Senate erupts in chaos as millions face hunger crisis amid bitter shutdown battle

With no deal in place to reopen the government and no action from the administration to make up for a funding shortfall in federal benefits, millions of Americans are at risk of losing food benefits starting on Saturday.

The argument raging in the Senate mirrors the same argument that has so far seen the government shutdown for 32 days.

Senate Democrats contend that with the stroke of a pen — like on expiring Obamacare subsidies — President Donald Trump could easily see the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps, funded as the shutdown drags on.

SENATE GOP DIVIDED AS MILLIONS RISK LOSING FOOD AID IN SHUTDOWN STANDOFF

“We don’t want to pit healthcare and food, [Republicans] do,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “We think you can have both.”

But congressional Republicans and the administration argue that food stamp benefits, and numerous other government programs, could be fully funded if Schumer and his caucus would unlock the votes to reopen the government.

Democrats are suing the Trump administration in part over its refusal to use the SNAP emergency fund, which they contend has about $5 billion, to fund the program. But a recent memo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) argued there was no legal standing to use the fund and that federal SNAP funds would run dry by Nov. 1 if Democrats did not vote to end the shutdown.

A pair of federal judges ruled on Friday that the administration would have to pay out the food stamp benefits for November, either in full or partially. 

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins affirmed the memo during a Friday press conference, “There is a contingency fund at USDA, but that contingency fund, by the way, doesn’t even cover, I think, half of the $9.2 billion that would be required for November SNAP. But it is only allowed to flow if the underlying program is funded.”

USDA CHIEF WARNS ‘WE’RE RIGHT AT THE CLIFF’ AS 40 MILLION AMERICANS BRACE FOR FOOD STAMP CUTOFF

Nothing typified the dysfunction over the benefits, which 42 million Americans rely on, more than an explosion on the Senate floor this week between Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.

Luján tried to force a vote on his bill that would fund both food stamps and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), but was promptly blocked by an angry Thune, who argued that Democrats have had 13 chances to fund the program through the shutdown.

“This isn’t a political game, these are real people’s lives we’re talking about,” Thune said. “And you all have just figured out, 29 days in, that, oh, there might be some consequences.”

Democrats contend that Trump and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, are actively choosing not to fund the program, given that there is roughly $5 billion in an emergency contingency fund that the administration could dip into.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., charged that it was “Trump’s choice.”

“He’s got $5 billion that he could be using right now to help people, to help people feed their kids, and he’s choosing not to do that,” he said. “What he’s doing is sick, deliberately making this shutdown more painful as a means to try to get Democrats to sign on to an immoral, corrupt budget.”

The argument has been much the same in the House of Representatives, which passed the GOP’s federal funding bill on Sept. 19. Both Republicans and Democrats appear worried, however.

SCHUMER, DEMS CALL ‘BULL—-‘ ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT

“I just left the local food pantry in my district and was speaking with seniors there, and they’re all very concerned,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., whose district is home to more than 120,000 SNAP recipients, told Fox News Digital. “They agree with me that the Senate, beginning with their own senator, Senator Schumer, should vote to continue the existing funding levels that they previously voted for four times and prevent this unnecessary pain.”

There is a desire among both sides of the aisle to fund the program before the government reopens, but the likelihood of piecemeal bills, or “rifle-shots,” making it to the floor was squashed by Thune during the week.

Both Luján and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., have bills that would fund food stamps, with Hawley’s bill having 29 bipartisan co-sponsors, including Schumer.

One of the co-sponsors, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital that the administration’s argument, in part, was because the $5 billion in the contingency fund was not enough to cover a month’s worth of food stamp benefits.

“It’s hurricane season, and that’s what it’s really satisfying,” he said. “But it’s not enough, either way. We’ve tried 14 times to be able to fully fund SNAP — once with an actual appropriation bill … to say, ‘let’s just fund it for the entire year,’ 13 times to do short term. It’s a little frustrating. Some of my Democratic colleagues are saying, ‘Well, find some way to fund it for a week or so, move things around.’”

