Trump admin to cut DC security funds by 44% after asking for more federal law enforcement

The Trump administration plans to cut millions in security funding for Washington, D.C., despite the president also directing federal law enforcement to increase its presence in the city because of its “totally out of control” crime.

In a grant notice posted last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said that D.C.’s urban security fund would receive $25.2 million, a 44% year-over-year reduction.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said on Friday it slashed funds to multiple cities to be consistent with the “current threat landscape.” Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Jersey City also had their security funds cut, but the decrease in D.C. was the largest for any urban area that received funding from the program last fiscal year.

DHS has “observed a shift from large-scale, coordinated attacks like 9/11 to simpler, small-scale assaults, heightening the vulnerability of soft targets and crowded spaces in urban areas.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP INCREASES FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE IN DC FOLLOWING VIOLENT CRIME SURGE

Violent crime in D.C. dropped by 35% between 2023 and 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. said in December, stating that there were 3,388 incidents last year compared to 5,215 incidents the year before.

Crimes that saw significant drops last year included homicide, which was down 30%, sexual abuse down 22% and assault with a dangerous weapon down 27%. Robberries and burglaries slightly dropped to 8% for both.

The federal funding covers security needs in the National Capital Region, which includes D.C. and surrounding cities in Maryland and Virginia.

FEMA has $553.5 million to spend to support cities across the U.S. to boost security. It is unclear how much of the National Capital Region’s total security budget comes from that program.

DC VIOLENT CRIME DIPS 35% IN 2024, REACHES 30-YEAR LOW: US ATTORNEY

In the past, local officials have used federal funds for hazmat training, hiring officers and replacing fiber in their emergency communications network, according to a 2016 report from D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

On Thursday, Trump directed federal law enforcement to increase their presence in the nation’s capital, following a string of violent crimes, including an incident in which former DOGE staffer Edward Coristine, nicknamed “Big Balls”, was beaten in the city’s streets earlier this week.

“Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!”

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The president said that the nation’s capital “must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see.”

“If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore,” he continued. “Perhaps it should have been done a long time ago, then this incredible young man, and so many others, would not have had to go through the horrors of Violent Crime.”

‘That’s bullsh—t’: Dr. Phil fires back at Maher’s criticism of Trump ICE raids

“Real Time” host Bill Maher abruptly put his guest Dr. Phil in the hot seat on Friday for joining the Trump administration’s ICE raids, which led to a tense exchange between the two personalities.

“Why are you going on these ICE raids?” Maher asked Dr. Phil.  “I don’t understand that.” 

Maher continued: “You’re a guy who we know for so many years who has been working to put families together. To bring families who are apart and heal them. And now you’re going on raids with people who are literally separating families.”

BILL MAHER CLASHES WITH LIBERAL ACTOR OVER TRUMP, IMMIGRATION POLICY

The former clinical psychologist pulled no figurative punches.

“Well, now that’s bullsh—t,” Dr. Phil countered, before launching into a comparison. 

“Look, if you arrest somebody that’s a citizen, that has committed a crime or is DUI’d with a child in the backseat, do you think they don’t separate that family right then, right there?” Dr. Phil asked. “Of course they do!” 

“But that’s not what’s going on,” Maher argued.

Moments earlier, Maher had introduced the topic as “another thing” President Donald Trump is doing as he is “doubling down on unpopular.” 

DR. PHIL SAYS LEGACY MEDIA IS ‘CREATING CRIMINALS’ BY DISTORTING LA RIOT COVERAGE

Dr. Phil took an even further step back, addressing part of Maher’s monologue where he had criticized masked ICE agents. He said the masks are a result of legislators “doxxing” officers. 

“[Legislators are] putting their names, their pictures, their addresses of their families on the internet, they’re putting them on telephone poles,” Dr. Phil noted. “So, of course, they’re wearing masks so they don’t get outed, so people can do violence against their families.”

The former talk show host cited “files” he had seen to justify the ICE operations he has joined.

“They’ve got a rap sheet, 12, 14 different cases long of child predators that they’re taking off the street,” Dr. Phil said. “These are the worst first that they’re taking off the streets. Who would want them back in their communities?” 

MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR CLAIMS ‘DARK’ TRUMP SUPPORTERS ENJOY WATCHING ICE ACT LIKE ‘SLAVE CATCHERS’

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, who was also a guest on Maher’s show Friday, found some common ground with Dr. Phil and admitted that he supports “closing the borders,” but argued the administration’s actions have not matched their words.

“When you’re going to Home Depot, when you’re going to people’s jobs, when you’ve been given authorization to enter churches and to enter other properties…who they have been targeting has been different than what they originally advertised,” Smith concluded. 

Maher echoed Smith’s argument, adding ICE is going to places where people are “already working.”

“If you can’t go to work because you’re hiding, what other recourse is it for [illegal immigrants] except crime?” Maher asked.

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Dr. Phil has reportedly accompanied ICE two times – first on the ground during January’s Chicago raids and during the Los Angeles raids in June.

Latest twist in Shedeur Sanders saga stuns sports world — and LeBron James responds

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw two touchdown passes in his first NFL preseason game Friday night, shocking many fans after an unsteady start to his NFL career. 

Sanders’ performance even caught the attention of NBA star LeBron James.

“That young (man) looking good out there,” James wrote. “Keep going UP!!! HEAD down on the grind and HEAD high to the most high.”

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James later added another post, “And I don’t wanna hear that “It’s only preseason” bs. Cause if he was out there not going in y’all would be on his (butt) about it! So give credit and grace lames.”

Sanders’ father, Deion Sanders, celebrated his son’s successful first preseason game in multiple posts on X. 

“Yes Lawd! Yes @ShedeurSanders,” Deion posted on X after the first touchdown.

AARON RODGERS OFFERS OLIVE BRANCH TO TERRY BRADSHAW AFTER LEGENDARY QB’S HARSH WORDS

After the second touchdown, the elder Sanders posted “oh yeah what now!” and “God is so good!”

The rookie got the start for the Browns’ first preseason game due to injuries to quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel despite a tumultuous first few months as a pro.

Sanders fell to the 144th pick in the NFL Draft this spring after scouts raised character concerns. He was previously considered a contender for the first overall pick but slipped past the first four rounds in one of the most shocking draft slides in NFL history, prompting confusion and debate by many NFL fans. 

Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam even suggested while speaking to reporters last month that the team had no intention of drafting Sanders after the controversial quarterback shockingly fell out of the third round April 25.

“If you had told me Friday night [Day 2 of the NFL Draft], driving home, ‘Y’all are gonna pick Shedeur,’ I would have said, ‘That’s not happening,’” Haslam said Tuesday. “But we had a conversation early that morning [Day 3], and we had a conversation later that day, and we had the right people involved in that conversation.”

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Sanders’ time with the Browns has already involved controversy after he was twice cited for speeding.

Sanders was first ticketed for allegedly driving 91 mph in a 65 mph zone. Two weeks later, he allegedly hit 101 mph in a 60 mph zone and failed to appear in court.

The rookie quarterback addressed those traffic tickets while appearing at teammate David Njoku’s charity softball game last month.

“I made some wrong choices personally, and I can own up to them,” Sanders said. “I made some, you know, not great choices … I learned.”

Browns general manager Andrew Berry criticized Sanders for the incidents last month.

“Not smart. Just not smart,” Berry told reporters this week about the tickets. “It’s something that we’ve addressed with him. Look, he understands the implications. He understands the consequences. It’s not just about yourself. It’s not just about having a joyride, but that you could injure other people. … A deer or something cuts in front of you, your reaction time, it’s just dangerous.”

After his impressive preseason debut, Sanders is the talk of the league. 

NFL preseason game cut short after player hospitalized with hit to the head

The Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons preseason game came to a somber standstill on Friday night when Lions safety Morice Norris took a hard shot to the head.

Norris was attended to for about 20 minutes and taken off the field in an ambulance. The game ended with 6:31 to go after the players let the clock run.

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Norris was hurt with 14:50 to go trying to tackle Nathan Carter. There was no immediate report on the injury.

When play resumed, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a snap and then held the ball as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage and the clock continued to run. Finally, with 6:31 left, an official announced the game had been suspended “per New York.”

