Author: Rick Amato

A person was killed in an avalanche near Colorado’s Aspen Highlands Ski Area on Sunday, officials say.The avalanche took place in Maroon Bowl area northwest of Highland Peak, which is outside the ski boundary of Aspen Highlands.Two other skiers were involved in the accident and self-extricated. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) says the avalanche was triggered by the skiers’ activity.”Responders from Mountain Rescue Aspen are working with Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol to safely access the two other skiers and remove them from the avalanche area,” the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.AVALANCHE IN COLORADO LEAVES ONE PERSON DEAD, ANOTHER STILL BURIED, SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS The avalanche took place in Maroon Bowl area off Highland Peak, which outside the ski boundary of Aspen Highlands. (Colorado Avalanche Information Center)The CAIC posted pictures of the mountain after the avalanche formed. According to the CAIC, the avalanche broke roughly 200 feet wide and ran approximately 2,000 vertical feet.Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol, Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Rescue Aspen and the Colorado Army National Guard HAATS team all assisted in the rescue.AVALANCHE BURIES UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO PRESIDENT, KILLS SON AMID DANGEROUS BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS CAIC staff will visit the avalanche site on Monday to prepare a final report of the accident. (Colorado Avalanche Information Center)”Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the people involved in this tragic accident,” the CAIC said in a Facebook post.CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP”CAIC staff will visit the accident site on Monday, March 20, and we will publish a final report in the next week,” the statement added. The avalanche broke roughly 200 feet wide and ran approximately 2,000 vertical feet (Colorado Avalanche Information Center)

Adama Sanogo scored 24 points and Jordan Hawkins delivered from the 3-point line in the second half as UConn pulled away from Saint Mary’s for a 70-55 win on Sunday that put the Huskies in the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.No. 4 seed UConn (27-8) advanced to the West Regional in Las Vegas on Thursday. Next up is eighth-seeded Arkansas, which knocked off No. 1 seed Kansas.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM UConn guard Tristen Newton (2) listens to coach Dan Hurley during the first half of the team’s second-round college basketball game against Saint Mary’s in the men’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Albany, N.Y.  (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)Sanogo followed up his 28-point game in the Huskies’ NCAA tourney opener against Iona with another powerful and efficient performance in the paint. The 245-pound junior was 11 for 16 from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds, dominating a big-man matchup with Mitchell Saxen (six points, three rebounds and four fouls).Saint Mary’s (27-8) of the West Coast Conference failed to get out of the first weekend of the tournament for the second straight season as a No. 5 seed.Aidan Mahaney and Logan Johnson each scored nine for the Gaels, who played the final 25 minutes without third-leading scorer Alex Ducas. The senior left with an apparent back injury. St. Mary’s Aidan Mahaney (20) drives against Connecticut’s Nahiem Alleyne, left, in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Albany, N.Y.  (AP Photo/John Minchillo)UConn used a 14-2 spurt, highlighted by a 3 from Hawkins with 11:28 left in the second half, to go up 51-40.Hawkins had been scoreless to that point, but he added another 3 coming off a screen moments later to make it 56-45, and the “Let’s Go Huskies!” chants started to reverberate throughout MVP Arena.FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON COACH GIVES PEP TALK, ASSISTANT ALLEGES FLORIDA ATLANTIC TRASH TALK BEFORE BIG GAMEHawkins wasn’t done, making back-to-back 3s to make it 62-47 with 6:38 left. He finished with 12 points.Meanwhile, the Huskies defense was clamping down on the Gaels, who were held under 60 points for just the fourth time this season.The Gaels and Huskies played a practically even first half, with both shooting 44.4% from the field, and closing strong. Mahaney made a 3 with 21 second left to put Saint Mary’s up 30-28 and Newton responded with a 3-pointer 18 seconds later that put the Huskies up 31-30 at half and brought the pro-UConn crowd to its feet. Connecticut’s Adama Sanogo (21) looks to pass after rebounding against St. Mary’s Mitchell Saxen (11) in the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Albany, N.Y.  (AP Photo/John Minchillo)BIG PICTURESaint Mary’s: The Gaels have reached the Sweet 16 just once in program history in 2010.Coach Randy Bennett, in his 22nd season at SMC, and the Gaels have been Gonzaga’s closest rival in the WCC. They snagged No. 5 seeds each of the last two seasons, the best seeding for any team outside the six power conferences not named Gonzaga since 2014.UConn: The Huskies last played in the second weekend of the tournament in 2014, when they won the last — and most surprising — of four national titles in a 15-year span.The Huskies’ last title run came out of the American Athletic Conference, the league birthed from the Big East’s football-basketball breakup in 2013.UConn went with the football schools and played seven years in the AAC, where its football program floundered while its vaunted men’s basketball slipped into irrelevance.The Huskies returned to their Big East roots, hiring former Seton Hall point guard Dan Hurley as coach five years ago and rejoining the conference three seasons ago, and they have been on the rise ever since.BIG LOSSDucas was helped off the court with 4:52 left in the first half.The team’s most accurate 3-point shooter and third-leading scorer went down to his knees and started reaching for his lower back after no apparent contact. He was attended to by the team’s athletic trainers and then assisted off the court after trying to take a step on his own. He went right to the locker room and did not play the rest of the game.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPDucas scored 17 points in the Gaels’ first-round victory against VCU and had eight more when he went out.UP NEXTUConn: The Huskies are 3-1 all-time against Arkansas.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called on his country to be ready to launch a nuclear attack to deter war as he accused the U.S. and South Korea of carrying out military drills with American nuclear assets, according to state media. Kim’s remarks, carried on state media KCNA, came after the Hermit Kingdom launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday. The missile flew across the country and landed in the sea off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments – which reported that the missile traveled a distance of about 500 miles.  FILE: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the 7th enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 1, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).  (KCNA via REUTERS)Kim, who oversaw the test, said the exercises improved the military’s actual war capability and highlighted the need to ensure its readiness posture for any “immediate and overwhelming nuclear counterattack” through such drills. KCNA quoted Kim as saying the North “urgently” needed to bolster up its nuclear war deterrence exponentially as the enemies “are getting ever more pronounced in their moves for aggression against” his country. US AND ITS PARTNERS STAGE WARFARE DRILLS AS JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE AGAINST CHINA, NORTH KOREA”The nuclear force of the DPRK will strongly deter, control and manage the enemy’s reckless moves and provocations with its high war readiness, and carry out its important mission without hesitation in case of any unwanted situation,” Kim was quoted as saying. KCNA photos showed Kim attending the test with his young daughter as flames roared from the soaring missile before it hit the target. FILE: A TV screen shows a news program reporting with footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)The U.S. and South Korea have for weeks been carrying out annual exercises, including air and sea drills involving U.S. B-1B strategic bombers. Both country’s respective navies and marine corps are set to kick off their first large-scale Ssangyong amphibious landing exercises in five years on Monday for a two-week run until April 3. North Korea has frequently condemned these exercises, likening them to a dress rehearsal for an invasion.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIn another dispatch, KCNA said more than 1.4 million North Koreans have volunteered to join or re-enlist in the military to fight against South Korean and US troops – up from some 800,000 enlistees reported over the weekend. Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.  

