The 2025 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, and one of this year's top prospects dropped a hint about which team he hopes to land with.
Former Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter is widely projected to be one of the first players off the board April 25, and the New York Giants have the third overall pick.
Carter added to speculation that he hopes to wear a blue uniform in his rookie season by sharing an image of Giants great Lawrence Taylor on social media.
The photo of the Hall of Fame linebacker on Carter's X account Friday was accompanied by the quote, "Once a Giant, always a Giant." Late Giants owner Wellington Mara has been credited with coining the phrase.
This week's visit is not the first time Carter has interacted with the Giants. The star edge rusher also had breakfast with Giants head coach Brian Daboll earlier this month, according to multiple reports.
Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999. He played for the Giants for the entirety of his storied 13-year career and is widely considered to be one of the best players to ever wear a Giants uniform.
Taylor's 132½ sacks rank second on the Giants' all-time list. The 9½ sacks he had during his rookie season in 1981 aren't included in the total because sacks weren't considered an official statistic at the time.
Carter racked up 23 sacks during his three seasons with the Nittany Lions and received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors after a strong 2024 campaign.
Carter battled through a shoulder injury during the College Football Playoff. It was also recently revealed he is dealing with a stress reaction in his foot. However, it remains unlikely Carter will need to undergo surgery to address the issue, ESPN reported.
If Carter ends up with the Giants, he would join a defensive line that already features Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence.
This weekend at Augusta National looks like it will be one for the ages.
The leaderboard is stacked with golfers who have combined for 10 major championships all within three shots of each other at the top, and the players at even par (eight shots back) or better have a combined 24 major wins.
Fifty-four players made the cut Friday, and the playing has been superb. The cut line was a mere 10 strokes back of the lead. It's a long shot for those guys, but they're not out of it.
It has the attention of President Donald Trump, an avid golfer.
Fox News Digital's Paulina Dedaj was on Air Force One with the president Friday and asked Trump who he'd "like to see win the Masters."
He's apparently rooting for everybody.
"They're all friends of mine. They have some great ones. Scottie Scheffler's great. Bryson [DeChambeau] is great. Justin Rose, they're all friends of mine," he said.
"It's going to be a very good Masters. Looks like it's going to be a very good Masters. Some fantastic golfers at the top."
He's right. Justin Rose's 8-under leads the pack, while DeChambeau is a stroke back. McIlroy is two shots behind the leader along with Corey Conners.
Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Matt McCarty are all sitting at 5-under par. Other big names within striking distance include Viktor Hovland and Jason Day at 4-under; Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Collin Morikawa at 3-under; and Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman six back at 2-under.
Major champions at 1-under or even include Bubba Watson, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark.
A win for Scheffler would make him the first back-to-back winner at Augusta since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. Meanwhile, McIlroy is making his 11th attempt to complete the career grand slam and is still eyeing the long-coveted green jacket.
The Masters is where the best hope to bring their A-game, but it doesn't always happen.
This year's leaderboard is stacked with players with a combined 10 major wins inside the top five, including two-time winner and reigning champion Scottie Scheffler.
As with every golf tournament, though, there are some big names that did not advance to the weekend.
Here are some players headed home early from Augusta.
Cabrera, the 2009 green jacket winner, was back at Augusta for the first time since 2019 after serving time in prison for assault and intimidation. He was asked by reporters if he "deserved" to be playing in this year’s Masters given his time spent in jail for his crimes. All winners have a lifetime exemption into the tournament.
His response?
"Why not?"
He was 11-over in his two rounds, tied for the second-worst score.
The 2020 Masters winner’s weekend ended in heartbreak. Johnson was 1-over going into 18, but a costly double bogey sent him below the cut line. It’s his second straight missed cut at Augusta. In 2023, he finished tied in 48th. His best finish since winning was tie for 12th in 2022.
Koepka attacked the majors in 2023, finishing tied for second at Augusta and winning the PGA Championship. Last year was the opposite, and this week at Augusta was a continuation. Like his LIV mate Johnson, Koepka was in line to play the weekend, being even-par through the 16th, but after bogeying 17 and a quadruple-bogey on 18, his tournament score rocketed to 5-over.
Fans are still waiting for Zalatoris to make the jump, but it didn’t happen this week. Zalatoris opened the day 2-over and parred his first 10 holes, but he bogeyed 11 and double-bogeyed 12 and 15, all but putting him out of the race. His week ends 8-over.
After tying for fifth at the Genesis, Finau has played some weak golf, not finishing inside the Top 30 in any of his last five tournaments. He grinded and got below the cut line at one point but was unable to hang on.
