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WTA adopts SRY gene testing to protect fair competition in women's professional tennis
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has just become the latest sports organization to require players to take a genetic test to establish their eligibility to compete in the women’s category.
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The WTA’s updated women’s eligibility policy requires players to undergo a one-time screening for the SRY gene, which is found on the Y chromosome and is involved in male-typical sex development. Testing can be completed through a simple cheek swab, blood test or saliva sample.
Players who test negative for the SRY gene will be immediately eligible to compete on the WTA Tour. A positive result will prompt further medical assessment before a player can be cleared.
Players must also sign documentation acknowledging that refusing to undergo testing could result in disciplinary action.
"The WTA’s women’s eligibility policy is designed to promote equal athletic opportunities in women’s professional tennis and maintain fair competition for all players participating in WTA tournaments," the official policy states.
The WTA said the policy was approved following consultation with its members and a review of evolving eligibility standards throughout international women’s sports.
The previous policy, last updated in 2024, permitted transgender-identifying males to compete with women if they maintained testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least two years. There are no known males currently competing on the WTA Tour.
"The WTA recognises that this is a sensitive and complex issue and is committed to treating all players with dignity and implementing the policy in a respectful and thoughtful way," the governing body said.
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA SAYS BILLIE JEAN KING’S TRANS-ATHLETE STANCE ‘DOESN’T SQUARE’ WITH HER OWN WORDS
The WTA joins a growing number of athletic organizations, including World Athletics and World Boxing, in implementing mandatory SRY gene testing for athletes seeking to compete in the women’s category.
The International Olympic Committee has also announced plans to use sex testing for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova praised the WTA’s decision as a "step in the right direction" on Sunday.
"I played no part in this particular policy, but am very happy that we at the WTA are clear that we are a women’s association and only women, as in females, can compete at the highest level of women’s tennis," Navratilova wrote on X.
The new policy goes into effect on Tuesday.
FBI boss details how agency secured record-shattering FIFA World Cup and more top headlines
1. FBI boss details how agency secured record-shattering FIFA World Cup
2. US launches new wave of strikes against Iran for ninth straight night
3. NORAD responds after multiple aircraft fly into restricted skies
MIDNIGHT MAYHEM — 10 wounded as mass shooting rocks packed downtown Tucson district. Continue reading …
SECOND LOOK — FDA reverses course on potential cause of Cyclospora outbreak after new testing. Continue reading …
PARTY PIVOT — Progressive surges toward a crucial Senate midterm showdown that could flip the majority. Continue reading …
PAST CATCHES UP — Man’s anonymous confession exposes alleged murder hidden for 33 years. Continue reading …
'IMMEDIATELY' — Former counterterrorism chief who quit over Iran war urges US withdrawal from region. Continue reading …
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'CROSSED THAT LINE' — Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district 'failed' parents, risked student safety. Continue reading …
CALLING FOR PROBE — Hawley asks DOJ to investigate organization over abortion-pill shipments. Continue reading …
GROWING FAMILY — JD Vance and wife Usha announce birth of fourth child, share baby boy’s name. Continue reading …
DRAWL OUT — AOC accused of 'going full Kamala' with what critics called a fake accent at rally. Continue reading …
'MASSIVE' — Hunter Biden blasts Merrick Garland's DOJ the 'greatest mistake' under Biden. Continue reading …
NOT PULLING PUNCHES — Bill Maher says Trump feels 'betrayed' over feud after cordial 2025 dinner. Continue reading …
CULTURE WAR — Stephen A. Smith tells politicians to ‘go do your d--- job’ and stay out of sports. Continue reading …
WORLD STAGE — Inaugural World Cup Final halftime show gets some rave reviews, criticism. Continue reading …
JONATHAN TURLEY — Democratic Socialists want to remake America in their image. That’s terrifying. Continue reading …
LEE CARTER — Why I believe collapsing trust, not ideology, is reshaping American politics. Continue reading …
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DINING HABITS — Actor declares one popular fry 'aren't fries,' igniting fierce online debate. Continue reading …
MIDAIR MISCHIEF — Pilot goes viral after spelling out 'I'm bored' during routine maintenance test flight. Continue reading …
GOLDEN HOURS — One daily routine may be the secret to deeper sleep, researchers say. Continue reading …
AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on presidential principles and courtside celebrations. Continue reading …
Tune in as as we discuss the rising battle over artificial intelligence infrastructure and data center moratoriums. Check it out ...
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Socialist-backed Michigan Senate hopeful calls American politics a 'disease' after professing love for US
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday described America's political system as a "disease" moments after professing his love for the country where he was raised.
El-Sayed delivered blistering attacks on the American political system during the final stop of "The People v. The Powerful" tour at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids.
He spoke at the event alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as the trio criticized President Donald Trump, party leaders, corporations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Egyptian American physician and former public health official first reflected on the opportunities he said America had afforded him, noting he received an "incredible" public university education and a medical education funded through the National Institutes of Health.
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"No, don't get it twisted. I love America. I know exactly what America gave to me. I know what my life would have been, but for America," El-Sayed said. "I know what America can do, and at the same time, it's impossible not to reflect on the worst moments of those 250 years as well."
He then argued that Trump was merely a symptom of broader problems in American politics.
