Latest news with #USMS
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Texas AG Sues Swimming Group Over Transgender Athletes at Masters Meet
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS), alleging the organization engaged in "deceptive practices" by allowing transgender women to compete in women's events at a San Antonio meet this spring. Newsweek reached out to Paxton's office and USMS via email on Saturday for comment. Why It Matters This legal action represents the latest escalation in a nationwide debate over transgender athlete participation in competitive sports, occurring alongside intensified federal action under President Donald Trump's administration. The lawsuit could set precedent for how consumer protection laws are applied to sports organizations' policies regarding transgender athletes, potentially influencing similar cases across the country. What To Know The suit specifically references the Spring Nationals competition in April, where transgender swimmer Ana Caldas placed first in five events in the 45-49 age group, and Jennifer Rines finished ahead of dozens of women competitors. The lawsuit claims USMS undermined consumer trust through "false, deceptive, and misleading practices" by creating what Paxton describes as an unfair competitive disadvantage for other female swimmers. The lawsuit alleges that female participants were "deprived of the opportunity to succeed at the highest levels" when competing against transgender women. Paxton's office characterized the situation as allowing "men to win countless events," reflecting the state's position that biological sex should determine competitive categories. This legal challenge comes amid broader federal action targeting transgender athletes. In February, Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports. The administration has also threatened to withhold federal funding from states that don't comply with these directives. The policy debate recently escalated in California where Trump threatened "large scale fines" against Governor Gavin Newsom after 16-year-old transgender athlete AB Hernandez won gold in high jump and triple jump at the state high school championship. The California Interscholastic Federation subsequently changed its rules to allow more cisgender girls to compete and medal in events where transgender athletes participate. USMS had already begun revising its policies before the Texas lawsuit was filed. The organization now bars transgender women from receiving official recognition for placing in women's events while still allowing them to participate in competitions. However, the lawsuit dismisses these changes as "too little, too late." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seen in the East Room of the White House on March 20 in Washington, D.C. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seen in the East Room of the White House on March 20 in Washington, People Are Saying USMS released a Facebook statement on Friday: "The Texas Office of the Attorney General notified U.S. Masters Swimming on May 19 that it was conducting an investigation into policies pertaining to transgender athlete participation in USMS competitions. USMS has been cooperating fully with the investigation and has been working with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to hopefully reach an agreement about the policy. USMS implemented an interim eligibility policy on July 1 in response to feedback from our members and the Attorney General's office and in line with our partnership with World Aquatics, which USMS is a member federation of." "USMS surprisingly learned yesterday via social media that the Texas Office of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against USMS and the five LMSCs that operate in the State of Texas. USMS is currently reviewing the allegations. To be clear, under USMS's policy (which aligns with World Aquatics policy), trans women are not eligible to receive records, Top 10 times, or awards in the women's category at all USMS-sanctioned events, and trans men are eligible for those competitive recognition programs in the men's category. Moreover, trans women swimming in the women's category do not displace other women from participating or receiving recognition in any USMS event. USMS policies referenced have been publicly posted on our website since 2012 and are outlined in our annually published Code of Regulations. More information about USMS's interim eligibility policy can be found in our FAQs." The statement concluded: "USMS is a national nonprofit community of adult swimmers focused on health and fitness. It is deeply disappointing to see our organization and individual members publicly targeted in a lawsuit that appears to be more about generating headlines than seeking justice. USMS will continue to cooperate fully with the Texas Office of the Attorney General and to uphold the values that have guided our community for more than 50 years." What Happens Next? USMS says it will continue cooperating with the attorney general's investigation while defending its policies in court. Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Paxton sues adult swimming organization that allowed tans women to compete in Texas race
