International
William ‘Lia’ Thomas loses challenge to rule banning him from women’s Olympic contests

From LifeSiteNews
A Court of Arbitration for Sport panel ruled that William ‘Lia’ Thomas, a male swimmer who ‘identifies’ as female, lacked standing to challenge World Aquatics rules on males competing against women.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland has rejected gender-confused former University of Pennsylvania swimmer William “Lia” Thomas’s bid to change World Aquatic rules to allow himself and other female-“identifying” male athletes from competing against actual women in major athletic competitions such as the upcoming Summer Olympics.
Thomas, who “transitioned” to identifying as a female yet retains male genitalia and reportedly remained heterosexual (despite self-identifying as lesbian), has drawn headlines since 2022 for generating unease among his actual female teammates and opponents, partly due to having to share lockers and partly due to his domination of women’s swimming competitions since switching from the men’s team.
In January, word came out that Thomas and Canadian law firm Tyr were seeking to have the CAS overturn a rule imposed by the swim governing body forbidding any male who has experienced “any part of male puberty” from competing as a female, which in 2022 closed a loophole allowing “transgender” athletes to qualify by reducing their testosterone levels.
Thomas has said that “it’s been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time.” World Aquatics executive director Brent Nowicki previously said only that the “World Aquatics policy on gender inclusion, adopted by World Aquatics in June of 2022, was rigorously developed on the basis of advice from leading medical and legal experts, and in careful consultation with athletes.”
On Wednesday, the Associated Press reports, a three-judge CAS panel released its ruling dismissing Thomas’s request, on the grounds that he lacked standing to make it because he had not been a member of the court’s member federation USA Swimming when it was first brought nor had he competed in female events “for the purpose of qualification or selection.”
World Aquatics hailed the ruling as “a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”
Thomas slammed the decision as “deeply disappointing,” criticizing bans on so-called “trans women” (gender-confused men) competing against actual women as an affront to gender-confused “identities.”
Several nationally-prominent female swimmers who have become outspoken advocates for maintaining sex distinctions in women’s athletics also welcomed the ruling:
Great news! Lia Thomas won't be able to compete in women's category at the Olympics or any other elite competition.
He has just lost his legal battle in Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling.
This is a victory for women and girls everywherehttps://t.co/fEZc47K0FA
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 12, 2024
At last women & girls are being treated with respect & fairness but in many sports like football the FA let males presently steal 75 places from females, so much to still do! https://t.co/VfGFcwnbZA
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) June 12, 2024
Allowing gender-confused individuals in opposite-sex sports is promoted by leftists as a matter of “inclusivity,” but critics note that indulging “transgender” athletes undermines the original rational basis for having sex-specific athletics in the first place, thereby depriving female athletes of recognition and professional or academic opportunities.
There have been numerous high-profile examples in recent years of men winning women’s competitions, and research affirms that physiology gives males distinct athletic advantages that cannot be negated by hormone suppression.
In a 2019 paper published by the Journal of Medical Ethics, New Zealand researchers found that “healthy young men [do] not lose significant muscle mass (or power) when their circulating testosterone levels were reduced to (below International Olympic Committee guidelines) for 20 weeks,” and “indirect effects of testosterone” on factors such as bone structure, lung volume, and heart size “will not be altered” by hormone use; therefore, “the advantage to [gender-confused men] afforded by the [International Olympic Committee] guidelines is an intolerable unfairness.”
Critics also warn that forcing girls to share intimate facilities such as bathrooms, showers, or changing areas with members of the opposite sex violates their privacy rights, subjects them to needless emotional stress, and gives potential male predators a viable pretext to enter female bathrooms or lockers by simply claiming transgender status.
Thomas has become perhaps the most prominent example of the phenomenon. Former teammates have reportedly been intimidated into silence about their objections to Thomas by officials at Ivy League schools and by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), though some have spoken out anonymously, describing Thomas as thoroughly dismissive of the feelings or interests of his teammates.
