West
Who is Alexa Anderson? Division I athlete leading legal battle for free speech
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
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.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“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.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article from Here
San Francisco, CA
Giants Head Home to San Francisco After Shutout Loss
After Sunday’s 3-0 loss to the Washington Nationals, the San Francisco Giants headed back to the West Coast. They’re going back to the Bay Area, too.
The Giants have a date with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at Oracle Park starting Tuesday night.
Advertisement
So, San Francisco probably wanted to get out of Washington, D.C., with a win. That didn’t happen at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon.
Nationals reliever Andrew Alvarez, the third pitcher used by the team on Sunday, picked up the victory with 4 1/3 innings of work. Giants starter Robbie Ray absorbed the loss, falling to 2-3 this season.
Ray worked six innings, giving up seven hits, three runs (all earned), walking one, and striking out seven Nationals. If the Giants’ offense had found a way to tack on some runs, then Ray’s outing wouldn’t have looked so bad.
The Giants’ bats, though, had eight hits. The big number for Giants manager Tony Vitello to look at in the box score after this one was, well, pretty big. San Francisco left 10 runners on base on Sunday, going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. This indicates that San Francisco had plenty of opportunities to score some runs.
Advertisement
They just didn’t get the job done.
Let’s go to the bottom of the fifth with the Giants and Nationals in a scoreless tie. With nobody out, the Nationals’ Keibert Ruiz connected for his third double this season. Nasim Nuñez scored to put Washington up 1-0.
With one out, Curtis Mead sent a Ray pitch over the left-field wall, a two-run blast that gave the Nationals a 3-0 lead.
San Francisco had a scoring threat in the top of the eighth inning. With runners at first and second base and nobody out, Casey Schmitt grounded into a double play. Matt Chapman, who was on second base, went to third. But the Giants were unable to bring him home.
Advertisement
Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Giants, producing half of the Giants’ hits.
The Giants fall to 9-13 this season, sitting in fourth place in the National League West Division. The Nationals’ record goes to 10-12, good enough for third place in the National League East Division.
All eyes now turn toward Oracle on Tuesday night. It’ll be a chance for two longtime rivals to renew their rivalry.
Baseball fans know that the Giants-Dodgers matchups usually are must-see TV.
That’s probably going to be the case once again as Giants fans watch their team battle the Dodgers. Those lucky to have tickets to the three-game series at Oracle Park will show up in Giants colors, hoping to see Los Angeles head back to Southern California with either a series loss or a Giants’ sweep.
Advertisement
Buckle up, Giants fans. It’s about to get rowdy at Oracle Park.
Don’t miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It’s completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Denver, CO
Denver beekeeper says swarm season came a month early this year thanks to warm weather
DENVER (KDVR) — With the mild winter and warm start to spring, beekeepers are seeing swarms earlier in the year and expect the season to be longer than usual.
Gregg McMahan is a dispatcher for the Colorado Swarm Hotline. It’s usually his job to send a beekeeper to collect a swarm when someone calls, but on Sunday afternoon, he decided to handle one himself.
“Nice little swarm,” McMahan said. “It’s tricky, though, because it’s hanging on a fence.”
A warm winter and spring mean swarm season has begun four weeks early.
“Never seen it like this ever,” McMahan said.
This call is to a house on Denver’s east side. When McMahan arrived, he saw a swarm had taken up residence on the fence.
“Absolutely typical, it is on the small side,” McMahan said.
He got to work, first luring them into a box when he spotted a good sign.
“See all these girls, they got their butts up, they’re fanning their wings. That’s telling us the queens in here,” McMahan said.
With the queen in hand, the rest began to follow her into the box.
McMahan said two years ago, he had 400 calls like this. Last year, only 100, the Swarm Hotline was as unpredictable as the weather, which has caused bee activity earlier in the year than ever.
“It makes it hard on the bees, you know? Two days ago, I’m collecting swarms in the snow,” McMahan said.
Rescuing them is integral to Colorado’s ecosystem. McMahan hopes people give a beekeeper a call instead of spraying them or harming them in any other way.
“They do a phenomenal amount of pollination within this state. Not only our native flowers but all the other flowers that people bring in,” McMahan said.
Slowly but surely, the swarm left the fence and moved into the box. McMahan loaded them into his truck to deliver them to their new home.
“Westminster to the Stanley Lake Wildlife Refuge, so these girls will have lakefront property tonight,” he said.
As he wrapped up, McMahan’s phone was buzzing more than the bees. Just another call to start a swarm season, he thinks, could be a long one.
“This year I’m already 20 swarms deep, so I’m expecting way more than 100 this year,” McMahan said.
To have a bee swarm removed for free from your property anywhere statewide, the Swarm Hotline number is 1-844-SPY-BEES.
Seattle, WA
Here, Kitty, Kitty: Scenes from POP Cats Seattle 2026
A whimsical world of whiskers, creativity, and community took over Seattle Center this weekend as POP Cats 2026 returned for a celebration of all things feline. The immersive convention turned the Exhibition Hall into a vibrant ‘cat city,’ complete with colorful art installations, interactive exhibits and endless photo ops. From adoptable rescue cats and hands-on workshops to cosplay, shopping, and meetups with fellow cat lovers, the event blended fun with purpose. Attendees could even bring their own cats, making it one of the few conventions where pets are part of the experience. Felines and their human friends embraced a joyful, cat-filled escape and one meow-velous weekend in Seattle. (Image: Elizabeth Crook / Seattle Refined) April 18, 2026{ }
-
New York37 minutes agoInside the NYC Power Stations That Keep Trains Moving — or Bring Them to a Halt
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoDetroit Pistons already facing must-win Game 2 vs Orlando Magic
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoGiants Head Home to San Francisco After Shutout Loss
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoNew video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
-
Miami, FL2 hours ago
Ty Simpson considered staying in college for $6.5 million offer from Miami
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoTools for Your To Do List with Spot and Gemini Robotics | Boston Dynamics
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver beekeeper says swarm season came a month early this year thanks to warm weather
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoHere, Kitty, Kitty: Scenes from POP Cats Seattle 2026