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Former Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good blasts Trump’s endorsement record: ‘Trump IS the problem’
In a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump's endorsement track record, former Rep. Bob Good suggested that the president's picks would be better used to know which candidates not to support in election contests.
"Truth…face it…Trump IS the problem…not his advisors (that he picks because they say nice things about him on TV)…Trump himself…you would literally do better by using Trump’s endorsement to know who NOT to vote for," the former lawmaker wrote on X Tuesday.
Good has personal experience running against a Trump-backed opponent.
In 2024, while serving as House Freedom Caucus chair, Good lost a GOP congressional primary in Virginia's 5th Congressional District to Trump-endorsed challenger John McGuire, who went on to win the general election and succeed Good in the House seat.
TRUMP TEASES KINGMAKER ENDORSEMENT IN TEXAS ‘SOON’ TO FORCE OTHER CANDIDATE OUT OF RUNOFF
Trump had repeatedly trashed Good on Truth Social, asserting, "Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA."
Last week Good declared in a post on X, "Trump LIKES RINOS…based on his endorsement history."
In a post last month, Good asserted that "Trump has never made an endorsement based on the principles, character, policy positions, or qualifications of a candidate or elected official."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Republican National Committee for comment on Wednesday morning.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — a longtime Trump ally who had a falling out with the president last year and departed Congress early this year in the middle of her term — has also been a vociferous critic of Trump's endorsement track record.
"Trump’s endorsements do not drain the swamp, his endorsements solidify the swamp and ensure the swamp is never drained," she wrote in a January post on X.
Disturbing admissions of serial child molester approved for release spur California lawmakers to act
A convicted child predator who admitted he is still sexually attracted to young girls pleaded not guilty Monday to a new child sex abuse charge — as California Republicans escalate pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom over the parole board that nearly set him free.
David Allen Funston, 64, pleaded not guilty Monday in Placer County Superior Court to a felony charge alleging lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 tied to a 1996 case in Roseville. A judge set his next court date for April 6. He has been held without bail since Feb. 26 after his attorney withdrew a request to have bail considered.
Funston had been scheduled for release under California’s Elderly Parole Program, which allows certain inmates to seek parole once they turn 50 and have served at least 20 consecutive years in prison.
Now, state Republicans say his case exposes serious flaws in the system.
California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones announced legislation to tighten the elderly parole law after the board approved Funston’s release.
"Turning 50 does not mean violent criminals no longer pose a threat to the public, but that’s how this broken system of elderly parole treats them," Jones said. "If they’re going to let monsters like this out of prison early, despite no signs of true rehabilitation and little of their lengthy sentences actually served, then we have a duty to act."
Jones’ bill would raise the minimum age for eligibility from 50 to 60 and increase the required time served from 20 years to 25.
"The Parole Board has proven time and again it is incapable of acting in the best interest of Californians," Jones said. "It’s painfully clear that the legislature needs to intervene."
'STARRY NIGHT MURDERER' ALLEGEDLY TERRORIZING PEOPLE AFTER EARLY PRISON RELEASE, PAROLE VIOLATIONS
At the same time, the California Republican Party launched a petition demanding that Newsom replace members of the Board of Parole Hearings, all of whom were appointed by the governor.
"Violent child predators need to stay in our correctional facilities, not get a second chance while victims get a life sentence," California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin said during a press conference at the State Capitol.
"California families are fed up with Governor Newsom's soft-on-crime policies that prioritize criminals over victims," she added, arguing that the board’s decisions nearly allowed "monsters like serial child predator David Allen Funston" to walk free.
State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares said learning of Funston’s parole "made me sick to my stomach."
"If the governor can sign laws with loopholes and appoint the people who make parole decisions, then it’s his responsibility to step in and right this egregious wrong," she said.
REPEAT OFFENDER ON PAROLE FOR MURDER TIED TO BRUTAL JAIL ASSAULT, ESCAPE HOURS AFTER ROBBERY
A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital the governor referred the case back to the Board of Parole Hearings for further review to assess suitability and public safety risk.
The governor’s office said parole eligibility is determined by state law and sentencing decisions, while the parole board evaluates whether an inmate poses an unreasonable risk before release. The administration also pointed to data showing parole is granted in a small percentage of hearings and that individuals released through elderly parole historically have low recidivism rates.
Funston was originally serving a life sentence for the 1995 kidnappings, rapes and sexual assaults of eight Sacramento-area children.
The California Board of Parole Hearings approved his release despite disturbing admissions during multiple hearings, including his acknowledgment that he remains attracted to female children.