Some of his opponents have been more willing or able to go public, such as Gaines, who has openly discussed the experience of tying with Thomas for fifth place at the NCAA championships’ 200 freestyle competition in 2022. Despite both swimmers performing the same, Thomas was given a trophy to pose with for photos and Gaines had to settle for one mailed to her.
“It was at this point I realized that they’re trying to save face here,” she told the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2022. “I actually talked with a swimmer who is a survivor of sexual trauma, and being in the locker room with a male and seeing male parts has completely retriggered everything.”
espionage
Head of JFK assassination files task force: ‘I believe there were two shooters’

From LifeSiteNews
By Frank Wright
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, head of the new House Oversight Task Force on Declassification, called the official narrative of the JFK assassination ‘faulty’ and said she believes ‘there were two shooters.’
On January 23 President Donald Trump signed an executive order to declassify and release all records of the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King.
Fulfilling a promise initially made in his first presidential term and repeated ahead of his second, Donald Trump has issued an order “providing Americans the truth after six decades of secrecy.”
Trump’s interim Director of National Intelligence Lora Shiao was ordered to “present a plan within 15 days for the full and complete release of all John F. Kennedy assassination records…”
Following this directive, the FBI has revealed the existence of thousands more “previously unknown” files relating to the JFK assassination. As Fox News reported on February 10:
“The FBI conducted a new records search pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order issued on January 23, 2025, regarding the declassification of the assassination files of JFK, RFK, and MLK. The search resulted in approximately 2400 newly inventoried and digitized records that were previously unrecognized as related to the JFK assassination case file…”
Trump’s nominees on a ‘glide path’
In a Wednesday Senate vote Tulsi Gabbard is expected to be confirmed as permanent National Intelligence chief – described as the principal advisor to the president. She will oversee this process when confirmed.
Trump also seeks to install Kash Patel as the new head of the FBI. Patel has promised to publish the client list of notorious Mossad-linked sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein on the first day of his tenure.
In addition, he intends to publish documents detailing “Russiagate” and all information relating to the origins of COVID-19.
Democrats have alleged Patel is “secretly overseeing a purge of the FBI” before his appointment has been confirmed. Senator Adam Schiff is now charging Patel with perjury.
Could this be related to what Patel says about Adam Schiff here?
“Adam Schiff is the single most responsible person for spreading disinformation on Russiagate: saying he had evidence Donald Trump colluded with Russia.”
Patel is also expected to be approved by the Republican-majority senate, with the process leading to his Thursday confirmation hearing described as a “glide path” by the scandal-hit outlet Politico. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also expects to be appointed Health and Human Services chief following his nomination vote.
New 9/11, assassination, COVID investgations
In an additional move, the Trump administration has seen the creation of the House Oversight Task Force on Declassification.
Announced by its new leader, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, the task force will not be restricted to the oversight of publishing formerly classified files.
Luna said it would be conducting new investigations into 9/11, the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations, as well as the “origins of COVID-19,” the Jeffrey Epstein case, and unidentified aerial and subsea objects known as “UAPs” and “USOs.”
As independent journalist Michael Shellenberger pointed out in the tweet above, “For decades, presidents said they told us everything they could about Covid, JFK, Epstein, UAPs and more. They lied.”
The first hearing is “set for March,” Luna announced, describing her task force as a “beacon of bipartisanship” with the participation of both Republicans and Democrats.
A break with the past
Luna stressed that this was a complete break with the past, saying this will not be “a task force that makes bold promises only to fade into irrelevance or send strongly worded letters.”
“This will be a relentless pursuit of truth and transparency and will not stop until the American people have the answers they deserve.”
Luna presented a complete shift in how the U.S. government sees its relation to governed.
“We have been treated like children for too long and kept in the dark by those we elected to serve us.”
Luna’s remarks may serve as a statement of the Trump administration’s vision for restoring America. She argued, “If we are to endure as a nation, we must restore trust – trust through transparency.”
Marking a shift from the manufacture of public opinion by the state sponsorship of news and mass culture, Luna continued, “The American people must be trusted to think for themselves, to form their own judgments from the truth they are entitled to know.”
