130 Congressional Dems side with trans athletes over women in major SCOTUS cases

A coalition of 130 congressional Democrats filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging it to rule in favor of two trans athletes in forthcoming cases over the protection of women’s sports and national enforcement of Title IX. 

The coalition, which includes nine senators and 121 House members, is led by Congressional Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Becca Balint, D-V.t., Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. 

The list of signees features prominent figures on the party’s left wing, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. The list also includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. The list does not include noted moderate Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

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The 130 Democrats on the list urged the court to side with Becky Pepper-Jackson, a trans teen from West Virginia who successfully challenged the state’s law that prohibits biological males from competing in girls’ sports, and Lindsay Hecox, who successfully challenged a similar law in Idaho to compete on Boise State’s women’s cross-country team.

“Categorical bans—such as the bans in West Virginia and Idaho—undermine those protections and the ability of transgender students to be part of their school community,” the brief writes. 

Hirono wrote in an announcement of the brief, “All students deserve equal access to opportunity in schools—whether in the classroom, on the playing field, or in other settings. No student should be discriminated against based on who they are. 

“A categorical ban on transgender students participating in sports not only harms these students, but also subjects women and girls to harassment and discrimination, and leads to the policing of children’s bodies. This contradicts the very purpose of Title IX: ending discrimination in federally-funded education programs. These bans are blatant discrimination, and the Court should say so.”

The congressional Democrats are taking this position even as support for trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports emerged as a weakness for voters and point of contention within the party over the last year. 

LEGAL DEFENSE TO ‘SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS’ GRANTED RIGHT TO MAKE ARGUMENT TO SCOTUS AMID TRANS ATHLETE DISPUTE

In January, a New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don’t think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

What to know about the two cases

The Little vs Hecox and West Virginia vs BPJ cases were each initially legal wins that enabled biological males to bypass their state’s laws to compete against females. But now that the cases will be heard by the Supreme Court, a decision could have a wide-ranging impact on the legality of trans athletes in women’s sports going forward. 

The cases are set for oral arguments on Jan. 13 in Washington, D.C. 

The Little v. Hecox lawsuit was initially filed by trans athlete Lindsay Hecox in 2020, when the athlete wanted to join the women’s cross-country team at Boise State and had the state’s law to prevent trans athletes from competing in women’s sports blocked.

Hecox was joined by an anonymous biological female student, Jane Doe, who was concerned about the potential of being subjected to the sex dispute verification process. The challenge was successful when a federal judge blocked Idaho’s state law. 

A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld an injunction blocking the state law in 2023, before the Supreme Court agreed in July to hear the case. Hecox then asked the court last month to drop the challenge, claiming the athlete “has therefore decided to permanently withdraw and refrain from playing any women’s sports at BSU or in Idaho.”

Hecox tried to have the case dismissed in September after the Supreme Court agreed in July to hear the case, but U.S. District Judge David Nye, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, rejected Hecox’s motion to dismiss the case. 

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The West Virginia v. B.P.J. lawsuit was brought against the state of West Virginia by trans athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson, who was initially granted a preliminary injunction allowing the athlete to participate on the school’s sports teams. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violated Title IX and the equal protection clause. Now the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the state’s appeal.

In a response brief, the athlete’s mother, Heather Jackson, argued West Virginia’s law that prohibits transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports violates Title IX.

However, Title IX does not explicitly protect the right of biologically male transgender people to identify as women. The Trump administration and West Virginia state government do not interpret Title IX as protective of that right.

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Earhart’s final cryptic transmission revealed in newly released government files

Newly unsealed government records related to famed American aviator Amelia Earhart have been made public.

The U.S. National Archives released 4,624 pages related to the disappearance of Earhart on the Electra on Friday.

A variety of documents detail Earhart’s last known communications, maps, tables and logs.

AMELIA EARHART MYSTERY EXPEDITION HALTED AS RESEARCHERS SEEK ANSWERS ON MISSING PLANE

Her last communication was documented on July 2, 1937, the day of her disappearance over the Pacific. It reads, “We are on the line 157 337 wl rept msg we wl rept…”

Among the documents released is the U.S. Navy report of the search for Amelia Earhart from 1937.

The report began immediately after Earhart’s last transmission; it spanned 16 days, until July 18, 1937.

Earhart’s last confirmed radio transmission was reaffirmed in the report at 1912 GMT near 157° east longitude, 337° south latitude.

