Julian Sayin drops in a dart to Jeremiah Smith for a TD (0:24)
Julian Sayin connects with Jeremiah Smith over several defenders for a 35-yard touchdown. (0:24)
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza[1], who led the No. 1 Hoosiers to...
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South Carolina State seals a 40–38 victory over Prairie View A&M with a two-point conversion and stop in quadruple overtime. (1:02)...
Dec 13, 2025,
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A former FBI agent and COVID-era whistleblower who was recently reinstated under President Donald Trump[1] was fired Friday, according to a report.
The FBI dismissed Steve Friend[2] for "unprofessional conduct and poor
...
6-5, 4-4 American
6-5, 4-4 American
5:05 - 1st
ARMY
00
NAVY
77
2nd & 6
NAVY 39
9-2, 7-1 American
9-2, 7-1...
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Hislop: Salah played well in Liverpool's win vs. Brighton (2:07)
Shaka Hislop reacts to Mohamed Salah's performance in Liverpool's 2-0 win against Brighton. (2:07)
If this is to be the end for Mohamed Salah[1] at Liverpool[2], it...
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President Donald Trump[1] sent a strong message to those accused of killing two U.S. Army soldiers and an American interpreter in Syria on Saturday, noting the U.S. will retaliate against ISIS if forces are attacked
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 11, 2025, that aims to supersede state-level artificial intelligence laws[1] that the administration views as a hindrance to innovation in AI.
State laws regulating AI are increasing in number,
When NASA scientists opened the sample return canister from the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample mission in late 2023, they found something astonishing.
Dust and rock collected from the asteroid Bennu contained many of life’s building blocks[1], including all five
After a yearslong series of setbacks, NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE, mission has finally begun its roundabout journey to Mars.
Launched on Nov. 13, 2025, aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, ESCAPADE’s twin
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As Donald Trump takes office on January 20, concerns over ‘bond vigilantes’[1] in the United States have resurfaced
Like Bill Clinton before him, Trump now faces the prospect of ‘bond vigilantes’ – so-called because they punish
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Technology
Reuters was first to report[1] that Meta has warned it may have to “roll back or pause” some features in India due to an antitrust directive which banned WhatsApp from sharing user data for advertising purposes. A non-public court filing seen
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Reuters was two-and-a-half minutes ahead[1] of rivals on Eli Lilly’s unscheduled trading update, which showed fourth-quarter sales of its weight-loss drug Zepbound would miss Wall Street estimates. The drugmaker’s shares slumped 8% on Trump Says 'We Will Retaliate' After 3 Americans Are Killed in Syria Attack That the US Blames on IS
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that “we will retaliate” after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in a Syria attack that the U.S. blames on the Islamic State group.
“This is an ISIS attack,” the American president told reporters at the White House before departing for the Army-Navy football game in Baltimore.
He paid condolences to the three Americans killed and said three others who were wounded “seem to be doing pretty well.”
Two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed and three other people wounded in an ambush on Saturday by a lone member of the Islamic State[1] group in central Syria[2], the U.S. military’s Central Command said.
The attack on U.S. troops in Syria is the first to inflict fatalities since the fall of President Bashar Assad[3] a year ago.
Central Command said in a post on X that as a matter of respect for the families and in accordance with Department of Defense policy, the identities of the service members will be withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified. The gunman was killed, it said.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the civilian killed in the attack was a U.S. interpreter. He said the attack targeted soldiers involved in the on-going counter-terrorism operations in the region and is under active investigation.
The shooting took place near historic Palmyra[4], according to the state-run SANA news agency, which earlier said two members of Syria’s security force and several U.S. service members had been wounded. The casualties were taken by helicopter to the al-Tanf garrison[5] near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force.
Syria's Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said a gunman linked to IS opened fire at the gate of a military post. He added that Syrian authorities are looking into whether the gunman was an IS member or only carried its extreme ideology. He denied reports that suggested that the attacker was a security member.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth[6] posted on X: “Let it be known, if you target Americans — anywhere in the world — you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you.”
The U.S. has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.
Last month, Syria joined[7] the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.[8]
The U.S. had no diplomatic relations with Syria under Assad, but ties have warmed since the fall of the five-decade Assad family rule. The interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made a historic visit[9] to Washington last month where he held talks with President Donald Trump.
