A simple lifestyle adjustment could potentially slow down the body's biological aging process, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal Aging, investigated how a diet change and easy exercise regimen affected men between the ages of 50 and 74 over a three-month period.

Researchers designed a clinical trial involving 48 overweight men in Japan. Over a 12-week period, half of the participants followed a strictly structured wellness routine, while the other half maintained their usual habits.

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For the intervention group, the routine required consuming 100 grams of plain yogurt every day.

This group also received individualized dietary counseling that advised them to curb overeating, avoid excessive snacking and cut out sugary drinks.

They were also instructed to walk or use a stepper machine for roughly 30 minutes a day, at least three days each week.

To measure the impact of these changes, the scientists collected blood samples from all participants before and after the study, and also analyzed DNA for chemical changes that act as indicators of cellular age.

Specifically, they used a measurement tool called DunedinPACE. Rather than assessing a person's chronological age in years, this tool calculates the precise rate at which an individual’s body is currently aging.

The men who consumed the probiotic yogurt, adjusted their diets and exercised showed a statistically significant reduction in their pace of aging compared to the control group, the researchers said.

On average, the speed of their biological aging slowed by approximately 2.2%. This reduction is roughly comparable to the slowing of biological aging observed in a previous two-year U.S. study, in which participants reduced their daily calorie intake by 25%.

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This reduction in aging speed happened independently of weight loss , meaning it did not directly correlate with changes in the participants' body mass index or the exact number of exercise sessions they logged.

The researchers also recorded a noticeable improvement in a specific DNA marker that is linked to kidney function.

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Because this study combined three distinct factors — probiotics, diet and exercise — the authors concluded that the anti-aging benefits cannot be attributed to any single component. Instead, the slowed aging rate appears to be the result of a combined effect.

The researchers also acknowledged clear limitations of the study, including its small sample size and short duration. Also, the participant pool was restricted to overweight men of a single nationality.

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More research is needed to determine whether these short-term biological shifts can translate into permanent, long-term health benefits, the study stated.

For a network that claims to want to grow conversation around the WNBA, no company struggles discussing the league's biggest star more than ESPN.

Over the past week alone, various ESPN commentators have told viewers that Caitlin Clark was not actually punched in the throat (despite clear video evidence), that she has a responsibility to stand up for Black women in the league, that her embellishment is why Alyssa Thomas' fist ended up on her throat, and that she is not even one of the top guards in the WNBA.

David Dennis Jr., whom ESPN recently re-signed and promoted, was responsible for some of those remarks on Thursday.

"I don't think that you can make a compelling argument that Caitlin Clark is a top-four guard in the WNBA," Dennis said, brushing aside the statistical case that proves otherwise.

He also argued that it is unfair to claim opposing players are targeting Clark or committing hard fouls out of "petty jealousy." Instead, he said Clark is simply receiving "superstar treatment."

Dennis has built a reputation for filtering cultural issues through the lens of race. Last year, he wrote that the idea of praising Sydney Sweeney for her appearance "mortified" him. Perhaps he was once rejected by a white woman, and the moment still haunts him to this day.

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Still, the coverage of Clark is not much better elsewhere on ESPN. The network continues to rely on Chiney Ogwumike and Monica McNutt as two of its leading WNBA analysts, despite their obvious disdain toward Clark.

Last week, Ogwumike argued that Alyssa Thomas punching Clark in the neck was not a significant issue because it required a "freeze frame" to see the contact, whatever that means. McNutt, meanwhile, accused young white girls of favoring Clark on racial grounds.

"Caitlin represented, and again, some of this to me probably is not fair to her, because it was not anything that she said or was truly based on her personality, but she was a white girl from the middle of America. And so she represented a whole lot to a lot of people, whether that is truly what she ascribed to or not," McNutt said.

Former NFL player Harry Douglas has also become part of the conversation. This week, he attempted to praise Paige Bueckers but did so only by trying to diminish Clark.

"Everything we expected Caitlin Clark to be, Paige Bueckers has been in the WNBA," Douglas said.

The numbers tell a different story. Clark just won Player of the Month after averaging 20 points, eight assists, and four rebounds per game. Not bad for a guard whom ESPN insists is nowhere near the top four.