AARON RODGERS OFFERS OLIVE BRANCH TO TERRY BRADSHAW AFTER LEGENDARY QB’S HARSH WORDS

The Lions led 17-10 when played was stopped.

Lions coach Dan Campbell addressed the incident in the postgame press conference.

“He’s breathing, he’s talking. It’s good. He’s got some movement,” Campbell said. “Now, they’ll just run more tests.”

Lions quarterback Kyle Allen told reporters he was praying for Norris, adding, “It’s a terrible game sometimes.”

“I don’t think anyone on that sideline wanted to play,” Allen said. “We weren’t part of that decision, but you could just look in everyone’s eyes and see it wasn’t worth it.”

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The 24-year-old Norris joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2024 out of Fresno State. He spent time on Detroit’s practice squad before joining the active roster last season and appearing in two games.

Military deployment targets cartel incursions as border security concerns escalate

On Friday, Aug. 8, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military into action against Mexican and other Latin American drug cartels, taking an anticipated step after declaring these violent groups to be foreign terrorist organizations less than a month into his second term.  

Sending the military to our southern border, and potentially beyond, is a much-needed step for national security. Because the problem is worse than most Americans realize. Evidence shows that corrupt Mexican military and law enforcement officials are aiding the cartels on U.S. soil. 
 
Trump has succeeded in securing the border where former President Joe Biden failed — unless failure was the objective.  

AMERICANS IN VACATION HOT SPOT MAY SEE MORE MILITARY THAN MARGARITAS THIS SUMMER

But securing the border is about more than stemming illegal entrance into America — it also encompasses interdicting deadly drugs and preventing or catching criminals, terrorists and hostile agents from entering, as well.  

From May to July, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released no illegal immigrants from the border to the nation’s interior. In 2024, over the same three-month period, Biden released 212,000 illegal aliens into the interior with a simple promise to report to an immigration judge at some point. Most didn’t bother to report and simply disappeared.  

Border security isn’t just an immigration problem — it’s a national security imperative. Six years ago, the Texas Public Policy Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request with DHS for reports of Mexican military or law enforcement operating on U.S. soil or in U.S. airspace. The DHS responded in July 2025, after the Biden administration suppressed the response for years. 

CARTEL DRONES POSE ‘DANGEROUS’ DRUG TRAFFICKING RISK IN BORDER STATE, OFFICIAL WARNS

We carefully reviewed 190 pages of Serious Incident Reports that detailed Mexican incursions into America over the six-year period of 2014 to 2019, covering the last three years of the Obama administration and the first three years of the first Trump administration.  

The reports detailed 78 separate incidents, of which 39 appeared significant and 39 benign. The latter included police in hot pursuit of suspects, or training aircraft taking off from airports close to the border and briefly straying into U.S. airspace. The remaining 39 reports indicated something more troubling: Mexican authorities purposefully violating U.S. territory, likely in corrupt service of the Mexican drug and human trafficking cartels.  

Of particular interest, of the 39 incidents confirmed on U.S. territory, only four happened during the night. That only one in 10 incidents happened during the cover of darkness appeared odd. Of this, Ammon Blair, a colleague and former Border Patrol agent, told me that, “The cartels owned the night,” he went on to remark that nighttime was “Gotaway Central,” referring to those whom the Border Patrol saw or had evidence of, but did not apprehend.  

This means that there could have been hundreds of instances where either the Mexican military or law enforcement crossed the border under cover of darkness to aid the cartels, but that the lack of a positive ID prevented DHS from logging the incursion as being by Mexican government personnel. Further, Border Patrol’s rules of engagement are very risk-adverse. If it’s determined that a heavily armed force is operating in the area, Border Patrol teams — often just two agents — are ordered to pull back.  

DHS VIDEO HONORS MARINE KILLED BY MEXICAN CARTEL, TOUTS TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON ‘TERRORISTS’

Blair told me of an incident where he and his partner, armed only with handguns, were urgently ordered back to their vehicles. They were told that national intelligence methods had picked up radio traffic that indicated that a Mexican army squad, “Has you in their sights.” Ten with rifles against two with sidearms are not good odds.  

But that was then. Today, after significant investments initiated during the first Trump administration and boosted under the One Big Beautiful bill, both Customs and Border Protection at our ports of entry, and Border Patrol at points in between, have better technology. Autonomous Surveillance Towers with night thermal technology and aerostat surveillance balloons provide far better nighttime coverage than was the case six years ago.  

