Former UPenn swimmers sue schools, NCAA over trans swimmer’s participation
Three former University of Pennsylvania swimmers are suing UPenn, Harvard and the NCAA. The former swimmers claim their rights were violated when transgender swimmer Lia Thomas competed on the women’s team.
Specifically, they allege discrimination under Title IX, emotional trauma and privacy violations.
The lawsuit demands Thomas’ records be vacated. It accuses the Ivy League, UPenn, Harvard and the NCAA of colluding to allow Thomas to compete in the women’s category.
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Three former swimmers from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) are suing their former school, Harvard University and the NCAA. They allege their rights were violated when transgender swimmer Lia Thomas competed on the women’s team.
Thomas, assigned male at birth, swam for the UPenn men’s team before coming out as a trans woman during her junior year. She then switched to the women’s team for the 2021-2022 season.
During the 2022 Ivy League Women’s Championships hosted by Harvard, Thomas won four first-place medals and set multiple records.
Former UPenn swimmers Grace Estabrook, Ellen Holmquist and Margot Kaczorowski filed the lawsuit Tuesday, Feb. 4, claiming they were discriminated against under Title IX. They allege they were deprived of opportunities to compete and protect their privacy and demand that Thomas’ records be vacated.
The defendants in the suit include the Ivy League Council of Presidents, the president and fellows of Harvard College, UPenn trustees and the NCAA.
The lawsuit states the Ivy League “engaged in a season-long pressure campaign to keep Thomas eligible to compete and prevent women from speaking up for their equal rights.”
The women claim UPenn administrators told them “that if anyone was struggling with accepting Thomas’ participation on the UPenn women’s team, they should seek counseling and support.”
Estabrook, Holmquist and Kaczorowski say they were “repeatedly emotionally traumatized” and that they were not allowed to resist or protest Thomas’ presence on the team or in the locker room. Thomas changed next to them, and they say resisting could have resulted “in the women being removed from the team or from UPenn.”
During the Ivy League Women’s Championships, the women said separate locker rooms and changing areas were not provided for Thomas or for women who did not want to undress in front of Thomas. The lawsuit claims, “Harvard participated in the conspiracy with the NCAA, Ivy League, and UPenn to allow Thomas to participate in the Ivy League Championships and use the women’s locker rooms.”
Thomas is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
An NCAA spokesperson released a statement to NewsNation saying, “College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports, and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships.”
A spokesperson for Harvard told CNN the university does not comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit was filed one day before President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring trans girls and women from competing on girls’ and women’s teams for federally funded schools and colleges.
Trump bans transgender athletes from women’s sports
President Donald Trump signs an executive order prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports, claiming the war on women’s sports is over. And the State Department claims Panama is willing to waive fees on American ships using the Panama Canal, despite the Panamanian government saying otherwise. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Trump bans transgender athletes from women’s, girls’ sports
President Donald Trump followed through on another campaign promise Wednesday, Feb. 5. He signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
“With this executive order, the war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said.
He added, “This will effectively end the attack on female athletes at public K-12 schools and virtually all U.S. colleges and universities. I don’t think we missed anything, but if we do, we’ll make it up very quickly with an order.”
The order rolls back Biden administration guidance on Title IX, a civil rights law that prevents sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funding
“We're putting every school receiving taxpayer dollars on notice that if you let men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding.” –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MUd6FAetWr
The current measure, dubbed “No Men in Women’s Sports,” is the fourth executive order Trump has signed involving transgender people since taking office just over two weeks ago. Critics said the order addresses a problem that simply is not there.
“First of all, the numbers, they don’t exist,” said activist and former professional cyclist Kristen Worley. “Understand that there’s 0.01% gender variant people living in our society as a whole, so it’s a very tiny, tiny group of people that he’s actually targeting, and certainly the numbers in terms of gender performance are filled with inaccuracies as well.”
However, supporters of the order pointed to a trans swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania and a trans volleyball player at San Jose State as examples of men who transitioned to women and then dominated women’s sports.
The executive order also stipulates that the Trump administration will work with sports governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee, to ensure that guidance is followed in noneducational settings.