Henley was a sleeper by many to make a run at a green jacket (including us). But, from the jump, he struggled. An 8-over 80 put him in desperation mode Friday, and while he went 5-under for a 67 Friday, his 3-over for the tournament wasn’t enough.
Mickelson’s double-bogey on the par-5 15th dropped him below the cut line. He then bogeyed 16 and 18 to fall well short. He shocked the world with a second-place tie two years ago after an awesome final round, but he has been unable to find that same magic since.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw's recent trip to Pittsburgh lasted much longer than he anticipated, thanks to a jammed boarding door.
The plane departed from Dallas-Forth Worth. Bradshaw was traveling to Pittsburgh Thursday to attend a celebratory dinner Friday for former Steelers teammate Mel Blount, USA Today reported.
Bradshaw was seated near the front of the plane, according to reports. At some point during the trip, the door malfunctioned.
Selah Holland, a passenger traveling on the same flight as Bradshaw, told KDKA 5 the pilot informed everyone onboard that the stuck door was eventually opened "thanks to the strength of one of our passengers."
"The pilot announced, and you could kind of hear he was chuckling as he said it, but he said, 'Thanks to the strength of one of our passengers, we were finally able to get the door open,' and I think we all knew he was alluding to Mr. Bradshaw," Holland said.
However, Bradshaw took to social media Friday to clarify the role he played.
"Just to set the record straight," he wrote on an Instagram post, "I did nothing to open the door on the plane!"
The 76-year-old former quarterback then credited the maintenance personnel.
"The maintenance crew had it open in 15 [minutes]."
Holland also noted that several Steelers fans were on board the flight, and comments were made in jest about Bradshaw getting out of his seat to potentially knock down the door.
"There were a lot of Steelers fans on board, of course, so it was kinda funny because I think people had been making jokes that he should help bust down the door," Holland said.
Bradshaw spent his entire storied NFL career with the Steelers, winning four Super Bowls in six seasons with the franchise. Bradshaw and Blount played for Pittsburgh from 1970-1983. Blount, who played cornerback, is also a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
The leaderboard is stacked with golfers who have a combined 10 major championships all within three shots of each other at the top, and the players at even par (eight shots back) or better have a combined 24 major wins.
Fifty-four players made the cut Friday, and the playing has been superb. The cut line was a mere 10 strokes back of the lead. It's a long shot for those guys, but they're not out of it.
Here's what happened at Augusta National at the midway point of the 89th Masters.
After double-bogeying two of his final four holes Thursday, McIlroy came out ready to pounce. He mastered Amen Corner and the entire course, for that matter. He shot a 6-under 66 and opened up his back nine with four consecutive threes, including an eagle on 13, and went bogey-free in the round. He now sits at 6-under for the tournament.
DeChambeau came out firing early, birdying three of his first five holes and four of his first eight to get to second at one point. He cooled off on the back nine, however, shooting even par to finish 4-under on the day and sit at 7-under through two rounds.
Justin Rose twice reached 9-under for the tournament after birdies on the par-3 12th and 16th. But he bogeyed 17 and gained just a stroke in his second round. He has a one-shot lead.
By the time those three golfers were finished, though, reigning champion Scottie Scheffler was through just seven holes, and no one is ever safe when he’s on the course. But he had an inconsistent day, putting up six birdies and five bogeys. Overall, it added up to 1-under on the day, and he’s three behind Rose.
DeChambeau wasn’t the only LIV star to have shot a low number, though. Tyrrell Hatton found himself right in the thick of it. Hatton birdied 7, 8, and 9 to get in the mix, and, at one point, he was tied for second. But he had back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17, and instead was tied with Scheffler, Shane Lowry and Matt McCarty in fifth place at three back.
Corey Conners held his own on day two, shooting 2-under on the day. He is tied with McIlroy in third, two strokes behind the leader.
Other big names within striking distance include Viktor Hovland and Jason Day at 4-under; Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed and Collin Morikawa at 3-under; and Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood and Brian Harman six back at 2-under.
Major champions at 1-under or even include Bubba Watson, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark.
Bernhard Langer was one stroke away from history at the Masters Friday.
Langer, 67, needed to make par on the 18th hole at Augusta National to remain at 2-over, remain below the projected cut line and become the oldest player to make the cut in Masters history.
Langer hit the fairway on the par-4 18th, but his approach shot fell off the side of the green and rolled into a seating area.
As Langer walked to his ball, he received a standing ovation from fans who saluted the 1985 and 1993 Masters champion. He announced that this year’s tournament was going to be his final competitive appearance at Augusta.
Langer chipped his third shot just past the fringe of the green and left himself a lengthy par putt. It was a good one, but not good enough. It rolled just past the hole and narrowly missed the requisite par to make the cut.