"Donald Trump is not, himself, the disease of our politics. He's just the worst symptom of the disease of our politics," El-Sayed said.
"The disease? It's the system that allows corporations and billionaires and special interests like AIPAC to buy and sell politicians to rig the system against us."
Ocasio-Cortez also echoed that message moments prior, telling the crowd, "You deserve a politics that treats the disease and not the symptoms."
El-Sayed then targeted the nation's healthcare system, arguing that medical debt should be eliminated and contrasting its cost with federal spending on political campaigns and foreign aid.
"Medical debt shouldn't exist," he said, claiming the country's roughly $225 billion in medical debt could be erased for about $2.25 billion because it can be purchased "for a penny on the dollar."
He later turned his attention to ICE, calling it a "rogue agency" that should not exist.
"ICE has nothing to do with immigration. ICE has nothing to do with the southern border. ICE is about normalizing paramilitary forces on our streets. ICE is about weaponizing the idea of immigration against the Constitution itself. ICE cannot be reformed. ICE cannot be retrained. ICE has to be abolished."
The Senate hopeful also described himself as "dangerous" to a range of political and corporate interests, including health insurers and Democratic leaders.
"If you're Blue Cross Blue Shield, I'm dangerous," he said. "If you're Chuck Schumer, trading politicians like trading cards, I'm dangerous."
House Republicans did what voters asked and we have the receipts. It’s up to the Senate
As I travel across South Carolina, whether I'm meeting with business owners, farmers, veterans or families at community events, I continue to hear the same question: "Congressman, if Republicans keep winning elections, why does it seem so difficult to get anything done in Washington?"
It's a fair question, and frankly, it's one Republicans should answer. The American people understand elections, and they understand mandates. What they don't understand is why Republicans can win the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress yet still struggle to enact the very agenda they promised the voters. That's not simply a political problem; it’s a governing problem.
The American people returned President Donald Trump to the White House with a clear mandate to secure the border, restore fiscal discipline, unleash American energy and put America first. They didn't elect Republicans to spend the next four years explaining why Washington can't keep its promises; they elected us to produce results.
CONSERVATIVES UNITE AROUND SAVE AMERICA ACT AFTER TRUMP DECLASSIFIES 'SHOCKING' ELECTION INTEL
That's why I proudly voted for the "Save America Act" when it came before the House of Representatives. House Republicans debated the legislation, voted for it and passed it. We did our job, and the responsibility now shifts to the United States Senate. The House has shown what's possible when Republicans are willing to fight for the agenda voters elected us to deliver, and the Senate should bring that same sense of urgency to its work.
Unfortunately, that's where the American people often lose confidence that Washington can deliver. Too many bills supported by the president and approved by the House disappear into a senatorial procedural maze that few Americans understand and even fewer believe serves the country.
Conservatives rightly respect the Senate as one of our nation's great institutions. It was designed to encourage debate, protect minority viewpoints and ensure legislation receives careful consideration before becoming law. Those traditions matter, and they should not be discarded lightly. But respecting the Senate does not mean refusing to examine whether its rules still serve the purpose for which they were created.
GOP INFIGHTING OVER TRUMP'S VOTER ID BILL ERUPTS AS TOP SENATOR CALLS STRATEGY 'FANTASY'
I've said before that the Senate should consider restoring the talking filibuster, and I continue to believe it deserves serious consideration. Not because Republicans should fear debate, but because we should insist upon it. If senators want to stop legislation supported by the president and passed by the House, they should have every opportunity to make their case, but they should make it on the Senate floor, before the American people, instead of allowing procedural maneuvering to obscure one of the most important debates before Congress.
This isn't about weakening the Senate; it’s about restoring accountability. Americans deserve to know who is standing in the way of legislation and why. Debate has always strengthened our Republic, whereas invisible obstruction never has.
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Trump has made the Save America Act one of his highest legislative priorities because he understands a simple truth: elections matter only if government is willing to carry out the mandate voters have given it. Republicans should be willing to consider every constitutional option available to ensure legislation supported by the president, passed by the House, and backed by the American people receives a fair opportunity to succeed in the Senate.
REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP'S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY 'DEAD' IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
Republicans have spent years asking the American people for a unified government so we could secure the border, restore American energy, rein in spending and put America first. We should not be surprised when those same voters grow frustrated if, after entrusting us with that responsibility, Washington responds by saying the rules simply won't allow us to deliver. Senate rules should protect debate, encourage accountability and strengthen our institutions, but they should never become an excuse for failing to keep our word.
The American people don't expect Republicans to win elections simply to explain why nothing can be done. They expect us to find a way to get the job done. House Republicans have done our part. It's time for Senate Republicans to do theirs.
Low testosterone? Hegseth sparks conversation as doctors reveal warning signs every man should know
With Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fueling a national conversation about testosterone, many men may wonder whether their own levels are where they should be.
On July 15, Hegseth directed the Pentagon to begin mandatory testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve personnel age 30 and older as part of their periodic health assessments, with testing available upon request for younger service members.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), when clinically indicated, will be voluntary, according to the Associated Press.
NEW BLOOD TEST DETECTS 90% OF AGGRESSIVE PROSTATE CANCER CASES, BEATING CURRENT SCREENINGS
The screening protocol is designed to "optimize performance, combat ‘Operator Syndrome' and maximize mission readiness," according to a statement posted by the U.S. Department of War, as provided by Hegseth's office to Fox News Digital.
