The Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota appears to be for women in name only.

The league, which touts itself as the largest women’s hockey league in the world, follows USA Hockey guidelines, which allow for the participation of men.

‘Pretending it’s OK for men to play in a women’s league insults women’s sports.’

USA Hockey allows athletes to “participate on a team that is consistent with their gender identity” in order to allegedly “help maintain a fair and safe environment.”

The policy, issued in 2021, adds that “gender identity” refers to one’s “internal psychological identification as a male or female, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum.”

Adhering to these guidelines, the WHAM has allowed at least seven different males to play among its teams, including four on a single squad.

According to Reduxx, a team in the league’s A-division called the Robins had four active male players in 2024. Kayley (Kody) Misialek, Rhea (Brady) Turner, Diana (Chris) Sulmone, and Paige (Dylan) Rainer were all listed on the team’s official roster. The team finished in second place in their division last season.

RELATED: Fathers step up to defend girls’ sports after liberal state defies President Trump — and biology

Reduxx further reported on the playing history of each of the four players, alleging that last year marked Turner’s first season competing as a female; at six feet tall, he has also played on a transgender hockey team.

Misialek has reportedly been playing women’s hockey since 2022, as has Sulmone.

Rainer allegedly played for a boys’ high school team before transitioning to co-ed teams. He also reportedly switched to the women’s league for the 2024-2025 season.

In cooperation with HeCheated.Org, the report named three more men playing in the women’s hockey league under girls’ names. This included one male who was alleged to run a venue that is labeled a “dyke and queer” bar.

RELATED: Olympics committee expected to reverse course on men in women’s sports

Two women have spoken out against WHAM’s inclusion of male players. Kelley Grotting said in February that playing against the men “feels unsafe” and is “not fun.”

“I am not a transphobe. To each his or her own, but pretending it’s OK for men to play in a women’s league insults women’s sports and creates safety issues,” she added, per Alpha News.

In October, a former college women’s hockey player said she was leaving hockey forever because men are allowed in the league in which she has played for 20 years.

“I am left to believe they do not care about my safety or the sanctity of the sport,” she explained. “I can no longer participate in a league that does not care about me.”

In response to criticisms about the league, a petition was filed in support of men in women’s athletics, started by a sports bar that exclusively shows women’s sports on its screens.

The petition said that the “safe and inclusive nature” of the league was being challenged, and therefore the community must “rally behind each individual’s right to sport, regardless of gender identity.”

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​Fearless, Transgenderism, Hockey, Minnesota, Women’s sports, Nonbinary, Sports 

On September 11, 2001, three New York firefighters raised an American flag above the wreckage of the World Trade Center. That moment was more than an image. It was a declaration that the country had buckled but not broken. That flag rallied millions, inspired enlistments, and stiffened a nation’s resolve mere hours after the most devastating attack in modern U.S. history.

In 2025, the opposite message is taking root in some of America’s cities. In Boise, Idaho, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, local leaders elevate symbolic banners that compete with, sidestep, or openly contradict the national and state standards that define shared civic space.

If we want unity, we must lead with the symbols that foster it. Because if we don’t plant our flags, someone else will.

In Boise, a blue island in a bright red state, Mayor Lauren McLean (D) kept the Pride flag flying over City Hall despite Idaho’s HB 96, a law restricting public property to the U.S. and state flags. After Attorney General Raúl Labrador (R) issued a cease-and-desist, McLean responded with a letter threatening legal action and framed her stance as “standing with my community.” The city council followed with a 5-1 vote to adopt the Pride flag as an official city emblem to get around the law.

In Minneapolis, state Sen. Omar Fateh (D) waved a Somali regional flag at an October campaign rally. Supporters defended the gesture as cultural outreach to the city’s large Somali population. Opponents saw something else: a political statement that placed clan or regional identity ahead of shared civic loyalty.

At first glance, these acts look harmless. But historians — and anyone who has studied conflict or national movements — know that flags communicate power. A flag marks territory, signals allegiance, and announces who intends to lead.

A banner raised in a civic space says something about the future of that space. It’s a symbol of conquest — in this case, conquest without firing a shot.

