Smith College faces federal Title IX probe over transgender policy

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Smith College faces federal Title IX probe over transgender policy

Trump admin pushes for fairness in women’s sports as DOJ sues Minnesota

The Trump administration, through the Justice Department, sues Minnesota over Title IX compliance issues, aiming to protect fairness in women’s sports. Collegiate softball player Kendall Kotzmacher shares her heartbreaking experience playing against a biological male, highlighting the need to protect female athletes’ hard-earned achievements. Many young people, including Kendall, support this stance, demanding change to ensure fair competition.

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An education watchdog organization is slamming Smith College as the school faces a federal probe over alleged Title IX violations. Nearly one year after Defending Education filed a complaint against Smith College, the Trump administration announced its investigation.

The Education Department said in a statement on Monday that Smith College was allowing “biological men” into “women-only spaces, including dormitories, bathrooms, locker rooms, and athletic teams.” The Trump administration’s Office of Civil Rights is investigating whether the college’s policy is a violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

“An all-women’s college loses all meaning if it is admitting biological males,” assistant secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement. “Allowing biological males into spaces designed for women raises serious concerns about privacy, fairness, and compliance under federal law.”

Defending Education, a national grassroots organization that focuses on combating “harmful agendas” in educational institutions, filed a complaint against Smith College in June 2025, accusing the college of violating Title IX.

TRUMP ADMIN INVESTIGATES ALL-WOMEN’S COLLEGE FOR ADMITTING MALE STUDENTS

Smith College sign

Smith College has been accused of violating Title IX by giving biological males access to women-only spaces. (John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Admitting men who feel like women means that the institution — formerly one of the nation’s prestigious ‘Seven Sisters’ all-women’s colleges — is no longer for women only,” Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and senior legal fellow at Defending Education, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“Smith also discriminates against women by operating bathroom and facilities policies that open spaces once reserved for women’s safety and privacy to anyone who ‘identifies’ as a woman. That makes a mockery of the ‘all-women’ institution,” Perry added.

Defending Education accused Smith College of discriminating against female students in ways beyond the invasion of women-only spaces by biological men. The organization pointed out that while Smith College will admit biological males who identify as women, it will not admit biological women who identify as men. Defending Education claims that this is another form of unequal treatment.

Protesters holding signs outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

Protesters gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2026, to oppose transgender athletes competing in women’s sports as the court reviews related bans in a landmark case. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

MASSACHUSETTS UNIVERSITY PROMOTES DEI AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DESPITE TRUMP ADMIN EXECUTIVE ORDERS

The college’s wellness center offers “gender-affirming care to students across the gender spectrum.” This includes the use of “an informed consent model to initiate and/or continue hormone therapy.” The center offers a variety of services, including counseling, injection lessons, sharps containers, letters and referrals for gender-affirming surgeries and more.

Smith College first announced that it would admit transgender women on May 2, 2015. The policy allows self-identified women, meaning those who are cisgender, transgender and nonbinary, to be admitted to the college. Then-Smith College President Kathleen McCartney and then-Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Mugar Eveillard said the change was made “in light of society’s evolving understanding of gender.”

“The board’s decision affirms Smith’s unwavering mission and identity as a women’s college, our commitment to representing the diversity of women’s lived experiences, and the college’s exceptional role in the advancement of women worldwide,” the 2015 joint statement read.

Smith College sign

Smith College is facing a federal probe over alleged Title IX violations related to its policy of admitting transgender students. (Brian Logan/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)

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“In the years since Smith’s founding, concepts of female identity have evolved. Smith alumnae have been leaders in the movement to afford women greater freedoms of aspiration and self-expression,” the statement continued.

Despite the policy change, the college said that it would “continue to use gendered language, including female pronouns” in official communications.

Fox News Digital did not receive a response from Smith College in time for publication.

Rachel Wolf is a media and culture reporter for Fox News Digital.



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Correspondents’ dinner suspect faces new charge of assaulting federal officer | White House correspondents’ dinner shooting

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Cole Tomas Allen, the suspected gunman at the White House correspondents’ dinner, is facing an additional related charge for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, federal authorities announced on Tuesday.

The new charge, which formally accuses Allen of firing at a US Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint, is part of a new four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Washington. The other three counts are charges Allen previously faced: attempted assassination, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and illegal transportation of a firearm and ammunition across state lines.

