A new, stronger flu shot could slash Alzheimer’s risk in half, according to new data.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), found that adults 65 and older who received a high-dose influenza vaccine had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who received the standard dose.

The immune system naturally weakens with age, making older adults less responsive to standard vaccines. To combat this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a high-dose flu vaccine for people over 65. This version is approximately four times stronger than the standard shot.

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Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, affects more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older.

Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News senior medical contributor, weighed in on the impact of the flu shot on Alzheimer's risk.

As the vaccine directly affects the immune system, it is possible that this interaction could decrease inflammation in the body and "thereby indirectly decrease Alzheimer's risk," Siegel, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

"Flu shots and their components do not cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning they aren’t directly affecting brain cells."

"I was stunned that, as a physician, I didn’t know a higher dose was offered," lead study author Paul Schulz, professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, said in a press release.

Schulz also led a previous study linking general flu vaccination to a 40% reduction in Alzheimer's risk.

While the previous research had already linked general flu vaccination to a reduction in Alzheimer's risk, this new study looked specifically at the strength of the dose.

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"The public health department had seen our vaccine research and asked if I could come down to talk to them about it," said Schulz. "We went through the findings, and they asked if there was a difference with different dosages; I was confused."

After sorting through data from nearly 200,000 older adults, the team found the adults who received the high-dose vaccine had a lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those who received the standard dose.

Adults in the high-dose group had an almost 55% lower risk than those who weren't vaccinated, significantly outperforming standard-dose protection.

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The protective effect of the high-dose vaccine was even more pronounced in women compared to men, although both groups saw significant benefits.

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This study shows a link, not a cause, the researchers noted.

Experts can't say for certain that the flu shot itself stopped Alzheimer’s because people who get high-dose vaccines might also have other healthy habits, like better diets or more frequent check-ups.

The researchers also looked at medical records after the fact, rather than following two controlled groups in real time, which can sometimes result in missing information or biases.

"This is not a cause/effect study," Siegel reiterated. "We can’t conclude that the flu shot itself causes the effect; it could be something about the people who decide to take this shot."

The study also focused on people over 65, so it's unclear whether getting these shots earlier in life would provide the same level of protection.

"This needs to be further studied, but it is already certainly another reason to take a flu shot," Siegel added.

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The study was published in the journal Neurology.

Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and wife of LIV Golf star Dustin Johnson, was at the Masters Par 3 Contest caddying for her husband on Wednesday.

The Masters Par 3 Contest is the event that takes place before the Masters tees off. It’s one of the lighthearted events of the week as golfers were able to test whether they can get some aces on specific holes at Augusta National. It’s an event meant for fun and family.

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Gretzky was pictured with Johnson as he participated in the event. Johnson finished 1-over par during the event, which Aaron Rai won. She was also spotted with Nicole Willett, the wife of Danny Willett.

Gretzky has appeared at the event for several years, including when Johnson won his first green jacket all the way back in 2020. That year, the event was held in November due to the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson set a record with a final score of 20-under par.

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It was the last time Johnson won an event that also featured PGA Tour competitors. He was one of the first golfers who joined LIV Golf, participating in his first event in June 2022.

In the LIV Golf series, Johnson has picked up three individual wins. He won the LIV Golf Boston Invitational in September 2022, LIV Golf Tulsa in 2023 and LIV Golf Las Vegas in February 2024. He hasn’t won an event since then.

He’s 26th in the standings through five events this season. His best finish came in Singapore, where he finished tied for 10th.

Johnson will be in the field for the Masters once more. He tees off in the first round at 9:43 a.m. ET on Thursday.

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The U.S. Navy is requesting $3 billion in additional funding to replenish its stores of Tomahawk missiles after depleting its stores in the war against Iran.

The Navy made the order as part of the Pentagon's wider $1.5 trillion budget request for 2027 released this week. The Tomahawk missile request represents a 1,200% increase in production compared to last year.

Last year, Congress approved the Navy to purchase 58 of the missiles at a total price of $257 million. This year's request is enough to finance 785 missiles.

According to a report from the Washington Post last month, the U.S. had launched at least 850 Tomahawk missiles since the war against Iran began on Feb. 28.

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The Pentagon says its wider $1.5 trillion budget request is needed to address growing threats from China, Russia and other adversaries.

The request includes about $1.1 trillion in base discretionary funding for the Department of War, along with an additional $350 billion in mandatory funding to support priorities such as munitions production and expansion of the defense industrial base.

If enacted, the plan would represent one of the largest increases in U.S. defense spending in decades, though the total includes a mix of discretionary funding and mandatory resources that are not typically combined in standard Pentagon budget comparisons.

