JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Enos Mafokate, South Africa's first Black show jumping champion and veteran equestrian, has died at the age of 80, his family announced on Thursday.
Mafokate broke racial barriers in a sport that was dominated by white riders during South Africa's decades of apartheid. He was widely known as "Kgosi ya Dipere," a Sesotho language phrase which translates to "King of Horses."
"His journey was shaped by several leading figures in South African equestrian sport who recognised his extraordinary ability and, at critical moments, supported him as he challenged the racial barriers of the time," his family said in statement.
Mafokate started out as a stablehand. He won his first riding competition in 1963 but the country's segregation laws prevented him from taking part in further competitions until 1975.
In 1980, he was the first Black South African man to compete internationally as a show jumper, placing fifth out of 31 riders at the Royal International Horse Show at Wembley.

#south #racial

One of San Francisco's highest-ranked schools will forfeit three of its varsity baseball games amid reports of racist taunting that allegedly occurred at a game last spring.
An investigation published Friday by the Academic Athletic **** ociation and CIF San Francisco City Section, the governing organizations of the school's teams, determined that on May 15, Lowell's varsity baseball team behaved in an "unsportsmanlike" manner while watching the championship junior varsity game versus Lincoln High School. Athletics officials said the team violated several of the **** ociation's bylaws, including its conduct and hazing policies.
The team is ordered to forfeit its games against three rivals in the 2026-2027 season: Lincoln High School, Galileo Academy and Washington High School. Officials have not set a date for the games yet, but they were chosen "based on the standings last season and the impact it will have on standings in the 2026-2027 season," the letter read.
Officials did not directly name the alleged racist incident or other allegations, but in a statement to SFGATE, school district officials said anyone who has witnessed or experienced "racialized harm" is urged to report it.
"We want to emphasize that there is no place for racism, discrimination, or racialized harm in the Lowell community or anywhere in SFUSD," the district said.

#varsity #season #forfeit #three

Ten years after he first took a knee to protest US police brutality, Colin Kaepernick said he is still being blackballed by the NFL and no longer watches the "disingenuous" league.
In a rare interview, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback said the NFL's statements condemning racial injustice after the 2020 death of George Floyd had been "laughable," and that the league has not changed.
"I'm not gonna support an organization that one, is actively blackballing me, but two, has targeted my brothers who have been protesting as part of this as well," said Kaepernick.
"I watch college football," he told NBC News.
Despite leading them to the Super Bowl game in February 2013, Kaepernick was released by the 49ers in 2017 -- a year after his kneeling protest began -- and has not played for an NFL team since.

#league #francisco

Colin Kaepernick claimed in a new interview that the NFL is still 'actively blackballing' him, 10 years since his #TakeAKnee movement in 2016
The former quarterback said he has not watched an NFL game since he was exiled from the league
Kaepernick is releasing a memoir called "The Perilous Fight" on Sept. 15
Colin Kaepernick is reflecting on the 10 years since he was exiled from the NFL.
In a new interview with NBC News on Tuesday, Sept. 1, Kaepernick, 38, claimed the league is still "actively blackballing" him a decade after he first knelt during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial injustice.

#kaepernick #colin #actively #years

Lowell High School's championship varsity baseball team will be forced to forfeit three future games against city rivals while its entire coaching staff has been removed, district officials announced Monday while releasing the results of investigations into a racially charged incident last spring.
"The school will find an interim coach for this season and conduct a search for a permanent coach for next season," officials said.
School administrators advised Lowell baseball parents and players of the decisions in a virtual meeting scheduled for early evening.
"We want to emphasize that there is no place for racism, discrimination, or racialized harm in the Lowell community or anywhere in SFUSD," district officials said in a statement obtained by the Chronicle prior to the meeting. "We encourage anyone who has experienced or witnessed racialized harm that has gone unaddressed to report it to school officials so that concerns can be appropriately addressed."
While the officials did not release specific information about the investigation, sources inside the Lowell community told the Chronicle in May that it appeared to be connected to alleged race-based taunting by Lowell's varsity players during a junior varsity game against Lincoln High at which the varsity coaches were present.