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At this point, you have to wonder whether a single ESPN employee is willing to defend Clark or even challenge the factually challenged claims that regularly make it onto the network's airwaves.

Much of the responsibility falls on ESPN management. When executives consistently elevate commentators with one specific ideology, it should not surprise anyone that they arrive at the same illogical, racially-charged conclusions about Clark.

From day one, the narrative around Clark is that she is a superstar only because America has starved for a straight white girl to save them from a league of largely black LGBTQ women. That narrative is not supported by the history of superstardom in American sports. Yet it has shaped ESPN's coverage from the start.

The result is a network that presents a distorted picture of the most influential player in the history of women's basketball. It's bad for the sports. It's bad for ESPN's brand.

The pressure shifts to ESPN executives Jimmy Pitaro, Burke Magnus, and Mike Foss. Those three executives are doing fans a disservice by allowing racial idolaters to turn ESPN's coverage of Clark into a resemblance of how cable news covers the leader of the opposition party.

Imagine if nearly every prominent NFL voice at ESPN approached Patrick Mahomes with the underlying goal of minimizing his accomplishments. That is the culture ESPN has enabled when it comes to discussing Caitlin Clark.

OutKick credited ESPN several months ago for rebuilding its brand by shifting away from identity politics. The ratings suggest viewers have noticed. However, the network's coverage of Clark remains a glaring exception. In the process, ESPN is undermining the growth of one of its most valuable media properties.

ESPN ought to add some diversity to its WNBA commentary -- diversity of opinion, that is.

FIRST ON FOX: Democrat candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a minister and state legislator running for one of the most competitive House seats in the nation, contributed to a "resistance preaching" guide that encouraged faith leaders to combat President Donald Trump and his supporters from the pulpit.

Trone Garriott authored a chapter in a 2018 collection, "Preaching as Resistance: Voices of Hope, Justice, and Solidarity," in the aftermath of Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory, a result the book described as bringing the country "so closely to fascism."

"Many pastors find themselves drawn toward acts of resistance," Phil Snider, a self-described "White male cishet pastor," wrote in the book's introduction, responding to Trump's presidency.

He argued that "pastors of the resistance" were working against a Trump-led coalition rooted in "White supremacy," "exploitation," "greed," and "heteropatriarchy."

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Trone Garriott, who was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America in 2008, was among that cohort as an author of the collection.

Her contribution, "The Gospel of Resistance," was described as the first sermon she delivered after the 2016 election and has not been previously reported.

Trone Garriott’s involvement comes as she faces mounting scrutiny from Republicans over her previous remarks on religion and cultural issues. The GOP views the Iowa House battleground held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, which incorporates the state capital of Des Moines, as critical to preserving its slim majority.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a "toss-up." Trump carried the swing district by over four points in 2024, but a recent Fox News Poll showed his favorability is now underwater in the Hawkeye State.

Trone Garriott publicly discussed helping marry a Satanist couple as a minister-in-training during a love-themed storytelling event in 2023, Fox News Digital previously reported. She also defended a Wiccan-led prayer in the state legislature and tied public displays of Christianity to political violence in a 2023 sermon.

During that talk, she criticized private schools and parental rights in education while highlighting her efforts to seek out prayers in the state legislature that were not from the "White American Christian variety."

The Republican National Committee (RNC) sharply criticized Trone Garriott's participation in the "resistance" preaching collection.

"The Wicked Witch of Woke strikes again and admits what we all knew. She views the pulpit as a political weapon to advance her radical agenda," RNC spokesman Zach Kraft said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "There isn't a far-left cause Sarah Trone Garriott hasn't claimed to have found in the Bible and attempted to force on Iowans."

Trone Garriott did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment about why she chose to contribute to the collection or whether she agreed with the book's introduction, which described Trump and his tens of millions of voters as rooted in racism.

IOWA DEM ADMITS BEING ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ WITH WHITENESS AS SHE SEEKS TO FLIP COMPETITIVE HOUSE SEAT

The sermon collection, described as "provocative" by its publisher, includes 30 sermons under titles that include "Transgressing the Gender Binary," "Encountering Pharaoh — and Climate Change" and "Wake Up and Stay Woke!"

