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Clueless WNBA attacks 'bad-faith' fans who don't want biological men ruining women's sports
The WNBA convened a task force to figure out what a woman is, emerged without an answer, scheduled more meetings to keep figuring it out, then scolded everyone else for the "hate and vitriol" surrounding the debate.
On Wednesday, the WNBA finally offered an update on its progress.
Turns out, the answer is more meetings.
WNBPA ISSUES STATEMENT EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMID TRANS ATHLETE DEBATE IN WOMEN'S SPORTS
"Today's meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ongoing discussions on transgender athletes and the continued hate and vitriol directed at players online. We will continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months. We will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league. There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."
The WNBA took the corporate escape hatch. Dodge the question, scold the critics and kick the can down the road.
Somewhere in all these meetings is WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who runs a women's league that still can't settle on who qualifies as a woman. Quite the predicament.
The loophole gets a lot more complicated to ignore when ex-NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft just to expose it.
The league's own CBA says "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." Pretty straightforward. Except there's one small problem: nowhere in the 400-plus-page agreement does the WNBA define what a woman is.
While executives spin their wheels in meetings, women willing to defend the purpose of women's sports are left to stand alone. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has publicly supported keeping women's sports and locker rooms for biological females.
Then, after Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul for striking Cunningham across the head, Carrington went to social media and posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever."
Fever coach Stephanie White eventually called the hit "egregious," but only after criticism mounted over her initial silence. When she addressed the controversy, much of her response focused on the "online community" and condemning "hate," "fear-mongering" and "divisiveness."
THE WNBA HAS LIMITED OPTIONS AFTER TWO MEN DECLARED FOR THE DRAFT, AND THOSE OPTIONS AREN'T GREAT
That's the recurring problem. Cunningham stands up for female competition, absorbs the backlash and gets hammered on the court, while the people running women's basketball seem more comfortable policing the tone of the debate than standing behind women raising uncomfortable questions.
Meanwhile, global sports bodies like World Aquatics, World Athletics and the UCI have established firm, biological eligibility standards. The WNBA remains stuck in an endless loop of listening sessions, stakeholder engagement and sanitized PR statements. Eventually, the league has to decide what it exists to protect. Stalling with PR spin won't alter basic biology.
If the WNBA continues to run meetings instead of making decisions, and lecture critics instead of standing up for women willing to speak, it won't be long before an eligibility disaster makes the decision for them.
OutKick reached out to the WNBA for comment/explanation on what defines a woman. We have not received a response.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Rubio rejects RFK's 'crazy' diet, jokes Pop-Tarts are 'one of the great American innovations'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio jokingly proclaimed his love of Pop-Tarts while rejecting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s diet during an interview with podcast host Katie Miller on Tuesday.
Rubio appeared with his wife, Jeanette, on "The Katie Miller Podcast", during which Miller asked his thoughts about Kennedy's reported diet of "red meat and fermented vegetables."
"This is a crazy diet," Rubio said in jest. "This is a diet that consists of eating sauerkraut and meat. Now you understand, like, this is not a sustainable thing ... He has to travel with coolers of sauerkraut! I'm not going to travel the world with a cooler full of sauerkraut. It's ridiculous. I can't do it."
HOW MARCO RUBIO IS RIDING LAUGHTER AND MEMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA DOMINANCE
During the exchange, Rubio clarified that he was in favor of Kennedy's "MAHA," or "Make America Healthy Again" movement, though his wife pushed back, claiming that he eats Pop-Tarts.
"No, I don't eat Pop-Tarts every day," Rubio said.
"You eat sweets," Jeanette said.
"The Pop-Tart is one of the great American innovations in the history of the world, if you think about it. It comes in this beautiful foil package," Rubio joked.
"He eats all the things you should not be eating. Like every single thing," Jeanette insisted.
Fox News Digital reached out to the HHS secretary and Mars Inc., the company that owns Pop-Tarts, for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Rubio has been considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate to succeed President Donald Trump. In a recent New Hampshire poll, Rubio was only 10 points behind Vice President JD Vance in a hypothetical match-up.
In addition to being a presidential contender, Rubio was also the subject of a viral internet meme featuring him sitting on an Oval Office couch during Trump's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2025.