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The budget places heavy emphasis on rebuilding weapons stockpiles and strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity, areas that defense officials have identified as key vulnerabilities in recent years.

Shipbuilding is another major focus, with $65.8 billion requested to procure 18 Navy battle force ships and 16 non-battle force vessels as part of a broader effort to expand maritime capacity.

The proposal also continues funding for the "Golden Dome" missile defense system, which aims to develop a layered homeland defense using space-based sensors and interceptors.

The budget also highlights investments in artificial intelligence, drones and counter-drone systems, and next-generation aircraft, including continued development of the F-47 — a sixth-generation fighter designed to operate alongside autonomous systems — with the program targeting a first flight as early as 2028.

Pop icon Cyndi Lauper is facing backlash after blasting a Republican-backed voting bill, warning her followers in a fiery social media post that the SAVE (Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility) Act is "not about protecting against voter fraud — it’s about voter suppression."

In an Instagram video, Lauper urged Americans — particularly women — to push back.

"It’s me, Cyndi. Don’t be fooled. The SAVE Act is not about protecting against voter fraud — it’s about voter suppression. Congress is trying to pass the SAVE Act to make it harder to vote, especially for millions of women," she said.

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She escalated the warning, tying the legislation to a broader fight over rights.

"First, they come after our right to control our bodies, and now they’re coming after our right to vote. So, we must stop them," Lauper said.

"We are half the population. You need to stand up now. Join me in telling your senators to stand up against the SAVE Act…"

Fans were quick to comment on the video, as some criticized the legendary singer.

"Stick to performing and stop with politics," one user wrote.

"Great job reading from a teleprompter you should pull a Joe Biden repeat quote repeat quote," a comment read.

Another called out Lauper, writing, "Wow......I can see by the reflection behind you it appears you are reading off a teleprompter. How much money were you paid for this FALSE ADVERTISEMENT?"

"Who cares what HOLLYWEIRD thinks!!!!!!" another user added.

Other fans supported the singer, with one writing, "I'm with you 100%."

"I love it when people who I thought were cool, end up still being cool AF and doing the right thing!" a fan reacted, while another agreed, "Its all suppression. Suppression of women! Preach, Queen! Stand up!"

Fox News Digital has reached out to Lauper for comment.

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The "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" singer isn’t the only celebrity weighing in on the SAVE Act.

Meryl Streep previously raised alarms during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," suggesting married women could face new hurdles at the ballot box.

"I hope that the Save America Act, if that passes, all the married women that have changed their names are going to have to go to the registrar and prove that they are who they are. In other words, to your voting registrar," she said. "This is what I understand. Otherwise, when you get to the voting booth in November, you might be disqualified because your name doesn't, on your birth certificate, doesn't match your name on the voting rolls. So, everybody has to get – and this is such a pain in the neck because you have to go but do it because, otherwise, you'll be turned away."

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She added, "And I think that women need to be heard, especially in this moment."

Democrats have argued that the bill could restrict access to voting and impact vulnerable groups.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has gone even further, comparing the proposal to "Jim Crow 2.0."

"Each state can have its own voter ID laws, and some do and some don’t. But, secondly, what they are proposing in this so-called SAVE Act is like Jim Crow 2.0. They make it so hard to get any kind of voter ID that more than 20 million legitimate people, mainly poorer people and people of color, will not be able to vote under this law. We will not let it pass in the Senate. We are fighting it tooth and nail," Schumer said in a February CNN interview.

Republicans are firing back just as forcefully, insisting the bill protects election integrity without blocking eligible voters.

"This is absolute nonsense, and we specifically allow for a provision to make sure that no one can possibly be left behind," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, has said.

"If a woman tried to register to vote with different names on her birth certificate and driver’s license," Roy said, "we literally put in the statute that all you have to do is sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that, ‘I am that person. This is my birth certificate… and this is my driver's license that is reflecting my married name.’"

The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship to vote, direct states to verify and remove noncitizens from voter rolls, expand coordination with federal agencies like DHS and impose new criminal penalties for registering noncitizens.

Fox News Digital's Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

"Brady Bunch" star Mike Lookinland admitted his behavior was "fully off the rails" after finding mega stardom with "The Brady Bunch."

Lookinland and Christopher Knight opened up about their experience as young adults in the Hollywood industry after starring as Bobby and Peter Brady in the 1970s sitcom.

"How come you guys didn't end up as a mugshot?" Jaybeau Jones asked during an episode of "The Real Brady Bros." "...There's no one's ever said a bad thing about any of 'The Brady Bunch' kids."