Beyond criticism of Trump, pastors also condemned immigration enforcement, deportation policies, transphobia and what one author calls "the worship of military-grade weaponry among the populace."

In "When to Break the Law," a minister urges sanctuary cities to defy the federal government and harbor illegal aliens to avoid deportation. In "Take a Knee," the author rails against the "militarized border." In "Overcome Evil with Good," police departments are associated with White supremacy. In "Beloved Resistance," the president is described as an "unrepentant sexual predator."

Trone Garriott's own sermon closes the collection. While less overtly political than some of the others, it was identified as the first sermon she delivered after Trump's election.

In the sermon, Trone Garriott appears to encourage listeners who were upset by recent events without explicitly mentioning Trump's election win. She discusses periods when Christians felt detachment throughout history and turned to Matthew 24:36–44, a passage about Christ's return in which he tells believers to remain ready.

"For those who are honestly praying for the kingdoms of this world to be destroyed and Christ’s kingdom to come … for those who are yearning to go with Christ wherever that may lead … for those hoping for new life … this is the good news," she wrote.

A disturbing new report from The Philadelphia Inquirer reveals that FanDuel used a personalized video from Phillies slugger Bryce Harper to target an online gambling addict.

Sent directly to customer Terry Thompson by his FanDuel VIP manager, "Bryttanni," the video features Harper wishing the gambler a happy Thanksgiving, greeting his young son, and thanking him for his years of support.

Thompson wasn't just an ordinary fan; he was a problem gambler who wagered a staggering $18.5 million on FanDuel and lost $1.5 million. Instead of cutting him off, FanDuel gave Thompson VIP treatment, showering him with champagne and Super Bowl tickets while weaponizing Harper, a two-time NL MVP.

MLB PLAYERS UNION IS MAKING OUTRAGEOUS SPORTS BETTING PROPOSALS IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS

This gross revelation brings us right back to the Major League Baseball Players Association's recent, ridiculous collective bargaining proposals. Last month, I noted the union's hypocrisy in demanding a bigger share of sportsbook revenue while trying to shield itself from the realities of the gambling market.

During those CBA negotiations, the union eagerly sought clarity on how players can secure lucrative endorsement deals with sportsbooks. Now we see exactly what those corporate partnerships look like in practice: using the sport's most recognizable players as high-end retention tools to squeeze millions out of desperate people.

The MLBPA has also complained about players facing harassment from angry bettors, even pushing to ban player props. Yet they remain completely silent when their multi-billion-dollar sportsbook partners aggressively target and manipulate actual addicts, using a superstar to drag a vulnerable father deeper into a gambling hole.

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Then there is the absolute joke of baseball's "integrity". The union is allegedly pushing for a soft 15-day minor-league "rehab assignment" for players caught illegally betting on baseball. It turns out the union wants coddling for its rule-breakers while the league’s official betting partners actively exploit everyday fans in the background.

Harper's video exposes the hypocrisy of these sportsbook partnerships with leagues and players. All-Stars are being used in predatory marketing schemes, proving that the union is far too busy chasing betting dollars to actually protect the reputation of its players or the well-being of the fans.

MLB and the union love to plaster "responsible gaming" logos on every broadcast to pretend they care about the human cost. But this video shows the entire ecosystem is a fraudulent, greedy mess. It is time for baseball to decide what matters more: the money or the fans.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my "OutKick Bets Podcast" for more betting content and random rants.

FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of state financial officers said it uncovered roughly $225 million in alleged fraud across America’s schools over the past six years, identifying nearly 90 cases involving embezzlement, fake invoices, inflated enrollment, bid-rigging and kickbacks.

In a new report obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) and Open the Books analyzed every Education Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) Semiannual Report to Congress issued between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, revealing alleged fraud across 24 states and Puerto Rico.

"All fraud is harmful, but defrauding education dollars meant to help kids learn and succeed is especially hideous," SFOF CEO OJ Oleka said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"The findings in this report should alarm every family, teacher, and civic leader, especially since they only scratch the surface of the problem. The state financial officers courageously tracking every school dollar abused historically have had a bloated federal education bureaucracy only make their job harder."