Fox News host Trey Gowdy criticized New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s decision not to prosecute certain crimes amid his current case against former President Donald Trump on “Sunday Night in America.”Trump claimed Saturday morning that “leaks” indicated the liberal city DA’s office may arrest him on Tuesday after years of investigating the former president’s alleged hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 election campaign.MANHATTAN DA’S OFFICE ‘ASKED FOR A MEETING’ WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AHEAD OF POSSIBLE TRUMP INDICTMENTGowdy pointed out how, upon being elected, Bragg announced a list of crimes he would not prosecute, including downgrading felonies and dismissing or pleading down serious cases. Gowdy made the case that Bragg is a “social engineer masquerading as a prosecutor” and that he is substituting his politics for the rule of law. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg during a press conference in New York on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)”On his first day in office, New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced all the crimes he would not prosecute. The person elected as the top law enforcement official had a long list of laws he didn’t respect enough to follow,” Gowdy said. “He substituted his politics for the rule of law because that’s what so-called progressive prosecutors do and there was nary a word of dissent on the left. Felonies would be downgraded, serious cases dismissed or pled down, prison terms would rarely be solved. Alvin Bragg was a social engineer masquerading as a prosecutor.”On January 3, 2022, Bragg sent out a memo to his office calling for the non prosecution of crimes including marijuana possession, turnstile jumping, trespassing, resisting arrest, interfering with an arrest and prostitution. NEW YORK PROSECUTORS SIGNAL TRUMP MAY FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES FROM STORMY DANIELS SCANDAL”To be clear, Alvin Bragg will not prosecute people who pay for sex, that’s one of the crimes he promised to ignore. To him, you can pay someone for sex in New York and get away with it, but God forbid you pay someone to be quiet about it afterwards,” Gowdy added.”The demise of our country will be in direct proportion to how politicized our justice system remains,” he continued. Gowdy then said that the justice system should be “a place where both friend and foe are afforded fairness and due process, where nothing matters except the law and the facts.”However, he argued that Bragg’s decision to ignore certain laws gives license to others to ignore the facts. According to Gowdy, “When you ignore the law and the facts, you don’t have a justice system and if you don’t have a justice system, you don’t have a country.” Former President Donald Trump and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.  (Getty Images )CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPGowdy expressed concerns that if the trend of politicizing our justice system continues, “the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever known will surely fail.”

The Carolina Panthers have signed free-agent wide receiver Adam Thielen following his release from the Minnesota Vikings after nine seasons.Thielen’s deal, which spans three years, was first reported by former NFL punter and current podcast host Pat McAfee. Thielen confirmed with a GIF of the Panthers’ mascot doing a dance in the end zone, showing his excitement for his second act in the NFL.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Adam Thielen #19 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on January 08, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)The Panthers later confirmed the deal. Thielen’s price tag has not yet been disclosed. Carolina is making some moves this offseason, their biggest being the trade with the Chicago Bears for the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.VIKINGS, ADAM THIELEN HAVE ‘REAL POSSIBILITY’ OF PARTING WAYS TO CREATE CAP SPACE: REPORTThat pick is expected to be used for a potential franchise quarterback, and moves for players like Thielen are being done to help give that quarterback some weapons to work with.The Panthers also signed former Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders and former Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurts to add more veteran options to the offense. Thielen’s cap hit was set to be just under $20 million for the 2023 season, and needing more cap space, Minnesota let the 32-year-old know that his release was coming.  Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) celebrates with teammate wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after catching a 15-yard touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy Clayton-Kin)Also, wide receiver Justin Jefferson had cemented himself as Kirk Cousins’ favorite target with the Vikings, meaning Thielen fell to a No. 2 role. While he doesn’t mind what role he played, Thielen’s production saw a dip since Jefferson’s emergence in the league. He had 726 yards and 716 yards in 2021 and 2022, respectively, after totaling 925 yards with 14 touchdowns on 108 receptions in 2020. Thielen also has two Pro Bowl seasons under his belt in 2017 and 2018, totaling more than 1,275 yards in each of them with 13 combined touchdowns.EX-EAGLES RB MILES SANDERS LANDS WITH PANTHERS, AGREES TO MULTI-YEAR DEAL: REPORTThielen is still an above-average route-runner with dependable hands, especially in the red zone. In 2021, Thielen’s target share diminished, but he still had 10 touchdowns on the year.With the Panthers, Thielen has a potential to be the quarterback’s top option in the offense again. That’s especially the case since D.J. Moore was traded to the Bears in the package for the first pick.Thielen will be joining Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr. and Shi Smith on the depth chart. Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 15, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFor his career, Thielen has tallied 6,882 yards with 55 total touchdowns in 135 regular season games.

Taylor Moore can now say he’s a PGA Tour champion after winning the Valspar Championship at 10-under after shooting 67 at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida.After birdieing four of his last 10 holes, Moore waited in the clubhouse and watched as Adam Schenk and Jordan Spieth walked to the 18th hole to see if a playoff was needed to determine a champion.A bogey on 16 for Spieth moved him to 9-under, which meant a birdie was needed to at least force that playoff. But for Schenk, he just needed a par to force it. A birdie wins him the tournament.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Taylor Moore of the United States putts on the 18th green during the final round of the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 19, 2023 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)However, once he made contact with his ball on the 18th tee, he knew he was in trouble. The shot was shanked, driven left into the crowd before it came to rest beside a tree. When Schenk assessed the situation, he took out a club and had to hit it left-handed back into the fairway, and it just rolled into the rough. Schenk, needing a good approach shot for a solid par putt, instead hit to 41 feet away from the cup. TIGER WOODS’ EX-WIFE HAS ‘NO INTEREST IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE’ AMID LAWSUIT FROM EX-GIRLFRIEND: REPORTSchenk took his time to assess the putt and stepped up to the ball knowing he had to hit it for the playoff. As it rolled, one could tell Schenk really went for it as it picked up speed.  Adam Schenk of the United States reacts on the 16th tee during the final round of the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 19, 2023 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)The ball hit the cup but lipped out, and as Spieth bogeyed the 18th, Moore knew he was a champion.GOLF LEGEND JOHN DALY TEXTING ARKANSAS COACH TIPS AMID MARCH MADNESS RUNMoore’s win at the Valspar marks his only top 10 finish in 15 tournaments this season. The win also gives him $1.5 million, and being his first win on tour, it’s the highest payout he’s gotten to date.  Taylor Moore of the United States celebrates with the trophy after winning during the final round of the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 19, 2023 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThis is Moore’s second full year on the PGA Tour, but it was his consistency this week that got him the long-awaited victory.

Arkansas men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman showed off his muscles as he celebrated the team’s upset victory over the defending national champions, the Kansas Jayhawks.The No. 8 Razorbacks topped the Jayhawks 72-71 as Ricky Council IV made five free throws in the closing seconds of the game. The 58-year-old coach jumped onto the press table, ripped off his red polo shirt and waved it over his head.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Head coach Eric Musselman led Arkansas to a 72-71 win over Kansas. (AP Photo/Eric Olson) Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman reacts after a second-round college basketball game against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)The crowd in Des Moines, Iowa, went crazy.”That’s such an unbelievable win for our program,” Musselman said. “I keep telling people that we’re getting better. Not many teams can get better this time of year. I’ve never been prouder of a team like tonight.”COACH OF FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON RIVAL INELIGIBLE FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT ON KNIGHTS’ SUCCESS: ‘I’M HAPPY FOR THEM’ Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman reacts on the press table with his shirt off. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)Arkansas knocked out No. 1 Gonzaga last year on its way to an Elite Eight appearance. This time, the team didn’t even lead for 2 minutes as they struggled on offense early and foul trouble late. According to OptaSTATS, Arkansas became the first team to beat a No. 1 seed with three players fouling out.”I would love to lie and say that I felt composed, but we only led for 1:43,” Council said after the game. “This has been as challenging and as up-and-down a season as I’ve ever been a part of.”For these guys to be rewarded for sticking with it and being able to go to Las Vegas and participate with only 16 teams still standing…. It’s really hard to make this tournament. It’s really hard to win a game in this tournament. It’s really hard to beat defending champions, No. 1 seed. We did it.” The crowd in Des Moines, Iowa, went crazy when the 58-year-old coach jumped onto the press table and ripped off his red polo shirt. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPArkansas, which beat Illinois in the Round of 64, awaits the winner of Saint Mary’s and UConn in the Sweet 16.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

One legal expert torched the possibility of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arresting former President Donald Trump – calling it “Banana Republic sort of stuff” as he reportedly weighs an indictment. Trump revealed over the weekend he expects to be arrested on Tuesday in connection with the “hush money” payments to porn star Stormy Daniels back in 2016, citing “illegal leaks” from Bragg’s office and the Justice Department. But many legal experts have cast doubt on the potential indictment, often arguing there is little legal precedent, alongside political motivation, surrounding the case. TRUMP VOLUNTARILY DISMISSES SECOND LAWSUIT AGAINST NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES Former federal prosecutor Francey Hakes accused Bragg of weaponizing the law politically, and acting like a “king,” in order to indict the former president. “This is a really serious time because this is Banana Republic sort of stuff,” Francey said during “Fox & Friends Weekend.” “Using the law as a weapon against a political opponent is so wrong. It’s one of the main reasons that the United States of America formed and broke away from England because of all the injustice in the criminal justice system at the time from the king, and that’s what’s happening here.””You’ve got someone acting like a king in Alvin Bragg, who’s decided that because he doesn’t like a political opponent, he’s going to twist the law into a pretzel in order to get him,” she continued.  President Donald Trump arrives to enter his presidential viewing stand Saturday, July 15, 2017, during the U.S. Women’s Open Golf tournament at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)”NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, Saturday. The former president has been under investigation for years for the $130,000 payment made to Daniels at the end of the 2016 election cycle. His former lawyer, Michael Cohen, facilitated the exchange and was reimbursed for the payment over time. MANHATTAN DA’S OFFICE ‘ASKED FOR A MEETING’ WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AHEAD OF POSSIBLE TRUMP INDICTMENTProsecutors could argue the money was a violation of campaign finance laws, but critics argue, including Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina, that the funding was “personal” money and not related to the campaign.Tacopina and other legal experts have argued Bragg’s potential indictment hinges on unchartered legal waters, further indicating the political nature of the potential arrest. “It’s hard to say it’s anything but political when you look at a DA in Manhattan, who drops over 50% of felony charges in that crime-ridden city down to misdemeanors, and yet he’s managed to try to find a way outside the statute of limitations where cases would normally be barred, to bootstrap a felony into a misdemeanor that’s maybe a state crime, maybe a federal crime,” Hakes said. “The feds declined to prosecute, the Federal Election Commission declined to prosecute, yet Alvin Bragg thinks he has a crime here,” she continued. “I think it seems political to me.”Bragg’s office has not yet commented or confirmed the news of Trump’s potential arrest. NEW YORK PROSECUTORS SIGNAL TRUMP MAY FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES FROM STORMY DANIELS SCANDALFormer Whitewater deputy counsel Sol Wisenberg, who noted he is a critic of the 45th president, echoed Hakes’ sentiment that Bragg’s case is “obviously political” in nature. In a subsequent appearance on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend,’ Sunday, he called the potential arrest “preposterous.””The question to ask yourself in a case like this… would a case like this be brought against anybody else, whether he or she be president, former president or a regular citizen? The answer is… no,” Wisenberg said. “You can debate all day long whether or not President former President Trump should be indicted related to the records at Mar-a-Lago; whether or not he should be indicted with respect to January 6 incitement of lawless activity… Those are real crimes if they occurred, and he committed them,” he continued. “This, is preposterous.”CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPCritics have also been quick to note Bragg may be unable to indict the former president if the statute of limitations has run out. But Hakes explained that Bragg may be able to curtail that concern and proceed with an indictment if there are additional conspiracy charges, she argued. Regardless, Wisenberg called the potential charges targeting Trump a “weak sister case” while noting significant legitimacy concerns. “Number one, because it would never be prosecuted this late against anybody else,” Wisenberg said. “Number two, it is in most instances under New York state law, a misdemeanor… from what we’ve heard, this is about [the] falsification of records that can only be a felony if the records are falsified to conceal another felony.””So there are real questions here, whether or not it ultimately stands up because of statute of limitations… and other concerns,” he continued. “It is a weak sister case.”

