Zohran Mamdani defends himself after NYT exposes his questionable college app claim

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, identified as “Black or African American” on his 2009 Columbia University application even though he now says he does not consider himself Black, The New York Times reported Thursday.

According to The Times, the internal data came from a leaked database of past Columbia applications which was part of a recent hack targeting the Ivy League school.

Mamdani, then a high school senior, also checked “Asian” and reportedly wrote in “Ugandan” in the space for additional background. He was ultimately not accepted to Columbia even though his father is a professor at the elite school.

Now 33, Mamdani told The Times he identifies as “an American who was born in Africa,” and said checking multiple boxes was an effort to reflect his “complex background,” not to gain an edge in the competitive admissions process.

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But at the time, Columbia, like many elite universities, used race-conscious admissions, a system the Supreme Court struck down in 2023.

“Even though these boxes are constraining,” Mamdani said, “I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.”

Mamdani told The Times that aside from those college forms, he doesn’t recall ever identifying as Black or African American. 

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His parents are both of Indian descent. His father, Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, has lived in East Africa for generations, but Mamdani said there had been no intermarriage in the family with native African groups.

Mamdani has leaned into his South Asian and Muslim identity on the campaign trail. During a June speech at Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, he also stressed his African roots: “I was born in Kampala, Uganda… I was given my middle name, Kwame, by my father, who named me after the first Prime Minister of Ghana.”

President Donald Trump brought up Mamdani at a rally Wednesday, saying if he interferes with immigration laws “we’ll have to arrest him.” 

“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.

Mamdani, a self-identified democratic socialist, dismissed the remarks, accusing Trump of “an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment.

Jake Paul trolls opponent arrested by ICE with single emoji post on X

Jake Paul took a second win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this week.

Paul earned an official WBA cruiserweight ranking after defeating the boxing legend’s son over the weekend in a unanimous decision – on Wednesday. Just four days after the bout, Chavez Jr. was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Paul, as usual, talked plenty of trash ahead of the fight, and after the news of the arrest circulated, Paul dropped the mic one final time on Chavez Jr.

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After the news went around, Paul took to X to post an American flag emoji.

Paul’s business partner, Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, said in an interview with Fox News Digital shortly after Chavez Jr.’s arrest that the team knew “zero” about Chavez Jr.’s situation prior to his arrest.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the arrest on Thursday, noting Chavez Jr. was being processed for “expedited removal from the United States.”

Chavez Jr. was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2024 and later convicted of possession of an assault weapon, and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle, according to the statement. He had a prior U.S. criminal conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2012.

He also has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his alleged involvement with the Sinaloa Cartel — trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives, according to DHS officials.

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While Chavez Jr. entered the U.S. legally in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa, it expired in February 2024. 

In April 2024, he filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status. 

However, his application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen who is connected to the Sinaloa cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, according to the statement.

In December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez Jr. was considered “an egregious public safety threat.” 

DHS said Chavez Jr. reentered the country in January through the San Ysidro port of entry. However, after “multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident,” he was deemed to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27.

Chavez is a former WBC middleweight champion and the son of the boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, who held five different world titles in four different weight classes. 

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Paul’s win on Saturday resulted in him being ranked for the first time, coming in at No. 14 in the WBA cruiserweight rankings, now making him eligible for a title bout.

San Diego soccer club’s opening anthem sing-along unites crowd in imperfect unity

This is a story about America. Our country.

I went to the opening day of a soccer game in my hometown of San Diego.

It was the first game in the history of our club—the San Diego Football Club—and there was a lot of hype.

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It was a completely sold-out game.

It was being reported by the local news and all over social media.

It was a big deal. The people of San Diego were excited for our new professional soccer team.

They had a lot of ceremonial-type activities before the game. Local politicians were there, there was a ribbon cutting, various dedications, and all the pomp and circumstance of a momentous occasion.

When the players took the field, the crowd was fully engaged.

Finally—just prior to the game—it was time for our great American tradition before a sporting event: the singing of our national anthem.

