Dr. Oz bats back Democratic attempts to paint him as a ‘snake oil’ salesman in Senate hearing
Dr. Mehmet Oz was slammed by his detractors during a Senate confirmation hearing Friday on Capitol Hill for promoting unproven alternative health treatments, and one Democrat called it the “most ludicrous wellness grifting” he’d ever seen. Oz laid out his plans for the agency, including potential reforms he is considering, during a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Finance. The committee will soon vote on whether to advance Oz’s nomination to become the next director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the full Senate. While Oz’s medical expertise was not widely challenged Friday, his motivations were. Dubbed “America’s Doctor” by Oprah Winfrey, Oz used his TV platform at times to promote alternative health remedies, endorsing questionable weight loss solutions like green coffee extract and raspberry ketones. TRUMP’S PICK FOR NIH DIRECTOR CLEARS COMMITTEE, HEADS TO FULL SENATE VOTE Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., sought to get Oz to admit that his promotion of certain supplements for weight loss, such as green coffee extract, were fraudulent. While Oz admitted green coffee extract is not a miracle weight loss drug, he argued that he never promoted it as such. DR. MARTY MAKARY ADVANCES OUT OF KEY COMMITTEE IN BID FOR FDA CONFIRMATION “There are many things I said on the show. I take great pride in the research we did at the time to identify which of these worked and which ones didn’t. Many of them are still being researched, like the green coffee bean extract you just mentioned,” Oz told Hassan. The senator then inquired how much he was paid to promote these products, and Oz responded that he got nothing. But Oz’s claim he wasn’t getting paid to promote the products didn’t convince Hassan, who pointed out press reports chronicling the “Dr. Oz effect,” a phenomenon whereby sales of products he endorsed would skyrocket after being featured on his show. “That was written about by the press,” Oz told Hassan. Hassan then argued Oz seemed “unwilling to take accountability for [his] promotion of snake oil remedies.” FDA CHIEF COUNSEL WHO DEFENDED ABORTION PILL ACCESS UNDER BIDEN RESIGNS TWO DAYS INTO JOB Oz’s financial ties to a litany of companies spanning many corners of the healthcare sector, including nutrition supplements, has been a point of scrutiny for his detractors. In an ethics filing submitted in advance of the hearing, Oz indicated he would divest his holdings in more than 70 companies and investment funds that could pose potential conflicts of interest. One of those companies is iHerb, an online supplement retailer, which represents one of Oz’s largest financial holdings. According to his ethics filing, Oz’s holdings in iHerb are worth as much as $25 million. As the administrator of CMS, Oz would make decisions related to how the government covers procedures, hospital stays and medication within the federal healthcare programs, as well as the reimbursement rates healthcare providers get paid for their services. Oz, if confirmed, could theoretically take action to get federal healthcare programs, like Medicaid and Medicare, to cover a greater number of supplements not already covered. A committee vote to decide whether to send Oz to the full Senate has not yet been scheduled. He will need to garner at least 50 votes in the full Senate to be confirmed.