IS was defeated on the battlefield in Syria in 2019 but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in the country. The United Nations says the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq[10].
U.S. troops, which have maintained a presence in different parts of Syria — including Al-Tanf garrison in the central province of Homs — to train other forces as part of a broad campaign against IS, have been targeted in the past. One of the deadliest attacks occurred in 2019 in the northern town of Manbij when a blast killed two U.S. service members and two American civilians as well as others from Syria while conducting a patrol.
____
Mroue reported from Beirut and Seung Min Kim from Washington.
___
An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect reference to Iraq.
© Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sgt. First Class Johnny Vargas[1] may have fallen into being a content creator by accident, but two years into his new life, he’s built a booming social media business with no plans of looking back.
Vargas serves in the Army as a non-commissioned officer (NCO). His salary is nearly $90,000 a year, certainly not chump change, but Vargas said in a recent interview with Military.com that he makes “way more” through social media and consulting work for businesses. While he wouldn’t specify how much he earns, it’s clear Vargas puts in the work, producing videos about military and veteran news multiple times per day on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
After a silly video posted by his wife went viral in 2023, Vargas wasn’t planning on gaining a following, but he knew something was there. He learned the nuances of social media engagement and how to build an audience. Eventually, military brass caught wind of Vargas’s growing popularity and signed him on to help with military recruitment.
His social media platforms have unlocked many doors, and Vargas plans to keep growing his business after he receives a medical retirement from the Army next summer. Vargas believes if he can do it, other veterans and active-duty military members can too. Vargas shares how in this Q&A with Military.com.
Army Sergeant to Content Creator
Kevin Damask (KD, Military.com): What attracted you to the Army, and how did you get involved in the service?
Johnny Vargas (JV): Well, I don’t have a lot of deep-rooted military background in my family. But my grandfather was in the Korean War. He was a canon crew member, and my uncle was in the Marine Corps Reserves in California. But I grew up in the San Fernando Valley of California, and I wanted to be a firefighter, and to be honest, it was just a whole lot easier to join the military. I joined on Jan. 1, 2013, and it’s been a journey. Kind of crazy ever since.
KD: Do you consider yourself a “social media influencer?”
JV: A lot of people would justify us as being in that space, but we don’t use the “I-word,” just because it sort of puts you in a bubble. That word “influencer” is almost like a cuss word. I like to use content creator, informer, or educator. I’m also a media manager and social media consultant. I work with a lot of companies, both for-profit and non-profit.
But I don’t do any of this in an official capacity for the Army or the Department of War. I have a couple of lawyers representing me, and I do this as a registered LLC. And I don’t use my rank or my position as an officer in the Army to bolster my business or my online media presence.
The businesses I work with know they’re working with Johnny and not Sgt. First Class Vargas.
Growth on TikTok
KD: You really took off on TikTok[2] in particular. What attracted you to that platform?
JV: It’s the best platform for immediate growth because one thing TikTok does that other platforms don’t do is that when you make a video, they batch it out to new people that have never seen your content before, as opposed to YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, they batch out to people that already know you or have liked your page. From there, you have to rely on people to share the video or send it to others. With TikTok, they want to grow your audience as quickly as possible because when you grow, they grow. They make it very easy to grow.
They reached out to me about a year and a half ago. I did a segment with a gentleman from National Public Radio who interviewed me on air. I spoke about TikTok and I was advocating for them. Then they reached out and said, “We have a Veterans Voice Initiative that we’re starting. We’re giving $10 million to eight different nonprofit veterans associations. Would you like to be a part of that? I said, “Sure!”
KD: Do you know, as of November 2025, how many social media followers you have?
JV: Across all platforms, it’s probably around 300,000. My reach is about 35 to 45 million users per month.
KD: What are the keys to attracting an audience to start building a loyal following and keep growing it?
JV: Online, I try to be who I am in real life. I don’t put on a fake persona. I’m very genuine, transparent, and honest.
By doing that, I’ve earned the audience’s trust. There are no walls or curtains that I have up between myself, the platform and the audience. And whenever my followers meet me in person, they’re like, “Wow, you really do act this way.” Because there are people on social media that put on a face, put on a show, and they’re really not like that in person.
