TikTok’s top government relations official in Israel resigned from his position this week after pointing to the proliferation of antisemitic content on the platform. Barak Herscowitz, a TikTok vertical lead presiding over the app’s partnership with the Israeli government, shared on X Monday that he was leaving the company. Herscowitz, also a former advisor to … Continue reading Top Israeli TikTok official quits company amid accusations of antisemitism on platform
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Riley Gaines blasts NCAA as 'cowards' over trans athlete policies amid calls for change: 'Disheartening'
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines is holding strong to her criticism of the NCAA for its leaders’ reluctance to meet with female athletes who say they have been adversely affected by policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, and for taking a more passive approach to the issue than she believes is essential.
“In 2010, they implemented a blanket policy for all sports. [Saying that after] 12 months of HRT hormone replacement therapy, you could compete in the category that aligns with your gender identity. Now, what the NCAA is doing is they’re in a phase-out approach. Essentially, they want nothing to do with the policy, which shows how cowardly, really they are,” Gaines told “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Will Cain on Sunday.
“It shows they know this is wrong, and now they’re leaving it up to each specific sport to make rules for that sport.”
Gaines, along with Olympians, coaches and other NCAA athletes, met with organizational officials at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix to hand-deliver a demand letter urging the officials to meet with female athletes said to be affected by trans athletes participating in women’s sports.
The group also handed over a related petition said to have over 70,000 signatures.
Gaines told Cain the group of protesters at the convention made the same demands last year.
“We went back this year to do the exact same thing, because, over the course of this past year, the NCAA hasn’t changed their policies and, as mentioned, women continue to be discriminated against on the basis of our sex,” she said.
“The people I delivered, the people on the governing board who had delivered the petition and the letter to me, even look me in the eyes, which is pretty disheartening as a female athlete…”
Gaines previously noted her hope to meet with NCAA President Charlie Baker, who assumed the role in March 2023, to have discussions surrounding the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s events.
“I know President Baker testified before the Senate a few weeks ago that changes are being made and that changes have been made, but that’s not what we’re seeing. We’re still seeing the NCAA continue to discriminate against women on the basis of our sex. It’s happening in just about every sport, every level, every division, every state — that’s why we’re here,” she said last week.
Baker testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in October and was pressed on the issue of transgender athletes being allowed in women’s locker rooms.
“I’m not going to defend what happened in 2022,” he said. “I wasn’t there. I was still governor of the commonwealth. What I will say is, we have very specific rules and standards around the safety and security of all our student athletes, and anyone who hosts one of our national championships has to accept that they know what they are and then abide by them accordingly.”
“I don’t believe that policy would be the policy we would use today,” he added.
“Fox & Friends Weekend” reached out to the NCAA for a statement, but did not receive a response in time for the segment.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
Democrats call for resignation of Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler amid sexual battery allegations
The Sarasota Police Department is currently running a criminal investigation over allegations of sexual battery against Florida GOP Chairman Christian Ziegler.
As of Thursday, police confirmed that investigators have not charged Ziegler with any crimes yet.
Police released a heavily redacted report, obscuring details about the accusations, but claiming it involved a rape allegation against Ziegler.
The complaint was filed Oct. 4, and stated that the alleged sexual battery occurred inside a woman’s Sarasota home on Oct. 2, according to the report. Among words not redacted in the report are “rape” and “sexual assault complaint.”
Earlier on Thursday, Ziegler’s attorney, Derek Byrd, released a statement to FOX 13 Tampa Bay acknowledging the reports of the investigation, saying that Ziegler has fully cooperated with the police requests.
“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” Byrd said in a statement.
The Republican Party of Sarasota County also released a statement Thursday:
“We are shocked and disappointed to hear of the reports concerning Republican Party of Florida Chair and Sarasota County State Committeeman Christian Ziegler, and his wife, Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler. The Republican Party takes all such allegations of potential criminal conduct very seriously and will fully cooperate with investigators.”
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The Florida Democratic Party has also called on Ziegler to step down as the GOP chairman.
“This is serious. We demand his immediate resignation,” Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, posted on X.
Ziegler is the head of the Florida GOP and the husband of Sarasota school board member Bridget Ziegler, who is also a co-founder of Moms for Liberty.