Now, this is a song that often brings tears to my eyes as I remember the hundreds of thousands of men and women throughout our history who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation. And some of those countless heroes were my friends, my brothers that I lost—men who died defending our flag and our ideals.

So, as I thought about those heroes, I wondered who was going to have the solemn and sacred duty of performing The Star Spangled Banner.

I thought maybe they selected a local celebrity for the task, as there are plenty of talented musicians in San Diego who could do this powerful song justice.

Or perhaps they would have some distinguished school band or a proud church choir belt out the moving song that explains our tumultuous start as republic, captures the spirit of our flag and our people, and recognizes the sacrifice of our military servicemembers.

Then I had the hopeful idea that it might be the Navy or Marine Corps band.

The Navy and The Marine Corps are deeply rooted in San Diego and millions of Sailors and Marines have deployed from San Diego’s shores to face our nation’s enemies.

I knew it would be fitting to see our flag honored by active-duty troops in uniform.

Finally, the announcer invited the crowd to stand for the singing of the national anthem and I rose to my feet with 35,000 other people. Then, to my surprise, the announcer explained that the national anthem would be performed by us—the crowd. It would be a sing-a-long.

A sing-a-long?

I was shocked and disappointed and somewhat beside myself. What were they thinking?

Here we were, opening day, a historic moment—and we were going to do a sing-a-long?

Now, I’m no Pavarotti or Elvis Presley or Robert Plant, but I know how to sing. I sang in bands since I was a kid and I know that singing is not easy—in fact—singing is very difficult. It is challenging to stay in tune and tough to get the right timing and to hit the right notes.

And to think that 35,000 people were going to be able to pull this off? I knew that people would sing too loud or too quiet. They would sing too high or too low. Some people wouldn’t even sing at all—and many that would sing are completely tone-deaf.

So I didn’t think there was a chance this crowd would be able to hit the right rhythm and the right pitch and achieve the proper level of clarity.

And I was right—at least for a moment.

As the giant jumbotron began to scroll the lyrics and people began to sing, it was just what I expected: some voices were too high, some too low, some too quiet, some too loud. Some were off pitch and some completely off tempo.

But quickly, after a few bars, the voices started to blend together.

The low voices were balanced by the high ones. The quiet voices were bolstered by the loud ones. Out-of-tune notes were leveled out by people singing perfectly on pitch.

And, as I sang myself, I also heard it.

I heard this mass of people, people from every background, people of every size, shape, color, and creed, people with a wide variety of contrasting and conflicting voices.

As I heard them sing—the sum of their voices—harmonized and it sounded better than I had ever imagined it could.

That group of 35,000 individuals singing together was as good as I had ever heard that song.

Now: it was not perfect—but those imperfections gave it soul. They made the song human.

Every individual, doing their share, gave our national anthem a unique but unified identity.

An identity that—though not perfect—was absolutely amazing.

Just like this great country.

We have the voices of many people—some quiet, some loud.

Some rich, some poor.

Some left, some right, some center.

Some angry, some happy.

Some working hard and some hardly working.

Some concerned—some care-free.

We are all different.

Some people like country, some heavy metal, and some soul…

Some like hip hop, some hardcore punk, and some rock and roll.

We are all individuals…

All free to sing our tune the way we want.

But together—even with all those differences—we are more alike than not.

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We are determined. We are tough. We are individualistic and optimistic. We will not be controlled and we will fight and die if necessary for our destiny—for our freedom.

You see: We are all American. This is our country.

And we are not perfect—and neither is America.

We hit some bad notes. Our pitch is sometimes too high, and sometimes too low. Our timing is not always perfect and our rhythm is sometimes off.

But—together—bonded only by the freedom our forefathers fought for, we sing an amazing song.

And America is absolutely amazing too.

God bless all you Americans.

Sing loud and sing proud:

This is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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Have a Happy Fourth of July.

And God bless America.

Investing legend says Trump bill will cause painful economic disruptions

Congress officially passed President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” and billionaire Ray Dalio is warning about the possible economic consequences, which could include spending cuts, major tax increases and massive money printing.