Langer tapped in for bogey and walked off the 18th green for the final time as a competitor to another ovation. As he walked off, he was greeted by his family and fellow Masters winners.
Langer talked about what he has felt over the last couple of days.
"A lot of gratitude. It's been tremendous to be here 41 times," Langer told ESPN after the round.
Langer said the support he received from fans and his family has been "unbelievable."
The two-time Masters champion was in a strong position to make the cut, but a double bogey on the 15th hole was a major blow to his chances of making the cut.
Langer said he had a "horrible finish" when referencing his miscues on the 15th and 18th holes.
Fred Couples, who holds the record for the oldest to make the cut at Augusta, also had a chance to rewrite his own record, but he also finished poorly with a 4-over for the first two days.
Langer made his Masters debut in 1982 as Germany's first-ever participant in the prestigious tournament.
A federal judge said the Trump administration must lift their freeze on federal funding to Maine.
The ruling reads that the USDA "must immediately unfreeze and release to the state of Maine any federal funding that they have frozen or failed or refused to pay because of the state of Maine's alleged failure to comply with the requirements of Title IX."
The administration is also "barred from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with the state of Maine's future federal funding for alleged violations of Title IX without complying with the legally required procedure."
The USDA announced the funding freeze and a review of federal funding to Maine earlier this month after the state refused to provide equal opportunities to women and girls in educational programs.
The state has refused to comply with President Donald Trump's February executive order to ban trans athletes from girls' and women's sports, prompting immense federal pressure. Trump initially vowed to cut federal funding to the state if it refused to comply with the order during a Feb. 20 speech.
Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the USDA on Monday following the agency’s decision to freeze funding to the state.
The state accused the USDA of "withholding funding used to feed children in schools, childcare centers, and after-school programming as well as disabled adults in congregate settings," an argument the judge agreed with.
The judge noted that the freeze was due to Title IX violations, but it "restricted" the ability to "provid[e] meals to children and vulnerable adults."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, recently called for the issues between the administration and her state to be "resolved," saying that she would continue to fight for federal funding for the state while also being against transgender athletes in biological female sports.
The Department of Education also launched an investigation into the state due to the issue.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice Friday for continuning to allow trans athletes to compete in girls sports.
It's the second DOJ referral the state's educational institutions have faced in the last month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School March 28.
After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women's and girls' sports Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many states that openly defied the order. The state's divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby identified a trans athlete in a social media post who won a girls pole vault competition for Greely High School that month.
Libby was censured by Maine's Democratic majority and Speaker Ryan Fecteaufor the post, which has prevented her from carrying out other legislative actions to serve her constituents.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
The battle between the Trump administration and the state of Maine is approaching two months amid the Pine Tree State continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete against biological females.
Maine officials on Monday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to the agency’s decision to freeze funding to the state for its refusal to reverse its transgender athlete participation policy in schools.
The state has been under federal pressure in recent months to protect female athletes from trans inclusion after several controversial incidents involving trans athletes and an ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, though, understands both sides of the coin, and wants it all to end.
"The conflict between how the State of Maine and the Administration interpret Title IX needs to be resolved," Collins began in an X post on Friday. "I agree with the federal government’s position that biological males should not compete in girls and women’s athletics. Policies to the contrary violate the original intent behind Title IX.
"People who are transgender deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. But that does not change the fact that Title IX mandated equal access to athletic resources and facilities on the basis of sex – not on the basis of gender identity. Safe and fair athletic competition has been one of the keys to the success of Title IX. While I will continue to advocate strongly for federal funding for Maine, I disagree with the state’s position and instead support the original intent behind Title IX."
The Department of Education has also launched an investigation into the state due to the issue.
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday for continuing to allow trans athletes to compete in girls' sports.
It's the second DOJ referral the state's educational institutions have faced in the past month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School on March 28.
After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women's and girls' sports on Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many states that openly defied the order.
The state's divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby identified a trans athlete in a social media post who won a girls' pole vault competition for Greely High School that month. Libby was subsequently censured by the state legislature.
Libby filed a lawsuit last month, which seeks to have her voting and speaking rights restored. She was originally told she would have her rights restored if she apologized for the post. Libby has said she will not apologize, but has said she is willing to drop the suit if her censure is dropped.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
USA Fencing has acknowledged a forthcoming federal investigation into an incident that occurred at one of its events where a women's fencer was punished for refusing to face a transgender competitor.
The investigation, which will be carried out by the newly-formed Title IX investigations team in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice, was announced on Friday by Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
The incident, which occurred at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland on March 30, saw female fencer Stephanie Turner take a knee in protest of trans competitor Redmond Sullivan. Turner was then disqualified from the event and escorted out of the venue.
