Riley Gaines, who has turned a fifth place finish against non-trans swimmers into career with MAGA media.
Now let me see if I have this right. Riley Gaines finished 5th in a race with a trans athlete. And, if that trans athlete had NOT been in the race, Riley Gaines would still have finished in 5th place because the two swimmers were TIED for 5th. So, a trans athlete being in the race did not have any effect on Riley Gaines at all
First of all, I would like proof of this man’s “big balls.”
Second, he is a national security disaster. From his Wikipedia page:
His maternal grandfather Valery Martynov was a KGB Lieutenant Colonel executed by the Soviet Union as a double agent. After his execution his widow moved with her children, including Coristine’s mother, to the United States.
Also from Wikipedia:
Bloomberg News reported that Coristine had been fired from his internship at cybersecurity firm Path Network in 2022 for allegedly leaking internal company information to a competitor. Following his dismissal, a large collection of internal Path documents and conversations was leaked online.
The apple may not fall too far from the tree in this instance.
Reuters published a story alleging that Coristine’s online content delivery network DiamondCDN had facilitated the work of the cybercriminal group EGodly. In 2023 Egodly thanked Coristine saying “We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website,” Egodly has claimed involvement in a number of crimes including email hacking, theft of cryptocurrency, and the harassment of a former FBI agent.
This guy would never have passed any sort of normal security clearance. That this story isn’t a massive front page scandal is an indictment of the times we live in.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized President Donald Trump during an interview with MSNBC host Jen Psaki, stressing just why the people who elected Trump to run the country “like a business” were completely misguided.
Walz particularly lamented the impacts of Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada and Mexico, noting that Trump has a history of scuttling deals and “a proven track record of being an absolute failure.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Al Udeid Air Base, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Military commanders will be told to identify troops in their units who are transgender or have gender dysphoria, then send them to get medical checks in order to force them out of the service, officials said Thursday.
A senior defense official laid out what could be a complicated and lengthy new process aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump’s directive to remove transgender service members from the U.S. military.
The new order to commanders relies on routine annual health checks that service members are required to undergo. Another defense official said the Defense Department has scrapped — for now — plans to go through troops’ health records to identify those with gender dysphoria.
Far Right Federal Judge Rules Gay And Trans People Can Be Discriminated Against In Workplaces
Judge Kacsmaryk, a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas, ruled on the EEOC’s treatment of Title VII employment discrimination claims on gay and trans people.
On Thursday, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk—a far-right federal judge in the Northern District of Texas with a record of aligning with the GOP’s most extreme legal positions—issued a ruling declaring that Title VII no longer protects LGBTQ+ people from workplace discrimination. The decision directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s landmark 2020 ruling inBostock v. Clayton County, which held that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is, by definition, sex discrimination. Kacsmaryk’s ruling marks one of the most alarming judicial rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights in recent memory—and sets up a direct legal challenge to one of the foundational civil rights protections for queer and trans people in the United States.
Montana Court Issues Final Blow to Anti-Trans Health Care Law
A judge found that the law’s premise is not scientific, but “political and ideological.”
A state judge in Montana has permanently struck down SB 99, a law which sought to ban gender-affirming care for Montana youth under age 18.
The court decision is a welcome reprieve for young trans Montanans, who have had the threat of forced detransition hanging over their heads since 2023. The bill would have threatened the licensure of physicians who provided trans-affirming care to this age group and prevented state funds from being used for gender-affirming surgeries, hormones, puberty blockers, and “social transitioning” measures for trans youth. It also would have allowed parents of trans kids to sue medical professionals for providing their children with the proper care.
But these kinds of laws, which are being passed around the country, are highly unscientific. They try to erase the biological reality of gender and sexual diversity to further a far-right gender ideology. As the court ruling declared, “the State’s interest is actually a political and ideological one: ensuring minors in Montana are never provided treatment to address” their gender dysphoria.
“In other words, the State’s interest is actually blocking transgender expression.”
1) The court found overwhelming evidence backing the benefits of gender-affirming care for trans people.
After being banned from Major League Baseball for life, gambler Pete Rose and others like Shoeless Joe Jackson are now eligible to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Rose was banned in 1989 and spent the rest of his life crying about it instead of offering repentance. He didn’t even stop gambling. He never helped his case, even when it seemed Baseball wanted to bring him back.
