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Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya blasts IOC’s new policy to ensure fairness in women’s events

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Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 800-meter race, blasted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over a new policy to ensure fairness for females competing at the highest level of sports.

Semenya, who has disorders of sex development (DSD), has testosterone levels higher than a typical female range and has launched legal challenges in order to compete in the women’s category. Semenya said she expected more from IOC President Kirsty Coventry.

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“Personally, for her as a leader, she’s an African, I’m sure she understands how, you know, we as Africans, we are coming from, as a global South, you know, you cannot control genetics,” Semenya said Thursday. “For me personally, for her being a woman coming from Africa, knowing how, you know, African women or women in the global South are affected by that.”

The IOC said it would employ genetic testing to verify the biological sex of competitors in women’s events. The IOC said that eligibility for events in the women’s category is “now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening.”

“Evidence‑based and expert‑informed, the policy – applicable for the LA28 Olympic Games onwards – protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category,” according to the organization.

“Obviously if you say the science, because we talk about science here, if the science is clear, show us who decided and don’t dress that as a lie because it’s a lie and we know because we’ve seen it so if we were to answer or confront Kirsty that’s how we gonna respond and we’ll respond strong as we are because it affects women,” Semenya said.

AMERICAN OLYMPIAN, WHO IDENTIFIES AS TRANSGENDER NONBINARY, SLAMS IOC’S NEW POLICY TO PROTECT WOMEN’S SPORTS

Semenya won Olympic gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Games but is banned from competing in certain international meets like the Olympics and world championships since she refused to follow the rules and take medication to reduce her hormone levels.

“For me personally, I’ll say the voice is not heard because you taking it as a tick box, you ticking a box so you can go clarify or say yes we’ve consulted,” she said. “For me, it’s you ticking the box.”

The IOC said it came to the decision to implement the policy after consulting with a panel of experts, with the goal of providing equal opportunity for women in sport.

“The policy was developed on the basis that it is universally accepted that providing for a female category is necessary to allow both males and females equal access to elite sport,” the IOC said in an announcement.

“It was guided by the IOC’s modern goals relating to equality (equal opportunities for female athletes in finals, on podiums and in championships); enhancing Olympic value (featuring both women’s and men’s finals in every sport); and visibility and inspiration (celebrating female athletes on the Olympic podium to inspire and represent women and girls worldwide).”

Coventry suggested that the continued enabling of males in women’s sports is “not safe” in the announcement.

“As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science and has been led by medical experts. At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” she said.

“So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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Fan spotted with laptop, apparently logging work hours from Wrigley Field stands during Cubs day game

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The Chicago Cubs opened the 2026 season with a six-game homestand at historic Wrigley Field.

Among the thousands of Cubs fans who passed through the turnstiles at the famed ballpark on Chicago’s North Side was at least one who took Wednesday’s “businessman’s special” afternoon start to heart.

Temperatures in the Windy City didn’t climb above 40 degrees Wednesday, and one fan, bundled in a coat and hat, multitasked on his cellphone and laptop, apparently working after the 2 p.m. first pitch.

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The moment mirrors one from last season, when cameras caught a fan who, instead of winter gear, wore shorts and worked on his computer during an August 2025 game at Wrigley Field.

The fan even brought a computer mouse along as he intently focused on his computer while the Cubs faced the Milwaukee Brewers. 

The game broadcasters, however, questioned what he was up to.

“There’s only one question: Is this guy working?” one broadcaster said. “Or maybe he’s reviewing his fantasy football draft.”

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The Cubs’ broadcast network crafted a tongue-in-cheek work email: “Hi, per our last email, we have a hard stop. Let’s touch base Friday before the Cubs-Guardians game. All the best, Marquee.”

The Cubs celebrated a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday to take two of three games in the series. Matthew Boyd struck out ten batters and picked up the win. 

The Cubs were off on Thursday and resume action on Friday in Cleveland as they open a three-game series with the Guardians.

