokesperson for the California Natural Resources Agency re-emphasized the state's reduced dependency on the Colorado River when reached by Fox News Digital.
"California’s Colorado River use is at its lowest since 1949 – and our urban water agencies have reduced their demand for imports by 50% since 2000. Even with that, we continue to invest billions of dollars to increase water supply as we face changing conditions driven by climate change," the spokesperson said.
"Suggesting we move the world’s fourth largest economy entirely to desalinated water is a deeply unserious proposal that ignores the underlying issues facing all users of the Colorado River. All Basin states must share the responsibility of caring for the Colorado River for generations to come – and that means real conservation from all seven states."
Newsom's attack dog taunts Buttigieg over South Carolina visit as 2028 fight heats up
The battle for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination is already spilling into public view, with a top aide to California Gov. Gavin Newsom taking a swipe at fellow White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg over his effort to build support with Black voters in the South.
Newsom communications director Izzy Gardon mocked Buttigieg's recent visit to South Carolina, which his representative Aida Ross highlighted with a post on X over the weekend that included a photo of the former Transportation Secretary with members of the Orangeburg branch of the NAACP.
"Pete returned to Orangeburg, SC! Great night with the Orangeburg Branch of the NAACP," Ross said alongside the photo.
Meanwhile, Gardon responded to the post: "First time in SC in 3 years? Nice!"
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The exchange garnered buzz online, as it placed two of the Democratic Party's most closely watched potential presidential contenders at the center of a growing fight over Black voter outreach—an issue likely to be central in 2028 as South Carolina again prepares to hold the party’s first nominating contest.
It also comes amid wider Democratic tensions over whether the party is doing enough to engage Black voters and the South, with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens accusing the DNC of "abandoning the South" and "abandoning Black voters" after Atlanta was eliminated from 2028 convention contention last week.
Meanwhile, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain declared last month, amid debate over the party’s presidential primary calendar, that "the South is not the past, it is the future," while Democratic chairs from five other southern states also previously warned the DNC against sending Black voters the message that their loyalty is "taken for granted," according to the Associated Press.
When reached for comment, Gardon told Fox News Digital that the post was made from his personal account and in his "personal capacity," calling it "simply my own observation." He stressed that he was "NOT speaking for the Governor or anyone else."
Ross did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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"Love to watch Gavin Newsom staffers dunk on Pete Buttigieg staffers as they all jostle to catch up to AOC in the 2028 Dem primaries," Republican strategist Matt Whitlock wrote on X.
"We’re just dropping all pretenses huh," quipped political polling executive Adam Carlson.
Democrat strategists also weighed in on the in-fighting.
"Staffers of potential 2028ers who denigrate other potential 2028ers at this juncture should be embarrassed. They reflect extremely poorly on their principals," Democrat strategist Jennifer Holdsworth said in response to Gardon's jab.
"Weird tweet to send rn - bad look," Democratic consultant Eric Koch said.
"Potential 2028 staffers, huddle up: you do not want to start the fighting now or on this platform," added the Head of Digital Engagement at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Stefan Smith. "It’s too early in the cycle. The longer we play nice (and encourage the principals to play nice) the better it is for everyone."
Prince William ‘blindsided’ by Harry, Meghan return as Kate fears new turmoil from royal feud: experts
Prince William was reportedly "blindsided" by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprise decision to return to the U.K. with their children.
Several royal experts told Fox News Digital that the Prince and Princess of Wales are "concerned" about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returning for an extended period beginning this month. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are set to begin school there in September, People magazine reported.
"Prince William was blindsided," Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital.
"He had found Harry’s recent eagerness to publicly signal that he wanted to spend more time in Britain unusual, but that is very different from anticipating a full return. William now has to navigate a situation he did not create, did not ask for and, given the state of their relationship, almost certainly would not have chosen."
Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
In a statement shared with The New York Times, a spokesperson for the Sussexes said, "On the heels of a wonderful trip with family and friends this summer, Harry and Meghan have decided to spend an extended period in the U.K. this autumn. They are excited to have their children spend more time in the country that’s such an important part of their family’s story."
