Southeast
Federal judge strikes down Biden admin's Title IX rewrite
A federal judge in Kentucky blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to redefine sex in Title IX as “gender identity,” striking down the change nationwide.
The U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky Northern Division made the ruling in Cardona v. Tennessee on Thursday.
Transgender flag and split with track finish line. (Getty Images)
“Another massive win for TN and the country!” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a post on X. “This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and vacated the Biden admin’s radical new Title IX rule nationwide.
“The court’s order is resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to speak biologically-accurate pronouns.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., released a statement on the ruling.
“It is clear the Biden-Harris administration completely lost its way on Title IX. They betrayed the original intent of Title IX by removing longstanding protections that ensured fairness for women and girls. Good to see this harmful regulation overturned,” he said. “With President Trump and a Republican majority in Congress, we will ensure women and girls have every opportunity to succeed on the field and in the classroom.”
The ruling came months after the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s emergency request to enforce portions of a new rule that would have included protections from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX.
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The sweeping rule was issued in April and clarified that Title IX’s ban on “sex” discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and “pregnancy or related conditions.”
The rule took effect Aug. 1, and, for the first time, the law stated that discrimination based on sex includes conduct related to a person’s gender identity.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, left, and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines react after finishing tied for 5th in the 200 Freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, 2022 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It led to more than two dozen attorneys general suing over the rule, arguing it would conflict with some of their state laws that block transgender students from participating in women’s sports.
“When Title IX is viewed in its entirety, it is abundantly clear that discrimination on the basis of sex means discrimination on the basis of being a male or female,” the court’s opinion read. “As this Court and others have explained, expanding the meaning of ‘on the basis of sex’ to include ‘gender identity’ turns Title IX on its head.
“While Title IX sought to level the playing field between men and women, it is rife with exceptions that allow males and females to be separated based on the enduring physical differences between the sexes.”
Kristen Waggoner, president, CEO and general Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement the ruling was a “colossal win for women and girls” in the U.S.
“The Biden administration’s radical attempt to redefine sex not only tossed fairness, safety, and privacy for female students out the window, it also threatened free speech and parental rights,” she added. “With this ruling, the federal court in Kentucky rejected the entire Biden rule and the administration’s illegal actions. We are thankful for the leadership of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and other state attorneys general who challenged this blatant overreach alongside our courageous clients.
“This ruling provides enormous relief for students across the country, including our client who has already suffered harassment by a male student in the locker room and on her sports team. The U.S. Supreme Court can further protect girls like our client by granting cases brought by the ACLU against West Virginia and Idaho laws that protect women’s sports.”
The decision came as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is set to push the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to the Senate Floor.
A procedural vote on it will happen on Friday.
Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
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Southeast
Inquiry begun after American Airlines flight reports mysterious blue light while trying to land
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An American Airlines flight reported seeing a strange blue light while it was preparing to land last week — prompting an investigation.
The incident occurred early in the morning of Thursday, Jan. 29, as the plane was 5 miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shared in a statement with Fox News Digital.
The flight had departed from Charleston, South Carolina, according to American Airlines in a statement it shared with Fox News Digital.
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Ultimately, the flight landed safely — and no injuries were reported.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the crew reported this as a laser event,” the airline said.
As it prepared to land, an American Airlines flight (actual flight not shown here) reported seeing an unusual blue light. (iStock)
American Airlines said its pilots receive training on how to handle potential laser illumination incidents and are instructed to report any such events immediately.
The information is then shared with air traffic control — which passes the report along to law enforcement officials for further review.
The FAA confirmed to Fox News Digital that it would be investigating the incident.
In 2025, pilots reported almost 11,000 laser strikes, the FAA’s website noted.
Last year, nearly 11,000 laser strikes were reported, the FAA said. (iStock)
From those incidents, 10 injuries were reported, the FAA said.
Federal officials have repeatedly warned that laser strikes pose a serious safety risk to aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing.
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“Laser pointers may seem like a toy, office tool or game. Pointed to the sky, lasers are a serious threat,” the FAA said.
“A laser can incapacitate pilots, putting thousands of passengers at risk every year.”
Lasers pointed at planes can incapacitate pilots — putting thousands of lives in danger every year, says the FAA. (iStock)
People who shine lasers at aircrafts can face penalties.
The FAA said violators may be fined up to $32,000 per incident — and could also face criminal charges under federal law.
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Fox News Digital previously reported that the FAA was investigating a similar incident after the crew of a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter reported receiving illuminations by a green laser near Hector International Airport in North Dakota in 2025.
The incident occurred about two miles from the airport, and no injuries were reported.