Democratic senators protest Vought’s nomination with overnight speech marathon
Democratic senators held the floor overnight Wednesday into Thursday to protest Russell Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget.
Republicans have the majority in the Senate, so they have consistently confirmed Trump’s nominees, even without Democratic approval. Vought was set to be confirmed for the job Wednesday night, but Democrats vowed to slow the process dramatically.
Democrats have warned about Vought’s ties to Project 2025, a conservative push to reshape the federal government. Trump has denied following its guidelines.
We're holding the Senate floor all night to fight back against Trump’s nomination of Russell Vought.
America saw how bad OMB’s illegal, incompetent funding freeze was.
We want Americans to hear EVERY HOUR how bad the dangers are that he poses to their daily lives as OMB head. pic.twitter.com/ksJ2VG7nJX
Things came to a head after the OMB released a memo last week freezing federal funding. While the memo was rescinded not long after, Democrats said it was a warning sign for how Vought, who at least one Democratic senator has called Trump’s “most dangerous nominee,” would run the office, which plays a key role in enacting the president’s agenda.
Senate Democrats began what they said would be a 30-hour protest Wednesday afternoon. Despite the protest, the full Senate will vote to confirm Vought as budget director Thursday evening.
Vought previously held this position during Trump’s first term. Republican Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota said he has a good working relationship with Vought and expects it to continue.
Panama denies US claim government vessels can transit canal for free
Hours after the State Department announced that American ships would be allowed to sail through the Panama Canal for free, Panama said that was not true.
In a post on Wednesday, the State Department said Secretary Marco Rubio had agreed with Panamanian leadership to allow the move, saving the federal government millions of dollars a year. Rubio had visited Panama this week.
The Panama Canal Authority said it sets the tolls and other fees for crossing the canal and “has not made any adjustments to them.” The authority added that it is open to dialogue with the U.S.
Before taking office, Trump demanded that Panamanian authorities either lower fees for American ships using the Panama Canal or return its control to the U.S.
‘Sanctuary city’ mayors to testify before House committee
“Sanctuary city” mayors will testify before House lawmakers in an upcoming hearing on immigration policies, according to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky.
Comer launched a probe into sanctuary policies, which allow a jurisdiction to limit its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials when it comes to the Trump crackdown on illegal immigration. Mayors in major cities such as Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia have said they will not help.
This comes as newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi hit the ground running on her first day in office Wednesday, ordering a pause in federal funding from the Justice Department for sanctuary cities. Straight Arrow News reporter Lauren Taylor has the details here.
The mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York City, among others, will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 5 to discuss sanctuary policies.
New bird flu variation found in US dairy cattle
Testers have discovered a second bird flu variation in American dairy cows for the first time.
The Department of Agriculture announced the new strain on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Until recently, all dairy herd detections in the U.S. had been infected with a form of bird flu known as B3.13.
This new version, D1.1, was previously detected only in wild birds and poultry, but has now spread to cows.
It’s also the strain that’s been linked to a deadly human case in Louisiana last year after the victim was exposed to infected birds.
Humans infected with D1.1 have experienced more severe symptoms than those with the previous bird flu strain. However, the CDC said the risk to the general public remains low, and there is no evidence of the spread of D1.1 from human to human.
AI ‘digitally unrolls’ 2,000-year-old scrolls burned in Vesuvius eruption
Using artificial intelligence, X-rays and CT scans, researchers have deciphered some words on an ancient scroll burned by lava from Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
The rolled-up papyrus scrolls were found in a mansion in Herculaneum, an ancient town near Pompeii, in the mid-1700s. Researchers attempted to unfurl them for more than two centuries to see what was inside and what they said.
The few scrolls they could open contained philosophical writing in ancient Greek. Others were so severely damaged by the lava that they were illegible — until now.
On Wednesday, specialists at Oxford University in London announced a significant breakthrough. Technicians used a massive machine called a synchrotron to create a powerful X-ray beam that could look inside a fragile scroll without damaging it. The Oxford scholars are now continuing to decipher the text on this scroll.
‘Strong person of interest’ in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO arrested
The New York City Police Department confirmed Monday, Dec. 9, that officials arrested a “strong person of interest” in connection to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Officials named 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as the only person of interest in the case.