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) sued an adult swimming organization Thursday after it allowed two transgender women to compete alongside cisgender women at a San Antonio competition in April. Paxton's lawsuit against U.S. Masters Swimming, a national membership-based nonprofit for adults of varying skill levels, follows an investigation into the organization he announced in May to determine whether it violated Texas's consumer protection laws by permitting transgender women to participate in events marketed as women's sporting events. In July, under pressure from Paxton and public calls for the organization to ban trans women from competing, U.S. Masters Swimming implemented new interim eligibility rules that authorize swimmers to participate in events that best align with their gender identity but do not allow trans women to win competitive awards or titles, score points or be ranked in the women's category. 'This is all too little, too late,' Paxton, who is currently locked in a contentious Senate primary with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), wrote in Thursday's lawsuit. 'U.S. Masters Swimming cannot save itself from the damage that it has done. U.S. Master's Swimming swindled countless women and it must be held accountable.' The organization, according to Paxton's lawsuit, violated Texas's Deceptive Trade Practices Act by allowing transgender women to participate in women's events at its Spring Nationals in San Antonio this year. During that competition, 47-year-old Ana Caldas, one of the trans women competing, placed first in her age group in five separate women's races. Paxton said U.S. Masters Swimming had broken the state's law because 'consumers did not know that biological men were competing in the women's events.' His office is seeking up to $10,000 for each alleged violation. In an emailed statement, U.S. Masters Swimming said it had been 'cooperating fully' with the investigation launched in May and had not been contacted by Paxton's office regarding the lawsuit. 'USMS surprisingly learned yesterday via social media that the Texas Office of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit against USMS and the five [Local Masters Swimming Committees] that operate in the State of Texas. USMS is currently reviewing the allegations,' the group said. The statement reiterated the new interim policy preventing transgender women from receiving records or awards in the women's category at U.S. Masters Swimming-sanctioned events. According to the organization's website, its policy aligns with 'applicable' rules set by World Aquatics, the international governing body for water sports. Transgender women are effectively banned from competing in World Aquatics events under a 2022 policy that allows only swimmers who transitioned before age 12 to participate in women's events. 'USMS is a national nonprofit community of adult swimmers focused on health and fitness. It is deeply disappointing to see our organization and individual members publicly targeted in a lawsuit that appears to be more about generating headlines than seeking justice,' U.S. Masters Swimming said in its statement. 'USMS will continue to cooperate fully with the Texas Office of the Attorney General and to uphold the values that have guided our community for more than 50 years.' On Tuesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) also threatened legal action against U.S. Masters Swimming over its inclusion of transgender athletes, writing in a letter to CEO Dawson Hughes that the organization's policy violates state discrimination and public nuisance laws and defies President Trump's February executive order opposing 'male competitive participation in women's sports.' Paxton, who has served as Texas's attorney general since 2015, has previously invoked state laws against false or deceptive business practices in arguing that transgender women should be barred from women's competitions in Texas. In a 2024 lawsuit against the NCAA, Paxton claimed the organization violated Texas's Deceptive Trade Practices Act by permitting transgender women to compete in events it marketed as women's competitions. 'Consumers purchase goods and services associated with women's college sports because they enjoy watching women compete against women—not men competing against women,' he wrote in the lawsuit, filed in December in a Texas district court.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Texas Attorney General sues US Masters Swimming after trans athlete controversy in San Antonio
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday he is suing US Masters Swimming (USMS), a competitive swimming membership organization with over 60,000 adult swimmers. The lawsuit is a response to an event in San Antonio where a biological male trans athlete won five women's gold medals. Advertisement Multiple female competitors told Fox News Digital after the meet they did not know the athlete was a biological male. 'I'm suing US Masters Swimming for engaging in illegal practices by allowing men to compete in women's competitions,' Paxton said in a post on X announcing the lawsuit. 'The organization has cowered to radical activists pushing gender warfare, and this lawsuit will hold USMS accountable for its actions.' Paxton's statement alleges USMS engaged in 'false, deceptive, and misleading practices by allowing men to compete in women's events.' Fox News Digital has reached out to USMS for comment. Advertisement In June 2023, Texas passed the Save Women's Sports Act, which bans trans athletes from competing in girls and women's sports and only allows students to compete in the gender category listed on their birth certificates. The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error. 