Fox News 2026-02-14 12:10:31


Passengers trade blows at 30,000 feet as ‘racist’ remarks allegedly spark wild brawl

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Chaotic video shows the moment a midair brawl erupted between passengers on a Jet2 flight bound for the United Kingdom on Thursday, reportedly forcing the plane to make a diversion.

Flight LS896, traveling from Antalya, Turkey, to Manchester, England, was diverted to Belgium after what the airline described as the “appalling behavior” of two “disruptive” passengers onboard, representatives told the New York Post.

“They were both offloaded by police in Brussels and the flight continued to Manchester,” the representatives said.

Video circulating online appears to show passengers exchanging punches in the aisle as other travelers scream.

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It was not immediately clear what prompted the brawl. However, an eyewitness alleged that a male passenger made “racist” remarks earlier in the flight, the Sun reported.

“From early on in the flight, a passenger seated behind us began making racist remarks, quiet enough that others couldn’t clearly hear, but loud enough for us to,” the traveler alleged.

According to the eyewitness, tensions escalated after the man — who had allegedly been drinking — was unable to purchase cigarettes onboard and became aggressive.

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Cabin crew members attempted to defuse the situation, but the dispute ultimately turned physical.

After diverting to Brussels, authorities removed the two passengers from the aircraft. The flight then resumed its journey and landed in Manchester at around 10 p.m., the Post reported.

Jet2 confirmed both individuals have been placed on the airline’s no-fly list.

“We can confirm that the two disruptive passengers will be banned from flying with us for life,” Jet2 told the Post. “We will also vigorously pursue them to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this diversion.”

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The airline added, “As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behavior, and we are very sorry that other customers and our colleagues onboard had to experience this too.”

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Jet2 did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Podcast hosts express concern over rise of more committed conservatives after Trump

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The co-hosts of the “I’ve Had It” podcast voiced concerns Friday that there may be a “diabolical” conservative politician on the horizon who is more effective and committed to the cause than President Donald Trump.

Trump’s second term in office has been marked by fierce debates about whether he has actually fulfilled the promises he made while on the campaign trail, ranging from his administration’s handling of the Epstein files to failing to secure mass deportations or avoid another war in the Middle East. Such discrepancies have been a frequent topic mentioned by the same podcasters who have been said to have helped him win the 2024 election. 

After criticizing multiple Democratic presidents for failing to prosecute their Republican predecessors, co-host Jennifer Welch said that she is focused on anticipating what comes after Trump. 

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“Trump is no spring chicken, and he’s a lame duck. So what is next?” she asked. “And that’s why I’m so open-minded and analytical about my own political beliefs and the errors of my own ways. And I constantly want to be an evolving political thinker in this time, because the news is coming at us fast and in a devastating, violent way, daily. And I think that it is a time to lock in more than recede.”

“Well, I think you’re so right about that,” co-host Angie “Pumps” Sullivan agreed. “And I worry not only about what comes after Trump, how much more diabolical — because Trump is dumb. He doesn’t really care about policy, he doesn’t care about people. He wants to make money and be on the, you know – he just wants to have his face everywhere. What comes after him?”

“They might be smarter,” Pumps warned. “They might be even more diabolical and care about it like a Stephen Miller as the actual man in power. Then I worry about the youth, the people that are so used to Trump’s theatrics and the lying. Like, what [are] their expectations of a politician?”

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“It’s going to incubate something worse,” Welch said, suggesting Vice President JD Vance is a good example of someone who fits the bill. “There is something worse than Trump, and it’s younger, and like you said, it’s more diabolical.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and did not receive an immediate response. 

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Spanberger under fire for barbecue post as social media users express disgust

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Virginia’s new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is being widely mocked for a photo of her grilling, with many on social media expressing alarm and disgust over what appears to be some type of shredded meat over the fire.

Spanberger, who ran as a moderate Democrat, has been criticized for enacting radical day one policies, including moving to end cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and restore diversity, equity and inclusion. But this week the primary criticism against her was over a photo she posted of herself smiling over a grill on Thursday with the caption, “Order up.”