In a September 2025 hearing, Funston acknowledged he is still sexually attracted to female children.
"Are you still attracted to female children?" a parole commissioner asked.
"Yes," Funston replied.
He also admitted to having fantasies as recently as 2021 about an 8-year-old girl and previously told commissioners he targeted children because they were "vulnerable and available" and because he enjoyed the power and control.
Despite those statements, commissioners praised his "urge control plan" and voted to grant parole. Gov. Gavin Newsom later ordered a full board review, but in February the panel reaffirmed its decision.
MAN WHO WAS ON PAROLE AFTER PRIOR VIOLENT OFFENSES NOW ACCUSED IN 4 MURDERS
The ruling sparked outrage from victims and law enforcement officials across the Sacramento region.
One of Funston’s victims, identified as Amelia, said she was "disgusted" when she learned he had been approved for release.
"I’m disgusted with the fact that they would even believe anything that he would happen to say," Amelia told "The Ingraham Angle." "I don’t believe that people like that change."
Amelia said the abuse has had lifelong consequences, including lasting trauma and difficulty conceiving a child.
"I would love to have a child, and this is what this man took from me. And I feel like, personally, that’s very hurtful," she said. "I have trauma. I don't trust anybody. I don't trust anything."
She also voiced fear for younger relatives if Funston were to return to the Sacramento area.
VIOLENT REPEAT OFFENDER ACCUSED IN CHARLOTTE KNIFE ATTACK WAS FREE DESPITE DECADE-LONG RAP SHEET
"If he gets out, who knows if he'll do it again?" Amelia said. "I was told that he fantasizes still about children… why would you let this man out? When he gets out, how do you not know if he will continue?"
Funston told the parole board he was "disgusted and ashamed" of his past behavior and "truly sorry" for the harm he caused. Amelia rejected that apology.
His impending release also drew sharp criticism from Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper and District Attorney Thien Ho, who warned he remained a danger to the community and sought intervention to stop his release.
Cooper previously told Fox News Digital that he personally reviewed the original case reports and victim statements and questioned how the parole board could reach a different conclusion.
"What’s ironic is the parole board read the same reports that I’m reading," Cooper said. "How the hell did they come to that conclusion versus what I came to?"
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho echoed that concern, warning Funston remains a serious threat.
"This defendant is the worst of the worst – a child predator who lures, grabs, kidnaps and assaults children. He will reoffend and is a ticking time bomb," Ho told Fox News Digital. "We vehemently opposed the early release of this extremely violent predator. This is yet another example that highlights how elder parole is a broken law that results in broken promises and broken lives."
After learning Funston was about to be released, prosecutors flagged a 1996 molestation case in neighboring Placer County that was still within California’s statute of limitations for child sex crimes. Authorities issued a new arrest warrant, stopping his release.
For now, Funston remains behind bars as the new case moves forward. If convicted, he faces up to eight additional years in prison.
Fox News' Bill Melugin, Taylor Penley, and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Tom Cotton puts Biden on notice while demanding answers on draining of nation’s oil stockpile
FIRST ON FOX: A top Senate Republican wants answers on why the Biden administration drained the nation’s oil stockpile but did little to replenish it.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., charged that decisions under President Joe Biden to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) could have a ripple effect as the U.S. continues its war with Iran and as the Iranian government continues its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
Cotton, in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital to Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, charged that the Biden administration released 180 million barrels from the nation’s reserves in 2022 "to suppress gas prices ahead of the midterm elections."
US SIGNALS READINESS TO ESCORT TANKERS THROUGH HORMUZ AS TRAFFIC THINS BUT NO MISSION LAUNCHED
"That decision drained the reserve to a 40-year low," Cotton wrote. "The decision to drain the SPR was not a response to a supply emergency; it was a deliberate political act designed to protect Democrats from the consequences of their own failed energy policies."
Biden tapped the reserve twice — once in 2021 to relieve soaring fuel prices as the nation still grappled with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and again the following year to combat increased energy costs at the onset of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The SPR has capacity for over 700 million barrels of crude oil, but currently the reserve has far less following the drawdown under the previous administration.
SCHUMER ONCE BLOCKED TRUMP'S MOVE TO FILL THE NATION'S OIL RESERVES, NOW HE WANTS THEM OPENED
At the end of Biden’s term, the reserve had about 415 million barrels of crude on hand, according to data from the Department of Energy.
Cotton said that it wasn’t "the first time Democrats undermined the reserve" and noted that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and congressional Democrats blocked President Donald Trump’s bid to refill the SPR in 2020, when barrels were cheap, with $3 billion from a colossal COVID-19 stimulus package moving through Congress.