RUBIO REFLECTS ON REMARKABLE POLITICAL JOURNEY FROM TRUMP CRITIC TO TRUSTED CABINET MEMBER
Rubio finally addressed the viral image in an interview on Fox News' "My View with Lara Trump" last month.
"The meme thing, it was interesting because when it first came out, I hated that picture," Rubio said. "Because what happened is in that couch, if you don’t have a pillow behind your back, you kind of sink. So, I looked at the picture; I said, ‘Oh, this is terrible,’ I looked like whatever. And then it turned into this other thing. And it was fine, and it’s funny."
"I don’t really follow it very closely, but people have shown me pictures out there," he added. "We have a good friend here that works at the White House, Dan Scavino, made a nice board for me. And even since he made that board, we had to update it, so — of all the different pictures. So that stuff is funny."
Convicted rapist who preyed on women at America's top party school faces reckoning after courthouse dash
A former UC Santa Barbara student convicted of raping and sexually assaulting multiple women will spend at least three decades behind bars, capping a yearslong prosecution involving disturbing allegations of sexual violence at one of America's top party schools.
Arian Eteghaei, 24, was sentenced to 30 years to life in California state prison after a jury found him guilty of forcible rape and forcible sexual penetration, but not before authorities say he made a brazen run for freedom, bolting from courthouse custody moments after his conviction.
His sentencing comes amid renewed scrutiny over sexual violence at UC Santa Barbara, which has been ranked the nation's top party school by Niche for the past two years.
Eteghaei's case adds to those concerns. He was also convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, while jurors found true a special allegation that the sexual offenses were committed against more than one victim.
AMERICA'S TOP PARTY COLLEGE HIT BY ANOTHER SEX ATTACK WEEKS AFTER BRUTAL CAMPUS RAPE CASE
"This case would not have been possible without the extraordinary courage of the victims who came forward and participated in a long and difficult legal process," Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch said. "Their strength and willingness to testify allowed the truth to be heard and ultimately allowed the defendant to be held accountable for the serious harm he caused."
Authorities say Eteghaei escaped by force while in custody on Jan. 16, the same day the jury returned its verdict.
The alleged escape landed Eteghaei another felony case, with prosecutors charging him in March with one count of escape by force.
STUDENTS AT TOP PARTY COLLEGE ON EDGE AFTER RAPE, STRANGULATION REPORTED IN CAMPUS HOUSING
Eteghaei's sexual assault prosecution stretched back years and centered on crimes committed while he was a student at UC Santa Barbara.
"This case required years of persistence, careful investigation, and tremendous support for the victims," Savrnoch said. "The collective work of this team exemplifies the commitment of law enforcement, prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates to seeking justice for survivors of sexual violence."
Campus crime data previously reviewed by Fox News Digital show more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, while two separate sexual assault reports this spring and summer prompted campus-wide warnings and heightened concerns about student safety.
In June, UC Santa Barbara police issued a campus-wide Timely Warning after a woman reported being stalked and groped in broad daylight near Tierra De Fortuna Park.
RIDESHARE DRIVER ARRESTED IN ALLEGED SCHEME TARGETING IVY LEAGUE STUDENTS FOR SEX: PROSECUTORS
Police said the woman was walking along a paved access road on UCSB's West Campus around 11:30 a.m. June 24, when a man riding a bicycle passed her before circling back multiple times over the next 15 minutes.
During the first two encounters, police said the man stopped to ask her questions. On the third pass, investigators said he approached the woman from behind, groped her and fled toward nearby Tierra De Fortuna Park.
The incident marked the second Timely Warning issued by UCSB police in under two months.
In May, an 18-year-old freshman reported she was raped and strangled after meeting a man at a fraternity party before returning to her dorm at Tropicana Gardens in Isla Vista.
FORMER UCLA GYNECOLOGIST SENTENCED AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO SEXUALLY ASSAULTING PATIENTS AT SCHOOL
Days after the attack, the survivor's family, through attorney Tyrone Maho, publicly appealed for witnesses to come forward, saying anyone who attended the fraternity party or was near Tropicana Gardens on the night of May 9 could hold critical information.
