Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, was slammed by a Republican colleague on Wednesday after suggesting that lawmakers who are critical of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives must inherently think her views are untrustworthy because she is a minority.The comments came during a Wednesday afternoon hearing about the state of DEI in the United States under the second Trump administration. The senator's comments came after she got into a back-and-forth with a witness from an anti-DEI law group over whether the courts have ever opined on the constitutionality of DEI."Okay, well, I'm out of time," Hirono said, seemingly unsatisfied that the witness pushed back on her claims that the courts have never called diversity, equity and inclusion unconstitutional. "You can see that we are very we are a very divergent group of people here."HIRONO RIPPED FOR DERANGED OPENING CONFIRMATION HEARING QUESTION TO BURGUM: THIS LADY HAS ISSUES"Intellectually diverse!" Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, quipped in response to Hirono.Hirono looked in Schmitt's direction and smiled before saying: "You know, on the basis of the suspicion supposedly for people who are DEI, that would mean that you suspect me of something I cannot be trusted. I hope that is not your view.""I don't know if you're talking hopefully you're not talking about me, because that is a ridiculous accusation," Schmitt shot back.HAWAII'S HIRONO ONLY SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON COLLINS, CONTINUING PARTISAN STREAK AT HEARINGSHirono then turned back to Schmitt and said, "good, thank you.""I wish everybody else would say the same thing about those people in our country who happen to look different from the rest of us" she continued before Schmitt interjected to adjourn the hearing."Okay your time has expired, senator. Thanks. Thanks so much."Hirono has frequently criticized Republicans, President Donald Trump and his administration over the past few months, and she had an odd line of questioning for many of Trump's nominations during the confirmation process.During his confirmation hearing to be defense secretary, Hirono accused then-nominee Pete Hegseth of being willing to shoot at lawful protesters. She was also the only lawmaker on the Senate's Veterans Affairs Committee to oppose the confirmation of Trump's nominee for Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is one technical foul away from a suspension from the WNBA.With seven technical fouls in just her first 22 games of the season already, an eighth would put Reese past the threshold for a one-game suspension, per WNBA rules.Reese picked up her seventh technical of the season on Tuesday night in the first quarter of a blowout loss to the Lynx. Reese appeared to pick up the technical after being assessed a common foul due to an off-camera interaction with referees.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMReese currently leads all players in the WNBA in technical fouls this season with seven, according to Across the Timeline. Washinton Mystics player Shakira Austin is in second place with five.Reese got her first technical foul of the season in the season opener against the Indiana Fever and her longtime rival Caitlin Clark. The foul occurred after Reese grabbed an offensive rebound and Clark slapped Reese's arm hard enough to jar the ball loose and knock Reese to the floor.CAITLIN CLARK NEEDS TO BE HELD BACK IN HEATED CONFRONTATION WITH WNBA REFWhen Reese got up, she tried to confront Clark before Indiana's Aliyah Boston stepped in between the two players. Clark's third personal foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1, while Boston and Reese each drew technical fouls following a replay review by the referees.Reese hasn't faced Clark since that game, as Clark has missed multiple games due to injury this season.Reese then recorded technical fouls against the New York Liberty on May 22, the Dallas Wings on May 31, the Connecticut Sun on June 15, the Los Angeles Sparks on June 29 and the Mystics on July 8.Last season, Reese only racked up four technical fouls, with one coming against Clark. Meanwhile, Clark came one technical foul shy of suspension last season, racking up seven. However, Clark's seventh technical foul came in the final month of the season, while Reese is already at seven in July.If Reese is assessed an eight technical and gets suspended, she will lose her game check for that game. Reese has already been vocal about not being paid enough without having to lose a game check.Reese recently drew attention to herself at the WNBA All-Star game when she spoke out against the WNBA for its handling of recent negotiations with the player's union, the WNBPA, over a new collective bargaining agreement.Reese said the proposal the WNBA sent to the players was "disrespectful.""It was an eye-opener for me. Like, hearing the things and hearing the language of things and not things that I was happy to hear. It was disrespectful the things that we were sent back, the proposal that we were sent back," Reese told reporters at WNBA All-Star weekend on Friday."It's important to be able to be vocal. If I sit back, it looks like I don't care."Last October, Reese admitted she couldn't afford to pay her bills based on her WNBA salary, in an Instagram live video, adding she paid $8,000 per month for rent."Im living beyond my means. Hating pays them bills, baby. I just hope you know the WNBA dont pay my bills at all," she said. "I dont even think that paysoneof my bills. Literally, Im trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. Let me do the math real quick. I dont even know my (WNBA) salary, $74,000?"Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