On 25 April, Allen, a 31-year-old California man, allegedly sprinted past a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual press gala was taking place.

Prosecutors allege Allen was running toward the hotel’s ballroom with the intent to assassinate Donald Trump and other senior administration officials, who were dining with roughly 2,500 journalists and other guests.

In Tuesday’s announcement, federal prosecutors claimed that as Allen rushed the security perimeter, he fired a shotgun and hit a Secret Service agent in the chest.

Several other weapons were found in his possession, prosecutors said.

“Today’s indictment underscores a simple truth: there is evidence this defendant intended to assassinate the president, and that he shot a US Secret Service officer after he traversed the country with a cache of ammunition to accomplish his goals,” the US attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, said on Tuesday. “The use of violence to register dissent is anti-democratic at its core. We will pursue the maximum punishment available under the law against anyone who travels to the District of Columbia to engage in such acts.

“As alleged in today’s indictment, the heavily armed defendant rushed security and shot a Secret Service Officer in an attempt to assassinate President Trump – but was stopped thanks to the courageous and immediate response from law enforcement,” said the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche.

The the initial set of charges against Allen did not accuse him of shooting the agent, nor was it mentioned in a court document prosecutors filed on 29 April seeking Allen’s detention.

Pirro released video of the moment Allen charged the security checkpoint last Thursday, claiming the footage showed Allen shooting the Secret Service agent. Pirro told CNN in an interview on Sunday that a pellet that came from Allen’s shotgun recovered at the scene was intertwined with fibers from the vest of the agent.

The agent, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was not seriously injured.

Reuters contributed



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Election Analysis: These issues weighed heavily on Mamta; Out of the seats where maximum names were cut, TMC won 13 – Mamata Banerjee Get Setback With Anger Of People Corruption Law And Order Issues Taken Toll In West Bengal

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Election Analysis: These issues weighed heavily on Mamta; Out of the seats where maximum names were cut, TMC won 13 – Mamata Banerjee Get Setback With Anger Of People Corruption Law And Order Issues Taken Toll In West Bengal

It is becoming very difficult for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to digest the crushing defeat in West Bengal. This is the reason why he, in his usual style, refused to even resign a day after the results. It is also natural for Mamta, who is stubborn, to do so. After all, he was confident that hounding everyone from the Election Commission and the Central Government to the Supreme Court on the issue of SIR would give him electoral gains, but the results surprised him. All his efforts did not work in overcoming the anti-incumbency wave.



During the elections, Mamata Banerjee raised her voice strongly that the names of a large number of voters were being deleted in the name of SIR in Bengal. He accused the commission of working at the behest of the central government. By presenting arguments as a public petitioner in the Supreme Court, he proved that whether it was on the streets of Kolkata or in the court of Delhi, he had not lost his tendency to fight till the end. But the results show that SIR did not prove to be a weapon for Trinamool to neutralize the anti-incumbency wave.

Mamata was under siege on many fronts, from teacher recruitment scam to corruption allegations against party colleagues. The issue of women’s safety along with law and order was a big issue and this also became the reason for the crushing defeat of Trinamool Congress. In 2021 too, Mamata had to face a tough challenge from the Modi-led saffron party, but then she was successful in winning on the basis of welfare schemes and appeal to protect Bengali culture from outsiders.

This time he launched the Yuva Sathi Yojana (a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 for unemployed tenth pass students aged 21 to 40) and increased the allocation for the Lakshmi Bhandar Yojana for women from Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per month. More than 81 lakh people of Bengal (more than 10% of the voters) registered in the Yuva Sathi scheme, but when they reached the polling stations, they probably did not find the scheme suitable to vote for Trinamool.

Situation will change in India alliance also
Bengal, which witnessed unexpected political changes, shattered his dream of becoming Chief Minister for the fourth consecutive time. If Trinamool had won this time, Mamata would have achieved the title of longest-ruling woman Chief Minister. Not only this, his role as a strong pillar of the opposition alliance India would also have been strengthened. The most surprising thing is that Mamata herself had to face defeat in her stronghold Bhawanipur also.