I think one of the more important things is persistence; you can’t stop until it works. The first year I was doing this, I vowed to myself that I was going to post three videos per day on every single platform, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. I did that for a year straight and I went from zero to like 140,000 followers across all the platforms and now I’ve double that figure.
Besides consistency, I tell people, “Make content for the audience you want, not the audience you have.” Once you figure out who you want to attract and then home in like, “How do I reach them?” There are three pillars on how to do that. 1. You want to make people learn, make them laugh or make them cry. Maybe not physically cry, but you want to tell emotional stories and connect with the audience. I try to have at least one, or a combination of those three elements on every post.
Turning Page Views Into Profits
KD: I’m curious about the business side of social media. How do people make money off being a content creator? Through sponsorships?
JV: So, there are a few ways. Initially, once you gain a certain audience, the platforms monetize you off how many views you get. It’s called a per-mile rate. So, every thousand views equals a certain dollar amount, depending on who you reach.
It ebbs and flows. So, I was getting money from the different platforms for all the views, which was nice, but then you get paid more if you start doing brand work, associations, partnerships, and consulting. I have consulting calls with brands, and I charge an hourly rate to speak with for-profits, non-profit companies, and CEOS, and board members, about what I do on social media and how they could reach a larger audience. I also do keynote speaking.
Somebody told me once, “Johnny, once you treat yourself as a brand, then you’ll start making brand decisions.” So, about a year ago, I started realizing that this is a business and I have this brand to maintain.
KD: When did the Pentagon reach out to you to work with them on making videos?
JV: That was probably over a year ago. They started the Creative Reserve Pilot Program[3], and they had a pocket of funding. They had to figure out how to reach service members or people interested in joining the military, work on recruitment and messaging.
They contacted me and a few others and asked if we could help, like, “Hey, can you attend these different events, give speeches, take some pictures, and talk about the military, advocate for the Army, and tell your story.” At the same time, this small group at the Pentagon, they were incredible because they encouraged us to not do things we weren’t comfortable with or to not say things about the Army that we didn’t necessarily agree with. So, it was cool to be able to tell my story and not have to “church” it up.
But then some legal barriers came up between them and us. Ultimately, it’s on pause now, so it’s not a thing. The DOD can’t use our name, image, and likeness to promote the military without compensating us more, but at the same time, we’re still servicemembers, so they just can’t compensate us more.
So, they said, “Let’s pause this, do a legal review, and maybe we can hash it out in the future.”
Whenever I do media spots, like on ABC Live for the Veterans Day parade in November, I have to take leave. But it’s great because I get to work with the Bob Woodruff Foundation, Team Rubicon, Student Veterans of America, and all these different people.
KD: When you were producing videos for the Army, were there times when reps said, “You know, Johnny, maybe you shouldn’t have said that?”
JV: Yeah, there were a couple of times, but compared to other content creators in the Army space, I’m pretty clean. I don’t cuss. I don’t make jokes about genitalia. I don’t say racially charged things, and I keep all my clothes on. So, they trusted me a lot, but at the same time, that kind of hurt me sometimes because I was under a magnifying glass.
If I said something that was 2 percent off course to what I normally would say in that safer realm, I would get a couple of calls, like, “Hey, could you maybe word it this way instead?” But they didn’t really tell me to stop doing things. They never said, “We don’t like that, take it down.” They never asked me to delete anything. Sometimes they would say, “This general or this colonel said this about your video,” providing feedback.
At the same time, I cover a lot of military news, and I talk about some very charged-up things. I synthesize the articles to my audience, and I don’t give my opinion. I don’t tell them what to think either. A couple of times, some senior officials reached out and said, “Hey, we don’t like that. You should take it down.” That’s when I said, “No disrespect, but I can’t talk to you. Go ahead and talk to my lawyer.” And my lawyer expressed to them, “Those aren’t Johnny’s words. He didn’t say anything illegal, he didn’t do anything wrong, you just don’t like what he said.” After that, those issues typically go away.
Using Platform to Help Veterans
KD: Besides using your platform to connect with senior leaders in the military, you’ve also connected with leaders at VA to help veterans. How have you used social media to work with those groups?
