West
Who is Alexa Anderson? Division I athlete leading legal battle for free speech
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University of South Alabama freshman Alexa Anderson was a top recruit nationally in the women’s track and field pole vault this past year and still found time to take on the establishment.
Anderson filed a lawsuit against the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) over the summer after she stepped down from a medal podium to protest a transgender athlete. Anderson’s lawsuit alleges she was told to get out of the medalist photo shoot and wasn’t given her third-place medal.
The lawsuit aims to ensure that high school athletes in Oregon are allowed to express their First Amendment right to free speech without fear of retaliation from officials. The lawsuit has already cleared one of the OSAA’s motions to strike.
Anderson comes from a family of Democrats but came to admire Charlie Kirk
Anderson told Fox News Digital in a June interview she comes from a family of Oregon Democrats. However, she said they also firmly agreed with her stance on protecting women’s sports from male trans athletes. But she had her own approach.
“I think whoever I vote for would be whoever aligns most with my personal values, whether that’s a Democrat or Republican,” she said.
Then, in September, she witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“I followed that very closely,” she said. “I think it is so incredibly horrible that a young man was taken from his family, taken from his children, just for standing up for what he believed in.”
Anderson became inspired by Kirk after seeing him lead discussions with women’s sports activist Riley Gaines.
“It was really great to see people with such influence supporting this issue, knowing people like that are standing up with us,” Anderson said.
“I would hope that he would be proud of what we’re doing, that we’re standing up for what we believe in, because everything I’ve seen from Charlie Kirk, that was his message. He always wanted to stand up for what he believes in and spread that to other people and educate them.”
OREGON GIRLS WHO PROTESTED TRANS ATHLETE AT TRACK AND FIELD MEDAL PODIUM SCORE LEGAL WIN IN LAWSUIT
Growing up, Anderson ‘idolized’ Simone Biles. Now it’s complicated
Before she did the high jump and pole vault, Anderson was a gymnast as a child, and she had the same hero as so many young gymnasts across the U.S. — Simone Biles.
“I was a gymnast for nine years. I idolized her, ever since 2012, when she really started becoming the greatest of all time,” Anderson said.
When asked how Anderson feels about Biles now, she referenced the legendary gymnast’s online feud with Gaines.
“I think she is an amazing athlete, but I don’t agree with how she handled that situation. I think it was hateful and hurtful and not a good thing for all the girls who look up to her to be seeing,” Anderson said.
What bothered Anderson most was when Biles appeared to “body-shame” Gaines, when the Olympic legend wrote, “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”
“When I saw a tweet of her, kind of body-shaming Riley and saying ‘pick on someone your own size,’ that really hurt,” Anderson said of Biles.
OREGON ATHLETES WIN ‘MOST VALUABLE PATRIOT’ AWARD AFTER REFUSING TO SHARE PODIUM WITH TRANS COMPETITOR
She found refuge in South Alabama after enduring an online hate campaign
Anderson became an overnight sensation in Save Women’s Sports circles on social media after she and fellow Oregon female athlete Reese Eckard stepped down from their third- and fourth-place spots on a medal podium to protest a trans athlete who finished fifth.
Then came the DMs.
Some were nice and supportive. But others weren’t. And she even responded to some of those.
“When I received one of my first hate comments, I kind of just brushed it off. I said, ‘Thank you for sharing your opinion. I respect your opinion. This is mine and this is what I stood for,’” Anderson said in June. “I have responded to some.”
Anderson had just committed to the University of South Alabama in January and was coming up on graduation. And when she made the decision to use her platform to protest a trans athlete, she was a 2023 pole vault state champion, national All-American, an under-20 sixth-place finisher and ranked eighth in the nation in the high school girls pole vault in the class of 2025.
She later revealed the negative comments escalated to the point of death threats and alleged calls to her school with demands to expel her before graduation as her story gained momentum.
“There were people who were calling my school asking for me to be expelled, not being allowed to walk at graduation,” Anderson alleged. “There were people messaging me personally, just saying horrible things, death threats even.”
“I hope you die” was one of the messages she received, she said. Another said, “Your parents are definitely embarrassed of you.”
“It definitely hurt,” she said.
A Tigard High School spokesperson declined to elaborate on the situation to Fox News Digital, writing, “We don’t have a comment to share.”