“Bridget was an original founder of Moms for Liberty, but she stepped back from the organization’s board in 2021. We have learned long ago to not believe everything we read online, and we are confident she will get to tell her side of things to those who are interested in more than clickbait,” Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, Moms for Liberty Founders told Fox News Digital.
According to the Florida Center for Government Accountability, Christian Ziegler has deep-rooted ties to both Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Trump, who called out Ziegler’s name in a recent speech earlier this month during the “Florida Freedom Summit” in Kissimmee, and said he was doing a “fantastic job.”
Former UFC fighter Conor McGregor aims criticism at Irish leaders amid unrest in Dublin
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor voiced his displeasure with Irish law enforcement’s and others in leadership positions handling of the recent stabbing incident in Dublin.
McGregor appeared to argue that his home country is in danger due to the crime and his belief that officials have not properly worked to remedy it. McGregor was born in Ireland.
Earlier this week, the mixed martial arts star took to social media to demand that Irish authorities condemn rioters who took to the streets after rumors circulated that a foreign national was responsible for the stabbing outside a school in Dublin. The BBC has since reported that the suspect is believed to be a male Irish citizen in his 40s.
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As of Friday, an estimated 34 people have been arrested in relation to the riots.
“There is grave danger among us in Ireland that should never be here in the first place, and there has been zero action done to support the public in any way, shape or form with this frightening fact. NOT GOOD ENOUGH,” McGregor posted on X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
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Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that those who rioted did not do so for immigration purposes and labeled them as “thugs” and “criminals.”
“There was a protest earlier that was a general peaceful protest, but a separate group then [came] with an intention to seek and wreak havoc,” McEntee said.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the country’s capital had endured two attacks — one on innocent children and the other on “our society and the rule of law.”
“These criminals did not do what they did because they love Ireland, they did not do what they did because they wanted to protect Irish people, they did not do it out of any sense of patriotism, however warped,” Varadkar told reporters on Friday morning.
“They did so because they’re filled with hate, they love violence, they love chaos, and they love causing pain to others.”
McGregor seemed to dismiss the statements from the Irish prime minister and other officials.
“Announce our plan of action!! What are we waiting for? Your statements of nothing are absolutely worthless to the solving of this issue,” McGregor wrote in a separate social media post.
McGregor also suggested the country was “at war.”
An estimated 500 people recently took to the streets in Dublin, which resulted in the burning of several cars. A bus was also torched, according to police. Multiple properties in the immediate area also suffered damage.
The motive for the attack remains unknown.
McGregor has been vocal about his desire to see immigration reform in his native country. He previously spoke out about the death of 23-year-old Irish teacher and musician Ashling Murphy. She was killed in a stabbing in 2022.
Last week, a Slovak national was found guilty of murder in the killing. McGregor then responded, saying in part, “The Irish government makes me ashamed to be Irish. We are appalled with you all!”
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Army sends letter to troops dismissed for refusing COVID vaccine amid military's recruitment woes
The U.S. Army sent a letter to former service members dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, informing them they can request corrections of their discharge records, as the military branch reportedly struggles with recruitment three years after the onset of the pandemic.
The letter, which gained traction on social media, was addressed to former service members and notified of “new Army guidance regarding the correction of military records for former members of the Army following the rescission of the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.”
It states, “as a result of the rescission of all current COVID-19 vaccination requirements, former Soldiers who were involuntarily separated for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination may request a correction of their military records from either or both the Army Discharge Review Board (ADRB) or the Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR).”
The letter, signed by Brigadier General Hope C. Rampy, of the U.S. Army Director of the Military Personnel Management Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, goes on to link to three forms where “individuals can request a correction to military personnel records, including regarding the characterization of discharge.”
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“Individuals who desire to apply to return to service should contact their local Army, US Army Reserve (USAR) or Army National Guard (ARNG) recruiter for more information,” it concludes.
An Army spokesperson on Sunday confirmed the authenticity of the letter to Fox News Digital.
The spokesperson said the letter, dated November 1, does not explicitly ask former Army members dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine to return to service.
The Army provided additional information on Monday.
“As part of the overall COVID mandate recession process mandated by Congress, the Army mailed the letters following Veterans Day weekend to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated for refusal to obey the mandatory COVID vaccination order,” Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ruth Castro told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement Monday.
“The letter provides information to former servicemembers on how to request a correction of their military records,” Castro added.