#officials #high #chronicle #coach

A father in Palo Alto, California, is declaring a victory in court after a federal judge allowed a civil rights lawsuit alleging anti-Asian bias in college admissions to move forward.
Nan Zhong and his son, Stanley Zhong, filed federal lawsuits against several elite institutions, including the University of California system, the University of Washington, the University of Michigan and Cornell University. The complaints allege the universities engaged in "racially discriminatory admissions practices that disadvantage highly qualified Asian-American applicants."
One of their cases will now proceed in part against the University of Washington after a federal judge granted the university defendants' motion to dismiss in part and denied it in part.
"We got an exciting ruling from the judge," Nan Zhong told Fox News Digital. "Effectively, the judge ruled in our favor by denying the university's motion to dismiss. So, this is a major development in the lawsuit. That means the judge found enough factual allegations to support our allegation."
Duke Law's Alleged Race-based Admissions Accused Of Defying Supreme Court Ruling: Doj

#university #zhong #admissions #court

The Department of Homeland Security is calling out Boston Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu's "unhinged" effort to dissuade business owners from leasing to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city, equating it to "hunting down" private property owners.
After Boston banned ICE vehicles from using city-owned parking lots to stage operations, ICE issued a notice seeking to rent hundreds of parking ******* es in the city for five years. In response, Wu, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement agenda, issued an open letter to parking garage and lot owners throughout Boston in which she revealed the city had submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request "for any local responses to ICE."
DHS fired back in an X post, writing that "these actions by sanctuary Mayor Michelle Wu are unhinged."
"She knows she has NO authority to block us from using private property. So, she's hunting down private property owners and threatening them for working with ICE — because she'd rather intimidate law-abiding Bostonians than get criminal illegal aliens OFF the street," wrote DHS.
Tom Homan Fires Back At Florida Democrat Over 'Ridiculous' Ice Racial Profiling Claim

#private #parking #michelle #immigration

A woman on TikTok, roopzthereitis, explains that her parents had no questions regarding the white woman whom her brother married. She claims that it is yet another example of the double standard that exists in her family concerning racial issues.
This is one of the videos in a series where she, who claims to be of Indian origin, discusses how her family disapproves of her relations with a Black man.
"If I were to bring home a white man, my parents would roll out the red carpet for him. So my brother actually brought home a white woman to introduce to my parents. And they accepted her immediately. They actually didn't even ask her any questions, like what her profession was, where she worked, how much money she made. Because her being white automatically just checked off all the boxes for them," she explains.
As for the comparison, the woman claims that her brother had a big family presence at his wedding, while she doesn't have anything similar because of her relationship.
"My brother had a very easy wedding. Everybody showed up. Everybody was happy that he married somebody that wasn't black," she shares.

#explains #questions

A TikTok influencer named Christy Wong responded to the internet's outrage about her dating preferences in her video **** led "Is it okay to have Racial Preferences in Dating?" Wong claimed people are missing the point of attraction and criticizing what they can't control.
First, Wong set the context and described people's reaction to her earlier statement about her dating preferences.
"People get very upset when hearing that other people have dating preferences," Wong said. "So I said that my preferences are white Americans, Chinese, and Koreans, and a lot of people are very upset with that. So let's talk about it, because I personally don't think it's worthwhile criticizing other people's dating preferences."
Then, she addressed the argument that people's preferences may be affected by the media and historical background.
"I said that my preferences come primarily from familiarity. But a lot of people say that our preferences can also be largely shaped by media and history, and it can reflect, internalize racism. And I don't disagree with that. There's no denying that that is definitely true. The media shapes what we find attractive. It shapes what I find attractive. It shapes yours. I don't think anybody is above it," she said.

#wong #criticizing #think

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has bested a young progressive challenger and an embattled former lawmaker after a hard-fought primary characterized by its racial overtones.
Schultz, a 21-year veteran of the House, stressed her seniority on the campaign trail and her ability to deliver services to constituents and secure federal funding for her district.
To secure her primary victory, Schultz defeated former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned in April following fraud allegations, and 27-year-old activist and teacher Elijah Manley, who is aligned with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Jeffries Declines To Back Wasserman Schultz As Black Leaders Revolt Over District Switch
Mid-decade redistricting in Florida prompted Schultz to choose to run in Florida's 20th Congressional District, which has a stronger Democratic lean than her home constituency.

#wasserman #primary #year

Portland, Oregon, mother Allison Roberts filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Portland Public Schools and her children's elementary school after allegedly facing retaliation over her opposition to their gender curriculum.
According to the Liberty Justice Center, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Roberts, she initially expressed concern last year over Meriwether Lewis Elementary School's decision to repaint its traditional rainbow pride flag into an "Intersex-Inclusive Progress" variant to include support for racial and transgender ideology.
Though Roberts supported "being immersed" in Portland's gay community, she felt that the new flag was "an overtly political symbol that promotes values contradictory to her Christian faith," specifically due to its promotion of transgenderism.
Washington Mother Pulls Children From School After Pride Lesson Shown In Music Class Without Notice
Portland mother Allison Roberts was barred from her children's school activities, including her son's graduation, after criticizing its gender curriculum.