Anderson’s commitment to South Alabama earlier this year put her in a setting where she feels safe and accepted.
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“A lot of people have [seen the viral video of the protest], especially on my track team. A lot of people all know what happened, and they’ve all been very supportive and kind,” Anderson said.
South Alabama’s track and field season begins in late January, and Anderson will take on Sun Belt Conference competition while advancing her lawsuit.
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Denver, CO
Denver bans federal law enforcement officers from covering their faces, DHS says it won’t comply
Denver city leaders unanimously passed a ban on all officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, from wearing face coverings while detaining or arresting people. That law also requires officers to wear visible identification.
It’s the second sweeping ordinance against federal officers in Denver in just a few days. Last Thursday, Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order banning federal immigration agents from operating on city property without a judicial warrant.
It also directs Denver police, deputies and fire personnel to investigate reports of violence and criminal behavior.
The Department of Homeland Security responded calling the executive order “legally illiterate,” adding, “no local official has the authority to bar ICE from carrying out federal law on public property … and while Mayor Johnston continues to release pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and murderers onto their streets, our brave law enforcement will continue to risk their lives to arrest these heinous criminals.”
DHS didn’t mince words when responding to Denver’s new face coverings ban either, saying in part, “To be crystal clear: we will not abide by a city council’s unconstitutional ban. Our officers wear masks to protect themselves from being doxxed and targeted by known and suspected terrorist sympathizers. Not only is ICE law enforcement facing a more than 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, but we’ve also seen thugs launch websites to reveal officers’ identity.”
On the other hand, the Denver City Council didn’t mince words when it approved the ban.
“It’s very disturbing to me, as an American, to see masked agents on the street,” said Councilman Kevin Flynn who represents District 2. “I don’t know what the best way is to enforce our immigration laws, but I think I know the worst way when I see it.”
“I said all along, this was a slam dunk,” added Councilman Darrell Watson of District 9.
Last month, a federal judge struck down a California law prohibiting federal agents from wearing masks. But, the city council says it made sure its ordinance is enforceable.
You have to treat all law enforcement the same,” said City Council President Amanda Sandoval. “So, our sheriffs can’t have masks. Our State Patrol can’t have masks. And federally you can’t have masks. And we delineate that within the ordinance which, that’s where California got the issue.”
Sandoval said she was monitoring the legal process and comparing the two ordinances to ensure they would be good to go.
Although the city council believes the ordinance is constitutional, the Denver Police Department says it’s still working to determine what implementation could look like, and provided this statement to CBS Colorado:
“Our Safety departments are working with the City Attorney and bill sponsors to determine what implementation could look like. Of utmost importance is discretion and prioritizing de-escalation when encountering these situations. Our goal is to apply this ordinance in a way that builds trust and transparency without putting officers, deputies, or the public at risk.”
Coupled with the city’s new executive order, Sandoval believes Denver now has the necessary guidelines in place.
“A map for residents to understand predictability, and that’s what I always want, is what can the residents be able to rely on.”
There are exemptions in place for the ban, for example: during an active undercover operation, when gear is required for physical safety, and for personnel performing SWAT duties.
Seattle, WA
Joey Daccord makes 35 saves as Seattle Kraken earn 2-1 win over Hurricanes
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 02: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes shoots the puck during the second period of a game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on March 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Christopher Mast / NHLI / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Joey Daccord made 35 saves and the Seattle Kraken survived a 6-on-4 penalty kill for the final 90 seconds for a 2-1 victory over the East’s top team in the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.
Kaapo Kakko and Ben Meyers each scored in the second period for the Kraken as they managed to beat a Hurricanes team that has the second-best record in the NHL, trailing only the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken are now in a playoff spot by five points as they hold the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division with 22 games to play.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored the only goal of the night for the Hurricanes late in the second period, but Seattle was able to withstand Carolina’s offensive push in the final period to secure a second straight victory.
The Hurricanes are always a high-volume shooting team and Daccord faced plenty of chances. Carolina had 83 shot attempts to just 31 for the Kraken. Shots on goal were 36-15 in favor of the Hurricanes as well, but scoring chances were just 20-13 in Carolina’s favor as Seattle did a good job limiting the danger of the shots sent at Daccord.