USA Fencing provided a statement to Fox News Digital saying it will cooperate with the investigation.
"USA Fencing will respond and cooperate to any inquiry as required by law," the statement read.
The incident involving Turner quickly drew national attention after a video of her taking a knee to protest Sullivan went viral. The footage ignited widespread awareness and backlash against USA Fencing's gender eligibility policies.
Turner told Fox News Digital that she came to the decision to take the knee the night before the event, when she checked the competition pools and saw that she would be competing against Sullivan.
"I saw that I was going to be in a pool with Redmond, and from there I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I'm going to take the knee,'" Turner said. "I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women's objections regarding [its gender eligibility policy]."
USA Fencing first enacted its current trans-inclusion policy in 2023. It allows transgender athletes to compete in the women's category at both the junior and senior level after completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment. Proof of compliant hormone therapy must be provided prior to competition, but the organization has taken even further steps to prioritize its trans competitors.
In November 2022, it announced a policy to give preference when selecting host cities for national tournaments to states without laws that "harm members of LGBTQ communities" and states that do not "have laws undermining the reproductive health of women." That policy went into effect in the 2023 season, the same year it changed its gender policy. It later released a list of states that it intended to "avoid where possible" and the states that it flat out would not allow hosting major events.
This past December, a nonprofit fencing organization, the Fair Fencing Organization, penned an open letter to USA Fencing Board Members urging the re-evaluation of its stance on several issues, including transgender inclusion. Just days later, however, board members voted against several motions to approve an all-female task force to re-evaluate and revise the current transgender policy, in an 8-3 vote.
Now, after siding against women fencers seeking protection from trans inclusion, USA Fencing faces potential federal sanctions.
This Title IX investigation will be one of the first missions for the newly formed Title IX investigations team, which was officially formed last week. The initiative was announced last Friday with the mission to "protect female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities."
Bryson DeChambeau had a great second round at the Masters Friday, shooting a 4-under 68.
However, fans were upset they couldn’t watch him because he was neither in one of the featured groups fans could watch on the Masters app nor shown much during ESPN’s coverage of the major tournament.
Rapper Lil Wayne took to social media to express his frustration about not being able to watch DeChambeau.
"The Masters blew it (with) this lack of coverage on Bryson!!! They gotta stop (hating) on the LIV s---. This man is killin’ it out there and I can’t watch," Wayne posted to X.
On the Masters website, the three featured groups that were followed while DeChambeau played were Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler’s groups.
As DeChambeau climbed the leaderboard Friday, fans who watched the website struggled to find the LIV star because he wasn’t shown with the featured groups.
"I cannot believe Bryson DeChambeau is not a featured group today at the Masters. He’s electric to watch!" One user posted to X.
"Bryson DeChambeau is arguably the most popular golfer in the world and I can’t seem to find a way to see him hit a shot on ESPN’s coverage right now," another user posted.
One person even went as far as calling the Masters app a "travesty."
"Second day in a row you don’t get any coverage of Bryson DeChambeau the (Masters) App and it’s people are a travesty," the user posted on social media.
ESPN+ broadcast portions of the tournament until 3 p.m. ET, when the main broadcast moved to ESPN. By that time, DeChambeau had already been through 16 holes.
At the time of this writing, DeChambeau was 7-under in the tournament and alone in second place, one stroke behind Rose.
At the Masters last year, DeChambeau finished in a tie for sixth place after he shot a 65 in the opening round. While he didn’t win at Augusta National last year, DeChambeau did win a major tournament, the U.S. Open, by one stroke over McIlroy.
DeChambeau was the 2016 Masters low amateur winner and hopes to finish strong and take home a green jacket in his ninth Masters start.
Carr joined the Saints ahead of the 2024 season after spending his first nine seasons with the Raiders in Oakland and Las Vegas.
It hasn't exactly been a great tenure. In 27 games, Carr has completed 68.2% of his passes for 6,023 yards, 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Carr missed seven games during the 2024 season due to a a concussion and a left hand fracture.
That said, combined with Carr just turning 34 years old, the Saints may have already been eyeing quarterbacks.
We recently projected Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss going to New Orleans with the ninth overall pick.
And if Shedeur Sanders falls, that suddenly seems like an ideal landing spot.
Spencer Rattler figures to be the backup in New Orleans.
Carr signed a four-year, $150 million deal with New Orleans, with $100 million of it guaranteed.
The Saints finished 5-12 and in last place in the NFC South last season, fired head coach Dennis Allen in the middle of the season and hired Kellen Moore as their new head coach.