Minneapolis illustrates the stakes. Somali-Americans represent a large and active community, and political leaders court their votes aggressively. But clan politics from Somalia’s fractured landscape often follow families to the United States.

Analysts noted that Minneapolis’ recent mayoral race reflected clan splits, with blocs supporting or opposing Somali candidates not on ideology but lineage. That tension influences local elections and creates new pressures on civic life.

Political imagery matters when communities already navigate competing loyalties. A foreign regional flag held aloft at a campaign rally isn’t a neutral gesture; it’s an invitation to organize political power around identities that do not map cleanly onto American civic culture.

History amplifies that point. For centuries, flags have signaled triumph or defeat long before a treaty forced anyone’s hand. At Fort McHenry in 1814, the sight of the American flag still flying after a night of bombardment, energized defenders and inspired the poem that became our national anthem. At Iwo Jima in 1945, Marines raised the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, transforming a brutal fight into a symbol of American resolve and shifting the morale of both sides.

Flags shape memory. They mark identity. They tell people who stands firm and who gives ground.

RELATED: The real danger isn’t immigration — it’s the refusal to become American

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

That is why the flags flown on public property matter now. McLean’s use of the Pride flag isn’t just about “love is love.” It supplants the symbol that binds Idahoans across differences. Fateh’s regional Somali flag isn’t simply cultural pride; it injects external political identities into municipal politics and signals a shift in who claims influence over public life.

Americans can shrug at this trend or take it seriously. Civic symbols either unite a people or divide them. A city hall flagpole should unify, not segment communities into competing camps. A political rally should appeal to voters as Americans, not as factions drawn from overseas allegiances.

The answer is not outrage or retaliation. The answer is clarity: reclaim civic symbols that express shared loyalty to a shared country. Fly the U.S. flag. Fly state flags. Encourage communities to celebrate their heritage while affirming the nation that binds them together.

A nation confident in itself does not surrender its symbols. It presents them proudly — on porches, at city halls, and at the center of public life. America’s strength begins with the values and commitments those flags represent.

If we want unity, we must lead with the symbols that foster it. Because if we don’t plant our flags, someone else will.

​Opinion & analysis, Flags, Pride flag, Boise, Boise pride, Boise mayor lauren mclean, Leftism, Conquest, Tribalism, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Omar fateh, Somalia, Somali flags, National anthem, Old glory, 9/11 

Before Republican lawmakers passed their funding bill to reopen the government last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) slipped in a provision that paved the way for senators — and only senators — targeted by the Biden FBI’s Arctic Frost operation to squeeze the government for taxpayer cash.

Lawmakers in the House, some of whom were also victims of the previous administration’s lawfare, unanimously rejected the provision, taking steps to repeal it earlier this week.

‘What did I do wrong?’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), among the senators eligible to sue for a payday of at least $500,000, stopped the repeal in its tracks on Thursday, prompting chatter about personal enrichment among some of his colleagues.

The provision

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) published damning documents last month revealing that in its years-long campaign to find “anything they could to hook on Trump, put Trump in prison,” the Biden FBI not only subpoenaed records for over 400 Republican individuals and entities but secretly obtained the private phone records of numerous Republican lawmakers.

Thune introduced a provision into the continuing resolution that reopened the government to enable senators whose phone records were “acquired, subpoenaed, searched, accessed or disclosed” without his or her knowledge to file a civil lawsuit against the government inside the next five years for at least $500,000 plus legal fees for each instance of a violation.

Senators would be able to take legal action if at the time their records were seized, they were a target of a criminal investigation; a federal judge issued an order authorizing a delay of notice to the senator in question; the government complied with the judge’s order; and the subpoena was faithfully executed.

The backlash

The provision caused bipartisan outrage in the House.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he was “very angry” about the provision, stressing that it had been slipped in at the last minute without his knowledge.

RELATED: A payout scheme for senators deepens the gap between DC and the rest of us

Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images

“We’re striking the provision as fast as we can, and we expect the Senate to move it,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told CNN. “We believe there’s a fairly sizeable growing majority over there that believes that they should strike it.”