Border security isn’t just an immigration problem — it’s a national security imperative. 

That said, not every property owner along the border will allow a tower packed with sensors on their property, leaving dead spaces in ravines and low spots uncovered. About one-third of cameras are broken at any given time. And there are still only about two Border Patrol agents covering each mile of the southern border.  

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Unfortunately, in war, the enemy gets a vote. In 190 pages of reports covering six years there was only one mentions of a quadcopter flown by Mexican police over U.S. soil. Last year, DHS reported that 60,000 drones were sighted within a few hundred yards of the border — that’s 330 a day. Whether employed by the cartels or Mexican officials, these drones serve two main purposes: counter surveillance — figuring out where Border Patrol, law enforcement or military personnel are; and area denial — Border Patrol won’t fly its helicopters in areas where drones are operating.  

VIOLENT MEXICAN DRUG GANG’S HIGH RANKING MEMBERS SANCTIONED BY TRUMP

Even today, we still don’t know the reason for the crash of a National Guard reconnaissance helicopter with the loss of three aboard in March 2024 near Rio Grande City, Texas, on the border.  

And now there are reports that not only have Mexican cartels sent people to fight in Ukraine to learn drone tactics, but they’ve also deployed fiber optic-controlled drones in Mexico. These drones are resistant to jamming.  

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Second to the threat from China, the rise of the Mexican narco-state on our southern border presents a grave national security challenge, one that DHS can’t handle alone — they lack the personnel, the equipment, the training and the doctrine to do so.  

Instead, only targeted military operations can interdict armed incursions into America — something the U.S. military was built to do. Applying the lessons of past conflicts, using the military to ambush and capture armed border infiltrators will raise the costs of violating American sovereignty while sending a powerful message to Mexico City. 

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Personal finance influencer issues warning over popular payment method

“Buy now, pay later” plans are rapidly growing in popularity among young Americans, but not everyone is convinced they’re a smart financial choice.

Haley Sacks, a personal finance influencer with over a million followers online, issued a chilling warning about BNPL plans on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday, calling the practice “predatory.”

“My take is that you should not use ‘buy now, pay later’ at all,” Sacks said. 

“If you need to finance something, use a credit card and a lot of credit card companies have ‘pay over time’ options with 0% interest.”

Sacks argued credit cards offer important benefits BNPL plans don’t, such as consumer protection and the opportunity to build credit. 

BUY NOW, PAY LATER PITFALLS: MANY CONSUMERS AREN’T PAYING LOANS

“Buy now, pay later” services let buyers split purchases into multiple installments instead of paying the full price upfront. However, if users aren’t careful to make payments on time, they may face late fees. 

They’re expected to hit record transaction volumes this year after initially being marketed as lower-risk alternatives to credit cards. But financial experts warn that reliance on these payment plans can lead to overspending and a rapid accumulation of debt if consumers aren’t on top of them. 

COSTCO ROLLS OUT BUY NOW, PAY LATER FOR BIG ONLINE PURCHASES THROUGH AFFIRM

A LendingTree survey from April found that more Americans are using BNPL services for everyday essentials like groceries, and that 40% of users admitted to missing a payment on at least one loan in the past year.

Factors that could be leading to the shift are elevated prices, high interest rates, and student loan payments, which resumed less than two years ago after a stop during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sacks says these factors are part of why these types of deferred payment plans have resonated with a struggling generation of young people. 

“Gen Z is facing so much inflation, wages have not kept up, and this is a way to actually be able to get things that you want,” she said. “But of course, then you’re paying the price.”

According to the LendingTree survey of 2,000 consumers aged 18 to 79, nearly half of American adults have used a BNPL service such as Klarna or Affirm. Millennials made up the largest share, but Gen Z and Gen X weren’t far behind.

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Sydney Sweeney’s brother celebrates Air Force promotion with cheeky ‘good jeans’ post

Sydney Sweeney and her brother both have “good jeans.”

Trent Sweeney, a newly promoted Air Force staff sergeant, played into the denim drama that’s engulfed his famous sister. 

