A federal appeals court upheld a ruling Tuesday that allows a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member to play in this week’s Mountain West Conference tournament after a legal complaint said she should be ineligible on grounds that she is transgender and thus stronger, posing a safety risk to teammates and opponents. A two-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with U.S. Magistrate S. Kato Crews in Denver. On Monday he rejected the request for an emergency injunction, finding the players and others who challenged the league’s policy of allowing transgender athletes to participate should have filed the complaint earlier. The tournament starts Wednesday in Las Vegas, but top-seeded Colorado State and second-seeded San Jose State have byes into Friday’s semifinal matches. Judge Crews and the 10th Circuit noted the request for the emergency injunction was filed in mid-November, less than two weeks before the tournament was scheduled to start. The complaint could have been made weeks earlier, both courts said. The first conference forfeit happened Sept. 28. All the schools that canceled games against San Jose State acknowledged at the time that they would take a league loss, Crews noted. The players and others who sued are disappointed that the appeals court found it would be “too disruptive” to enter an injunction the day before the tournament is scheduled to start, said William Bock III, an attorney for the plaintiffs. The appeals court said the plaintiffs' "claims appear to present a substantial question and may have merit,” but they have not made a clear case for emergency relief. “Plaintiffs look forward to ultimately receiving justice in this case when they prove these legal violations in court and to the day when men are no longer allowed to harm women and wreak havoc in women’s sport," Bock said in a statement. The athlete has played for San Jose State since 2022, but her participation only became an issue this season. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player has also been in effect since 2022, the conference said. Injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo, Judge Crews said, and her playing is the status quo. The motions for an injunction also asked that the four teams that had conference losses for refusing to play against San Jose State during the regular season have those losses removed from their records and that the tournament be re-seeded based on the updated records. Crews denied that motion and the 10th Circuit did not address it. Neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews’ ruling referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State “maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment,” Athletics Director Jeff Konya told students Tuesday. He praised the resilience student-athletes, the athletic department and staff have shown while the court challenges played out over the past nearly two weeks. “The fact that they have come to this point of the season as a team standing together on the volleyball court is a testament to their strength and passion for their sport,” Konya said. The conference said Monday it was “satisfied” with the judge’s decision and would continue upholding policies established by its board of directors, which “directly align with NCAA and USA Volleyball.” An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. In Friday's semifinals, San Jose State is scheduled to play the winner of Wednesday’s match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that forfeited matches to San Jose State during the regular season. Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment Monday on whether the Broncos would play San Jose State if they won their first-round tournament game. Utah State associate athletic director Doug Hoffman said the university is reviewing the order and the team is preparing for Wednesday’s match. Wyoming and Utah State also forfeited matches against San Jose State. Some athletic associations, Republican legislatures and school districts have sought in recent years to restrict the ability of transgender athletes, in particular transgender girls and women, to compete in line with their gender identity. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women’s sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.Removing the Bible from classrooms across the country has led to devastating effects like increases in crime and teen pregnancy, according to lobbyist Blaine Conzatti. Conzatti, president of the Christian nonprofit Idaho Family Policy Center , told the Times-News Tuesday that he believes it's time to bring the Bible back. He said he has drafted a bill for the 2025 Idaho Legislative session that would create a legal requirement for public schools to ensure that 20 Bible verses be read in classrooms every morning. According to tax forms, the center is a Boise-based group that advances the lordship of Christ in the public square and trains statesmen to advocate for Judeo-Christian values. "It is our belief that our children and our communities are starved for the biblical principles that once made our society the greatest in the world," Conzatti said. "That's why we're arguing that it's critical for the Idaho state Legislature to take this historic opportunity and bring the Bible back into the classroom." The Bible is read aloud Nov. 25, 2013, at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City. He said the Bible was read in Idaho classrooms for over 100 years, ending in 1964. He said the draft legislation is similar to an Idaho law passed in 1925, but with significant updates to ensure it passes modern constitutional muster. The new bill includes conscience protections for teachers and students who do not want to participate, he said. Conzatti said he is not concerned about how students who practice other religions would feel if the Bible was read every day. He said the draft legislation includes no assignments, discussion or instruction of the Bible. "We are not expecting anyone to affirm the Christian religion," he said. He added that he does not believe the legislation would open the door for reading other holy texts, like the Quran, as there is not a history and tradition of reading the Quran in this country. To back up his constitutional argument, Conzatti said he has seen a shift recently in federal judiciary establishment clause jurisprudence. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free practice thereof. Conzatti said he truly believes school sponsored Bible reading is constitutional and he said he is not trying to create a test case for the U.S. Supreme Court. "It took place in Idaho for around 100 years until a federal court and an activist judge invalidated the practice," Conzatti said. Local thoughts The Times-News spoke with four state legislators and one Twin Falls pastor to hear their thoughts on requiring the Bible in the classroom and using public funds for private schools. Sen. Ron Taylor (D-Hailey) will be the only Democratic legislator from the Magic Valley and the only legislator the Times-News spoke with who referenced the U.S. Constitution. He said the state is constitutionally bound to require free and fair education to everyone, but not bound to provide religious doctrine. "Our Constitution has a very clear delineation of church and state," Taylor said. Taylor said he has voted against public funds for private schools before and he will do it again. He expressed clear opposition to the Idaho Family Policy Center's proposal. "We should not be reading the Bible in our public schools," Taylor said. Taylor said the Bible proposal is a distraction. He said he wants to support tax relief and protect the agriculture industry from the looming threat of mass deportation under the incoming Trump administration. Representative-elect Mike Pohanka (R-Jerome) said he went to private school and read the Bible every day. He said decisions on public school teachers reading the Bible in schools should be left up to local school boards. "If they do that's fine, if they don't that's up to them," Pohanka said. "I think it just needs to be at the local level." Rep. Lance Clow (R-Twin Falls), the longest serving legislator in the Magic Valley, said he expects several bills regarding school choice and public funding for religious schools in the coming session. He did not comment on the Bible proposal. "Until we're in the Legislature, you don't see anything," Clow said. "Everything's all hypothetical at this point." On school choice, he said he thinks the best path forward is a compromise that protects public schools. Clow presented HB 289 in 2023 that would have allowed families to use a portion of public funds for tuition at private schools. The bill did not make it out of the education committee. "I believe that eventually at some point we need to make some form of a compromise to deal with that question," Clow said. "Just a yes or no is not a simple answer." The Twin Falls Republican Central Committee earlier this month narrowly passed a resolution in opposition to diverting public to private, religious or homeschools, including any form of vouchers, tax credits or educational savings accounts. Twin Falls County GOP Central Committee approved two resolutions to be forwarded to the Idaho GOP for consideration at its January meeting. Rep. Douglas Pickett (R-Oakley) said he hasn't heard about any proposals to require public schools to read the Bible and he doesn't have a comment on his stance. "I think we need to really see what they are proposing before we make any judgments on that," Pickett said. He said he expects school choice will be one of the biggest issues in the coming session and that he thinks there are situations where using public funds for private schools is justified. Money Conzatti is both president of the Idaho Family Policy Center and director of the ID Family PAC, an organization with no website, but he told the Times-News that there is no legal or official relationship between the two groups. Both share the same street address, at 1116 S Vista Ave in Boise, but the Center has an office in suite 227 and the PAC has a P.O. box at that address. In another connection between the two groups, Chad Israel Waitman is both a current board member for the Center and a former treasurer for the PAC. The PAC is led by chair Christian Welp, who is also a registered lobbyist for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise. Of the 12 state legislators representing the Magic Valley, five received contributions from ID Family PAC during the 2024 campaign: Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld (R-Twin Falls), Sen. Kelly Anthon (R-Burley), Representative-elect Joshua Kohl (R-Twin Falls), Steve Miller (R-Fairfield) and Pickett. Of those five, only Pickett returned phone calls from the Times-News . Of the five, ID Family PAC spent the most money to support Kohl. His campaign received a contribution of $1,000 from the PAC as well as $8,653 in independent expenditures. Magic Valley Liberty Alliance PAC also endorsed Kohl. Zuiderveld's campaign spent $600 in October for an event at The River Christian Fellowship during the 2024 election season. Scott Spencer, assistant pastor at the church, told the Times-News on Friday that the U.S. was founded on Christian principles, like treating other people well and being nice. He said he thinks it would be good for teachers to read the Bible in schools, as kids today have no compass and no sense of right and wrong. "The biblical principles are true whether or not you're actually reading the scripture or not, about treating other people well, about helping other people," Spencer said. A former teacher himself, Spencer said he used to teach from a book that taught morals without specific biblical references, but that book has since been replaced with one that teaches nothing but a progressive, leftist, woke agenda. "What we've had for the last four years with the whole woke agenda," Spencer said. "That's being pushed way harder than any of the Christian principles that made our country great." Spencer echoed a false claim from President-elect Donald Trump. It is illegal in all 50 states to kill a child after live birth. Spencer said, as a country, we are at the point where a woman can have a live baby and then kill that baby after it is born. "The mom can say, 'I don't want the kid,' and they can kill it," Spencer said. "In some states that's legal. That's horrific to me." Spencer also expressed disdain for transgender people. "Someone can say, 'I'm a girl,'" Spencer said. "No you're not." The Idaho Family Policy Center circulated a 2024 candidate questionnaire that includes questions about protecting biological females in bathrooms, removing exceptions for abortion in the case of rape or incest, prohibiting drag shows, protecting traditional marriage between a man and woman and holding teachers accountable for teaching critical race theory. None of the legislators the Times-News spoke with said they had filled out the questionnaire. Conzatti said the U.S. Supreme Court has established that the U.S. is a Christian nation and that legislators need to reflect that sentiment. "We are a Christian ministry and believe that government officials are God's ministers and they are expected to uphold God's standards of justice," Conzatti said. "They are expected to govern according to biblical principles." Sean Dolan writes about education and politics for the Times-News . Reach him at 208-735-3213 or email him at sean.dolan@magicvalley.com . 