"I think Hegseth has a good idea," Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital. "I already screen for it in men over 50, and it makes sense to check for it in men who rely on tip-top physical performance."
Unlike the Pentagon's policy, the Endocrine Society does not recommend routine testosterone screening for men without symptoms.
"There is insufficient evidence to support a general recommendation to perform population-level screening for hypogonadism in asymptomatic men with measurement of blood testosterone level," the society states on its website.
There is no single ideal testosterone level for every man. A harmonized reference range cited by the Endocrine Society is 264 to 916 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter) for healthy, non-obese men ages 19 to 39, although ranges can vary by laboratory and testing method.
SECRET TO WEIGHT LOSS MAY BE HIDING IN YOUR GUT, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS
The American Urological Association says that a total testosterone level below 300 ng/dL, when combined with symptoms of low testosterone, should be considered deficient.
The Endocrine Society estimates that hypogonadism affects roughly 2% of men overall, although rates vary by age and underlying health. The condition becomes more likely as men grow older, and certain medical conditions, such as obesity and diabetes, can also play a role.
"Low testosterone can cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, bone and muscle loss, cognitive problems and increased body fat," Siegel said.
The Endocrine Society shares the following list of common symptoms and signs of testosterone deficiency.
RFK JR HAILS FIRST US HOSPITAL TO PROMISE HEALTHIER MEALS: 'WE HAVE A TEMPLATE'
Over time, men with untreated testosterone deficiency may also experience loss of body hair, decreased bone density (osteoporosis) and anemia (low red blood cell count).
Sexual symptoms, such as reduced libido and erectile dysfunction, are more specific signs of testosterone deficiency than fatigue or difficulty concentrating, which can have many possible causes, experts say.
Because testosterone varies by time of day and can be temporarily affected by food intake, illness and other factors, diagnosis generally requires symptoms or signs plus low results on at least two separate early-morning, preferably fasting blood tests, per the Endocrine Society.
If low testosterone is confirmed, doctors may order additional blood tests to determine the underlying cause, including luteinizing hormone (LH), which helps distinguish whether the problem originates in the testes, pituitary or hypothalamus.
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) may also be measured, particularly when infertility or impaired sperm production is a concern.
In some cases, doctors may recommend testing prolactin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. Elevated levels of prolactin can suppress testosterone production and may indicate an underlying pituitary disorder.
Doctors may also measure free testosterone — the amount that is available for the body to use — if total testosterone levels are borderline or don't fully explain a man's symptoms.
Before prescribing TRT, doctors generally look for potentially reversible or temporary factors, including obesity, certain medications, untreated obstructive sleep apnea, acute illness and excessive alcohol use.
For men whose low testosterone is primarily related to obesity, weight loss is typically the first-line treatment, according to the Endocrine Society.
When consistently low levels and clinically significant symptoms are present, TRT may be considered after reviewing potential benefits, risks and treatment goals.
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TRT can be administered in the form of topical gels, transdermal patches, injections, buccal tablets, nasal gel or subcutaneous pellets, per the Endocrine Society.
In June 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it has asked the FDA to update the prescribing information for TRT based on "a comprehensive review of new clinical data and existing scientific evidence."
The proposed changes would remove labeling language stating that the safety and effectiveness of TRT have not been established in men with age-related hypogonadism and would update information about prostate cancer risk based on newer research.
"We are putting science back at the center of men’s healthcare," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in a statement on the HHS website.
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"By updating testosterone therapy labels to reflect current evidence, we are giving patients and physicians clearer information, supporting informed medical decisions, and improving care for millions of American men."
The announcement only pertains to drug labeling and does not change existing clinical guidelines.
Some patients may not be candidates for TRT, the Endocrine Society says.
Those include men with active breast or prostate cancer, elevated hematocrit (the percentage of total blood volume that consists of red blood cells), untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea, recent heart attack or stroke (within the previous six months) or thrombophilia (a blood disorder that increases your tendency to form abnormal clots inside your blood vessels).
Men who are trying to conceive should also avoid TRT, as it suppresses sperm production and can impair fertility.
Those receiving TRT should be monitored regularly by a physician, experts advise. Follow-up typically includes checking hormone levels, blood counts (as the treatment can increase red blood cell levels), symptoms and, when appropriate, prostate health and other potential adverse effects.
In 2023, the TRAVERSE trial — led by Cleveland Clinic and published in The New England Journal of Medicine — found that TRT did not increase the overall rate of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death compared with placebo among middle-aged and older men who had confirmed hypogonadism and pre-existing cardiovascular disease or high cardiovascular risk.
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The trial did, however, suggest increased rates of pulmonary embolism, kidney injury and atrial fibrillation in the testosterone group, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring.
A separately published TRAVERSE substudy later found a higher rate of clinical fractures among men receiving testosterone.
"The results provide long-awaited reassurance about the cardiovascular safety of testosterone therapy when used as indicated in appropriately selected men," said senior author Steven Nissen, MD, chief academic officer of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, in a press release.
"Although the trial showed some evidence that testosterone treatment may be safe for men with low levels of testosterone, these findings should not be used as a justification for widespread prescription of these products to large numbers of men."
