Latest news with #federal law enforcement
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA takes legal route to tackle sex toy incidents
The post WNBA takes legal route to tackle sex toy incidents appeared first on ClutchPoints. The WNBA is escalating its response to a wave of neon green sex toy disturbances that have disrupted multiple games since July 29, 2025, taking the legal route by working with law enforcement to pursue arrests, felony charges where applicable, and long-term bans. 'The safety of everyone in our arenas remains a top priority,' a league spokesperson said on Friday evening, as Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported. 'We are working closely with local and federal law enforcement to pursue all appropriate actions—including arrest and prosecution with felony charges where applicable—against anyone engaged in this conduct or otherwise involved in sponsoring this reckless and unacceptable behavior.' Seven known incidents have occurred, with four objects reaching the court during live play. The first took place on July 29 during the Golden State Valkyries–Atlanta Dream game in Georgia. Additional incidents followed in Chicago (Aug. 1 and Aug. 7), Los Angeles (Aug. 5), New York, Phoenix, and another Atlanta game on Aug. 1. The latest occurred Thursday night, when two sex toys were thrown late in the Chicago Sky–Atlanta Dream contest, one landing on the court and halting play. A cryptocurrency meme coin called 'Green Dildo Coin,' which launched July 28, has claimed responsibility for the stunt campaign. According to an anonymous spokesperson, the group intended the throws as marketing and a protest against what they call the toxic environment in the crypto world, denying any intent to target women's sports. The Athletic reported the coin's value tripled in its first week. The group said future pranks may move to other high-traffic areas with cameras, though disruptions have persisted. Police arrested two people, a 23-year-old man in Georgia on charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, public indecency, and indecent exposure (all misdemeanors), and an 18-year-old in Phoenix on charges of assault, disorderly conduct, and publicly displaying explicit sexual material. Both allegedly told police they committed the acts as pranks meant to go viral, and the crypto group's spokesperson said neither is affiliated with the organization. Security experts note the difficulty in detecting these items, which typically contain no metal and can bypass arena metal detectors. Ty Richmond, president of event services at Allied Universal Security, said inconsistent screening and the priority of getting fans inside quickly contribute to the challenge. He stressed that prosecution and publicizing convictions are major deterrents. Players, coaches, and the WNBPA have condemned the incidents as dangerous and rooted in the sexualization of women. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve called it the latest version of misogyny in sports, while Sparks coach Lynne Roberts labeled it ridiculous and dangerous. Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, nearly struck in Los Angeles, said it undermines efforts to have the WNBA taken seriously. The league has warned that anyone throwing objects onto the court faces immediate ejection, a minimum one-year ban, and prosecution. Investigations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York remain ongoing. Related: 7 biggest 2025 WNBA trade deadline missed opportunities Related: Grading 2025 WNBA trade deadline deals
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
WNBA suggests it's pursuing criminal charges against fans who throw adult toys onto court during games
The WNBA released a statement Friday addressing the recent wave of fans hurling sex toys onto courts during games. The statement indicated the league is working with federal law enforcement to pursue criminal prosecution against the culprits involved in the incidents. "The safety of everyone in our arenas remains a top priority. We are working closely with local and federal law enforcement to pursue all appropriate actions — including arrest and prosecution with felony charges where applicable — against anyone engaged in this conduct or otherwise involved in sponsoring this reckless and unacceptable behavior," the statement said. The fourth incident of a sex toy being thrown onto a WNBA court happened during Thursday night's game between the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream. That incident happened after at least two arrests were made in a series of disruptions. Sex toys have been thrown during at least six WNBA games over the last week and a half. The first happened during a game in Atlanta July 29. It happened in Chicago Aug. 1 and again on Thursday. In Los Angeles on Tuesday, a sex toy nearly hit Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Sex toys were also reportedly thrown at games in New York and Phoenix Tuesday but did not appear to reach the court. An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged after the incident in Phoenix. He reportedly told police that he pulled the prank because it had been trending on social media. He was arrested on suspicion of assault, disorderly conduct and publicly displaying explicit sexual material. There is also an ongoing investigation into the incident in New York, the Liberty confirmed to The Associated Press. A man in Georgia was also arrested after the first incident in Atlanta and was charged with disorderly conduct, criminal trespassing, public indecency and indecent exposure.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump orders increased federal law enforcement in Washington DC to combat crime
Update: Date: 2025-08-08T10:16:56.000Z Title: White House ups federal law enforcement at tourist hot spots in Washington, DC Content: Good morning and welcome to the US politics live blog. I'm Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines from the day. There will be increased presence of federal law enforcement in Washington DC, the White House announced yesterday, to combat crime for at least the next week. It comes amid Donald Trump's suggestions that his administration could fully take over running the city, Associated Press reports. 'Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. 'President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens.' She added that the increased federal presence means 'there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in DC'. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the rule of Washington could be returned to federal authorities. Doing so would require a repeal of the Home Rule Act of 1973 in Congress, a step Trump said lawyers are examining — but could face steep push back. 'We have a capital that's very unsafe,' Trump told reporters at the White House this week. 'We have to run DC.' Trump's intervention follows an alleged attack on on a federal employee who worked for the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge). In other developments: Vice-president JD Vance kicks off a trip in the United Kingdom with a meeting with British foreign secretary David Lammy on Friday that will bring renewed scrutiny of Vance's sharp criticism of Britain and its governing Labour party. Vance, his wife, Usha, and their three young children are expected to land in London at the start of a trip that includes staying with Lammy at Chevening, the country residence used by the foreign minister. The Texas attorney general Ken Paxton and state house speaker Dustin Burrows have filed a lawsuit in Illinois to enforce arrest warrants against Democratic lawmakers who left Texas to block Republicans from enacting a gerrymandered congressional map that would likely add five more Republican seats before next year's midterm elections. The civil petition was filed in an Adams county, Illinois, circuit court, about a four and a half hour drive from Chicago. More than 30 Texas Democratic members are named in the suit. The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine. 'Under president Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes,' Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday in a video announcing the reward. Israel's political-security cabinet approved a plan early on Friday to take control of Gaza City, a move expanding military operations despite intensifying criticism at home and abroad over the devastating, almost two-year-old war. Far-right allies in prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition have been pushing for a total takeover of Gaza as part of his vow to eradicate Hamas militants, though the military has warned this could jeopardise the lives of remaining hostages. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will nominate Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Stephen Miran to serve out the final few months of a newly vacant seat at the Federal Reserve while the White House seeks a permanent addition to the central bank's governing board and continues its search for a new Fed chair. Miran, who has called for a complete overhaul of the Fed's governance, will take over from Fed Governor Adriana Kugler following her surprise resignation last week, as she returns to her tenured professorship at Georgetown University. Donald Trump will announce a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Friday 8 August, according to reports from both Reuters and CBS News. The respective leaders of both Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan, will attend events at the White House tomorrow, despite decades-long tension between the two countries. Donald Trump has said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin despite the Russian leader's refusal to meet Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy – dispelling speculation that direct talks between the two warring presidents were a precondition to a high-level US-Russia summit. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said that Putin did not have to meet with Zelenskyy first before the US and Russian presidents could meet. Donald Trump has called on Intel's chief executive to resign, alleging Lip-Bu Tan had ties to the Chinese Communist party, sending the stock of the US chipmaker falling. 'The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately,' Trump posted on Truth Social about Tan. 'There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!'.