He also said that in 2021, Biden signed an executive order that halted new oil and gas leases on federal lands and offshore, which Cotton charged "constrained domestic production while the administration was draining the reserve."
Cotton demanded that Wright answer how blocking the $3 billion oil purchase and halting oil and gas leases impacted the nation’s overall domestic supplies that could have been used to replenish the SPR.
Meanwhile, congressional Democrats are demanding that Trump tap into the SPR after oil prices spiked to four-year highs over the weekend as the war in Iran intensifies.
Schumer said that the reserve "exists for moments exactly like this."
"The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, with roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption moving through it in recent years," Cotton said. "That is precisely why the SPR must be treated as a strategic national security asset, not a political tool."
Former Democratic mayor goes against the grain in backing school choice, calls for party to embrace it
Former Mayor Jorge Elorza views his role as CEO of Democrats for Education Reform as trying to shift his party's view on school choice.
"We’re urging our side to think about what a progressive version of school choice looks like and what are all the forward-thinking, progressive things that you can do with these new funding tools," Elorza told Fox News Digital.
Before leading Democrats for Education Reform beginning in 2023, Elorza served as mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, for two terms from 2015 to 2023.
Democrats for Education Reform is a PAC that "supports and elects Democrats who deliver bold reforms that put students and families first," its website states.
WHY AMERICA’S ONLY SCHOOL CHOICE SUPER PAC IS PUTTING SOME REPUBLICANS IN THE HOT SEAT
"I am not one of those people who always thought that I would go into politics. In fact, I swore that I would never go into politics. But the reason why I jumped into the mayor’s race was because I wanted to help transform the public schools here in Providence," Elorza told Fox News Digital. "So education has always been my thing."
Democrats for Education Reform is currently pushing governors to opt into the federal tax credit program passed into law last year under President Donald Trump’s "One Big, Beautiful Bill." The bill instituted a federal tax-credit scholarship, seeking to expand education opportunities in all 50 states.
Tax-credit scholarships, usually operated at the state level, are a form of school choice that allows individuals or businesses to receive full or partial credits when they contribute to a nonprofit that provides private school scholarships.
Governors, however, have to opt in to the program.
AT LEAST 40 PERCENT OF CALIFORNIA TEACHERS PLAN TO QUIT IN THE NEXT DECADE: SURVEY
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis became the first Democrat to opt into the program in December, telling local media he "would be crazy not to" and that it allows more parents to afford other school programs, such as after-school and summer activities.
Three Democratic governors, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, are reconsidering their stances on the federal tax credit scholarship program after rejecting it initially, according to EdWeek.
"We were strongly urging governors to opt in right out of the gate," Elorza told Fox News Digital.
SCHOOL CHOICE ISSUE IN TEXAS REVEALS NEW LITMUS TEST FOR REPUBLICANS
More parents across the U.S. have been seeking schools outside their neighborhood district and opting for charter schools, homeschooling and private schools as some school districts in major American cities are struggling to retain students. Homeschooling has also been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent data.
Texas, for instance, saw a massive school choice rollout earlier this year, with more than 100,000 applications for Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) in the first two weeks.
The TEFA legislation introduced new competition into the education landscape, giving parents options outside the neighborhood school their child is zoned for — and posing challenges for districts struggling to retain students, such as in Houston, which is set to close 12 schools for the next school year.
Teachers unions and other critics of school choice policies such as education savings accounts, vouchers, or charter schools argue that these policies allocate money away from traditional public schools instead of boosting teacher salaries, recruiting more teachers, and investing in facilities.
TRUMP DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ROLLS OUT LATEST STEP TO EXPAND SCHOOL CHOICE NATIONWIDE
"I think there’s an elephant in the room: our longtime political alliance with the teachers unions," Elorza told Fox News Digital of Democrats.
He continued, "And they have been the enforcers of orthodoxy when it comes to the issues on the left. But also, frankly, it’s been branded as a Republican issue—as a conservative issue. The case that we’ve been making, there’s nothing inherently Republican or conservative about it. The devil is in the design."
Teachers unions tend to also be opposed to school choice due to charter schools often not employing unionized teachers. The unions frequently support lawmakers who oppose school choice because they rely on revenue from membership dues. The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers donate overwhelmingly to Democratic campaigns, organizations and left-wing groups in general.
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Although Democrats are typically defenders of allocating taxpayer money to traditional public schools, a few Republicans, mostly from rural districts, have done so as well, garnering the support of teachers unions.