The spokesperson confirmed that the couple’s businesses will remain unchanged and based in the U.S. Meghan and Harry will also keep their home in California.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that the Waleses are "feeling uneasy" about facing another chapter in the "endless Sussex soap opera."
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"It’s about broken trust," Chard explained. "Prince William is said to feel that Harry and Meghan have spent years attacking the institution, then monetizing their grievances through a very lucrative media operation. From his view, it’s an ongoing campaign for maximum impact and self-gain. He’s not going to fuel it, and he’s not going to endorse behavior he sees as damaging."
William and Kate were seen arriving in Scotland on Thursday, where they’ll spend time with King Charles at Balmoral Castle. The royal family has spent summers at the Scottish estate since the reign of Queen Victoria, with family members traditionally hunting, fishing and horseback riding there.
The king learned about Harry and Meghan’s move three days before it was made public, according to reports.
"Prince William, along with Catherine, is currently at Balmoral Castle visiting the king," royal broadcaster Neil Sean told Fox News Digital. "Harry and Meghan have, so far, not been invited to visit the king privately while on a holiday. This will not happen while William is there. I’ve been told he has no desire to connect on any level with his younger brother and simply has no time for [Meghan]."
Fox News Digital reached out to Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment.
The Daily Mail reported that the king and his heir held a "Sussex Summit" following the announcement. A source told the outlet that the Prince and Princess of Wales "have no interest in engaging with anything Harry and Meghan do or say."
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"Things are projected to be tense at Balmoral," British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "... Princess Catherine is particularly guarded given how deeply hurt she was by both of them. Both she and Prince William are very determined to maintain their own family stability and remain focused on duty with their royal roles paramount."
Several royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that William and Harry haven’t been on speaking terms since at least 2022.
"My sources have described genuine concern within the Wales camp," Schofield said. "I don’t think Prince William and Princess Catherine are sitting at Balmoral panicking about Harry and Meghan returning, but they are understandably apprehensive about what their return could bring. The last several years have taught them that private family tensions have a habit of becoming very public."
"The concern isn’t simply that Harry and Meghan will be geographically closer," Schofield continued. "It’s the unpredictability that comes with the Sussexes. There have been interviews, books, documentaries and very personal allegations about members of the royal family. … My sources tell me the Wales camp has not forgotten the hostility directed at them after some of Harry and Meghan’s previous public accusations."
Schofield said unnamed sources told her Kate is also unsettled by the news.
"My sources tell me that Catherine does not want to revisit that chapter of her life," Schofield explained. "She has endured very personal allegations, an enormous amount of public scrutiny and a difficult few years. My understanding has always been that her priority is Prince William, their children and the future."
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"Meghan returning to Britain doesn’t mean Catherine suddenly has an obligation to reopen a relationship that has caused considerable hurt," she said. "Catherine can wish Harry and Meghan well without wanting them back inside her private life. ... The idea of resurrecting the ‘Fab Four’ is fantasy. Too much has happened, and too much has been lost."
The Sussexes are expected to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside London, The Associated Press reported. They won’t resume their royal duties, which they gave up in 2020.
The couple’s return to the U.K. comes as the king continues treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer diagnosed in 2024. In 2025, Harry said he didn’t know "how much longer my father has" and expressed a desire for his children to get to know their grandfather.
Last month, the king met with Harry, Meghan and their children at Highgrove House.
Vanity Fair royal correspondent Katie Nicholl reported at the time that, according to sources, "not even the Prince and Princess of Wales were made aware that the meeting was taking place."
"The Sussexes played a blinder with the king welcoming them, having not told him last month of a plan they have had for ages as their children will soon be in school," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
The move is understood to have come together relatively quickly, as Harry and Meghan waited to learn whether their children had been accepted to the private school they applied to.