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DOD closes think tank arm marred by ‘inefficiency’ and criticized by GOP for ties to Trump-Russia probe
The Department of Defense has dissolved its Office of Net Acquisition – a think tank-like arm of the Pentagon that Republicans have claimed was involved in the Trump-Russia investigation. Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said civilian employees within the office would be “reassigned to mission-critical roles” as the DOD established a plan to rebuild the office “in alignment with the Department’s strategic priorities.” The office is meant to provide long-term strategic analysis within DOD, but it has become a target of Republicans who claim it has engaged in “projects unrelated to its mission.” “Praise the Lord. This wise move saves American taxpayers over 20 million dollars a year,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a statement. PENTAGON CALLS MARK MILLEY ‘CORPULENT’ AS IT KICKS OFF REVIEW OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND GROOMING STANDARDS He called the office “wasteful and ineffective.” The office in recent years has been focused on strategizing a potential war with China. It championed a strategy known as “AirSea Battle,” where a blinding campaign against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of stealth bombers and submarines would take out China’s long-range surveillance before a naval assault. But Grassley has for years scrutinized ONA’s contracting practices. ONA has failed to produce classified net assessments for years, with whistleblowing analyst Adam Lovinger once complaining in emails to Director James Baker that the office seemed to attract overpriced academic-style papers instead of classified net assessments. “On the issue of quality, more than once I have heard our contractor studies labeled ‘derivative,’ ’college-level,’ and based heavily on secondary sources,” Lovinger wrote in a September 2016 email. “One of our contractor studies was literally cut and pasted from a World Bank report.” Lovinger had complained about questionable government contracts awarded to Stefan Halper, an FBI informant who spied on the Trump campaign in 2016. A DOD inspector general’s report later found that Halper had failed to properly document the research he did as a contractor on four studies valued at $1 million. The four contracts, spanning from 2012 to 2016, were meant to encompass relations between the U.S., Russia, China and India. SECRETARY HEGSETH SAYS THE DOD DOES NOT DO ‘CLIMATE CHANGE CRAP’ The report found that Halper had not provided proof of any meetings he had or locations he had visited as part of his studies. “ONA personnel could not provide us any evidence that Professor Halper visited any of these locations, established an advisory group, or met with any of the specific people listed in the statement of work.” For a study on what China relations could look like in 2030, Halper had proposed travel to London and Tokyo. “The contract was fixed price based on the acceptance of the deliverables and did not require Professor Halper to submit travel receipts. ONA personnel could not provide documentation that Professor Halper traveled for this contract.” Contracts show that Halper listed a Russian intelligence official as a consultant for an ONA project, the same intelligence official who was listed as a source in the Trump dossier used to spy on Carter Page. He was in contact with Page and former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, “raising questions about whether Halper used U.S. taxpayer dollars to seek connections with Trump campaign officials,” according to Grassley. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Halper was also a confidential human source for the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections who recorded conversations with officials from the campaign. The senator claims that ONA has stonewalled on his inquiries about Halper’s relations to the Trump-Russia probe. Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, called the office’s closing “shortsighted,” adding that it would “undermine our ability to prepare for future conflicts.”
Millions spent by Biden on COVID ‘vaccine hesitancy’ campaign slashed by Trump NIH: report
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is reportedly gearing up to cancel dozens of research grants about vaccine hesitancy by the end of the month, just four years after the Biden administration poured millions of dollars into combating COVID-19 vaccine skepticism. According to an internal email obtained by The Washington Post this week with the subject line “required terminations — 3/10/25,” the agency had “received a new list… of awards that need to be terminated, today. It has been determined they do not align with NIH funding priorities related to vaccine hesitancy and/or uptake.” More than 40 grants are on the chopping block, according to the Post’s report, and when notifying researchers of the NIH’s termination, they should be told “not to prioritize research activities that focuses gaining scientific knowledge on why individuals are hesitant to be vaccinated and/or explore ways to improve vaccine interest and commitment.” FDA CHIEF COUNSEL WHO DEFENDED ABORTION PILL ACCESS UNDER BIDEN RESIGNS TWO DAYS INTO JOB Fox News Digital has reached out to NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for comment. The report comes four years after the previous Biden administration spent millions to combat “misinformation,” particularly related to the COVID-19 vaccine, in 2021. A November report by Open the Books, a government watchdog group, found that at least $267 million was spent on research grants and contracts related to “misinformation” or “disinformation.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allocated more than $17 million over three weeks in February 2021, CBS News reported at the time, to 15 organizations advocating for Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American populations. Progressive groups UnidosUS and National Urban League were granted $3.2 million and $2 million, respectively. FIRST STATE TO BAN FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER WILL HEED MAHA MOVEMENT’S CALL TO ACTION In a now-archived CDC page titled “Risk for COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization, and Death By Race/Ethnicity” in December 2022, the department reported that Black people are more likely to contract COVID-19 than White people. “Sure enough, the feds have spent at least $127 million in grants specifically targeted to study the spread of ‘misinformation’ — or to help people ‘overcome’ it, so to speak — by persuading them to go along with COVID-related public health recommendations and mandates,” the Open the Books report said. It’s unclear if the cancelation of grants came from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., but the Trump administration has been highly critical of the previous administration’s spending. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also been taking a scalpel to DEI-related funding amid President Donald Trump’s effort to downsize the government workforce. COVID VACCINE DISTRUST GROWING AMONG AMERICANS, SURVEY FINDS: ‘SHOULD BE A PERSONAL CHOICE’ Kennedy has been focusing on reforming food policies, expanding healthcare coverage and holding big pharmaceutical companies accountable since his controversial Senate confirmation last month.
