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7 states vote to protect abortion rights, 3 keep restrictions in place

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7 states vote to protect abortion rights, 3 keep restrictions in place

Ten states voted directly on abortion-related measures Tuesday, with abortion advocates claiming seven victories.

Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada and South Dakota all went to the polls on the issue, with the majority of the ballot measures seeking to amend efforts passed in Republican-led states whose leaders moved to restrict abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Voters in Missouri cleared the way to undo the state’s near-total ban, one of the nation’s tightest restrictions, with an amendment that would allow lawmakers to restrict abortions past the point of a fetus’ viability – usually considered after 21 weeks, although there is no exact defined time frame.

Abortion rights amendments also passed in Arizona, Colorado and Maryland and Montana, per The Associated Press. Montana voted to amend the state constitution to “expressly provide a right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion.”

ABORTION ‘ON THE BALLOT’ IN 10 STATES THIS ELECTION, BUT IT MIGHT NOT MATTER

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People at ann election night watch party react after an abortion rights amendment to the state constitution passed on Nov. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Nevada voters also approved an amendment, but they’ll need to pass it again in 2026 for it to take effect. 

Another measure, which bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes,” prevailed in New York. It does not contain the word “abortion,” but rather bans discrimination on the basis of “pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy.”

In Arizona, voters were asked to amend the state constitution to allow abortions through the 24-week mark. The measure enshrines a “fundamental right” to abortion before fetal viability, when a fetus has a “significant likelihood” of surviving outside the uterus.

The amendment replaces the current law that bans abortion after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

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A long-dormant 1864 law, which predated Arizona’s statehood, had gone into effect in the Grand Canyon State after the repeal of Roe vs. Wade in 2022, thrusting the issue into the spotlight and leading to Tuesday’s vote. The law had no exceptions for rape and incest, only for the life of the mother, and was repealed in September.

DESANTIS CLAIMS VICTORY OVER FLORIDA ABORTION, MARIJUANA AMENDMENTS AS SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE: ‘PRAISE GOD’

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking about Amendment 4 at the Grove Bible Chapel in Winter Garden, Florida, on Oct. 22, 2024. (WOFL)

Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota defeated similar constitutional amendments, leaving existing restrictions in place.

Florida, home to more than 13 million registered voters, was the most populous state deciding on abortion measures. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year signed into law the Heartbeat Protection Act, which restricts most abortions after six weeks of gestation. 

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This year, Florida residents voted on Amendment 4, the Right to Abortion Initiative, which aimed to overturn that law by prohibiting measures that restrict abortion before viability. In Florida, constitutional amendments must get 60% of the vote, not a simple majority, to pass. Amendment 4 received majority support among voters but failed to meet the 60% threshold.

South Dakota voters’ defeat of its abortion measure prevents some regulations related to the health of the woman after 12 weeks. The Mount Rushmore State currently has a ban on abortion throughout pregnancy with some exceptions.

Ten states voted directly on abortion-related measures Tuesday with abortion advocates claiming seven victories. (AP)

Nebraska passed a ballot amendment prohibiting abortion beyond the first three months of pregnancy.

 

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Tuesday’s results ended a win streak for abortion-rights advocates who had prevailed on all seven measures that have appeared on statewide ballots since the fall of Roe.

A Fox News poll conducted this year found that a record-high number of voters now say they support legalizing abortion in some form, including two-thirds who said they supported a nationwide law that would guarantee abortion access for women.

Fifty-nine percent said they believe abortion should be legal in “all or most cases,” up from the previous high of 57% in September 2022. 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Breanne Deppisch, Emma Colton and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Texas requires students learn about ‘perils of communism’ in sweeping new curriculum overhaul

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Texas requires students learn about ‘perils of communism’ in sweeping new curriculum overhaul

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A rewrite of Texas’ social studies curriculum will require educators to teach students about the perils of communism, according to a recent report.

“The new framework, known as the ‘comprehensive’ model, introduces a novel chronological approach to history and signals that the process will result in drastically different new standards,” the Houston Chronicle reported.

Set to take effect in the fall of 2030, “the model, favored by conservatives on the board, boosts the proportion of Texas history, and removes standalone world cultures courses,” the piece said. 

“Third grade will now begin with ‘birth of Western civilizations’ and eighth grade will become a Texas history-only capstone course.”