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"Since the brothers haven’t spoken in years, the imminent arrival of the Sussexes places William and Catherine in a pressured and difficult situation," said Fitzwilliams. "William is reportedly furious. But what is essential is that the king accepts that the Waleses and their children are the future of the monarchy."
Schofield doesn’t believe reconciliation between the brothers is likely, at least anytime soon.
"Geography cannot repair a relationship where trust has been so badly damaged," she said. "Harry’s return could make that estrangement more obvious because people will inevitably ask why two brothers living in the same country still aren’t seeing one another. ... William and Catherine could suddenly find themselves under public pressure to perform a reconciliation that probably doesn’t exist behind closed doors."
"... William may have reached the conclusion that distance is healthier than reconciliation, and he is entitled to make that decision," Schofield said. "The realistic goal at this stage probably isn’t friendship [with Harry]. I would argue it’s peaceful coexistence for the sake of their father. ... Harry and Meghan moving back to Britain creates proximity, not reconciliation. They can buy a house near London. They cannot buy back trust."
Charlotte man accused of mass shooting threats at 5 schools released days before classes begin
A Charlotte man indicted on five felony counts accusing him of threatening mass shootings against five area public schools was released from jail just three days before students were scheduled to return to class.
Drew Andres Owens, 33, was released from the Mecklenburg County Jail at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 22, according to jail records. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students were scheduled to return on Aug. 25.
A Mecklenburg County grand jury indicted Owens in March 2025 on five counts of communicating threats of mass violence on educational property. He has pleaded not guilty, and the cases remain pending.
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Four counts allege Owens sent emails on Feb. 15, 2025, threatening West Charlotte High School, Ardrey Kell High School, Community House Middle School and Hawk Ridge Elementary School.
According to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Owens allegedly sent messages threatening to "slaughter staff and students."
A separate indictment alleges a mailed threat against Garinger High School. The affidavit claimed that a student, who was armed with two shotguns and an AR-15, would carry out the mass shooting. School administrators later determined that no student by that name was enrolled there, according to the affidavit.
The warrant affidavit states that Darryl Owens, Drew's father and a West Charlotte High School ROTC instructor, told police he also believed his son was responsible for the school threats.
Darryl Owens allegedly told authorities that his son had harassed relatives, neighbors and family friends after being removed from the family home in 2021, and had sent unsigned emails and letters threatening to kill or shoot people at multiple locations.
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The father told police he had previously obtained a restraining order against his son, that Owens had been arrested for violating it and that the order was later dismissed. He also told police that Owens had recently sat outside neighbors' homes and photographed his car at West Charlotte High School "to try to lure him outside."
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According to court records, the bond in the four-school case was lowered from $135,000 to $60,000 in May 2026. Docket records indicate the four-school case had originally been set at a $135,000 secured bond with electronic monitoring in February 2025.
A judge reduced that amount to $60,000 on May 1, 2026. The separate case tied to Garinger High School carried a secured bond of $15,000. Owens satisfied the court-ordered pretrial bond conditions and was released Saturday, Aug. 22.
Court records showed a $60,000 secured bond in the four-school case and a $15,000 secured bond in the Garinger case. A professional surety posted the $60,000 bond the previous Friday night.
WSOC previously reported that Owens’ record included arrests for resisting arrest and shoplifting. The local outlet did not report a total number of prior arrests and Fox News Digital has reached out to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for additional details.
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Following his release, parents told WSOC that they are nervous to send their kids off to school as the school year kicks off.
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"Is he going to show up at one of the schools? It’s not good," said one parent. "I’m not going to feel at ease, I’m not going to pretend it’s OK."
"In this situation it’s confusing because he had a $200K bond," another parent said. "He’s clearly a public safety threat, so what took the threat level down?"
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"He’s out and that’s it, and the rest of us have to deal with it and teachers have to go to school on Tuesday and deal with it," another parent said.
It was not immediately clear if Owens had an attorney representing him.
BRUCE PEARL: Conservatives are attacking the very college sports bill that protects women
Men don’t belong in women’s sports. That isn’t complicated, but some conservative influencers and interest groups are allowing it to become complicated through careless claims about legislation designed to protect college athletics.