Moore spent recent seasons as the offensive coordinator at different stops. Since 2022, he has been with the Cowboys, Chargers and reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.
"You're always trying to learn and evolve. I know I'm only even and whatever, eight back, but it does feel good to not beat myself out here. So, that was nice."
Homa, 34, struggled during the first round, shooting a 2-over-par 74. His second round was off to an inauspicious start when he bogeyed the first hole, and he was in danger of missing yet another cut.
Despite the bogey on the first hole, Homa buckled down and did not bogey the rest of the way, ending with a 2-under-par 70. He is even par through the first two days at Augusta National.
It wasn’t always pretty for Homa. He hit just 8 of 14 (57%) fairways and had to do a lot of scrambling to save par.
Homa has played into the weekend this PGA Tour season, but the two events in which he did, The Sentry and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, did not have cuts. Homa did not reach the weekend in any tournament with a cut line.
This is Homa’s sixth career start at the Masters, and, after a first-round 67 last year, he finished in a tie for third place. Homa will look to build upon his positive momentum from making the cut into another top-10 finish this year.
Homa joined the PGA Tour in 2014 and has six career wins on tour. His last win was the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open.
If you're looking for more information on the Bill Belichick-Robert Kraft relationship, it doesn't look like you're getting any — although, that may be addition by subtraction.
Belichick's new book, "The Art of Winning," is set to be released next month, but according to The Boston Globe, there is no mention of New England Patriots owner Kraft.
"Two hundred and eighty-nine pages of Bill telling us about the secret sauce of 24 seasons at the helm in Foxborough. I couldn’t wait to read what he really thinks of Bob Kraft and how he’d explain Malcolm Butler not playing in the February 2018 Super Bowl against the Eagles in Minneapolis. Sorry, it’s not in there," wrote The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy.
"As an author of many books, I’d estimate this one’s about 80,000 words. Two words not in the book: Robert Kraft."
Shaughnessy noted that the legendary coach may have paid homage to Kraft in one excerpt, but still didn't mention him by name.
"Bill’s lone reference to Kraft in this book appears to be this: ‘Somewhere, someone came up with the phrase, ‘The Patriot Way.’ I think they made some money off it. Good for them. Here’s something you should know: The Patriot Way does not exist.’ There you go," Shaughnessy wrote.
Belichick, of course, coached the Patriots for 24 seasons and won six Super Bowls with them. But later in his tenure, the writing had been on the wall for his departure, and he had a highly-publicized exit that was said to be a mutual decision.
It's also been said that Belichick and former star quarterback Tom Brady have had beef since Brady left the team after the 2019 season, but Belichick did appear at Brady's Pats Hall of Fame ceremony, and Belichick was also at the roast of Brady on Netflix.
Belichick, the Globe reported, thanked his girlfriend and Malcolm Butler, along with 361 others — but not Kraft.
Belichick joined the University of North Carolina in December after the Tar Heels moved on from head coach Mack Brown. Belichick interviewed with at least two NFL teams in last year's NFL head coach hiring cycle, but never found a job. He even reportedly checked in on potential positions in the NFL for the upcoming season, but landed in Chapel Hill instead.
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice Friday for continuning to allow trans athletes to compete in girls sports.
It's the second DOJ referral the state's educational institutions have faced in the last month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School March 28.
Now, the OCR informed Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster of a second DOJ referral in a letter Friday. The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, states that earlier Friday the Maine attorney general's office formally notified OCR it would not sign a resolution agreement to amend the state's gender eligibility policies to comply with Title IX, so the DOJ referral must be made.
"Accordingly, OCR has determined compliance cannot be secured by informal or voluntary means," the letter states. "OCR now refers this matter to the Department of Justice with a recommendation for appropriate proceedings, to enforce all legally available remedies."
OCR also says it is initiating proceedings to have further funding to the state suspended or frozen.
"This letter also serves as notice to MDOE that OCR is initiating administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, defer final approval, and/or refuse to grant or continue Federal financial assistance to MDOE," the letter said.
The USDA recently announced a funding freeze to the state over the issue.
Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Monday in response to the agency’s decision to freeze funding to the state for its refusal to reverse its transgender athlete participation policy in schools.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Maine attorney general's office for comment on Friday's referral.
The state has been under federal pressure in recent months to protect female athletes from trans inclusion after several controversial incidents involving trans athletes and an ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women's and girls sports Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many states that openly defied the order. The state's divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby identified a trans athlete in a social media post who won a girls pole vault competition for Greely High School that month.
The post brought national awareness, including from Trump, who vowed to halt funding to the state if it continued allowing males in girls sports during a meeting of GOP governors Feb. 20. The next day, Mills' office released a statement threatening legal action against Trump, who engaged in a verbal spat with Mills over the issue at a bipartisan meeting of governors later that day.