Official verdict on JFK ‘faulty’: ‘I believe there were two shooters’
Luna also announced Tuesday night that “based on what I have seen so far” of the unreleased JFK files, “I believe there were two shooters” involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. Luna described the official verdict of a “single bullet theory” as “faulty.”
The revelations from the new JFK files have already begun. What they and the other disclosures contain will be released to inform a new vision of the national interest. The Trump administration is not only saying it is keeping its promises to Americans, but also announcing it wishes to govern in the open and will trust the public to make its own mind up, in place of manufacturing public opinion for political ends.
Censorship Industrial Complex
UK Could Weaken Online Censorship Law To Avoid US Trade Battle

As European leaders scramble to shield their economies from impending US tariffs, the UK’s Labour government appears ready to make significant concessions. Facing the risk of economic fallout, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration has reportedly signaled to Washington that it is open to revising the controversial and dangerous Online Safety Act — legislation critics have described as an aggressive censorship regime.
The Act, which gives UK regulators the power to fine tech companies for failing to remove vaguely defined “harmful content,” has been a major point of contention between the two allies and has become a major threat to free speech online. The Trump administration has been especially vocal in its opposition, viewing the law as an affront to free speech and a potential financial burden on US tech giants.
According to The Telegraph:
“Downing Street is willing to renegotiate elements of the Act in order to strike a trade deal, should it be raised by the US, The Telegraph understands. The law has been heavily criticized by free speech advocates and economists, who argue its broad provisions to tackle harmful online content could lead to excessive censorship and deter investment from American tech giants.”
The Online Safety Act arms UK media regulator Ofcom with sweeping new authority over social media platforms, enabling the imposition of multimillion-pound fines for failing to police content according to government directives. While supporters claim the law is necessary to protect users, critics argue that its vague wording and punitive approach encourage preemptive censorship — where platforms remove lawful content simply to avoid regulatory punishment.
President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has intensified scrutiny of the law. The president, who has been highly critical of social media censorship, has surrounded himself with influential voices in the tech world, including Elon Musk, whose platform, X, is already preparing to challenge Ofcom’s authority.
“Another source close to the Trump’s (sic) administration suggested the act was viewed as ‘Orwellian’ in the US and could become a flashpoint in negotiations. ‘To many people that are currently in power, they feel the United Kingdom has become a dystopian, Orwellian place where people have to keep silent about things that aren’t fashionable,’ they said. ‘The administration hate it [Online Safety Act]. Congress has been saying that [it is a concern] ever since it was enacted. Those in the administration are saying the exact same thing.’”
Musk has publicly condemned the Act, and with Ofcom set to gain new enforcement powers in March, tensions between US tech firms and the UK government are likely to escalate. The entrepreneur recently welcomed Trump’s presidency as a potential counterweight to the UK’s regulatory crackdown.
Free speech advocates on both sides of the Atlantic have long warned that Britain’s approach to online regulation represents a stark departure from the First Amendment protections enjoyed in the US. The Free Speech Union and groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argue that the law’s restrictions on “harmful but legal” speech will lead to widespread content suppression, limiting open debate and investigative journalism.
Lord Young of Acton, the founder of the Free Speech Union, underscored the looming confrontation between UK regulators and US tech leaders:
“If that happens, Trump will side with his tech bros and tell Sir Keir that if he wants a trade deal, he’ll call off his dogs.”
Labour has previously doubled down on online regulation, with its election manifesto promising additional measures to “keep everyone safe online.” However, in the face of potential US trade repercussions, the government’s stance appears to be softening.
From Washington’s perspective, the Online Safety Act has become an obstacle to trade negotiations, raising concerns that UK regulatory overreach could deter American investment. Andrew Hale, a trade policy expert at the Heritage Foundation, confirmed that this issue has been a recurring theme in discussions with US officials.
“Every meeting I have to discuss trade policy with people either in the administration or Congress, they always raise that. They say, ‘This is a huge roadblock’.”
With Ofcom’s enforcement powers set to take effect soon, Britain faces a fundamental choice: cling to its stringent online censorship policies or prioritize economic cooperation with the US. The decision could shape the future of free speech in the UK for years to come.
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