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Trump nominates attorney helping lead lawsuits over UPenn, SJSU trans athlete scandals for federal judgeship

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Trump nominates attorney helping lead lawsuits over UPenn, SJSU trans athlete scandals for federal judgeship


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President Donald Trump nominated attorney Justin Olson, of the firm Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP, to sit on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Olson is one of the attorneys helping to lead a lawsuit financed by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) against the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, the Ivy League and NCAA for its handling of a situation involving transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Olson is also listed as an attorney in ICONS’s lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference and representatives of San Jose State University over their handling of a situation involving trans volleyball player Blaire Fleming. 

Trump noted Olson’s work on those cases in an announcement of the nomination on Truth Social on Friday.

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“It is my honor to nominate Justin Olson to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana! Graduating magna cum laude from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Justin previously distinguished himself at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indianapolis and, as a litigator, has been fighting tirelessly to keep men out of women’s sports,” Trump wrote.

“Hoosiers can trust Justin to always uphold the Rule of Law, and strongly protect their Constitutional Rights. Congratulations Justin!”

Former UPenn swimmers Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist filed a lawsuit on Feb. 5, alleging UPenn officials led them to feel their concerns over being teammates with Thomas were rooted in a “psychological problem,” and that by allowing Thomas to compete, the institutions “injured them and violated federal law.”

Thomas, a biological male, previously competed for the UPenn men’s swimming team from 2017-20 under the name Will Thomas. According to the lawsuit, Thomas was introduced by women’s swimming head coach Mike Schnur to the women’s swimmers during a team meeting in Fall 2019 as their incoming teammate.

Each of the three plaintiffs claims the experience left them “repeatedly emotionally traumatized.”

The plaintiffs allege that the university administrators pushed pro-trans ideology onto them throughout the process of accepting Thomas on the team and in their locker room. The plaintiffs also allege that the administrators warned them against speaking out against the situation publicly.

MINNESOTA TEEN SOFTBALL PLAYER OPENS UP ON TRANS PITCHER PLAYOFF GAME AS TRUMP ADMIN VOWS TITLE IX ENFORCEMENT

“The UPenn administrators went on to tell the women that if the women spoke publicly about their concerns about Thomas’ participation on the Women’s Team, the reputation of those complaining about Thomas being on the team would be tainted with transphobia for the rest of their lives and they would probably never be able to get a job,’” the lawsuit alleges.

Thomas went on to win NCAA Division I national championship in the 500-yard freestyle, earned three All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, and was named the High Point Swimmer of the Meet at the Ivy League Championships. 

UPenn agreed with the Trump administration in June to strip the athlete’s swimming records from the women’s program archives, and adopt a policy to keep biological males out of women’s sports.

Meanwhile, in the SJSU case, former women’s volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser filed that lawsuit in November 2024, alongside 10 other former and current Mountain West players. Slusser alleged the Mountain West and SJSU withheld knowledge of Fleming’s biological sex from her and other players while having her share changing spaces and hotel rooms with Fleming. 

SJSU is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for the situation.

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In addition to his work on those cases, Olson has also served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Civil Division, and served as the civil health care fraud coordinator and civil opioid coordinator. 

At Kroger Gardis, Olson represents and advises clients on health care fraud and abuse, the False Claims Act enforcement and Controlled Substances Act regulatory compliance and enforcement, responding to government subpoenas, civil investigative demands and requests for information, as well as in navigating and resolving government investigations.

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LPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’

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LPGA legend shares her feelings about US women’s Olympic wins: ‘Gets me really emotional’


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The United States came away with 33 total medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, and many came from the female athletes who showed out in Italy this month. 

There were 17 medals won by the U.S. female athletes, including eight of the 12 gold medals.

As many Americans enjoyed watching the events at home, LPGA Tour legend Michelle Wie West was in Milan watching the U.S. reach the podium in several events. 

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Michelle Wie attends Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2” New York Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on July 21, 2025, in New York City.  (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

“I had the honor to be in Milan with Nike and got to see some Winter Olympic Games for the first time in person. It’s amazing to see all these competitors,” she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. “Got to see [silver medalist] Chloe [Kim] do her halfpipe, and that was incredible. 

“Women’s hockey, I mean, incredible. I got to go to the first game, and it was just lights out.”

From Mia Manganello in speed skating, to Alysa Liu’s captivating gold medal in figure skating, Wie West admitted the Olympics made her a bit emotional seeing the athletes achieve their dreams.