Just hours after that, the U.S. Department of Education announced its initial investigation into the state for potential Title IX violations.
Libby was censured for her social media post on the premise she identified a minor by name and with a photo. However, Libby has since filed a lawsuit to have the censure overturned, arguing the trans athlete had already been identified by other media prior to her post. The lawsuit has gone to trial in a Rhode Island district court.
In addition to the incident involving the pole vaulter at Greely High School, other instances have affected multiple girls across the state who have had to compete with and share locker rooms with biological males.
Maine teen Cassidy Carlisle previously told Fox News Digital about how she had to share a locker room with a trans student while in middle school. She then had to compete with another trans athlete in Nordic skiing last year.
"The defeat that comes with that in that moment is heartbreaking," Carlisle said. "I'm just in shock in a way. I didn't believe it. … I didn't think it was happening to me."
A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it’s "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."
The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participationinwomen’s and girls sports tobiological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.
Bichette wasn't pleased with himself for swinging at a pitch practically in the opposing batter's box, hitting his head with his bat.
But maybe he saw the replay and felt consoled by a fan's efforts.
The ball went directly toward a fan in a gray Sox jersey who used his meal as a glove.
Even more impressively, it was an easy catch for the fan.
That wasn't the only wild fan-related incident this week at Fenway. The day before, a fan caught two different foul balls. He went the easy route with a glove.
The Sox took home a 4-3 extra-inning victory Thursday.
Boston tied the game in the eighth after a wild pitch brought Rob Refsnyder home from third and surrendered a run in the top of the 10th. But they scored two runs in the bottom half to steal the victory and improve to 7-7 in what is a tight AL East race in the early going.
Things get easier for Boston this weekend when they face the lowly Chicago White Sox in a three-game set.
The quarterback was the No. 23 overall recruit in the 2023 class and when he initially signed with Tennessee’s NIL collective in 2022, Iamaleava was set to make $8 million over his college career.
Tennessee and Iamaleava’s camp were in negotiations for a new contract that would give him a pay raise on Thursday, according to On3. The spring transfer window closes on April 25, and it is unknown whether these negotiations could cause the quarterback to depart.
Iamaleava redshirted his 2023 season and became the team’s starting quarterback going into last season after Joe Milton departed for the NFL.
As a freshman, the six-foot-six quarterback led Tennessee to a 10-3 record, with 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Upon hearing the news of Iamaleava’s no-show from practice, fans took to social media to voice their opinions.
"Can someone explain to me why you would pay Nico Iamaleava $4M when he is going to be a 21-yr-old sophomore who only did this on a loaded offense? I wouldn’t even pay this man $2M. Can’t even throw a deep ball either. Why are we paying players who don’t produce?" One X user posted.
"Nico Iamaleava is a solid QB. But he's not close to $4Mill good. Whoever advising is doing him a disservice," another user posted to X.
Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced Friday that the newly-formed Title IX investigations team will be probing the incident at a USA Fencing event when women's fencer Stephanie Turner was disqualified and escorted out of the venue for taking a knee in protest of a transgender opponent.
McMahon announced the news during an interview on Fox News' "Faulkner Focus."
"We have a special Title IX investigations team that is going to be investigating anyone who was associated with this to make sure that this doesn't continue to happen," McMahon said. "The president has made crystal clear that he is not going to tolerate men being able to compete in women's sports, he signed an executive order, and we're upholding Title IX.
"For those who violate these provisions, we will investigate you and take action."
Department of Education spokeswoman Julie Hartman told Fox News Digital that the University of Maryland has "responsibility" for the incident as the host site for the event where it took place, as well as Wagner College, which previously rostered the transgender fencer.
"The nation watched as a female competitor bravely took a knee and forfeited an inherently unfair fencing match after discovering that her opponent was a male. No woman should have to recuse herself from a match that she trained diligently for because she fears for her safety. As a tournament host, University of Maryland has a responsibility to follow Title IX by not allowing males to compete in female competitions and occupy female-only intimate facilities," Hartman said.
"Similarly, Wagner College has a responsibility to not allow males on female rosters. Unlike the Biden administration, which weaponized Title IX contrary to its meaning to deny female athletes their civil rights, the Trump Administration’s Department of Education and the Department of Justice’s Title IX Special Investigations Team will not allow recipients of federal funding to deny women’s equal opportunity protections under the law."
This investigation will be one of the first missions for the newly formed Title IX investigations team, which was officially formed in conjunction with the Department of Education and Department of Justice last week. The initiative was announced last Friday with the mission to "protect female athletes, from the pernicious effects of gender ideology in school programs and activities."