The family also urged the university's chancellor to ask the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office to take over the investigation, arguing that the unidentified attacker remained "a potential threat to our community," while expressing gratitude for the work already done by UC Santa Barbara police.
The attack prompted a candlelight vigil where students gathered to support the survivor and raise concerns about campus safety.
UC Santa Barbara has been ranked the nation's top party school by Niche for the past two years.
Campus crime data previously reviewed by Fox News Digital showed the university recorded more than 100 reported rapes between 2022 and 2024, according to its Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports.
The reports also showed increases in other reported crimes in recent years, including weapons arrests and burglaries.
In a statement previously provided to Fox News Digital following the May attack, UC Santa Barbara police said federal law limits what officials can disclose about active investigations, but emphasized that reports of crimes on university property are fully investigated by sworn officers.
The department said it remained in direct contact with the survivor's family and works closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office when appropriate.
Fox News Digital reached out to the UCSB for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital's Kelsie Cairns contributed to this report.
Composer of 'Halo' video games says he was disinvited from convention event for being a Republican politician
Republican congressional candidate and Grammy-nominated composer Marty O'Donnell spoke to Fox News Digital on Wednesday about how he was disinvited from a reunion with his fellow creators of the "Halo" video game series for comments made on the campaign trail.
On Tuesday, O’Donnell shared a screenshot of an email he received from his booker who handles his event appearances, informing him he had been uninvited from a reunion of his fellow "Halo" creators at a pop culture convention, saying, "The promoter for SacAnime has shared that his LGBTQ staff does not feel comfortable if you attend the event. Based on your recently reported statements of the political campaign, they have rescinded their invitation to not cause any further staff upset."
"I’m very disappointed that SacAnime has disinvited me from a Halo 25 reunion at their conference next month. If you thought we defeated Cancel Culture in 2024, guess again!" O’Donnell responded in a tweet.
O’Donnell spent decades creating some of the most iconic music in video game history. He has since thrown his hat in the ring as the Trump-backed Republican nominee to represent Nevada's 3rd Congressional District. O’Donnell shared a statement about the incident with Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
GAMING-WORLD VETERAN WHO RIPPED ‘WOKE’ CULTURE SCORES TRUMP-BACKED BATTLEGROUND PRIMARY WIN
"In January, I was invited to attend a Halo reunion at SacAnime over Labor Day weekend in Sacramento, CA. I was excited to attend with so many stars, including Jen Taylor and Steve Down[e]s, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Halo with all of our fans. They even asked me to record a video promoting my attendance two weeks ago," he recalled.
"After SacAnime made numerous announcements of my attendance over this last weekend, I was told I was being disinvited because I called Marxism an existential threat. They have removed me from their website and deleted all their posts on social media promoting my appearance," O'Donnell continued.
"My existential threat comment has been twisted a lot by my political opponents over the last few weeks and anyone who saw the video knows that to be true," he added. "That is why I know it’s not why I have been pulled from SacAnime. I was pulled because I am a Republican candidate for office."
"Funny enough, SacAnime’s decision proves my point. Silencing the opposition is a key component of Marxism and that is one reason why Marxism is an existential threat to our country," O’Donnell said. "I genuinely believed we had put an end to Cancel Culture after the 2024 election, but that was just the end to what AOC called ‘Woke 1’ earlier this week. Woke 2 is here, and it is just as eager to silence and destroy conservatives as Woke 1."
"Unfortunately for them, I can’t be silenced. I will continue to use my voice to speak out against the threats our country faces, especially from Marxists who seek to destroy the United States," he concluded.
‘HALO’ VIDEO GAME MUSIC COMPOSER AIMS TO REARRANGE WASHINGTON
The comment that appeared to have caused the firestorm was when he condemned the rise of Marxism and identity politics, noting that this coalition seems to be between groups that share little in common aside from a common enemy.
"Talk about an existential threat, this is where we are right now," he said during an appearance on The WDW Pro Show. "We are on the cliff looking down into the abyss. And the abyss is Marxism, it’s anti-Western philosophy. There’s a weird alliance of all these groups who like to pretend they’re oppressed. The LGBTQ+ people, the Islamists, the Marxists, they’re all together now, acting like they’re all together on the same side. They’re not on the same side."