The post garnered immediate mockery, with many comparing it to the viral photo of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in which the senator could be seen smiling with several of what appeared to be uncooked burger patties, one of which already had cheese on it.

Conservative commentator Greg Price reacted to the photo of Spanberger alongside images of Schumer, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe in front of grills, with the caption, “I hope Democrat politicians never stop doing photo ops behind a grill.”

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Though the new governor was wearing a black apron with the words, “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner,” her post was flooded with comments asking what the strange-looking meat on the grill truly was.

“Ma’am, what is that?” reacted independent journalist Breanna Morello.

Popular satire account Three Year Letterman commented, “How many neighborhood cats are missing” and “arrest her.”

“Did you cut your meat with a weed wacker?” wrote Parker Thayer, a researcher at Capital Research Center.

Heritage Foundation research fellow Jason Bedrick commented, “What you did to that meat violates the Geneva Convention.”

Another user, conservative commentator David Freeman, simply reacted, “No thanks.”

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Beef supplier Merriwether Farms wrote, “Virginia is in trouble.”

In 2024, Schumer took similar criticism over a Father’s Day post, which the New York Democrat eventually deleted, showing off his backyard grill.

Our family has lived in an apartment building for all our years, but my daughter and her wife just bought a house with a backyard and for the first time we’re having a barbeque with hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill!” Schumer posted on X on Sunday. “Father’s Day Heaven!”

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The post was immediately criticized by conservatives accusing him of placing cheese on one of the burger patties prematurely and not knowing how to properly grill the burger.

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“Chuck is making an E. coli with cheese,” Cavalry founding partner Michael Duncan posted on X. 

Spanberger’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

American skating star ‘Quad God’ reveals what happened before his shocking Olympic loss

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U.S. men’s figure skater Ilia Malinin revealed his mind became flooded with “thoughts and memories” before his performance in the men’s free skate final at the Winter Olympics Friday. 

Malinin, a top contender to win gold for the U.S., surprisingly fell twice during his routine. He fell all the way to eighth place and missed out on the podium. 

“I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences,” Malinin told NBC Washington in a reporter scrum after the competition.

“So, I just feel like it’s the pressure of especially being that Olympic gold medal hopeful. It was just something I can’t control now.”

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Malinin emphasized the impact of the “pressure of the Olympics” in his first ever Olympic games.

“The pressure of the Olympics, it’s really something different, and I think not a lot of people understand that. They only understand that from the inside and going into this competition, especially today, I felt really confident, really good,” he said. “But it really just went by so fast I did not have time to process.” 

Malinin took solace in knowing he will return to the U.S. with the team gold medal he helped contribute to earlier in the week as he tries to mentally process what happened on Friday. 

“I think that’s definitely a positive for me. And it honestly maybe gives me thoughts that I need to understand why that happened in the individual event. I think going into this competition I made sure that I was able to prepare myself for at least four programs or four performances,” Malinin said.

“So, honestly, I haven’t had time to fully understand what went on.” 

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Malinin dominated the short program earlier this week, entering the day leading by more than five points with a score of 108.16.

But his final performance was his worst.

When his routine started Friday, Malinin connected on a quad-flip to start but then settled for a single axel. He then had a double loop instead of a quad loop.

He then fell on a quad Lutz attempt and then fell on another jump shortly after. He scored a 156.33, a far cry from the world record of 238.24 he set in December and the 200-mark he routinely hits in the free skate.

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold with a total score of 291.58, a personal best. His 198.94 score in Friday’s free skate was also the highest of his career.

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan got the silver, and Shun Sato, Kagiyama’s teammate, came away with the bronze.

Malinin, who posts total scores in the 300s regularly, settled for just 264.49. His personal best is 333.81.

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Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor right after the event concluded.

While on the bench, Malinin said if he had been in Beijing four years ago, he would not have skated as poorly as he did. Malinin was 17 when he was left off the roster in favor of veterans. That was a tell-tale sign of a mental battle, which Malinin confirmed almost immediately after he left the ice.