JV: Well, it was never my intention to become “colleagues” with some of these people in their current positions, but like Tony Grinston, the former sergeant major of the Army, I consider him a friend. He’s now the CEO of Army Emergency Relief.[4] And Dan Daly,[5] he’s with AUSA and is vice president of its soldiers and NCOs program. And more recently, I’ve had a meeting with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth[6], Doug Collins[7], the secretary of veterans affairs, and Mike Weimer,[8] the current Sergeant Major of the Army. We’ve all had friendly conversations, and they’ve told me, “Hey, we love what you do on social media,” but for legal purposes, I wouldn’t consider them an endorsement. But it’s cool that I have their support. I’ve been able to have access to them that other people don’t because I’ve earned their trust.
KD: In other interviews, you've talked about promoting mental health care for veterans and active-duty military members. A lot of times, veterans struggle with transitioning out of the military and back into civilian life. Some really go down dark paths, homelessness, depression, addiction, and even suicide. What do you think is the biggest obstacle for veterans when they’re trying to transition out of the military?
JV: Unfortunately, I’ve had friends who have taken their own lives because of the struggle with transitioning. I haven’t gone through it yet, but I’m hoping to have a medical retirement approved in the next several months. I think one of the biggest obstacles is not having enough people to help with the transition.
A lot of servicemembers don’t realize, “Hey, this is over. And I have to get ready for this next chapter.” A lot of them are kind of hardened when they get out and feel like, “Oh no, I don’t need any help,” because we typically do things for ourselves a lot.
Especially for men, it’s very hard to admit when you need help. It feels weak, like we failed at something.
I think another aspect is not having a more focused process for getting service members out. So many soldiers go through it, and it’s just a “check the box” sort of thing. You get briefed on your way out, and you don’t really have to pay attention. They just snap you, though, like, “Yep, this person’s good.” And it’s onto the next appointment.
It’s too much of an umbrella process, and it should be more focused on each servicemember.
KD: Veterans and active-duty military people tend to connect better with those who have gone through similar experiences. Have you used that connection to build your social media following?
JV: Yeah, that’s why I have those pillars. Try to make people cry, and tell emotional, real-life stories because if I can talk about my experiences and maybe something horrible I’ve gone through, maybe it helps one other person who might not have wanted to talk about it or have compartmentalized it. And social media is great for that because I can connect with people really quickly.
KD: You’re an NCO in the Army, and you’re building a robust social media business while married with four children. How do you manage your time?
JV: Yeah, sometimes it’s hard. But I do have assistants who help me with my email inboxes. I still manage my own calendar. I still negotiate all my contracts. Some of the organizations I work for book all of my travel itineraries so that’s one less thing to worry about. But, yeah, juggling raising four kids, my wife, the military, my business, it can be really, really hard. I try to put as much as I can in the pot. Just put it into certain compartments to make sure the other ones aren’t struggling and I’ve just had to say no to some opportunities.
KD: You’re not quite a veteran yet, but what advice do you have for veterans who see you thriving on social media, read your story, and are like, “Hey, I might want to do this too?”
JV: Well, I think this goes for most things in life: You don’t know until you try. And once you try, try hard. So many people don’t put enough effort into certain parts of their lives. If you make it your goal to be mildly successful, you’re only going to be mildly successful. But if you make it your goal to be overwhelmingly successful, and you create steps to get those steps done, then you’re probably going to get there. So, find the end goal and then create the steps between where you are and make sure they’re realistic.
© Copyright 2025 Military.com. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Military.com, please submit your request here[9].
WASHINGTON — The House voted to pass a sweeping defense policy bill Wednesday that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense buys weapons.
The bill's passage on a 312-112 vote comes at a time of increasing friction[1] between the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump’s[2] administration over the management of the military.
The annual National Defense Authorization Act typically gains bipartisan backing, and the White House has signaled “strong support” for the must-pass legislation, saying it is in line with Trump's national security agenda. Yet tucked into the over-3,000-page bill are several measures that push back against the Department of Defense, including a demand for more information on boat strikes[3] in the Caribbean and support for allies in Europe, such as Ukraine.
Overall, the sweeping bill calls for a 3.8% pay raise for many military members as well as housing and facility improvements on military bases. It also strikes a compromise between the political parties — cutting climate and diversity efforts in line with Trump's agenda, while also boosting congressional oversight of the Pentagon and repealing several old war authorizations. Still, hard-line conservatives said they were frustrated that the bill does not do more to cut U.S. commitments overseas.