Commissioner Rob Manfred made the ruling and said, “In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served. Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.”
If Rose hadn’t bet on baseball, or if he hadn’t been caught, he would have been voted into the HoF as soon as he was eligible, which is five years after retirement. His 4,256 hits, 3,562 games played, and 15,890 plate appearances are still unbroken records. Across 24 seasons, Rose made 17 All-Star teams, won three batting titles, won the 1973 NL MVP, and won three World Series trophies. Rose earned the nickname “Charlie Hustle” for his aggressive style of play. Rose always seemed to find himself on base, and then the next, and then the next, until he was across home plate. He is a baseball legend. Even his gambling addiction couldn’t take away his legend.
I was excited when I heard this, not because I am a baseball fan and am in Rose’s corner. I’ve always had mixed views about Rose’s ban, and Shoeless Joe Jackson’s, for that matter. I was excited because I thought that here’s a chance I can do a cartoon that’s not about Donald Trump. And then I read how this ban was lifted.
April 15, 1947 Jackie Roosevelt Robinson became the first African American to play in a major league baseball game in the 20th century. His stepping onto Ebbets Field in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform broke the “color line,” the segregation of professional teams. The International League in 1887 began a wave of League-wide black exclusion, and it had been complete since 1899, when Bill Galloway became the last African-American player in white organized ball (Woodstock, Ontario). Though hitless in three at-bats, Robinson started at first base, and the Dodgers beat the Boston Braves that day, 5-3. “Jackie, we’ve got no army. There’s virtually nobody on our side. No owners, no umpires, very few newspapermen. And I’m afraid that many fans will be hostile. We’ll be in a tough position. We can win only if we can convince the world that I’m doing this because you’re a great ballplayer, a fine gentleman.”
April 15, 1967 King and Dr. Benjamin Spock lead an anti-war march to the United Nations, 15 April 1967 Amidst growing opposition to the war in Vietnam, large-scale anti-war protests were held in New York, San Francisco and other cities. In New York, the protest began in Central Park, where over 150 draft cards were burned, and concluded at the United Nations with speeches by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others. King’s opposition to the war, excerpts of his speeches and reaction throughout the country
I suspect a lot of people are not going to like today’s cartoon, especially in my area. I live in Caps country.
The Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin scored his 895th NHL career goal on Sunday, breaking the record set by “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, which has stood unchallenged since 1999. The NHL is celebrating Ovechkin’s achievement, which he accomplished with only five games remaining in the regular season. The Caps will be the number-seed in the playoffs (which means they’ll probably lose in the first round).
Another person celebrating Ovi’s accomplishment is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who congratulated Ovi, saying, “You’ve surprised legendary masters. Without a doubt, this achievement is not only your personal success but a true celebration for fans in Russia and abroad.”
There’s nothing wrong with that, right? Even if Putin is a monster, it’s expected that he would congratulate a Russian for such a great historic accomplishment, and Ovechkin should be proud to be Russian, just as you should be proud of your nationality, even if you’re not always proud of your nation’s actions. What’s wrong here is that Alexander Ovechkin is a Putin supporter.
Ovechkin is a Putin supporter to the point that his profile image on his Instagram page is of him with Putin.
Ovechkin played on the Russian Olympic team in 2014, when the games were hosted in Sochi, Russia. The Russians were defeated by Team USA and then lost to Finland in the quarterfinals, but they came back later in the year and won the World Championship in Belarus (when most nations didn’t send their best). Putin celebrated with the team in the locker room, where the Great Eight poured champagne into Putin’s glass from the championship trophy.
Later, Ovi visited Putin at the Kremlin, where he asked Putin to give him and each of his teammates a car, a Mercedes GL, to be specific. It was a request Putin granted.
Putin and Ovi have played hockey together, and when Ovi got married, Putin sent a wedding gift, a tea set, but I’d be careful about drinking anything Putin serves. When Russia annexed Crimea and started its war on Ukraine, Ovi expressed his support with a photo on Instagram.