"I’m a strong supporter of public education, but to me, public education is a goal. It’s not a particular set of institutions, and so, if our goal is to create an educated citizenry, we can use every tool at our disposal to make that happen," Elorza said.
Elorza said during his tenure as mayor, traditional public schools were "just not improving fast enough."
"I think that this is a real opportunity for Democrats to show that we’re on the side of working-class Americans and not simply following the cues of powerful stakeholders," Elorza said.
From Biden's 'war' on gas prices to 'small price to pay': GOP shifts tone as Iran conflict hits pumps
Republicans sharply criticized former President Joe Biden over rising prices at the gas pump, but a spike in energy prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran threatens to scramble the party's affordability messaging.
The Iran conflict has led to a surge in gas prices for Americans, leading to an average 50 cents a gallon increase since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.
The average price of gas reached $3.54 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. Diesel prices have also risen to $4.72 per gallon. The increases have been mostly fueled by volatility in oil prices, which rose above $100 per barrel on Monday as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shuttered.
The president characterized the gas price hike amid the Iran conflict as "a very small price to pay" in a Truth Social post Sunday.
That statement represented a sharp break with Trump's typical messaging touting low gas prices prior to Operation Epic Fury.
"Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor — it was quite honestly a disaster — is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states. And in some places, $1.99 a gallon," Trump said during his Feb. 27 State of the Union address. "And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline."
The surge in gas and diesel prices threatens to undermine the economic message of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, who have touted low gas prices as a major win in the lead-up to November’s midterm elections. Cost of living issues are expected to be a key concern among voters as both parties claim to be laser-focused on making everyday life more affordable.
During the 2024 presidential contest, Trump frequently campaigned on ending Biden’s "war on American energy" and pledged to reverse a surge in gas prices that occurred under his predecessor’s tenure.
Gas prices averaged $3.45 per gallon across all fuel grades during Biden’s four-year term, surging to a record high of more than $5 per gallon in June 2022 after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
"Starting on Day 1, we will drive down prices and make America affordable again," Trump said during a speech at the Republican National Committee convention in July 2024. "People can’t live like this."
Democrats have seized on rising prices at the pump amid the conflict in Iran.
"I wish the administration thought about this before they started this unnecessary war," Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, said Monday when asked about the gas price hike.
"Donald Trump's war has sent gas prices skyrocketing through the roof," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on social media Monday. "What contempt. What cluelessness."
Schumer has called on the president to release oil from America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat supply bottlenecks in the Middle East. The top Democrat notably opposed a Trump-led effort to replenish the stockpile in his first term when oil prices were much lower.
Republicans have voiced confidence that the rise in gas prices would be temporary. GOP lawmakers have frequently cited their efforts to roll back Biden-era energy regulations and boost domestic production as evidence that their policies are working to lower energy prices.
"It’s going to be probably volatile for a period of time. I think what’s going to be key is ensuring we can get safe access to the Strait of Hormuz," Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Monday, adding that he was confident the disruption would be short-lived.
Daines, who abruptly suspended his re-election campaign last week, highlighted that average gas prices were under $3 per gallon prior to Trump’s State of the Union speech.
"That’s an important win for the American people," the retiring Montana lawmaker said. "Something you’re reminded of usually weekly when you’re gassing up your vehicle."
Some Republicans and Trump administration officials are also arguing that a defeated Iran will ultimately spur lower gas prices, even if there is pain in the short run.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the recent increase in oil and gas prices as "temporary" during a briefing Tuesday.
"Once the national security objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved, Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly, potentially even lower than they were prior to the start of the operation," Leavitt said.
"At the end of the day, we're going to destroy this regime, and their ability to disrupt oil is going to be less, and we're going to have more production, not less," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters Monday. "Once you take the largest state sponsor of terrorism off the planet, who depends on oil for their revenue, that's a more stable world."
Nearly seven in 10 Americans — including 44% of Republicans — expect gas prices to keep increasing in the coming months, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll released Monday.
Trump has threatened Iran with unprecedented force if the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is further restricted.
"Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!" Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.
Male fertility rates crash as doctors reveal health threats: 'Something very wrong'
Scientists and physicians agree that there’s been a general decline in male fertility — but they aren’t sure why.
Social media buzz has pointed to a few environmental exposures as potential factors, including cellphones and electric vehicles.
But the reality is "more complicated" than that, according to experts who recently spoke to National Geographic.
ORIGIN OF DEADLY CANCER AFFECTING YOUNG ADULTS REVEALED IN ALARMING REPORT
Although it’s not clear whether the decline is at a stage where it should be considered a crisis, numbers show that overall fertility — demographically measured by the number of babies born compared to women of child-bearing age — has decreased.