I spent nearly five decades coaching college basketball. I know the difference between winning a possession and winning the game. Conservatives now face a similar choice: We can chase applause by attacking allies and mischaracterizing the bill, or we can unite around the facts and win the larger fight for women, fairness and the future of college sports.
Some organizations and women’s-sports advocates claim the Protect College Sports Act would "gut" Title IX or invalidate state laws that reserve women’s teams for women. They are wrong. The text says the opposite.
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Section 127 explicitly states that nothing in the bill will "override, modify, or amend" Title IX. Female athletes would retain their current legal protections and ability to bring sex-discrimination claims. Section 120 also protects athletes, employees and others from retaliation for reporting discrimination or participating in Title IX proceedings.
Critics also claim the bill would erase state laws keeping men out of women’s sports. It would not. The legislation establishes national standards for Division I and Division II competition on limited eligibility questions, including academics, professional status, legal violations, age and years of eligibility. It neither creates a federal right for men to enter women’s competitions nor pre-empts state laws establishing sex-based athletic categories.
The bill does not expressly create a federal right for biological males to compete in women’s sports, and Section 127 states that nothing in the bill overrides, modifies or amends Title IX. Critics seem to be grasping at anything and eager to disregard the Title IX provisions here. Especially since the Supreme Court ruled in June that schools may keep men out of women’s sports.
It also requires governing bodies to enforce rules related to state and federal law and allows individuals to sue when the law is violated.
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The bill also gives schools a powerful incentive to invest in women’s and Olympic sports. It creates a $22.5 million athlete-retention fund and allows schools to unlock up to an additional $5 million through eligible NIL investments in women’s, Olympic and non-revenue sports. A school seeking the full $27.5 million retention allowance would first need to invest $5 million in those sports. That is an ingenious way to ensure continued investment in programs that might otherwise be left behind.
And every year Congress waits, the financial pressure on college athletics grows, and the programs with the fewest resources become even more vulnerable. My 2025 Final Four team had a total NIL budget of approximately $4 million. By the 2027 Final Four, some teams could be operating with budgets approaching $30 million.
Conservatives should debate legislation, demand improvements and scrutinize every line. But facts must guide us. Too many Washington organizations would rather score points against perceived rivals than secure lasting victories for women and college athletes.
Outrage is easy; turning shared principles into law is harder. Infighting only helps the left, which has spent years undermining Title IX while conservatives battle over legislation that expressly preserves it. If we can’t unite and get this done, we will lose college sports as we know them, and women’s and Olympic sports will continue to be among the first casualties.
The stakes extend beyond Title IX, and the crisis is no longer theoretical. Thirty-two Division I Olympic-sports programs were cut between the announcement of the House settlement and May 2025. WRAL reported that more than 40 Division I Olympic-sports programs were cut between May 2024 and July 2025, even though 75% of American Olympians in 2024 competed in collegiate athletics. NCAA data
Even the University of Arkansas, backed by SEC resources, announced plans to eliminate its tennis programs before donors intervened to save them. If programs at schools like Arkansas are vulnerable, imagine the danger facing smaller schools, women’s teams and non-revenue sports nationwide.
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Credit where credit is due: Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and others have stepped up to move this legislation forward. President Trump has also led from the front by restoring the biological meaning of sex in federal policy, taking action to save college sports and backing this bill. Now, those who claim to support the America First movement should get in the game, help Congress finish the job and deliver this win for women and college athletes.
Congress now has the opportunity to take important steps to stabilize college sports, support educational opportunities for young women and men, and provide protections for the uniquely American experience of intercollegiate athletics.
There is broad agreement that college sports cannot go on with no meaningful guardrails around eligibility, transfer policy and NIL oversight. The Protect College Sports Act is an important step in the right direction, and Congress needs to keep the positive momentum moving forward.
Winning the point may feel good. Winning the war matters more.