Police took Mangione into custody after receiving a tip that he was spotted in Pennsylvania.
Mangione carried a ghost gun, resembling the weapon used to kill Thompson, Pennsylvania police said.
“At this time, he is believed to be our person of interest in the brazen, targeted murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare last Wednesday in Midtown Manhattan,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters.
Handwritten letter reveals motive
The Altoona Police Department in Pennsylvania confiscated multiple fake IDs and a three-page handwritten document from Mangione.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the document showed Mangione had “ill will toward corporate America.”
Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that social media profiles showed Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.
His apparent account on book review site GoodReads includes a positive review for the manifesto of “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski.
Brian Thomspon’s killing
Police described Thompson’s shooting as a targeted attack, with footage showing a shooter waiting for the CEO.
The shooting occurred early Wednesday, Dec. 4. Surveillance tracked the suspect’s escape through Midtown Manhattan and into Central Park. The suspect temporarily hid in the park and found his way out of the city, police said.
Bullet casings found at the scene of the shooting had etchings of the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose.” The first two are part of a common phrase describing insurance companies’ approach to avoid paying claims.
Police said the suspect acted alone based on the confiscated letter.
Trump’s NIH pick weighs withholding research grants from ‘woke’ colleges
Universities with “woke policies” could see federal research grants withheld under the new Trump administration, according to the Wall Street Journal. This comes after President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced his plans to address campus culture at elite universities.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s plans include tying the agency’s tens of billions of dollars in research grants to what he defines as “academic freedom.” That’s according to sources familiar with the talks who spoke with the Journal.
Bhattacharya could use a ranking system developed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). The ranking system would determine a university’s level of academic freedom.
The system rates universities based on their track record with freedom of speech and how comfortable students feel expressing differing opinions on campus. According to the Journal, schools that punish faculty or uninvite controversial speakers could face reduced funding.
Some universities that currently receive large NIH grants have received poor rankings from FIRE. They include the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and the University of Southern California.
In contrast, schools such as the University of Virginia and Florida State University received praise for their strong academic freedom records.
Bhattacharya’s push to prioritize academic freedom comes after his own struggles with public backlash over his views. Those views include the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He faced criticism for opposing lockdowns and mask mandates, widely unaccepted positions at the time. Bhattacharya has stated that universities should be places where dissenting ideas are protected, not silenced.
The proposal to tie research grant funding to free speech promotion on campuses has quickly become controversial. Supporters argue it will encourage universities to end “woke” policies and “cancel culture.”
Some warn linking research grants to political factors could delay crucial medical research and progress on cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. They said this is particularly worrisome at progressive universities with successful scientific programs.
Bhattacharya’s proposal is expected to be a key point of discussion during Senate debates on his potential leadership.
Why deportations are an ‘economic disaster’ and other immigration truths
There are likely more than 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. today without authorization. On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump has promised to enact “mass deportations” to remove unauthorized immigrants. Trump said he would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has not been used since internment camps during World War II.
The American Immigration Council, an advocacy group in favor of expanding immigration, estimates that a single mass deportation operation would cost at least $315 billion, a “highly conservative estimate.” A longer-term operation would cost nearly $1 trillion over a decade.
“But actually, the direct costs of implementing the deportation aren’t even the worst,” said Zeke Hernandez, Wharton School professor and author of “The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers.” “Think of it this way: All of a sudden, businesses have about 11 to 12 million fewer consumers. Is that what we want? Businesses have 11 to 12 million fewer workers to fill critical jobs in key areas; areas that are essential for our economy, like construction.”
“It really would be an economic disaster,” Hernandez said. “And not only do we have to speculate about that, we actually have many historical precedents where we have done exactly that.”
All of a sudden, businesses have about 11 to 12 million fewer consumers. Is that what we want?
Zeke Hernandez, author, “The Truth About Immigration”
The last official count of 11 million unauthorized immigrants in 2022 included 4 million Mexicans; roughly 4 million more from the Caribbean and Central and South America; 1.7 million from Asia; and 1.3 million from Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. The Census numbers have not been updated to reflect ongoing migration at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2022.
