A 21-year-old college student struggles to sleep during finals month. On a friend’s recommendation, she decides to seek out a sleep aid. She books a telehealth appointment through an app she saw advertised on Instagram. It’s covered by her insurance and only takes about 3 minutes to set up a therapy session via an AI chatbot. By the end of a 10-minute conversation, a psychiatrist prescribes a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), capable of undermining her sexual function for life without so much as a fine-print warning.  This is the scenario that the psychiatric and pharmaceutical worlds have made so readily accessible to Americans for easy profit and with little concern over an ignored side effect: Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD).   SSRIs make up about 70% of antidepressant prescriptions and are consumed by tens of millions of Americans every day. From 2006 to 2023, the number of U.S. children and adolescents ages 3-17 receiving SSRIs has more than doubled.   The increasingly popular drugs block the process of the chemical messenger serotonin being taken back into brain cells, increasing the amount of serotonin available for communication between cells. Most SSRIs come with an FDA black-box warning that the drug may cause suicidal thoughts and behavior in children and young adults. Still, some psychiatrists feel comfortable prescribing these powerful drugs through casual mediums after brief patient interactions—and one heinous side effect is still a mystery to most patients.   PSSD is a condition that includes loss of libido, pleasureless orgasms, reduced tactile sensitivity, emotional blunting, and genital numbness similar to that produced by a local anesthetic. These symptoms can begin after only a couple of doses, and they can persist after medication is stopped.   There is currently no federal requirement for psychiatrists to calculate the risk of sexual side effects known to patients before prescribing SSRIs, and the FDA does not currently require a warning for PSSD to be printed on any antidepressants.  While PSSD is severely understudied, it is not rare. In a study of 1,473 patients treated with the SSRI called Citalopram, 54% reported decreased libido, 36% reported difficulty achieving orgasm, and 37% of men reported erectile dysfunction. Overall, nearly two-thirds of participants reported at least one significant sexual side effect.   PSSD is understood to be more common in men but more severe for women. Children and teenagers are increasingly aware of SSRIs as an option thanks to pop psychology, advertising on social media, and mental healthcare apps, but how many of them understand the dangers?  Lauren Friedman, a 23-year-old Vanderbilt student, said that the SSRI she was prescribed as an adolescent resulted in her losing all sexual function. She also claimed that emotional blunting from SSRIs has destroyed her ability to feel affection, even for her own mother. She described her present state at a MAHA Institute conference as “sexually defunct and emotionally lobotomized.”  While PSSD is an acknowledged diagnosis, many doctors still dismiss worries before and after patients experience symptoms. This growing concern ought to be a subject of serious study, especially when SSRIs are handed out like candy. But interest from the psychiatric community has been muted.   After years of eradicating the stigma around psychiatric medication, is it possible we have gone too far? Perhaps it is right to stigmatize casual drug shopping and challenge the psychiatrists who choose to handle their influence carelessly. It has fallen to victims like Friedman to shed light where some seem to prefer darkness.   PSSD belongs front and center in the SSRI conversation, not lost in the fine print or hidden from view altogether. 

