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.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will reconvene in September after its August recess. When it meets next, one key panel will be under new leadership: Supervisor Juli Briskman was replaced as chairwoman of the finance committee by Supervisor Koran Saines. The move came near the end of the board’s final July meeting. County Chairwoman Phyllis Randall unveiled a Board Member Initiative, signed by five members of the board including herself, “to take [Briskman] out of leadership because of concerns that go back all the way to June 18, 2021, and then going forward,” Randall said. “There just gets to be a point where some behaviors have to be addressed when someone’s in board leadership.” Briskman was not in the room for the board meeting, but she joined it via video. She pushed back against the charges. “This has been a months-long pressure campaign in an attempt to force me to stand down from my stance against data centers, Dominion Energy, and to silence my criticism of policy, which has given big corporations a pass while our residents suffer the consequences,” Briskman answered during her chance to speak. “I will continue fighting for the residents of Loudoun County, demanding accountability from big corporations, calling out the sheriff for his 287G agreement with ICE, and I will be continually speaking plainly about the policies that shape Loudoun’s future.” Several of her fellow supervisors mentioned a video that Briskman posted last year on her social media after a No Kings rally. The video included a song with vulgar and racial language. Briskman removed the post and apologized, but Supervisor Michael Turner called that post “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Turner also cited a letter Briskman sent on county board vice chair letterhead that supported the Palestinian movement and the fact that he saw Briskman posing for photos with demonstrators who were hanging Sheriff Mike Chapman in effigy. “I just felt it was time for her to be removed from board leadership,” Turner concluded. She first made headlines during the first Trump administration, when Briskman flipped off the presidential motorcade as it passed her on its way to Donald Trump’s golf course in Virginia. She lost her job with a government contractor over that incident but then used it as a springboard for her run for the Loudoun board seat. Briskman will retain a seat on the finance committee. A board member mentioned at the meeting that Briskman may decide to run for board chair next year, and some county residents have said they suspect that, as well. That’s the leadership role currently held by Phyllis Randall. However, Briskman has not confirmed that.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton brought a lawsuit against one of the world’s largest investment advisers alleging it pushes an ESG agenda, an acronym for environment, social, and governance. The lawsuit names the San Francisco-based Glass Lewis, a firm that advises more than 1,300 investment managers, and says its clients manage $40 trillion across 100 global markets. The lawsuit claims Glass Lewis made false representations and violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which went into effect last year and targets “non-financial” advice on ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) matters. After the law passed, Glass Lewis sued Texas, claiming the law violated its First Amendment rights. Glass Lewis was joined in the lawsuit by Institutional Shareholder Services, also known as ISS. The Paxton lawsuit argues Glass Lewis’s advertising is deceptive and fails to inform clients of its ESG priorities. “Instead of providing objective and impartial investment advice, as advertised, Glass Lewis provides advice influenced by its own Environmental, Social, and Governance (‘ESG’) ideological considerations, apart from its clients’ best financial interests,” says the complaint filed in Texas District Court for Collin County. The company describes itself as providing “independent corporate governance research, data-driven insights, and innovative stewardship and proxy voting solutions.” Proxy voting is when representatives vote on behalf of shareholders at annual corporate shareholder meetings. The company notes that its proxy voting representatives attend more than 30,000 shareholder meetings each year. The proxy voting guidelines assert that companies “face significant financial, legal and reputational risks resulting from poor environmental and social practices,” according to the lawsuit. The Paxton complaint further notes the guidelines “call for every board to establish a ‘nominating and governance committee’ that is ‘reasonably diverse on the basis of age, race, gender, and ethnicity,’” the complaint continues. “Glass Lewis’s actions resemble those of an ESG activist forcing companies to comply with rules that governments will not otherwise adopt and that instead align with Glass Lewis’s own views on society’s environmental and social needs,” the lawsuit says. Glass Lewis did not immediately respond to inquiries for this story, but the company has defended itself in the past against charges of heavily emphasizing ESG and DEI concerns. In July 2023, the company responded to criticism from a group of Republican state treasurers, stating that its “benchmark policy considers environmental and social issues,” and adding, “That policy–like the proxy voting policies of many institutional investors–recognizes that how companies manage the risks and opportunities associated with climate change, as well as the composition of their board and workforce, can be material issues.” It added, “our clients have a broad range of views,” and that it offers a “menu of voting options.” “For example, Glass Lewis has a Climate Policy for investors focused on mitigating risks associated with climate change, a Catholic Policy that reflects the unique fiduciary responsibility of Catholic institutions, and a Governance-Focused Policy that is designed for our clients that are skeptical of the materiality of environmental and social considerations,” the company’s July 2023 statement said in response to the state treasurers. Glass Lewis has spent years prioritizing ESG policies, DEI quotas, and climate activism while claiming to serve investors’ financial interests, said Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, an organization opposed to ESG policies. “This deception is not just financially reckless but also illegal and must be met with consequences,” Hild told the Daily Signal. “That is exactly why Consumers’ Research has supported Texas’s new law, which ensures proxy advisory firms Glass Lewis and ISS can no longer operate in the dark and must disclose when their advice to investors is not based solely on financial interest.” Paxton is the state’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. He is facing Democrat state Rep. James Talarico in the November election.

Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., and the Senate Homeland Security Committee put Dr. Anthony Fauci on center stage Wednesday morning. Republican senators hit him with three hours of questioning about his alleged part in the spread and coverup of the COVID-19 virus. Over 100 times, Fauci stayed silent, invoking the Fifth Amendment. Republican committee members claimed he had no right to invoke the Fifth Amendment and will vote next week to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. This would ultimately put the investigation in Trump’s hands. Dr. Fauci Declined Over 100 Questions as Rand Paul Accused Him of Participating in the COVID CoverupDr. Fauci appeared at the Senate Homeland security committee hearing Wednesday morning. Six years after the Covid pandemic, the GOP is still looking for answers. The… pic.twitter.com/RdiuY5xzQm— Daily Signal (@DailySignal) July 29, 2026 Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Donald Trump during the COVID pandemic, advised major decisions surrounding the pandemic, including vaccine mandates, school closures, and essentially shutting down the economy. Paul claims Fauci knowingly lied about America funding gain-of-function research at the Wuhan laboratory where the COVID virus was developed. According to Fauci’s “diary entries,” which were made public because he stored them on government property, he knew the wet market was not the source of the virus. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., claims Fauci benefitted financially from COVID. During the hearing, he shared that Fauci now has a net worth of $12 million. “He is the highest paid government employee ever,” Hawley told reporters after, claiming Fauci has a $400,000 yearly pension paid out using taxpayer dollars. Dr. Fauci avoids questions from the press after refusing to answer Senators questions for three hours invoking the 5th amendment over 100 times. The Senate Homeland Security Committee will vote next week if he is contempt of Congress for obstructing or disrespecting the… pic.twitter.com/rsn9aJbmhW— Virginia Grace McKinnon (@virginiagmck) July 29, 2026 Despite his alleged “full and unconditional pardon” from President Joe Biden for “any offense against the United States which he may have committed or taken part in” from 2014 to 2025, Fauci refused to answer a single question. “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution,” Fauci stated repeatedly throughout the hearing. “Silence is admission,” Hawley said in response. “He does not have the Fifth Amendment right,” Hawley told the press. “He’s been given a full and unconditional pardon, … The Supreme Court’s case law on this is absolutely clear and has been for over a century. When you’ve been pardoned, your privilege disappears. The privilege is a right against self-incrimination leading to prosecution,” Hawley continued. “I think there is an argument—this has probably never been tested legally—if you’ve been granted full immunity … do you still need Fifth Amendment protections,” Paul told reporters after the hearing. Chairman Rand Paul arrives to question Dr. Fauci on allegedly funding the lab that produced the COVID virus in China. Paul tells press he hopes to “bring resolution to the American public” because “they deserve to know why dangerous research was funded in Wuhan.”@DailySignal pic.twitter.com/25HZMO1YlG— Virginia Grace McKinnon (@virginiagmck) July 29, 2026 “We believe that with his immunity from criminal liability, that he didn’t need to hide behind the Fifth Amendment, and that maybe the Fifth Amendment doesn’t attach when you have a pardon in place,” Paul said. The next step will be up to the U.S. Department of Justice. When asked if it will take up the investigation, the DOJ told the Daily Signal that “the Department seriously reviews all congressional referrals.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., seemed to agree with Paul and Hawley, telling the Daily Signal that “ultimately, accountability is done by the executive.” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told reporters he wasn’t surprised Fauci pleaded the Fifth. “Yeah, I think that is the right to do that … obviously that’s his prerogative,” he said when asked to comment on Fauci’s response to senators. Cully Stimson, acting director of the Legal Policy Center at The Heritage Foundation, also said Fauci may have been within his rights to invoke the Fifth. Stimson said the pardon was limited to any offense against the United States that he may have committed or taken part in between January 2014 and January 2025 related to his roles at National Institutes of Health or the White House. “Any and all questions by members of Congress not related to that timeframe or those jobs are fair game,” Stimson said in a statement to the Daily Signal. “The pardon does not give him a license to lie before Congress or any other body under oath, which helps explain why he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination,” he continued. “His evasiveness and unwillingness to answer simple questions unrelated to his duties speak volumes about his character,” Stimson concluded.