Four distinct areas were noted as potential landing sites. 

The report details the search by USS Colorado and USS Lexington that covered nearly 250,000 square miles of the Pacific. PBY-1 seaplanes, meanwhile, searched a 25,000-square-mile region of the ocean daily.

TRUMP VOWS TO ORDER DECLASSIFICATION OF ALL AMELIA EARHART FILES AFTER NEARLY 90-YEAR AVIATION MYSTERY

Four distinct areas were noted as potential landing sites, along with speculation notes.

McKean Island was mentioned as having a “recent disturbance of guano surface,” while Gardner Island (Nikumaroro) showed “signs of habitation or fire marks.”

Purdue University recently delayed an expedition to search for Amelia Earhart’s missing plane in Nikumaroro to next year, due to issues with permits, as well as hurricane season concerns.

McKean Reef contained “unusual debris,” while the search team saw a “dark object, possibly wreckage,” at Sydney Island Lagoon.

A section of the Navy report notes there were seven credible distress signals detected between July 2 and July 6.

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Two were logged near Gardner Island — in support of the Nikumaroro theory.

Lockheed Electra performance charts show the Navy recalculated Earhart’s fuel endurance at 20 hours and 13 minutes.

Under this calculation, her expected flight time was extended by nearly 40 minutes beyond the initial Coast Guard estimate, speculating that Earhart could have passed Howland.

The report also reaffirmed that the Navy found no confirmed aircraft debris. 

It stated, “No evidence of aircraft remains was discovered within the search radius.”

Navy’s request

A memo dated Nov. 18, 1936, also shows the Navy’s request to assist in refueling Earhart’s airplane ahead of her planned world flight in 1937.

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“The Navy Department will cooperate in refueling the airplane of Miss Amelia Earhart … at Midway Island, and undertake such other operations as are required to prepare for and carry out this task,” it reads.

In addition, various documents show that Earhart’s husband, George Putnam, was also her manager. He communicated with the Navy on matters of the trip.

The Navy was not funding Earhart’s trip, but it was authorized to assist with logistical aid.

Another document shows a translated diplomatic letter from Japan after Earhart’s disappearance.

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“Japan wishes to express her most profound condolences for the Earhart tragedy,” the message says.

“She does so on behalf of both the government and the people.”

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It continues, “The South Seas Islands Government Office has ordered all ships, stations and sentinels near the Marshall Islands, the suspected scene of the accident, to give every possible assistance in discovering the lost plane.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced the release of the Earhart documents on X. She added that as agencies identify additional files, those documents will be released on a rolling basis.

“Delivering on President [Donald] Trump’s promise, the release of the Amelia Earhart files will shine light on the disappearance of a beloved American aviator who has been at the center of public inquisition for decades,” she said in a statement last week.

Jim Jordan accuses former Trump prosecutor of obstructing congressional probe

First on Fox: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, called on the Department of Justice on Wednesday to prosecute one of former special counsel Jack Smith’s lead attorneys, accusing him of obstructing a congressional investigation.

Jordan said in the 19-page referral that Thomas Windom, a veteran federal prosecutor who was fired in the second Trump administration, declined to answer dozens of questions from committee staff after meeting with them twice behind closed doors this year.

Windom cited his Fifth Amendment right and federal rules surrounding grand jury secrecy, among other reasons, for refusing to answer questions. Jordan said he was dissatisfied with those reasons and that at least one other similarly situated prosecutor, J.P. Cooney, had been more candid with his committee, signaling Windom was withholding more than he needed to.

“Windom’s improper refusal to answer nearly all questions during his deposition obstructed the Committee’s fact-finding,” Jordan wrote. “As a senior assistant to Special Counsel Jack Smith, Windom possesses unique, firsthand information about the work of that Office. Yet, despite being given express authorization by DOJ on two separate occasions, Windom declined to answer questions during his deposition about topics necessary and relevant to the Committee’s inquiry.”

The GOP-led committee inquired about a range of topics related to Windom’s work investigating Trump’s alleged efforts to illegally overturn the 2020 election and supporting Smith as a former senior assistant special counsel.

Congress has a long history of referring its investigative targets to the DOJ for criminal prosecution, but the department has no obligation to act on them.

This referral marks the second from Jordan’s committee in as many months. In October, the chairman called on the DOJ to prosecute former CIA Director John Brennan, alleging he made false statements to Congress.

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Windom for comment.