On Sydney’s Bondi Beach last December, two gunmen opened fire on Jews gathered for the first night of Hanukkah, killing 15 and wounding more than 40. It was no random, isolated incident, an alarming new report says. The year 2025 was the deadliest for antisemitic attacks since 1994 in the seven nations outside Israel that are home to the most Jews, according to the second annual report of the J7 Largest Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism. Twenty Jews in total were killed in Australia, Canada, Argentina, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Three of those murders occurred in the United States: Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, staff members of the Israeli Embassy, were shot to death at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., in May. Karen Diamond, an 82-year-old grandmother in Boulder, Colo., died in June after being attacked during a march supporting the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Beyond the fatalities, the report details what it calls the “alarming landscape of hatred and violence” against Jews. “Between 2021 and 2025, the J7 countries recorded a combined total of more than 91,000 antisemitic incidents. In 2025 alone, Germany recorded 8,725 incidents, the United States 6,274, the United Kingdom 3,700, Australia 1,654, France 1,320, Canada 788, and Argentina 713.” And the number of incidents, particularly violent ones, is showing a “clear rise.” From 2021 to 2025, antisemitic incidents increased by 46% in Argentina, 60% in Canada, 64% in the United Kingdom, 124% in France, 131% in the United States, 215% in Germany, and 270% in Australia. Germany has the highest per capita rate of attacks, rising from 23.50 incidents per 1,000 Jewish residents to 69.80 incidents in 2025. What Is Behind the Rise? The report catalogues five trends behind the rise in antisemitic attacks: • Normalization of antisemitism in mainstream spaces.• Instrumentalization of anti-Zionism as a vehicle for antisemitic expression.• Campuses and educational institutions as an acute flashpoint.• The digital sphere becoming the primary arena of antisemitic expression.• Growing Jewish concern for personal and communal safety. “From Argentina to Australia, Jewish people across the globe report hiding their Jewish identity in public and questioning whether they have a future in their home countries,” the study determined. In the United States, 52% of American Jews say they’ve grown concerned about their personal safety. Antisemitic Attacks in the United States The number of antisemitic attacks actually decreased in 2025 in the United States, though the year’s tally remained the third-highest since tracking began in 1979. The year 2024 saw a record 9,354 incidents. That dropped by 33% in 2025, but the report warns that “totals remain five times higher than a decade ago and more than double the 2020‑2022 daily average. Physical assaults are the one category still rising, with deadly‑weapon incidents increasing from 23 in 2024 to 32 in 2025.” The report attributes last year’s drop to a “winding down of anti-Israel campus encampment activity.” Since entering office in January 2025, the Trump administration has made fighting campus antisemitism a priority, to the point of issuing executive orders, suing schools and threatening to cut their federal funding if they won’t get a handle on campus antisemitism. However, the report notes that dangerous clouds loom ahead because of the “normalization of antisemitic expressions.” This is seen most notably in the rise of the openly hostile Democratic Socialists of America, and the Democratic Party’s growing push to forsake Israel. For example, Maine primary voters selected as their U.S. Senate nominee a man with a notorious Nazi tattoo over his chest. A Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan remained silent on the death of Iran’s murderous Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for fear of upsetting his base. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has openly warned of the growing antisemitism in his party. That same Michigan candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, called on Fetterman to be primaried and expressed the need for his wing of the party to put an “ogre on a pike.” “No Wasting Time”: The Need to Be Proactive “Increasing political polarization, shifting public attitudes toward Israel, and normalization of antisemitic expressions continue to undermine the whole‑of‑society approach needed to confront antisemitism effectively,” the J7 report states. The authors say nations must be proactive in fighting the rise of violent antisemitic attacks. They “urge governments and law enforcement agencies to take immediate and preemptive action to secure the safety of Jewish communities and institutions in order to prevent attacks rather than just reacting to them.” There’s “no wasting time” in combating anti-Jewish hate, ADL Senior Director of Global Research and Diplomatic Affairs Aykan Erdemir told Fox News Digital. “If governments let antisemitism take root and perpetrators walk free, the violence won’t stop with Jewish communities,” Erdemir said. “History shows Jews are the canary in the coal mine: When hatred against Jews rises unchecked, it’s an early warning that everyone’s safety and rights are at risk.”