WPL 2025 final: Delhi Capitals Women vs Mumbai Indians Women; teams, stream
Who: Delhi Capitals Women vs Mumbai Indians WomenWhat: Women’s Premier League (WPL) final 2025Where: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, India.When: Saturday, March 15 at 8pm (14:00 GMT) Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream. Delhi Capitals Women will hope to end their woes in the WPL final as they face Mumbai Indians Women for the 2025 crown in Mumbai on Saturday. It’s the third consecutive final that Delhi have reached, but they are yet to lift the trophy, and they now face the team that beat them in the inaugural final in 2023, Mumbai Indians. Al Jazeera takes a look at the final of the third edition of the tournament. How did the teams reach the WPL final? Delhi Capitals topped the group stage from Mumbai Indians, who lost their final match – and with it, the top spot – in an 11-run defeat by Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday. The result forced Mumbai into an eliminator with third-placed Gujarat Giants on Thursday. A resounding 47-run victory was recorded as Hayley Matthews smashed 77 in a total of 213-4. Who are the previous WPL winners? Mumbai Indians beat Delhi by seven wickets in the final of the first edition of the WPL in 2023. Advertisement Royal Challengers Bangalore were crowned champions with an eight-wicket win last season. Can Delhi Capitals end their final jinx? Former Australia captain Meg Lanning has led Delhi since the formation of the WPL and vice captain at the Capitals believes her skipper’s winning mentality and unwavering optimism are instrumental “Meg is someone who wants to win every game. But, at the same time, she has the amount of clarity in what she’s looking for. Winning is one thing that she tells us, but she also tells us to focus on what we need to do,” India batter Jemimah Rodrigues said of the seven-time World Cup winner. “She has clarity in what she wants to do and what she wants this team to do and makes sure she takes everyone along in doing that thing. I think that helps us be a successful team. “The thing I love about Meg, and this is something that I would like to add in myself … is that she’s calm but aggressive at the same time. And as a leader, that’s a very crucial quality to have.” 2️⃣ 🔝 Teams2️⃣ Great Captains1️⃣ Trophy 🏆 Who will win the 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡? 🤔#TATAWPL | #DCvMI | #Final | @DelhiCapitals | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/OiI9OAt0ge — Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 14, 2025 Who are the WPL’s leading run scorers? Nat Sciver (Brunt Mumbai Indians) – 416 Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – 372 Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals) – 300 Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals) – 263 Who are the WPL’s leading wicket-takers? Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians) – 14 Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians) – 14 Georgia Wareham (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 12 Advertisement What is the secret to Delhi Capitals’ consistency? Rodrigues has credited the team’s professionalism and unity for their consistency, especially during the current season which she described as the most challenging ever. “Every player adds so much value to the team that they just know their stuff,” she said. “I think out of all the three seasons, we are most proud of this year, because it wasn’t easy, but we found a way to pick ourselves up and still come at the top.” What are Mumbai’s chances of overcoming Delhi? Delhi may have topped the group this year but Mumbai already have one WPL title under their belt – and Delhi carry their losing streak in the finals with them into Saturday’s game. “We have a really good balance of international players as well as the local Indian players, too,” Matthews said as she analysed the Mumbai squad. “We get contributions from so many different participants in the team like Nat [Sciver-Brunt], Melie [Amelia Kerr], Shab [Shabnim Ismail], myself, being able to step up as internationals. “When you look at a captain like Harmanpreet [Kaur], even the young players, like Sanskriti Gupta that have come in this year, have been able to make massive impacts.” How did the WPL reach its final in Mumbai? The tournament has been on a road trip across India with the opening six games staged in Vadodara, before eight were played in Bengaluru. Lucknow and Mumbai concluded the 20-match group stage. Thursday’s eliminator was also played in Mumbai. Consistency 🤝 Team work 🤝 Performance Our two finalists had that in common on the road to the #Final 🛣 But who will fulfill their quest for glory? 