Windom’s lawyer told the committee during a deposition in September that his client had cooperated with the committee “in good faith” and that committee Republicans and the Department of Justice did not return the favor.

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The DOJ, the lawyer said, abandoned its typical practice of preventing line attorneys like Windom from testifying in Congress, especially without counsel. The committee, meanwhile, showed no “respect for, nor understanding” of federal obligations to keep grand jury material secret, the lawyer said.

“Majority staff, operating with no meaningful oversight or checks, have engaged in an unserious, performative exercise, convened for political theater,” Windom’s lawyer said, adding that “they have intentionally placed him on the horns of an impossible dilemma, forcing him to choose between risking criminal prosecution for violating grand jury secrecy rules or, alternatively, risking criminal prosecution for contempt of Congress.”

Teacher with arrest history targets high school conservatives after clash with Turning Point USA

In a Sunday afternoon meeting called a “tribunal,” Yvette Felarca, a Berkeley, Calif., public school teacher and a local fixture among self-professed “anti-fascist” agitators, joyfully led about 40 members of the socialist organization By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) in an after-action report on the group’s “victory” last week in a bloody battle at the University of California, Berkeley against supporters of Turning Point USA. 

At the meeting’s end, Fox News Digital learned Felarca, once arrested for inciting a riot, moved for a vote on the next phase of the operation: to “stop” Turning Point USA chapters, not only on college campuses but also in public K–12 schools, beginning with Berkeley High School, where she teaches.

The motion passed unanimously to “stop fascist recruiting in schools” by amplifying the work of “By Any Means Necessary,” which collects tax-deductible donations under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit umbrella of the Detroit-based nonprofit, Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality.

The members closed the 90-minute meeting with one-word salutations.

UC BERKELEY TPUSA MEMBERS NAVIGATE POLARIZED CAMPUS FOLLOWING PROTESTS AND ARRESTS

“Solidarity!” said Felarca.

This year, Democratic activists and far-left groups have increasingly exploited the term “fascist” as a sweeping label to justify denying political opponents their constitutional rights. The word was allegedly scrawled on the bullet casing left by the man arrested for killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, in a chilling reminder of how language can be weaponized to rationalize violence.

In November 2019, the Sacramento district attorney dismissed felony assault charges and misdemeanor rioting charges against Felarca and two co-defendants after requiring them to complete 90 hours of volunteer work. A video from a protest showed Felarca hitting and yelling at a man she opposed as a “Nazi” and “White nationalist” until he fell and Felarca’s allies pummeled and kicked him.

At Sunday’s meeting, Felarca told fellow members that her response to Turning Point USA organizing at Berkeley HIgh School was, “What, no, no way.”

Using the “fascist” term to vilify youth, Felarca continued: “And so, you know, I just think it’s super incumbent on us to, like, work, talk to, obviously, other teachers, but also, most importantly, students to really stop this and prevent Turning Point or any fascist organizing to take place.”

The group talked about a protest activated this month against a new youth Turning Point USA chapter at Royal Oak High School in Royal Oak, Mich.

Representatives from Berkeley High School and Berkeley Unified School District didn’t respond to requests for comment.

ANTIFA VIOLENCE EXPOSES UC BERKELEY’S HYPOCRISY ON FREE SPEECH AND TOLERANCE

“I know it’s possible to stop it, and if we take the same approach that we took to protesting Turning Point last week – to not just ignore this, because then they’ll just go away or, you know, but to also use collective action, and it was crazy, like, find ways to express collectively the power of the movement and not just leave it and hope that the administration will take care of it, because they’re clearly not,” Felarca said. “They’ve already approved the group. Then it’s super, super important that we do that.”

The group’s members also voted unanimously to move forward with a plan to “stop and block” law enforcement officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In one plan, they agreed to order “ICE whistles,” increasingly used in neighborhoods in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City to alert residents that ICE officers are in the area. Felarca said they would brand the whistles with the “By Any Means Necessary” name.

The escalation comes at a moment of intense scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has opened a federal investigation into whether “By Any Means Necessary” and allied groups engaged in an organized conspiracy to deny Turning Point USA participants their free speech rights through coercion and disruption at last week’s UC Berkeley event.

Far from a spontaneous gathering, Fox News Digital reporting reveals the protest was premeditated and coordinated by a network of seven organizations, most of them enjoying tax-free benefits, at least six days before it occurred, signaling advance coordination. 