Democrat Rep. Joe Morelle (N.Y.) said that this kind of “one-sided get-rich scheme at the expense of taxpayers is why Americans are so disgusted with this Congress.”

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), who indicated that the provision was “probably the most self-centered, self-serving piece of language” he had ever seen, introduced a resolution to appeal the provision on Nov. 12.

“Nobody in the House supported this language,” Scott said on Wednesday ahead of the vote on his resolution. “This language did not go through any committee in the Senate, did not go through any committee in the House, and could never be passed and signed into law if it was discussed openly.”

“For the people who are saying it’s $500,000, I want the American citizens to know this: It’s not $500,000. It’s $500,000 per account per occurrence,” continued Scott. “We have one senator — one — who maintains that this provision is good and is currently saying that he is going to sue for tens of millions of dollars.”

Scott appears to have been referring to Sen. Graham, who said in a recent Fox News interview that he would sue “the hell out of these people” for “tens of millions of dollars.”

Scott added that it was right to open up the government but wrong to put “language in the bill that would make themselves individually wealthy.”

The House passed the Georgia Republican’s resolution in a unanimous 426-0 vote.

Graham’s blockage

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) requested unanimous consent on Thursday for the Senate to follow suit, claiming the provision was “unprecedented in American history.”

Others across the aisle were reportedly warming to the idea of killing the legislation, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley — among those whose communications were targeted by the Biden FBI — who stated, “I had my phone tapped, so I’m all for accountability, don’t get me wrong, but I just, I think taking taxpayer money is not the way to do it. The way to do it is tough oversight.”

Desperate to protect the provision, Graham blocked the motion.

“What did I do wrong?” said Graham, who argued that the surveillance of his communications was unlawful and that he deserved a right to have his day in court. “What did I do to allow the government to seize my personal phone and my official phone when I was Senate Judiciary chairman?”

According to reports, federal investigators accessed Graham’s phone records. No allegations to date indicate that investigators appropriated Graham’s phones.

While Democrat senators attempted to paint the taxpayer-funded payback as unsanctioned by their leadership, Graham reportedly extracted from Thune an admission that the provision had been discussed with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

“So this wasn’t Republicans doing this,” said Graham. “This was people in the Senate believing what happened to the Senate need never happen again.”

In hopes of alleviating concerns about self-enrichment, Thune proposed on Thursday changing the provision such that any damages awarded under the law would be forfeited to the U.S. Treasury. His corresponding resolution was blocked by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

Graham underscored on Thursday, “I’m going to sue.”

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​Lindsey graham, Graham, Senate, Thune, Heinrich, Mike johnson, Austin scott, Payout, Payday, Arctic frost, Fbi, Politics 

A female accused of tossing a cup of hot coffee on the manager of a Michigan McDonald’s earlier this month finally gave herself up and appeared before a judge.

Casharra T. Brown, 48, of Saginaw surrendered to police last Friday on an outstanding warrant authorities had issued for her nine days earlier, MLive.com reported.

‘F**k you, b***h! Catch that hot-a** coffee!’

That same Friday, Brown appeared before Saginaw County District Judge M. Randall Jurrens for arraignment on one count of assault and battery, the outlet noted.

The charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine, MLive reported. The outlet previously reported that police submitted paperwork to the Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office requesting a felonious assault charge against the suspect.

Jurrens freed Brown on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, the outlet said; one bond condition is that she’s barred from entering McDonald’s restaurants.

On the morning of Nov. 4 at the McDonald’s at 3700 Dixie Highway in Buena Vista Township, Brown wanted a refund for two sandwiches after placing an online order, Buena Vista Township Police Detective Russ Pahssen told MLive.

The outlet said the McDonald’s manager gave Brown a coffee and tried to de-escalate the situation while Brown claimed she had been there for more than an hour. The interaction reached an impasse, MLive said, and the manager told Brown to have a great day as she turned and walked away from the counter.

The female customer removed the lid from the coffee cup, threw the contents at the manager, and yelled, “F**k you, b***h! Catch that hot-a** coffee!” as she exited the restaurant, according to video of the encounter without redacted audio. The manager can be heard screaming after the hot coffee struck her body.