While TRT has been shown to improve libido, sexual function, anemia, bone density, lean body mass and some symptoms in appropriately selected men, doctors emphasize that it is not guaranteed to improve energy, cognition or overall vitality.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani struggles to define 'working class'
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani struggled to answer who he considers to be part of the "working class" during a New York Times interview on Saturday.
New York Times journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked Mamdani whether he and the organization he's a part of, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), have a definition for the working class that they claim to fight on behalf of in elections.
"I think if you have to work to pay your bills, I think that that is one definition of being a part of the working class," Mamdani said.
NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES 'IMAGINED'
"So someone making $250,000 a year is working class?" Garcia-Navarro asked.
"I haven’t sat at home and asked myself where it starts and stops. What I would say is those who are working to try and afford the basic dignities of life and aren’t able to do so, I think that that is also working class. Oftentimes we’re asked how we divide this country. I think there’s only one majority in this country — it’s the working class," Mamdani answered.
Garcia-Navarro remarked that his answer didn't "ring true" to her because of the idea that anyone who "gets a salary is the working class" and asked if he drew any lines. Mamdani answered that he drew it at "about a million dollars a year."
"So anyone under a million dollars a year in income is working class?" Garcia-Navarro asked.
MAMDANI PUMMELED ONLINE AS CRITICS CALL POSSIBLE NETANYAHU ARREST ‘PURE POLITICAL THEATER’
"That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying, in terms of fiscal policy, I think a lot of our politics has been a debate over who you leave out. And I’m more interested in debates of how you bring more in. And I think that that is part of what I'm looking to be a part of is a vision where people understand no matter what you call it that there's room for them. But yes, I do want to raise taxes on people who make more than a million a year," Mamdani said.
Garcia-Navarro pointed out that his definition could lump a janitor in the same "working class" label as a lawyer and wondered if that was accurate. Mamdani appeared to deflect from the conversation by commenting about New Yorkers in general.
"When I was running, a question I would face was: What does it mean to be a democratic socialist? And I only bring that up because I think sometimes there’s a fixation on a definition of something. And what I found is, when I would knock on New Yorkers’ doors, they would just ask, 'Am I part of your vision?' It’s not that everyone is making the same amount of money or facing the same amount of struggle, but that they just want to know, is there any way for them to actually be able to work this hard and afford a good life in the city?" Mamdani answered.
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor's office for comment.
Mamdani's interview garnered attention after he revealed that his administration is in an "active conversation" with the city's Law Department over any legal action the city could take against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for September's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In the interview, Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" who "belongs in The Hague," repeating his intentions to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Steve Forbes urges Trump to keep the Strait of Hormuz open at all costs
Steve Forbes says the United States must double down on efforts to topple the Tehran regime, arguing that free passage through the Strait of Hormuz should remain a non-negotiable American imperative.
As the U.S. struck targets in Iran for a ninth consecutive day on Sunday, pressure on the Tehran regime continued to build. Speaking at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes and former presidential candidate recently sat down with Fox News Digital to discuss Iran and the Trump administration's foreign policy.
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"Going back to Thomas Jefferson, a core foreign policy plank of the United States is freedom of the seas. Freedom of navigation got us into another war with Great Britain, the War of 1812," Forbes said.
"So we've been doing it for over two centuries. The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, just as the South China Sea is an international waterway. And so we must keep that open.
"No tolls, no restrictions, all ships of commerce should have free passage through it unmolested."
Forbes said that with proper application of air power, boots on the ground wouldn't be needed, but he would not discard that as an option, bringing the example of the engagement with the Barbary pirates, which brought freedom of navigation to the Mediterranean following the completion of the First Barbary War of 1805.
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"If we do things right in the air, that won't be necessary. But as we demonstrated with the Barbary pirates, sometimes you do need hand-to-hand combat. But again, with our great military and the great Israeli military, we should be able to bring this evil regime down and enable the elements in the Iranian army that want change to feel we're not going to pull the rug out from under them with another fake ceasefire. That we keep hammering away at this evil regime."
Ultimately, Forbes said freedom of navigation should be an international red line:
"So the key thing is if you don't enforce these key principles of freedom of navigation, liberty, you're going to lose them. Ronald Reagan was right. Others have made the same observation. You have to preserve liberty each and every generation."
Forbes said that the time for diplomacy with Tehran has passed, and encouraged the Trump administration to ratchet up the pressure, while also praising a recent decision on Ukraine policy.
"Get Iran done with. No more fake ceasefires. Get rid of that evil regime. By the way, I'm delighted that he's saying he's going to give licensing for Patriot missiles to Ukraine. That'll bring a good result there."
Angel Reese’s latest WNBA controversy shows how victimhood became central to her brand
For some unknown reason, claiming victimhood is very popular in modern society. Many people seem to think being a victim earns them social capital, so they look for every opportunity to capitalize.
A perfect example is WNBA star Angel Reese.
Perhaps no prominent professional athlete embodies the desire to be seen as a victim as much as Reese, who has spent years painting herself as someone unfairly treated by fans, coaches, referees, reporters and society at large.
ANGEL REESE DANGEROUSLY PEDDLES RACIST CONSPIRACY THEORY AFTER WNBA COACH CALLS HER TWO WORDS
Of course, that runs counter to the fact that Reese gained immense popularity, fame and money from the same society she regularly claims hates her.