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Alexandra Koch of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
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Southeast
ICE arrests New Orleans police recruit with deportation order who was issued firearm by department
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an active deportation order, just one week before he was set to graduate from the police academy.
ICE said in a press release Tuesday that 46-year-old Larry Temah was arrested Jan. 28 and remains in ICE custody.
The New Orleans Police Department recruited Temah and issued him a firearm despite federal law prohibiting illegal aliens from possessing firearms, according to ICE.
Temah entered the U.S. legally in 2015 on a visitor visa and was granted conditional residency the following year after marrying a U.S. citizen, ICE said.
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Larry Temah, a NOPD recruit, was detained by ICE, according to officials. (Department of Homeland Security)
In 2022, his application for permanent residency was denied due to fraud.
Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court three times but failed to appear, resulting in an immigration judge ordering him removed from the country in absentia, ICE said.
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ICE arrested a New Orleans police recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an active deportation order, prompting a dispute with city officials. (Octavio Jones/Reuters)
ICE also said Temah did not have valid work authorization and remains in custody pending removal proceedings.
“This illegal alien from Cameroon, Larry Temah, is not only breaking the law with every step he takes in this country illegally, but the New Orleans Police Department hired him and issued him a firearm — what kind of law enforcement department gives criminal illegal aliens guns and badges?” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “It’s a felony for illegal aliens to possess a firearm.”
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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blasted NOPD for issuing a firearm to an illegal immigrant, saying it violates federal law. (Charly Triballeau/ AFP via Getty Images)
McLaughlin said ICE is restoring law and order under President Trump and Secretary Noem and accused sanctuary cities such as New Orleans of protecting illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.
A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department disputed ICE’s claims, calling them misleading.
“The New Orleans Police Department verified Mr. Temah’s employment eligibility through ICE’s E-Verify system prior to hiring and was never notified of any ICE detainer,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “New Orleans is not a sanctuary city, and NOPD does not control jail operations or detainer decisions, which fall under the Sheriff’s Office.”
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“Any claim that NOPD knowingly violated the law is false,” the spokesperson added.
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Southeast
Accused US killer captured in Mexico after monthslong international manhunt for recycling bin murder
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A man accused of killing a Florida man and leaving his body inside a recycling bin has been arrested and extradited from Mexico, ending a months-long international manhunt, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officials announced.
Alfredo Carballo Gonzalez, 32, was taken into custody by Mexican authorities on Jan. 27 and extradited to Miami, where homicide detectives arrested him the following day, the sheriff’s office said Thursday. Carballo Gonzalez’s immigration status was not immediately shared. Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE for details.
The arrest caps an investigation into the killing of Daylon Fleitas Gonzalez, who disappeared in early August 2025 after meeting with Carballo Gonzalez in Medley, Florida.
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Murder suspect Alfredo Carballo Gonzalez, left, was arrested in Mexico and extradited to Miami-Dade after allegedly killing Daylon Fleitas Gonzalez and fleeing the country. His girlfriend, Ariely Alvarez Cabrera, was also charged in the case. (Miami-Dade County )
Detectives said the two met on Aug. 3 near Northwest 106th Street and 95th Avenue, where Carballo Gonzalez entered the victim’s truck and an alleged altercation occurred.
According to WTVJ, citing court docs, Fleitas was meeting with Carballo Gonzalez to receive $10,000 that Carballo Gonzalez owed him.
According to investigators, Carballo Gonzalez was then seen placing a recycling bin into the bed of the truck and driving away. A second vehicle followed and was later identified as being driven by Ariely Alvarez Cabrera, Carballo Gonzalez’s girlfriend.
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Alfredo Carballo Gonzalez allegedly killed Daylon Fleitas Gonzalez during a money dispute, then fled the country with his girlfriend, Ariely Alvarez Cabrera, and 5-month-old baby. (Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office)
Five days later, on Aug. 8, the department said that homicide detectives located the victim’s truck with multiple items of “evidentiary value” inside.
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During a canvass of the area, detectives found the recycling bin that had been transported in the truck, and Fleitas Gonzalez was found dead inside. Authorities allege that Carballo Gonzalez and Alvarez Cabrera fled with their 5-month-old baby.
A flyer following the alleged homicide by Alfredo Carballo Gonzalez. (Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Department)
Authorities did not say how or when Alvarez Cabrera and Carballo Gonzalez made their way to Mexico.
Jail records show Carballo Gonzalez is facing charges of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Cabrera is also facing a charge of tampering with physical evidence, as well as a charge of accessory after the fact.
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Officials said that the baby was recovered safely and returned to Florida. Fox News Digital has reached out to Alvarez Cabrera’s attorney, Bijan Sebastian Parwaresch, for comment.
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