GR8 forgets that there aren’t free elections in his nation, that Putin murders his critics and enemies, that a free press and political opposition are prohibited, and that Putin has been in power for 25 years. “#SaveChildrenFromFascism” is a hashtag used by Russian media to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. Here, Alexander Ovechkin is a stooge.
Asked by ESPN about the post, Ovi said, “I don’t try to make a statement. Right now, as a Russian, I have lots of friends from Ukraine. I just don’t want a war. Nobody wants a war.” That was a weak response full of bullshit. You made a statement, Ovi, and it was one supporting Putin’s war that’s killing people in Ukraine. Ovi, you want to “save children from fascism,” but how about saving them from Putin’s bombs?
In 2017, Ovechkin created the Putin Team, a social movement in support of Putin, and issued a statement saying, “I’m sure there are many of us who support Vladimir Putin! So let’s unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia!”
After Putin illegally invaded Ukraine in 2022, Ovi said, “Obviously, it’s a hard situation. I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine, and it’s hard to see the war. I hope soon it’s going to be over and there’s going to be peace in the whole world.”
When asked if he still supports Putin, Ovi said, “Well, he is my president, but I am not in politics. I am an athlete, and you know, how I said, I hope everything is going to be done soon. It’s [a] hard situation right now for both sides … I’m not in control of this situation,” but that photo’s still his profile image on Instagram.
This isn’t a case of left or right-wing politics. Putin is a monster. He’s a murderer. He’s a liar. He’s tampered with other nations’ elections, including ours. He’s worked to put his puppets in power, puppets like Donald Trump. Putin is a dictator who’s bombed children’s hospitals and has never expressed remorse.
“I’m sure there are many of us who support Vladimir Putin! So let’s unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia!” Ovechkin said in a statement when he created Putin Team.
If that’s disappointing for Caps fans, imagine how Canadians feel about The Great One, a national icon for Canada, being a Trumper.
Yes, hockey fans, I’m sorry to report that Wayne Gretzky is a MAGAt.
Look. Here’s a photo taken at MAGA-Lardo on election, where The Great One (not Trump) was in attendance.
Here he is in a MAGAt cap.
Last February, Trump praised Gretzky in a rambling post on ShitSocial, saying, “Wayne Gretzky is a fantastic guy! They call him, “The Great One,” and he is. He could run for any political office in Canada, and win. Wayne is my friend, and he wants to make me happy, and is therefore somewhat “low key” about Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State, paying much Lower Taxes, a Free and Powerful Military, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Economy. Wayne and Janet, his wonderful wife, love Canada, and they should only support Canada, and whatever else makes the Canadian People, and Governor Justin Trudeau, happy. He’s the Greatest Canadian of them all, and I am therefore making him a “free agent,” because I don’t want anyone in Canada to say anything bad about him. He supports Canada the way it is, as he should, even though it’s not nearly as good as it could be as part of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country in the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!”
Gretzky was a Canadian hero who led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories. He was a symbol of national pride, but that started to wane once he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Now, his nation is disappointed in him as he won’t defend them against Trump’s insults, suggesting they become our 51st state, and attacking them with tariffs. He hasn’t even downplayed Trump’s comments that Gretzky could be governor of that 51st state. Talk about installing puppets.
Gretzky tried to defend his MAGAness by saying, “We always, believe it or not, really never talk politics in the locker room…we watch basketball, we watch baseball, we talk about the Blue Jays, we talk about the New York Yankees. (For) hockey players, that’s never on the docket. It’s just something that we stay in our lane. The prime minister and the president don’t tell us how to play hockey. We don’t tell them how to do politics, right?”
Gretzky said hockey players don’t talk politics and stay in their lane, yet it looks like Gretzky’s lane took him to MAGA-Lardo on election night, and it also took him to Washington, DC, to attend Trump’s inauguration (sic) last January.
Gretzky’s hometown of Brantford, Ontario, will take a major hit from Trump’s trade war as 80 percent of its production is sold to the United States. Yet Gretzky has yet to comment on Trump’s tariffs hitting not just his home nation but his hometown.
Many Canadians feel like Gretzky has abandoned Canada and chosen the United States over it. He’s married to an American and has made the USA his home. Recently, someone smeared poo on the statue of Gretzky at Edmonton’s Rogers Place, probably upset over him turning his back on Canada or they mistook it for a Tesla.