"Protecting women and women’s sports is a key priority for this Department of Justice," Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday. "This collaborative effort with the Department of Education will enable our attorneys to take comprehensive action when women’s sports or spaces are threatened and use the full power of the law to remedy any violation of women’s civil rights."
Department of Justice spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre placed blame on former President Biden for the influx of incidents involving trans athletes causing disruptions to women's sports.
"Women across America have spent the last four years disenfranchised by the Biden Administration that allowed men to compete in girls’ sports - jeopardizing their safety, stealing their scholarships, and stripping them of hard-earned awards. The Title IX Special Investigations Team will continue to go after bad actors who continue to endanger young women with woke gender ideology and will leverage every legal resource available to ensure states and organizations follow Title IX to protect women’s civil rights and competitive sports," Baldassarre said.
The incident involving Turner quickly drew national attention after a video of her taking a knee to protest transgender opponent Redmond Sullivan at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland went viral. The footage ignited widespread awareness and backlash against USA Fencing's gender eligibility policies.
Turner told Fox News Digital that she came to the decision to take the knee the night before the event, when she checked the competition pools and saw that she would be competing against Sullivan.
"I saw that I was going to be in a pool with Redmond, and from there I said, ‘OK, let’s do it. I'm going to take the knee,'" Turner said. "I knew what I had to do because USA Fencing had not been listening to women's objections regarding [its gender eligibility policy]."
The referees then dealt Turner a black card, which represents the most severe penalty, leading to expulsion from the tournament or event for serious rule infractions or unsportsmanlike behavior.
Turner said she was then escorted to the bout committee and had to explain what she did. She said the members then handed her a copy of the association's transgender policy and made her sign a document acknowledging the black card. Turner said she signed the document under objection.
USA Fencing previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the incident.
"USA Fencing enacted our current transgender and non-binary athlete policy in 2023. The policy was designed to expand access to the sport of fencing and create inclusive, safe spaces. The policy is based on the principle that everyone should have the ability to participate in sports and was based upon the research available of the day," the statement read.
A USA Fencing spokesperson also told Fox News Digital that Turner was not penalized for her stance against trans inclusion, but simply for refusing to fence.
"In the case of Stephanie Turner, her disqualification was not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE rules clearly prohibit," the spokesperson said.
USA Fencing then addressed the controversy with a public statement on Thursday, defending its trans-inclusion policies.
"USA Fencing remains committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful community for everyone in our sport. We believe in the principle of creating a safe communities where all athletes, and community members, have a place," the statement read.
"While we understand there are a range of perspectives, USA Fencing will continue to engage in respectful, research-based dialogue and review as policy evolves in the Olympic and Paralympic movement as well as domestic law, hate speech of any kind is not acceptable—online or in person. Let's keep the conversation respectful and the strip welcoming to all."
The organization first enacted its current trans-inclusion policy in 2023. It allows transgender athletes to compete in the women's category at both the junior and senior level after completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment. Proof of compliant hormone therapy must be provided prior to competition, but the organization has taken even further steps to prioritize its trans competitors.
In November 2022, it announced a policy to give preference when selecting host cities for national tournaments to states without laws that "harm members of LGBTQ communities" and states that do not "have laws undermining the reproductive health of women." That policy went into effect in the 2023 season, the same year it changed its gender policy. It later released a list of states that it intended to "avoid where possible" and the states that it flat out would not allow hosting major events.
This past December, a nonprofit fencing organization, the Fair Fencing Organization, penned an open letter to USA Fencing Board Members urging the re-evaluation of its stance on several issues, including transgender inclusion.
Just days later, however, board members voted against several motions to approve an all-female task force to re-evaluate and revise the current transgender policy, in an 8-3 vote. Now, after siding against women fencers seeking protection from trans inclusion, USA Fencing finds itself plunged into a global controversy after Turner's viral protest.
Fox News Digital has reached out to USA Fencing for a response to the recent announcement of an investigation.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office announced Friday that the Dallas Independent School District ("ISD") has agreed to an order to ensure the district is not violating state law by allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
The agreement comes after Paxton requested records from Dallas ISD in February following the release of a video that showed a school district official explaining loopholes to a parent and how they could get their biologically male child on a girls' sports team via an altered birth certificate.
The video, which was made by an undercover journalist from the outlet Accuracy in Media, showed a Dallas ISD LGBTQ youth coordinator saying that Texas had not made a distinction between providing either an original or updated birth certificate for school sport gender eligibility.
"Always refining, you know? They find the loopholes in everything," the advisor said in the video.
"I tell people all the time, I will go to jail for saving their child’s life," the advisor continued. "I guess no conservative kids come out gay."