U.S. Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, who flew to Berkeley to lead the civil rights investigation into the case, is well familiar with Felarca and “By Any Means Necessary.” In 2018, her former law practice, Dhillon Law Group, won a lawsuit against Felarca for filing a frivolous restraining order against then-Berkeley College Republican president, Troy Worden, as Felarca led protests on campus against Trump, and an Alameda County Superior Court commissioner ordered Felarca to pay Worden $11,100 in legal fees.

Earlier, in February 2017, “By Any Means Necessary” leaders bragged that they got right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos canceled from a talk on the campus of UC Berkeley. 

Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show” and spokesman for Turning Point USA, said the new escalation by Felarca and “By Any Means Necessary” is “fundamentally un-American” and represents a “conspiracy to silence the free speech of others.”

CALIFORNIA WOMAN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH DISRUPTING APRIL TURNING POINT USA EVENT ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS

“Turning Point USA has grown over the years not because we tried to silence others or that we engaged in some operation to shut the voices of others,” said Kolvet, who was a close friend of Kirk. “We grew because Charlie believed that our ideas were better, and that if more young people heard them they would be convinced and persuaded to believe them too.”

Kolvet directly addressed the campaign by leaders of “By Any Means Necessary” against the constitutional rights of Turning Point USA members, saying, “Any organization formed or animated by a guiding mission to harass, heckle and attack events hosted by other groups — just because they don’t agree with their ideas — is fundamentally un-American and is engaging in a conspiracy to silence the free speech of others. This is especially egregious given that Turning Point USA’s events involve minors. These are young kids being attacked by left-wing radicals who are adults! This 100% should be investigated by authorities.”

During the Sunday meeting, Ronald Cruz, an attorney for “By Any Means Necessary,” described moving from classroom to classroom across the UC Berkeley campus, including at a class on environmental racism, to mobilize opposition not just to Turning Point USA’s viewpoints but to the physical presence of Turning Point USA speakers and attendees on university property. 

“We’re ‘By Any Means Necessary.” We’re a militant organization,” Cruz said.

Cruz heralded activists for pivoting quickly as police attempted to contain last week’s demonstration.

“I’m very proud that we were very intelligent about how we approached the day and made it as militant as possible,” he said, congratulating the group for being “unfazed” by the Justice Department’s investigation. “We were able to lead that day,” he said. “We were the unquestionable leadership of the day.”

Felarca did not respond to a request for comment.

INSIDE THE CHAOS OF BLOODY BERKELEY AS PROTESTERS GO WILD DURING TURNING POINT USA EVENT

The escalation by the group “By Any Means Necessary” also reveals a deeper structural concern first surfaced in earlier reporting: the group’s formal financial and legal infrastructure is housed inside the “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund,” a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The metadata on the protest flyers directly identify “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund” and Cruz as the owners and creators of the posters designed to coordinate the protest and smear Turning Point USA. This relationship raises questions about how the nonprofit sector is being used as a legal shield for activities that appear non-charitable and also potentially unconstitutional, including coordinated attempts to suppress one political viewpoint, intimidate political opponents and interfere with lawful assemblies. 

Federal law grants 501(c)(3) charities tax-exempt status to support education, research and legitimate public benefit, not to wage political operations under the banner of intimidating opponents “by any means necessary.” Experts warn this case highlights a growing vulnerability in the nonprofit regulatory framework: ideological organizations leveraging the credibility and financial protections of charitable status while engaging in conduct that would disqualify traditional nonprofits and undermine core constitutional rights.

The distinction between lawful protest and unconstitutional coercion is central to federal case law. Courts have repeatedly ruled that public institutions — including K–12 schools and universities that receive federal funding — can’t block specific viewpoints outright or allow administrators and staff to encourage or enable mob pressure that suppresses a single perspective. 

If one viewpoint can be suppressed as dangerous, legal scholars note, then all viewpoints are vulnerable to governmental suppression, mob censorship or the “heckler’s veto,” as legal experts call it. 

During the clash, police arrested a protester, Jihad Dphrepaulezz, 25, for allegedly stealing the chain necklace of an attendee wearing a “Freedom” T-shirt, similar to the shirt worn by Kirk when he was assassinated. Authorities say police made multiple arrests of protesters.

The seven organizations involved in the efforts to intimidate ticketholders at the Turning Point USA event come from the world of nonprofit philanthropy, the global socialist network and the international “anti-fascist” network, operating with militant tactics, even if few adopt the Antifa name formally.