The following video report aired before Brown surrendered to authorities.

RELATED: Woman allegedly tossed coffee at mom and her infant over dog leash dispute — and is now facing deportation

Pahssen shared video of the assault on Facebook to gain the public’s help in identifying the assailant, MLive said, adding that the detective said Brown was identified as the culprit within minutes.

While Pahssen at the time told MLive that the manager suffered minor burns, the outlet said Pahssen later indicated that the McDonald’s manager was wearing enough layers to prevent her skin from being burned.

MLive said it contacted defense attorney Paul M. Purcell about the case, but he declined to comment.

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​Mcdonald’s, Michigan, Buena vista township, Hot coffee, Arraignment, Misdemeanor, Assault and battery charge, Freed, Viral video, Crime 

Did Donald Trump secretly plan this fight over the Jeffrey Epstein files to lure Democrats into another political trap? No. I don’t believe he did. I know people close to the president who were frustrated over the summer when he abruptly shifted from promising the files’ release to calling it a “distraction” and a “hoax.” I said at the time on my show that the switch was the first major misstep of Trump 2.0.

But I understand why the 4D-chess theory is so tempting now. It looks like a setup. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spent months attacking Trump over Epstein. Then we learned that Jeffries may have accepted donor requests from Epstein after Epstein’s first sex-offense conviction. And a Democrat from the Virgin Islands — Epstein’s district — was literally taking dictation from Epstein on what questions to ask in a congressional hearing.

The 2026 midterms are coming fast. If the GOP wants to avoid another preventable disaster, it had better stop rehearsing the same script.

Those are facts, not theories.

The deeper truth, though, has nothing to do with strategy. American politics follows two patterns, and both showed up again this week.

First, Republicans pre-emptively surrender. Always.

Watch Democrats tell soldiers to ignore orders while Trump follows every instruction a federal judge hands him. His restraint isn’t Romney-level, but the Republicans around him shrink the space for any real fight. That’s why Attorney General Pam Bondi is developing a well-deserved reputation for overpromising and under-delivering.

RELATED: The right message: Justice. The wrong messenger: Pam Bondi.

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Second, Democrats always overreach when Republicans fold.

We saw it in 2018 when Republicans gave up on repealing Obamacare and lost 40 House seats for their cowardice. The pattern continued in 2020, as Democrats pushed their false god evangelism into insane absolutism — on “fortifying” elections, on arresting Trump, on forcing people into taking the poisonous jab, on transitioning kids. It was mark of the beast stuff, and voters wanted no part of it.

The latest example came this week, when Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) answered a question from a friendly reporter about why Democrats never pursued the Epstein files when they had the chance by snapping, “What is [Trump] hiding?” The Senate had just voted almost unanimously to release those files, and instead of revealing Trump, former Bill Clinton hack Lawrence Summers stood exposed for his ties to the sex offender, seeking his counsel as “wingman” in an effort to seduce the daughter of a high Chinese Communist Party official.

RELATED: ‘Swamp protects itself’: Republicans shield Epstein-texting Democrat — allegedly to save Cory Mills’ hide

Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Both parties cling to their worst instincts. Republicans surrender too easily. Democrats push too far. And no politician in modern history has been buoyed more by his opponents’ excesses than Donald Trump.

So once again, Republicans hold the advantage on the Epstein files — at least for the moment. But early signs suggest they may squander it. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Pam Bondi appear ready to narrow or redact the release into something the base will see as betrayal. If that happens, Democrats won’t need to win the argument. Republicans will beat themselves.

The 2026 midterms are coming fast. If the GOP wants to avoid another preventable disaster, it had better stop rehearsing the same script.

A little discipline — and a little courage — would go a long way.

​Opinion & analysis, Jeffrey epstein, Epstein files, Congress, Republicans, Democrats, 2026 midterms, Donald trump, Pam bondi, Chuck schumer, Hakeem jeffries, Stacey plaskett, Lawrence summers, Mike johnson, Courage, Justice department, Transparency