4 Transgender swimmer Ana Caldas won five gold medals at a US Masters Swimming championship in San Antonio. Paxton previously launched an investigation into USMS after the conrtoversial April incident. Advertisement The trans swimmer, 47-year-old Ana Caldas, dominated all five races the athlete competed in, taking gold in the women's age 45-49 category in five races, including the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, freestyle and the 100-yard individual medley. Louisiana woman and long-time swimmer Wendy Enderle said she filed a request for an eligibility review after finding out that Caldas was transgender through a news article about the April incident. 'I feel betrayed. Plain and simple,' Enderle previously told Fox News Digital. 4 The 47-year-old trans swimmer dominated all five races that the athlete signed up for. FINIS Advertisement Enderle said she did not introduce herself to Caldas until a USMS meet in Little Rock, Arkansas, in January. Upon meeting Caldas, Enderle noticed the athlete's muscles and height but still assumed Caldas was a female. 'I knew there was something, but I didn't know what, I had no idea she was a trans female up until this past Wednesday after the meet,' Enderle said. 'I was shocked. … It makes me concerned, it makes me mad.' 4 Some biological women who competed said they did not know Caldas was a biological male. Fellow USMS women's swimmer Angie Griffin also swam with Caldas in April without knowledge of Caldas' birth gender. The shock of learning the news about Caldas prompted Griffin to write a formal letter of complaint to USMS. The letter also asked the organization to 're-evaluate' the recent Spring National Championship and overhaul its gender eligibility policy. Advertisement Griffin competed against Caldas in three races in San Antonio and finished behind the trans athlete in the 50-yard breaststroke and 100-yard individual medley. 'I couldn't stop thinking about how the integrity of individual competition had been compromised. Why doesn't USMS follow the same competitive standards as the rest of the world and NCAA? Why are athletes asked to accept less transparency and fairness?' Griffin previously told Fox News Digital 'I paid my entry fees, airfare and hotel, trusting I'd be competing in a women's division defined by biological sex. I deserved to know the truth before stepping onto the blocks.' The US Masters Swimming Board of Directors and Rules Committee updated its participation guidelines last month. Advertisement 'USMS allows members to register for the competition category that aligns with their gender identity and/or expression and to participate in sanctioned events in that category,' the new guidelines state. 4 Swimmer Angie Griffin wrote a formal letter of complaint to USMS. USMS 'However, swimmers will not be included in Recognition Programs (as defined above) unless they are swimming in the competition category that aligns with their sex assigned at birth or they meet the eligibility requirements.' To be eligible for the US Masters Swimming's women's recognition programs, the policy states, 'Members of the Female Sex are eligible for Recognition Programs in the women's category, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression. 'Members with 46 XY DSD whose gender identity or gender expression is female are eligible for Recognition Programs in the women's category if they can establish to USMS's comfortable satisfaction that their sex assigned at birth is female.'
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Innocent hiker mistaken for fugitive dad accused of killing his three daughters
A man hiking in the Idaho wilderness says he was mistaken for fugitive child murder suspect Travis Decker, who has been on the run since May 30. Decker is accused of killing his three daughters — Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5 — who were found at Rock Island Campground on June 2 after their mother reported them missing three days earlier, when they did not return home from a court-mandated custody visit with their father. U.S. Marshal Supervisory Deputy Michael Leigh said the USMS Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force on July 5 received a tip from a family in the Bear Creek area of Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho reporting the sighting of a man "consistent with the description of Travis Decker." "The person believed to be Travis Decker was described as a white male, 5'8"-5"10 wearing a black mesh cap, black gauged earrings, cream colored t-shirt, black shorts, long ponytail, black Garmin style watch, beard and mustache overgrown, wearing a black Jan Sport backpack and either converse or vans low top shoes," the USMS said in a July 7 press release. Days later, a Reddit user took to social media saying he was mistaken for Decker over the 4th of July weekend. The user said he and a friend went hiking on July 4, but his friend had to leave, so he went to hike the 889 Bear Creek trail alone the next morning at around 10 a.m. "Made it home safely on Sunday and my friend sent me a news article on Monday about the Decker sighting. We thought we stayed in the area with a killer," the user wrote. "On Tuesday the dots started connecting as news developed with better detail and I realized someone reported me as Decker." The hiker, identified only as Nick, told local news outlet Idaho News 6 that he had been unaware that authorities were searching for Decker in the area where he had been camping and hiking until he returned home. "Everything seems normal until my friend who was up there with me sent a text saying, 'Bro, there's a manhunt for a killer that was in the campground with us, my God we spent the night next to the murderer that is frightening,'" he told the outlet. Nick soon realized he matched the description of the suspect and contacted authorities, who met him at his workplace the following Wednesday. "They friendly interrogated me for