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LET’S TEACH OUR KIDS WHY AMERICA IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR  

A rewrite of Texas’ social studies curriculum will require educators to teach students about the perils of communism, according to a recent report. (fstop123/iStock via Getty Images Plus)

The State Board of Education approved the Social Studies plan by a vote of 8-7 in September.

Under the revised standards, the curriculum will focus more on Texas history and U.S. history rather than world history and cultures. 

The Houston Chronicle reported that Democrats on the board raised concerns about the changes.

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“Democrats on the board say the new framework reduces representation, will be more difficult for teachers to explain and delays lessons about nonwhite people to later grades,” the piece said. 

“Looking at this storytelling thing, when do people that look like me get to learn about themselves before the fifth grade?” Staci Childs, D-Houston, was quoted as saying in the article, speaking about herself and other Black or Hispanic members of the board. 

The Houston Chronicle also reported, “The standards are also being revised to align with recently-passed state law that requires students to be taught about the perils of communism.”

FIVE HOPEFUL SIGNS COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE SEEKING TRUTH ONCE MORE 

Under the revised standards, the curriculum will focus more on Texas history and U.S. history rather than world history and cultures.  (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)

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In the revised framework, according to the report, “Students must learn about ‘atrocities attributable to communist regimes,’ including the Cambodian genocide, guerrilla movements in Latin America and the ‘oppression and suffering experienced by people living under communist regimes.’ The lessons must also touch on modern threats posed to the U.S. and its allies by communist regimes and ideologies.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Texas State Board of Education; Rep. Aaron Kinsey, R-Midland, chair of the Texas State Board of Education; and Childs for comment. 

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State Democrats raised concerns about the new curriculum, with one state lawmaker saying it reduces representation of Black and Hispanic Texans.  (Getty)

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San Antonio teen who vanished Christmas Eve found dead by suicide in nearby field after days-long search

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San Antonio teen who vanished Christmas Eve found dead by suicide in nearby field after days-long search

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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Texas authorities confirmed on Thursday a missing San Antonio teen who vanished on Christmas Eve took her own life.

Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, was last seen alive at about 7 a.m. on Dec. 24, walking a few blocks from her home.

Olmos’ body was found Tuesday in a field just a few hundred yards from her home, next to a gun, according to a report from affiliate FOX 7 Austin.

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Officials confirmed they found the body of Camila Mendoza Olmos, who went missing on Christmas Eve. (Help Find Camila Mendoza Olmos via Facebook)

BODY FOUND DURING SEARCH FOR MISSING TEXAS TEEN CAMILA MENDOZA OLMOS AS ANOTHER TEEN GIRL DISAPPEARS

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body as Olmos on Wednesday, determining the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head and ruling the manner of death a suicide, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office previously said Olmos had a history of suicidal ideation and depression, noting there were no signs of foul play.

Camila Olmos was reported missing on Christmas Eve morning. (Bexar County Sheriff)

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MISSING CAMILA MENDOZA OLMOS: DASHCAM CAPTURES LAST SIGHTING OF TEXAS TEEN WHO VANISHED CHRISTMAS EVE

The body appeared to have been in the location where it was found for several days, according to authorities.

In a Facebook post Wednesday afternoon, family members thanked the community for their support.

“In the name of the Olmos family, we want to give a humble and heartfelt thank you to all the news reporters, churches, friends, families, and communities for your support and prayers,” Nancy Olmos wrote in the post. “Our beloved Camila Mendoza Olmos is now with the Good Lord.”

Camila Mendoza Olmos’ manner of death was ruled a suicide, according to officials. (Help Find Camila Mendoza Olmos via Facebook)

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“We kindly ask that you please respect our pain and, most importantly, keep my cousin Rosario—Camila’s mom—and my nephew Carlos—Camila’s brother—in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” she added. “Thank you, and God bless you all.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

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University of Oklahoma teaching assistant fired after flunking Christian student files appeal with school

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University of Oklahoma teaching assistant fired after flunking Christian student files appeal with school

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A University of Oklahoma graduate teaching assistant who was fired after flunking a Christian student who cited the Bible in an essay, causing a national uproar, is appealing the school’s decision. 

Brittany Stewart, a self-employed and self-described civil rights lawyer, said she is representing William “Mel” Curth, who assessed student Samantha Fulnecky a zero out of 25 on an assignment about gender norms.