🏆🤔 #TATAWPL | #DCvMI | @DelhiCapitals | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/MkxmxLcEN9 — Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 14, 2025 Advertisement Are impact players allowed in the WPL? Unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL), the WPL does not allow for a substitute player to be brought into the team during the match to make an impact. Delhi’s Rodrigues hopes this remains the case. “I am not a massive fan of the impact player [rule] because I am someone who loves the rules we already have,” she said. “It’s unfair to the bowlers also sometimes when they have bowled so well and have done so much and then towards the end, a proper batter is coming in.” Has the WPL been a success? According to West Indies white-ball captain and Mumbai all-rounder Hayley Matthews, Twenty20 leagues have transformed women’s cricket from a sport that once relied on public support for survival into an appealing spectacle. The 26-year-old, who shot to fame in the West Indies’ 2016 T20 World Cup triumph, said T20 leagues like the WPL have fostered global exposure and helped develop the women’s game. “I feel like once upon a time, women’s cricket was probably like, ‘Come and watch the game to support the women,’ whereas now I feel like we have a product that’s entertaining and we have these skills that people want to see us play cricket,” Matthews told Reuters. “Just getting the opportunity to play these
Fernandes hits back at Ratcliffe over ‘overpaid’ jibe at Manchester United
Manchester United co-owner says some players are ‘overpaid’, but club captain defends his teammates. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says it is not the players’ fault for the contracts signed off by the club as he hits back at claims by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that some are “overpaid”. Fernandes was singled out for praise by Ratcliffe, who also said some of the United squad were “not good enough”, in a range of media interviews this week. The United captain led by example by scoring a hat-trick in Thursday’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad to book a place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. And he defended his teammates after Ratcliffe singled out the signings of Casemiro, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana as examples of expensive deals made before he arrived at the club that United are still paying for. “We can’t relax at this club. You know that there’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media, from everywhere,” Fernandes said. “It’s not nice to hear certain things, obviously. I don’t think that any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about to you, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever. Advertisement “Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to do the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract or whatever, and it’s about yourself, proving that you can be important for the club.” Fernandes celebrates scoring Manchester United’s second goal against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, where he is regarded as a fan favourite [Phil Noble/Reuters] The Europa League is United’s only hope of salvaging a miserable season so far. Ruben Amorim’s team sit 13th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions. Fernandes revealed he had the chance to leave Old Trafford last summer but reiterated his desire to win more trophies as captain. “I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave,” the Portuguese midfielder added. “We talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying. “They said what they wanted from me. I just asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not. I spoke at the time with [former manager, Erik] ten Hag also. “He was very clear with me, the club was very clear with me, that they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild. I thought that we could be successful.” Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, centre left, speaks with former manager Alex Ferguson in the stands of Old Trafford, where both regularly attend games [Carl Recine/Reuters] Despite Fernandes’s return of 15 goals this season as United’s stand-out performer, he has still received criticism from one of his predecessors as the club’s captain. Advertisement Roy Keane claimed the 30-year-old was “not a fighter” and “talent is not enough” in a recent media appearance. Fernandes said the former Irish midfielder, who won 13 major trophies at United, is someone he “massively respects” and is hoping to change Keane’s mind. “What I’m doing on the pitch to try to change his mind or trying to do something that he probably sees as a good thing,” Fernandes added. Amorim has said his side “need more Brunos” if they are to rediscover their former glories. Of Fernandes’s 15 goals this season, six have come in the last six games. “I think he’s so important for this team. You can see it by the numbers, and you can see from these last games. He’s always the guy that scores,” Amorim said. “When you play for this team, you have to be prepared for the critics, and I understand that former players had a lot of success here and the standards for them were so high that they see the things like that sometimes as black and white. “In life sometimes, it’s not just black and white. There is some other colours, and you have to understand the context. “Again, he’s always there, trying his best, so I’m really proud to coach a player like him.” Adblock test (Why?)