“Unless this path is soon rectified to bring the budget deficit from roughly 7% of [gross domestic product] to about 3% by making adjustments to spending, taxes, and interest rates, big, painful disruptions will likely occur,” Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, wrote in a post on X Thursday.

Dalio said the bill, which now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law, is expected to result in yearly deficits of $2 trillion with revenues of about $5 trillion exceeded by spending of about $7 trillion. 

This deficit would increase the national debt over the next decade, pushing the debt, currently the equivalent of about $230,000 per U.S. family, to about $425,000 per family, he warned.

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Paying off this debt will also become increasingly expensive. Interest and principal payments on the debt would rise from around $10 trillion, $1 trillion of which is interest, to around $18 trillion, $2 trillion of which would be interest. This would result in either spending being slashed, “unimaginable” tax increases or a lot of “printing and devaluing of money and pushing interest rates to unattractively low levels,” he said.

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“This printing and devaluing is not good for those holding bonds as a storehold of wealth, and what’s bad for bonds and U.S. credit markets is bad for everyone, because the U.S. Treasury market is the backbone of all capital markets, which are the backbones of our economic and social conditions,” Dalio said.

Last month, Dalio similarly sounded the alarm on America’s chronic spending on FOX Business Network’s “The Claman Countdown,” saying the U.S. is headed for an “economic heart attack.”

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“We’re spending 40% more than we’re taking in, and this is a chronic problem,” he said. “So, what you’re seeing is the debt service payments beginning to squeeze away, not beginning, well, into squeezing away. So, it’s like plaque in the arteries squeezing away buying power. And, as you can do the numbers, you will see that you can have an economic heart attack as a result of that.”

On Thursday afternoon, Congress passed Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate. The bill, which advances Trump’s policies on taxes, the border, defense, energy and the national debt, narrowly passed the House of Representatives in a mostly party-line vote. 

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All but two House Republicans, Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., voted for the bill, which passed 218-214.

‘They want babies born just to get shot’: Dem’s accusation sparks House chaos

Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat, sparked a firestorm during Tuesday’s House Rules Committee hearing on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, accusing pro-life Republicans of caring only about children during infancy.

Frost, who represents Orlando and is the first Gen Z member of Congress, was seated as a witness in the hearing when he described how gun violence shaped his decision to seek public office and made the remark that sparked the uproar.

The situation heated up after ranking member James McGovern, D-Mass., said it “blows my mind there’s more passion and energy” in Congress for Second Amendment advocacy than healthcare access for cancer patients, an apparent reference to Medicaid-centric debate on the budget bill.

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“That tells you all you need to know about the difference between Republicans and Democrats on this,” McGovern said, yielding to Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M.

Leger Fernandez said Democrats have been the party of pursuing their “convictions,” citing former Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama knowing he’d be beaten by police for protesting in support of civil rights before ceding the floor to Frost.

Frost said he got involved in politics at age 15 after the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut and was one mile from the Pulse Nightclub when 49 people were murdered there.

“[Shooter Omar Mateen] didn’t like them because they were gay and Latino. Three months later, I survived an instance of gun violence in Downtown Orlando.”

Frost, a progressive who, while not a member of “The Squad,” has said he has “plenty of love and admiration” for the group, went on to claim gun rights groups want to lobby Congress to pass amendments to “sell more guns” even if “more people [are] dying.”

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He claimed former President Joe Biden worked to reduce gun violence and contrasted that with his pointed allegation of Republicans.

“They say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets,” he said, before being cut off by an enraged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.

Foxx began slamming her gavel and reprimanding Frost, though her initial comments could not be discerned because her microphone was not on.

“You’ve gone over the cliff. We are all going to be quiet now,” she commanded.

“I meant every word,” Frost retorted.

Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., made a motion to strike Frost’s words after Foxx suggested she wanted the same.

But Scott soon relented when Foxx said it “might be better to leave them on” the record for the public to view.

“You are not going to come into this room and impugn our integrity. You will not. We are pro-life people from conception to natural death; most of us are.

“Don’t you come in here and say we want to preserve life so people can get shot,” the Smoky Mountains congresswoman added.