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt says a majority of Americans “want mass deportations of illegal immigrants and trust President Trump most on this issue.”
In a recent Gallup poll that has tracked Americans’ immigration preferences since 1965, 55% of respondents said they preferred immigration levels be decreased, compared to 16% who said they should be increased and 25% who said they should stay the same. It’s the highest amount of Americans reporting a desire to decrease immigration levels since the month following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Hernandez said the shifting attitude is understandable given the negative immigration rhetoric from politicians and the media.
It’s not just that you have a few bad apples coming in, it’s that our system for bringing in apples is completely screwed up.
Zeke Hernandez, author, “The Truth About Immigration
“One of the big surprises of the last year or so is that both the Right and the Left have now taken a fairly aggressive message about the border and about how the influx of immigrants is really doing us damage,” he told Straight Arrow News.
Hernandez cited Democratic mayors who used to be pro-immigration, now taking a stance on limiting immigration. Many of those mayors are facing budget constraints from an unexpected influx of migrants. While these arrivals cause short-term pain points, Hernandez argues that long-term economic benefits are around the corner.
“Immigrants contribute five big economic benefits to every country and community they arrive to,” he said. “And those would be, one, investment, two, innovation, three, talent, four, consumption, and five, taxes. And those are the inputs to any prosperous economy.”
That’s not to say America’s immigration system isn’t in need of a major overhaul.
“It’s not just that you have a few bad apples coming in, it’s that our system for bringing in apples is completely screwed up,” Hernandez said.
In an extended interview with SAN, Hernandez draws on 20 years of research to give fact-based explanations on the impacts of legal versus unauthorized immigration, skilled versus low-skilled migrants, immigration storylines of villain versus victim and why both are wrong, and the changes he would apply to the U.S. immigration system. You can watch the entire conversation in the video above.
US colleges rewrite protest policies ahead of fall semester
As the fall semester approaches, U.S. colleges are rewriting protest rules to manage potential demonstrations, similar to the ones that occurred in spring of 2024. That is when hundreds of Gaza war protesters were arrested on numerous college campuses, like UCLA and Columbia, after escalating tensions led to police confrontations.
Jewish students also said pro-Palestinian activists barred them from accessing certain areas of campus, such as classrooms and buildings.
Now, with fall semester around the corner, universities nationwide are implementing new measures to curb anti-war demonstrations, including banning encampments, limiting protest durations and restricting campus access.
The American Association of University Professors criticized “overly restrictive policies” that may stifle free expression on campuses.
Despite the new regulations, student protesters remain committed to their cause, fueled by the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where the Hamas-run Health Ministry announced this week more than 40,000 Palestinians have now died since the war started.
College presidents also faced intense scrutiny for their handling of those demonstrations and antisemitism concerns.
A number of Ivy League leaders have resigned in recent months. Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigned Wednesday, Aug. 14. Harvard University President Claudine Gay, and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill both resigned earlier in 2024.
The tension between maintaining campus order and preserving academic freedom is likely to be tested in the coming months.
Columbia Univ. leaders to testify on Capitol Hill about campus antisemitism
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik and board co-chairs Claire Shipman and David Greenwald are preparing to testify on Capitol Hill in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee. The hearing will take place on April 17 and focus on addressing antisemitism on the New York campus.
Originally, Shafik was invited to testify at a December hearing, which eventually led to the resignations of the presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. However, due to a scheduling conflict, Shafik couldn’t attend.
Now, the spotlight is on Columbia’s leaders as they ready themselves to field questions about their campus’s handling of antisemitic incidents.
Foxx stressed the importance of understanding how the university is addressing these issues and why its own policies may have fallen short in protecting Jewish students.
A spokesperson for Columbia University expressed the school’s commitment to combating antisemitism and its readiness to discuss efforts in safeguarding Jewish students and maintaining campus safety.
On the other side of the issue, the New York Civil Liberties Union and a Palestinian rights group are suing Columbia University over the suspension of two pro-Palestinian student groups. They claim Columbia violated its own rules and stifled their right to free speech under the First Amendment. The lawsuit aims to reverse the suspensions. Columbia representatives declined to comment.