The latest example came this weekend, when Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was caught on a microphone referring to Reese as a "protected species."
It was immediately obvious what Brondello meant.
She thought the referees were giving Reese preferential treatment. But it was too late. Brondello provided Reese the perfect opportunity to claim victimhood.
Reese made contact with Tempo forward Nyara Sabally while the two players battled for a rebound. Sabally fell to the floor in pain.
The officials called the foul on Sabally.
Brondello, understandably annoyed that her injured player had been whistled for the foul, complained from the sideline that Reese was a "protected species."
Reese responded on social media and tagged Brondello.
"ARE WE SURPRISED?!" Reese wrote, adding a clown emoji while quoting a post that read, "Calling a Black woman a species…"
She didn’t explicitly call Brondello racist, but the implication was obvious. Plus, Reese is smart. She knew the social media mob would do the rest of the work for her.
Part of that means excluding the key context that Brondello is Australian.
In Australian sports usage, ‘protected species’ commonly refers to a player, coach, team or official perceived to receive preferential treatment.
The phrase has been used in Australian coverage of rugby players, referees and other athletes. It has nothing to do with race. Danica Patrick, who is White, was famously described in 2012 as a "protected species" by a fellow NASCAR driver.
More importantly, the context around Brondello's comment wasn’t remotely confusing.
Brondello said it while arguing about a foul call. Even non-Australians with common sense understood her point.
Yet many of the same people who constantly lecture Americans about cultural sensitivity showed no interest in understanding Brondello’s culture.
They ignored her Australian background, assigned an American racial meaning to an Australian expression and then condemned her for failing to speak like an American.
That seems pretty culturally insensitive, doesn't it?
Brondello apologized anyway and explained that her frustration was directed toward the officiating. She didn't have to apologize, and honestly shouldn't have apologized, but she feared she'd lose her livelihood.
After all, she's a coach in the WNBA.
Everyone knows what happens to white women in that league who don't lecture about "privilege" or explain that the WNBA was "built on the backs of Black women."
So, who's the real victim here? Is it Reese? Or is it Brondello, who apologized and still faced a one-game suspension without pay?
The fact that Brondello received a one-game suspension, the same punishment Alyssa Thomas received for driving her fist into Caitlin Clark's throat, for calling Reese a "protected species" only proved her point.
The WNBA believes a reckless physical attack on a white star player deserves the same punishment as an alleged word crime against a Black one and that paints the league's priorities pretty clearly.
Before getting to the rest of Reese’s victimhood résumé, let’s address the most common defense.
Yes, Reese receives nasty messages online.
Someone created fake, sexually explicit AI images of her when she was 21 years old. That's disgusting and there's no defense for it.
But Reese and several other WNBA players often discuss online abuse as though Black women are the only people who experience it.
They aren’t. Not even close.
It happens to virtually everyone who spends any time in the public spotlight.
I’m a relatively unknown sports reporter, and even I get plenty of it.
After I criticized Reese, people called me racist, referred to me as "white boy" or "cracker," told me to drink bleach, insulted my wife and mother and called me fat.
Does that make the messages acceptable?
No.
Does it mean I’m oppressed?
Also no.
It means social media is full of deranged people who say horrible things to strangers. The goal is to get under people's skin. I'm not including my own experience to elicit sympathy.
I'm a grown man. I can take the online abuse from trolls because, ultimately, I don't care what strangers or bots think about me. I'm just trying to prove a point that Reese is not unique. At all.
Fame, popularity and money come with obvious benefits. They also come with scrutiny, criticism and social media trolling.
Reese could quit basketball. She could stop modeling, podcasting and posting her life online. She could get a normal job and the mean tweets would dry up quickly.
I suspect she has no intention of doing that because the money and attention are worth the downside.
That’s a reasonable choice. Most people would make the same one.
But Reese wants to enjoy every benefit of celebrity while treating its predictable drawbacks as evidence that she has been uniquely targeted by society.
She hasn’t.
Reese’s victim narrative really took off after LSU defeated Iowa in the 2023 national championship game.
During the final moments, Reese followed Clark around the court while repeatedly performing John Cena’s "you can’t see me" gesture and pointing to her ring finger.
Some people thought the extended taunt was excessive.
Others defended Reese by noting that Clark had used a similar gesture earlier in the tournament, albeit under different circumstances.
That was a fair sports debate, but Reese predictably turned it into something else.
"All year, I was critiqued for who I was," she said. "I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto.... When other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing."
This is probably where Reese discovered that playing the race card would be an invaluable tool for her career. Even though Reese followed Clark around during the final seconds of the national championship game and taunted her, she claimed criticism was because she's Black.
Reese had found the formula she would continue using: do something provocative, enjoy the attention and then treat criticism as an attack on her race.
It worked.
One of the most ridiculous examples came during the opening weekend of the 2025 WNBA season.
Following a game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, the league announced that it was investigating allegations of "hateful fan comments" directed at Reese.
There was no publicly released video or audio.
No fan was identified, and no public witness corroborated the allegation.
That didn’t stop ESPN personalities and other members of the sports media from treating the alleged racist incident as a proven fact.
Reese didn’t urge anyone to wait for the investigation, either.
"Obviously, there’s no place in this league for that," Reese said. "Obviously, this has been going on for a while now."