“We need a ready, capable and lethal fighting force because the threats to our nation, especially those from China, are more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
Lawmakers overseeing the military said the bill would change how the Pentagon buys weapons[4], with an emphasis on speed after years of delay by the defense industry. It's also a key priority for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the armed services panel, called the bill “the most ambitious swing at acquisition reform that we’ve taken.”
Still, Smith lamented that the bill does not do as much as Democrats would like to rein in the Trump administration but called it “a step in the right direction towards reasserting the authority of Congress.”
“The biggest concern I have is that the Pentagon, being run by Secretary Hegseth and by President Trump, is simply not accountable to Congress or accountable to the law,” he said.
The legislation next heads to the Senate, where leaders are working to pass the bill before lawmakers depart Washington for a holiday break.
Several senators on both sides of the aisle have criticized the bill for not doing enough to restrict military flights over Washington. They had pushed for reforms after a midair collision[5] this year between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft near Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board and families of the victims have also voiced opposition to that section of the bill, raising concerns that it would make the airspace more dangerous.
Here's what the defense bill does as it makes its way through Congress.
Boat strike videos and congressional oversight
Lawmakers included a provision that would cut Hegseth's travel budget by a quarter until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited video of the strikes against alleged drug boats near Venezuela. Lawmakers are asserting their oversight role after a Sept. 2 strike[6] where the U.S. military fired on two survivors who were holding on to a boat that had partially been destroyed.
The bill also demands that Hegseth allow Congress to review the orders for the strikes.
Reaffirm commitments to Europe and Korea
Trump's ongoing support for Ukraine and other allies in Eastern Europe has been under doubt over the last year, but lawmakers included several positions meant to keep up U.S. support for countering Russian aggression in the region.
The defense bill requires the Pentagon to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present[7] on European soil. It also authorizes $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.
Additionally, there is a provision to keep U.S. troops stationed in South Korea[8], setting the minimum requirement at 28,500.
Cuts to climate and diversity initiatives
The bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending, the House Armed Services Committee said. U.S. military assessments have long found that climate change is a threat to national security[9], with bases being pummeled by hurricanes or routinely flooded.
The bill also would save $40 million by repealing diversity, equity and inclusion[10] offices, programs and trainings, the committee said. The position of chief diversity officer would be cut, for example.
Iraq War resolution repeal
Congress is putting an official end to the war in Iraq[11] by repealing the authorization[12] for the 2003 invasion. Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the U.S.
The 2002 resolution has been rarely used in recent years. But the first Trump administration cited it as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani.
Lifting final Syria sanctions
Congress would permanently remove U.S. sanctions put on Syria after the Trump administration temporarily lifted many penalties[13].
Lawmakers imposed economically crippling sanctions on the country in 2019 to punish former leader Bashar Assad for human rights abuses during the nearly 14-year civil war. After Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa led a successful insurgency to depose Assad, he is seeking to rebuild his nation’s economy[14].
Advocates of a permanent repeal have said international companies are unlikely to invest in projects needed for the country’s reconstruction as long as there is a threat of sanctions returning.
Lack of IVF coverage
Democrats criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson for stripping a provision from the bill to expand coverage of in vitro fertilization for active duty personnel. An earlier version[15] covered the medical procedure, known as IVF[16], which helps people facing infertility have children.
© Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Lindsey Davidson[1], founder and CEO of Lenny[2], is making denim dreams come true from her Studio City, California vintage jean outpost.
Rachel Bilson[3], Whitney Port[4], Hannah Berner[5], Carole Radziwill[6], Katie Lowes[7], and more are flocking to the
...
Lindsey Davidson[1], founder and CEO of Lenny[2], is making denim dreams come true from her Studio City, California vintage jean outpost.
Rachel Bilson[3], Whitney Port[4], Hannah Berner[5], Carole Radziwill[6], Katie Lowes[7], and more are flocking to the
...
Happy New Music Friday! The weekend is here, which means more streaming, new playlists and the best that music has to offer -- and ET has you covered for everything in between.
The NFL announced the pregame entertainment for Super Bowl LX which will take
...
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A former FBI agent and COVID-era whistleblower who was recently reinstated under President Donald Trump[1] was fired Friday, according to a report.
The FBI dismissed Steve Friend[2] for "unprofessional conduct and poor
...