It was an eventful but scoreless first period between the two teams, with Carolina owning a 13-7 edge in shots. All three goals would come in the second.
Adam Larsson – who assisted on both goals for Seattle – deflected an Alexander Nikishin into the neutral zone to start a two-on-one rush chance for Kakko with Berkly Catton in support as Kakko ripped a shot through the armpit of Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen for a 1-0 lead.
Kakko said he wanted to make the pass to Catton, but the lane was covered by Shane Ghostisbehere, so he elected to shoot.
The Kraken earned a power play chance three minutes later on a tripping call against Eric Robinson. Carolina completely neutered the man-advantage for the first 90 seconds before the Kraken appeared to extend the lead.
With 15 seconds left on the power play, the Kraken rushed into the Hurricanes’ zone with Kakko finding a streaking Jaden Schwartz open on the back door for an easy finish behind Andersen. However, Carolina successfully challenged the goal for a missed offsides on Shane Wright that wiped out the goal.
But the Kraken still managed to extend the lead soon after.
Jacob Melanson continues to be a spark plug for Seattle and helped restore the momentum immediately after the disallowed goal. On the shift coming out of the power play, Melanson delivered a big hit and connected with Adam Larsson on a breakout pass that sparked a rush. Ben Meyers crashed toward the net and was able to finish off his own rebound on a pass from Freddy Gaudreau to officially make it a 2-0 lead.
Melanson didn’t even get an assist out of the sequence, but was a big part of creating a goal for Seattle.
After being extremely sharp defensively all night, Carolina finally pounced on an opportunity the Kraken were unable to turn away. Vince Dunn was just unable to control a loose puck in front of Seattle’s net as it landed on the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers instead, who snapped a shot past Daccord to make it a 2-1 game with 90 seconds left in the second period.
The Hurricanes took 32 shots in the third period as they attempted to find a tying goal, but only nine made it to Daccord, and he stopped them all.
Eeli Tolvanen was called for Seattle’s first and only penalty of the night – a holding call after breaking his stick – with 90 seconds left to play. With Andersen on the bench for a six-on-four chance for Carolina, Daccord stopped all three shots he faced to close out the win for Seattle.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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San Diego, CA
Southern California’s Jewish community reacts to war in the Middle East
The Jewish community in Southern California is sharing their fears and hopes following the weekend’s strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on Israel, U.S. military bases and other targets in the Middle East.
The exchange of missiles in the Middle East is having a devasting effect on Iran’s defense capability, but retaliatory strikes in the region are taking a toll.
“Weapons of enormous capacity that are targeting civilian areas,” said Elan Carr, CEO of Los Angeles-based Israeli American Council.
Carr says toppling the Iranian regime, taking out its nuclear capabilities and freeing the Iranian people from this oppressive rule should have been done decades ago.
“This is about seeing the most evil regime, the world chief state sponsored terrorism to no longer have the ability to do what it’s been doing,” Carr said.
Sara Brown, regional director of the American Jewish Committee, said the U.S. and Israel are concentrating strikes on Iran’s missile sites and military industrial complex. Iran’s retaliatory strikes are focused on many civilian targets.
“We are hearing from our partners from around the region, who are terrified,” Brown said. “Across the Middle East right now, I think there is a tremendous amount of fear, but also hope and also resolve.”
AJC is the advocacy arm for Jewish people globally. Many members and partner groups are in harm’s way. Brown says the risk is great, but the potential reward is world changing.
“That Iranian people will get to choose leadership for themselves, that we will finally see a pathway forward for peace across the Middle East,” Brown said.
If wars of the past hadn’t produced lasting peace, then why now? Carr says Iran’s nuclear capabilities are destroyed and Iran’s military and proxies are weakened after Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas ambush.
“No more terrorist network throughout the Middle East. Think of what that could mean. Think of the normalization we could see,” Carr said.
President Donald Trump expects fighting to last several weeks. Some critics are concerned about a drawn-out conflict that could spread.
Carr is not convinced.
“Who is going to enter a war against the U.S. and Israel? Russia is plenty busy. China has no interest in jeopardizing itself this way,” Carr said.
Besides the six Americans killed as of Monday night, government officials say 11 people were killed in retaliatory strikes in Israel.
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