Except it wasn’t obvious that anything had happened during that game.
That was why the WNBA was investigating.
The league interviewed relevant people and reviewed audio and video from the arena.
It could not substantiate the allegation.
That doesn’t prove no one among thousands of fans said something offensive. It does mean the league looked for evidence and failed to find it.
Fever fans were smeared as racists anyway.
Reese received the sympathy she constantly seeks.
When the investigation came up empty, Reese didn’t apologize to Fever fans. Neither did the media figures who had treated the allegation as fact.
The Fever incident wasn’t the first time Reese turned a questionable encounter into a much bigger story.
In June 2024, a man approached then-Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter outside the Sky’s hotel in Washington and asked whether she had contacted Caitlin Clark after delivering a cheap shot to her days earlier.
Reese immediately framed the encounter as something much more serious.
"Finding out our team’s hotel to pull up with a camera as we get off the bus and put it in my teammate’s face and harass her is nasty work," Reese wrote. "This really is outta control and needs to stop."
The video that surfaced showed the man asking Carter a question before team security stepped between them. He didn’t touch Carter or threaten her.
Sky forward Michaela Onyenwere later claimed the video omitted the man using slurs and calling players "ghetto bitches." The team’s general manager backed up the claim that expletives were used.
But Reese made it sound like someone had tracked down the team and created a dangerous situation. In reality, a man with a camera asked Carter about the biggest story in women’s basketball and was quickly moved away by security, without any need for law enforcement to intervene.
One year later, Reese said she had "never had a negative encounter in person, ever."
Apparently, the hotel harassment no longer counted.
Reese launched her "Unapologetically Angel" podcast in September 2024.
Naturally, the first episode featured an extended discussion about Caitlin Clark.
That was interesting because Reese had previously pushed back against the idea that Clark was responsible for the explosion in WNBA popularity.
Apparently, Clark was important enough to help launch Reese’s podcast.
During the episode, Reese said she didn’t hate Clark and didn’t believe Clark personally endorsed racist behavior.
Then she accused Clark’s supporters of racism, death threats, circulating fake nude images to her family and following her home.
"It’s really just the fans," Reese said. "Her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans... I think there’s a lot of racism when it comes to it."
Those are serious accusations.
The fake images existed. That part was documented.
But Reese never publicly showed that Clark’s fans created them or sent them to her family.
How did she know the alleged stalkers supported Clark?
Was the stalking reported to police?
How did she determine the alleged threats were racially motivated?
Reese never provided those answers.
Maybe she has evidence she hasn’t made public. That’s possible.
But when someone publicly accuses an enormous group of people of racism, stalking and death threats, asking for evidence isn’t unreasonable.
Reese simply made the allegation and expected everyone else to accept it.
Anyone who questioned the claim risked becoming another example of the racism she was describing.
That’s a very useful arrangement.
For what it's worth, at least three prominent women’s basketball players have had alleged stalkers arrested or charged: Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and Paige Bueckers.
During a June 2024 game against Indiana, Reese hit Clark in the head while attempting to block her shot.
Officials reviewed the play and upgraded the foul to a flagrant.
Clark dismissed it as a basketball play.
Reese was upset about the officiating.
"I guess some people got a special whistle," she said after the loss.
Some people get a "special whistle"? Isn't that exactly the claim that got Brondello suspended for a game? It was fine when Reese said it about Clark, but crossed the line when the same sentiment was directed at Reese.
Reese likes to talk about double standards, and we'll get to that in a moment, but boy, that seems like a pretty clear one right there.
Reese says reporters twist her words, even when everyone can hear them
Reese has repeatedly said she doesn’t trust the media.
During her rookie season, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Steve Greenberg tried to interview her about her life away from basketball.
Reese mostly gave one- or two-word answers.
"I know how y’all like to twist my words, so I’m just keeping it short and sweet," she said.
Greenberg reportedly told Reese he wouldn’t twist her words.
"I can’t trust any of y’all," Reese responded.
She didn’t identify a false quote or explain what reporting prompted her accusation against every journalist.
Nearly all of Reese’s controversies come from her own comments captured on video or audio.
She said Clark gets a "special whistle." She claimed that the WNBA wasn't gaining popularity because of "one person."
Reporters didn’t force Reese to accuse Clark’s fans of racism and stalking. Nor did they force her to say she "embraces being a villain," which she definitely doesn't embrace, by the way.
No journalist typed "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" on her social-media account.
Reese said those things.
When the reaction is positive, Reese embraces it.
But when people react negatively, someone must have twisted her words. As usual, it's never her fault.
By late 2025, Reese had gone from distrusting reporters to saying she was frightened of them.
"For me, the media is really scary," Reese said on her podcast. "I’m scared to do stuff like that because I know how things could get flipped."
She added that she would sometimes rather accept a fine than speak to reporters.
Reese repeated the complaint in 2026 during an appearance with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.
"The media has not always been great for me," she said. "I’ll have a fine before I have to go to media and feel like my back is against the wall."
There’s a fairly easy way to reduce the likelihood of being misquoted.
Speak clearly while cameras and audio recorders are running.
Reese is also perfectly willing to talk on her own podcast, where she controls the format and presentation.
She's never been afraid to speak publicly.
She just doesn’t like losing control over how her comments are received.