Dr. Alex Robles of the Columbia University Fertility Center in New York confirmed that clinical practitioners are "certainly seeing more couples where the male factor contributes to infertility."
CELLPHONE HEALTH RISKS IN FOCUS OF NEW GOVERNMENT STUDY: 'VERY CONCERNED'
"At least one-third of couples we evaluate have some male component," he told Fox News Digital.
A 2017 meta-analysis published in Oxford Journals: Human Reproduction Update found that sperm counts in Western countries have declined by almost 60% globally since 1973. The 2023 update confirmed these same results.
Lead study author and epidemiologist Hagai Levine warned that this trend could lead to human extinction if it isn’t addressed.
"This is the canary in the coal mine," Levine, public health physician at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health, told National Geographic. "It signifies that something is very wrong with our current environment, as lower sperm counts predict morbidity and mortality."
DOCTORS WARN SOME POPULAR FOODS AND DRINKS COULD BE SECRETLY SABOTAGING MEN'S TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
These findings have been contradicted by other studies, however. A 2025 Cleveland Clinic analysis of studies from the last 53 years found sperm counts to be steady.
"There is no evidence to suggest that this decline is the cause of a precipitous decline in the ability to cause pregnancies," primary study author Scott Lundy, a reproductive urologist at Cleveland Clinic, told NatGeo. "Most men, even with a modest decline in sperm counts, will still have no issues conceiving."
Multiple lifestyle factors can lead to a decline in male fertility, Robles noted, including obesity, smoking and diet, as well as environmental exposures and delayed parenthood.
National Geographic also reported that heavy drinking and marijuana use directly contribute to declining fertility, and that quitting these habits, while also exercising and losing weight, can help.
Systemic inflammation, infection and disease can also have a "big, profound effect on the current status of fertility," Lundy told NatGeo.
Those who are getting over a fever from an infection, like the flu or COVID, will have a "drastically lower" sperm count for three months, he said.
Male infertility can also be a marker of overall health, according to Robles. "Poor semen parameters are associated with other medical conditions and may signal underlying metabolic, hormonal or environmental issues," he told Fox News Digital.
Allan Pacey, deputy dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester, told NatGeo that the decline could be caused by increased use of contraception, as well as men waiting longer to have children or choosing not to have them at all.
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Microplastics have also been raised on social media as a potential culprit, but the effects are unclear, according to experts.
There is some evidence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals — which are substances found in reusable plastics and some disposable products — altering male fertility, Lundy revealed to NatGeo.
Concerns have circulated on social media that keeping a cellphone in a front pocket could harm male fertility. While Lundy said such an effect is biologically possible, there is currently no scientific evidence supporting the claim.
Another common myth is that infertility is mostly a women’s issue, Robles noted, but male factors contribute to about one-third to one-half of all cases.
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The claim that taking supplements can boost sperm counts is another common myth, he said, adding that it's not backed by strong scientific evidence.
"Men should focus on factors that we know matter: maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol and managing chronic health conditions," Robles advised.
Experts recommend seeing a urologist to address fertility concerns. Robles said his approach begins with an evaluation, semen analysis, hormonal testing and medical history, while also exploring lifestyle factors.
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In addition to traditional treatment options, Robles said his fertility center also uses advanced tools that incorporate AI and robotics.
"Technologies like this are expanding options for patients who previously had very limited paths to biological parenthood," he said.
Australian official touts bravery of Iranian women's soccer team as some receive asylum
At least six members of the Iranian women’s soccer team decided to stay in Australia and seek asylum, instead of going back to their home country where they face war and the possibility of even worse if they decide to go back.
Five of the six members of the team were granted asylum on Tuesday. Two others were also seeking asylum, but one of them changed their minds. There were more than 20 members of the team who came to Australia to compete in the Women’s Asian Cup.
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Tina Kordrostami, a councilor for the city of Ryde in Australia, told Fox News in an interview on Wednesday the reason why most of the girls decided to go back was because of their families.
"So, their family is the No. 1 reason that the girls want to go back home and the No. 1 thing they're worried and scared about," she said. "The second thing, as I mentioned, is all they have is in Iran and they are fearful of their identity and losing anything that they have built over the last few years for it.
"I know for a fact that they don't want to be living there. They are passionate athletes. They are women who, you know, have so much to say about their identity and who they are. And because they are in the public eye within Iran, they are restricted even more than others. No logical person would want to remain in that country, especially if they have the option to stay. You know, they had it so close that it was offered to them. And they were so close to having everything that they wanted. And yet they still chose their family over their own, live their own future."