#mother #elementary #pride #lawsuit

Controversial streamer Chud the Builder has reportedly posted bond two months after being arrested in connection with a shooting in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Chud, real name Dalton Eatherly, was released on from the Montgomery County Jail Sunday (August 9), per News Channel 5 Nashville. On May 13, the 29-year-old social media personality got into a verbal altercation with a disabled veteran identified as Joshua Fox, along with his wife, outside a courthouse.
It's alleged that Chud drew a gun on Fox after the man approached him and fired seven shots, five of which struck Fox. One of the bullets impacted Chud, who was treated for a gunshot wound in his arm, while Fox was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he underwent surgery.
Chud, who's known on social media for approaching and heckling Black people with racial slurs, was heard threatening to hit Fox if he said "all that chimp out **** " in a livestream after the shooting.
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#builder

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — During this Hall of Fame weekend, nearly everyone would like the attention to be on basketball, but it's difficult to ignore the conversations that are swirling around the WNBA — especially with some of the league's greatest icons being enshrined.
The ongoing vitriol centered around race, gender and ***** uality makes for daily headlines. They are part of an undertone to fouls and physicality that have come with the evolution of women's skills, all of which overshadow the impressive play that can be seen during the WNBA's 30th year.
Hall of Famer Dawn Staley, who is getting inducted again Saturday with the 1996 Olympic women's basketball team, sees a positive side to the negativity. Staley said there are similar parallels between what the WNBA is going through and what the NBA went through in the early stages of its growth.
"All the big pieces and all the things that are happening from a racial standpoint, from an officiating standpoint are great. They're great because the NBA went through it — the NBA went through all of it," she said. "So this is just badges of honor. Will we get through it? We will get through it."
What the NBA had to deal with was who could play in the league. It was an all-white league when it was launched and there was resistance to integration. The WNBA has been hit lately with a narrative on whether transgender women — people ***** igned male at birth who transition to align with their gender identity — should be allowed to play in the league. There has never been one.

#play #went #league

By Daniel Wiessner
Aug 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. agency that enforces laws banning workplace discrimination has dropped a lawsuit seeking to enforce a subpoena in an investigation of ‌Nike's treatment of white employees, saying the company has handed over a trove ‌of information.
U.S. District Judge Cristian Stevens in St. Louis, Missouri, granted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's motion on Thursday to dismiss the lawsuit it filed in February, after the agency in a filing late Wednesday said Nike had complied with its subpoena.
The commission had claimed the footwear and apparel company refused to comply with demands for information such as data on the racial and ethnic makeup of the ‌company's workforce and a roster ⁠of employees chosen for mentoring and development programs.
The EEOC said it was investigating whether Nike intentionally discriminated against white employees and job applicants, including by ⁠disproportionately targeting them for layoffs, and that it needed the information to determine whether Nike violated the law.

#nike #white #company

Middlesex CCC have reported an incidence of racial abuse from a visiting spectator at the club's One-Day Cup match against Sussex on Tuesday.
The individual, who is believed to have been there to watch Sussex but is understood not to be a Sussex member, was ejected from the ground at Radlett after the incident.
"Middlesex Cricket is appalled and deeply disappointed to report that during yesterday's game at Radlett, a valuable member of our team was racially abused by an away supporter," a club statement said.
"Middlesex Cricket strongly condemns this behaviour and will work closely with the regulatory body to investigate the perpetrator and support our member of staff."
BBC Sport understands the victim of the abuse was not a Middlesex player.

#member #reported

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has sided with the Virginia NAACP in its lawsuit against a county school board's reinstatement of Confederate military names to two schools, saying the decision discriminated against Black students and ordering the board to change the schools' monikers again.
In an opinion filed Thursday in U.S. District Court of Virginia, Judge Michael F. Urbanski said the school board in Shenandoah County violated Black students' rights under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, which forbids racial discrimination in state-supported institutions. The decision also violates the Equal Educational Opportunities Act, the court found.
Confederate army officers' names are "vestiges" of Shenandoah County's segregationist history that required separate schools for Black and white students.
"The Confederate names were restored with complete awareness of their historic legacy and ongoing discriminatory impact," Urbanski wrote. "In the court's view, the affirmative act of reinstating these vestiges of segregation is far more problematic than a passive failure to remove a long-standing name or symbol."
The judge ordered the board to settle on new school names "on a racially nondiscriminatory basis with all deliberate speed."