Malinin’s finish sparked widespread disappointment among Team USA and ice skating fans in general across social media. 

Rosie O’Donnell quietly comes back to US after moving to Ireland over Trump

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After a self-imposed political exile to Ireland after President Donald Trump’s re-election, Rosie O’Donnell quietly returned to the United States.

During an interview with Chris Cuomo on his new show, “SiriusXM’s Cuomo Mornings,” the 63-year-old actress revealed she recently returned to the country to visit her family. The actress moved to Ireland with her teenage daughter in January 2025, just prior to President Trump’s second inauguration. 

“I was recently home for two weeks, and I did not really tell anyone,” she told Cuomo. “I just went to see my family. I wanted to see how hard it would be for me to get in and out of the country. I wanted to feel what it felt like. I wanted to hold my children again. And I hadn’t been home in over a year.”

She then shared that she “wanted to make sure that it was safe” for her and her daughter to come back over the summer so that they could be with family during her break from school.

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When speaking to Cuomo, she went on to discuss how America “feels like a very different country” to her than when she lived here because she hasn’t “been watching the news” or keeping up with “American culture television” while living in Ireland.

“I’ve been in a place where celebrity worship does not exist,” she explained. “I’ve been in a place where there’s more balance to the news. There’s more balance to life. It’s not everyone trying to get more, more, more. It’s a very different culture. And I felt the United States in a completely different way than I ever had before I left.”

O’Donnell claimed she doesn’t “regret leaving at all” and feels she did “what I needed to do to save myself, my child and my sanity.”

ROSIE O’DONNELL SAYS DAUGHTER BLAMES TRUMP FOR FORCING THEIR FAMILY’S MOVE OUT OF AMERICA

“And I’m very happy that I’m not in the midst of it there because the energy that I felt while in the United States was — if I could use the most simple word I can think of — it was scary,” she added. “There’s a feeling that something is really wrong, and no one is doing anything about it.”

The bad blood between O’Donnell and President Trump goes back 20 years, when she criticized him while on “The View.” They continued to throw jabs at each other over the years, with O’Donnell telling the Irish radio show “Sunday with Miriam,” “He uses me as a punching bag and a way to sort of rile his base.”

After announcing she had moved to Ireland, the star shared she was applying for Irish citizenship during an interview with the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph in October 2025.

“What great news for America!” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital about the news at the time.

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President Trump had previously threatened to revoke O’Donnell’s American citizenship twice before through posts on Truth Social.

“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” he wrote in July 2025. “She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

He later renewed the threats in September 2025, writing, “She is not a Great American and is, in my opinion, incapable of being so!”

O’Donnell fired back against the president’s threats, using the Constitution as her defense against the President.

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“He can’t do that because it’s against the Constitution, and even the Supreme Court has not given him the right to do that. … He’s not allowed to do that. The only way you’re allowed to take away someone’s citizenship is if they renounce it themselves, and I will never renounce my American citizenship,” the “Now and Then” star said. “I am a very proud citizen of the United States.

“I am also getting my citizenship here so I can have dual citizenship in Ireland and the United States because I enjoy living here,” she added. “It’s very peaceful. I love the politics of the country. I love the people and their generous hearts and spirit. And it’s been very good for my daughter. But I still want to maintain my citizenship in the United States. My children are there. I will be there visiting and go to see them. And I have the freedom to do that, as does every American citizen.”

Under the United States Constitution, a president does not have the power to strip the citizenship of someone born in the country, meaning since O’Donnell was born in New York, her citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment.

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Figure skating coach, former competitor shot dead in drive-thru robbery

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A former Team USA synchronized figure skater turned coach was shot and killed in broad daylight during an alleged armed robbery at a Starbucks drive-thru in St. Louis, Missouri.