But on the House side, it’s not clear if Democrats nor Republicans have the appetite for piecemeal bills during the shutdown.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has consistently said he will only call the House back into session if Senate Democrats vote to reopen the government.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital asked Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., during a press conference on SNAP this week whether he was discussing food stamp legislation with his Senate counterparts.

“I’m familiar with the proposals, and I know that many of my colleagues … have proposed legislation here in the House as well. Those conversations will continue,” Neguse said. But, “ultimately,” he added, “legislation doesn’t need to be passed in order for these funds to be released. It is the law.”

Leftward lurch: Second socialist leader ready to rule another iconic American city

While national media obsess over New York City’s lurch toward socialism under its rising star, Zohran Mamdani, few have noticed that Seattle is preparing its own ideological twin. What Mamdani is doing in Queens, progressive Katie Wilson is poised to replicate in the Pacific Northwest.

Wilson, an activist with almost no executive experience but deep roots in Seattle’s far-left circles, leads incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell in new polling. Her rise mirrors the political realignment sweeping New York: a movement powered by younger, fiercely ideological activists who view capitalism as the root of all injustice and government as the cure.

IT’S NOT JUST DEMOCRATS. SOCIALIST MAMDANI’S PLANS SHOULD WORRY REPUBLICANS NATIONWIDE

A recent DHM Research poll shows Seattle voters are ready to hand City Hall to a slate of socialists and progressives. Wilson leads Harrell, while left-wing candidates are favored to win both open City Council seats and the city attorney’s race — the only citywide position still held by a Republican. It’s an echo of the Mamdani coalition in New York, where Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates have seized power from the traditional Democrats who once defined the city’s pragmatism.

The DSA, which backs Mamdani, has long treated Seattle as a second stronghold. Its influence was cemented a decade ago when the Seattle City Council turned “Tax Amazon!” and “$15 now!” into national slogans. Mamdani picked up the same playbook: vilify wealth, demand redistribution and sell it as “justice.” Wilson, too, proudly identifies with Mamdani’s brand of urban socialism. Like him, she wants to tax businesses and the wealthy to fund “social housing” — government-owned apartment blocks managed by the city.

Mamdani calls for public ownership of utilities and declares that capitalism has failed. In Seattle, Wilson uses softer language but the same intent. She supports a $1 billion housing bond, and frames private property as a social problem rather than a personal right. It’s the same utopian pitch, just delivered with Pacific Northwest politeness. But the results will be the same.

NYC OFFICIAL EXPOSES MAMDANI’S ‘MARXIST PLAYBOOK’ IN REVEALING NEW FOX NATION SPECIAL

In New York, Mamdani’s wing has helped drive businesses out, cripple housing construction and expand welfare dependency. In Seattle, the ideological groundwork has already been laid. Businesses are overtaxed, downtown is hollowed out and public safety remains in crisis. Now Wilson’s solution is more government — more taxes, more mandates, more “compassionate” policies that treat criminals and addicts as victims of the system.

Wilson’s lack of executive experience only compounds the risk. She’s never managed a department or overseen a meaningful budget, yet she’s asking voters to entrust her with a $9 billion city government. She’s admitted to relying on her parents for child care costs and “barely affording” her one-bedroom apartment — a relatable struggle, but not the résumé of a fiscal leader.

New York’s Mamdani will prove what happens when activists become executives: ideology overtakes practicality, creating the blueprint for dysfunction. Seattle will be next in line to follow it.

DEMOCRATS LIKE ZOHRAN MAMDANI CLAIM TO EMBRACE YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY’RE BETRAYING THEM

Harrell, though imperfect, at least represents a vestige of moderation. His crime policies may lack teeth, and his leadership may underwhelm, but he knows the city can’t survive on slogans. Wilson, however, belongs to a movement that sees pragmatism as betrayal. She’s part of a generation of politicians who think failure means you didn’t go far enough left.

Seattle’s leftward slide mirrors New York’s trajectory under Mamdani’s influence. In both cities, the Democratic establishment is losing control to a radical faction determined to replace governance with activism. In both cities, voters weary of dysfunction are checking out, leaving the field to the most ideologically extreme. And in both cities, the consequences are the same: higher taxes, fewer businesses, and public safety in free fall.

DHM’s polling shows how far Seattle has drifted from common sense. Wilson captured more than half the vote in the August primary. With low voter turnout projected, it’s the activists — not the average voters — who will decide the city’s fate. That’s exactly how Mamdani and his allies seized control of New York politics. The engaged few impose their ideology on the disengaged many.

NEW JERSEY DEMS SNUB ENDORSING SOCIALIST CANDIDATE MAMDANI AS GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION LOOMS

To be clear, Wilson is not malicious. She’s articulate, sincere and willing to engage with critics. I’ve spoken with her on my “Seattle Red” talk show, and I respect that openness. But sincerity can’t substitute for results. New York’s socialist experiment has already shown what happens when compassion becomes policy and ideology becomes law. Crime rises, middle-class families leave, and the only people left are those too rich to flee or too poor to survive without the state.

If Wilson wins, Seattle will become the West Coast reflection of Mamdani’s New York — a laboratory for socialism cloaked in the language of fairness. The city that once embodied innovation will be run by an activist who still receives parental financial help while proposing to manage billions in taxpayer funds.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

This isn’t just about Seattle or New York. It’s about a growing movement using America’s biggest blue cities as proving grounds for democratic socialism. When it fails — and it will — it won’t just be a local problem. It will ripple outward, emboldening policymakers in Washington, D.C., and statehouses across the country who see cities like Seattle and New York as ideological test cases.

On Nov. 4, Seattle voters will decide whether to follow New York down that road. The choice isn’t between left and right — it’s between pragmatism and ideology, between reality and fantasy.

Wilson’s lack of executive experience only compounds the risk. She’s never managed a department or overseen a meaningful budget, yet she’s asking voters to entrust her with a $9 billion city government.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

If Wilson wins, it will mark not just a Seattle story but a national warning. America’s urban centers are becoming socialist city-states — run by activists, financed by taxpayers, and justified by failure.

What starts in New York doesn’t stay there. And if Seattle follows, it won’t just lose its soul. It’ll export its mistakes to the rest of the country.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JASON RANTZ

Vance turns internet mockery into Halloween gold as social media howls with approval

Vice President JD Vance leaned into an internet joke at his own expense this Halloween, posting a short video of himself wearing a curly brown wig to mimic a meme that’s followed him for months.

In the TikTok clip, filmed at the Naval Observatory residence, Vance opens the door in a dark suit and red tie, smiling as he tells trick-or-treaters, “Happy Halloween, kids … remember, say thank you!” The line is a playful callback to the “you didn’t say thank you” meme before he spins under purple lights to the eerie “Twilight Zone” theme.

The 41-year-old vice president’s video racked up more than 250,000 likes and 14 million views within hours, an extraordinary number for a political post, and drew thousands of comments across Instagram, X and Facebook.

Vance first became the butt of the “fat JD with curly hair” meme after a tense White House exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. Critics edited a photo of Vance with exaggerated features and wild hair, pairing it with captions like, “you didn’t say please” or “you didn’t say thank you.”

VANCE PAUSES NORTH CAROLINA SPEECH FOR BOY WHO SAID HE ‘SKIPPED SCHOOL’ TO ASK FOR A SELFIE

Rather than ignore the ridicule, Vance embraced it. Earlier this week, the White House X account joined the online fun, posting mock “costume package” images of political figures, including a “JD Vance Costume” that jokingly “does not include the fat JD curly hair.” Vance’s own Halloween post essentially completed the gag by adding that missing piece himself.

Within hours, the vice president’s post was trending. Screenshots flooded social media, with one user calling him “the best VP ever” and another saying, “JD just won 2028.” Elon Musk responded simply with a laughing emoji.

Even some critics gave credit. One commenter on X said, “he did the meme lol.” Users quickly remixed the Halloween look with the original meme, adding jump cuts and effects as it spread across platforms.

JD VANCE RESPONDS TO HAKEEM JEFFRIES’ CLAIM SOMBRERO MEME IS ‘RACIST’

For a White House that thrives on viral content, Vance’s light-hearted stunt fits seamlessly into the Trump administration’s digital playbook. The comms shop for President Trump has long embraced meme culture and rapid-fire online humor, sometimes even powered by AI.

By Friday night, Vance’s Halloween post was still climbing past 14 million views.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

For now, JD Vance has done what few politicians manage by turning a meme into a personal win and proving that, at least on Halloween, even the vice president can laugh along with the internet (in a wig).

The office of Vice President JD Vance did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Elite university rocked by vulgar email blast calling it ‘woke’ and ‘unmeritocratic’

The University of Pennsylvania is investigating after acknowledging that members of its community received a “highly offensive, hurtful message” that seemingly came from the school. The vulgar email in question was sent on Friday morning and appeared to be on the letterhead of the university’s Graduate School of Education.

“We got hacked,” the email’s subject line said, according to a copy obtained by Fox News Digital. 

A copy of the email showed that the sender urged recipients to “stop giving” money to the university. It also attacked the school as a “dogs— elitist institution full of woke r——.”

“We have terrible security practices and are completely unmeritocratic. We hire and admit morons because we love legacies, donors and unqualified affirmative action admits,” the email read.

MICROSOFT SOUNDS ALARM AS HACKERS TURN TEAMS PLATFORM INTO ‘REAL-WORLD DANGERS’ FOR USERS

A Penn spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the emails were “obviously” fake and “highly offensive.”

“A fraudulent email has been circulated that appears to come from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. This is obviously a fake, and nothing in the highly offensive, hurtful message reflects the mission or actions of Penn or of Penn GSE. The University’s Office of Information Security is aware of the situation, and our Incident Response team is actively addressing it,” a Penn spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The university reportedly told KYW-TV that it was not hacked but was looking into the source of the crass message. The spokesperson did not immediately address the hacking allegation when reached by Fox News Digital.

The university put out a similar statement on Facebook in which it acknowledged emails and said the issue was being addressed. 

“Fraudulent emails are currently being circulated that appear to come from a Penn Graduate School of Education account with the subject ‘We got hacked (Action Required)’ or similar,” the university wrote on Facebook. “The University’s Office of Information Security is aware of the situation, and our Incident Response team is actively addressing it.”

UPENN AGREES TO FOLLOW TRUMP’S MANDATE ON PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS AFTER LIA THOMAS INVESTIGATION

“All of the emails are incredibly offensive and in no way reflective of Penn or Penn GSE’s mission or values. We sincerely apologize for the harm this has caused and is causing. Over and above the inconvenience of getting your inboxes spammed, these emails are hurtful and upsetting,” the university wrote on Facebook.

Elizabeth Cooper, the school’s IT help desk manager, also addressed the message in an email sent to members of Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication, The Daily Pennsylvanian, a University of Pennsylvania student newspaper,reported.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“These emails are being received by individuals outside of UPenn as well,” Cooper wrote. “It appears that some email list, which is beyond our control, was accessed by malicious individuals who then sent out these messages.”

The Daily Pennsylvanian noted that the Penn Medicine Academic Computing Services and the School of Nursing’s IT services also sent out messages acknowledging the offensive email.

Gen Alpha slang term ‘6 7’ chosen as Dictionary.com’s latest Word of the Year

Whether a parent, teacher, youth pastor or an innocent bystander on a sidewalk, no one has been safe from the “6-7” Gen Alpha trend sweeping across America — a viral sensation that’s now been named Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year.

“Few slang terms have captured the cultural mood of 2025 quite like ‘6 7,’” said Steve Johnson, Ph.D., director of lexicography for the Dictionary Media Group at IXL Learning. 

“It’s part inside joke, part social signal and part performance. When people say it, they’re not just repeating a meme; they’re shouting a feeling. It’s one of the first Words of the Year that works as an interjection, a burst of energy that spreads and connects people long before anyone agrees on what it actually means,” Johnson continued. 

DARIUS RUCKER IS ‘SO AGAINST’ HIS KIDS BECOMING MUSICIANS LIKE HIM DESPITE THEIR INTEREST

The meme originated from a song by rapper Skrilla, titled “Doot Doot (6 7).” 

The internet trend went viral after Charlotte Hornets’ basketball point guard, LaMelo Ball, popularized the term, using it as a reference to his height. 

A press release from Dictionary.com stated that the term “shows how seamlessly today’s slang blends digital humor, sports culture and generational creativity.” 

NEWLY LAUNCHED TPUSA CHAPTER CAUSES UPROAR AT MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE FIRST MEETING

While the move may seem odd to some, the website reports that linguistic experts had data to back up their decision. 

“Dictionary.com’s lexicographers analyze extensive linguistic data, tracking which words dominate search trends, social media and digital conversations,” their statement continued. “A Dictionary.com analysis found that ‘6 7’ appeared in digital media six times more frequently in October 2025 alone compared to the average usage in 2024.” 

However, “6 7” wasn’t the only term that the language resource decided to add into its lexicon. 

INDIANA TRANS STUDENT ADMITS TO PLOTTING VALENTINE’S DAY SCHOOL SHOOTING, KEPT ‘SHRINE’ TO MASS KILLERS

Six other words – half of which were inspired by Gen Z and other social media slang — also made the cut this year. 

“Aura-farming,” defined as “the deliberate cultivation of one’s charisma, style or vibe, often for online attention or social clout,” and the “Gen Z stare,” “a blank or unbothered facial expression” typically associated with the age group, were also added. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Terms like “tradwife,” “agentic,” “overtourism,” and “tariff” were also on the list of updates. 

New proposal takes aim at blue state’s wealthiest residents to fund federal healthcare

California’s wealthiest residents could face a one-time 5% tax on their net worth under a new proposal aimed at replacing billions of dollars in federal funding cuts to healthcare.

The measure – called the “2026 Billionaire Tax Act” – seeks to counter $30 billion in potential federal funding cuts to California’s Medicaid program, with a portion of the revenue earmarked for public education, according to supporters, which include the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Proponents of the measure sent a request to the California Attorney General’s Office on Oct. 21 to get approval to begin collecting signatures.

WEALTHY CALIFORNIANS ARE FLEEING THE STATE, PUTTING TAX REVENUE AT RISK

BUSINESSMAN-TURNED-GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE REVEALS HOW DEM REGULATIONS DESTROYED HIS FAMILY’S COMPANY

Supporters of the measure argue that around 200 billionaires in California hold about $2 trillion in wealth, but the state’s other 19 million taxpayers pay a “much larger portion” of their true income.

“If we do not do this, millions of people are going to lose health care, an untold number of people will go without treatment and there will be tragedy after tragedy,” Dave Regan, president of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, said in a statement, according to Newsweek.

CALIFORNIANS TEMPTED TO LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND FOR MIAMI’S SCORCHING REAL ESTATE MARKET

The measure would need to garner more than 870,000 signatures by next spring in order to be placed on the November 2026 ballot, Realtor.com reported.

If enacted, California’s wealthiest residents, including tech executives like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, could face massive bills.

The proposal also comes as the state continues to grapple with population outflows to lower-tax states such as Florida.

Between 2023 and 2024, more Americans left California than any other state, Newsweek reported, citing Census Bureau data.

“Miami represents a new start, a refreshing reset. I think that it’s a place where policies, economics and lifestyle align together very well,” Mast Capital CEO Camilo Miguel, Jr., whose company is developing the Cipriani Residences Miami and The Perigon Miami Beach, recently told Fox News Digital.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes about $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over a decade, largely from changes to spending on healthcare programs. 

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

The Service Employees International Union did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

After Dodgers force Game 7, MLB rule may force their own pitching decision

Two hundred twenty-eight days after the start of the MLB season, it will all come down to one final game.

The Los Angeles Dodgers staved off elimination in miraculous fashion Friday night with an unorthodox double play on a fly ball to left, forcing a Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada on Saturday night, live only on FOX.

For the Blue Jays, their decision on a Game 7 starter is a no-brainer, as Max Scherzer is on regular rest and has been pitching much better as of late.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

For the Dodgers, they have a peculiar situation on their hands. Saturday would have been normal rest for Tyler Glasnow, but he was summoned to get the final three outs Friday. It only took three pitches, so perhaps he’s good to go. However, there is a catch with Shohei Ohtani.

After Game 6, Roberts said everyone but Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who tossed six innings Friday, was available. Obviously, that includes Ohtani, whose 10-strikeout performance — while hitting three home runs — sent the Dodgers to the Fall Classic.

“Everyone” also includes Glasnow, who was hardly worked to preserve the save. But due to a quirk in MLB rule, 5.11(b) that essentially was made specifically for Ohtani, he may have no choice but to start.

MLB instituted a rule that if a starting pitcher was in the batting lineup, he could continue hitting despite being taken off the mound. However, that is not the case for relievers. So if Ohtani were to only DH on Saturday, then pitch in relief, they would risk losing Ohtani for the remainder of the game upon his being taken off the mound. In order to keep his bat, he would have to play the field, which he has not done since 2021 — he has just 8.1 innings on the field in his career, all in that season. In turn, a fielder already in the lineup would then be taken out of the game.

DODGERS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION TO SET UP WINNER-TAKE-ALL WORLD SERIES GAME 7

Numerous reports have circulated that the Dodgers plan to start Ohtani, and given the niche rule, it seems like the obvious choice. If Ohtani doesn’t have it early, Roberts would have no issue going with Glasnow for length.

As for Toronto, its bullpen appears to be locked and loaded. Kevin Gausman gave the team six innings in a tough-luck loss, and Louis Varland, Mason Fluharty and Seranthony Domínguez combined for just two innings before Chris Bassitt came in for the ninth.

George Springer figures to be back in the lineup after driving in the Jays’ lone run Friday, albeit clearly uncomfortable from the injury he suffered in the 18-inning marathon of Game 3.

But Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued a postseason performance that will be one for the record books, win or loss. He is one hit away from tying Randy Arozarena’s record from 2020 for the most hits in a single postseason (his teammate, Ernie Clement, is third).

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

With a win, the Dodgers would be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000. It would be the first time in almost 50 years that a team won two straight World Series titles on the road, with the last instance being the Cincinnati Reds in Boston and New York in 1975 and 1976.

As for Toronto, a win would mark their first title since 1993, when Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run. It also would be just the second time since 2014 that the Fall Classic was won by the home team.

Fans certainly felt déjà vu incoming in the bottom of the ninth Friday night, but they have to wait at least one more day.

Common food allergy sees historic decline as study reveals unexpected reason

Early peanut introduction could help to curb allergies in kids, new research suggests.

Exposing children to peanuts when they are 4 to 11 months old — instead of waiting until they are 3, as previously recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics — appears to be making a dent in the number of peanut allergy diagnoses, the study published in Pediatrics suggests.

“New onset peanut allergy dropped by 43% in kids under 3,” Dr. David Hill, M.D., Ph.D., from the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told Fox News Digital.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE ARE MORE CHILDREN IN THE WORLD WHO ARE OBESE THAN UNDERWEIGHT

Hill, one of the study authors, noted that new-onset food allergies overall dropped by 36% in that age group.

Peanuts are one of the primary causes of serious allergic reactions in children. These reactions happen when the body’s immune system overreacts to peanuts by producing a substance called immunoglobulin E (IgE), which can lead to anaphylaxis — a severe, sometimes life-threatening allergic response, the researchers noted in a news release.

About 4% of children are affected by these types of food allergies, which can cause hives, difficulty breathing, swelling and vomiting. These symptoms can be immediate and life-threatening, experts told Fox News Digital.

Beyond peanuts, other common food allergens include milk, egg and wheat, according to the report.

Evolving advice

Before 2015, it was standard practice to caution parents about peanut exposure for children under 3 years of age. Then in 2015, a landmark study — the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial — sparked a change in clinical practice.

The study found that for infants who had severe eczema or an egg allergy, exposing them to peanuts when they were between 4 and 11 months old could reduce peanut allergy risk by 81%.

Based on the LEAP trial, leading organizations in pediatric allergy and immunology revised their guidelines for clinical practice in 2015 and 2017, allowing early exposure to peanuts for high-risk children.

“It just seems like there’s this window of tolerance during early infancy.”

The guidelines were updated again in 2021, encouraging the introduction of peanut, egg and other major food allergens as early as 4 to 6 months for all children — including those without a history of prior reaction, according to health experts.

“It just seems like there’s this window of tolerance during early infancy, so if we introduced the foods during that window, you will prevent food allergy,” Dr. Susan Schuval, chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York, told Fox News Digital.

EATING BLUEBERRIES EARLIER IN LIFE COULD EASE ALLERGIES, STRENGTHEN IMMUNITY, NEW STUDY FINDS

“If you wait until after that window, the child will be more predisposed to having a food allergy,” added Schuval, who was not part of the study.

Positive outcomes

Hill and his team of researchers focused on the effects of the revised practice guidelines from 2015 and 2017, but did not include the 2021 revisions. They analyzed electronic health records from multiple clinics in several states to determine whether the policy changes were having an effect.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

For at least two years after the 2015 guidance, the study found that there was a 27% decrease in peanut allergies and a 38% decrease in food allergies.

Egg allergies were also more prevalent than peanut allergies in this analysis.

After the 2017 guidance change, peanut allergies dipped by 43% and overall food allergies decreased by 36% (compared to the pre-2015 guidance) among children observed for at least a year, the researchers found.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“Everyone has been wondering whether these landmark public health interventions have had an impact on reducing rates of IgE-mediated food allergies in the United States,” said first author Stanislaw Gabryszewski, M.D., Ph.D., an attending physician in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“We now have data that suggest the effect of this landmark public health intervention is occurring,” she added.

Hill told Fox News Digital he’s “hopeful that our findings will help to spread awareness that early allergen introduction is safe and effective.”

While early exposure may not completely eliminate allergies to peanuts and other foods, the drop in rates of food allergy diagnoses is promising, said the researchers. They also emphasized the importance of consistent early introduction in clinical practice settings.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“Our findings have relevance [for] those of us who treat patients [and] those caring for infants — and more awareness, education and advocacy could further increase the positive results we observed in this study,” Hill said.

Not all parents may be comfortable with these revised guidelines, health experts told Fox News Digital.

“Not everyone has followed those guidelines, but this is further evidence that this early introduction is effective at preventing food allergies,” Schuval said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns with their pediatrician before introducing potential food allergens.

Future studies are needed to investigate how timing, dosage and frequency of exposure could further protect against food allergies, Hill added.

Dodgers pitcher unfazed after patriotic field invader tackled at Blue Jays stadium

A fan carrying an American flag briefly disrupted play during a crucial Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays when he ran onto the field before being tackled by ballpark security.

The incident took place during the sixth inning as Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto warmed up.

Video on social media showed the man in a blue shirt running across center field carrying the flag. At one point, a security officer can be seen ripping the flag from the man’s hands before he was quickly taken to the ground.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Uniformed officers were then seen running onto the field to apprehend the disruptor.

During the incident, the Canadian crowd at Rogers Centre could be heard booing the man – a reminder of the tense sports rivalry between the two border nations.

DODGERS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION TO SET UP WINNER-TAKE-ALL WORLD SERIES GAME 7

Despite the interruption, Yamamoto, a winner of three MVP awards in Japan, was unfazed by the incident.

“That’s a rare case,” he said after the game through an interpreter. “I just didn’t like it. But I was allowed to pitch a couple of pitches, and so I maintained my composure.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Yamamoto allowed one run in six innings to beat Toronto for the second time in a week and force a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday night.

Game 7 will broadcast exclusively on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.