Later in January, a school official from the Irving ISD was seen telling an undercover journalist about the same loophole in another Accuracy in Media video.
"Could you legally change the gender on a birth certificate? I don't know enough about that subject," the Irving ISD official was seen saying in the video. "If you can get that done, and you turn us a birth certificate that says ‘this gender,’ that's the gender we go with."
Paxton then requested an extensive list of documents from Dallas ISD and Irving ISD on Feb. 6. On March 31, Paxton filed a legal petition to conduct depositions of key Dallas ISD officials to ensure that the District is not violating Texas law by permitting biological males to participate in girls’ sports.
Now, Paxton has come to an agreement with the Dallas ISD to ensure that such loopholes won't be exploited.
"I urge all other school districts to fulfill their legal obligations to protect girls’ sports and end any attempts to circumvent Texas law. Biological males have no place in girls’ sports, and any Texas public schools doing otherwise will be held accountable," Paxton said in a statement.
In June 2023, Texas passed the Save Women's Sports Act, which bans trans athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports, and only allows students to compete in the gender category listed on their birth certificate. The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error.
Flacco, 40, is the second quarterback the team has acquired this offseason. The Browns traded for Kenny Pickett and sent Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in March.
Flacco, Pickett and Deshaun Watson are the three quarterbacks on the Browns’ roster, but after Watson re-tore his Achilles tendon in January, he is widely expected to miss the upcoming 2025 season.
With the Tennessee Titans seemingly locked in on Miami’s Cam Ward for the No. 1 selection, the Browns would have Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Penn State star Abdul Carter and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders on the board at No. 2.
However, with Flacco and Pickett in the fold, the Browns might be more inclined to select Hunter or Carter and wait a year to find their quarterback of the future in the NFL Draft.
Flacco returns to the Browns after he spent last season with the Indianapolis Colts. Flacco appeared in eight games and started in six with a 2-4 record. He threw 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year.
In 2023 with the Browns, Flacco started five games in the regular season in place of the injured Deshaun Watson and helped the team get to the playoffs. In Flacco’s five starts, the team went 4-1 while Flacco completed 60.3% of his passes for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Flacco won the NFL’s comeback player of the year in 2023.
Flacco is entering his 18th season in the NFL. He spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP as he led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Flacco has played for the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Colts, and now will play for the Browns once again.
Friday is the official deadline for Maine to comply with President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order or risk a second referral to the Department of Justice.
The Maine Principal's Association (MPA) and the Maine Department of Education have already been referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and face a potential second referral by the U.S. Department of Education on Friday. The state has also seen a freeze in funding from the USDA for its continued non-compliance.
The MPA and its president, Kim Liscomb, have come under local scrutiny in recent weeks for failing to amend its policies on trans athlete inclusion in public schools, as one resident, Nick Blanchard, has launched a petition to have Liscomb removed from her position as principal of Cony Middle and High School.
The MPA released a statement addressing this scrutiny and the association's refusal to change its gender eligibility policy, suggesting it may change the policy if legislation is put in place.
"For the last year Kim Liscomb, president of the Maine Principals’ Association Board of Directors, has faithfully executed her duties leading our organization. Recently, there has been local attention focused on her, which could be related to the Maine Principals’ Association’s policy on sports participation. If Congress or the State Legislature changes the law, we will adapt our policy accordingly," read a copy of the statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
"In her role as MPA president, Kim has shown leadership, compassion, and commitment to guiding the MPA with her extensive experience in education. When she finishes her one-year term as president this summer, she will be missed."
The MPA previously addressed its first referral to the DOJ, citing the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which was amended four years ago to add gender identity as a protected class, for its continued reluctance to ban trans athletes from girls' sports.
"The Maine Principals’ Association is bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which our participation policy reflects," officials said. "We are unable to sign any resolution agreement that would mandate we create a new policy that would violate the law and MHRA."
The gender identity amendment to the MHRA stated that denying a person an equal opportunity to participate in sports is discrimination against education. The Maine Principals’ Association updated its policy to allow athletes to compete against the gender they identify as last year.
A University of New Hampshire poll released last week showed that most Maine residents agree that transgender athletes should not compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
The poll showed that 64% of Maine residents believe transgender athletes "definitely should not" or "probably should not" participate in girls’ and women’s sports. Only 29% of Maine residents believed that transgender athletes "probably should" or "definitely should" compete against girls and women in sports.
The poll also showed that 56% of Maine Democrats believe that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
When it came to enacting policies to combat the issue of transgender participation in sports, the poll showed that 50% of Maine residents wanted it at the federal level, while 41% believe policy should be left up to the states.