Gabrielle “Sam” Linehan, 28, was sitting in her car in the city’s Tower Grove East neighborhood just after 10 a.m. Tuesday, when a suspect approached and opened fire, according to a probable cause statement obtained by the New York Post.

Police identified the suspect as 58-year-old Keith Lamon Brown, FOX 2 reported.

Surveillance footage released by the St. Louis Police Department showed Brown wearing a high-visibility vest and helmet around the time of the shooting.

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Authorities allege Brown stole several of Linehan’s bank cards and her driver’s license before fleeing the scene. Linehan was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the Post reported.

Linehan represented U.S. Figure Skating as a member of St. Louis Synergy’s junior team, which earned a silver medal at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, according to KSDK.

Linehan’s team later paid tribute to the beloved athlete and coach at the Metro Edge Skating Club in an emotional Instagram post, calling her “a cherished skater, coach, mentor, and friend” whose impact stretched far beyond the rink.

“A dedicated leader, Coach Sam devoted time and heart to supporting and developing skaters while instilling the values of discipline, teamwork, integrity, and resilience,” the team wrote. 

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Authorities announced Wednesday that Brown had been arrested.

“Intelligence detectives have taken a 58-year-old man into custody in connection to the homicide on S. Grand,” the St. Louis Police Department posted on X. “He was armed when he was arrested. SWAT executed a search warrant at the suspect’s home. Homicide detectives located evidence from two prior robberies as well.”

According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Brown has been charged with first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree robbery, four counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

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He is being held without bond at the St. Louis City Justice Center.

Authorities said Brown was also wanted in connection with two other armed robberies in the days leading up to the killing. 

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His criminal history dates back to the mid-1980s, FOX 2 reported.

The St. Louis Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Bondi fires back at ‘failed politician’ Massie over Epstein files in testimony

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Attorney General Pam Bondi sparred with members of the House Judiciary Committee during a tense hearing Wednesday, as she sought to defend the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and push back on Democrats’ accusations of so-called “weaponization” within the department. 

Bondi’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was the first since her confirmation last year as the top U.S. law enforcement official. Much of the hearing quickly descended into chaos and shouting matches, as Democrats took aim at Bondi’s actions, and as Bondi doubled down on the department’s decisions under her watch. At times, she responded with barbs of her own. 

Here are the five biggest takeaways and most heated exchanges from the sharp-elbowed hearing.

BONDI HEARING DEVOLVES INTO CHAOS OF SHOUTS AS AG ACCUSES TOP DEMOCRATS OF ‘THEATRICS’

1. Ted Lieu accuses Bondi of lying under oath 

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., accused Bondi of lying under oath about an alleged witness statement that he said showed President Donald Trump had been accused of rape, saying: “You just lied under oath.”

“Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime!” Bondi fired back: The exchange spiraled into chaos, with House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan struggling to restore order.

“This is so ridiculous,” Bondi said in response. “And they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime; everyone knows that!”

2. ‘Turn around … and apologize’

One of the most widely-shared moments came during an exchange with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who demanded that Bondi turn around and apologize to the Epstein survivors seated behind her in the House gallery for publishing documents that failed to redact their names.

“Will you turn to the survivors … and apologize?” Jayapal asked, accusing the department of compounding their trauma. Bondi refused, beginning to cite the actions of the former administration before Jayapal interjected.

“This is not about anybody that came before you. It is about you taking responsibility for your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors who are standing right behind you and are waiting for you to turn to them and apologize,” Jayapal said.

“I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics,” she shot back, before muttering moments later, “Unprofessional.”

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3. Massie, Bondi spat 

Notably, some Republicans also posed tough questions for Bondi, largely centered on the handling and publication of the Epstein files. 

Among them was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who criticized the redactions that occurred on Bondi’s watch. 

Massie noted that, in his view, DOJ was “over-redacting” certain information that could be potentially incriminating, while failing to redact the names of the victims. 

“This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion of it,” he told her. 

In response, Bondi shot back that Massie was a “failed politician” with “Trump derangement syndrome.”

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, intervened multiple times as members sparred over procedure and “reclaiming” time.