This week, the 29-year-old proudly posted about his official promotion to staff sergeant on his Instagram story, complete with a cheeky caption aimed at the controversy.

AMERICAN EAGLE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS AFTER SYDNEY SWEENEY CAMPAIGN SPARKS ONLINE BACKLASH

“It’s them good jeans,” he shared with a certificate acknowledging his military promotion. 

Trent’s playful nod to the denim controversy drew laughs from supporters amid the outrage, and he posted another photo holding the certificate.

“The family jeans, congrats on the promotion,” a comment on his social media post said.

Another fan wrote, “True American genes,” while an Instagram comment said, “[S]Sgt with the good jeans.”

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Meanwhile, Sweeney has scooped up some major attention — again! 

The “Euphoria” actress’s Baskin-Robbins ad has resurfaced among her fans.

The commercial featured Sweeney happily indulging in colorful ice cream flavors, and she served up nothing but sweet vibes. 

SYDNEY SWEENEY’S STEAMY DENIM AD SPARKS COMPARISON TO BROOKE SHIELDS’ CONTROVERSIAL ’80S CLASSIC

Sweeney’s signature scoop included rainbow sorbet in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles and gummy bear minis. She additionally had a signature drink on the menu — sorbet with lemon lime soda topped with gummy bears. 

Fans were quick to respond to her resurfaced commercial for the ice cream company. 

“I love Sydney Sweeney and her good jeans and I love Baskin-Robbins ice cream. You’re the best Sydney,” one comment on X said.

“Love me some Baskin-Robbins! I will wear my new AE jeans when I purchase my Sydney Sweeney sweets,” another comment said. 

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One X user added, “Let’s see who’s gonna get triggered by Sydney Sweeney’s new Baskin-Robbins ad.”

Baskin-Robbins released its collaboration with Sweeney in June.

Sweeney’s ice cream ad resurfaced after “The White Lotus” star broke the internet last month with an American Eagle Jeans ad. 

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The commercial sparked backlash after she spoke about genes being “passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.”

“My jeans are blue,” she added as the camera closed in on her eyes.

The backlash to Sweeney’s campaign faced the brute force of social media, some suggesting it had shades of “eugenics” and “White supremacy.”

However, others, including President Donald Trump, have come to the ad’s defense. 

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“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The tide has seriously turned — Being WOKE is for losers.”

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American Eagle released a statement on its social media Aug. 1, saying, “’Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

Reps for the Sweeneys and Baskin-Robbins did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Georgia police officer killed while responding to shooting at CDC HQ identified

The DeKalb County Police Department identified the officer killed Friday while responding to a gunman near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, 

Officer David Rose, 33, was shot and killed while responding to the shooting at the CDC campus, which prompted a shelter-in-place order for nearby Emory University. The suspected gunman, who has not yet been identified, was also killed.

Rose was rushed to Emory University Hospital on Clifton Road, where he died from his injuries.

He began working for the police department last September, the agency said, and is survived by his pregnant wife and two children.

POLICE OFFICER KILLED AFTER SHOOTING NEAR CDC HEADQUARTERS, EMORY UNIVERSITY IN ATLANTA

“He was committed to serving the community,” Interim Police Chief Greg Padrick said in a statement. “At this time we’re asking for the community’s prayers for his family, his friends, his loved ones and the entire DeKalb County Police Department family.”

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said his family is “mourning today’s tragic loss of Officer David Rose.”

“His service and memory will not be forgotten by a grateful state, and his loved ones and fellow @DeKalbCountyPD officers will remain in our hearts and prayers as they grieve his passing and this painful day,” Kemp wrote on X.

ARMY SECRETARY HAILS ‘HEROISM’ OF SOLDIERS WHO TACKLED ALLEGED FORT STEWART SHOOTER: ‘ABSOLUTELY SAVED LIVES’

The incident unfolded shortly before 5 p.m. when a man opened fire in front of the CDC campus, according to Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. When officers responded to the location, they found Rose critically wounded and heard additional gunfire coming from a nearby CVS pharmacy.

Officers entered the pharmacy and located the shooter on the second floor with at least one gunshot wound. Schierbaum said it was not clear if the wound came from police gunfire or if it was self-inflicted.