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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent successful surgery Sunday to have his prostate removed, hospital officials said, a procedure that came as he manages multiple crises including the war in Gaza and his trial for alleged corruption . Netanyahu, who has had a series of health issues in recent years, has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader. During his trial this month, he boasted about working 18-hour days, accompanied by a cigar. But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power could take a toll on his well-being. Netanyahu, 75, is among older world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, 82 , President-elect Donald Trump, 78 , Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , 79, and Pope Francis , 88, who have come under scrutiny for their age and health issues. Netanyahu's latest condition is common in older men, but the procedure has had some fallout. The judges overseeing his trial accepted a request from his lawyer on Sunday to call off three days of testimony scheduled this week. The lawyer, Amit Hadad, had argued that Netanyahu would be fully sedated for the procedure and hospitalized for “a number of days.” Dr. Ofer Gofrit, head of the urology department at Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center, said in a video statement late Sunday that the procedure had gone well and “there was no fear” of cancer or malignancy. “We only hope for the best,” he said. In a statement, Netanyahu thanked his doctors. His office said he was "fully alert" and was taken to an underground recovery unit fortified against potential missile attacks. Netanyahu was expected to remain in the hospital for several days of observation. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, served as acting prime minister during the operation. With so much at stake, Netanyahu’s health in wartime is a concern for both Israelis and the wider world. As Israel’s leader, Netanyahu is at the center of major global events that are shifting the Middle East . With the dizzying pace of the past 14 months, being incapacitated for even a few hours can be risky. Netanyahu will be in the hospital at a time when international mediators are pushing Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and as fighting between Israel and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels intensifies . Prostate issues are common and in many cases easily treatable. Still, the procedure puts a dent in Netanyahu’s image of vigor at a time when he would want to project strength more than ever, both to an Israeli audience navigating constant threats as well as to Israel’s enemies looking to expose its weaknesses. Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health. His office releases footage of him touring war zones in full protective gear flanked by military officers, or meeting with defense officials on windswept hilltops in youthful dark shades and puffer jackets. But that image was shattered last year when Netanyahu’s doctors revealed that he had a heart condition , a problem that he had apparently long known about but concealed from the public. A week after a fainting spell, Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker to control his heartbeat. Only then did staff at the Sheba Medical Center reveal that Netanyahu has for years experienced a condition that can cause irregular heartbeats. The revelation came as Netanyahu was dealing with massive anti-government protests. The news about a chronic heart problem stoked further anger and distrust during extreme political polarization in Israel. Last year, Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital for what doctors said likely was dehydration . He stayed overnight, prompting his weekly Cabinet meeting to be delayed. Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery , during which he was under full anesthesia and unconscious. Levin served as acting prime minister during the operation. According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection on Wednesday stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate. The infection was treated successfully with antibiotics, but doctors said the surgery was needed in any case. Complications from prostate enlargement are common in men in their 70s and 80s, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the oncology urology service at Israel’s Rabin Medical Center, told Israeli Army Radio. Golan spoke in general terms and was not involved in Netanyahu’s care or treatment. He said an enlarged prostate can block proper emptying of the bladder, leading to a build-up of urine that can lead to an infection or other complications. After medicinal treatment, doctors can recommend a procedure to remove the prostate to prevent future blockages, Golan said. In Netanyahu’s case, because the prostate is not cancerous, Golan said doctors were likely performing an endoscopic surgery, carried out by inserting small instruments into a body cavity, rather than making surgical cuts in the abdomen to reach the prostate. The procedure lasts about an hour, Golan said, and recovery is quick. He said that aside from catheter use for one to three days after the procedure, patients can return to normal activity without significant limitations. AP correspondent Isaac Scharf contributed reporting.Lawrence's 16 help Rhode Island take down Central Connecticut 77-69
A false AI-powered headline indicating accused murderer Luigi Mangione had committed suicide is causing a row overseas. According to the BBC, Apple Intelligence, which launched in the U.K. on Wednesday , produced a misleading tease to a story that “made it appear BBC News had published an article claiming Luigi Mangione, the man arrested following the murder of healthcare insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York, had shot himself.” The headline appeared in a news summary blasted to iPhones across Great Britain. The BBC responded by sending a complaint to Apple asking the tech giant to “fix the problem.” “BBC News is the most trusted news media in the world,” a spokesperson said. “It is essential to us that our audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications.” Apple reportedly declined to comment. As the BBC notes, Mangione has not killed himself. He was arrested Monday in Pennsylvania , which is where he remains while awaiting extradition to New York. He’s being held in a jail cell by himself but is not under suicide watch , according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. There have been no reports of self-harm nor any violence toward prison staff. According to the BBC, the outlet is not the only news site to be the victim of misrepresentation at the hands of Apple AI. Late last month, the company’s technology also appeared to flub a notification for a New York Times story about an arrest warrant being issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The summary headline read: “Netanyahu arrested.” Apple AI notification summaries continue to be so so so bad — Ken Schwencke (@schwanksta.com) 2024-11-21T19:22:27.650Z The Israeli leader is not under arrest . A screenshot of the headline seeming to indicate otherwise was posted to social media by a ProPublica editor.A desperate confession in my group chat shows the 'mummy cocaine' trend has gone too far. JANA HOCKING reveals what this very middle-class epidemic has done to the women she once adored