40% vote share is the only relief for Trinamool
BJP has defeated Trinamool Congress on 207 seats in Bengal, but what is a bit of a relief for the Trinamool supremo is that the party has been successful in getting more than 40 percent vote share. However, this defeat has brought the 71-year-old militant leader back to the same point from where he started politics. Now it has to be seen to what extent she can take street politics at this stage of her age.

Fact also: Out of the 20 seats where maximum names were dropped, Trinamool won 13 seats.
Initial analysis on what role SIR played in the results of Bengal shows that out of the 20 seats where maximum number of voters’ names were deleted, 13 were in Trinamool’s account. At the same time, BJP won on six seats and Congress won on one. Another trend shows that out of the 187 seats from where more than 5,000 names were removed, the BJP won 119. In 47 of these 187 constituencies, the number of voters removed was more than the margin or lead of victory. TMC won 65 of these 187 seats, in 18 of which the number of removed voters was more than the victory margin.



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Delta Air Lines cuts drink and snack service on short flights, sparking debate

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Delta Air Lines cuts drink and snack service on short flights, sparking debate

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Some Delta Air Lines passengers are voicing frustration over upcoming changes to onboard service, with critics questioning whether the move is more about cost-cutting than efficiency.

The reaction comes after Delta confirmed it will eliminate food and beverage service on roughly 450 daily flights — about 9% of its network. The changes, which take effect May 19, apply to flights of 349 miles or fewer, many of them under an hour in the air.

“Delta is adjusting onboard beverage service to create a more consistent experience across our network,” the airline said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

MAN SPARKS OUTRAGE BY CALLING 30-MINUTE AIRPORT RIDE FOR HIS WIFE A ‘MASSIVE INCONVENIENCE’

“Customers traveling in Delta Comfort and Delta Main on flights 350 miles and above will now receive full beverage and snack service,” the carrier said.

“Shorter flights will no longer offer food and beverage service — with the exception of Delta First, which always receives full service,” the Atlanta-based airline added.

Cabin crew pushing service cart and serving a customer on an airplane during flight

“Shorter flights will no longer offer food and beverage service — with the exception of Delta First, which always receives full service,” Delta Air Lines said about their planes (not pictured). (iStock)

On X, some travelers described the move as “nickel-and-diming,” while others questioned the removal of even basic drink service.

Under the new policy, full drink and snack service — including alcoholic beverages and multiple snack options — will be available on flights of 350 miles or more, about 14% of Delta’s daily departures. 

Shorter routes that previously offered a limited “express service” will lose those offerings entirely.

Delta noted that many of the affected flights already had minimal or no service, particularly those under 250 miles, meaning some routes won’t see much change.

PASSENGER SAYS AIRLINE FORCED HER TO BUY SECOND SEAT, SPARKING VIRAL DEBATE OVER ‘CUSTOMER OF SIZE’ POLICY

First-class passengers will continue to receive full service regardless of flight length.

Passenger eating meal in business class on an airplane

Travelers were split about whether airlines should serve snacks and beverages on short routes. (iStock)

“Even on the small number of flights without beverage service, our crew will continue to be visible, available and focused on caring for our customers, like they do on every flight,” Delta said.

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Lee Abbamonte, a New York-based travel expert, applauded Delta for the policy update.

“It’s a reasonable decision,” he told Fox News Digital. “Short flights don’t need food and beverage — you’re done in an hour and can easily plan ahead or just wait.”

Young blonde woman sitting inside an airplane using a laptop and drinking coffee

An aviation expert said it’s a reasonable decision not to serve snacks on routes that are under 350 miles. (iStock)

“Airlines have been cutting costs for years now, and it will only continue as fuel prices continue to rise and competition lessens,” he added.

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One passenger on Reddit wrote a post blasting the decision, calling it “zero service.”

Others passengers took to Twitter to debate the pros and cons.

Woman enjoying a gourmet meal while seated on a flight

“Airlines could charge for food to offset some of the costs. It’s better than going out of business,” an X user suggested. (iStock)

“They can’t even spot me those three pretzels?” one X user wrote.

“They’ll charge you for a $9 water but keep paying the big guy like a king,” another chimed in.

“Airlines really out here squeezing every last dollar,” a third said.

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“Airlines could charge for food to offset some of the costs,” one suggested.

Yet many travelers praised Delta’s decision.