Foxx adjourned the hearing shortly after Leger Fernández used up her remaining time, but the fireworks weren’t over just yet.

As lawmakers and witnesses stood up, Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called out, “I might remind my Democrat colleagues of Proverbs 13:5,” prompting a raised murmur on the left side of the dais.

“You can add [Proverbs] 14:5 to that too,” Clyde added after Rep. Deborah Wasserman-Schultz, D-Fla., reprimanded Scott for using the term “Democrat Party” instead of “Democratic Party.”

The shorter name largely originated as a pejorative from former Rep. Joe McCarthy, R-Wis., during his investigations into the creeping of communism into American society and institutions. 

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The term “Democrat Party” was preferred to “Democratic” by former radio icon Rush Limbaugh and occasionally President Donald Trump.

Proverbs 13:5 says, “The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.”

Clyde’s second referenced Bible passage said, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.”

Beach safety expert shares vital tip as hundreds swept away in lethal waves

As hundreds of people on the East Coast were rescued from rip currents in the past week, one expert shared tips on how to stay safe when heading to the beach over the 4th of July weekend.

Since Sunday, over 100 people had to be rescued from beaches located along the Jersey Shore, mainly due to rip currents according to the Asbury Park Press. In Wilmington, North Carolina, 10 people had to be rescued as a result of rip currents on Saturday, according to WAVY.

Belmar, New Jersey lifeguard Harry Harsin said Sunday was one of the busiest days he’s seen on the job.

“The water wasn’t very cooperative,” Harsin said. “And with the heat and the slow start to summer, everyone wanted to come down to the beach. We were mobbed. It was an insane day.”

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According to the United States Lifesaving Association, over 100 deaths occur every year stemming from rip currents, making it a water safety hazard for beachgoers. Tens of thousands of people are rescued from rip currents annually, according to NOAA.

Capt. Geoff Fahringer, a former Collier County Sheriff’s Office dive team captain and licensed U.S. Coast Guard boating captain told Fox News Digital it’s critical for beachgoers to be “Situationally aware” whenever they’re in the water.

“But another thing that comes into the situationally aware attitude, is [to] study the current, no matter what the current might be when you first get to the beach,” Fahringer said. “You get a couple of floats or noodles and you go out in front of your blanket with some friends and you’re talking and yacking as you’re floating out there. And you realize 15 minutes later, you’re 300 yards south of where you started.”

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As far as rip currents, Fahringer said it’s important for people to “learn your beach.“

“You know, there’s certain beaches where very seldom do you ever see a rip current. There’s other beaches, especially on the East coast, where the water is more aggressive, where it’s pretty common,” Fahringer said. “So know your beach, know what it looks like, and be aware if you’re almost something out there floating or swimming or something, and you realize, gee, I wasn’t really this far out a minute ago, or you start swimming in and you realize you’re not getting anywhere.”

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In these situations, Fahringer said it’s important not to panic and to “swim 90 degrees to either side slowly, just dog paddle, doesn’t matter.”

“Just get out of that rip current. They’re not usually that wide where you can get yourself out of it and then get yourself back in to the shore,” he said.

Female veteran’s selfless act after traumatic military accident inspires others

After Lindsay Gutierrez sustained a traumatic brain injury on duty, she was determined to help other veterans in need.

The U.S. Air Force veteran served six years and became a double organ donor, making her one of 280 people in the U.S. who’ve donated two organs to save lives. She’s now appearing in Pin-Ups For Vets’ 20th annual fundraiser calendar for 2026, which features 13 female veterans from across the country photographed in vintage styles.

“[The calendar] provides a chance for women veterans to showcase not just their outside beauty, but their inner beauty and the amazing accomplishments that they have done,” Gutierrez told Fox News Digital.

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“It was a huge interest to me because of where I’m at in my journey now with being an organ donor, a veteran, a social worker – I felt this was the most opportune time. And I am so thrilled that I was selected to be part of his amazing cohort.”

The award-winning nonprofit, founded in 2006 by California resident Gina Elise, raises money to support hospitalized and deployed troops. It produces World War II-inspired bombshell calendars featuring veterans as models. Elise previously told Fox News Digital she was inspired by Hollywood actress Betty Grable, whose swimsuit snap was distributed to GIs during World War II.