Those are different problems.
In September 2024, Reese accused the media of creating a villain narrative around her.
"For the past 2 years, the media has benefited from my pain & me being villainized to create a narrative," Reese wrote. "They allowed this. This was beneficial to them."
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
Media outlets benefited from the Clark-Reese rivalry.
OutKick did. ESPN did. The WNBA and its television partners certainly did.
Angel Reese benefited, too.
She became one of the most recognizable women’s basketball players in the country. She landed endorsement deals, launched a podcast, modeled and built a massive social-media following.
Reese also embraced the villain role when it helped her brand.
She said she was willing to accept it "for the good of the game."
Apparently, the villain persona belonged to Reese when it created opportunities.
When it brought criticism, suddenly her tune changed.
Following LSU’s loss to Iowa in the 2024 Elite Eight, Reese broke down during her postgame press conference.
"I’ve been through so much," she said. "I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened."
Again, the fake sexual images were real and disgusting.
Reese had every right to be furious about them.
But she combined that documented incident with broader claims about death threats and constant attacks without publicly identifying where they came from.
Maybe the threats were real. They probably were. Public figures receive sick messages all the time. I've had my share of threatening DMs and I'm nowhere near the status of Reese.
That’s the point Reese and her defenders regularly ignore.
Online abuse is not unique to Angel Reese. It is not unique to women’s basketball players or to Black celebrities.
It's an unfortunate reality of being famous in the internet age.
Reese had millions of followers, major endorsement deals and a national platform.
She enjoyed opportunities that almost no college athlete in history had received.
Yet the overriding message of that press conference was how badly the world had treated Angel Reese.
Honestly, we could go on for days about the number of times Reese has relished the opportunity to play the victim card, the race card or both.
In fact, there's a good chance this article becomes another perfect opportunity for her to try and garner sympathy.
The truth is that being Angel Reese has worked out pretty well for Angel Reese.
She is a solid basketball player, although not elite, but she's an excellent self-promoter.
ANGEL REESE GIVES ATLANTA DREAM REBOUNDS AND ATTENTION, BUT HER OFFENSE IS STILL A PROBLEM
She understands how to put herself in the middle of a story and keep that story going for as long as it serves her needs.
More often than not, she accomplishes this by portraying herself as the person everyone else has wronged.
The approach has made her famous and rich.
It has helped her land sponsorships, build a media platform and remain one of the most discussed players in the WNBA.
That doesn’t mean everything said about Reese is acceptable. It isn’t.
It does mean Reese has benefited enormously from the public attention she so often describes as a burden.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
She can keep the fame, money, endorsements and followers.
But she should probably stop pretending that the predictable downside of being a celebrity is evidence that she is uniquely persecuted.
Because she's not.
Anti-ICE walkout exposes how school district 'failed' parents, risked student safety: 'Broken my trust'
EXCLUSIVE: Internal emails, messages and memos from Arizona’s Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) reveal that staff allegedly breached security protocol and violated several school policies by facilitating a student walkout to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year, according to America First Legal.
Hundreds of Flagstaff high school and middle school students walked out of class to protest ICE on Jan. 28. The protest came amid national controversy over the deaths of anti-ICE activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. Immediately after the walkout, many parents, citing safety concerns, expressed outrage that they were not notified that their children had been allowed to leave school premises without their consent. One parent who said they had children under the age of 12 said the "district failed us as parents."
Documents obtained by America First Legal, a conservative watchdog group, reveal that FUSD officials knew about the walkout days in advance and also coordinated with students. The documents, which were reviewed by Fox News Digital, were obtained by America First Legal through a lawsuit forcing FUSD to comply with its public records request for records related to the walkout.
Screenshots from a district staff text group show faculty coordinating during the walkout. One staff member texted, "We have 75 plus students staged outside of fhs [Flagstaff High School] getting ready to walk." In the same message, the staff member wrote, "Looks like we have some members of the public joining."
CONTROVERSIAL ICE TACTIC ACTUALLY REDUCES UNINTENDED 'COLLATERAL' ARRESTS: FEDERAL AGENT
Another concerning text from a staff member read, "Be aware of propped open doors that are left for reentry."
In response to America First Legal's criticism, a spokesperson for the district told Fox News Digital that "We respectfully disagree that the Flagstaff Unified School District encouraged students to attend or intentionally ignored District policies."
The spokesperson said, "The District was placed in the challenging position of balancing students’ First Amendment rights, student safety and school operations in the most appropriate way it could."
District policy dictates that "the Superintendent shall limit access to school buildings and grounds" and that faculty "maintain protocols regarding the distribution of keys or equipment to access District property." Further, FUSD policy also stipulates that students ages six to 16 are "required to attend school during the school's hours" and "the school in which the student is enrolled shall make a reasonable effort to promptly telephone and notify the parent/legal guardian or other person who has custody of the student of the student's absence from school."
An email from a student to then Flagstaff High School Principal Tadd Ragan shows that district staff was aware the protest would take place at least two days in advance. The student informed Ragan that students were planning to walk out of their classes to protest against ICE at 11:45 a.m. The student said the protest would occur "near a main road for more recognition" and asked for advice "in finding a more organized way of going about this."
In response, Ragan told the student that "as a District and School we have a plan to maintain a peaceful protest." In a subsequent email, Ragan asked the student, "Can you come by my office during first period?"