Interior of an airplane cabin showing rows of seats along the aisle

“A 350-mile flight is less than 45 minutes. I don’t know why anyone would worry about this at all,” an X user said. (iStock)

“A 350-mile flight is less than 45 minutes. I don’t know why anyone would worry about this at all. They can hardly serve the plane in the amount of time they have between takeoff and landing,” an X user said.

“It’s ridiculous to do a beverage service when you only have maybe 20 usable minutes. Half the plane gets served, and the other half write complaint letters when they don’t get served,” another added.

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A third agreed with that.

“On those shorter flights, it’s already a race to get everyone their small bag of chips. … Who cares?”

Jessica Mekles is an editor on the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. 



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Anthropic comes for the midmarket software spend • The Register

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Anthropic comes for the midmarket software spend • The Register

There’s gold in midmarket IT spend, and Anthropic – backed by private equity and banking heavyweights and tapping its Claude Partner Network – is coming for it.

Anthropic and a group of investors are launching a standalone AI-native enterprise services firm for mid-sized companies to build custom Claude-powered systems for core business operations, with the new outfit set to join its Claude Partner Network.

“Companies from community banks to mid-sized manufacturers and regional health systems stand to gain from AI, but lack the in-house resources to build and run frontier deployments,” Anthropic said in a press release.

To give them the expertise, the AI model maker said its Applied AI engineers will work alongside the new firm’s engineers to understand customers’ operations, identify where Claude can help, and build custom systems.

Anthropic did not reply to an email requesting comment.

“There are some really strong reasons to focus on the midmarket,” Shari Lava, IDC’s group vice president of AI, data, and automation, told The Register. “First of all, there is just the sheer number of midmarket companies … Second, midmarket companies tend to act more nimbly – they have to in order to compete effectively. They also tend to have more streamlined decision-making, greater cooperation in the executive ranks, and less risk aversion, all while often having less technical debt.”

Lava agreed with Anthropic that they also tend to lack the in-house skills to tackle large AI projects, and they don’t get much attention from large, enterprise-focused vendors, meaning they are a greenfield for Anthropic.

“While most work with multiple hyperscalers and SaaS companies, most of the projects have little support from the vendor directly, meaning partners are key to any deal,” she told The Register. “Midmarket offers faster sales cycles and higher willingness to pay for custom integration than fragmented SMBs, while being less locked into big vendor ecosystems than enterprises.”

Gary McConnell, CEO of VirtuIT, a national solution provider that is focused on midmarket customers, said Anthropic is presenting partners with a “huge opportunity” to win services business by addressing the under-adoption of AI among those customers in that middle tier.

“Ultimately, I think it’s a huge opportunity,” he said. “The idea of that is not to do more with less, it’s to do more with more. So when you see these models get plugged in and they’re able to generate more data, and that data being generated needs to be backed up, and the backup pools grow, and the storage grows, and it needs to sit on either a local or cloud compute. There are just so many consultative elements that the opportunity of AI brings to the equation.”

McConnell said VirtuIT is exploring partnership deals with several AI companies, including Anthropic. He said the largest pool of customers for Anthropic’s services is likely going to come from its financial backers.

To fund the standalone services company, Anthropic has partnered with Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs. McConnell sees this as a way for Anthropic to quickly get early wins under its belt.

“They have the portfolio companies that fall under these large conglomerates that generate sales pipeline for them,” he said. “If you’re a portfolio company owned by Goldman Sachs, you will not be running on OpenAI’s platform. It’s as simple as that.”

Anthropic’s willingness to build bespoke software for customers seems to fuel the SaaS-pocalypse narrative that has developed around AI tools’ displacement of large legacy IT platforms. While Lava said this deal could push around some small to mid-size SaaS vendors if it is well executed, it may complement the larger SaaS providers by introducing agentic workflows to the midmarket.

“I think it could put pressure on SaaS players, and even other legacy applications outside of cloud. Especially for app providers outside of core enterprise apps like ERP or CRM in the short term,” she said. “It’s risky to move core apps, but there are many other applications in mid-size companies, many of which a company starts to outgrow quickly in midmarket, such as expense apps, PM tools, marketing apps, etc.”

McConnell said there is an appetite inside the midmarket for novel approaches to software management that Anthropic can exploit.