Pin-Ups For Vets has donated over $120,000 to purchase new rehabilitation equipment for veteran hospitals nationwide. Volunteer ambassadors for the organization have also personally visited over 20,000 ill and injured veterans during their 50-state VA hospital tour to deliver gifts of appreciation.

Proceeds from the calendar will support visits to ill and injured veterans, care packages for deployed troops and ongoing donations of rehabilitation equipment to VA hospitals, as well as providing goods to homeless veterans and those transitioning into housing.

Gutierrez, 42, said the platform means more than transforming into a Hollywood bombshell for a day – her goal is to shine a spotlight on the importance of organ donation.

“This means an opportunity to expand my service and be able to give back to the veteran community,” she explained. “As a veteran myself, that’s important. My service never stopped just because I was discharged. It’s an extension of what I’m doing, and it allows me to continue connecting with other veterans.”

WATCH: USAF VETERAN WHO DONATED TWO ORGANS POSES AS ‘40S PINUP MODEL

“We’re helping veterans in these hospital settings and different communities – that allows me to share my story and my journey to hopefully connect with somebody who is also on that transplant list and is in need of some care and hope.”

“There are people out there who are willing to save a life,” Gutierrez added.

The Maryland resident originally moved to California in 2009 with big dreams of becoming a special effects makeup artist. Gutierrez admitted to hitting “roadblock after roadblock” and struggling to make ends meet.

“I thought, ‘Well, why not try the military?’” she reasoned.

The idea wasn’t foreign to Gutierrez. Both her grandfathers served.

“By the time I was old enough to understand what the military was like or to even consider it, my maternal grandfather had already passed,” said Gutierrez. “My Papa Ralph was the one who really planted that seed in my mind [when] I was young about the military. But I never once thought that it would be something I could do or would even consider.”

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“My grandfather’s voice was still ringing in my ear and telling me, ‘Just give it a shot,’” she recalled. “And so, I did. I took that leap of faith.”

Gutierrez enlisted in the United States Air Force in 2010. Her grandfather had also served in the Air Force.

“I’m a faith-based person, and I believe that God led me down this path of being able to take a chance on enlisting,” said Gutierrez. 

“I honestly believe that was the reason I was hitting one closing door after another. What I was doing out in California was not what I was supposed to be doing. So God opened up that door for me to be able to join. It was almost like a flawless opportunity… and it happened so fast. I was almost at the cutoff age at that point for joining.”

For six years, Gutierrez served as a security forces member, stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the U.K. She was deployed twice – once to Qatar and then to Djibouti.

In 2014, everything changed for Gutierrez while she was in Djibouti. She described it as like “any other normal deployment.” During the night shift, Gutierrez was in a vehicle when she got an eerie feeling.

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“I just had this feeling that something’s not right, and I don’t know what it was,” she said. “I’ve never really had that before, ever. It was just a feeling that something’s going to happen. And then a second later, the vehicle fishtails. We are spinning and rolling down this little ravine. It was kind of over a bridge but was still three or four rolls from what I remember.  We landed right side up. That experience is what initially caused the traumatic brain injury that I was eventually diagnosed with.”

It wouldn’t be until around 2018 that Gutierrez was diagnosed by a VA neurologist.

“I constantly felt like there was a change in my brain,” said Gutierrez. “Something is going on. I felt like there was something different about me, but I was never able to put a finger on it. I just thought there was something wrong with me. And then finally, I got that diagnosis and that really helped open up the door for healing.”

“You realize that, a lot of times, there are just things that you know are different, but you can’t put your finger on it,” she continued. “That’s what was going on. Emotionally, I felt like some of my personality was a little bit different. My husband was picking up on this… but he had no idea what was going on. Physically, I felt fine, minus getting all of these headaches, but you would never have been able to see just from looking at me on the outside that there was anything that was going on.”

After nearly three years of “unemployment, confusion and invisible health struggles,” Gutierrez wanted to make a difference. She went on to be crowned Ms. Veteran America in 2017, obtained an internship at her congressman’s office in Georgia and pursued studies in social work.