#confederate

Brittany Boltinhouse says her conservative politics and Christian faith may have contributed to the decision to remove her as Miss North Carolina USA 2026, while acknowledging that she does not know precisely why she lost the ******* le.
The 27-year-old pageant winner spoke publicly on August 7th, two days after the Miss USA Organization announced that she would no longer represent North Carolina. Boltinhouse said she had received little information about the reason and was limited in what she could discuss because of a confidentiality agreement.
Miss USA has offered a markedly different public framing. Chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said the decision followed a review of conduct that violated organizational standards and reflected behavior over an extended period rather than a single incident.
The dispute comes amid reporting about older social-media posts allegedly connected to Boltinhouse, including screenshots showing the use of a racial slur. Boltinhouse did not address the individual posts during her interview.
Speaking with Carolina Journal editor-in-chief Donna King, Boltinhouse said that based on the information available to her, she believes her conservative political stance and religious beliefs contributed to losing the crown.

#carolina

A powerlifter who alleged she was subjected to a racially motivated act that she says led to her disqualification from an event has said she "does not feel safe" when competing.
Belgium's Sonita Muluh was attempting a record 334.5kg squat at the Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania in June when Ernestas Kusinas - a 'spotter' who helps to ensure the validity of an attempted lift - touched the weights with his knee.
Muluh was disqualified and not allowed to reattempt the lift by judges, who ruled on a separate technical infringement.
But police in Lithuania have launched a criminal investigation after Kusinas later wrote on Instagram: "I am racist, and ⁠I did it intentionally."
A police spokesperson told Reuters the investigation will focus on the Instagram message and events at the championship, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

#police

George R.R. Martin has had a difficult year.
The Game of Thrones author and House of the Dragon co-creator says that he's recently struggled with depression, despite enjoying some great moments in his professional life.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
HBO's 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Casts Three New Actors for Season 2
'A Knight of Seven Kingdoms' Actress Responds to Racial Backlash About Her Role

#seven #House #dragon #hollywood

It's a tough job. But somebody's gotta do it.
Step right up, Michele Meyer-Shipp.
Nearly five months ago, Meyer-Shipp replaced Rod Graves as executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), an independent organization that promotes and monitors minority hiring for head coaching roles and other high-level positions in the NFL.
Yeah, that NFL. The one where Black coaches were 1-for-18 in landing the top jobs over the past two hiring cycles. The one that is a defendant, along with several teams, in a class-action lawsuit brought forth by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and two former coaches alleging racial discrimination. The one under attack from the Florida attorney general, aiming to wipe out the Rooney Rule, which ties so closely to the FPA's mission.
The challenges for Meyer-Shipp come from multiple directions, with multiple layers, against the political winds of the anti-DEI movement pushed by the highest levels of government.

#graves

By Ross Kerber, Bianca Flowers and Simon Jessop
July 28 (Reuters) - As U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his campaign against diversity programs, appointments of women and racial minorities to S&P 500 boards have dropped to their lowest level in more than a decade, threatening to unwind years of gains in corporate boardroom diversity.
The shift is evident in new research by recruiting firms that study leadership diversity and Reuters interviews with more than a dozen boardroom recruiters, investors and human resource ******* ysts.
It follows a series of Trump administration ‌actions targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives known as DEI. Across corporate America, major investors who once pressed companies to diversify their boards have retreated, while legal challenges have upended DEI policies in recent years.
RECORD DIVERSITY MASKS SHIFT IN NEW APPOINTMENTS

#Trump #shift #boards #investors

SeanStrickland believes Bud Light mishandled the aftermath ofDustinPoirier's arrest.

Poirier was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta InternationalAirport on a charge of public drunkenness after he threatened tofight a police officer while intoxicated and even used a racialslur. He has since owned up to his mistake while accepting hisissues with alcoholism since his retirement, vowing to stay sobergoing forward.

However, Poirier (30-10) recently revealed that Bud Light canceledhis sponsorship due to the incident and Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Stricklandisn't on board with the decision.
While Strickland had initially mocked Poirier for blaming hisdepression, he has since expressed his heartfelt support for "TheDiamond." Strickland had even warned Bud Light against cancelingPoirier's sponsorship. The two-time champion recently lashed out atthe beverage company for the same.