4. Bondi confirms criminal referral alleging Brennan perjury 

Bondi confirmed that she received a criminal referral from the House Judiciary Committee alleging that former CIA Director John Brennan lied to Congress.

The news came during an exchange with Jordan, who asked Bondi if Brennan would be indicted. 

The reference comes as the Justice Department for months has been investigating Brennan and others over the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation — a probe Democrats have assailed as politically motivated.

“What I can confirm is that we have received a referral from you, Chairman Jordan, to investigate John Brennan,” Bondi said, responding to Jordan’s question whether Brennan would be indicted. 

She added: “What I will say today I can’t confirm nor deny whether there’s a pending investigation, but what I will say [is] that no one is above the law. Weaponization has ended.”

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5. Nadler tangles with Bondi

At one point, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) directly asked Bondi how many Epstein coconspirators had been indicted by the Justice Department on her watch.

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“How many of Epstein’s co-conspirators have you indicted? How many perpetrators are you even investigating?” Nadler asked.

Bondi did not provide a number. Instead, she shifted the focus to criticism of past impeachment proceedings and reiterated that the department would investigate credible evidence that is brought forward.

Nadler interjected sharply: “The answer is zero.”

Here’s how the Homeland Security shutdown could affect you as an everyday American

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The federal government has entered its third partial shutdown of the last half-year after Congress failed to reach an agreement on all 12 of its annual spending bills.

Unlike past shutdowns, however, this one just affects the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It comes after Democrats walked away from a bipartisan deal to fund the department amid uproar over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

And while some 97% of the federal government has been funded at this point, a DHS shutdown will still have effects on everyday Americans — effects that will become more apparent the longer the standoff continues.

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Air travel delays

Disruptions to the TSA, whose agents are responsible for security checks at nearly 440 airports across the country, could perhaps be the most impactful part of the partial shutdown to Americans’ everyday lives.

Acting Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday that around 95% of TSA employees — roughly 61,000 people — are deemed essential and will be forced to work without pay in the event of a shutdown.

“We heard reports of officers sleeping in their cars at airports to save money on gas, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet,” she said of the last shutdown.

But it would take some time before TSA funding could translate to delays. TSA agents, like other essential federal workers, received back pay once the shutdown was over. Those who did not miss shifts also got a $10,000 bonus for added relief.

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TSA paychecks due to be issued on March 3 could see agents getting reduced pay depending on the length of the shutdown. Agents would not be at risk of missing a full paycheck until March 17.

If that happens, however, Americans could see delays or even cancellations at the country’s busiest airports as TSA agents are forced to call out of work and get second jobs to make ends meet.

Natural disaster reimbursement

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is one of the largest and most critical recipients of federal funding under DHS.

Associate Administrator of the Office of Response and Recovery Gregg Phillips told lawmakers on Wednesday that FEMA has enough funds to continue disaster response through a shutdown in the immediate future, but that its budget would be strained in the event of an unforeseen “catastrophic disaster.”

That means Americans hit by an unexpected natural disaster during the shutdown could see delayed federal reimbursement for their homes and small businesses.

Others who have already lived through a natural disaster in the last year but still have not received their checks — FEMA is currently working through a backlog worth billions of dollars — could see that relief delayed even further during the shutdown.

“In the 45 days I’ve been here … we have spent $3 billion in 45 days on 5,000 projects,” Phillips said. “We’re going as fast as we can. We’re committed to reducing the backlog. I can’t go any faster than we actually are. And if this lapses, that’s going to stop.”

Worker visa processing

American business owners who rely on certain types of worker visas could see processing times extended during a DHS shutdown.

That’s because United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) programs are run under DHS and are responsible for processing most immigration applications as well as temporary visas.

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The majority of those programs are funded by fees and are largely untouched. However, areas like e-Verify, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program, Conrad 30 J-1 doctors, and non-minister religious workers all rely on funding appropriated by Congress, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

USCIS could allow employers to use alternate processes if e-Verify is disrupted during a shutdown, but it’s not clear how much time it would add to business owners’ day-to-day responsibilities to learn a new route for that paperwork.