“I think over time, they’re going to be able to continue to show business value for organizations and say, ‘Hey, you don’t need this legacy CRM, that hasn’t been touched in the manufacturing industry in 30 years. We can build this for you pretty cheaply, with tools you’re already using,'” McConnell said. ®



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California ‘failing victims’ of violent crime as financial support plummets | Gun crime

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Victims of violent crime in California are finding it increasingly hard to get support from the state, a new analysis has found, a development that has locked some of the most vulnerable people out of funds to help cover crime scene cleanup, relocation costs, funerals and therapy.

California established the nation’s first victims’ compensation program in 1965, aimed at helping victims of violent crimes and their families cover some of the costs sprung onto them by the violence.

A new report from Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), a non-profit that advocates for communities that are overrepresented as victims of crime and in the criminal justice system, has found that since 2019, the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) has been awarding less to victims and denying more applications for relief, despite having more money in the fund.

The amount of money distributed by CalVCB has dropped from about $65m in fiscal year 2019 to 2020, to about $50m in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, a decrease of more than 30%, a CSJ analysis of CalVCB’s annual reports concludes. The award amount hit a five-year low in 2021, when $46m was allotted to victim reimbursements.

Meanwhile, the number of people applying for awards but being turned down has gone up. In 2019, CalVCB denied almost 5,000 of the nearly 47,000 applications it received. In 2024, the most recent year data is available for, CalVCB denied about 10,250 of 25,000 applications.

“It’s the state’s responsibility to the victims of crime and our communities to make sure they’re making good on our tax dollars,” said Tinisch Hollins, CSJ’s executive director. “But since 2019, the state has been failing victims. They have not been getting the support they deserve and that’s directly tied to public safety.”

The denials are not related to a drop in overall funds. CalVCB’s budget has increased, from $56m in 2019 to nearly $80m in 2022. It’s remained at that level since.

CalVCB did not respond to questions about why its payouts have dropped. In its annual report for 2023 to 2024, CalVCB stated that most denials occurred because applicants “had not provided all required documentation on time”. The program said an increase in applicants had led them to change their process in a way that then led to more denials based on the lack of timely documentation.

In a statement, the program said it was “committed to providing financial assistance to victims of crime to help them restore their lives”, and they encourage people who’ve been victims of crimes and their family members to apply for compensation.

Hollins said that many of the victims she and CSJ work with are unaware of the victims’ compensation program. Some who do apply are daunted by the process and give up, she said. Others hear stories about other people in their communities being denied and become discouraged from applying. “There are fewer applicants because people gave up on applying,” Hollins said. “For years, these dollars have just been sitting there.”

Hollins sees other, longstanding problems with the program. She said its terms can be restrictive in ways that advocates like her say disqualifies many of the people who live in communities hard-hit by crime and mass incarceration. For example, applicants have to cooperate with police and participate in court proceedings if an arrest is made and can’t be on parole or probation for a violent crime when they apply for compensation.

“Just because someone was on probation or went to prison doesn’t exclude them from being a victim if they are shot or injured,” Hollins said. “These sanctions create a cycle of unaddressed harm in our community that hurts everyone and leaves everyone unsafe.”

The victims’ compensation fund distributes some direct cash assistance in emergency situations, but the majority of its payments are reimbursements for expenses ranging from mental health counseling to mileage costs to and from medical appointments.

CalVCB is primarily funded through California’s Restitution fund, which is made of fines and fees that people convicted of crimes are required to pay. It is supplemented by other funding sources, including the state’s general fund, which is primarily financed by taxes, and federal dollars.

The amount of compensation awarded reached an all-time low in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year, right when many communities were facing their second year of historically high homicides. Researchers are still exploring what caused the increase; officials, law enforcement and community advocates have pointed to a combination of pandemic-era stressors, a slowdown in courts and criminal proceedings and the pullback in in-person interactions among the people most likely to be involved in a shooting and staff with the programs that try to intervene in the violence.

Advocates like Hollins say that the decrease in awards has meant that Californians in need of immediate support after being the victim of a crime are left with few options for relief. The dynamic can leave them vulnerable to being re-victimized, because they can’t leave their neighborhood or their injuries can compound and worsen because they can’t get the proper medical care.

This decline in compensation is also set against the backdrop of concerns about an increase in crimes like shootings, burglaries and public drug use throughout the state that rose during the pandemic and has lasted into the current Trump administration. In California, these concerns led voters to pass Proposition 36, which enacted harsher penalties for retail theft, property crimes and drug offenses.