The Instagram accounts @analyzeeducate and @northernprovisions, jointly shared a copy of the letter to their combined hundreds of thousands of followers on Saturday.
“The US Army has sent letters to soldiers that were discharged for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, offering to correct their records. Most, if not all, of the soldiers that were kicked out for not getting the vaccine were given a discharge that was other than honorable,” the post says. “The letter indicates that the Army is hoping these soldiers will apply to return to service.”
“The military in general has been going through a major recruiting crisis for the past two years. For both FY2022 and 2023, only the Marine Corps and the Space Force met or exceeded their recruitment goals. The Army, Navy, and Air Force all missed their targets by a long shot,” the accounts go on to say.
AIR FORCE HOPES RAISING MAXIMUM AGE OF ENLISTMENT TO NEW HIGH WILL EASE RECRUITING CRISIS
“The size of the active duty Army has shrunk from 485k in 2021 to 452k right now,” the post added. “This is the smallest active duty Army since 1940. In 2022, they missed their recruitment goal by 15,000 soldiers. This crisis has necessitated changes made to policy, including the removal of a policy that mandated recruits have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Although, after a lot of backlash that policy was quickly reinstated. Around 8,000 soldiers were kicked out for not getting the vaccine, which is a lot even if you don’t take the context of the recruiting crisis into account. The letters that were sent out have been verified by the Army as well.”
On Oct. 3, the U.S. Army announced a transformation of its recruiting enterprise, stressing how “the armed forces facing the most challenging recruiting environment in a generation.”
At a press conference from the Pentagon, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff of the Army Randy George detailed sweeping changes in how the Army will identify and recruit talent by expanding focus past high schoolers to a larger share of the youth labor market and create “an increasingly permanent and specialized talent acquisition workforce.”
They said the Army expects to have ended fiscal year 2023 with nearly 55,000 recruiting contracts, including roughly 4,600 for the Army’s Delayed Entry Program – recruits who will ship in the 2024 fiscal year. As a result, the Army said it will meet its end-strength goal of 452,000 for active-duty soldiers.
“The competition for talented Americans is fierce, and it is fundamentally different than it was 50 or even 20 years ago,” Wormuth said.
Task and Purpose noted the Army separated about 1,900 active duty service members for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine during the nearly year-and-a-half it was mandatory.
Regarding recruitment woes, the outlet also cited a July 2022 memo from the Department of the Army stating that “America’s military faces the most challenging recruiting environment since the All-Volunteer Force was established in 1973, driven in part by the post-COVID labor market, intense competition with the private sector, and a declining number of young Americans interested in uniformed service.” The memo said, “currently, only 23 percent of 17- to 24-year-old Americans are fully qualified to serve.”
Citing data provided by the military branches, CNN reported in October that only 43 of the more than 8,000 U.S. service members discharged from the military for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have sought to rejoin eight months after the vaccine mandate was officially repealed.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin officially rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination order for service members on Jan. 10, 2023.
Austin had issued a memo on Aug. 24, 2021, requiring service members to be vaccinated against COVID-19. According to Task and Purpose, thousands of troops unsuccessfully sought religious exemptions from the inoculation, including 8,945 soldiers, 10,800 airmen and guardians, 4,172 sailors, and 3,717 Marines.
Padres' Juan Soto hits 910 feet of home runs amid trade speculation
If teams want to spend for Juan Soto, his price is escalating.
The San Diego Padres star blasted a pair of home runs Friday night that traveled a combined 910 feet in Detroit.
In Soto’s first at-bat, he launched a solo home run to give San Diego an early 1-0 lead.
That one traveled 447 feet, a preview of what was to come.
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Two innings later, Soto came up to the dish again, this time with a man on base, and his second blast made the first one look like a Little League homer.
Soto hit a 463-foot opposite field home run at Comerica Park to give the Padres a 5-0 lead over the Detroit Tigers in the third inning.
Soto, naturally, was walked for the MLB-leading 93rd time his third plate appearance.
The 24-year-old outfielder was traded to the Padres last year in a blockbuster deal, and he helped them to the NLCS last year.
San Diego improved its already stacked roster by inking shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal. The Padres also inked third baseman Manny Machado to an 11-year, $350 million extension, the fourth-largest in MLB history.
Despite all the moves, they have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments.