The team arrived in Australia before Israel and the U.S. launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28. The strikes led to the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iranian players refused to sing their national anthem before an opening loss to South Korea last Monday, which was viewed by some as an act of resistance, which was dubbed by an Iranian commentator as the "pinnacle of dishonor." The team didn’t clarify. But the players sang the anthem and saluted before their losses to Australia and the Philippines.
As their time in the tournament came to an end, the possibility of at least some of the players applying for a humanitarian visa became a reality.
Kordrostami told Fox News she believed the Australian government could have done more.
"Here’s one thing that I believe the government should have done: they, immediately, after the first game, should have entered the girls’ hotel, they should have sat down with them," she said. "Dismissing all of the security, all of the personnel they had there with them, with official key figures within our government as well. They should have sat down with these girls and they should have laid everything out for them.
"They should have reached out to the diaspora and gotten all the contacts from the families. They should for allowed for them to have a clear, open conversation with their families within that room for however long they needed to. …Within a day, they should have put together a plan for these girls to seek safety for their families. … I am not happy today at all. I am so sad. I'm so concerned. And I just know that if we weren't so limited by our rules and regulations, we could have potentially hold held on to the whole team."
Kordrostami stressed the importance of what the women who left the team did.
"I want more people to be speaking about these girls," she said. "These girls are a window into Iran for us, for everyone to understand exactly what people are living through. The control, the coercion, the restrictions, the limitations, this is the reality for 90 million people within that country."
Australian officials stressed that they made every effort to give the Iranian team the option to stay.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the chance for the players to consider asylum came down to last-minute discussions at Sydney Airport where the women were separated from their minders and had time to call their families.
"Everything was about ensuring the dignity for those individuals to make a choice," he said. "We couldn’t take away the pressure of the context for these individuals, of what might have been said to them beforehand, what pressures they might have felt there were on other family members."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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REPS FINE, SELF, HARRIS, Enough is enough: We'll block the Senate until the SAVE Act passes
Wednesday marks one month since House Republicans took a bold stand for the soul of our democracy by passing the SAVE America Act.
This common-sense legislation requires proof of citizenship to vote and a voter ID — basic measures any American can support. Yet, in the marble halls of the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is playing games, refusing to even bring the bill to the floor for debate.
Enough is enough. It's time for House Republicans to draw a line in the sand: We are prepared to vote no on any Senate legislation until the upper chamber stops dragging its feet and passes the SAVE America Act.
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE 'TALKING FILIBUSTER' AND THE SAVE ACT
Let's be crystal clear about what's at stake. In an era when our elections are under constant threat from fraud, illegal votes and shadowy influences, the SAVE America Act isn't just policy — it's a lifeline for the republic.
Requiring proof of citizenship ensures that only American voices shape America's future. Voter ID? That's not controversial; it's essential.
We've seen the chaos in states without these safeguards — ballots cast by noncitizens, dead voters mysteriously rising from the grave and harvesting of questionable mail-in ballots with the power to tip the scales in favor of the radical left. The American people know this.
SCHUMER, DEMS' GOAL IS TO 'TIE PEOPLE DOWN' SO THEY CAN'T CAMPAIGN, THUNE SAYS
A whopping 71% of all Americans support these election integrity reforms. That's not just conservatives; that's independents, moderates and even some Democrats.
While Americans demand real action to secure our elections, Senate Republicans are twiddling their thumbs on feel-good fluff that would make a circus clown blush. In the past month alone, they've found time to pass a resolution celebrating a Mardi Gras dog parade in the Senate. The Republican majority can and must do better.
Just last week, the House passed Thune's Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act — dozens of House conservatives voted no because it's outrageous that we're fast-tracking niche bills while election integrity reforms sit stalled in the Senate. If they can't muster the spine for real issues, why reward their inaction?
DAVID MARCUS: PASSING THE SAVE AMERICA ACT TO SAVE CORNYN IS A FAIR DEAL
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump laid it out simply: He won't sign any legislation crossing his desk until the SAVE America Act is passed. President Trump understands what the elites in Washington often forget — that our elections are the bedrock of freedom. Without secure voting, everything else crumbles: our economy, our borders, our very way of life.
Radical progressive Democrats and their media allies howl about "voter suppression" and "Jim Crow 2.0," but that's just code for wanting open doors to fraud. They fear the SAVE America Act because it levels the playing field, ensuring every legal vote counts and every illegal one does not.
