Midwest
Trans athlete scandal spotlight back on Minnesota as softball lawsuit returns to court
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Attorneys representing three female high school softball players in Minnesota appeared before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit Thursday, asking the court to intervene in a lawsuit against Minnesota state agencies and Attorney General Keith Ellison for allowing a biological male athlete to compete against girls.
The lawsuit, filed in spring 2025, was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud Sept. 19. But the plaintiffs and their attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) were determined to appeal the decision right away.
ADF attorney Hal Frampton argued on behalf of the plaintiffs Thursday.
Champlin Park celebrates winning the state championship while Bloomington Jefferson looks on. (Amber Harding)
“The crux of our argument before the appellate court is that Title IX is for everyone. It protects fairness and safety in women’s sports in red states as well as blue states, and that when states allow men to compete in women’s sports it takes away women’s rights and women’s opportunities in violation of Title IX,” Frampton told Fox News Digital.
The lawsuit aims to have a transgender pitcher who led Champlain Park High School to a state championship last spring ruled ineligible to compete in girls softball and other biological male to be ineligible to play girls’ sports in the state.
The Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit expedited the case to get an early hearing in January, which Frampton believes will be critical to potentially addressing the issue before the 2026 softball season starts.
“We were really encouraged that the court expedited the argument so that they could have it in January, and we hope that signals they intend to issue an opinion before the start of softball season,” Frampton said.
Since the lawsuit was originally dismissed in September, Minnesota and its Democratic leadership have come under immense scrutiny and arguably lost credibility due to the state’s growing welfare fraud scandal.
Potentially billions of tax dollars, primarily stemming from a massive federal child nutrition program scandal estimated at over $9 billion in total fraud, a $250 million COVID-era food aid scheme and other significant Medicaid fraud cases have sown growing distrust in Ellison and Gov. Tim Walz.
Walz recently dropped his bid for re-election amid growing criticism for his handling of the state’s fraud problem.
“It certainly suggests the leadership in Minnesota should be focused on things other than taking girls’ rights away. It seems like they have bigger fish to fry,” Frampton said.
COALITION OF 207 WOMEN LAWMAKERS FILE AMICUS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PROTECTING FEMALE ATHLETES FOR SCOTUS REVIEW
Just days after Frampton’s lawsuit was originally dismissed, the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services determined that Minnesota education agencies violated Title IX by allowing the trans pitcher, and other biological males, to compete in girls sports.
“So, we were able to cite that to the appellate court, we were not able to cite that to the appellate court. It was not available when we were in front of the district court. So, we’re hopeful that they will take the enforcement agencies’ views into account,” Frampton added.
After President Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order in February, the Minnesota State High School League announced it would defy federal law by allowing transgender athletes to continue playing women’s sports. Ellison then claimed at a news conference April 22 that he received notice from the Department of Justice threatening legal action if the state did not follow the executive order. So, the attorney general decided to sue first.
Ellison has already filed his own lawsuit against Trump and the DOJ for trying to enforce its policies to protect girls sports in Minnesota. Ellison has bragged about “suing them first” regarding the issue.
Within the state, hundreds of school board members have signed a letter urging leadership to amend its policies to only allow females to compete in girls sports. At the time of publication, 326 school board members in 125 districts in Minnesota had signed the letter.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a news conference on new gun legislation at Bloomington City Hall in Bloomington, Minn., Aug. 1, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
“Protecting fairness in women’s sports is paramount. The federal determination highlights how permitting males to compete on female teams displaces female athletes from podiums, denies them advancement opportunities, and diminishes their visibility and recognition in competitions. Female students in our districts and across Minnesota deserve equal chances to excel in sports, free from unfair physical advantages that biological differences confer,” the letter states.
“Protecting the privacy and dignity interests of students is equally important. As the federal findings observe, allowing males into female-only locker rooms and restrooms leads to documented harms to female students’ safety, privacy, and access to educational activities.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Ellison’s office for comment.
Ellison’s office declined to respond, telling Fox News Digital, “We’ll decline to comment, so feel free to toss in another weird rant from Jack Brewer instead.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing
24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 5-8-2
Midday Wild: 3
Evening: 3-8-5
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing
Midday: 0-1-6-1
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 4-7-6-9
Evening Wild: 5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 18 drawing
Early Bird: 08
Morning: 01
Matinee: 05
Prime Time: 04
Night Owl: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 18 drawing
07-10-21-27-33
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 18 drawing
02-38-45-53-63, Powerball: 21
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
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Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
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When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
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Carson Jasa pitched a strong game, earning his second complete-game of the season. Nebraska’s offense started fast and kept rolling, leading to a 12-2 run-rule win over No. 12 USC in seven innings on Saturday at Hawks Field. This marked head coach Will Bolt’s 200th career win at Nebraska.