1 dead, 22 injured in Super Bowl parade shooting: The Morning Rundown, Feb. 15, 2024
One person is dead and more than 20 are wounded after shots are fired at a parade for the Super Bowl champions. And the lander looking to be the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon in five decades lifts off into space. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024.
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1 dead, 22 injured in shooting at Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade
At least one person was killed and 22 others were injured, including at least eight children, after shots were fired following following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday, Feb. 14, sending fans running for cover outside Union Station. Video shows police holding down an apparent suspect.
Police confirmed three people have been detained but have not announced their identities or said if they will face charges. Authorities are looking into reports that bystanders tackled one of the three people being detained.
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters she was angry over what had taken place.
“The people who came to this celebration should expect a safe environment,” Graves said. “We had over 800 law enforcement officers, Kansas City, and other agencies at the location to keep everyone safe. Because of bad actors, which were very few, this tragedy occurred.”
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the parade in downtown Kansas City to cheer on the Chiefs after their victory at Super Bowl LVIII. Police said all members of the Chiefs’ organization were safe. The NFL and several players issued statements following the shooting, including Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted on X, “Praying for Kansas City.”
Warning of ‘serious national security threat’ prompts alerts on Russia
More details are coming to light after a cryptic message by Congressman Mike Turner, R-Ohio, who warned of a “serious national security threat.” Turner, the Republican Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called on President Biden to declassify all information related to the threat but did not elaborate further.
Multiple news outlets, citing sources, said Turner was referring to Russia, specifically its attempts at developing a nuclear-capable weapon in space that could take down satellites. The sources added that it is not currently an active threat. Connecticut Congressman Jim Hines, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters that while the issue is serious, people should not panic.
Leaders in the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a statement saying they have the intelligence in question and have been tracking the issue. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said he had already scheduled a briefing for Thursday, Feb. 15, with congressional leaders and administration intelligence professionals to discuss the matter.
Houston-based Intuitive Machines hopes its lander, Odysseus, will be the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon in over five decades. NASA is paying the company $118 million to carry six items, including a camera to observe the dust upon landing and a radio receiver system to study charged particles on the moon’s surface.
Other items taken on the trip include insulation material from Columbia Sportswear and a sculpture from artist Jeff Koons. Odysseus is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole on Feb. 22.
FDA approves first drug to treat severe frostbite
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug to treat severe frostbite in adults and reduce the risk of finger or toe amputation. The drug, Aurlumyn, injects affected areas and treats frostbite by opening blood vessels and preventing clots. It is expected to be available in the spring of 2024.
Frostbite happens when the skin and tissue get damaged by cold temperatures and occurs in stages, with painkillers and antibiotics typically used to treat mild frostbite. Severe frostbite, which happens when the skin and underlying tissue freeze, stopping blood flow, sometimes requires amputations.
Lyft admits to typo in earnings report
One company just found out how important it is to check for typos. The rideshare company Lyft saw its stock soar over 60% following the release of its quarterly earnings report late Tuesday, Feb. 13. The report said Lyft was expecting one of its profit margins to expand by 500 basis points, meaning five percentage points. Still, in reality, it was only expected to expand by 50 basis points or 0.5%.
The company admitted to the error during a call with investors on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Its CEO told CNBC he hopes the missed extra zero doesn’t take away from Lyft delivering its best financial quarter in its history. And despite the error and correction, the company’s stock was still up on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
University of Pennsylvania to be first Ivy League offering AI program
The rise of artificial intelligence is bringing change to almost every aspect of our lives, which means companies are looking for engineers with AI skills. Now, students at one Ivy League university can earn a degree in AI, and it’s not a fake.
The University of Pennsylvania will become the first Ivy League school to offer an engineering degree in AI when the undergrad program starts in the fall of 2024. Penn said the program will allow students to unlock AI’s potential as they learn the ethics of AI, legal matters surrounding the technology, and other topics. Penn will be the first Ivy League to have an artificial intelligence program, but other U.S. colleges, including Carnegie Mellon and Purdue, also offer bachelor’s degrees in AI.