THE WAR ON FRAUD IS HERE, AND VICE PRESIDENT VANCE IS LEADING IT FROM THE FRONT

The findings come as the Trump administration prioritizes cracking down on government fraud, with Vice President JD Vance leading a nationwide "War on Fraud," raising fresh questions about oversight of federal education spending. About $67 million was ordered to be repaid through court rulings or settlements, though it's unclear how much has actually been recovered.

Oleka said the report is a reminder that state oversight has "never mattered more."

Only three of the nation's 20 largest federally funded school districts appeared in OIG records, according to the report. The remaining 17 were absent, while federal investigations targeted dozens of smaller districts, charter schools, online schools and education programs, highlighting potential gaps in federal oversight.

"With that in mind, stronger oversight of federal education dollars is more than some bureaucratic exercise — it is an economic and moral imperative," the report said. "Families deserve assurance that the public institutions meant to serve their children are not being looted by the very officials entrusted to lead them."

Open the Books CEO John Hart said the alleged fraud "hits us where it hurts most," because it shortchanges "America's future leaders," adding that in one case, the per-student fraud loss was enough to fund a semester at a charter school.

"These schemes within public schools arguably hit us where it hurts most: America’s future leaders," Hart said. "Every dollar wasted on fraud never makes it to the classroom where it’s urgently needed. Student outcomes will continue to suffer until we clean up both fraud and administrative overhead."

The report's largest cases included allegations that two now-closed Indiana online charter schools received $44 million in excess funding by inflating enrollment and that a Puerto Rico tutoring company obtained $24 million by billing for services never provided. In Florida, a Broward County Public Schools information officer allegedly steered $17 million in contracts to a friend's business, bypassing competitive bidding while personally profiting from the deals.

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In Texas, former Houston Independent School District Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and contractor Anthony Hutchison allegedly orchestrated a fraud scheme of more than $6 million, involving school construction and grounds maintenance contracts in exchange for cash bribes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in home renovations.

A federal jury found Busby and Hutchison guilty of conspiracy, bribery, filing false tax returns, and witness tampering, with Hutchison also convicted on seven wire fraud counts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.

"Bureaucratic bloat, insider dealing, and poor oversight prompted Governor Abbott and the Texas Education Agency to intervene in HISD and appoint new leadership," HISD Superintendent Mike Miles told Fox News Digital. "School funding was being squandered, the quality of schools had deteriorated, and the majority of students' education was being neglected. That is no longer the case. Since June 2023, we have made it a priority to eliminate waste and most importantly, now every decision we make is focused on closing student achievement gaps, preparing students for the future, and supporting teachers."

The report makes the case the alleged fraud carried a direct cost for students in smaller school districts and that the true cost is likely even higher because not all fraud is detected, investigated or prosecuted.

California accounted for two of the report's most costly cases.

Students at the now-closed Community Preparatory Academy charter school lost about $9,090 per student after the school's head used $3 million in taxpayer funds for personal travel, restaurants, online shopping and private school tuition for her children, according to the report. In Magnolia School District, students lost about $3,553 per student after a former fiscal services director allegedly embezzled nearly $16.7 million to buy a luxury home, car and designer goods.

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Additionally, students in West Virginia's Boone County Schools lost about $1,096 per student after a former maintenance director stole $3.4 million through fraudulent invoices for janitorial and custodial supplies that were never delivered, using the proceeds to buy vehicles, equipment and make improvements to his home.

The report also cited Chicago Public Schools, which agreed to return about $1 million in federal grant funding after an OIG review found the district could not adequately verify student eligibility for an Indian Education grant program.

Fox News Digital reached out to Broward County Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, Magnolia School District and Boone County Schools for comment.

Alleigh Marré, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, said the report "highlights parents' worst fears."

"This is why parents need to have a seat at the table to ensure their children are receiving the best education possible and schools are not wasting taxpayer dollars on noneducation-based materials," Marré said.

The report concluded that "every step must be taken to unwind the enormous bureaucracy and spending" by returning education to the state and local level.

"Not only is that in keeping with the founders’ vision for a limited Executive Branch, but state and local officials are much better equipped to understand the needs of their communities, find efficiencies, innovate for better student outcomes and keep foxes out of the proverbial henhouse," the report said.

Department Spokesperson Ellen Keast told Fox News Digital that "rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse across the government is a priority for the Trump-Vance Administration."