"Islam and communism do not mix at all," he said. "They'll be partners for a while in order to overthrow the West."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Fox News Digital contacted the SacAnime convention in northern California for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Birth order linked to 150 health conditions in study of 10 million American siblings
Whether someone is the older or younger sibling may be linked to certain health outcomes later in life, according to a massive new study.
Analyzing medical data from 10 million U.S. siblings over two decades, researchers from the University of Chicago and Columbia University found links suggesting that birth order may be connected to specific long-term health risks.
Researchers examined 569 disease categories across families and among siblings, identifying 150 conditions that were significantly associated with birth order.
LONGER LIVES, WORSE HEALTH? SCIENTISTS UNCOVER TROUBLING TREND ACROSS GENERATIONS
First-born children showed a higher likelihood of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, including autism, ADHD, Tourette's and OCD, as well as immune-allergic conditions like food allergies.
Second-born children were statistically more prone to migraines, shingles, substance use disorders and gastrointestinal issues like gastritis.
Discussing the findings on "Fox & Friends," Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, noted the value of such a wide-scale study.
"I love this study because it opens a lot of questions more than it gives answers, but I think I have some answers," the doctor said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Regarding the heightened prevalence of ADHD among first-borns, Siegel offered his own hypothesis about parental behavior.
"My theory, they get more stimuli. The parents are like hovering over them, helicoptering them ... and they don't know where to look," he said.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Addressing the disparities in allergic conditions, Siegel pointed to early environmental exposure, stating, "I think it's because the firstborn's immune system hasn't seen the environment before. And if it's not set properly, you get an allergy."
Siegel also touched on biological and psychological factors when evaluating differences between siblings.
"I think the womb changes after you have your first child, and the second child gets a womb that's already been used. So therefore, it's more set for it," he said.
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Regarding the higher rate of substance use disorders among second-born children, Siegel suggested emotional drivers, saying, "it may be the same idea: 'I want attention. I'm looking for attention. I wanna do something to get a rise out of you.'"
While the research highlights patterns across a large population, the study comes with limitations.
The findings demonstrate correlations rather than direct causation, meaning the trends don't necessarily stem from physiological changes, early microbial exposures or social dynamics.
Additionally, the data relies on commercial health insurance claims, which can reflect differences in diagnosis, healthcare-seeking behavior and parental attention rather than true biological functions alone.
Factors such as the age of parents between births and varying age gaps between siblings also complicate these associations. Ultimately, researchers emphasized that birth order serves as a modest population-level risk marker rather than a definitive health predictor.
The research was published in the journal Nature Health.
Los Angeles Lakers buyer, ex-Disney chief Bob Iger once said rooting for team was 'not in my DNA'
The Los Angeles Lakers just sold for $12.5 billion to an ownership group that includes a guy who once openly admitted he couldn't bring himself to root for them.
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger teamed up with Josh Kushner to buy the Lakers, which is a pretty wild turn for a guy who spent decades sitting courtside rooting for their little brother, the Clippers.
When news of the Lakers sale broke Wednesday, fans quickly resurfaced Iger's old comments about why he could never root for the team.
Back in January 2021, Iger explained his Lakers problem during an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast, hosted by none other than current Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Iger told Redick why, after moving to California in 2000, he simply couldn't bring himself to root for the Lakers.
"I couldn't root for the Lakers very easily," Iger told Redick. "It just was not in my DNA."
Iger explained that growing up a New York Knicks fan made backing the Lakers an absolute non-starter.
Instead, he adopted the Clippers to get his basketball fix. His other reason for picking the Clippers over LA's powerhouse was even simpler: price.
Iger explicitly told Redick that "their seats were a lot cheaper than the Lakers."
The man who just helped buy the Lakers for $12.5 billion originally chose the Clippers because the tickets were cheaper. Iger once said rooting for the purple and gold wasn't in his DNA.
Now he owns a piece of the franchise.
The timing of the blockbuster deal is where things get even more interesting. Billionaire Mark Walter agreed to buy the Buss family's controlling stake in June 2025 at a roughly $10 billion valuation. Just 14 months later, he's flipping the Lakers for $12.5 billion.
