INTERNACIONAL
Trump officials warn decades-long decline among American men could carry national security consequences
The Trump administration is targeting testosterone deficiency as a potential threat to military readiness, rolling out new screening guidelines for male service members amid growing concerns about the health of American men and the shrinking pool of young people qualified to serve.
«There is absolutely a national defense readiness ramifications for [low testosterone],» Adm. Brian Christine, a senior Department of Health and Human Services official, told Digital in an interview.
Christine also pointed to broader health challenges facing the military’s recruiting pool, warning that 77% of Americans ages 17 to 24 do not qualify for service without a waiver, with obesity, chronic disease and other barriers contributing to the problem. Among young men, he said, more than 70% are ineligible, while only about 3% of young Americans express interest in serving.
The warning comes as the Trump administration places a renewed emphasis on military readiness, with Christine helping shape an initiative that led the Pentagon to issue testosterone deficiency screening guidelines for male service members ages 30 and older in September.
THE REAL REASON BEHIND HEGSETH’S VIRAL MILITARY TESTOSTERONE SCREENING ORDER
Trump entered his second term with an aggressive approach to rebuilding the American military, tightening fitness requirements, axing DEI policies, overhauling weapons acquisition, building up recruitment and refocusing the force on combat readiness and lethality.
Christine, a urologist who spent more than 35 years specializing in men’s health, said testosterone levels have been declining for decades, raising concerns about the long-term health of American men and the physical demands placed on those serving in uniform.
«I think it’s incredibly important, incredibly timely,» Christine said of the screening guidance.
Under the Pentagon’s guidelines, male service members ages 30 and older undergo mandatory screening for testosterone deficiency, beginning with an assessment of symptoms and risk factors, with further testing and potential treatment available when medically appropriate.
‘WOKE’ MILITARY ACADEMIES TARGETED IN NEW BLUEPRINT FOR SWEEPING WARFIGHTING OVERHAUL
«We’re not forcing testosterone on anybody,» Christine said. «But what we are doing is screening, taking those men who are symptomatic and have low numbers and offering them a pathway forward.»
The HHS official pointed to obesity and chronic disease as established factors associated with low testosterone, while raising concerns that environmental exposures, including microplastics and other toxins, could also be contributing to the decline — a possibility researchers are still investigating.
«In the mid-1970s, the average testosterone level for men in this country… was well over 650. Now it’s approaching 350,» Christine said.
POPULAR WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS LINKED TO UNEXPECTED MALE FERTILITY BENEFIT
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya echoed those concerns in a separate interview with Digital, warning that some testosterone deficiency may be going undiagnosed even as medical guidelines stress that a diagnosis requires both symptoms and consistently low hormone levels.
«It’s interesting because if you look at the epidemiological trends, testosterone levels in the American male population have been declining over the last decades. And again, we don’t know why. We don’t have an answer,» Bhattacharya said.
Bhattacharya said researchers must determine not only why testosterone levels are declining, but also what medical guidance should follow for men diagnosed with a deficiency. «There are under-diagnosed testosterone deficiencies.»
«The question of what to do about it, how to prevent it, that’s at the top of my mind,» he added.
LONGER LIVES, WORSE HEALTH? SCIENTISTS UNCOVER TROUBLING TREND ACROSS GENERATIONS
The NIH director also pointed to declining sperm counts as another area requiring further scientific investigation, suggesting that environmental exposures could be contributing to broader reproductive health concerns.
«But even more importantly, what are the factors, probably environmental factors, that have led to the decline in sperm counts, for instance? We need an answer to those questions,» Bhattacharya said.
Bhattacharya said the NIH is investing in research to better understand the potential causes of those trends and determine how doctors should advise American men.
Christine said that testosterone is about more than muscle growth or physical appearance, arguing that hormone levels play an important role in men’s overall health.
DEMS ROASTED FOR COMPARING HEGSETH’S TESTOSTERONE INITIATIVE TO ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE’
«Testosterone levels in men are absolutely related to their overall well-being, to their lifespan, to their health span, and to their wellness,» Christine said.
He also noted that men with low testosterone tend to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression.
The administration is also developing separate hormonal health guidance for female service members, which the Defense Health Agency said would follow the September guidelines issued for male troops, with women’s health specialists contributing to the recommendations, Christine said.