UC BERKELEY’S BLOODY PROTEST OF TPUSA ALLEGEDLY FUNDED BY FAR-LEFT NONPROFIT 

The seven groups involved in the coordinated campaign against Turning Point USA are: 

• “By Any Means Necessary,” a far-left initiative operating and collecting donations under the umbrella of a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund, tax ID number 38-3626850.
• “Gabriela Berkeley,” a chapter of an international organization, Gabriela: Alliance of Filipino Women, aligned with the communist National Democratic Front of the Philippines, dedicated to removing U.S. military presence in the Philippines and bringing a socialist system to the Philippines; it is listed as a fiscal sponsor of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Tides Foundation, tax ID number 51-0198509, which has received hundreds of millions of dollars from billionaire Warren Buffett’s Novo Foundation, also a 501(c)(3).
• “JVP UC Berkeley,” the Berkeley chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that seeks to eliminate the state of Israel and rename it Palestine; the national group last reported about $3.3 million in annual revenues under its nonprofit, with tax ID number 90-0018359.
• “Koreans 4 Decolonization UCB,” a Berkeley student chapter of “Koreans 4 Decolonization,” aligned with organizations that want to expand North Korea’s communism to South Korea and dismantle U.S. military presence in South Korea;
• “Students for Socialism,” the student wing of “Party for Socialism and Liberation,” a self-described Marxist-Leninist group that runs candidates for U.S. president and vice president and leads national protests against the U.S.; its tax status is unclear.
• “Young Democratic Socialists of America,” the youth wing of Democratic Socialists of America, opposing America’s free enterprise system, as a 501(c)(4) political nonprofit, with the tax ID number 13-3109557; it last reported $6 million in annual revenues.
• “Students Organizing for Liberation,” a Berkeley student organization that is opaque about its funding, leadership and organizing structure.

Hatem Bazian, a co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine, an anti-Israel group that has gotten 501(c)(3) tax benefits and tax-deductible donations through a fiscal sponsor, the WESPAC Foundation, took video of the protests, building support among his followers. The organizations didn’t return requests for comment.

Details discussed at the Sunday meeting and a timeline of events reveal a coherent, coordinated strategic campaign behind the bloody Berkeley battle last week, including several elements that federal investigators can investigate as a possible conspiracy: coordinated classroom canvassing on the UC Berkeley campus to get students to the protests; pre-advertised flyers designed to produce confrontation “by any means necessary” and intimidate attendees; and physical intimidation to shape political outcomes. 

Felarca said she plans to make Berkeley High School inhospitable to youth members of Turning Point USA. Felarca immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines at the age of three with her parents, who she said, in a first-person narrative, “left to get away from the authoritarian Marcos regime,” of Ferdinand Marcos, who declared martial law in 1972, saying that he faced communist and Islamic insurgencies.

In April 2019, a judge ordered Felarca to pay the organization, Judicial Watch, $20,000 in legal fees for challenging a public records request that Judicial Watch had filed in 2017 with Berkeley Unified School District, seeking all emails related to Felaraca and the words “antifa” and “BAMN,” the acronym for “By Any Means Necessary.”

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As she took the vote on Sunday, Felarca invited anyone who opposed their escalated campaign against Turning Point USA to speak up. 

She was met with silence.

Left-wing host makes confession about trans athletes in female bathrooms

Former MSNBC host Joy Reid admitted Sunday that she would be alarmed if she saw a penis in a women’s locker room. 

During a conversation on her “Reid This Reid That” podcast, Reid said that seeing male genitalia in a women’s locker room would “freak” her out.

“I’m alarmed enough when I see a woman with her dangling boobies. If I saw a penis in the ladies’ locker room, I would freak out too,” the ex-MSNBC (now known as MS NOW) anchor told co-host Jacque Reid.

US OLYMPIAN OPENS UP ON LEADING LAWSUIT AGAINST GOVERNING BODY OVER TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S COMPETITION

Reid was reacting to a story about a California woman who went viral after complaining that a transgender woman repeatedly entered the women’s locker room at a Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Reid, who has criticized conservatives for proposing policies to keep transgender women out of female locker rooms and women’s sports, told her co-host she would have gone to management in that situation.

“What it’s saying is if I turn around, and I see a pee pee – a penis in front of me, inside of the room, I would probably go to management and say, ‘Wait a minute. Why is there somebody — a naked man — in this room?'”

NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE DEFENDS ATHLETE WHO FAILED GENETIC SEX TEST AS PLAYERS CLASH OVER GENDER RULES

Reid made clear that her remarks were not an attack on transgender people, but rather an acknowledgment of her own discomfort around nudity in locker rooms.

“I would be disturbed. I’m telling you. I would be alarmed. I’m alarmed enough when I see a woman with her dangling boobies,” she said, adding, “This is nothing against trans anybody.”

Reid continued, saying that even if the person identifying as transgender had male genitalia, she would still understand the woman’s complaints from a “safety” and “privacy” standpoint.

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“So, I can see why she would have gone and reported to management ‘there’s a man naked in the…’ Now, if they clarified, and they said, ‘Well, trans da da da,’ OK, but I think they should take her concerns also seriously. Because if she’s uncomfortable, does she not have the right to be at least uncomfortable with the situation?”

Reid’s co-host agreed, saying she also doesn’t want to see male genitalia in women’s locker rooms, even though she supports transgender rights.

After her co-host suggested creating “separate locker rooms” for transgender individuals, Joy Reid proposed gender-neutral facilities as a possible solution.

“Give people the choice,” she said.

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Mamdani seeks $4M for transition, says he hopes not to need to ask for funds soon

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is appealing to supporters for donations as he prepares to take office.

“I hope very soon not to have to ask you for money. But until then, I’m askin’ for you to go to transition2025.com, give whatever you can …” Mamdani said in a video posted Tuesday.

The incoming mayor explained that transition operations do not qualify for public matching funds, unlike campaign contributions.

“Now unlike the campaign, transitions do not get public matching funds from the city. So that eight-to-one match: gone. It’s up to us to raise the money. Usually campaigns take that as an opportunity to rely on wealthy donors, but that’s not us,” he said.

NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI DOUBLES DOWN ON NETANYAHU ARREST PLEDGE

Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, said, “We need to raise $4 million in total, so Jan. 1 can be the day we start to deliver, not start to prepare.”

Figures displayed in the video showed more than $1 million raised as of Nov. 14, with an average donation of $77.65 across 12,707 donors.

INSIDE THE MAMDANI MACHINE: SOROS CASH, SOCIALISTS AND RADICAL IMAMS ENGINEERED ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S PATH TO POWER

In the video, he explained why he’s fundraising.

“We have to vet the 50,000 resumes we’ve received,” he said. “We have to keep paying our incredible team.”

“And we have to plan not just our inauguration, but our policy implementation,” he said.

NYC MAYOR-ELECT ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S FATHER SAYS HE WILL KEEP ‘ARM’S LENGTH’ FROM SON’S UPCOMING ADMINISTRATION

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Earlier this month, the New York state assembly member and Democratic mayoral candidate won the Big Apple’s mayoral contest, defeating former Empire State Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

Common spice may beat depression and boost sexual health, doctor says

One specific spice could function as a natural antidepressant, an expert says.

Saffron, found in popular foods and drinks like paella and herbal teas, has shown promise for its ability to boost mood and reduce symptoms of depression, in addition to other various health benefits.

During an in-studio interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Daniel Amen, psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics in California, shared his enthusiasm about using saffron for mental health support.

RED MEAT CAN HELP YOUR MOOD IF PART OF A HEALTHY, BALANCED DIET, STUDY SUGGESTS

“I love saffron so much,” he said. “I’m Lebanese, and Middle Eastern folks cook with a lot of saffron. And there’s actually folklore in Iran: If you’re too happy, you must have had saffron.”

Amen referenced research showing that about 30 milligrams of saffron was “equally as effective” as antidepressants in randomized trials.

While most SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can help boost mood, they also pose the risk of decreasing sexual function. Saffron does the opposite, according to Amen.

“As a psychiatrist, I don’t want to ruin my patients’ love lives,” he said. “Saffron increased sexual function [in research].”

KETO DIET HAS SURPRISING IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH, RESEARCHERS DISCOVER

Saffron has also been shown to help with memory and focus, according to various studies.

A recent study, published in Reviews in Clinical Medicine 2025, also linked saffron to decreased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

After eight to 12 weeks of saffron use, participants reported that the supplement “significantly reduced” the symptoms and severity of PMS.

Additional research published in the Cambridge University Press in May 2025 revealed saffron’s potential to ease depression symptoms.