President Donald Trump has secured a $221 million settlement with Columbia University to resolve multiple federal civil rights investigations.The deal includes $200 million over three years for alleged discriminatory practices and $21 million to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel.The White House called it the largest antisemitism-related settlement in U.S. history; Columbia confirmed the dollar amounts, but did not characterize the deal that way.The agreement restores billions in federal research funding and imposes oversight through an independent monitor. Columbia has agreed to reform, including enhanced campus protest rules and changing disciplinary authority from faculty to administrators.COLUMBIA PROFESSORS DEMAND ANSWERS AS WHITE HOUSE FINALIZES NEGOTIATIONS WITH IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITYColumbias public statement does not acknowledge White House claims that the university will review international student admissions or Middle East programs or share admissions process data.Acting President Claire Shipman said the settlement safeguards academic independence and allows essential research to resume.Columbia admitted no wrongdoing but acknowledged the need for reform after "painful, unacceptable incidents" affecting Jewish students and faculty.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty," said Shipman. "The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest."The White House also cited provisions related to womens sports and campus safety not mentioned in Columbias statement.The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's additional request for comment.

China is reportedly working to cognitively merge humans with machines as part of its ongoing efforts to compete in the artificial intelligence race.The communist country is using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology systems that allow for communication between the brain and an external device to "augment human cognition and human-machine teaming," The Washington Times reported, citing a presentation from Georgetown experts delivered to U.S. officials.AI ARMS RACE: US AND CHINA WEAPONIZE DRONES, CODE AND BIOTECH FOR THE NEXT GREAT WARThese include invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive BCIs, according to The Washington Times.Invasive BCIs involve surgery to implant electrodes into the brain, while non-invasive BCIs use sensors on the scalp to monitor brain activity. Meanwhile, minimally-invasive BCIs involve implanting devices, but they do not penetrate brain tissue, according to a report in the National Library of Medicine.FOX NEWS AI NEWSLETTER: AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH FOR PARALYZED MAN WHO CAN'T SPEAKThe U.S. has primarily focused on building up language models to develop AI technology. However, China is going against traditional thinking about how to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI) a type of AI that has the ability to perform as well as or better than a human being in cognitive tasks, according to William Hannas, lead analyst at Georgetowns Center for Security and Emerging Technology."There are all kinds of possibilities out there, but if you want human equivalent AI, youre not going to get it just by increasing the parameters [of models]," Hannas told The Washington Times.PARALYZED MAN SPEAKS AND SINGS WITH AI BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACEHannas, who formerly worked for the CIA, collected Chinese government documents that contained information about the country's AI funding plans for this year and last year. The plans include several brain-inspired AI approaches, The Washington Times reported.Additionally, Chinese state-run media have quoted statements saying the future involves making AI a physical part of humans, according to the Washington Times.In 2018, two technologists working on brain-inspired approaches to AI were also recruited by Chinese officials, they told The Washington Times.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPChinas innovation in artificial intelligence is "accelerating," Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, told Fox News Digital in April. But he maintained that the United States remains the world's dominant power in AI and the Trump administration's "promote and protect" strategy will solidify that standing.Georgetowns Center for Security and Emerging Technology did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Comedian and New York City resident Michael Rapaport gave democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a new nickname during his podcast on Tuesday.Rapaport called Mamdani "Zohran the Moron," pronouncing his first name so it rhymes with moron, and vowing that he would not leave his home city even if the democratic socialist candidate became mayor."I've heard a lot of people say that if Zohran the Moron wins the election, youre going to leave New York. New Yorkers, if Zohran the Moron wins the election, dont go anywhere," he said, telling them not to let him run them out of their city.NEWLY RELEASED MAHMOUD KHALIL SPOTTED BACK AT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITYMamdanis primary win has caused alarm among Jewish New Yorkers because of the candidate's rhetoric and stances surrounding Israel. During an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada."After receiving blowback for refusing to denounce the slogan, Mamdani reportedly told city business leaders that he would not use the phrase and would discourage others from doing so.Business leaders are also concerned about the candidate's democratic socialist policies, like his proposed rent freeze policy.Rapaport, a Jew who became an outspoken advocate for Israel following the Oct. 7 terror attack, urged fellow New Yorkers to "not let this terrorist supporter, socialist bulls--- artist run you out of your city."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE"Hes not even from here," he continued. "Do not even think youre going to leave New York City if Zohran the Moron wins the election. Im going nowhere."Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Muslim New York State Assemblyman from Queens, beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to become the Democratic Partys nominee for mayor.Rapaport noted that even though hell take a financial hit if Mamdani wins and enacts his far-left policies, he will still stay in the city."Im never leaving New York for a Three-Card Monty playing bulls--- artist like you, Zohran the Moron," he said. "If this guy wins, we need to blame ourselves. We need to dust ourselves off and make New York great again."Rapaport has spoken out against the mayoral candidate since he won the Democratic primary race last month.In an interview with NewsNation earlier this month, the comedian lamented, "We are this close to having a person like that become mayor of what should be considered the greatest city in the world.""But the fact that this guy is even in contention is a slap in the face," he added. "Whether he wins or loses, it is a slap in the face."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPMamdani didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Cleveland Browns new alternate helmet wasnt the biggest story line after its unveiling on Wednesday in the middle of Lake Erie.Thats because one of their videographers fell in the lake trying to capture the moment.Cleveland will be sporting a new helmet three times this regular season with orange-lettered brown uniforms. To show off the helmet, the Browns put together a big float on Lake Erie that featured an inflatable helmet replica of those the players would wear.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMBut the franchise that just cant seem to get it right on the field also couldnt do so on the lake, as a videographer fell into the water while filming the moment the helmet was unveiled.Chomps, the Browns mascot, was quick to throw a flotation device for the videographer, while a jet ski came over to scoop the man up.BROWNS' DESHAUN WATSON GETS MARRIED TO LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND: 'WE SAILING AWAY'Could this be an omen for the Browns season? Well, Cleveland fans have not been optimistic about the 2025 campaign after a rough year in 2024.The Browns went 3-14 in a season that saw quarterback Deshaun Watson tear his Achilles not once, but twice, and multiple backups trying to find a way to run Kevin Stefanskis offense.Heading into 2025, Watson isnt expected to be of use, meaning a quarterback battle will ensue at training camp featuring Joe Flacco the NFLs Comeback Player of the Year with this team two seasons ago after helping them reach the playoffs Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.The Browns have not won a title since the Super Bowl era begun, and in their quest to change that, the franchise has had some rough seasons, including a 0-16 finish in 2017.Since Stefanski took over in 2020, he helped lead the Browns to their first playoff berth since 2002, but they didnt make it past the Divisional Round.With quarterback questions and a tough division as always in the AFC North, theres more pessimism than optimism about the Browns entering 2025.But theres always that surprise in the NFL each year, and perhaps the Browns can make a splash (pun intended).Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Lee Westwood is certainly happy to crack the top 40 at The Open Championship this past weekend, but he took that moment to blast the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).Westwood, the veteran golfer who plays on the LIV Golf tour, now sits No. 930 on the OWGR list after being tied 34th at Royal Portrush shot him up 3,759 spots.Westwood can now say that he is finally back ahead of his son, Sam, who sits 2,759th on the list as he plays on a mini-tour. But that right there is exactly why Westwood has qualms with the OWGRs way of ranking golfers.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"I think that just proves that without world ranking points it makes a bit of a mockery of the system," Westwood said on Wednesday at LIV Golfs UK event, per ESPN.Westwood is among many LIV Golf stars who believe their events should be included within the OWGR. However, the leagues latest application is currently under review.LIV GOLF STAR BROOKS KOEPKA DESTROYS TEE MARKER WITH DRIVER AFTER WAYWARD SHOTThey had initially tried to get accreditation when the league began in 2022, but it was denied. As a result, LIV golfers cannot earn themselves OWGR points unless they play in major championships or international tour events.Take Dustin Johnson, for example. He is only 571st on the list, but thats due to finishing tied 23rd at The Open. Johnson was once the worlds number one golfer for 135 weeks, but since joining LIV, he has plummeted in standings.Only Bryson DeChambeau (16th) and Tyrrell Hatton (21st) are in the top 50 in the OWGR rankings. Other LIV Golf stars like Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed dont crack that upper echelon despite their solid play."I think mainly it relates back to wanting the best players in the major championships, not wanting this conversation where there's a few people missing out because we don't get world ranking points on LIV," Westwood said as he loved seeing LIV Golf submit another application.Hatton has been vocal about his fellow LIV Golf players getting credited for their work in the league, especially when it comes to qualifying for major tournaments."I think there's a lot of guys out here that you certainly want to be playing in majors. If there's a better pathway for that for us, then that's brilliant," Hatton said.