West
DOJ intervening in California trans athlete controversy as Trump monitors girls' track and field championship
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Attorney General Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice have turned their eye west in President Donald Trump’s battle to counter a wave of trans athletes competing in girls’ high school sports.
The DOJ announced an investigation into California’s high school sports league, the CIF, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, to determine whether the state has violated Title IX by enabling trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports since 2014.
“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. “This Division will aggressively defend women’s hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities.”
California high school girls’ athletes wear ‘Protect Girls Sports’ shirts at a postseason track meet at Yorba Linda High School on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Courtesy of Reese Hogan)
The office of United States Attorney Bill Essayli, who previously served as a California state lawmaker and fought on the ground to support families opposing trans athletes in girls’ sports, is also involved in the investigation.
“The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and the rest of the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls’ sports and stop anyone – public officials included – from violating women’s civil rights.”
The announcement cites a current lawsuit filed by the families of two girls’ high school athletes at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California. The announcement did not identify the plaintiffs by name.
The lawsuit, which was filed by the families of Taylor Starling and Kaitlyn Slavin, alleged the school’s cross-country team dropped Starling from her varsity spot in favor of a trans athlete, and that school administrators compared their “Save Girls Sports” t-shirts to swastikas, Fox News Digital has previously reported.
TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND
Starling even testified before the house legislature supporting a pair of bills that would have reversed California’s girls’ sports eligibility policy on April 1. Both bills failed to pass due to opposition from the Democrat Majority. But now, the lawsuit is being cited in a federal investigation.
Trump’s Department of Justice has already shown itself willing to sue a state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports. Bondi announced a lawsuit against Maine on April 16 after weeks of warnings and tension, that included multiple federal funding pauses, which have been restored, and a public spat between Trump and Governor Janet Mills.
Starling’s father, Ryan Starling, previously told Fox News Digital that he supported Trump’s funding cuts to Maine, and would support similar sanctions against his state for allowing trans athletes in girls’ sports.
“Good,” Ryan Starling said in response to seeing the situation in Maine, knowing the same could soon play out in his state. “That’s the only thing they answer to, is when their funding is cut and when it actually affects their pocketbooks, that’s the only thing that will get it to change.
MAINE GIRL INVOLVED IN TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE REVEALS HOW STATE’S POLICIES HURT HER CHILDHOOD AND SPORTS CAREER
The situation in Maine was prompted heavily by news of a trans athlete who won a girls’ pole vault competition after previously competing in the boys’ category.
Now, California faces a potential similar outcome in its state track and field championship.
The upcoming girls’ state title meet will feature a trans athlete competing in girls’ long jump and triple jump. The athlete, AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School, has dominated the girls’ postseason so far, taking first place in both events in the sectional final on May 17.
Trump’s Department of Education previously sent a warning to California and Jurupa Valley High School via an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital on May 15.
The high school has defended letting Hernandez compete in the girls’ category, as to follow current state law.
“JUSD continues to follow both California law and CIF policy regarding school athletics. Both state law and CIF policy currently require that students be permitted to participate in athletic teams and competitions consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records. JUSD remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of the students we serve, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws,” the district said in a previous statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Trump himself got in on the debate when he sent a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning, warning the state and Governor Gavin Newsom of potential funding cuts, and orders to local authorities to prevent a trans athlete from competing in the girls’ category on Saturday.
Just hours later, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced it would make a slight rule change for this weekend’s championship. The change allows biologically female athletes who fell just shy of qualifying for the championship behind a trans athlete a chance to compete for the title this weekend.
Newsom’s office provided a statement to Fox News Digital supporting the CIF’s decision.
This change will result in at least two competitors qualifying to compete for the state title after falling just shy of the typical qualification threshold on Saturday.
“CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing. The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach,” the statement read.
Newsom previously admitted he thought biological males competing in girls’ sports was “deeply unfair,” during an episode of his podcast in March.
Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD) where Jurupa Valley High School is based, was included in the DOJ’s list of recipients of a letter informing of the incoming investigation, in the department’s official announcement on Tuesday. However, the school district claims it has not received any letter of complaint, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The DOJ has confirmed to Fox News Digital that the JUSD is named in the letter.
Bonta’s office has responded to investigation in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“We remain committed to defending and upholding California laws and all additional laws which ensure the rights of students, including transgender students, to be free from discrimination and harassment. We will continue to closely monitor the Trump Administration’s actions in this space,” the statement said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the CIF and Riverside Unified School District for a response.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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Presidio Heights is proving to be a center of gravity as luxury housing supply in San Francisco vanishes and the city’s well-to-do scramble to claim their slice of the artificial intelligence industry’s nerve center.
On the same day last week, the city recorded two home sales in the wealthy neighborhood for $9.2 million and $10 million.
The first reflected the fortunes being created by the AI industry. Venture capitalist Kenneth Wallace and his wife, Moriah Lewis, sold their five-bed, 4,755-square-foot home at 3875 Clay Street for $9.2 million. Josh McAdam of Sotheby’s International Realty represented the seller. The property last sold for $6.8 million in 2021.
The buyer initially kept their name hidden behind a Delaware-incorporated LLC named after the property’s address. However, according to public loan documents, the LLC is managed by Daniel Berrios and Kimberly Tan, a couple in their early 30s who graduated from Stanford into the San Francisco tech sector. Berrios works on special projects at OpenAI, and Tan is an investing partner with blue chip venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Wells Fargo Bank provided a $5.4 million loan for the purchase.