“Today, my client, Mel Curth, submitted her appeal of the University’s Institutional Equity Office finding that she engaged in arbitrary and capricious grading of a student’s assignment in violation of that student’s religious liberty,” Stewart said on Bluesky earlier this week.

OU student Samantha Fulnecky, with her Bible, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/Imagn Images)

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“Ms. Curth fully denies that she engaged in any discriminatory behavior,” the statement continues. “It is her position that the investigation was flawed, failed to consider all possible motives and issues, and that new evidence has come to light that undermines the investigation’s conclusion.”

CONSERVATIVE PROFESSOR SLAMS 0 GRADE FOR OKLAHOMA STUDENT’S BIBLICAL ESSAY AS PUNITIVE: ‘VERY INAPPROPRIATE’

Stewart did not specify what the new evidence is.

For the assignment, Curth, who uses she/they pronouns, asked students to read a short paper called, “Relations Among Gender Typicality, Peer Relations, and Mental Health During Early Adolescence,” which discusses results of a study about gender norms among middle schoolers and the social ramifications children may face if they don’t conform to gender norms.

The students were instructed to provide a “thoughtful discussion of some aspect of the article.”

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Fulnecky, a junior at the school, responded by saying she thought gender norms should not be viewed as stereotypes. She cited Genesis, the first book of the Bible, in which God created men and women equally, but with separate purposes.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA REMOVES PROFESSOR FOR ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO TA WHO GAVE CHRISTIAN STUDENT 0

Students walk on campus between classes at the University of Oklahoma on March 11, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma. (Brett Deering/Getty Images)

“Gender roles and tendencies should not be considered ‘stereotypes,’” Fulnecky wrote in her essay. “Women naturally want to do womanly things because God created us with those womanly desires in our hearts. The same goes for men. God created men in the image of His courage and strength, and He created women in the image of His beauty. He intentionally created women differently than men and we should live our lives with that in mind.”

She later described the normalization of non-binary gender as “demonic.”

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Curth took exception to Fulnecky’s response.

“Please note that I am not deducting points because you have certain beliefs, but instead I am deducting point [sic] for you posting a reaction paper that does not answer the questions for this assignment, contradicts itself, heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence in a scientific class, and is at times offensive,” Curth’s explanation for the grade said, later adding that the essay was “offensive” and claiming that science backs the idea that “gender is neither binary nor fixed.”

THIS WEEK IN CAMPUS RADICALS: CHRISTIAN STUDENT FLUNKED, JEWISH STUDENTS SHAKEN, CONSERVATIVE GROUPS BLOCKED

There were three grading criteria, according to Fulnecky, who said none of those criteria listed empirical evidence as a requirement.

“Does the paper show a clear tie-in to the assigned article?” was the first, worth up to 10 out of the assignment’s 25 total points.

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“Does the paper present a thoughtful reaction or response to the article, rather than a summary?” was the second, also worth up to 10 points.

“Is the paper clearly written?” was the last criterion, worth up to five points.

OU student Samantha Fulnecky, with her Bible, in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

OU STUDENT’S ZERO FOR CHRISTIAN-BASED GENDER CRITIQUE TRIGGERS CONGRESSIONAL PUSHBACK OVER ACADEMIC BIAS

Fulnecky filed an official religious discrimination complaint with the school after receiving the zero grade, and Curth was put on administrative leave pending an investigation.

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On Dec. 22, the University of Oklahoma released a statement saying Curth had been fired.

“Based on an examination of the graduate teaching assistant’s prior grading standards and patterns, as well as the graduate teaching assistant’s own statements related to this matter, it was determined that the graduate teaching assistant was arbitrary in the grading of this specific paper,” the school said. “The graduate teaching assistant will no longer have instructional duties at the University.”

Stewart said in her statement that Fulnecky had an ulterior political motive for challenging the grade, and slammed the university for making public statements while she said Curth is bound by “confidentiality rules.”

“Rather than engaging in discrimination, Mel Curth has been the target of a political movement that seeks to silence and/or oust LGBTQ people from academia,” Stewart’s statement concludes. “Ms. Curth will continue to fight back against these harmful allegations.”

A University of Oklahoma campus sign is pictured in Norman, Oklahoma, on Dec. 1, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

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Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart and the University of Oklahoma for comment.

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