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Chuck Schumer insists calling DHS funding shutdown ‘political’ posturing’ is ‘not fair’

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed it was “not fair” to argue that Senate Democrats were holding up Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for “political posturing” on Thursday.

Schumer spoke to CNN’s “Situation Room” about the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown after Senate Democrats demanded tighter restrictions on Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

Though the shutdown has caused disruptions within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), ICE and Border Patrol have been largely unaffected after previously receiving funding last year in the One Big Beautiful Bill, leading Blitzer to ask Schumer what the purpose of the shutdown was.

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“What do you say to those critics who argue that both ICE and Border Patrol are already set with funding millions and millions of dollars because of President [Donald] Trump‘s so-called Big Beautiful Bill that passed months ago?” Blitzer asked. “So Democrats just held up this legislation for what? For political posturing? Is that right?”

“Well, that‘s not fair at all,” Schumer answered. “We held it up because we wanted, as I mentioned before, to reform ICE and CBP, which are lawless. The American people are totally on our side. I think by 2 to 1 or close to that, they want it reformed. And that‘s what we‘re pushing for. We‘re not going to fund a lawless ICE and a lawless CBP, and the American people are overwhelmingly on our side on that.”

“But they‘re already funded. Right?” Blitzer repeated.

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“Well, if they put funding in from their other bills and want to keep funding a lawless ICE, a lawless CBP that creates chaos in our cities, it‘s on their back. We‘re not going to participate in that,” Schumer responded.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order providing pay to TSA agents, many of whom had not received a paycheck since February. Despite the strain on workers, Schumer refused to give Trump credit for the order.

“We‘ve been trying to do it for three weeks, and Trump has opposed it. We proposed funding all of those other agencies, not ICE and CBP, until they reform, but all the other agencies. And they said no. And so, the best way to get them paid was for [Speaker Mike] Johnson to put the bill that the Senate passed this morning with [GOP Senate Majority Leader John] Thune‘s leadership on the floor, and we pass it,” Schumer said.

SCHIFF, BOOKER DEFLECT ON SHUTDOWN BLAME AMID TERROR CONCERNS, THOUSANDS OF DHS WORKERS WITHOUT PAY

In a comment to Fox News Digital, a Thune spokesperson pointed to comments the Majority Leader made earlier on “America’s Newsroom.”

“[For] Democrats…it was all about ‘reforms,’ restrictions on ICE and on CBP agents and what they could or couldn’t do. They got none of that. They got zero of the reforms that they were advocating for. In the end, this was all about their left-wing base demanding that no funding be provided,” Thune said.

The Senate agreed via voice vote on Thursday to send a bipartisan deal funding the whole of DHS except for Trump’s immigration enforcement and border security efforts to the House for consideration. The chamber is not expected to vote on the legislation until House lawmakers return to Washington on April 13. 

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Phil Mickelson withdraws from the Masters, joins Tiger Woods in sitting out signature major

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As Tiger Woods steps away from golf and won’t be playing in the Masters next week, another golf legend won’t be on the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club.

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson released a statement Thursday saying he won’t be playing in this year’s tournament.

“Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter,” Mickelson’s statement on social media said.

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“I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”

Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley also released a statement after Mickelson’s decision.

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“We know how much Phil loves the Masters tournament, and he will be missed by everyone in Augusta next week,” Ridley’s statement said. “He has our complete supports as he takes time to be with his family.”

The 55-year-old Mickelson missed four LIV Golf events earlier this year, and he noted he was dealing with a “family health matter.”

He was on the course in South Africa two weeks ago, leading his HyFlyers GC squad for the event. Mickelson finished tied for 48 in the event.

Mickelson’s Masters announcement comes after Woods stepped away from golf “to seek treatment” following a DUI arrest after a rollover crash Friday in Jupiter Island, Florida.

Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, and Mickelson sat atop the golf world, beginning in the late 1990s and through the 2010s. While Woods usually sat atop the world golf rankings, Mickelson was his toughest competitor, winning six majors over his storied career.

So, two golf icons won’t be at Augusta National come next week, when the 90th edition of the Masters tees off Thursday, April 9.

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