20% of Gen Z view bin Laden positively; 31% say views were ‘force for good’
The man who orchestrated the deadliest attack on American soil is the late-Osama bin Laden, the founder of Al-Qaida. However, a new poll has revealed that a fair share of Gen Zers don’t believe he’s such a bad guy.
According to a poll by the DailyMail, one in five young Americans have a positive view of the terrorist leader. 31% of Gen Z voters believe the views of bin Laden, who killed thousands on Sept. 11, 2001, “were a force for good.”
NewsNation talked to the man who conducted the poll, James Johnson, founder of J.L. Partners. Johnson said he’s disgusted by the findings.
“The families of the victims spoke to the DailyMail about this poll, and they talked about their anger and frustration, and disgust at this viewpoint… and all I can say is I sympathize entirely with them,” Johnson said.” And I completely share their disgust.”
Some lawmakers said the findings may serve as a warning.
“20 percent of young people have a positive view of Bin Laden,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz wrote on X. “While we focus on enhancing our physical borders, we must also realize foreign countries have infiltrated our kids minds through online propaganda.”
When questioned about their perception of the 9/11 mastermind, 8% of individuals aged 18 to 29 expressed a “completely positive” view, with 12% holding a “somewhat positive” opinion of bin Laden. Additionally, 8% of the Gen-Z group said his views were good, but his actions were bad.
The poll comes a little over a month after bin Laden’s “Letter to America” went viral on TikTok. The video has since been taken down, but not before it sparked debate amongst young Americans about the Israel-Hamas war.
The video condemns U.S. support for Israel’s occupation of Gaza, and resonated with some who called for a cease-fire in the war.
Time reports one user said, “Everything we learned about the Middle East and 9/11, and ‘terrorism’ was a lie.”
Others on social media criticized the video as sympathizing with terrorists or giving credence to violence.
“Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism,” TikTok said in a statement on X. “We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got onto our platform.”
The man responsible for nearly 3,000 deaths in the U.S. was known for his antisemitic views, and as the war in Gaza continues, those views are on the rise.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said antisemitism is reaching “historic levels” in the U.S.
The DailyMail study comes during a tipping point in worldviews, with many pro-Palestinian protests on the rise in major cities across the U.S. and college campuses.
Some college leaders are under fire for their lack of response to antisemitism on campuses.
Former President of the University of Pennsylvania Liz Magill resigned after a congressional hearing in which she was asked whether calls for Jewish genocide would be grounds for bullying and harassment under campus policies.
Magill and the other presidents from Harvard and MIT responded it would be “context dependent.” Her reply prompted the Wharton Board of Advisors to call for her immediate resignation.
Another DailyMail poll in October, found one in 10 voters under the age of 30 had a positive view of Hamas, despite the group’s rampage through Israel, killing 1,300 people and militants kidnapping more than 200 others.
UPenn state funding stripped as fallout over antisemitism testimony continues
As a latest consequence of now former President Liz Magill’s antisemitism on college campuses testimony, the University of Pennsylvania is facing the withdrawal of state funding. On Dec. 5, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., asked Magill if calling for the genocide of Jews goes against school policy. After giving an indirect answer, Magill was criticized, prompting her to eventually resign.
As a result of Magill’s testimony backlash, along with a rise in pro-Palestinian protests on campus that have sometimes led to antisemitic chants, the Pennsylvania Legislature is taking action. The university’s veterinary school faced a setback as state Republicans voted against legislation that would have provided $33 million in funding.
The blocked funds are typically appropriated to the university from the state every year, and they make up about 18% of the program’s total budget.
The cut is a significant one, and it could mark just the beginning of legislative action against antisemitism on college campuses.
“Until more is done at the university in terms of rooting out, calling out and making an official stance on antisemitism being against the values of the university, I cannot in good conscience support this funding,” House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler, R-Pa., said during the floor’s debate.
House Republicans have begun drafting legislation that requires state-funded higher education institutions to adopt an official code of conduct that clarifies calling for genocide is considered bullying or harassment, and they are both against school policy.
All Democrats in the House voted to approve the funding for UPenn’s veterinary school, but Republicans were able to block it. The legislation won a majority in two different votes, but it failed to reach the two-thirds majority required by the Pennsylvania Constitution.