Strickland (31-7) says Bud Light already betrayed America byprinting transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney's photo on theircans in 2023. He believes Poirier didn't deserve to lose hissponsorship for nothing more than an embarrassing drunk incident.Strickland says Bud Light should have instead extended their helpto Poirier to deal with his alcoholism.

"It made me so f*cking mad. Bud Light already f*cking betrayedAmerica with their f*cking tr--ny on a beer can," Strickland saidon the "Shawn Ryan Show." "How much of a piece of sh*t are you, BudLight? The moment something bad happens where you get a littleshame 'cause you got drunk on a plane and tried to fight a blackcop. Which is funny; it's not racist. You want to terminate hiscontract? They should have reached out to Dustin and said, 'HeyDustin man, you might have a problem with drinking. We're a beercompany, we sponsor you, can we help you?' That's not what theydid. They're gonna say, 'You used our product and you f*cked up.Get the f*ck lost, we don't want that bad image.'"

#poirier #even #used #alcoholism

Basketball star and internet sensation Sophie Cunningham has become a lightning rod in the debate over transgender athletes in women's sports after her call to "protect young girls" in locker rooms drew White House praise.
WNBA guard Cunningham first soared to popularity last year as the so-called "enforcer" for her Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark, frequently exacting physical on-court retribution against opponents who mess with the league's most famous player.
Footage of Cunningham coolly staring down and pointing mockingly at one such foe for 22 unflinching seconds following a scuffle last month went viral, launching countless memes.
But the 6-foot-1 blonde from Missouri -- nicknamed "MAGA Barbie" by some observers in a league increasingly riven by racial tensions and stereotypes -- is drawing headlines this week for her views on trans athletes.
"I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men," she told ESPN in an interview published Tuesday.

#cunningham #last #Basketball

USA Today is addressing a controversial column by Nancy Armour on Wednesday about Caitlin Clark that invoked murdered Emmett Till—while linking some of Clark's fan base to "white nationalists."
After Armour's column about the Indiana Fever star sparked a firestorm Thursday, Front Office Sports asked USA Today if they stood by her article.
Lark-Marie Anton, chief communications and brand officer for USA Today Co., wrote an email back to FOS stating: "Nancy is a Sports columnist, and her column is clearly labeled Opinion. Please note that the column has been updated for clarity, and Nancy has addressed the matter here (and below). We will not be commenting further."
Anton was referring to Armour's post on Threads Thursday defending her decision to include the 14-year-old Till's racially motivated murder in 1955 in Mississippi. However, Armour wrote she regretted not providing "appropriate context" in her piece.
"In my recent column, I made an inartful comparison with the murder of Emmett Till. I intended to connect the issues the WNBA is currently facing with its All-Star Game being hosted in Till's hometown of Chicago. I obviously did not provide enough context for that," wrote Armour.

#column #nancy #sports

The Trump administration has accused UC San Diego's medical school of illegally discriminating against White and Asian applicants in favor of admitting less qualified Black and Hispanic students, putting nearly $1 billion in federal funding at risk.
The findings stem from a months-long Justice Department Civil Rights Division investigation launched in March and come as the Trump administration intensifies its effort to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
According to a letter sent to the school by **** istant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, the admissions committee used applicants' responses to a "hardship" essay question to determine their racial and ethnic backgrounds, using the essays as a proxy for race in deciding who advanced in the admissions process. The investigation found that from 2019 to 2025, Black applicants to UC San Diego Med were admitted at more than twice the rate of White applicants, even though White applicants, on average, had higher MCAT scores and GPAs.
"Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med's shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race," Dhillon said in a statement. "San Diego Med's blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices."
Justice Department Zeroes In On Ucla For Alleged Illegal Dei Admissions As Elite School Crackdown Expands

#school #Trump

NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters) - A New York state judge dismissed a lawsuit by a former JPMorgan Chase banker who ‌in graphic terms said his former supervisor coerced him into ‌sex and demanded his submissiveness, though the lawsuit is expected to be refiled in federal court.
Chirayu Rana, the former banker, will pay some legal fees of JPMorgan and his onetime colleague Lorna Hajdini as a condition of the dismissal, Justice Dakota Ramseur wrote on Thursday.
The dismissal, which Rana had ‌requested, does not affect Hajdini's ⁠defamation countersuit against him. Her lawsuit remains in the state court in Manhattan.
Rana, who was a vice president ⁠in leveraged finance, accused Hajdini of using her seniority to coerce him into non-consensual ****** ual activity over several months.
The complaint said Hajdini used racially derogatory language to threaten Rana, who is of Asian descent. It also ‌said she raped and drugged him, claimed she "owned" him, and threatened to sabotage his career if he didn't fulfill her ****** ual demands.