Christine said that the goal is ensuring that service members are equipped to perform their duties while addressing broader health challenges affecting American men.
«If we truly want our men who are in uniform to be at their best,» Christine said, the focus must be on their ability to function and perform their jobs.
defense, donald trump, pete hegseth, military, mens health, medical research, health
INTERNACIONAL
Dems seize on midterm rout to demand ICE reform but polls reveal a twist in who prioritized immigration
Democrats are seizing on their sweeping midterm victories to demand immigration reform, even as polling shows economic concerns far outpaced it as a priority for both Democratic and Hispanic voters.
The push follows Democratic gains nationwide, including wins in Texas congressional districts redrawn to favor Republicans and major upsets in the state’s Senate and gubernatorial races. Some winners are casting the results as a mandate to challenge President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and putting prospective 2028 Democratic presidential candidates on notice.
«Whoever wants to get our support in ’28 has to prioritize immigration reform, period,» Rep.-elect Bobby Pulido, D-Texas, who defeated Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in South Texas, said last Wednesday at a news conference alongside fellow Texas Democrats pushing for immigration reform.
But Digital polling showed 27% of Republican voters ranked immigration as their top issue, compared to just 3% of Democrats.
Pulido flipped a redrawn, Republican-leaning South Texas district, ousting De La Cruz, who won her re-election in 2024 by 14. 2 points. He campaigned on affordability while tying Trump’s immigration enforcement raids at worksites to workforce shortages that hurt the economy.
REDISTRICTING EFFORTS BLOW UP IN REPUBLICANS’ FACES AMID HISTORIC HOUSE LOSSES
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, told Digital that voters who split their tickets between Trump and down-ballot Democrats in 2024 were responding this year to both affordability pressures and the president’s immigration crackdown.
«He made a promise that he was going to bring prices down on day one. Liberation didn’t happen, so people remembered that,» Cuellar, whose district encompasses border town Laredo, told Digital. «Second thing is he said he was going to focus on criminals. He didn’t stop there. He started going after construction workers.»
Democrats’ wins came as an estimated 14.5 million Latinos voted across the country in the 2026 midterms, according to UnidosUS. The group’s Texas state director, Eric Holguín, said Democratic support among Latino voters rivaled levels seen in 2008, when Barack Obama won the presidency.
«Cost of living was the number one issue that we saw with Latino voters in Texas and across the country as well,» Holguín told Digital, referring to polling conducted by UnidosUS.
Pre-election polling conducted by Voter Poll, showed that for 45% of polled Hispanic voters, the economy was the most important issue facing the country, followed by the state of democracy for 26% of voters and then immigration at 15%.
VOTER POLL: HOW DEMOCRATS TOOK CONTROL OF THE SENATE
For Hispanics voting in Texas, polling followed a similar trend with the economy the number one issue for 45% of voters, the state of democracy for 25% of voters and immigration for 15%.
«People right now, they see their pocketbooks, they see the bank accounts, they the grocery bills, they see they’re electric bills, they see there gas bills and they’re saying, ‘Hey, a lot of promises were made to us in 2024 by President Trump, and he’s had almost two years to deliver on those promises, and not only has he not delivered on those promise, he’s made them worse with the war in Iran!,’» Holguín said.
Trump said that the Iran war hurt Republicans in the midterms, as conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has destabilized oil supply chains, causing gas prices to soar.
Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, told Digital that voters were likely motivated by a rejection of Trump rather than enthusiasm for Democrats’ policies.
«It was driven by an anger that the president hasn’t delivered on the promises that he made, particularly bringing down the cost of living and decreasing international tensions,» Olsen said. «People see that inflation is higher than when he took office, and America is involved militarily in more places than they were under the Biden administration, and that’s not what they thought they were getting.»
HISPANIC VOTERS ARE NATURAL CONSERVATIVES. REAGAN KNEW. GOP NEEDS TO PROVE IT AGAIN
During a 60 Minutes interview, Trump said some of his deportations policies were «too tough»and that a deal with Democrats was «doable.»
Miguel Valenzuela, a business owner in Texas who joined American Families United for the Nov. 11 news conference, said he had spent years warning Republicans that their approach to immigration risked alienating Hispanic voters who otherwise shared some of the party’s values.