Irish dance policy fight flares after male qualifies for female World Championships

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A women’s public policy group is calling on governing bodies in the Irish dancing world to amend their participation policies after a male dancer qualified for the world championships for a third year in a row after previously competing as a male. 

“I just happened to be at the competition where this boy won in the girls’ category for the very first time back in 2023,” Maggie McKneely, Director of Government Relations at Concerned Women for America, told Fox News Digital. “He has been Irish-dancing for a long time and had gone to the World Championships as a boy years before, but then in 2023, he suddenly started identifying as a girl and dancing in the girl’s category.”

McKneely said that in 2023, while competing in the girl’s division, the male competitor won a regional title for the first time, and he has since gone on to win two more times, including this past December in Florida.

Concerned Women for America (CWA) sent a letter to two major governing bodies for Irish dancing, An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha and the Irish Dance Teachers’ Association of North America, calling on them to remedy their participation policies allowing dancers to compete based on gender identity. The letter pointed to other major sports governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee and World Athletics, the governing body for track and field sports, which CWA said have announced or adopted plans to institute strictly sex-based eligibility requirements.  

PRIVACY CONCERNS, DISCRIMINATION, DOCTOR PUSHBACK: THE COMPLIANCE TRAPS LOOMING BEHIND SEX-SEPARATED SPORTS

Speaking to Fox News Digital, McKneely lamented what she described as a “ripple-effect” caused by the male dancer being allowed to continue competing in the girls’ division.

“Not only did a boy win the girl’s title for his age category, placing the girl who got in second who should have been in first, but that also means that the girl who got in 11th did not qualify for Worlds because the top 10 dancers qualify for worlds. It means the girl who got 26th did not qualify for nationals because the top 25 qualify for nationals,” she said. “You have a boy on top of the podium and all these girls who have dreamed and have set goals for different placements in their age category who were not able to make them because of this one boy disrupting the entire category.”

CWA CEO and President Penny Nance also pointed to the chilling effect caused by male competition, arguing that the male’s ability to compete “undermines young women” and makes them less likely to compete.

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“We strongly encourage our Young Women for America members to be involved in sports. We think it’s a great training proving ground,” Nance said. “We know that the majority of women who make it to the C-suite are women who competed athletically in some way. And so it’s good sociologically, it’s good for women’s identity, it is good for their bodies.”

Meanwhile, when pressed on the importance of separating Irish dancing by sex, McKneely and Nance told Fox News Digital that Irish dancing is not just an art form, it is “an extremely athletic art form.”

The ex-Irish dancer pointed out that the dancing requires a lot of consistent leaps and jumps that necessitates dancers to move very quickly and execute complicated rhythm patterns while maintaining endurance. She also pointed out that if you have stronger muscles, or even different lengths of your femur bone, dancers can get higher off the ground, which is an advantage in the competition.

“At the elite level competitions that we’re talking about, like regionals and nationals, men and women don’t compete against each other. But at our local competitions, they do, just because it’s a smaller field,” McKneely shared. “And nine times out of 10, when boys are competing against girls in those local competitions, they win, purely because they do have greater endurance and greater capacity to do more of the tricks and complicated things in Irish dance than the girls do.”

Fox News Digital reached out to An Coimisiún Le Rincí Gaelacha and the Irish Dance Teachers’ Association of North America for comment on the policy push and criticism from CWA, but did not receive a response.

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According to McKneely, a petition was sent to the governing bodies from dancers and parents who were unhappy with a male competing against females when the incident first happened in 2023, and their response was to vote on establishing a third category for people who are not biologically male or female, a sort of middle-road position. 

However, McKneely said that the motion to take this action was ultimately tabled, and it never moved forward. She added that the bodies have been embroiled in a cheating scandal making them “allergic to legal threats” and afraid of upsetting folks who might sue them even further over sex-separation policies.  

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