Democrat mayor blasted by DHS for 'hunting down' property owners leasing to ICE: 'Unhinged'
The Department of Homeland Security is calling out Boston Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s "unhinged" effort to dissuade business owners from leasing to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city, equating it to "hunting down" private property owners.
After Boston banned ICE vehicles from using city-owned parking lots to stage operations, ICE issued a notice seeking to rent hundreds of parking spaces in the city for five years. In response, Wu, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, issued an open letter to parking garage and lot owners throughout Boston in which she revealed the city had submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request "for any local responses to ICE."
DHS fired back in an X post, writing that "these actions by sanctuary Mayor Michelle Wu are unhinged."
"She knows she has NO authority to block us from using private property. So, she’s hunting down private property owners and threatening them for working with ICE — because she’d rather intimidate law-abiding Bostonians than get criminal illegal aliens OFF the street," wrote DHS.
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ICE issued a "sources sought" notice last month for "surge parking" in 14 cities across the country. The notice revealed ICE was seeking 249 contiguous parking spaces in Boston.
In response, Wu issued an official appeal from the city of Boston for garage and lot owners to "reject ICE staging facilities." She wrote that "were ICE to procure such resources, it would constitute an unprovoked and unwarranted escalation, creating potentially significant risks to public safety and halting economic activity across our entire region."
She boasted that she "joined together with six other cities across Greater Boston and signed Executive Orders prohibiting ICE from staging its operations on municipal property and parking lots," adding, "Today, I ask you to join us: Reject any proposition by ICE to facilitate an attack on the people of Boston."
Wu also noted that the same day, the city submitted a FOIA request for any local responses to ICE. She told the garage and lot owners, "We will keep you updated as we push for a response," adding, "Thank you again for your partnership."
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In its FOIA request, which was submitted to ICE and reviewed by Fox News Digital, the city of Boston states that it is seeking "all submissions and/or responses to ICE Sources Sought Notice with Notice ID ‘DHS-ICE-SurgeParking.’"
DHS responded to Wu’s FOIA request by calling her a "pro-criminal illegal alien politician" in another X post. The agency said the request also indicates that Wu "admits she has no authority to block ICE from utilizing private property."
"If private citizens want to allow federal law enforcement onto their own property, they should be allowed to do so—free of threats, intimidation and coercion from their radical left-wing mayor who shamelessly compared ICE agents to a neo-Nazi group," wrote DHS.
Fox News Digital reached out to Wu’s office and the city of Boston for comment.
Wu’s FOIA request came after the Boston City Council adopted an "emergency resolution" earlier this month urging the city to "explore all avenues to oppose" proposed parking leases for ICE in downtown Boston.
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The council said that by adopting the emergency resolution, it was calling on the city to "explore available options to prevent the proposed parking leases and expressed its opposition to an increased ICE presence in the city."
Besides Boston, ICE’s notice showed the agency seeking significant numbers of parking spaces in the metropolitan areas of Denver, Seattle, Philadelphia, Dallas, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and several other cities.
Darline Graham faces make-or-break GOP runoff in historic bid to keep brother’s Senate seat
President Donald Trump isn't on the ballot, but his clout over the GOP and the immense power of his endorsements in Republican primaries are on the line Tuesday in statewide runoff elections in South Carolina and Oklahoma.
Trump is backing Sen. Darline Graham in the Republican Senate nomination runoff in South Carolina, in the race to succeed her late brother, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, who unexpectedly died this summer at age 71.
And the president is supporting former state budget secretary and former state Sen. Mike Mazzei for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Oklahoma, where GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt is term-limited.
Both Trump-backed candidates are facing off in competitive contests on that day that also includes a special election runoff in Georgia to fill a congressional seat left vacant following Democratic Rep. David Scott’s death in April. The two candidates are Democrats, which means the winner will further reduce an already extremely fragile Republican majority in the House.
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In South Carolina, Darline Graham is facing off with conservative Rep. Ralph Norman, with the winner replacing the late senator as the Republican Senate nominee on the midterm ballot in reliably red South Carolina.