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The review analyzed 192 trials involving more than 17,000 patients and 44 different nutraceuticals to determine which supplements work for depression.

Saffron was identified as most effective, showing a moderate to large antidepressant effect.

The meta-analysis also examined how these nutraceuticals interacted with prescribed antidepressant medications.

Combining supplements like zinc and curcumins (natural compounds found in turmeric) with existing antidepressants were found to improve symptoms.

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“So, if you’re on an antidepressant and you want it to work even better, think about zinc and curcumins,” Amen recommended. “Saffron, zinc and curcumins is a great combination.”

While cooking with saffron may not achieve the levels needed to improve mood, saffron supplements are available as capsules, tablets and powdered extract. Thirty milligrams per day is typically the recommended dose for symptom relief.

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Long-term use of saffron has yet to be studied, as there is some uncertainty around its potency as a supplement, researchers and experts have warned.

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According to a medically reviewed WebMD article, taking saffron in high doses or for long periods of time “may be risky,” potentially causing anxiety, appetite changes, upset stomach sleepiness or headache.

Anyone interested in starting a saffron supplement should first consult with a doctor.

Court docs reveal potential suspect in cheerleader’s cruise death is close to home

The stepmother of a Florida cheerleader who died mysteriously on a cruise ship has filed an emergency motion to postpone a hearing in a proceeding with her ex-husband, claiming she cannot testify because it could be incriminating to herself or one of their minor children in the criminal investigation into her stepdaughter’s death.

In an emergency motion filed in Brevard County, Shauntel Kepner, formerly Shauntel Hudson, asked the judge to postpone a December hearing due to the FBI investigation into the death of Anna Kepner, who was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7.

“The Respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action,” Shauntel’s lawyer, Millicent Athanason, wrote to a Brevard County judge.

NO CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHEERLEADER FOUND DEAD ON CRUISE SHIP AS REPORT REVEALS REMAINS FOUND HIDDEN UNDER BED

A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital Wednesday that authorities have recovered surveillance video from the cruise ship showing Kepner with a “suspect” and that the FBI is reviewing hours of additional footage from the cruise before her death.

In an emergency motion for temporary relief filed Monday, Shauntel’s ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, revealed that the couple’s oldest child, 18, had moved in with him after an alleged “violent altercation” between himself, Shauntel, and her new husband, Christopher Kepner, who is the late cheerleader’s father.

Read the father’s emergency motion:

Further, Hudson’s filing alleges their second son, a 16-year-old, “is now a suspect in the death of the stepchild during the cruise.”

“The [16-year-old]’s future has been put in jeopardy because of the choices made by [Shauntel],” according to Hudson’s filing.

The teen’s current whereabouts are unclear. According to the filing, he has been released from custody and is staying with an unnamed third party.

FBI INVESTIGATES CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP DEATH IN MARITIME MYSTERY THAT CAN BE ‘VERY COMPLEX,’ FORMER AGENT SAYS

Hudson is accusing his ex-wife of alienating him from their two youngest children and arguing that his lack of involvement in their life is negatively impacting them.

In a separate response, Shauntel’s lawyer denied that their eldest child had been involved in a violent altercation and denied that she refused to allow Hudson time-sharing under the terms of their custody plan.

Read Shauntel Kepner’s response:

Neither Shauntel nor Athanason responded to requests for comment. In the motion, the lawyer noted that her client has a right against self-incrimination, and she argued that testifying in the divorce proceeding could “be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child” in the criminal investigation.

“An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein the Respondent/Mother will not be able to testify at the hearing at this time,” Athanason wrote.

“Currently, there is an investigation being conducted by the [FBI] arising out of the sudden death of [18-year-old] Anna Kepner,” the filing continues. “Ms. Anna Kepner, the deceased, is the daughter of the Respondent’s paramour and the Respondent and the minor children of this instant action were all on the cruise ship together.”

The filing is part of a dispute stemming from Shauntel’s divorce from her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson.

Authorities have said little about the case.

The FBI’s Miami office is investigating the matter. And the medical examiner’s office in Miami-Dade County is handling the autopsy, although no cause and manner of death have been determined as of Wednesday morning.

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The Daily Mail reported Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources, that Kepner’s remains had been discovered wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets under the bed in her cabin on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.

Carnival said in a statement it is cooperating with the FBI. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

Country star Lainey Wilson says she lied to her fiancé on their first date

Lainey Wilson will be returning as the host of the Country Music Awards on Wednesday night, just weeks after she admitted she lied to now-fiancé Devlin “Duck” Hodges on their first date.