Boasting a payroll of over $256 million with All-Stars all over the diamond, the Padres sit in fourth place in the NL West, entering play on Friday at 46-51.
The Padres have not decided whether they will sell at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. If they do, Soto is considered a top candidate to move.
Soto isn’t exactly playing like the MVP candidate he was expected to be. He’s hitting .266 this season after hitting .242 last year. He has 42 extra-base hits this year (23 doubles, 19 homers), and his .420 on-base percentage entering Friday is second-best in the majors.
Man in China jailed for scaring neighbor's 1,100 chickens to death amid feud: report
A man in China was sentenced to prison after he snuck onto his neighbor’s property and scared 1,100 chickens to death.
The man, identified only by his last name Gu, snuck onto his neighbor Zhong’s chicken farm and used a flashlight to frighten the chickens, causing them to kill each other, China Daily reported.
The light from the flashlight terrified the chickens, causing them to flee to a corner of the coop where they trampled over one another trying to get away.
The incident came during a feud between the two neighbors that began in April 2022, when Gu cut down Zhong’s trees without his permission, the outlet reported. Zhong’s wife then towed the trees away, which infuriated Gu.
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Gu then snuck onto Zhong’s property one night and startled the chickens by shining a flashlight on them, causing 500 chickens to flee into a corner and die from crushing one another.
Police arrested Gu and ordered him to pay Zhong 3,000 yuan, or roughly $436, but Gu was not deterred.
Gu returned to Zhong’s property a second time and used the same tactic, which caused an additional 640 chickens to die, according to China Daily.
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According to Chinese authorities, the roughly 1,100 chickens that died in the two incidents were worth about 13,840 yuan, or about $2,015.
A court in Hengyang County, located in central China’s Hunan province, ruled Tuesday that Gu had intentionally caused Zhong to suffer property loss, according to China Daily.
The court sentenced Gu to six months in prison and one year of probation.
Colorado cancels plans to send migrants to NYC, Chicago amid outcry from Democratic mayors
Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will stop sending migrants to New York City, Chicago and other major Democrat-run cities after mayors expressed outrage at the plan in recent weeks.
Polis had agreed to work with local authorities in Denver to help send migrants to their final destinations. While Colorado is not a border state, it has seen a major influx of migrants seeking passage to elsewhere in the country. Mayors Eric Adams of New York City and Lori Lightfoot of Chicago called on Polis to end his assistance last week as their cities also struggle with a surge in migrants.
“People fleeing violence and oppression in search of a better life for themselves and their families deserve our respect not political games and we are grateful we have been able to assist migrants to reach their final destination,” Polis had said of the program. “We refuse to keep people against their will if they desire to travel elsewhere.”
Adams and Lightfoot wrote to Polis in a joint letter, urging him to halt his bussing program after it sent just a few hundred migrants.
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“We have seen your statements in the media that you are simply accommodating the wishes of migrants to come to cities like New York City and Chicago,” the pair wrote. “However, you are sending migrants and families to New York City and Chicago that do not have any ties, family members or community networks to welcome them.”
Adams was outraged at Polis’ bussing program during a press conference appearance last week, comparing it to similar programs that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used to flood his city with some 30,000 migrants last year.
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“One time we had to deal with Republican governors sending migrants to New York. Now we’re dealing with Democratic governors sending migrants to New York,” Adams said Wednesday.
“What’s callous is how we have been ignored as a city. And now I have to make tough decisions on the resources of New York … it is time for the federal government to step up,” he added.
Adams’ plea for federal assistance comes as President Biden makes his first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday. The White House also unveiled a handful of policies aimed at stemming the flow at the border last week. They include expanding a humanitarian parole program for Venezuelan nationals to include Haitians, Cubans and Nicaraguans, as well as increasing refugee resettlements.
Biden acknowledged the changes aren’t up to the task, however.
“These actions alone that I’m going to announce today aren’t going to fix our entire immigration system but they can help us a good deal in managing what is a difficult challenge,” he said Thursday.
IRGC announces 'martyr' deaths of 2 aerospace scientists amid other mysterious deaths in the country
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced the deaths of two military scientists, who were designated as ‘martyrs,’ dying in the line of duty in service to their country.
Ukraine President Zelenskyy thanks Prince William, Kate Middleton for support amid Russia's invasion
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday thanked Prince William and Kate Middleton for pledging their support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.