Mark Carney sworn in as Canadian PM amid growing tensions with US
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Mark Carney has been sworn in as the prime minister of Canada, assuming office amid threats from the United States.
Asaduddin Owaisi: Shameful that mosque was attacked in presence of police in Maharashtra
A controversy was triggered after a video went viral showing a group of people attempting to forcibly enter the gate of a mosque in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.
North Carolina GOP town hall turns heated as self-described veteran escorted out by security
A North Carolina Republican Congressman’s town hall event grew heated after a man who identified himself as a veteran stood up and started shouting at him, yelling “you don’t give a f— about me!” before being escorted away by police. The outburst unfolded Thursday night at a college auditorium in Asheville during a gathering hosted by Rep. Chuck Edwards, who serves the state’s 11th District. “In my view, the debt crisis has been largely ignored far too long and the time is now to fix how Washington works. To that end, I was proud to vote recently for the House budget resolution which provides the framework,” Edwards was heard telling the audience before being interrupted by boos and jeers. He then said, “And you wonder why folks don’t want to do these town halls.” Moments later, a man in the audience started shouting at Edwards, saying “You have nothing to say but lies. You’re lying. I’m a veteran, and you don’t give a f— about me!” DEMOCRAT LEADER SWINGS THROUGH GOP-HELD DISTRICTS AFTER ‘CLOWN SHOW PROTESTS’ HALTED TOWN HALLS “You don’t get to take away our rights” the man continued to shout. “You don’t get to do this to us!” The audience in the room applauded as the man was removed from the room by law enforcement. “You f—— touch me again and I’ll lay you the f— out!” the man said before exiting the area. Edwards later said on X that he had a “lively town hall with my constituents in Asheville.” DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR SAYS NEWSOM SHOULDN’T HAVE HOSTED BANNON ON PODCAST Around 300 people attended the 1.5-hour long event, where Edwards answered questions on topics such as cuts orchestrated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to the Associated Press. “Do you support the annexation of Canada and/or Greenland? And this is a yes or no question, I don’t want you to wander off into the woods, I don’t want to hear about your latest week in your office,” Edwards was asked by one audience member, to which he replied “the short answer to that is no.” Last week, President Donald Trump said “Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings” and “It is all part of the game for the Democrats.” “We may not agree on every issue, but hearing the concerns of Western North Carolinians and answering your questions will continue to be a priority of mine,” Edwards said.
‘We have never been this close to peace’ since Russia invaded Ukraine, Leavitt tells reporters
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday that “we have never been closer to peace,” as the U.S. waits for Russia’s answer on a 30-day ceasefire agreement. Ukraine accepted the deal earlier this week after a meeting with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia, on the condition that Moscow commits to the plan. Leavitt noted that this morning President Donald Trump put out a scathing Truth Social post that included a message urging the Russians to accept the U.S. ceasefire proposal. TRUMP ‘HOPES’ PUTIN AGREES TO CEASEFIRE AS MOSCOW SIGNALS NO TRUCE YET “He is putting pressure on President Putin and the Russians to do the right thing,” Leavitt told reporters. “Yesterday was a productive day for the United States of America and for the world. In terms of peace, we have never been this close to peace.” In celebrating the administration’s success, Leavitt pointed out that yesterday NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. Rutte told Trump that he “broke the deadlock” in the Russia-Ukraine war with this week’s peace talks in Saudi Arabia and the opening of a “dialogue with the Russians.” ZELENSKYY ACCUSES PUTIN OF TRYING TO STALL CEASEFIRE TALKS, PUSHES TRUMP FOR TOUGHER SANCTIONS “Ukraine, you broke the deadlock, as you said, all the killing and the young people dying, cities getting destroyed. And the fact that you did that, you started a dialogue with the Russians and the successful talks in Saudi Arabia, now with the Ukrainians. I really want to commend you for this,” Rutte said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for tougher sanctions on Russia and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to drag out the peace talks to prolong the war. However, on Thursday, while taking questions from reporters alongside Rutte, Trump said he would prefer peace to sanctions, but noted that there were things the U.S. could do financially that would be “very bad for Russia.” He did not specify what that would entail.