A season-high crowd of 7,602 fans filled the ballpark, making for one of the most exciting games of the year. This attendance is the 25th largest in Hawks Field history and the second biggest since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, just behind the 7,650 fans at a 2021 doubleheader against Michigan. The fans saw Nebraska play a complete game, improving to 30-9 overall and 14-3 in the conference. USC fell to 30-10 and 13-7 in Big Ten play.
Nebraska’s offense scored 12 runs on 12 hits and made only one error. USC scored just two runs on five hits and had two defensive mistakes. Drew Grego led the way, going 3-for-4 and missing the cycle by only a triple. He hit a home run, a double, and drove in four runs. Dylan Carey also went 3-for-4 with a home run and scored three times. Case Sanderson went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Jett Buck added a double and scored three runs. Mac Moyer, Joshua Overbeek, and Trey Fikes each had a hit.
Jasa took control on the mound right from the start. He pitched all seven innings, giving up just two runs, only one earned, on five hits. He struck out seven and walked only two, moving his record to 7-1 this season.
The Huskers started strong, taking an early lead in the first inning. Nebraska sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs right away. Sanderson brought in the first run with a groundout that scored Moyer. Buck hit a double to bring home Carey, Grego added an RBI double to score Buck, and Overbeek finished the inning with a single that made it 4-0.
Nebraska added to its lead in the third inning with three solo home runs.. Sanderson and Carey hit back-to-back homers, and Grego followed by sending the first pitch he saw over the left field wall. That made it 7-0 and put the game out of reach.
The Huskers continued to add on in the fifth inning, capitalizing on aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck each stole. The Huskers kept building their lead in the fifth inning by taking advantage of aggressive baserunning. Carey and Buck both stole bases to get into scoring position, and Grego singled to left field to drive them both in, making it 9-0.
USC rallied briefly in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits and a Nebraska error. A solo home run gave the Trojans their first run, and a mix of hits and a defensive mistake brought in another, making it 10-2. Stokes drew walks to put runners on base, and Trey Fikes delivered an RBI single to left field. A USC fielding error on the play allowed both Buck and Stokes to score, ending the game at 12-2 and clinching the series for the Huskers.
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
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Richard D. “Rick” Langowski, age 78 of Minto, North Dakota passed away on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at his home in Minto.
Rick was born March 10, 1948 in Grafton, North Dakota, the son of the late Julian and Catherine (Wysocki) Langowski. In 1967, he volunteered for the military bringing him to Germany as a Motor Sargent. After an Honorable Discharge he took a job at the International Airport in Grand Forks, ND. His duties included: refueling planes and jets as well as maintaining the grounds. He had the opportunity to meet the famous singer Mr. James Brown.
Rick was united in marriage to Alice Odegard on June 17, 1982 in Minto, North Dakota. The family made their home in Minto where they raised Jason and Angela. Rick was very proud of his children and loved them more than anything. He told everyone and bragged about the children he raised. He cherished his grandchildren and loved to be present in every aspect of their lives.
His career changed to semi driving where he drove for Cenex Transportation for four years and ten years for Valley Transports. His love for the open road directed him into the used car business. He opened Minto Auto Sales and Services in 1987, proudly operating for 39 years. He had the privilege to meet many people and travel to many places. He enjoyed riding his many Harley Davidson Motorcycles. In 2025, he sold the business to his longtime mechanic and friend, Aaron Anderson. In Rick’s opinion, “Minto Auto is one of the best mechanical shops in the area.”
He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Minto, ND. He loved hunting with Jason, watching sports, especially the Yankees and Twins. In 2017, Rick was able to enjoy a father/son trip of a lifetime to Alaska. He thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the trip and thought was the best time of his life.
Rick is survived by his children: Jason Odegard, Reynolds, ND; Angela (Nick) Eppert, Goshen, IN; grandchildren: Ashlyn, Kaia, Annika, Boden and Caelan; sisters: Carol King, Grand Forks, ND; Connie Jones, Argyle, MN; seven nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his very close friend and confidant, Yvette Estep, Grafton, ND. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings: Robert and Ronald.
Rick’s family would like to extend a very special thank you to Yvette Estep, an employee of Rick’s, affectionately known as “hotrod.” She was there for Rick, along with Aaron for doctor’s appointments, treatments and helped comfort him throughout his battle. Jason and Angela will be forever indebted to her and consider her family.
Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 10:30 A.M. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Minto. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Minto, ND. Military Rites will be provided by the Minto American Legion Post and the North Dakota National Guard Honor Guard.
or send flowers to the family in memory of Richard D. Langowski, please visit our
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