That lightning-fast turnaround comes as Walter's business empire reportedly faces federal scrutiny, including questions surrounding billions of dollars in private-credit investments. There's no evidence the investigation forced the sale — or that Walter suddenly needed cash — but unloading the Lakers barely a year after buying them certainly makes the timing interesting.
As for Iger, he clearly has the resources to help purchase the franchise. But for a guy who once said rooting for the Lakers wasn't in his DNA, becoming one of their owners is one hell of a plot twist.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders give Browns a preseason quarterback battle worth watching
The NFL preseason is generally a tough sell. Fans are excited that football is back, sure, but then the starters play a series or two, and a bunch of guys who aren't going to make the roster finish the game.
But the Cleveland Browns just gave us two reasons to pay attention to their first two preseason games.
RAIDERS' NO. 1 PICK FERNANDO MENDOZA WILL GET 'PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE' IN PRESEASON DEBUT THURSDAY
Head coach Todd Monken informed his quarterbacks Wednesday afternoon that Deshaun Watson will start Cleveland's preseason opener Saturday in Chicago against the Bears. Monken also plans to start Shedeur Sanders in the Browns' second preseason game, at home against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22.
Now we're talking.
Monken said the plan is for Watson and Sanders to play roughly a half apiece against Chicago, then flip the order the following week against Buffalo.
Cleveland has spent the offseason treating its quarterback job like an actual competition, and Monken has backed that up with how he's handled practice. Watson and Sanders have alternated days working with the first-team offense during training camp after both received opportunities with the starters during the spring.
But preseason football is where that competition finally becomes something the rest of us can actually evaluate.
Watson gets the first crack, and his start against Chicago carries plenty of weight even if Monken isn't ready to call anyone QB1. Watson hasn't appeared in an NFL game since rupturing his Achilles in October 2024. He later needed a second surgery after re-rupturing the tendon and didn't play at all last season.
So, watching Watson take an actual snap against an opposing defense is going to be a little more interesting than the standard August opener.
The Browns don't just need to know whether Watson can operate Monken's offense. They need to see whether he still resembles an NFL starting quarterback after nearly two years without playing in a game. He's obviously not the player the Browns traded three first-round picks to obtain in March 2022.
Watson led the NFL in passing yards in 2020, then didn't play at all in 2021 after requesting a trade. During that time, dozens of massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct, further complicating his situation in Houston. The final two civil lawsuits tied to those allegations were dismissed earlier this year.
None of it stopped the Browns from trading for Watson in what might be the worst trade in NFL history. The 30-year-old quarterback has started 19 games in the past four seasons, compiling a 9-10 record.
Cleveland doesn't need Watson to be the guy who was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. They just need him to prove he can still be a competent QB.
Then there's the 24-year-old Sanders, who slid to the Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders wasn't even the first quarterback drafted by the Browns; that was Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Gabriel is still on the roster and technically part of the team's competition to be the starter, but appears to be behind Watson and Sanders. They also drafted Taylen Green in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
BROWNS DRAFT ANOTHER QUARTERBACK, MAKING SHEDEUR SANDERS' STARTING JOB EVEN LESS SECURE
Unlike Watson, Sanders has recent game tape, and plenty of it. The second-year QB appeared in eight games as a rookie and started seven, throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. There were flashes of promise, most notably a 364-yard, three-touchdown performance against Tennessee, but there were also the mistakes you'd expect from a young quarterback trying to figure out the NFL.
That's what makes this battle so intriguing. Not only is Sanders technically the incumbent, but he comes with a ton of hype thanks to his bravado and last name. He's already started meaningful NFL games, showed enough to make the Browns curious about what comes next and has now had a full offseason under a new head coach to make his case.
Usually, there's an obvious answer to a QB "competition" and teams just go through the motions. But this feels like a true battle for the starting gig. Giving Watson and Sanders their own preseason starts makes it pretty clear Monken wants to see both guys in game action with the first-team offense.
More importantly, Cleveland has created something that's usually missing from August football: stakes that people actually care about.
Nobody is going to remember who wins Browns-Bears on Saturday. Nobody should. But if Watson looks sharp, moves well and pushes the ball downfield, that's meaningful. If he looks tentative or rusty after such a long layoff, that's meaningful too.
