SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration has issued a stern warning to San Jose State University, giving the institution a 10-day deadline to address what the U.S. Education Department identifies as Title IX violations concerning transgender athletes. Failure to comply could result in legal action and the potential withdrawal of federal funding.

In January, the Education Department concluded that the university discriminated against women by allowing a transgender athlete to compete on the women’s volleyball team. The department’s ultimatum was delivered in a letter on Tuesday.

Kimberly Richey, the assistant secretary for civil rights, stated that the administration had offered the university several options to rectify the violations. These included separating athletes into “male” and “female” categories based on the administration’s definitions.

“Yet, SJSU remains obstinate, choosing a radical ideology over safety, dignity, and fairness for its own students,” Richey commented. “With today’s action, the Department is putting the university on notice: comply with the law or risk losing its federal funding.”

Title IX is a federal law enacted in 1972 aimed at ensuring gender equity in education.

In a letter to the department, the university said Title IX prohibits discriminating against transgender individuals.

The Education Department has taken action against a series of states, schools and colleges that allow transgender athletes to participate on sports teams, something President Donald Trump has promised to end.

The investigation into San Jose State was opened in February 2025 alongside a similar one at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn later agreed to a deal similar to the one being offered to San Jose State, modifying school records set by a transgender swimmer and apologizing to other athletes on the swim team.

The allure of cash undeniably drives decisions in the NBA, particularly when it comes to expanding the league.

Amid concerns over issues like tanking and the overall depth of the league, the NBA’s Board of Governors has officially decided to explore the potential of adding new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, as announced on Wednesday.

According to ESPN, the bidding process for these franchises could reach astronomical figures, ranging between $7 billion and $10 billion. The new teams are expected to potentially debut in the 2028-29 season.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed enthusiasm in the official statement, saying, “Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball. We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”

Speculations about NBA expansion have been circulating for over two decades since the league last introduced a new team in 2004. Now, it appears these discussions are finally gaining momentum.

The NBA last added the Charlotte Bobcats — now the Hornets — to bump from 29 teams to 30 and create six divisions of five teams, and 32 is a natural number for an increase.

Details leaked earlier this month that the Board of Governors would vote during their meetings from March 24-25, and they need 75 percent (23 votes) to move forward.

The cash boon from the moves surely factored into the decision, since the owners would directly profit from adding two more teams.

The NBA said that PJT Partners is being enlisted as a “strategic partner to evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure and the broader economic implications of expansion.”

Seattle already has a long history with the NBA, with the SuperSonics franchise from 1967 to 2008, before the team relocated to Oklahoma City.

There has long been fervor from fans to return to the Emerald City, and now it seems the green and yellow could be on its way back.

Las Vegas has never had an NBA team, but Sin City plays host to the Summer League and the NBA Cup semifinals and championship game.

With MLB (A’s) and the NFL (Raiders) adding Las Vegas teams in recent years, to go along with the Golden Knights of the NHL, it seems a matter of time before the NBA is in Nevada.

The one concern with adding two teams is that it comes as tanking consumes the sport, and the NBA has yet to figure out how to prevent teams from being uncompetitive in the second half.

The league is attempting to implement anti-tanking procedures, but it remains to be seen whether that will be enough of a deterrent.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a tragic scene unfolded in Crete, Illinois, as a devastating house fire claimed the lives of four individuals. The inferno erupted in a home located in the far south suburbs, leaving the community in mourning.

Firefighters from Crete responded swiftly to reports of the blaze, arriving just before 1 a.m. at a residence on Chalet Court. Upon arrival, they were met with a one-story home engulfed in flames, presenting a challenging and dangerous situation.

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Efforts to extinguish the fire were immediate, but unfortunately, the intense conditions inside the home, exacerbated by a partial roof collapse, forced the fire crews to adopt a defensive approach to combat the blaze safely.

This tragic incident comes amid other unsettling news in the region, including a recent case where an Indiana woman was charged with murder following the discovery of three bodies in a Will County home. The community is left grappling with these consecutive tragedies as investigations continue to uncover the causes behind these devastating events.

Fire crews worked to put the fire out while tryin to search the home, but, due to the conditions, including a partial roof collapse, had to begin a defensive strategy, officials said.

The fire was brought under control in about 40 minutes, officials said.

Once conditions allowed, fire crews entered the home and found four people dead.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Crete-Monee School District 201-U said in a social media post that two students from Monee Elementary and one Crete-Monee High School student were killed in the fire.

The school district said it is increasing support at its schools.

“This is a devastating time for our school community. Out of respect for the family’s privacy and because circumstances are still being confirmed, we cannot share additional details at this time. We are all grieving together, and we will do everything we can to support our students, staff, and families in the days ahead,” the district said.

Chopper 7 was over what is believed to be the home where the fire took place about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The home was destroyed, and there is a large emergency response.

This is a developing story; check back with ABC7 Chicago for updates.

Bill Belichick appeared in high spirits as he geared up for the upcoming season with the University of North Carolina, despite his unexpected omission from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The iconic New England Patriots coach was seen relaxed and smiling in a photo taken by his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, during a conference call on Tuesday.

Hudson captured the moment as Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion, engaged with journalists while seated in front of a laptop at the UNC facility. She captioned the image with: “All smiles with the Irish media.”

The conversation likely centered around UNC’s season opener against TCU, scheduled to take place in Dublin on August 29.

According to the Fayetteville Observer, during UNC’s opening day of spring practice, Belichick addressed questions regarding his Hall of Fame exclusion.

He replied: ‘No, I’m focused on coaching this team and focused on getting Carolina football to the highest level I can. That’s what I’ve always… I focus about what I can do. Things that are out of my control, I don’t worry about.’

Bill Belichick was all smiles as Jordon Hudson snapped him while on a media call Tuesday

Hudson has been the most vocal critic of the decision to snub Belichick from the Hall of Fame

The football community was left stunned last month when the former Patriots head coach failed to hit the required 40 votes to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026.

With Belichick widely tipped to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, the decision to overlook him led to widespread anger, including from Hudson herself.

In the wake of Belichick’s Hall of Fame humiliation, Hudson took a brutal dig at his former employer – Patriots owner Robert Kraft. 

In photos obtained by the Daily Mail, the cheerleader was captured snuggling up to her 73-year-old boyfriend at a Tar Heels basketball game as they soaked up the on-court action amid the college football offseason.

Cutting a casual figure, Hudson sported a t-shirt featuring the logo for Orchids of Asia Day Spa, a massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida.

While at first glance, Hudson’s choice of attire appeared innocent enough, to NFL fans it was a clear sly swipe at Kraft, who also recently suffered his own Hall of Fame omission. 

The 84-year-old Patriots chief, who parted ways with Belichick in January 2024, was caught up in a prostitution sting in 2019. 

Kraft and others were charged in February 2019 in a multi-county investigation of massage parlors that included the secret installation of video cameras in the spas’ lobbies and rooms. Police said that the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.

Kraft visited the Orchids of Asia day spa in Jupiter, Florida twice in a 24-hour span in January, according to police records.

However, he pleaded not guilty and the charges were later dropped after a court ruled the surveillance videos were inadmissible due to privacy violations and unlawful police tactics.

Hudson wore a shirt that appeared to be a dig at Patriots owner Kraft’s 2019 prostitution sting

24-year-old Hudson (front, right) celebrated winning a cheer competition earlier this month

Belichick served as Kraft’s head coach for 23 years in New England, leading the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles with the Tom Brady-led dynasty.

However, the pair split, under seemingly bitter terms, at the end of the 2023 season after the Patriots finished 4-13. 

Belichick and Kraft’s relationship deteriorated over the years, with the pair butting heads over Brady’s eventual departure in 2020.

Kraft was said to be keen on keeping his legendary quarterback in New England, yet Belichick’s desire to move on from Brady reportedly caused issues behind the scenes.

Hudson and Belichick are seemingly continuing to enjoy life in Chapel Hill after the coach’s first season in charge of the Tar Heels’ football team ended in disastrous fashion. His team finished 4-8, failing to clinch a bowl game for the first time since 2018. 

Hudson has tasted success recently though, after she secured victory in a cheerleading competition – which prompted her to clap back at her haters.

Hudson competed at the Cheer For Charity Grand National Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia earlier this month. The Maine native and her teammates won the event – with Hudson taking to Instagram to celebrate.

She posted a gallery of images showing herself and her cheer squad with the caption, ‘#GOLDDIGGER GOT #PAID,’ before adding, ‘#IDigGoldMedals #GRANDioseCHAMPS #TroubleCubStrikesAgain’ afterwards.

A Texas teenager with a history of legal troubles has been arrested once again, this time facing charges for allegedly committing murder while out on bond for three different offenses.

Johnnie Lillie, 19, has been accused of fatally shooting Jermarkus Johnson, 29, on September 22, 2025, along Aldine Bender Road in Houston, Texas, as reported by FOX 26.

Previously, Lillie had been on probation following a conviction for burglary of a motor vehicle in June 2024. Despite his probationary status, he was subsequently apprehended for the illegal purchase of a firearm.

Andy Kahan, the director of victim services and advocacy at Houston’s Crime Stoppers, expressed concern, stating, “While he’s on probation, he picks up a possession of a prohibited weapon, a machine gun. That’s pretty serious,” he informed FOX 26.

“While he’s on probation, he picks up a possession of a prohibited weapon, a machine gun. That’s pretty serious,” Andy Kahan, director of victim services and advocacy for Houston’s Crime Stoppers, told the outlet. 

Following the additional charges, Lillie was reportedly granted bond and subsequently released from jail.

Johnnie Lillie was reportedly out on probation after being sentenced for a burglary of a motor vehicle in June 2024 when he was taken into custody after illegally purchasing a firearm. He was later arrested again on separate burglary of a motor vehicle charges. (iStock; FOX 26)

Lillie then reportedly picked up yet another charge stemming from an alleged burglary of a second motor vehicle while free on bond and under the supervision of both the county’s probation department and pre-trial services. 

“Now he’s out on not one, but two bonds, and is still on probation,” Kahan told FOX 26.

Johnnie Lillie had reportedly been released on bond three times before allegedly killing a man in 2024. (iStock; FOX 26)

Court documents obtained by the outlet show that Lillie allegedly violated his bond at least half a dozen times following his release from jail.

“Pretrial services says we cannot monitor him, he’s not abiding by any of his conditions,” Kahan said. “And again, he’s allowed to remain on probation and multiple bonds.”

After being released, Lillie allegedly gunned down Johnson over a game of dice last year, according to FOX 26. 

“All you had to do on one occasion was either revoke his probation or revoke his bond,” Kahan said. “That would’ve taken him out of being in the community. It would have had him locked up, and Jermarkus Johnson would be alive today.”

Lillie remains in custody stemming from the alleged murder and is being held on $250,000 bond.

The Harris County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.