With great power comes great responsibility—literally. With at least 248 planned projects and hundreds of existing facilities, Texas is among the top states leading America’s data center boom. But each data center brings both economic opportunity and potential harm, so state policy should ensure that the costs remain with the companies, not local residents. In other words, data centers must benefit Texans, not the other way around. According to poll published in June, most Texans, including nearly two-thirds of those living in rural areas, oppose data centers in their own communities. Opposition was strongest in rural Texas, where 62% of respondents opposed local data centers. Locals say they should not have to bear the costs of artificial intelligence expansion through higher electric bills, limited water supplies, or expensive infrastructure incentives. On this, even Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat state Rep. James Talarico agree. “Governor Abbott has been clear that data centers cannot come before Texas families,” Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement to the Daily Signal. The governor has directed the Public Utilities Commission and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to require data centers to pay for their own infrastructure, bring their own power, reuse their own water, and lower residential electric bills, according to Mahaleris. “These steps protect Texans from higher costs and negative impacts on their communities,” he said. In a June directive to state regulators, Abbott called for policies that welcome data center investment while protecting Texans from the costs. He urged regulators to ensure companies pay for their own electric infrastructure and pledged to pursue legislation for water-efficient cooling, greater transparency, and safeguards for nearby communities. Talarico, who is running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate in November, has proposed many of the same guardrails. This includes eliminating tax incentives and requiring data centers to pay their own way. He is also promising local communities more authority over the approval or denial of data centers. For now, Talarico’s stance is similar to Abbott’s, even while they disagree on gun control, abortion, and gender ideology. Abbott’s Democrat opponent for governor in the upcoming midterm election, Democrat state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, is not playing the moderate game. She urged the governor to temporarily pause new data centers via executive order until the Legislature reconvenes in January, arguing for a special session to address the issue before 2027. But Abbott’s policies already seem to be holding data centers accountable. In July, developer Diode Ventures withdrew plans for a proposed data center near Cedar Creek Lake in East Texas after finding it could not meet the governor’s new benchmarks. “Data centers that want to do business in Texas must meet a clear standard. This project did not,” Abbott said in a news release at the time. The debate over data centers has become increasingly polarized: One side completely opposes the developments, and the other argues that opposition to data center development threatens America’s national security. Country singer and Texan Willie Nelson is in the first camp. “Our community, like many others, needs to fight against the data centers invading our land,” Nelson said in an X post. “The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town.” Others argue that slowing data center development could have national security consequences by weakening America’s position in the global race for AI dominance. One Fox News opinion writer argued that restricting data center development would undermine America’s ability to compete with China in the AI race, comparing opposition to obstructing U.S. defense production before World War II. The debate shouldn’t be framed as a choice between Texans and AI. Texas can lead the AI revolution while ensuring data centers remain accountable for their demands on water, electricity, and infrastructure. After all, everything’s bigger in Texas. The state’s AI ambitions should be no exception, as long as Texans come first.

Sophie Cunningham, an Indiana Fever shooting guard, found fame last month for not backing down on the court, and now she’s facing full-court pressure for saying that men shouldn’t be allowed to play in women’s sports. Last night, fans of Cunningham hosted a rally outside of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash., to show the athlete they have her back. “Because we’ve seen what’s happened to actors, actresses, singers that have come out in support of women’s spaces, and they’ve been silenced, effectively, and we didn’t want Sophie to feel like she didn’t have support,” said Jane Berns, a member of the coalition Women Are Real.  