"Secretary McMahon is proud to serve on the Vice President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and remains committed to delivering lasting results for American students and taxpayers – including nearly $2 billion in taxpayer savings to date.," Keast said. "Misuse of taxpayer funds became widespread under the previous Administration, which is why addressing it is a top priority."

"The Sopranos" creator David Chase warned in a new interview that political censorship in Hollywood could be on the horizon under President Donald Trump.

"Since Trump, I’ve been concerned it’s only a little big or a hop, skip and a jump up to censorship," Chase told Variety while discussing upcoming projects this week at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic.

Chase, who created the Emmy-winning HBO mob drama that ran from 1999 to 2007, made the remark while discussing "Project: MKUltra," an HBO series he is developing about the CIA's Cold War-era mind control program, and a separate independent film he said would also deal with the drug LSD.

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The writer said he was not especially concerned about conspiracy theorists or right-wing commentators online driving backlash to the project but about a future in which artists face political restrictions on what they can say.

Chase said he was concerned about creatives "being told you can’t say that, and you can’t do that."

Chase agreed when Variety asked if his concerns amounted to fears of a modern-day Hays Code, the Hollywood censorship system that once dictated what could appear in films.

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"Exactly," Chase said.

Chase compared his political concerns to his earlier years working in network television, when he said strict rules controlled even minor details of what could be shown on screen.

"I used to work on network television, and you couldn’t have a person burp on camera. You couldn’t show the toilet bowl, the gun going off, the person getting shot," Chase said. "It was rules, rules, rules. And those are minor things. When you get to the political stuff, that concerns me."

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Chase made the comments as he returned to the international spotlight at Karlovy Vary, where festival organizers said he was appearing for an industry talk about the legacy of "The Sopranos," streaming, financing, authorship and the importance of creative risks.

He also told Variety he is independently working on a feature film "that deals with LSD," saying the story involves "a young woman" who's a college DJ.

The film would mark Chase's first directorial feature since "Not Fade Away," his 2012 coming-of-age drama. He also co-wrote and produced the 2021 "Sopranos" prequel film, "The Many Saints of Newark."

Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office, "Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship," saying it was federal policy to protect constitutionally protected speech and prevent government officials from abridging Americans’ First Amendment rights.

Anti-Trump voices online are celebrating the U.S. soccer team's Monday night World Cup loss to Belgium after President Donald Trump said he intervened with FIFA to help get an American star cleared to play.

Folarin Balogun, a player who was integral to the U.S. team's success in the earlier rounds of the tournament, received a red card in a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last week after stepping on the ankle of a defender while vying for the ball.

Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked the soccer organization to review the red card, which came along with a one-game suspension that would have barred Balogun from playing Monday night. FIFA announced Sunday that Balogun's punishment would be suspended but said that Trump's call had nothing to do with the decision.

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After a lackluster performance, the U.S. lost Monday night's match 4-1, leading to celebration among Trump opponents online.

"I don't follow soccer, but I hear the men's US team lost to Belgium, and that you know who tried to strong arm the officials to manipulate the outcome by voiding the suspension of that one star player," one person in a Tuesday post said of the notorious left-wing online echo chamber Bluesky.

"I'm glad we lost. [F---] our demented moronic 'leader' and [f---] his FIFA goons and [f---] the US [right now], truly."

Another user wrote on the same site: "Sad I am to admit it, but I’m glad the [U.S. Men's National Team] lost to Belgium. I could never have supported a US Team that gained victory after Trump played the Refs and attempted to Rig the outcome."

"I am glad for [Belgium]," a third user wrote. "Trump put his thumb on the scale and still lost us the game. Karma is truly a b----."

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Yet another wrote on the left-wing platform: "So glad the US lost to Belgium after the Orange Baboon tried to cheat."

One user claimed that Trump would have taken credit had the team won, which would have been "unbearable," adding, "glad the US lost."

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Others took to social media before the game to proudly declare they were rooting against the American team.

Known Trump hater and film director Morgan J. Freeman was chief among them, saying in part on Bluesky, "I’m not rooting for the USA if they are cheating."

"I'm an American world cup [sic] fan, but I am now rooting against team USA," another person said.

After the U.S. team's crushing defeat this week, it will have to wait four years for a chance at World Cup redemption.