Ten blocks east, sellers Herbert and Shwu-Ling Wei sold their six-bed, 5,000 square-foot home at 2881 Jackson Street for $10 million. Kyle Vineyard, a CPA with Realize Tax Advisors, is the trustee of the buyer, RKLA Trust. It is unclear whether Vineyard’s involvement is purely professional or if he’s connected to the trust.
The home last sold in 2014 for $6.8 million.
Presidio Heights, the neighborhood that runs along Presidio Park at San Francisco’s north end, has experienced a hot streak during the first half of 2026. Earlier this month, two mansions in the area sold for a combined $32 million, marking the fourth and fifth sales this year to eclipse $10 million. There were seven sales above that benchmark in Presidio Heights in all of 2025, according to Zillow data.
San Francisco, where the median home sale fetches $2.2 million, is dealing with its own version of champagne problems: a mansion shortage. The AI boom has attracted a wave of high-paid employees, apparently leaving the city with more millionaires than mansions. Steep capital gains taxes have made some mansion owners hesitant to let go of their property. Others are holding out for the expected spike in luxury home demand following Anthropic and OpenAI’s initial public offerings of stock, which are expected to come later this year.
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Denver, CO
Denver Transplant Games sets Guinness World Record for most living donors, recipients in one place at one time
DENVER — The biennial Transplant Games wrapped up in Denver this week, bringing hundreds of organ donors and recipients together to compete in everything from cycling and swimming to darts and trivia at venues all over the city.
In fact, the games set a Guinness World Record for most living donors and recipients in one place at one time, with 966 gathering at the Colorado Convention Center.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Transplant Games bringing competition, life-saving message to Denver
Angela Laino, who used to live in Boulder, came back to Colorado to compete in the games. She donated a kidney to a stranger in January before running in the 5K event.
“I’m what they call a non-directed living kidney donor, which means that I don’t know who my recipient was,” she explained. “So I just said, ‘Whoever needs my kidney, I’m sure they’ll find the best match for it.’”
- Watch the full story in the video player below.
Transplant Games in Denver sets Guinness World Record
Laino said she was inspired by her job, working “on and off” as a dialysis social worker for 17 years.
“I really saw the challenges that my patients faced,” she said. “I saw what they had to go through to get on the [transplant] wait list… I know what transplant means for people. I’ve seen it firsthand. And to be able to see them come out here, compete, they’re doing basketball, they’re doing badminton, they’re swimming, they’re cycling, they’re running. They are living their full lives, and that’s really what transplant can do for people.”
Denver7
Laino said the games unite the community and show off its resilience.
“When you go through the transplant process, sometimes you feel alone, you feel like you’re the only one going through this,” Laino said. “And then you come to an event like this and you literally see thousands of people. You see recipients, living donors, donor families coming together for the same cause. It’s really inspiring, because it really helps to get the word out, spread awareness about the organ shortage, and it shows people what recipients and donors can do after they have the surgery.”
Dr. Michael O’Shea — a nephrologist, a doctor who cares for kidney disease patients and the kidneys in general — agrees. But he said more needs to be down to support patients and spread the word about the need for organ donations.
Denver7
The National Kidney Foundation estimates 37 million Americans have Chronic Kidney Disease, which occurs when kidneys cannot filter the blood properly, leading to serious health issues. Because symptoms can be minimal in early stages of the disease, many patients don’t realize they have it.
“I think education about kidney transplant, both on the patient side as well as on the potential donor side, could be markedly ramped up and improved,” Dr. O’Shea said. “It’s struggles with communication between transplant centers, patients, and community nephrologists. No one’s fault. It’s just a very complicated delivery system.”
In the case of kidneys, people can become diseased donors — who register to donate in the case of their sudden death — or living donors, who donate one kidney will relying on the other. Dr. O’Shea said both are critical to meet nationwide demand for life-saving transplants, though the living donations tend to have a longer lifespan — around roughly 20 years — for recipients.
“A number of folks get transplanted every year off this list,” O’Shea explained. “It is also true that a greater number of folks get added to the list every year.”
To register to become a deceased donor, Coloradans can visit their local Department of Motor Vehicles office or visit registerme.org.
O’Shea said those considering living donations face an “exceedingly small” medical risk for end-stage kidney disease, but should consult with their doctor about the decision.
Even as the games leave Denver, a reminder will stick around through the summer. Denver Parks and Recreation, the Downtown Denver Partnership and DaVita have partnered to set up a basketball court in Skyline Park near Arapahoe and 17th Streets, in order to keep the spirit of the games alive and honor the resilience of organ donors, recipients and their families.
Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Ryan Fish
Denver7’s Ryan Fish covers stories that have an impact in all of Colorado’s communities, but specializes in covering artificial intelligence, technology, aviation and space. If you’d like to get in touch with Ryan, fill out the form below to send him an email.
SEATTLE — Seattle police are investigating a shooting that left a 17-year-old boy injured early Thursday morning in the High Point neighborhood.
At about 12:48 a.m., dispatchers received multiple reports of rapid gunfire near Sylvan Way Southwest and Southwest Morgan Street.
Officers arrived and found a 17-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound to the hip area. Medics transported the teen to Harborview Medical Center in serious but stable condition.
Before officers located the victim, they found a car that had crashed and become disabled near Sylvan Way Southwest and Delridge Way Southwest. Police said multiple suspects were seen running from the vehicle through a nearby Home Depot parking lot.
Officers cordoned off the area and searched for the suspects with assistance from the K-9 Unit, but were unable to locate them. Police recovered the vehicle and impounded it for processing.
During the incident, gunfire struck at least three vehicles and two buildings. No other injuries were reported.
Officers processed multiple nearby scenes and recovered evidence before clearing the area. Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit will lead the investigation.
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