In 2009, Gretzky was awarded Canada’s highest civilian honour, Companion of the Order of Canada. Gretzky still hasn’t picked the award up. With him now being a fully-pledged MAGAt, it might be wise for him not to pick it up.
Creative note: This is NOT my most popular cartoon. It only has one like after three hours on Twitter/X, and only 13 shares on Facebook (but 72 likes).
Note about nothing: I almost choked to death on a salad yesterday. I was watching 30 Rock during lunch and Pete Hornberger had shaved his head only to discover a birthmark that looked like a Swastika made out of penises. I did survive…obviously.
John Oliver discusses why trans athletes seem to be at the center of U.S. politics right now, the nuances around competition and safety, where the conversation could be headed, and what The Rock would do in a barre class.
USA Fencing says it is standing by its decision to disqualify a cisgender fencer who forfeited a tournament match against a transgender opponent last week, an act the organization says violated international competition rules.
On March 30, USA Fencing (the country’s governing body for youth and adult competitive fencing) oversaw the annual Cherry Blossom tournament at the University of Maryland. During the Division 1 Women’s Foil event, cis fencer Stephanie Turner knelt in front of her opponent Redmond Sullivan, removed her protective mask, and refused to begin the match. A referee then showed Turner a black card to disqualify her.
A black card is the harshest penalty in fencing, one that is usually deployed in cases of egregious unsportsmanlike conduct. In a statement to the Irish Star this week, USA Fencing said that Turner’s conduct violated rules for competition set by the International Fencing Federation (FIE).
“[Turner’s] disqualification was not related to any personal statement but was merely the direct result of her decision to decline to fence an eligible opponent, which the FIE rules clearly prohibit,” USA Fencing’s statement read in part. FIE’s Technical Rules bar athletes from competing if they “refuse to fence against any other fencer whatsoever […] correctly entered in the event.”
“USA Fencing is obligated to follow the letter of those rules and ensure that participants respect the standards set at the international level,” the organization’s statement continued. “We remain committed to inclusivity within our sport while also upholding every requirement dictated by our governing body.”
USA Fencing also told the Star that it will “always err on the side of inclusion,” but that its leaders “respect the viewpoints on all sides” and would consider changing their trans and nonbinary athlete policy should Olympic policies change or new “relevant evidence-based research” be conducted. The organization’s current policy allows adult trans and nonbinary people to compete in men’s or women’s divisions depending on their stated gender identity, with restrictions based on an athlete’s testosterone levels; trans women must complete a year of testosterone suppression to be eligible for women’s competition, while trans men who take testosterone are automatically disqualified from women’s events.
Sullivan went on to finish 24th overall in the field of 39 competitors (including Turner), with seasoned competitor Shuang Li picking up the fifth gold medal of her career. Of course, Li received no accolades from right-wing media outlets, much less self-proclaimed defender of women’s sports J.K. Rowling, who focused on denigrating Sullivan and uplifting Turner on Elon Musk’s X social media platform. Rowling wrote in one post that Turner is “what a heroine looks like,” after sharing another post from former tennis star turned anti-trans campaigner Martina Navratilova, who said she was “fuming” and shamed USA Fencing for “throw[ing] women under the gender bullshit bus.”
Current scientific research has not shown that trans women hold significant biological advantages over cis women in competitive sports. In fact, a study backed by the International Olympic Committee last year found that trans women who suppress their testosterone may face significant disadvantages in some athletic metrics like vertical leap. But conservatives in the U.S. have insisted that it is “common sense” to ban trans women and girls from women’s sports, which has now become a rallying cry for the second Trump administration, as officials use trans athletes as a cudgel to withhold funding from states like Maine by claiming they are violating federal civil rights law.
In 2022, the NCAA tightened restrictions on trans athletes’ eligibility following the success of then-college swimmer Lia Thomas. NCAA president Charlie Baker said in February that the organization would voluntarily shift its policies to align with Trump’s executive order calling for sports to be separated based on the president’s definition of “biological sex.” The new participation policy specifically states that a “student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete for an NCAA women’s team.” It’s not clear based on USA Fencing’s statement this week whether the organization will alter its own policy to match the NCAA updates.
Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and the NWSL Players’ Association are addressing “hateful language” aimed at Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda during Sunday’s match between the two teams.
Banda, who is from Zambia, and plays on their national team, joined the Orlando Pride in 2024. This instance of alleged harassment comes months after she became the target of anti-intersex and anti-trans online bullying after she was named BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year last November. Shortly after the BBC’s announcement, anti-trans critics in the U.K. — including J.K. Rowling — began spreading a conspiracy that Banda, a cis woman, was secretly a “man” masquerading within the world of women’s sports. Much of this “transvestigation” stemmed from a 2022 incident in which Banda was prohibited from competing in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) because a “sex verification” test found that her testosterone levels were allegedly determined to be above what the organization had deemed a “normal” amount.
Sources familiar with the controversy told the AP in 2023 that mismanagement within the Council of African Football (CAF) and FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, was to blame for the situation rather than Banda herself, and WAFCON organizers reportedly don’t have a maximum testosterone level at all. Nevertheless, Banda has faced unfounded anti-trans vitriol over the past several months — including “hateful language” during the Orlando Pride’s March 23 match against Gotham at Gotham’s home field, the Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Reddit user @mitzibitsy claimed to be present at the game and to have witnessed the harassment in a March 24 Reddit post. “One fan got pulled aside by security after he cheered for Banda falling down and yelled, ‘She shouldn’t be on the field anyway!’” they wrote. “I was satisfied to see security speak to him, but all he got was a warning. In the meantime, this really ruined the game for me, and made me feel really unsafe in my season ticket seat going forward.”
Advocates have noted that attacks on athletes’ womanhood put women athletes at risk of violence, particularly women of color such as Banda and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.
The Orlando Pride, Gotham FC, and the NWSL all spoke out against the incident in a series of March 24 social media statements.
“This behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our league or in our stadiums,” the Orlando Pride’s statement reads. “Barbra is an outstanding role model and an influential advocate for soccer both in Africa and here in the United States. We look forward to continuing to celebrate and support her on and off the pitch.”
The Pride added that “as a club, the Pride will collaborate with the NWSL and with Gotham to ensure that the proper action is taken to hold individuals accountable when violating the league’s standards.”
Gotham FC’s statement noted that “Gotham and the NWSL are working together to further investigate the incident and take additional action where appropriate under the league’s Fan Code of Conduct.”
The league’s Fan Code of Conduct states that “fans are strictly prohibited from using threatening, abusive, or discriminatory words, signs, symbols, or actions based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, cultural identity, nationality, citizenship status, age, appearance, disability, and/or religion.”
Fans who violate the NWSL Fan Code of Conduct are subject to penalties such as loss of ticket privileges for future games, ejection without refund, and revocation of season tickets. According to the New York Times, Gotham FC is reviewing footage of the March 23 incident using stadium security logs, and the team has spoken to Reddit user @mitzibitsy about what they witnessed.
The NWSL’s statement reaffirmed that “we are committed to ensuring that our venues are safe and respectful environments for all — especially for the athletes who represent the very best of our sport.”
J.K. Rowling delusionally described the win by the cis, Zambian athlete as the BBC attempting to “spit directly in women’s faces.”
“Barba Banda is both an exceptional player and person, and the NWSL is immensely proud to support her as a member of our league,” the league’s statement continued.
In a statement of their own, the NWSL Players’ Association emphasized that “there is no place for harassment or abuse in our sport, and we support efforts to address this incident swiftly and responsibly.”
“Soccer is built on principles of fairness, inclusion, and respect for human dignity,” the statement continued. “Any form of hateful conduct undermines these values and has no place in our fandom. Barbra Banda is a generational talent, and we are fortunate to witness her compete at the highest level.”
During a March 14 appearance on NPR’s All Things Considered, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that the league has been working for the past few months to find a “technology partner who could help us to monitor all of the social media hate that many [players] are targets of.”
“There were a lot of lessons learned, both about things that we could have done better to support [Banda last year], internally and externally,” Berman continued. “[…] Hopefully, we’ll be in a better position to respond quickly if that happens again in the future.”
Scottie's Playtime 