Prop 36 and other tough-on-crime policies in the state’s past have been sold to voters as a way to honor crime survivors who’ve already been traumatized and avoid creating new victims, Hollins said. But, the legislators who advocate for them continue to overlook the shortcomings of programs, like CalVCB, that are already in place but failing to meet the needs of the state’s most underserved victims.

“These tough-on-crime laws are put in front of voters with the narrative that we’re not doing enough to protect people who’ve been harmed,” Hollins added. “Meanwhile, the one program in the state that is supposed to respond to victims is not doing that.”



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AEW TNT champion Kevin Knight reflects on rising stardom

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AEW TNT champion Kevin Knight reflects on rising stardom

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“The Jet” Kevin Knight can be seen flying above the pro wrestling ring for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on Wednesday and Saturday nights on “Dynamite” and “Collision” respectively.

Knight is the AEW TNT champion and was a trios champion with Adam Page and “Speedball” Mike Bailey and with Bailey and Místico. It’s only been about seven years since Knight started to get into the industry and his meteoric rise has led him to become one of the stars in AEW.

The 29-year-old recalled in an interview with Fox News Digital that he moved to Seattle out of college to get started in the business.

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Kevin Knight entering the wrestling ring at National Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo

Kevin Knight enters the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling at National Yoyogi Gymnasium in Tokyo on May 17, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

“Who Kevin Knight, ‘The Jet,’ is – a lot of things rolled up into one,” he said. “I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York. Raised down in Atlanta. I started my wrestling career when I moved to Seattle after college. And about six months in, I moved to LA to join the New Japan LA Dojo. For those that don’t know, it’s like a Japanese style-based training.

“So, I was living a Japanese lifestyle in LA during the pandemic. So, it was a lot of different factors going on. I think that’s why I call myself ‘The Jet,’ because I have so many different flavors from every different city in the world just all rolled up into one. I live in Orlando now. Just a cool, fly guy who just loves to do cool stuff.”

Knight called training during the coronavirus pandemic an “adjustment period,” but he acknowledged that he could be doing anything he wanted.

He said there were certain intricacies of pro wrestling that drew him in – from the superhero appeal of the wrestlers themselves to the pageantry in the sport.

HOW SKIPPING PROM LED SCARLETT BORDEAUX ON PATH TO PRO WRESTLING STARDOM

“I could be doing anything. I could be flipping burgers, I could be going to space or something, I don’t know,” he told Fox News Digital. “But just about pro wrestling, I just loved the presentation of it. I love the showmanship, the pyro, everything about it. It just seemed like real-life superheroes coming down the ramp.

“You saw the commentators, you saw the action. And then, people have cool theme songs and cool costumes. I know what it was immediately and I just like the pageantry of it and it was like my version of watching superheroes or Spider-Man or whatever. I wasn’t too much into superheroes when I was young. But wrestlers, they were my superheroes growing up. So, that’s what attracted me to it.”

Knight made waves in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), but for a split-second, he became a free agent. Any company could have signed him – and really, Bailey as well.

Last March, Knight and Bailey both decided to sign with AEW. Knight explained the X-factor that AEW had to make the promotion stand out above the rest.

Kevin Knight inside the wrestling ring at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo

Kevin Knight competes inside the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on May 15, 2025. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

“AEW allows freedom, freedom of expression, to be yourself and you can walk right up to Tony (Khan), talk to him, have regular conversations with him,” he said. “It’s not like, you have to walk on eggshells. It was just be yourself and being yourself is just a great gateway to just being creative and being your best self. There’s no extra added pressure of, ‘Oh, I gotta say hi to 50 other people that I just saw earlier today,’ and all of that stuff.

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“So, AEW, just in the fan base, the roster, the catering, man, everything about AEW is like 10 out of 10. I can’t complain. In my free agency, I explored all my options and I feel like this was just the best fit.”

Knight won the vacant TNT Championship in a six-man casino gauntlet match at Dynasty last month. It was the first singles title of his career and the 32nd champion altogether, following the likes of Darby Allin, Kyle Fletcher, Christian Cage, Jack Perry and others.

“It’s been the workhorse title. It’s been the title that people do the open challenges for. The best wrestlers in the world have held this title, the TNT Championship,” he said. “For me to be able to hold this and for this being my first-ever singles championship in my career, was an amazing feat especially on the one-year anniversary of my AEW pay-per-view debut.

“Like it’s just shown in the short amount of time, just how fast you can rise up in the ranks just by believing in yourself, hard work, discipline and just being in the right place at the right time. It’s been an amazing journey and we’re just getting started.”

Kevin Knight entering the wrestling ring at Fukuoka Kokusai Center

Kevin Knight enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Wrestling DONTAKU 2023 event at Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan, on May 3, 2023. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

Now, Knight earned a shot at the AEW World Championship on Wednesday night on “Dynamite” against Allin. He defeated Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) to earn the shot while Allin defeated Brody King to retain the championship last week.

For Knight, he suggested it was a full-circle moment for him as he utilized Allen’s advice when he was getting started in the industry.

“This match means a lot to me because I came from the same school that Darby Allin came from up in Seattle – the Buddy Wayne Academy,” Knight told Fox News Digital. “And when I first met Darby, maybe I was 3-4 months into my career, and the No. 1 thing that he told me was do not waste time, do not waste time. And, I feel like I did just that with my time in AEW. Here we are, a year later, I’m already a champion. I’ve won the trios titles twice already.

“So, I feel like I’m just listening to what he said and it’s all coming to fruition. It’s coming to a head this Wednesday. Definitely not going to waste any time. I think this would be the first time there would be a world championship and a TNT Championship on the arms. So, I’m ready for it.”

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But don’t expect MJF to get another shot at the world title any time soon.

“Honestly, he’s in the back of the line. He’s in the back of the line. He lost against Darby. He lost against me as well. He’s had two losses in a row. So, I’m not sure what his resume speaks for to get a shot at the title,” Knight said. “I know he’s gonna try to ringworm his way into the title picture again. If it’s up to me, the first person that’s getting a title shot is ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey. MJF, back of the line.”

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.



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Unwell British crew member to be ‘urgently’ evacuated from cruise ship after hantavirus cases | Infectious diseases

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A British crew member who became ill after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is to be medically evacuated, officials have said.

The crew member is being prepared for medical evacuation from the MV Hondius along with a Dutch colleague, with Dutch authorities overseeing the operation.

The two crew members needed “urgent medical care” after experiencing respiratory symptoms, the tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, from the World Health Organization (WHO), said its “highest priority” was to “medically evacuate these two individuals to make sure that they have the care that they [need]”.

The Spanish health ministry confirmed on Tuesday evening it would receive the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands “in three or four days”, where medical teams would examine and treat all passengers and crew and transfer them to their home countries.

“The World Health Organization has explained that Cape Verde is unable to carry out this operation,” the health ministry said.

“The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities. Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens.”

A British passenger with symptoms of hantavirus, a disease primarily found in rodents, is understood to be improving. The passenger was medically evacuated on 27 April to Johannesburg, and remains in intensive care.

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the government was putting “plans in place” for the onward travel of Britons stuck on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship.

In a post on X, Starmer said: “My thoughts are with those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius. We are working closely with international partners to support British nationals onboard and we’re putting plans in place for their safe onward travel.”

Cruise passenger appeals for help after suspected hantavirus outbreak – video

A total of seven suspected cases have been identified, including three people who have died. Two of the cases have been confirmed as hantavirus.

Van Kerkhove said on Tuesday: “As of today, seven individuals of the 147 passengers and crew have been reported ill. Sadly, three have died.

“One patient is in intensive care in South Africa, although we understand that this patient is improving, while two patients are still onboard the ship and are being prepared for medical evacuation to the Netherlands for treatment.”

Another suspected case has been reported, but this person was “currently doing well and is asymptomatic”, Van Kerkhove added.

“At this stage, there are no additional symptomatic people onboard,” she said.

“That said, the situation is being closely monitored and, as a precaution, passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins while disinfection and other public health measures are carried out.”

Graphic showing cruise trajectory and incidents

There are 19 British nationals listed as passengers and four British crew members on the ship, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde – an archipelago in the central Atlantic Ocean off the coast of west Africa.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We are working with the Dutch government on medical evacuation planning for sick passengers with the local authorities from a range of nationalities, but that includes one British national as well.”

Medical teams from Cape Verde were providing support to the ship on Tuesday.