“I want to commend the men and women of law enforcement from all across this region,” Schierbaum said. “When this community needed them, no one shirked from the danger. Every officer, from multiple districts, responded and immediately moved to end this threat.”

CDC Director Susan Monarez said the agency was “heartbroken” over Friday’s deadly events.

“A courageous local law enforcement officer gave their life, and another was injured, after a gunman opened fire on at least four CDC buildings,” she said in a statement. “DeKalb County police, CDC security, and Emory University responded immediately and decisively, helping to prevent further harm to our staff and community.”

Federal and state officials said they were horrified by the shooting and expressed appreciation for law enforcement’s swift response. Among those sharing statements about the tragic incident was U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

“I am mourning the tragic death of the officer who was killed in the line of duty today, and I am praying for the officer’s family and friends. Atlanta law enforcement saved countless lives, and we are grateful for their service,” Warnock said.

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) is leading the investigation into the shooting and the FBI’s Atlanta office said it will assist.

Popular American side dish linked to 20% higher diabetes risk, researchers warn

All potatoes are not created equally, a massive new study has found – especially when it comes to the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that eating just three servings of french fries per week was associated with a 20% higher risk of developing T2D. Baked, boiled or mashed potatoes, however, were not linked to an increased risk.

“We’re shifting the conversation from, ‘Are potatoes good or bad?’ to a more nuanced – and useful – question: How are they prepared and what might we eat instead?” said Seyed Mohammad Mousavi, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition and one of the study’s lead authors, in a news release.

SUGAR IN DRINKS LINKED TO HIGHER DIABETES RISK THAN THAT IN FOOD, NEW RESEARCH FINDS

Published in the British Medical Journal, the study tracked over 200,000 Americans for more than 30 years, analyzing their dietary habits and health outcomes. 

In total, 22,299 participants developed type 2 diabetes, per the study. Meta-analyses of more than 587,000 people and 43,000 T2D diagnoses across four continents were conducted and confirmed the findings, according to the research paper.

The association between potatoes – the third most commonly consumed food crop in the U.S. – and health outcomes, particularly T2D, has been the subject of growing debate, the researchers wrote.

While potatoes contain nutrients such as fiber, vitamin C and potassium, recent research has cautioned that their high glycemic index, which causes blood sugar spikes, and the various ways they’re cooked could have negative health impacts.

5 EVERYDAY FOODS AND DRINKS SILENTLY DAMAGING YOUR LONG-TERM HEALTH, SAY NUTRITION EXPERTS

The latest findings confirm that the link between high potato consumption and increased T2D risk is primarily driven by french fries.

Deep-frying potatoes in hot oil not only strips away nutrients but also triggers the Maillard reaction, the chemical process that gives fries and seared meats their crispy, browned texture and savory flavor — yet it can also produce harmful byproducts.

The good news, however, is that some simple swaps three times a week can significantly decrease the risk of diabetes. 

Replacing fries with whole grains lowered the risk by 19%, the study found. Even choosing whole grains over healthier potato options reduced the risk by 8%.

“The public health message here is simple and powerful,” said study author Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, in the release. 

“Small changes in our daily diet can have an important impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes.”

More than 38 million Americans have diabetes – about 1 in 10 – and most have type 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The trend has been consistently rising over the past two decades.

“For policymakers, our findings highlight the need to move beyond broad food categories and pay closer attention to how foods are prepared and what they’re replacing,” Willett continued. 

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“Not all carbs – or even all potatoes – are created equal, and that distinction is crucial when it comes to shaping effective dietary guidelines.”

The team also suggested future research into how cooking potatoes with butter or cream, or different frying oils, may influence health outcomes, as well as comparisons with sweet potatoes, which have different nutrient profiles.

Potatoes USA, which represents U.S. potato growers and importers, argued that the average American eats about half the serving size used in the study. 

“We shouldn’t judge foods in isolation because that’s not how people eat in the real world,” the organization told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

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“Like many foods, fries can absolutely be part of a healthy eating pattern when enjoyed in moderation,” it added. 

“With 90% of Americans falling short on vegetable intake, there’s a clear need to help people enjoy more vegetables each day. Emerging research shows that when fried potatoes are mixed with other vegetables, total vegetable intake increases.”