While working, her office received a copy of the Military Times. As Gutierrez flipped the pages, she came across an ad for DOVE or living kidney donation for veterans.

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“Not once in the three years that I have been there, have we ever received the Military Times,” she chuckled. “I decided, ‘Why not?’ I’m in pretty good health, I’m an O+ blood type… Let’s see if this is for me.”

On May 25, 2022 – the weekend of Memorial Day – Gutierrez donated her kidney to a veteran. On April 30, 2024, she donated 40% of her liver to an anonymous recipient.

“The whole reason I wanted to donate to another veteran in need was because [it’s] the most selfless thing you could do,” she said. “We all serve our country. Those of us who wore the uniform, we served knowing that this was a selfless act… It’s an extension of my military service and wearing the uniform.”

“And it was so special to be able to help save the life of a fellow veteran because that allows him and his family to continue their generation of whatever that looks like for them,” she continued. “It could be service members, it could be whatever their profession is. But the point is that they’re able to continue with their family and live the healthiest life possible now that they’ve been given a second chance.”

Life today is “normal” for Gutierrez. She has gone on to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain above sea level in the world, in 2023.

“It’s even more important for me to take care of myself internally and externally, and do the things that are going to allow me to continue living as long as I can,” she said. “I owe that to myself, and I owe that to the people that I donated to.”

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She now hopes that as people hang up her photos, they’ll feel empowered to also make a difference.

“You don’t have to save a life by donating an organ,” she said. “You can do that simply by an act of selflessness, by going out and helping others in whatever that looks like to you. If it’s donating your time, if it’s a financial donation, there is a way that somebody can… give back in one way or another. I just want people to feel inspired to know that you can do that. You don’t have to do an extreme act like I did… But, there’s always a place for you in your community to be able to support others.”

Just one hot dog a day could raise disease risk, study suggests, but some cite caveats

A new meta-analysis from the University of Washington suggests that no amount of processed food is safe to consume.

Researchers analyzed 77 different studies to gauge the link between certain amounts of these foods and common chronic diseases.

“Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks and trans fatty acids is linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer,” lead study author Demewoz Haile, a research scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, told Fox News Digital.

HOMEMADE VS. PROCESSED FOODS: STUDY CHALLENGES WHAT WE THINK IS HEALTHIER

“There is no safe level of habitual consumption of these food groups, so they should not be included in our daily diet,” he stated.

For processed meats in particular, the researchers concluded that eating as little as 0.6 to 57 grams per day was linked to an 11% greater likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Consuming between 0.78 and 55 grams per day was associated with a 7% increase in colorectal cancer risk, the study found.

(One hot dog, which is made up of almost entirely processed meat, is approximately 50 grams.)

The researchers also analyzed the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages, finding that drinking between 1.5 and 390 grams per day could raise type 2 diabetes risk by 8%.

DIABETES RISK LINKED TO THESE ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD COMBINATIONS

Consuming between 0 and 365 grams of the beverages could increase the risk of ischemic heart disease — the most common type of heart disease and a leading cause of death — by 2%, the study found.

Trans fatty acids were also analyzed in the study. When the unsaturated fats made up anywhere from 0.25% to 2.56% of daily energy intake, they were linked to a 3% greater risk of ischemic heart disease.

“There is no safe level of habitual consumption of these food groups.”

(Some examples of trans fats include crackers, cookies, baked goods, frozen pizza, coffee creamer, refrigerated dough products, and vegetable shortenings and some stick margarines, according to WebMD. Some fast foods also contain it.)

The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine on June 30.

Previous studies have established the link between processed foods and chronic disease, Haile acknowledged.

“However, our study evaluated the shape of the relationship with the most recent studies, using a more advanced analytical method, and objectively assessed the strength of the evidence,” he noted.

WHAT YOUR BLOOD QUIETLY REVEALS ABOUT YOUR EATING HABITS

“Our analysis showed that the strongest association is observed at lower exposure levels equivalent to a serving or less, which implies that consuming these food items on a regular basis at any amount increases the risk of adverse health outcomes.”