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The United Nations' highest court on Wednesday ruled that wealthy countries must comply with their commitments to curb fossil fuels and pollution or risk being held financially liable by nations hit the hardest by climate change.The 15-member U.N. International Court of Justice said that treaties compel rich nations to curb global warming and that the countries were also responsible for the actions of companies under their jurisdiction or control, Reuters reported."States must cooperate to achieve concrete emission reduction targets," Judge Yuji Iwasawa said at The Hague. "Greenhouse gas emissions are unequivocally caused by human activities which are not territorially limited."TRUMP CELEBRATES SUPREME COURT LIMITS ON 'COLOSSAL ABUSE OF POWER' BY FEDERAL JUDGESFailure to do so could result in "full reparations to injured states in the form of restitution, compensation and satisfaction provided that the general conditions of the law of state responsibility are met," the report states.In response to the ruling, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital that "as always, President Trump and the entire Administration is committed to putting America first and prioritizing the interests of everyday Americans."U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the court opinion affirms that Paris climate agreement goals need to be the basis of all climate policies.SCOTUS RULES ON TRUMP'S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER, TESTING LOWER COURT POWERS"This is a victory for our planet, for climate justice, and for the power of young people to make a difference," he said. "The world must respond."Wednesday's ruling was hailed by a number of small nation states."I didn't expect it to be this good," said Ralph Regenvanu, the climate minister for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu.Many developing nations and small island states have said they are at great risk from rising sea levels. Some have sought clarification from the court after the 2015 Paris Agreement failure to curb the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions.

DNITulsi Gabbard doubled down on her allegations that Obama administration officials politicized intelligence and laid the groundwork for a "years-long coup" against President Donald Trump after he won the 2016 election.Gabbard told "Jesse Watters Primetime" Wednesday that there were "deep state obstacles" to releasing her information about the Trump-Russia collusion investigation and that some people within the intelligence community (IC) didn't want it to "see the light of day.""There are a lot of deep state actors still here within Washington. President Trump wants us to find the truth. I want to find that truth. The American people deserve the truth, and they deserve accountability, which is I'm really glad to see that Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice announced the creation of a strike force team today," she said."Specifically, to get after all the intelligence and evidence that we have gathered. We have more coming and to determine the path forward to bring about that accountability."Gabbard contended last weekin a viral post on X that former President Barack Obama and key members of his national security team, including then-CIA Director John Brennan and then-DNI James Clapper, fabricated a narrative about Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election to "subvert" Trumps presidency.Gabbard released more than 100 declassified documents on the intelligence communitys assessment, both before and after the 2016 election,regarding the consensus on potential Russian influence."For months preceding the 2016 election, the Intelligence Community shared a consensus view: Russia lacked the intent and capability to hack U.S. elections," she wrote on X. "But weeks after President Trumps historic 2016 victory defeating Hillary Clinton, everything changed."In the social media thread, the former Democratic congresswoman alleged that Obama "directed the IC to create a newintelligence assessment that detailed Russian election meddling, even though it would contradict multiple intelligence assessments released over the previous several months."OBAMA OFFICIALS ADMITTED THEY HAD NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION: HOUSE INTEL TRANSCRIPTSAn Obama spokesperson pushed back on Gabbards "outrageous" and "bizarre" allegations in a rare statement Tuesday as attempted distractions."Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio," the spokesperson said.Ned Price, a former Obama NSC official, also pushed back on Gabbards claimsin a Fox News op-ed, arguing the director is trying to overturn "established facts with conspiratorial fiction."He said that Gabbard conflated the terms "hack" and "influence."A 2020 bipartisanSenate Intelligence Committee report, backed by then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., found that Russia did not "hack" election infrastructure such as changing votes or manipulating voting machines.It did, however, conclude that the Russian government worked to undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions and voting processes.Rubio, now the Secretary of State, saidin a 2020 press release that the committees investigation did not find evidence that then-candidate Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russian government.US INDICTMENTS REVEAL AI USE IN RUSSIA DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN TARGETING 2024 ELECTION"What the Committee did find however is very troubling. We found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling," he wrote, while taking aim at the FBI for relying on the now widely criticized Steele dossier."The Committee found that the Russian government engaged in an aggressive, multi-facetedeffort to influence, or attempt to influence, the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.""WikiLeaks actively sought, and played, a key role in the Russian influence campaign and very likely knew it was assisting a Russian intelligence influence effort," he continued, referring to the hacking of the Democratic National Committees emails during the presidential campaign.Gabbard, who sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice over the declassified documents, told Fox News host Jesse Watters that shell continue pursuing accountability for the American people.Trump has accused Obama of "treason" following Gabbards revelations andrecently reposted a video that appeared to be generated with AI on his Truth Social account that showed the 44th president being arrested in the Oval Office.

CNN hosts dismissed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbards Wednesday press conference about the Obama administration's role in perpetuating Russiagate as a distraction part of a retribution campaign.Gabbard doubled down at a White House press briefing Wednesday, alleging the Obama administration promoted a "contrived narrative" that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Numerous Democratic Party figures were named in the briefing where she declared, "There is irrefutable evidence that details how President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false."Gabbard also brought up a newly declassified intelligence report's findings claiming Russia had intelligence that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was taking "heavy tranquilizers," which former President Barack Obama and Democratic Party leaders allegedly found to be "extraordinarily alarming."CNN host Brianna Keilar said the claims laid out by Gabbard were part of Trumps efforts to "change the topic" from questions about the Epstein files, using Russiagate narratives to "chum the waters."LEGACY MEDIA OUTLETS LARGELY SILENT ON TULSI GABBARD'S BOMBSHELL OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CLAIMSShe then turned to CNN's chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny to "talk us through a little bit about this issue, but also what its distracting from.""The bottom line to all of this is, this is the retribution campaign that President Trump has long promised, and its a new distraction campaign that he is eagerly hoping works to avoid questions and move on from questions about Jeffrey Epstein," Zeleny said. "Retribution, obviously, to Hillary Clinton, and distracting, trying to change the subject."Gabbard delivering this particular message, he said, is a cynical ploy to win back the base."There is no better way to get back in the good graces, or try at least try to do so, than embrace one of the presidents largely conspiracy theories and just the favorite old tropes going back to the 2016 campaign," he said.Zeleny went on to dismiss the allegations as not even worth repeating."But we should point out that these are some pretty far out-there allegations. Saying the Russian intelligence community had information that Hillary Clinton was on tranquilizers at the time. This was in no way verified. We have no idea. I mean, this is hardly information that we should even be repeating," Zeleny said."Never mind that its, you know, some years after the fact, eight years, more than that, after the fact, but also just look at the source," he added. "But look, this is what this White House wants to talk about, and Im not sure that we should spend that much more time on it, frankly."The White House told Fox News Digital that "fake news CNN" can't stand that "President Trump was proven right again.""Director Gabbard declassified documents in the name of transparency to show the world that the Obama administration was indeed behind the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax. Those who participated in criminal activity will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," White House spokesperson Davis R. Ingle told Fox News Digital.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURECLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPTrump has alienated parts of his base in recent weeks, as he has gotten involved in foreign wars and denied the existence of the Epstein list, breaking key promises of his campaign.Trump, in turn, has disavowed parts of his base, ranging from acknowledging he will upset the "radical right" by allowing illegal immigrant workers to stay in the country to telling conservatives focused on Epstein, "I dont want their support anymore!"