Graham and Norman finished first and second in a special Senate primary two weeks ago, but with neither candidate landing a majority of the vote, they advanced to a runoff from a field that also included Rep. Russell Fry and former governor and former Rep. Mark Sanford.
"We need every South Carolina patriot to go to the polls and vote for Darline Graham," Trump urged on Friday as he headlined a rally for Graham in Myrtle Beach. "What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot. Just come and vote. It's so important."
Graham is backed by term-limited South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who last month appointed her to fill the rest of her late brother's current term in the Senate. She also has the backing of Fry, a top Trump ally in the House, as well as the support of Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina's other senator and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
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Norman, who unsuccessfully campaigned earlier this year for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed McMaster, has been showcasing his support for the president in his Senate campaign and questioning Trump's backing of Darline Graham.
He was backed last week by Sanford, who briefly launched a long-shot and unsuccessful 2020 presidential challenge against Trump. Sanford, who is known as a fiscally conservative budget hawk, pointed to the nation's debt as a key motivator behind his decision to launch a Senate campaign, and later for backing Norman.
The Trump endorsement hasn't proven to be a sure bet this cycle in South Carolina.
Trump backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP gubernatorial nomination — in the race to succeed the term-limited McMaster — ahead of the state's early June primary.
Evette was the top vote-getter in the primary but lost the ensuing runoff election against South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson in a landslide. And Trump, ever hungry for a victory, endorsed Wilson in addition to Evette days before the runoff.
"It’s becoming a referendum on Trump," a South Carolina-based Republican consultant told Fox News Digital.
The strategist, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely, argued Trump "came to South Carolina to solidify his endorsement because he has to show a win here."
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Norman, as he runs for the Senate, is also backed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during Trump's first term in the White House. Norman was the only member of South Carolina's congressional delegation, and the first member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, to endorse Haley over Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.
"Trump still has a nasty taste in his mouth for Nikki Haley," the GOP strategist argued.
In Oklahoma, the Trump-backed Mazzei finished slightly behind state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in the initial June GOP primary, with a crowded field keeping either from winning the nomination outright. The winner of Tuesday's GOP runoff will be considered the clear general election favorite in the Republican-dominated state.
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Trump has boasted a powerful endorsement scorecard in GOP primaries so far this election cycle.
"My Endorsements are stronger than ever," the president touted this past weekend in a social media post.
But five of his gubernatorial picks in Republican primaries have fallen short. Besides South Carolina's Evette, that list includes Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa, who lost nominating contests this spring. And two weeks ago, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder and Minnesota businessman and "My Pillow" founder and former CEO Mike Lindell fell short.
"There’s no question that an endorsement from President Trump provides a tremendous boost in a Republican primary. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the candidate’s going to win," veteran GOP strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital.
Williams said that "the president still has a firm grip on the party, even in places where a candidate he backed loses a nomination." But he noted that "if there are underlying issues with a candidacy, those can pose problems that even an endorsement can’t overcome."
Meanwhile, in Georgia, two Democrats are vying to serve the remaining months through the end of the year of Scott's term in the House.
The finalists are former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, the late congressman's daughter.
LIZ PEEK: China is cheering as the Left blocks America’s AI infrastructure
The progressive Left is working hard to derail America’s AI dominance by blocking data center construction. So is China.
The AI push is critical to U.S. national security, to win what retired Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis calls the "new AI Cold War with China." But, it is also essential to U.S. economic growth. The U.S. needs to buttress its shrinking workforce, and AI agents are standing by to take over from retiring Boomers, self-deporting immigrants, and a declining number of college graduates.
AI is coming of age at the perfect time and yet anti-growth activists, amplified by foreign adversaries and media alarmism, want to shut it all down.
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China is helping them do that. While concerns about the build-out of energy-hungry data centers across the country are spurring authentic local opposition, there is also little doubt that America’s enemies are encouraging the resistance.
In 2023, the New York Times published a report detailing their investigation into Neville Roy Singham, an American Marxist based in Shanghai who, according to the Times, "works closely with the Chinese government media machine and is financing its propaganda worldwide."
At the time, Singham had funneled "at least" $275 million into leftist US nonprofits like Code Pink, The People's Forum, BreakThrough News, the Justice and Education Fund, and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. The Times documented that these groups are interconnected, sharing staff and content; the Times writes that Singham also "shares office space — and his groups share staff members — with a company whose mission is educating foreigners about "the miracles that China has created on the world stage."
Though he denies it, investigative reports and congressional leaders argue Singham's network advances China's strategic goals. Beijing’s main objective today is to race ahead of the U.S. in AI. President Xi cannot count on Chinese tech innovators, so is feverishly trying to hobble America’s data center build-out, the infrastructure essential to continued American dominance. Singham’s non-profit network is helping by amplifying the anti-data center campaign.
The Bitcoin Policy Institute reported recently that the "Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Marxist-Leninist group…whose stated mission is to dismantle American capitalism," is "deeply enmeshed" in local groups fighting against data center construction. The group’s leaders come from Singham’s non-profit network and the PSL has been effective in delaying or blocking about $24 billion in proposed AI-infrastructure investment.
BPI writes, "The Singham network’s campaign against American AI has been years in the making"; it catalogs the "seeding [of] anti-data-center talking points well before the local fights began." For instance, the PSL's Communist paper, "Liberation News", published a piece in 2025 blaming rising electricity bills in Illinois to the data center boom, declaring the facilities "are generating massive profits for some, but leave workers with more bills and devastate the environment."
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In June, in response to the BPI reporting, the House Energy and Commerce Committee demanded the White House and the FBI investigate foreign efforts to block the American data center buildout. The attack on AI progress is complex; the Manhattan Institute's Stu Smith wrote that the PSL and other Singham network groups are "not just one group or one campaign. It is an ecosystem of overlapping organizations, causes, and front-facing projects that all reinforce each other locally."
According to BPI findings, campaigns tied to the Singham network have contributed to delaying or restricting projects in East Charlotte, North Carolina, Prince George's County, Maryland and elsewhere.
The AI industry’s brilliant CEOs have been astonishingly slow to counter the anti-data center propaganda. Only recently have the firms begun a counter-narrative highlighting the increased tax dollars and other benefits generated by their companies. For example, in Richland Parish, Louisiana, a giant Meta data center produced a spike in sales tax revenue which, in turn, led to teachers receiving a bonus of nearly $51,000, more than many of them make in an entire year.
In Loudon County, Virginia, some 250 data centers are expected to provide $1.3 billion in taxes, or roughly 40% of the county’s total 2027 tax revenue. For local residents, that’s some payoff.
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Americans concerned about their energy bills or worried that data centers are consuming too much water are demanding legislators protect their interests, and rightly so. The fix is not difficult, and some states are already passing bills that will require hyperscalers to provide their own electricity and limit the water used in cooling the vast computers enabling the AI boom.
Americans are also worried that AI will steal their jobs. But the truth is, with millions of Boomers (finally) retiring, a declining birth rate and an exodus of immigrants further shrinking our workforce, the U.S. needs AI to provide the labor to drive our economy forward. Young people may have to reassess which fields will be most promising, but their future will without a doubt be enhanced, and not crushed, by the most powerful technological development ever created. Those who learn how to use AI will be rewarded; those who fight it will be run over.
Overlaying the opposition to AI is a mindless hatred of President Donald Trump, who won the support of our technology leaders because he offered an economy driven by cheap energy and unhampered by the suffocating regulations and green policies of Joe Biden and his Democrat colleagues. The Left’s attack on AI-fueled growth and the billionaires creating the investment surge scratches more than one itch.
AI backlash has become a hot political weapon in the upcoming midterms, with both Republican and Democrat candidates opposing the data center build-out. The stakes are high; only China will benefit from that opposition. Senator John Fetterman gets it, writing on X, "AI supremacy and energy dominance underpins our national security." He is correct.