While the researchers recognized that diet is a “personal choice” and that some may be limited in food choices, they recommend limiting or eliminating consumption of processed foods.

“Our findings support what is widely recommended, including by the WHO and CDC: Avoid or reduce to the minimum possible level the consumption of processed meats, sugary drinks and artificial trans fats,” Haile told Fox News Digital. 

“Individuals who regularly consume these foods, even in small amounts, should be aware of the increased risk of chronic diseases.”

Potential limitations

The major limitations of this study are associated with dietary intake assessment, Haile acknowledged. 

“Almost all of the included studies used food frequency questionnaires to assess intake, which can introduce measurement errors, primarily due to difficulties experienced by respondents in recalling long-term intake,” he told Fox News Digital. 

Several studies included in the analysis only looked at consumption at the start of the study, Haile noted — “which might not accurately reflect the future dietary habits of the study participants.”

Also, the study only looked at a limited set of health outcomes for each dietary risk factor.

“Consequently, our study may underestimate the total health loss associated with these foods,” Haile said.

“We also observed substantial variation across existing literature, which implies that high-quality research is still needed to strengthen the evidence and reduce uncertainty.”

Experts cite caveats

Dr. Nick Norwitz, M.D., PhD, a Harvard-educated clinical researcher and metabolic health educator, acknowledged that the study shows a “relatively consistent association” between higher processed meat intake and worse health outcomes, but pointed out some caveats.

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“These are associations — not necessarily causal relationships,” Norwitz, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. 

Additionally, as the researchers themselves acknowledged, the quality of the evidence was graded as “weak,” Norwitz pointed out.

“At the end of the day, the office donut or bottle of soda is almost certainly doing more metabolic damage than a slice of deli turkey.”

“While these large studies have certain strengths, one key weakness is that they lump together many different foods within a single category,” the researcher went on. “There are various ways to process meats, and not all will have the same biological consequences.”

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While it’s “certainly feasible” that processed meat can contribute to poor health outcomes, Norwitz said that more research is needed to confirm the meta-analysis’ claims.

“At the end of the day, the office donut or bottle of soda is almost certainly doing more metabolic damage than a slice of deli turkey,” he added.

A spokesperson from the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) sent the below statement to Fox News Digital regarding the study.

“We have not read the [full] report, but the abstract in the paper itself states that the assertions reflect ‘weak relationships or inconsistent input evidence’ and that more research is necessary. We would like to know how the paper defined ‘processed meat,’ or if the researchers weighed any supposed risks against the proven benefits of nutrients and protein found in meat.”

In the study, the researchers defined processed meat as “any meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting or the addition of chemical preservatives.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for comment.

Cleveland starter under scrutiny as curious pitches trigger MLB probe

Cleveland Guardians starter Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave hours before he was scheduled to take the mound against the Chicago Cubs Thursday, MLB announced. 

While MLB didn’t disclose the nature of its investigation, ESPN reported it was related to gambling. 

Two pitches thrown by Ortiz during a start are being scrutinized. 

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In June, betting integrity firm IC360 relayed the two pitches to sportsbooks, according to ESPN, and the first was on June 15 against the Seattle Mariners.

The firm flagged unusual betting action on the first pitch thrown by Ortiz in the bottom of the second inning to be a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz spiked a slider into the ground far away from the strike zone. 

Then, on June 27, more unusual betting action came in on a pitch from Ortiz in the top of the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Once again, the bets were on a ball or a hit batsman, and Ortiz proceeded to spike another pitch the catcher couldn’t handle. 

While instances like this happen to even the best of pitchers, the league is looking into the situation. 

The bets came in from Ohio, New York and New Jersey, according to ESPN. 

The non-disciplinary leave for Ortiz is scheduled to run through the MLB All-Star break, with games resuming for the second half July 18. 

The Guardians released a statement on the matter after MLB’s announcement. 

“The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation.

“The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time and will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.” 

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Ortiz has pitched 16 times for the Guardians this season, recording a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts.