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New MAHA initiative around biomedical research is uniting the GOP with some unusual bed fellows
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The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has attracted a wide range of Americans for a variety of reasons but, most recently, one of the nation’s foremost animal rights groups, PETA, has teamed up with the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to push one of its latest initiatives.
Last week, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced it would spend $87 million on a new Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Center, which will research alternative methods to reduce scientists’ reliance on animals for biomedical research testing. The initiative also includes policies to support the rehousing of animals used in scientific research.
«We’ve been working with NIH to give them background information on areas of disease research where the animal experiments have failed so tremendously, and there’s the most potential to really shift the game over to human-relevant methods,» Emily Trunnell, director of science advancement and outreach at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), told Fox News Digital. «About a month ago, we sent them these seven horrific grants … anybody could look at the things they’re doing to like monkeys and dogs and just be like, there’s no way taxpayers need to be funding this. So we continue to push them in that way. We are supportive and providing help where we’re asked, and we do think they’re going in the right direction.»
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., center, and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, right, talk with members of the Foot of the Mountain Farm, a vendor at the inaugural Great American Farmers Market on the National Mall held on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The issue of using animals in biomedical research is also one championed by the White Coat Waste Project, which was a vehement critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci and the Biden administration during the coronavirus pandemic and was also founded on a mission to help end taxpayer-funded experiments on animals. The group, founded by Republican political strategist Anthony Bellotti, told Fox News Digital that it is «thrilled that the Trump administration is putting wasteful animal experiments we’ve exposed under the microscope.»
Goodman added that their polling shows 85% of Americans, including Republicans, Democrats and Independents, oppose using taxpayer dollars to support experiments on dogs, cats, and other animals.
Trunnell agreed, noting that she thinks the issue has gained Republican support because many Americans – no matter their political stripe – have come to wonder why tax dollars are going towards these «cruel» and often less reliable research methods.
«There’s better science when you’re using non-animal methods, there’s less animal cruelty, and there’s less waste all around,» she told Fox News.
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The logo of the international non-governmental animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is seen above. (Yann Schreiber/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Trunnell, Americans have been «sold this lie that animal research is critical for medical advances.» For example, she cited that 95% of new drugs tested on animals ultimately fail in human trials, either because they are not safe, potentially due to toxicity not detected in animals, or they’re ineffective.
Trunnell added that the majority of animals are used in «curiosity-driven research,» which she argued «never results in anything meaningful for human health.»
«On the other hand, we have these new technologies that use human data and human cells,» Trunnell pointed out.
Trump’s head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Marty Makary, reportedly met with PETA representatives in July after NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced the agency would be taking steps to reduce its reliance on animal-based research models and prioritize human-based ones, according to Politico. Bhattacharya’s actions allegedly earned him a bouquet of flowers from PETA, which said after his announcement that the group was «popping» champagne corks.
PETA members in Michigan protest, holding signs calling for animal testing in science to end, on April 29, 2025. (Photo by Adam J. Dewey/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the recent steps taken by the NIH and FDA prove the Trump administration’s commitment to reducing animal reliance when it comes to scientific research isn’t just theoretical, it’s happening now.
«Whether through AI-driven models, organoid technology, or other innovative tools, we’re seeing a shift toward safer, more ethical, and more efficient methods of testing,» Nixon said. «This is an issue that bridges ideology because it’s about modernizing science while aligning it with our values.»
maha,medical research,health,robert f kennedy jr,pet health
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A 1,200-person caravan of largely Cuban migrants is heading north from Mexico’s southern city of Tapachula in a weeks-long pursuit of better economic opportunities. But the destination is not the U.S. border, it’s Mexico City.
The destination of the caravan signals a stark shift in regional trends as President Donald Trump’s strict immigration policies take hold.
The caravan, which departed earlier this month, is expected to take weeks to reach its destination, where migrants hope to find higher-paying jobs in Mexico’s capital city, rather than its impoverished south.
OKLAHOMA TROOPERS, ICE DETAIN 120 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THREE-DAY INTERSTATE ENFORCEMENT SWEEP
Migrants head toward Mexico City on the outskirts of Tapachula, Mexico, Oct. 1, 2025. (Reuters/Damian Sanchez)
Tapachula, located in Mexico’s poorest state of Chiapas, has been struggling for years to cope with the migrant crisis as it sits near the border with Guatemala, which has long seen significant outflows of migrants fleeing gang violence and poverty stemming from the Northern Triangle.
According to the Washington Office on Latin America, the group of migrants is using social media to petition the Mexican government to assist with asylum cases and proper documentation for people looking to officially reside in Mexico City.
El Pais reported last week that corruption and extortion remain a top concern for migrants looking for relocation assistance. The report said the issue remains one of the chief obstacles plaguing the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance.
Despite concerns over financial abuse in attempting to relocate in Mexico, the Spain-based outlet reported that many migrants still consider staying there preferable to heading to the U.S. under Trump.
WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ‘EGREGIOUS’ COURT ORDER BLOCKING TROOP DEPLOYMENTS AMID PORTLAND UNREST
Migrants on the outskirts of Tapachula, Mexico, Oct. 1, 2025. (Reuters/Damian Sanchez)
«Why would I want to go to the United States? They hate us there,» one Cuban woman traveling with her 2-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son told the news outlet.
While immigration to the U.S. under Trump, particularly amid his second term, has drastically dropped, the decision by Cuban migrants not to pursue life in the U.S. where there are already large communities with deep U.S. ties in places like Florida and New York, is significant.
But it is too soon to tell if this will be a lasting trend, Elaine Dezenski, senior director and head of the Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital.
«According to the International Organization for Migration, about 50% of migrants surveyed across Mexico in mid-2025 said they considered Mexico their destination – up from less than 25% at the end of 2024,» she said. «This suggests that increased U.S. border enforcement and deportations are influencing migrants’ choices, with more seeking asylum and work authorization in Mexico instead of continuing to the U.S.»
Honduran migrants taking part in a caravan heading to the U.S. rest in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, on Oct. 21, 2018. (Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images)
In the months since Trump returned to the top job, encounters on the southern border reported by Customs and Border Protection have drastically fallen compared to rates seen in years past.
Earlier this year, the Migration Policy Institute noted that monthly southern border encounters were on par with rates not seen since the 1960s.
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Dezenski warned that even though the control of undocumented migration into the U.S. will be championed by some as a positive adjustment when it comes to border security, there are «serious conversations» that need to be had about the role immigration plays in maintaining a healthy economy.
«Both Mexico and the U.S. are experiencing labor shortages in key sectors. While uncontrolled, undocumented immigration is not a solution, the lack of comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. risks leaving many jobs unfilled – particularly in industries that rely heavily on migrant labor, such as agriculture,» she said. «Today, immigration reform is often equated with border security.
«However, we also need a serious conversation about the essential skills and labor our economies require and the role immigration plays in sustaining long-term economic health,» Dezenski said.
immigration,border security,location mexico,donald trump,world
Para muchos, las pausas para ir al baño se convierten en excusas para estar frente a una pantalla. Enviamos mensajes de texto a nuestros amigos, leemos las noticias y navegamos por las redes sociales. Pero los médicos advierten de que este hábito puede no ser inocuo.
En un estudio publicado a principios de este mes, por ejemplo, los investigadores encuestaron a 125 pacientes de colonoscopia del Centro Médico Beth Israel Deaconess de Boston sobre sus hábitos en el baño. Dos tercios dijeron que habían utilizado un teléfono inteligente en el inodoro al menos una vez, y la mayoría expresó que lo hizo al menos una vez a la semana. Los usuarios de celulares también tenían un riesgo un 46 por ciento mayor de padecer hemorroides, es decir, inflamación e hinchazón de los tejidos y vasos sanguíneos de la parte inferior del recto y el ano.
Leé también: Cómo eliminar el moho del inodoro con un truco casero
Según Trisha Pasricha, gastroenteróloga del Centro Médico Beth Israel Deaconess y coautora del estudio: “El siguiente Reel, el siguiente TikTok empieza a reproducirse automáticamente», lo que hace que la gente se quede demasiado tiempo en el sanitario, y se ejerce una presión prolongada sobre los tejidos rectales. (Pasricha también escribió para el Times en el pasado).
Aunque apenas se realizaron otras investigaciones sobre el tema, los médicos afirman que las hemorroides pueden no ser el único motivo para pensárselo dos veces antes de llevar el teléfono al inodoro. Esto es lo que sabemos.
Posibles riesgos para la salud
En comparación con quienes dijeron que nunca habían usado un celular en el baño, los investigadores descubrieron que los usuarios de teléfonos inteligentes eran mucho más propensos a tomarse más de 5 minutos para ir al baño. El prolapso rectal es poco frecuente y afecta a una de cada 400 personas, en su mayoría mujeres. (Imagen generada con IA)
Permanecer 5 minutos o más en el santario con regularidad puede dañar las venas y los músculos pélvicos, sostuvo Pasricha. “La taza del inodoro es solo un agujero abierto, y no hay nada que te sostenga. No hay contrapresión”, manifestó.
El tejido conjuntivo que sostiene los vasos sanguíneos rectales puede debilitarse con el tiempo y ocasionar que se abulten y se congestionen, añadió Pasricha.
No hay muchas investigaciones sobre la relación entre la hora de ir al baño y el estreñimiento, y el nuevo estudio no encontró una relación entre ambos. Pero es lógico pensar que sentarse en el sanitario encorvado sobre el teléfono también podría hacer más probable el estreñimiento, precisó Eamonn Quigley, presidente de gastroenterología del Houston Methodist.
“Cuando estás encorvado, cambiás lo que los expertos denominan ángulo anorrectal, o ángulo en el que el recto se une al ano. Esto hace que el conducto sea más estrecho y se dificulte el paso de las heces”, explicó Quigley.
Leé también: El bidet tradicional no va más: el nuevo invento para baños que es tendencia y revoluciona el mundo
Estar mucho tiempo sentado en el inodoro, especialmente si estás haciendo fuerza, también puede aumentar la probabilidad de un prolapso rectal, que se produce cuando el recto (la parte inferior del intestino grueso) se colapsa y sobresale por el ano, explicó Lynn O’Connor, jefa de la división de cirugía de colon y recto del Centro Médico Mercy y del Hospital St. Joseph de Nueva York. El prolapso rectal es poco frecuente y afecta a una de cada 400 personas, en su mayoría mujeres, enunció , y el esfuerzo al ir al baño puede hacerlo más probable.
“Es algo que de verdad no querés tener”, precisó O’Connor, ya que puede requerir intervención quirúrgica.
Llevar el teléfono al baño también puede ser antihigiénico, dijeron los expertos. La materia fecal, y las bacterias que contiene, puede llegar a tus manos al limpiarte, y puedes transferirla a tu teléfono. Tirar de la cadena con la tapa abierta también puede hacer que la materia fecal se pulverice en el aire y caiga en el teléfono, agregó O’Connor. Según especialistas, lo ideal es evitar sentarse en el asiento abierto del inodoro durante más de 5 minutos seguidos. (Imagen generada con IA)
Incluso si te lavas las manos, tendrás bacterias en ellas en cuanto vuelvas a tocar el teléfono, explicó.
No está claro hasta qué punto es probable que este tipo de contaminación provoque enfermedades –todavía no hay estudios que relacionen los celulares con brotes de enfermedades infecciosas–, pero en cualquier caso, “es asqueroso”, sostuvo Pasricha.
Mantenerse a salvo
A pesar de sus hallazgos, Pasricha consideró que no quiere que nadie piense que no debe llevar nunca el teléfono al cuarto de baño.
Leé también: Usar el celular en el baño aumenta el riesgo de padecer una conocida y molesta enfermedad
Si mirar el teléfono te ayuda a relajarte, puede facilitar la evacuación intestinal, aseveró. Pero es mejor sentarse derecho en lugar de encogerse sobre el teléfono, aconsejó Quigley. O utiliza un taburete de indoro, como el “Squatty Potty”, para ayudar a alinear el cuerpo y facilitar la defecación, mencionó.
Los médicos afirman que las hemorroides pueden no ser el único motivo para pensar dos veces antes de llevar el teléfono al inodoro. (Imagen generada con IA)
Pasricha recomendó seguir lo que ella llamó la “regla de los 5 minutos”: lo ideal es evitar sentarse en el asiento abierto del sanitariodurante más de 5 minutos seguidos. Si pasan regularmente 5 minutos y no pudiste ir o hacés esfuerzos, quizá debas consultar a un gastroenterólogo, meniconó Pasricha. Entre otras cosas, puede que tus heces sean demasiado duras o que tengas estreñimiento, explicó .
Y una vez que hayas hecho tus necesidades, párate del inodoro, sostuvo Pasricha, o al menos vestite y cerrá la tapa si querés sentarte y seguir navegando.
“Subite los pantalones, bajá la tapa del inodoro y terminá tu TikTok”, aseguró.
*Melinda Wenner Moyer es madre de dos hijos y periodista científica, quien escribe para Slate, Mother Jones, Scientific American y O, The Oprah Magazine, entre otras publicaciones.
The New York Times, Inodoro, heces, Hemorroides
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New Navy Under Secretary Cao to ‘supercharge’ force by ditching DEI, raising standards, modernizing IT
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Navy Secretary John C. Phelan has tapped new Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao to lead a sweeping overhaul of the service and «supercharge the Navy and Marine Corps,» including modernizing its business and IT systems.
Cao, sworn in Oct. 3. by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, returns to the Department of the Navy with direct orders to «cut red tape and raise standards.»
Phelan said in a memo shared exclusively to Fox News Digital that the reforms are to «sharpen readiness, fix faster, and put sailors, Marines, and their families first» as well as restore the Navy and Marine Corps’ warrior ethos.
Cao, a former U.S. Navy captain, is also a well-known Republican figure, who ran for the U.S. Senate in Virginia in 2024 and in 2025, was nominated by Trump and confirmed as the 35th Navy under secretary.
HEGSETH ORDERS ABOUT FACE ON PENTAGON’S SLIPPING GROOMING STANDARDS
President Donald Trump with Hung Cao in 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The move follows remarks by Hegseth Sept. 30 to flag and general officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
«First and foremost, we must restore a ruthless, dispassionate and common-sense application of standards,» Hesgeth said. «Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral, and high. If not, they’re not standards — they’re suggestions. Suggestions that get our sons and daughters killed.»
Cao’s reforms will start at home and include launching a new inspection system with 60-day repair timelines to overhaul military family housing.
Base dining will shift to healthier, locally sourced menus designed to mirror combat readiness and improve nutrition.
HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES ‘DON’T WANT TO F— WITH US’
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan greets sailors during a visit. (Courtesy of the Secretary of the Navy)
Outdated IT and business systems will be replaced with modern, mobile-ready platforms to streamline daily operations and empower sailors with tools that work for the first time.
Beyond quality-of-life upgrades, the Navy is targeting full audit compliance by FY2026 to strengthen transparency and accountability.
Recruiting reforms will eliminate DEI-based waivers in favor of merit-only accessions, while reserve forces will integrate more closely with active-duty training pipelines.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders will move faster, and new policies will expand school choice for military families.
On Guam, infrastructure upgrades, from runways to fuel and housing capacity will harden the island’s role as a vital Indo-Pacific power-projection hub.
AIR FORCE TIGHTENS RULES ON TRANSGENDER AIRMEN; SUPPORTERS SAY IT PRIORITIZES READINESS: REPORT
Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao has been tapped to lead a sweeping overhaul of the Navy and Marine Corps. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
«These aren’t talking points, they’re timelines,» Cao said of the reforms. «We’re ending bureaucratic drift and restoring excellence.»
Cao’s initiatives will also aim to unify family welfare and combat readiness under what Phelan describes as «one quarterback, one playbook.»
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Jack Whitfield, R-Texas, chair of the House Armed Services readiness panel, said Congress would «support the Navy’s renewed focus on lethality and accountability.»
HEGSETH TELLS TROOPS TO RESIGN IF THEY OPPOSE HIS PLAN TO SCRAP ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AND RESTORE WARRIOR ETHOS
Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
A Democratic staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee called it «an overdue reset» and confirmed oversight «will track results closely.»
The sweeping, new portfolio integrates quality-of-service improvements, modernization, and reserve reform under a single chain of command.
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«This is about speed, standards, and service,» Phelan said. «When the basics work the first time, ships sail more, aircraft fly farther, and the world’s greatest maritime force only gets stronger.»
Hegseth and Phelan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
us navy,navy,defense,pete hegseth,politics
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