half an hour," Nick told Idaho News 6. He added that those who reported him in the Sawtooth National Forest did what they were supposed to do in an ongoing search for a dangerous fugitive. "In my opinion, I don't realistically look like… that guy. [But] they saw me from a distance," Nick told Idaho News 6. "But be careful because this has been a little tumultuous for me and people around me. It's been disruptive at work, but I would encourage people to do that." Multiple local and federal agencies are involved in the active search for Decker. He drives a 2017 white GMC Sierra with the Washington license plate D20165C, according to authorities. A Chelan County sheriff's deputy found the truck around 4 p.m. on June 2 at the Rock Island Campground in Leavenworth, Washington. They found all three girls' bodies between 75 and 100 yards away, down an embankment, according to court documents. Each one had a plastic bag over her head, and "their wrists were also zip-tied or showed signs of being zip-tied," according to the affidavit. Deputies found two bloody handprints on the pickup's tailgate. Authorities warn that Decker should be considered armed and dangerous but insist they have no reason to believe he is a threat to public safety. He is charged with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and kidnapping. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $20,000 reward for any information leading to Decker's arrest.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Daily Mail
FBI issues new warning over phone scam sweeping the US
A terrifying new scam is sweeping across the US, catching people off guard with fake threats of arrest and demands for payment. The FBI issued a warning about criminals impersonating federal officials in phone calls targeting potential victims. In some cases, callers falsely claim a victim's Social Security number is frozen or that a loved one must pay for GPS monitoring to be released from jail, creating a false sense of urgency. The scam relies on phone number spoofing technology, which falsifies caller ID to make it appear as though the call is coming from trusted government agencies. Federal agents say scammers are demanding thousands of dollars in payment via prepaid gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency ATMs. The US Marshals Service (USMS) clarified in a public alert: 'The USMS will NEVER call you to collect money or resolve a court case.' 'Hang up and report the call to your local FBI office,' the alert urged. The FBI says the scam gained traction in June 2025, spreading across multiple states including New York, Illinois, and Virginia. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reports callers demand gift cards in amounts of $500 or $1,000. 'You will not be asked to wire a 'settlement' to avoid arrest,' the ATF warned. Scammers, often using phone numbers from Martinsburg, West Virginia, tell victims they must pay to 'clear a red flag.' Cybersecurity experts fear the scam tactics could evolve further, with the use of AI voice cloning or apps to impersonate officials even more convincingly. Variations of the scam are now appearing in nearly every state. The Chesapeake Police Department in Virginia reported scammers asking to borrow cell phones to transfer money or access private information. In Waterford, Michigan, police say callers use real officer names and ranks, demanding payment for missed jury appearances. In May 2025, Prince George's County Police arrested two suspects posing as Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agents. They collected tens of thousands of dollars from a victim by falsely claiming Apple accounts had been compromised. The suspects reportedly visited the victim's home twice to retrieve cash, illustrating how far scammers will go. These arrests followed a grand jury indictment charging conspiracy to commit theft and related offenses. Officials emphasize that while scam scripts change, the tactics remain the same: spoof trusted numbers and exploit panic to pressure victims into compliance. The New York State Police also issued alerts warning that calls threatening arrest unless victims provide Social Security numbers are fraudulent. They reminded the public that legitimate law enforcement will never make such demands by phone. Some scams have shifted to text-based 'smishing.' In June, the FBI warned iPhone users about fake DMV texts demanding payment for alleged traffic violations. Reports of smishing attacks surged 773 percent, according to cybersecurity firm Guardio. Globally, Google's Global Anti-Scam Alliance reports scammers stole over $1 trillion in the past year. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission noted a 25 percent year-over-year rise in fraud-related financial losses as of March 2025. Experts warn this may be just the beginning. Cybersecurity researchers caution these scams will likely evolve further, potentially using AI voice cloning and malicious apps to impersonate officials with even greater sophistication. There is also concern criminals could soon target smartphone voice assistants, cameras, or microphones, though no direct evidence of such attacks has emerged. Officials say victims not only lose thousands of dollars but are left anxious, shaken, and hesitant to trust legitimate law enforcement contacts. Experts call for advanced anti-spoofing tools at the telecom level and say scam education should be a core part of national cybersecurity efforts. For now, law enforcement advice remains simple and clear: 'If someone calls claiming to be an agent and demands money, hang up. Don't explain. Don't engage. Just hang up,' the FTC said.