“This whole Winter Olympics season has been so — I think every Olympic season is so uplifting,” she said. “But this one in particular was so inspiring, and it feels like the female athletes really knocked it out of the park.

“I feel like every Olympics gets me really emotional. I can see athletes achieve their dreams, and it’s so cool. It was really cool to see it in person.”

Alysa Liu holds American flag after medal skate

Gold medalist Alysa Liu of Team United States poses for a photo during the medal ceremony for the Women’s Single Skating on day thirteen of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy.  (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Wie West also added that Lindsey Vonn’s “heartbreaking” crash, after competing through a torn ACL, was hard to see. However, “seeing her journey up until that moment and even afterwards has been so inspiring to me.”

Breanna Stewart, a three-time gold medalist with Team USA women’s basketball, shared Wie West’s sentiments about seeing American success overseas. 

“I think there were so many events I really learned a lot about, whether it was bobsledding, or curling, or watching hockey,” she said. “Just wanting to cheer on the USA in whatever event they were doing, and see the pride and passion the athletes were having whenever they stepped up to compete with their sport.”

Michelle Wie West swings

LPGA player Michelle Wie West plays her shot from the 14th tee during the Golden Bear Pro-Am prior to the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 2025 at Muirfield Village Golf Club on May 28, 2025, in Dublin, Ohio. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Stewart even mentioned getting “goosebumps” thinking about what it feels like getting a medal around your neck, and better yet, seeing the flag raise with the national anthem playing. 

“It’s really just satisfaction and justification of why you’re doing it and why you’ve gone through those hard moments and times,” she explained. “To me, the Olympics is the highest of the high. You’re playing your sport at the highest level against everyone else in the world, and you see that. It’s just a goosebump feeling no matter how many times you do it. Just the pride and knowing you’re representing something bigger than yourself always comes through full circle.”

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Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart reflects on 'pride and passion' shown by Team USA in Milan





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Washington State’s Emmanuel Ugbo suspended for rest of season

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Washington State’s Emmanuel Ugbo suspended for rest of season


PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State forward Emmanuel Ugbo, who is currently under a court order resulting from allegations of stalking and harassment, has been suspended for the remainder of the season.

Coach David Riley told reporters this week that Ugbo, who has neither played nor practiced for the Cougars since he was suspended on Jan. 28, will sit out the rest of the way.

“As an institution,” Riley told reporters, “we believe that’s the best course of action.”

Ugbo was accused by a Washington State women’s volleyball player of stalking and harassment after she ended their relationship. Last week, a Whitman County judge granted the woman a full protection order against Ugbo.

Ugbo’s suspension began with Washington State’s home game on Jan. 31, shortly after the woman filed for a temporary protection order. Ugbo averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18 minutes this season. He previously played for Boise State.



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How Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup semi-finals after New Zealand loss? | The Express Tribune

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How Pakistan can qualify for T20 World Cup semi-finals after New Zealand loss? | The Express Tribune


A win over Sri Lanka would tie Pakistan with New Zealand on points, with net run rate deciding semi-final progression

England’s Phil Salt (2L) walks back after getting out as Pakistan’s players celebrate during the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup Super Eights match between England and Pakistan at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on February 24, 2026. Phot: AFP

Pakistan’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup remain alive following New Zealand’s defeat against England in the Super Eight stage.

England beat New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling encounter in Colombo, denying the Kiwis a guaranteed place in the semi-finals while keeping Pakistan’s slender chances intact.

England, having already qualified for the semi-finals, sit at the top of the table with six points from three wins, whereas New Zealand are second with three points.

Pakistan, who lost their crucial Super Eight match against England, are third with one point, earned from a washed-out match against New Zealand. Co-hosts Sri Lanka, having lost both of their opening Super Eight matches, are already out of contention for the final four.

Pakistan’s semi-final fate now rests on their match against Sri Lanka, scheduled for tomorrow at Pallekele. A win would level Pakistan and New Zealand on points, leaving net run rate as the deciding factor for progression.

However, the path to qualification is far from straightforward. Pakistan will need to secure a convincing victory over the hosts or chase their target rapidly to overcome New Zealand’s net run rate advantage, following the Kiwis’ comprehensive win against Sri Lanka.

If batting first, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka by 64 runs or more to improve their net run rate sufficiently. Alternatively, if chasing, they must reach the target within 13.1 overs to ensure a semi-final berth.



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