The same applies to Sanders against Buffalo. He'll get a home crowd that already knows him, and every good throw is going to add fuel to the idea that he should be Cleveland's starter now and into the future. Every bad decision will be a reminder that his rookie season was uneven for a reason.
Monken doesn't have to name a regular-season starter after either game. In fact, he probably shouldn't unless someone makes the decision obvious.
Cleveland still has a third preseason game against New England on Aug. 27, so there's room to keep evaluating before the real games begin. And if Monken really wants to mess with everyone, he could even throw Gabriel a start in that contest.
For now, Watson gets Chicago. Sanders gets Buffalo. And for two Saturdays, Cleveland's quarterback competition becomes one of the most interesting things the NFL preseason has to offer.
Texas judge accused of 'doxxing' political critic faces federal lawsuit, growing push to oust him from office
What began as a controversial Facebook post has spiraled into a legal firestorm for a West Texas judge, who now faces a federal civil rights lawsuit and an unprecedented effort by his own district attorney to remove him from office.
Midland County Judge Terry Johnson is accused of posting a political critic’s Social Security number, driver’s license number and date of birth on Facebook less than 24 hours after the man published federal court records involving Midland County.
Christino Rodriquez, who goes by "Nino America" online, alleges in a 26-page federal lawsuit that Johnson retaliated against him for criticizing local government by using his position to obtain confidential information and publishing it online.
BABYLON BEE SUES NEW MEXICO OFFICIALS OVER LAW REQUIRING AI DISCLAIMERS ON POLITICAL SATIRE
According to the lawsuit, Johnson posted a 2015 arrest warrant on his personal Facebook page with the caption, "Convicted felon trying to be a player." The complaint alleges the charges connected to the warrant were later dismissed and Rodriquez was not convicted in the case.
The filing also points to what was redacted — and what wasn’t.
Rodriquez’s home address and telephone number appeared blacked out, while his Social Security and driver’s license numbers remained visible. The lawsuit argues the selective redactions support its allegation that the disclosure was intentional.
James "Trey" Trainor, an attorney representing Rodriquez, told Fox News Digital the case goes beyond one Facebook post.
"The lawsuit is really about retaliation and abuse of power," Trainor said. "It’s kind of secondarily about First Amendment rights and the ability of people to actually criticize government without having government being used as a weapon against them."
Trainor said Rodriquez is active in the Midland community, attends public events and speaks out about local government.
"At the end of the day, he did that and he upset the county judge, and the county judge thought it was time to retaliate against him," Trainor alleged.
Trainor said Johnson had an employee access a criminal justice information system to obtain information about Rodriquez.
The federal complaint alleges Johnson obtained the unredacted warrant either through his own official access or through county personnel acting at his request or direction.
Trainor said the disclosure has left Rodriquez and his wife worried about identity theft and where the information could end up.
IS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON THE DARK WEB?
"This is probably the highest form of doxxing that you could ever engage in by putting this type of personal information out there," Trainor said.
"We don’t know how many pictures were taken, how many screenshots were saved, all of those types of things," he added. "So we really don’t have an overall understanding yet of how broad the damage is."
Trainor said his team has begun discussions with the Social Security Administration about potentially changing Rodriquez’s Social Security number.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and other relief, including lifetime identity-theft protection and credit monitoring. No dollar amount has been attached to the case.
"We’re still looking into how much it’s actually going to cost and talking to experts on what the overall negative effect on Nino’s life is going to be," Trainor said.
For Trainor, the case also raises a broader question about what happens when citizens criticize those in power.
"We need that information to be available to law enforcement to track down the bad guys," Trainor said of criminal justice information. "The only difference here is that my client wasn’t a bad guy. He was just somebody who decided to speak out about a local issue."
Meanwhile, the separate effort to remove Johnson from office is also evolving.
Midland County District Attorney Glenn Harwood filed a petition Aug. 6 seeking Johnson’s removal, the first step under Texas law in attempting to oust a county-level elected official.
"There’s a lot of gates that it has to go through before it actually gets to a removal action," Harwood told Fox News Digital.
Harwood said the petition goes to the region’s administrative judge, who can dismiss it or assign it to another judge. An outside prosecutor would also have to decide whether to pursue the civil action.