MIKE LEE CALLS SCHUMER'S 'JIM CROW 2.0' ATTACK ON VOTER ID BILL 'PARANOID FANTASY'
House Republicans, we've got the power — and the duty — to force the Senate's hand. The bottom line is this: We're prepared to vote no on bills emerging from the Senate until they prioritize the SAVE America Act. No more dog parade resolutions. No more niche legislation. Nothing moves until election integrity does. This isn't brinkmanship; it's principle.
We've seen what happens when we compromise with the swamp — endless giveaways to special interests while the American worker gets shafted. By holding firm, we're not just protecting votes; we're honoring the millions who showed up in 2024 to reclaim our country from the Biden-Harris nightmare.
Critics may scream that our strategy is "obstructionism," but let's call it what it is: Thune and his crew are the real blockers, slow-walking a wildly popular bill while chasing side quests.
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Force the showdown — put Democrats on the Senate floor in a full "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" moment, making them own their stance: "Yes, we want noncitizens voting in our elections."
Democrats can only talk for so long before the question inevitably comes down to a simple majority vote, and the SAVE America Act will be on its way to President Trump's desk.
This is the American people's fight. They've endured stolen opportunities, inflated prices and open borders under Democratic rule. The SAVE America Act is our chance to lock in conservative wins for good.
House Republicans, it's time to lead since our colleagues in the Senate won't. Block the fluff, pass the SAVE America Act and make elections secure again.
The clock is ticking, Sen. Thune. Your move.
Republican Keith Self represents Texas's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives
Republican Mark Harris represents North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
Trump ends Biden’s drug price nightmare — Americans get real relief with TrumpRx
As a physician and a mother, I have seen firsthand how Washington's decisions ripple into the exam room and around the kitchen table. At a time when healthcare debates often divide, it is worth recognizing leaders who safeguard freedom while tackling real health needs. The Trump administration is doing exactly that: protecting access, preserving choice and confronting public-health challenges while trusting families and their physicians to decide what is best.
President Donald Trump is proving that when Washington listens to everyday Americans and acts with urgency, real change is possible. For too long, the crushing cost of prescription drugs has forced families to make an impossible choice between filling a prescription and paying their bills.
Lowering drug prices has been a cornerstone of his presidency, and he has taken meaningful steps to deliver by expanding generics and biosimilars, implementing historic price transparency rules, capping insulin costs for seniors, advancing TrumpRX to increase competition to increase competition and direct access, and pursuing a "Most Favored Nation" policy, so Americans are no longer paying more for medications than patients in other developed countries.
These policies represent an important shift toward putting patients, not middlemen, first. It’s a strong and necessary start, but sustaining this momentum by increasing competition and expanding access will be critical to finally bringing lasting relief to Americans.
HOW TO USE TRUMPRX TO FIND CHEAPER CASH PRICES ON MEDICATIONS
This is not the first time Trump has revolutionized healthcare access. He set the tone during his first term with Operation Warp Speed, a milestone in American biomedical history, after COVID-19 paralyzed the world six years ago this month. By pairing private‑sector innovation with decisive federal coordination, it accelerated effective vaccine development and distribution; proving speed and rigor can coexist when government clears paths instead of creating bottlenecks. Just as important, it expanded options for patients and families, reinforcing a simple principle: access first, always.
What followed, however, is where public trust began to erode. Not because of Operation Warp Speed, but because its success was taken over by bureaucratic overreach. I watched in real time as public trust in health institutions collapsed, common sense was dismissed, legitimate debate was shut down and universal COVID vaccine mandates were imposed. Patients did not turn away from the vaccine recommendations because of the science; they turned away because of coercion despite evolving science and varying risk levels.
When personal autonomy gave way to mandates, they undermined confidence in both institutions and vaccines themselves. The result wasn't the product of Trump's leadership and scientific progress; it was the consequence of power being prioritized over personal choice.
DAVID MARCUS: RFK JR IS RIGHT, NOBODY KNOWS HOW MANY AMERICANS DIED OF COVID
Today, this administration is again pursuing strong public‑health outcomes without treating Americans as bystanders. Trust should be built where it matters most: in the home and in the doctor’s office. Parents want choice. Doctors want access. Parents overwhelmingly trust their own physicians. Doctors who know a child's history and needs should remain the most trusted voices and, increasingly, America's health agencies are speaking that same language.
The recent shift in tone from top health leaders is significant and worth recognizing. Acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jay Bhattacharya is urging Americans to get the measles vaccine as cases rise and the U.S. risks losing its hard-won elimination status. He called the decision "deeply personal" while making clear that "measles is preventable and vaccination remains the most effective way to protect yourself and those around you."