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).The San Jose Sharks used their Twitter account to give information and facts about LGBTQIA+ topics after goalie James Reimer declined to wear a Pride jersey in warmups on Saturday.The Sharks posted a message ahead of their game against the New York Islanders about how the team would use their social media account.”During tonight’s game, in lieu of our normal game content, we will be using this platform to offer information and facts about LGBTQIA+ topics,” the statement read. “Our hope is that this content will serve as a reminder that there are issues more important than goals, highlights and wins.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Goaltender James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks guards the net during the Jets game at Canada Life Centre on March 6, 2023, in Winnipeg, Canada. (Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)”Hockey is not for everyone until everyone is comfortable playing, working, or being a fan of this incredible game.”In its series of tweets, the Sharks talked about a “third gender” in “other cultures.””Worldwide, gender diversity is seen far differently than that in the Western World or as you may know it,” the Sharks tweeted. “Most of us are familiar with the male, female, and transgender labels. But in other cultures, the existence of ‘the third gender’ or even fourth and fifth genders is common:”The muxe gender is a respected third gender in Zapotec cultures in Oaxaca, Mexico, that has existed for centuries. Gunaa are those who were born as men but who identify as women & are attracted to men. The Nguii are those who were born as men and are attracted to other men.”The Ninauposkitzipxpe were honored as a third gender in the North Peigan tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy in northern Montana and Southern Alberta, Canada.”SHARKS GOALIE OPTS NOT TO WEAR LGBTQ-THEMED WARMUP JERSEY ON TEAM’S PRIDE NIGHTThe Sharks also tweeted statistics about the violence against the LGBTQ community and stats about suicides or attempted suicides in the LGBTQ youth community.”Thank you all for a night of celebration & reflection about our Pride Community,” the team tweeted”We know that one organization can’t make all the changes we seek to make hockey (and the world) more welcoming to all, but it’s a start. James Reimer of the Sharks skates during warmups before the Nashville Predators game at SAP Center on Feb. 23, 2023, in San Jose, California. (Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images)”With all of you, we can make an impact.”Reimer created a stir when he refused to wear the Pride jersey, saying it ran counter to his religious beliefs. He said he made the decision based on his Christian beliefs, adding that he “always strived to treat everyone with respect” and that members of the LGBTQ community should be welcome in hockey.”In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions, which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in life,” Reimer said.The You Can Play Project, which works to promote inclusiveness in sports, released a statement on Reimer’s decision. San Jose Sharks goaltender James Reimer reacts after giving up a goal against the Islanders, Oct. 18, 2022, in Elmont, New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP”Religion and respect are not in conflict with each other, and we are certainly disappointed when religion is used as a reason to not support our community,” the organization said. “Wearing pride jerseys, like any celebration jersey worn, is not about the personal feelings of an athlete; rather the communication from the team that a community is welcome in the arena and the sport.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An Idaho hospital made the decision to axe its labor and delivery department, saying the “political climate” made it too difficult to keep it staffed.”Highly respected, talented physicians are leaving. Recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult,” Bonner General Health, located in Sandpoint, Idaho, said in a social media post Friday. “The Idaho Legislature continues to introduce and pass bills that criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care. Consequences for Idaho Physicians providing the standard of care may include civil litigation and criminal prosecution, leading to jail time or fines.”The statement comes after Idaho enacted some of the strictest abortion restrictions in the country last year, including a provision that allows people the ability to sue a doctor who performs an abortion for up to five years.KIDS IN ‘GRAVE DANGER’ AFTER RED STATE JUDGE HALTS ABORTION PARENTAL CONSENT LAW: PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST A sign reading “My body, my Choice” hangs from a streetlight in front of the Idaho State Capitol on May 3, 2022. (Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman via AP, File)That reality left Bonner General with little choice but to close their labor and delivery department, the hospital argued, with board president Ford Elsaesser saying they tried everything they could to avoid the outcome.”We have made every effort to avoid eliminating these services,” Elsaesser said in the post. “We hoped to be the exception, but our challenges are impossible to overcome now.”Patients who would have used Bonner General for labor and delivery will now have to drive to hospitals in Coeur d’Alene or Spokane, Washington, over 45 miles from Sandpoint. Idaho state Capitol building (Aaron P./Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)ND SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS INJUNCTION ON STATE’S PLAN TO OUTLAW MOST ABORTIONSBonner General also said the decision was made after the hospital struggled to maintain pediatrician coverage, which would have made it “unsafe and unethical to offer routine Labor and Delivery services.”The hospital also noted the changing demographics of the local area, pointing out that fewer babies are being born in the hospital every year.The hospital said it will attempt to continue labor and delivery services through May 19, though cautioned that meeting that goal would depend on their ability to staff the department. A group protests the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health case on July 2, 2022, in Driggs, Idaho. (Natalie Behring/Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The closure of obstetrics will not be an easy transition for our Bonner General Health teams or our community and surrounding area,” the hospital said.