«Hispanic values, family, faith, hardworking,» Valenzuela, who does not identify as a Democrat, told Digital. «That sounds like a Republican, right? «
Valenzuela said he had attended local Republican political events and urged the party to address immigration reform before pushing away an entire voting bloc. He argued that children of immigrants were reaching voting age and making their frustrations known at the ballot box.
«Those kids have now became of age and they are voting. And since they are now voting, this is exactly what I had been warning about for years. And it happened last week,» Valenzuela said.
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Holguín warned Democrats that keeping Latino voters’ support will depend on delivering results.
«They’re put on notice right now. Everyone’s watching what they do,» Holguín said. «They’re looking for major change in how our government’s run and how our government delivers for the people.»
Republican National Committee press secretary Natalie Baldassarre defended Trump’s immigration policies and applauded the president for keeping affordability at the center of his agenda.
«President Trump is keeping his promise to secure the border and enforce our immigration laws to keep American citizens safe. While Democrats fight among themselves and focus on impeaching President Trump, Republicans remain united and focused on making life more affordable for working American families.»
Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
midterm elections, politics, democratic party, house of representatives, elections state and local, elections
INTERNACIONAL
La Casa Blanca anunció una cumbre entre Trump, Putin y Xi Jinping en China para discutir sobre Irán y las armas nucleares
La Casa Blanca anunció que los presidentes Donald Trump, Xi Jinping y Vladimir Putin tienen previsto reunirse el próximo jueves en Shenzhen, en el sur de China, al margen del Foro de Cooperación Económica Asia-Pacífico (APEC).
Según informó Washington, los mandatarios de Estados Unidos, China y Rusia abordarán la guerra en Medio Oriente y la posibilidad de avanzar en un acuerdo sobre sus arsenales nucleares, pero dejarán fuera de la agenda el conflicto en Ucrania. Por el momento, ni Moscú ni Beijing confirmaron oficialmente el encuentro.
La posibilidad de una cumbre trilateral, de la que se venía hablando desde hace semanas, marcaría un hecho inédito entre los líderes de las tres principales potencias nucleares del mundo. Sin embargo, los analistas consideran que las expectativas de alcanzar acuerdos concretos son limitadas y que la reunión tendrá un peso mayor en términos simbólicos y diplomáticos.
“El presidente ha dejado claro que, entre otros temas, discutirá la reducción del arsenal de armas nucleares en el mundo. El presidente cree que esta proliferación es muy peligrosa”, declaró el viernes Olivia Wales, portavoz de la Casa Blanca.
Un funcionario estadounidense confirmó además que Trump tiene intención de conversar sobre Irán con Xi y Putin, aunque aclaró que Washington mantiene otro canal de negociaciones con Kiev y Moscú para tratar la guerra en Ucrania.
Jinping
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Two American tourists drowned in the Bahamas after a strong current pulled a group of swimmers out to sea Friday, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a press release.
The pair — a 38-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman — were swimming with a larger group in waters off of the island of Bimini when the strong current swept them away.
Police said the victims were swimming in an area beyond a sign warning of strong currents.
MOM OF 2 WHO DIED RESCUING SONS DURING BAHAMAS SNORKELING TRIP IS IDENTIFIED
A nearby ferry boat rescued some of the swimmers, but the American duo were already unresponsive by the time the boat got to them, police said.
One of Bimini’s beaches found on the west side of North Bimini, the most popular of which is this long stretch of three contiguous beaches in Alice Town. (iStock)
Though CPR was administered to the pair, they remained unresponsive.
WOMAN FOUND FLOATING IN SEA AFTER GOING OVERBOARD FROM ROYAL CARIBBEAN SHIP
«Both victims were transported to the local clinic, where medical personnel continued life-saving efforts. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, both individuals were pronounced deceased by the attending physician shortly before 4:00 p.m.,» the police statement read.
Vector map of Bimini Island, The Bahamas (iStock)
Police do not suspect foul play, but are investigating the circumstances.
ROBBERIES, ASSAULTS AND RAPES SPUR NEW US TRAVEL WARNING FOR POPULAR CARIBBEAN GETAWAY
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, according to the police.
Aerial view of boats anchored near coral rocks off North Bimini, Bahamas on sunny summer afternoon. (iStock)
Fox News Digital contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for further information.
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