The "Today" show experienced a major scare on July 16 as an intruder allegedly confronted Craig Melvin and shouted a racial slur on the set of the iconic morning show. The incident occurred when a man allegedly breached security just after the first two hours of the broadcast concluded. The NYPD tells NBC News that they responded to a call for a disturbed person and placed an unidentified individual into custody. In a statement, "Today" tells Access Hollywood there was no altercation and no one was injured. TMZ reports that the alleged intruder was attempting to locate Al Roker when he allegedly confronted Melvin instead. Around 15 minutes after the encounter, both Roker and Melvin appeared on the third hour of "Today" and didn't show any signs of distress.

By Bianca Flowers
CHICAGO, July 14 (Chicago) - Civil rights leaders announced plans on Tuesday for a Washington march to defend voting rights, saying recent court decisions have ‌weakened key federal protections against racial discrimination in voting.
The coalition — led by Rev. ‌Al Sharpton's National Action Network and joined by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and labor and civil rights groups — will host the "March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote" march on August 28. That will mark the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Organizers said they hope to use the event to ‌pressure lawmakers and rally a response ⁠to the erosion of voting protections.
The campaign centers on the Supreme Court's April ruling weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a key ⁠provision used to challenge voting laws and electoral maps that discriminate on the basis of race or dilute minority voting power. Organizers said the decision has intensified a long-running fight over Black political representation.

CNN's Abby Phillip called out Republican outrage over "attacks" against Caitlin Clark as "seemingly" being fueled by the simple fact that Clark is white.
On Saturday's Table for Five, Phillip and her panelists discussed Republican lawmakers sending a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, in which they demanded protection for Clark from possible "racially motivated" attacks.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) shared the letter on X, which was signed by a total of 11 Republican lawmakers.
"I led my colleagues in demanding accountability from WNBA Commissioner Engelbert after MULTIPLE attacks against Caitlin Clark, a player who is transforming women's sports and inspiring a new generation of young girls to participate in athletics," he wrote. "I'm putting the league on notice that if it keeps letting the violent targeting slide, they could find themselves facing a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for violating federal civil rights law."
Sports broadcaster Cari Champion dismissed the lawmakers and accused them of being ignorant of the game, calling the "bullying" on the court a "rite of passage:"

As part of its ongoing belief that the rights of white people are in peril and require government protection, the White House earlier this week released a 162-page report accusing the National Museum of American History of engaging in "anti-White activism", declaring that exhibits at the various Smithsonian museums were prepared by "people who don't want you to love your country". Two days later, a group of nearly a dozen Republican lawmakers led by Texas representative August Pfluger threatened to send the Department of Justice after the WNBA unless it makes itself "accountable" for presumably not protecting embattled Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark against the physicality of game's Black players. Pfluger implied hard fouls against Clark "may be racially motivated", and threatened a civil rights lawsuit against the WNBA on Clark's behalf could be an option.
The Pfluger letter represents the third time in less than a month the Trump administration and its loyalists have interfered in sports, twice using it as a front in its ongoing culture war, putting the Justice Department on high alert against anything it considers to be anti-white, anti-straight, anti-Christian. Enlisting Clark is pitting her against her own teammates and the culture of her league, but maybe the government believes she's already there.
Related: Republicans ask WNBA to protect Caitlin Clark from possible 'racially motivated' attacks
In a sense, time is running out on Clark. She has spent the last few days centering her public comments on the toxicity of social media, but the entirety of her five years as a national superstar deftly avoiding any direct link between her vague personal politics and the anti-Black portions of her fan base who loudly claim her. The government implying she needs federal protection from her Black opponents further forces her hand to speak declaratively about being positioned as a target by her sport.
It is yet another step in a dystopian continuum. In June, the Trump DOJ announced it would investigate if Major League Baseball's Pride Night discriminated against Christian players. Trump last week called Fifa head Gianni Infantino to have a one-game suspension against by US national men's soccer team forward Folarin Balogun rescinded before Team USA's quarter-final loss to Belgium.