"Maybe because we didn't wanna disappoint Florence and Bob," Knight responded. "I mean, that was the beginning of it. It's like there's certain people that you just don't wanna disappoint. I think that was stronger with me with those two than it was my own parents."

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Florence Henderson and Robert Reed starred in "The Brady Bunch" as Carol and Mike, portraying parental figures for Lookinland and Knight.

Lookinland admitted he struggled more in his 20s.

"I lived my childhood in my 20s because I couldn't when I was a child," he explained. "And in my 20s, I had a car and money and freedom... I was fully off the rails."

He later added: "I'm just thankful that not every man, woman and child had a high-def camera in their pocket when I was 25, like they do now, because it would have ruined my life."

Knight said he had heard "stories" about what Lookinland had gotten up to back then. "Some of that was under the radar," Lookinland responded.

"What happens in Salt Lake City stays in Salt Lake City," Knight joked.

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During a previous episode of "The Real Brady Bros.," Lookinland and Knight's co-star Susan Olsen revealed she "almost died" while filming the first episode of "The Brady Bunch" as Cindy Brady. While rewatching the pilot episode with her co-stars, Olsen revealed it was the last time there was a close-up shot of Cindy because "I got injured." Her co-stars couldn't hide their shock at the news as she continued, "Yeah, I almost died."

"On the Culver lot, they were shooting something — I would assume, in the girl's bedroom — and I was getting body makeup on my legs," Olsen said. "I was standing on a makeup chair and something from the catwalk, where they keep all the lights and everything, fell."

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"It hit the makeup man first, [bounced] off the body makeup woman, and hit me in the face."

"You can tell, if you look at the [wedding] ceremony, and you see the three girls on one side, if you were to zoom in really tight, you can see my face is quite swollen," Olsen explained. "I look different. You can even see it in some of the early publicity shots. You can tell my face is a little swollen."

"The Brady Bunch" aired from 1969 to 1974. The show featured a blended family of three boys and three girls from previous marriages.

The sitcom followed the family's life, showcasing adventures and more.

White House faith advisor Paula White-Cain shared an Easter message of hope and redemption while pushing back on data showing declining religious affiliation in the United States.

"Without a real relationship with God, I don't know how people really make it. And He loves you, He wants you, He desires you, and He made a way to come to Him freely through His Son, Jesus Christ," White-Cain said on Saturday's "My View with Lara Trump."

"I love that He said He came to give us life and life more abundantly. That's the message. It's a message of hope, a message of love, a message of forgiveness and a message of reconciliation and redemption," she said.

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White-Cain’s remarks come as recent polling shows a drop in Americans who say religion is important in their lives and a rise in those who identify with no specific faith.

The apparent shift, she argued, reflects a move away from organized religion rather than a decline in belief, pointing to what she described as growing interest in faith among younger Americans and rising Bible sales.

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"It's not that most people are not believers or that they believe in God. In fact, atheists are less than 5%. It's that they aren't belonging as much, and our culture has changed," she said.

White-Cain suggested a range of factors could be driving the decline in formal affiliation, including skepticism toward institutions and a desire for more authentic expressions of faith.

"It means that they've dropped off of the institutions. Maybe it's their denomination or what their parents grew up in, but they are connected to God," White-Cain said, pointing to movements of young people pursuing faith and getting baptized.

"There are people that don't like necessarily the restrictions or rigidity, and they're looking in different places for authenticity and for purpose," she said. 

HBO star Hannah Einbinder lashed out at Hollywood AI creators during a recent press conference discussing the final season of the show "Hacks."

"The people who make this stuff are losers. They’re not artists. They’re not creative," Einbinder said, according to Variety Magazine.

"And they’ve wanted their whole lives to be special. And they’re not special. So, they’re trying to rob real creative people of our gifts. And you can’t. And even if you try, you will never be cool," her takedown continued.

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"You guys suck. No one likes you. Anyone who’s near you is because they crave power and access over any ethical standard. You are a loser. You will never be cool." She added, "I want to put your head in the toilet and flush." 

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Einbinder has a history of outspokenness, recently warning Americans that "none of us are safe" after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis in January.

As reported by Deadline, Einbinder attacked the federal agency in a since-deleted Instagram post, asserting that carrying on "business as usual" after Good's death would be a "collective death sentence" for the country.

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She also used to post to make broader commentary about issues she believed were negatively affecting the country and make a call to action to fight what she views as injustice.

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Einbinder additionally denigrated ICE officers at last year's Emmys Awards, concluding her speech for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series by saying, "F--- ICE and free Palestine!"

Fox News' Marc Tamasco and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.