Now, Midland ISD Trustee Brandon Hodges has moved to intervene in the case, arguing his involvement could keep the removal effort alive if a legal challenge arises over Harwood’s dual role as district attorney and the resident who initiated the proceeding.
Hodges’ filing says he is not seeking to replace Harwood or add new allegations against Johnson. Instead, he is asking to join as an independently qualified Midland County resident and adopt the same grounds for removal already alleged by Harwood.
UTAH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RESIGNS AMID PROBE INTO ALLEGED RELATIONSHIP WITH REDISTRICTING ATTORNEY
"I intervened so this removal case does not die on a procedural technicality tied to Glenn Harwood’s dual role," Hodges said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "If the court rules against him on that issue, the case still needs to move."
"Midland County deserves a real decision, not delay, excuses, or a quiet escape hatch for insiders," Hodges added. "I filed to help make sure that happens."
The 16-page filing argues Harwood occupies an unusual position because he initiated the removal proceeding as a Midland County resident while also serving as district attorney and swearing that the factual allegations in his petition are within his personal knowledge.
Hodges does not allege Harwood acted improperly and is not asking the court to remove him from the case. His filing instead describes the intervention as a way to prevent a potential dispute unique to Harwood from derailing the removal proceeding.
Steven Villela, a candidate for Midland County Commissioner Precinct 3, also joined those calls in a Facebook post, saying he agreed with Harwood that Johnson should resign.
"No elected official is above the law, and every public servant has a duty to protect the rights and confidential information of the people they serve," Villela wrote.
"Accountability isn’t about politics, it’s about doing what’s right," he added.
Harwood emphasized that the removal effort is separate from Rodriquez’s federal lawsuit, saying he has "no role" in that case.
He also acknowledged what he described as a "potential criminal case," but declined to comment further because "nothing has happened on that front publicly yet."
Trainor separately told Fox News Digital that he and Rodriquez were interviewed by a Texas Ranger.
Trainor said the Ranger asked questions to verify whether the information shown online, including the Social Security and driver’s license numbers, belonged to Rodriquez.
Trainor also said subpoenas had been issued to Meta seeking confirmation of when and where the information was posted and potentially viewed.
The controversy has also generated public calls for Johnson to leave office.
Midland County resident Shandi Williams called for Johnson’s resignation during a Commissioners Court meeting, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram.
Johnson lost his reelection bid after failing to advance from the March 3 primary. If he remains in office, his term is expected to end in early 2027, when election winner Jay Marquez is set to take office, according to the Reporter-Telegram.
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson and his attorney for comment.
Unearthed interview exposes Dem senator's past support for reparations: 'There is a debt unpaid'
Shortly after announcing his intention to run for U.S. Senate, then-candidate Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said he would support reparations legislation — government-led efforts to make up for the social harms of slavery and other injustices against Black Americans.
In a 2019 radio interview, Ossoff said it was only a question of how much the government was obligated to give.
"There is a debt unpaid. I think it is a very, very difficult question: how to pay it," Ossoff told a local radio host.
"But see, that should be the question — not if it should be paid," the host noted.
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"Exactly," Ossoff replied.
Seven years later, as Ossoff wages a re-election campaign that’s likely to be one of the most competitive in the nation, his resurfaced comments raise questions about his stance on the proper role of government in addressing social inequality.
In the past, progressive groups like Movement for Back Lives (M4BL) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have made reparations a part of their platforms.
"Despite the elimination of Jim Crow and openly discriminatory laws against Black Americans a half century ago, Black people and the Black community as a whole still suffer economic, political and social discrimination and inequality," DSA stated in 2019.
"Formally equal treatment on the basis of inequality means the perpetuation of inequality. Reparations for these and other offenses is a current topic of significant discussion during this election."
Ossoff, while not a member of the DSA, said he would support legislation to evaluate the matter.
"Sen. Cory Booker has legislation in the Senate to establish a commission for the purposes of studying the right way to redress the grievance — to pay the debt never paid," Ossoff said in the 2019 podcast appearance.
"Forty acres and a mule was never paid out," Ossoff said, referring to an unfulfilled 1865 promise from Union General William Sherman for land redistribution made to former slaves.
BLUE STATE POURED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO STUDY ON REPARATIONS AS EFFORT LAUNCHES
The proposal never became law but has been reintroduced by Booker several times, most recently in 2025. It remains under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Notably, Ossoff has not signed on as a sponsor.