Wilson will be the third woman ever to repeatedly host the CMAs. Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire were the only women to be asked to return as a host prior to Wilson’s big night on Wednesday.

Leading up to Nov. 19, Wilson shared that she texted McEntire asking for advice on how to navigate the award show alone.

“There’s so much joy. I think it’s going to be a great week. I mean, this is, it’s a big deal. I mean, some big old shoes to fill. So I don’t take it lightly, but… I’m going to do the only… we’ve only had a solo woman host three times; Dolly, Reba, Lainey, which is wild,” Wilson said during a press conference Sunday.

LAINEY WILSON SPILLS DETAILS OF INTIMATE PROPOSAL, EYES ‘VERY SIMPLE’ WEDDING

“I texted Reba last night and I said, ‘If you had one piece of advice to give me going into this week, what would it be?’ And I thought she was just going to say something like ‘just be yourself and have fun.’ She sent me a list. I was like whoa, whoa, one piece of advice,” she said.

“But yeah, it’s like I said, some really big shoes to fill and I just feel so honored. So thank you all for letting me run my mouth and celebrate country music,” Wilson added.

Last year, Wilson co-hosted the 2024 CMAs alongside Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. 

Wilson and Hodges arrived on the red carpet in matching black blazers and cowboy hats during the 2024 CMAs – a historic night marking Wilson’s hosting debut.

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR LAINEY WILSON ‘COMPLETELY SHOCKED’ BY FIANCE’S PROPOSAL

Right before Valentine’s Day 2025, Hodges popped the question. “4x4xU forever ❤️,” Wilson captioned her Instagram post, announcing the couple’s engagement.

In October, Wilson did an interview with Wide Open Country and shared details about the couple’s first date in 2021. She told the outlet that she lied to Hodges, a former NFL player, on their first date to impress him.

WATCH: CMAS HOST LAINEY WILSON TEXTED REBA MCENTIRE FOR ADVICE BEFORE HOSTING THE BIG SHOW SOLO

Hodges kicked off the date by telling the singer the story behind his nickname, “Duck,” which came from his time playing college football.

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“He said he was playing football at Samford (University), and the coach there (said), ‘You remind me of one of my favorite quarterbacks ever, and his name was Duck.’ And he had an excellent season that year. And so the whole team started saying, ‘It’s Duck season; it’s Duck season!’ So that’s how he got Duck,” Wilson explained.

Wilson quickly realized she wanted to follow up with a story and lied that people call her “Goose.”

“On our first date, I told him that people call me Goose. I was lying, but he fell for it. I think he was like, ‘Oh, I’m in love,'” she told the outlet.

Wilson previously opened up to People magazine about the difficulties that come with being in a relationship while being a touring artist.

“You have to definitely carve out the time. It has to be something that you’re very aware of, and you’re like, ‘Okay, I’ve got a day off here in 10 days. I’ve got to dedicate that day to spend time with my person.’ And we both need that and deserve that, and it’s always great. We just try to soak up those moments as best as we possibly can,” Wilson told People in August.

COUNTRY STAR LAINEY WILSON ENGAGED AFTER JOKING SHE ‘MIGHT HAVE TO PROPOSE’ AFTER THREE YEARS

In September, Wilson told Taste of Country that she knows her marriage with Hodges will be successful because of their similar approaches to managing their finances.

“I’ll tell ya this about Duck, he’s pretty frugal,  when it comes to good hunting stuff, like getting ready for duck season and having all the appropriate gear and whatever, that’s his thing he likes to splurge on,” she said.

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Wilson doesn’t have an issue with her soon-to-be husband’s big purchases since she doesn’t want him to control hers. “I’m not gonna tell him what to do, because he’s not gonna tell me what kind of guitar I can buy, ya know?” she said.

In August, the “Yellowstone” star shared details about how wedding planning with Hodges has been.

“Well, you ain’t gonna believe this but we still have not planned it, bless his heart,” Wilson told Taste of Country at the time. 

Even though concrete plans have not been made, Wilson told the outlet that she and Hodges have talked about the details of their wedding, including the guest list.

“Of course we sit around and talk about like, what we would want. Just trying to figure out is it [the wedding] big or small? Is cousin so-and-so coming? Is cousin so-and-so not?”

The 59th annual CMA Awards will be held on Nov. 19, 2025, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

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