High school athletes attended the rally wearing shirts from XX-XY Athletics and holding signs with their families that said, “We love you Sophie” and “Thank you Sophie for speaking up for girls!”, according to photos obtained from Amy Sousa, an event attendee and organizer. Rally attendees hold signs thanking Sophie Cunningham. (Courtesy Amy Sousa) Counterprotestors stood near the Cunningham rally with pro-trans sports signs. One read, “My kid plays a trans-inclusive sport & everything is FINE.” The group also received backlash on X ahead of the rally for supporting Cunningham’s “transphobic statements.” Protestors gather near Sophie Cunningham rally. (Courtesy of Amy Sousa) “There will be an anti-trans rally in Seattle tomorrow ahead of the Storm game against the Fever in support of Sophie Cunningham’s latest public transphobic statements,” an X post read. “I thought it was online fans only. That’s what she’s inciting.” There will be an anti-trans rally in Seattle tomorrow ahead of the Storm game against the Fever in support of Sophie Cunningham’s latest public transphobic statements. I thought it was online fans only. That’s what she’s inciting. pic.twitter.com/xUA7HmiReI— Roberta (@robertawbb) July 27, 2026 But Cunningham made it clear: She’s never said she hates people who identify as transgender. She just wants women to have a fair chance in sports. After pointing for 22 seconds at opponent DeWanna Bonner, Cunningham gained over 1 million followers on social media. Then she was featured in an ESPN profile on July 22, and she defended women’s sports.  “I think that I am here to extend love,” Cunningham told ESPN. “But I also think that with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” Sophie Cunningham’s ‘Crazy Energy’ Pumps Up Women’s Sports Berns and other women involved in organizations that defend women’s sports heard Cunningham’s stance and saw that she didn’t back down. It was the perfect opportunity to praise an athlete for supporting women. “This is what we’ve been hoping for,” Berns said. “We’ve been doing this for four years, and there are other women and other people that have been doing this much longer. We’ve been dying for somebody to come out and say this and risk their career.” Women flew in for the day just to attend the rally, according to Sousa, who runs the digital media platform Known Heretic. “So, we are some dedicated cheerleaders,” Sousa said. “We really want to celebrate her, and in the face of some of the criticism that she has been getting, we just want to stay positive and say, ‘We love what you’re doing.’”  Cunningham indicates that the movement to protect women’s sports is garnering more support. “The situation is that women have been told that standing up for single-sex sports will cost them everything and get them cancelled, but Sophie Cunningham has spoken up and sold out her shoes” Sousa said. “They expected a boycott. They got a sellout.” Loud in pink.The Sophie Cunningham Crazy Energy PE is available now. Shop here: https://t.co/flUAziPzmp pic.twitter.com/I5eHEH4OfS— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) July 24, 2026 Adidas released fluorescent pink Crazy Energy Sophie Cunningham basketball shoes on July 24. All sizes sold out in less than an hour. That “Crazy Energy” is what makes Cunningham so inspiring to young women. “I think she’s the perfect person to do this,” Berns said. “She’s incredibly charismatic. She’s very fun. She’s also a really fierce competitor and protective of her teammates.”

An Islamic academy has purchased a former Korean Baptist church in Richardson, Texas, and plans to convert it into a school, mosque, and seminary. The Islamic organization, Salahuddin Future Academy, purchased the former Korean World Mission Baptist Church on North Plano Road after suing the church for an alleged breach of contract. In February 2026, Salahuddin Future Academy sued the Korean church in Dallas County probate court, alleging the church refused to transfer ownership of the property to the Islamic educational institution. According to the lawsuit, Salahuddin Future Academy and the Korean church entered into a contract on Oct. 31, 2025, for the academy to purchase the property for $3.8 million, with a closing date scheduled for May 2026. However, attorneys for the Korean World Mission Baptist Church sent the academy’s real estate agent a letter stating the church’s representative “did not realize that he was signing a sales contract when he signed the Contract, nor when he signed the letter of intent.” In March, the Korean World Mission Baptist Church filed a general denial, disputing the allegations and asked Salahuddin Future Academy to prove its claims. However, the case was closed in April after Salahuddin Future Academy filed a notice of nonsuit without prejudice. Court records did not state why the lawsuit was withdrawn. The property was ultimately sold to the academy for less than the $3.8 million purchase price outlined in the original contract. The RAIR Foundation previously reported on Salahuddin Future Academy’s plans for the property, stating that the 40,000-square-foot campus will be transformed into what it described as a “multi-purpose Islamic stronghold.” According to RAIR, the site will feature a mosque, known as Masjid Dar Al-Tawhid, a K-12 academy, and a dawah academy and seminary. Dr. Karim Abū Zaid confirmed to The Dallas Express last week that Salahuddin Future Academy purchased the former Korean church, writing in a statement that the “purchase of the property has been completed.” According to Authentic Ilm Mission’s website, the project will include what it describes as America’s first national residential Dawah Seminary, offering programs leading to both a diploma and a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies. In addition to the seminary, K-12 academy, and mosque, the property will also house an Ansar Pantry, a community food bank open to the public. The pantry will provide a variety of food items while specifically sourcing and distributing halal meat to meet Muslim dietary needs. Salahuddin Future Academy did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.