Conservatives have traditionally opposed reparations, arguing that they would effectively amount to a form of positive discrimination — a treatment based on race, which is prohibited by the 14th Amendment.
The Supreme Court tangentially touched on the issue of positive discrimination in its 2023 decision Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard — a case evaluating affirmative action.
In that case, the court considered whether schools like Harvard had violated the 14th Amendment by creating a different standard for admissions depending on race that favored minorities.
"The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual — not on the basis of race," the court ruled.
"Many universities have for too long done just the opposite. And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built or lessons learned by the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice."
Ossoff’s office did not immediately respond to questions on whether he envisioned a constitutional challenge to reparations or if his stance on the proposal had shifted since 2019.
Having cleared the Democratic primary for his race earlier this year, Ossoff now heads to the general election on Nov. 3, where he will face off against Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.
Ossoff won the election in 2021 with a 50.6% to 49.4% victory over then-Republican incumbent Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.
Is Orlando destined to be one of the next MLB cities? The Orlando Dreamers are looking to make it happen
When you think of Orlando, Florida, your mind immediately goes to theme parks.
That's fair enough; they're what helped make Orlando one of the most-visited cities in the world, drawing tens of millions of tourists every year.
And that's just one of the reasons the Orlando Dreamers think the Central Florida city is the perfect place for a Major League Baseball team.
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While cities like Nashville and Charlotte are often at the top of people's lists when they talk about MLB expansion, Dreamers co-founder and COO Jim Schnorf believes there's a multitude of reasons why Orlando will land a team.
"We have no Major League Baseball here. We don't have minor league, and we don't have spring training," Schnorf said. "Every other competing city except one has Triple-A, and the one that doesn't have Triple-A has Double-A. So there's an anomalous absence of professional baseball from the Orlando market."
Orlando also happens to be the biggest media market in the country without an MLB presence.
And then, of course, there's the tourism.
"We're the most visited destination in the Western Hemisphere, with over 80 million tourists this year," Schnorf said. "Tourism matters a lot. Anyone who doesn't believe that merely needs to look at the Las Vegas model."
Schnorf — who got the Dreamers ball rolling with the late Pat Williams, the long-time NBA executive who helped bring the Orlando Magic to town — was referring to how Las Vegas went from no teams in the Big 4 professional leagues to being on the cusp of having all of them within about a decade.
Schnorf pointed to the success of the Vegas Golden Knights and the relocation of the Las Vegas Raiders as examples of how a city with tourism as its biggest industry could support big league teams.
"So tourism matters immensely when it comes to the success of sports," he said.
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It can also help pay for it.
The organization recently put out new renderings of a state-of-the-art stadium that would be built on land near SeaWorld just off of I-4, the main thoroughfare through the Orlando area.
The Dreamers hope to use some of the tourism resort tax money that Orange County, Florida generates to fund it.
"Orlando generates the most tourism resort tax of any metro area in the country, which can be used for tourism, sports facilities, convention centers, and so forth," Schnorf said.
However, while a task force was put together to review proposals for projects like the stadium, they did not recommend moving forward with it.
Schnorf said that this was not a surprise as it came in the middle of an election cycle, among other reasons, plus the Dreamers' pitch had to be distilled into just fifteen minutes.
"We requested $975 million," he said. "To put that in perspective, we got only 15 minutes to present that package. Normally, you would spend a minimum of a day, following months and months of work and research on our financial model and metrics."
He did note, however, that the Dreamers already have a hefty amount of funding committed to the team.
"We've got well in excess of $2 billion towards stadium financing and team acquisition in place under letters of intent," he said.
Of course, even with a stadium in place, the MLB has to want to come to Orlando. Considering there are already two franchises — the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins — and neither one is known for packing stadiums, that seems like a tough sell.
However, Schnorf pointed to a moment in baseball history that suggests it can work.
"People ask about the other two teams in the state, 'How can Florida possibly support a third team here?' Well, in 1969, California had five teams with a significantly lower population than the state of Florida has today," Schnorf said. "Orlando is the fastest-growing metro area in the fastest-growing state in the country.
"We can definitely support Major League Baseball here."