Another faculty member, Flagstaff "instructional coach" Janet Chavez-Vesely, sent an email to several school administrators the day before the protest, revealing that she had discussed the planned walkout with the student Hispanic Culture Club. Chavez-Vesely wrote that she "stayed neutral and answered questions while they planned."
She noted that one of the students "plans to stop by and see me" to discuss the protest further. Chavez-Vesely told the school administrators, "I am available to support supervision," adding, "just let me know where."
Some parents who became aware of the walkout before it happened emailed the district, notifying staff that their children would be absent from school while citing safety concerns.
On Tuesday, one parent emailed Ragan, telling him, "I am keeping my daughter home from school this Wednesday as it has been brought to my attention that both Flagstaff high school and Coconino high school have planned out an entire protest."
The parent wrote, "This is not something that I want my child involved in nor do I want her around during it nor do I want her suffering any of the consequences that come with not participating and or being pressured into participating in potentially getting in a violent situation."
Another parent emailed faculty late on Tuesday night, writing, "My kids will not be at school tomorrow." The parent noted, "This is not something that I want my children exposed to or involved in as situations like this in the past have become violent and unsafe."
Meanwhile, at least one faculty member was excited about the protest, writing in a text, "This Walk out thing is going to be FUN!"
The morning of the protest, Sinagua Middle School Principal Christopher Koenker sent an email that FUSD "supports our students’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free expression and is aware of student-led events planned."
He wrote that "schools will neither encourage nor discourage student participation." He added that the district was looking into providing additional staff and law enforcement presence "for protection and supervision, not to suppress student expression."
After the protest, an internal "Walk Out Debrief" memo emphasized that "school isn’t responsible for students’ safety after they leave campus."
Another memo noted that one teacher, identified as "Ms. Donovan," took her class outside to witness "rights vs. responsibilities" on display at the walkout. An administrator noted that just three students remained inside and that "later conversations with the 3 students indicated that they really weren’t comfortable being outside." The administrator noted she eventually asked Donovan to bring the class back inside "as it might appear that she was influencing them to be outside."
LAURA INGRAHAM: TEACHING US HISTORY HAS BECOME AN EXERCISE IN 'SELF-LOATHING AND RESENTMENT'
In the same memo, the administrator noted that Donovan also discussed ICE operations in her class and had told students that officers had "used" a five-year-old "to lure the family out to take him." The administrator wrote that they had asked a student if she felt Donovan "pushes her opinions on her." The student answered that after the protest Donovan had asked students to raise their hands if they participated in the protest after which she "congratulated them," saying, "Great job for standing up for your first amendment rights."
Parents, however, quickly expressed that they felt outraged and blindsided.
One mother wrote that after learning of the protest, she and her husband "were terrified that our daughter was peer pressured (by friends, classmates, teachers, and the school district) to be a part of this."
"We’re thankful that our daughter remained at school, due to fear and frustration, but there is still the ‘what if’? What if something happened to any students during the walkout?" she continued, adding, "We expect the district to be transparent and not jeopardize our children’s safety."
Another middle school parent wrote that they were not made aware of the protest or contacted until the end of the day. They wrote that their child "was under the impression this was a school sponsored event," given that faculty allegedly provided "maps" and directions to the event.
"This school district has broken my trust and neglected your responsibilities and disregard for your own policies," the parent wrote.
Commenting on this, America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers told Fox News Digital that "What these documents show is a stunning betrayal of that trust."
Rogers said that FUSD’s "conduct raises serious questions about whether district employees crossed that line."
"Parents deserved to know where their children were. The law required these officials to act, and they failed on both counts," he said.
Ex-counterterrorism official Joe Kent continues calling for US military withdrawal from Middle East
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent is reiterating his call for the withdrawal of US forces from the Middle East amid the ongoing war with Iran.
"Get our troops out now before we suffer a mass casualty attack. Break the escalation trap. Trump still has the political strength at home to declare victory & have it resonate, that ability will be lost if we suffer more casualties. Now is the time to leave, immediately," he wrote Sunday on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Monday.
US SERVICE MEMBER KILLED IN IRAQ AS TROOPS RECOVER UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS IN JORDAN: CENTCOM
Kent made the comments while sharing a post from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
"Yesterday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the passing of two U.S. service members and the missing status of one in Jordan following an Iranian attack on July 17. After a thorough search, U.S. military personnel found unidentified remains at the location earlier today. An examination process to verify the remains is ongoing," CENTCOM noted in part of a statement on Sunday.
"Separately, a U.S. service member in northern Iraq was killed in action July 18 during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone. A second service member was wounded and continues to receive medical treatment for a minor injury," the statement noted.
Kent quit the counterterrorism government post earlier this year, citing his opposition to the Iran war.
In part of his resignation letter he asserted, "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."
In a portion of a Saturday post on X he wrote, "We restore order by ending the conflict on our terms: deprive Iran of military targets to strike by removing our troops, bases, & naval forces from the area. Our bases in the region are liabilities & relics of the past—abandoning them is not retreat, it’s strategic adaptation to modern warfare. This move removes Iran’s primary justification for disrupting shipping in the SOH and for attacking its neighbors. We can then offer the carrot: sanctions relief in exchange for freedom of navigation in the SOH."