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz echoed that in February: "There will never be a barrier to Americans getting access to the measles vaccine. It is part of the core schedule." This is what responsible public health communication looks like: honest, direct, and rooted in science, without coercion.
The challenge now is sustaining this posture. Keeping vaccines available, affordable and accessible is not a concession to one side of the political debate, it's broadly popular across the spectrum and conservatives are no exception. Skepticism of mandates and top-down health edicts does not translate into a desire to see vaccines become harder to get or more expensive to access. Americans want the freedom to make their own choices alongside their doctors and that freedom is only meaningful when access is guaranteed.
At the same time, the message must be clear: removing mandates does not mean vaccines are no longer recommended, or they have somehow been deemed unsafe. Vaccines remain one of the most effective tools in modern medicine. When vaccination rates fall, history and modern-day show that preventable disease and mortality rise.
Trump understands this, and his agencies need to hold the line: speak honestly about what the science says, respect personal decision-making and ensure that no American faces a barrier to a vaccine they want. That's a winning posture politically — and more importantly, it's the right thing to do.
The US government targeted me for my political speech. It could happen to you, too
Three years ago, I came to the United States as a graduate student with the intention of studying public and international affairs at Columbia University, with a focus on public service. Like many who come here from across the world, I had a vision of the United States as the land of the free, a place where freedom of speech was cherished and where I could study freely. I thought it was a place where I could stand up for what I believed in without fear of retaliation from the government.
On March 8, 2025, that vision shattered. Multiple plainclothes ICE agents in unmarked cars grabbed me, without a warrant, from the lobby of my apartment building in New York and threw me on a plane to a federal detention center in Louisiana. As a green card holder with a U.S. citizen wife — who was 8 months pregnant at the time — I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had been targeted by the government because of my lawful speech in support of Palestinian rights, for protesting the use of my tax dollars and tuition fees to support the Israeli occupation.
Throughout my 104 days in federal detention, during which I missed the birth of my first child, I considered myself a political prisoner. The government had deprived me of my liberty, not because I had broken any laws, but because it didn’t like what I had to say.
Once I challenged my detention and Secretary Rubio's determination that my political views posed a foreign policy threat, the government scrambled to add new accusations. They alleged, baselessly, that I had committed fraud on my green card application. Claims invented not out of evidence, but out of retaliation. Recent evidence in federal court revealed that DHS itself acknowledged, a day before my arrest, that there were no issues with the information I provided on my green card application because everything was complete, true, and correct. Yet I was arrested anyway.
I was not alone. Other students and scholars with valid immigration status were similarly targeted for detention and deportation despite having committed no crime. They were pulled off streets by masked agents, targeted outside of their homes, and tricked into arrests during citizenship appointments. What happened to us is exactly what the First Amendment is designed to prevent: the government deciding which speech is acceptable and which is not. Once that protection is weakened, everyone is at risk.
The Supreme Court recognized eighty years ago that the First Amendment protects all of us in the United States — citizens and noncitizens alike — from government persecution for our beliefs. If we allow that boundary to be violated for noncitizens, or when the government claims a foreign policy concern, a precedent is created that can be used against all of us. Even citizens. Even people who disagree with me vehemently about Palestine.
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The government has argued that federal courts must let people sit in immigration detention for months or years before reviewing allegations of constitutional violations. They have argued that Pro-Palestine speech constitutes a foreign policy threat. They have argued that I deserve to be deported because they dislike my ideas. If they can do this to a lawful permanent resident with a U.S. citizen wife and newborn U.S. citizen child, there’s no telling who else they will come for.
The government isn't allowed to control how we can speak and think. Attorneys representing me in my case, and others like me in similar cases, argued this point in court and secured our release from detention. But my case is still ongoing, and the executive branch’s immigration agency may soon order my deportation. So, I ask Americans directly: do you want to live in a country where you can be snatched off the street by plainclothes agents for your thoughts?
In Assad’s Syria, where I grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp, that was routine. Since the beginning of 2025, the United States, a country whose Constitution protects freedom of speech, has seen an increase in these actions that I once associated with Assad: abductions by plainclothes officers without warrants, forced detention of people who express views the government doesn’t like, and the targeted silencing of dissent.
I will continue to use my platform to advocate for human rights in Palestine. But I ask each and every person reading this to use their voice to defend our First Amendment rights. The right to speak our minds, no matter who holds power, is the foundation of our democracy, and it is in peril. Whatever you may think of me or my views, that foundation belongs to all of us.