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump[1] sent a strong message to those accused of killing two U.S. Army soldiers and an American interpreter in Syria on Saturday, noting the U.S. will retaliate against ISIS if forces are attacked
...
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Trump administration’s latest offensive move against Venezuela, the seizure of a tanker[1] carrying U.S.-sanctioned oil, has triggered predictable outrage from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
But
...
A recent investigation from Flinders University sheds new light on how two widely consumed drinks, coffee and tea, could play a role in bone health for women later in life.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients, monitored nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older for ten years to examine whether regularly drinking coffee or tea was connected to changes in bone mineral density (BMD). BMD is a central marker used to assess osteoporosis risk.
Osteoporosis affects one in three women over 50 and leads to millions of fractures every year, making bone health an important global issue. Because coffee and tea are part of daily routines for billions of people, researchers note that understanding their long-term effects on bones is essential. Previous findings have often been inconsistent, and few studies have followed such a large group across an entire decade.
Study Design and Long-Term Tracking
Researchers at Flinders University used information from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, drawing on repeated measures of beverage intake and BMD at the hip and femoral neck. These areas are closely tied to fracture risk.
Throughout the ten-year period, participants regularly reported how much coffee and tea they consumed. At the same time, bone density was assessed using advanced imaging tools.
Tea's Modest but Meaningful Bone Benefits
Results showed that women who drank tea had slightly higher total hip BMD than those who did not. Although the improvement was small, it was statistically significant and may matter when considering the health of a large population.
"Even small improvements in bone density can translate into fewer fractures across large groups," says Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu from the College of Medicine and Public Health.
Coffee Consumption and Bone Density Risks
Findings for coffee were more varied. Moderate intake, roughly two to three cups a day, was not associated with harm. However, consuming more than five cups per day was linked to lower BMD, indicating that very high levels of coffee could negatively affect bone strength.
Women with higher lifetime alcohol intake appeared particularly vulnerable to coffee's negative effects, whereas tea showed stronger benefits in women with obesity.
Ryan Liu, co-author of the study, explains that tea is rich in catechins, compounds that may encourage bone formation and help slow bone loss.
"Coffee's caffeine content, by contrast, has been shown in laboratory studies to interfere with calcium absorption and bone metabolism, though these effects are small and can be offset by adding milk," says Ryan Liu from Flinders University.
Practical Implications for Aging Women
Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu notes that the research suggests drinking tea daily may be an easy way to support bone health as people grow older.
"While moderate coffee drinking appears safe, very high consumption may not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol," he says.
The researchers emphasize that while the results are statistically meaningful, the differences are not dramatic enough to require sweeping lifestyle changes.
"Our results don't mean you need to give up coffee or start drinking tea by the gallon," says Associate Professor Liu.
"But they do suggest that moderate tea consumption could be one simple way to support bone health, and that very high coffee intake might not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol.
"While calcium and vitamin D remain cornerstones of bone health, what's in your cup could play a role too. For older women, enjoying a daily cup of tea may be more than a comforting ritual, it could be a small step toward stronger bones," he concludes.
Study Funding
The SOF study received support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), with funding provided through grants (AG05407, AR35582, AG05394, AR35584, and AR35583).
The prime minister says it would be "reckless" for resident doctors to strike with the NHS at a "precarious" moment.
...Read more https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg114jd3gdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
The prime minister says it would be "reckless" for resident doctors to strike with the NHS at a "precarious" moment.
...Read more https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg114jd3gdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Cena taps out to Gunther in final WWE match (1:11)
John Cena is forced to tap out to Gunther in the final match of his WWE career. (1:11)
The time-honored tradition in professional wrestling is for a wrestler who is departing a...
Read more https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/47300293/wwe-john-cena-takes-last-bow-saturday-night-main-event
Julian Sayin drops in a dart to Jeremiah Smith for a TD (0:24)
Julian Sayin connects with Jeremiah Smith over several defenders for a 35-yard touchdown. (0:24)
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza[1], who led the No. 1 Hoosiers to...
The final two teams of the NBA Cup have been decided.
In the first game of Saturday night's doubleheader, the New York Knicks[1] beat the Orlando Magic[2] 132-120[3]. Jalen Brunson[4] was the star of the show, putting...
People typically think about evolution as a linear process where, within a species, the classic adage of “survival of the fittest” is constantly at play. New DNA mutations arise and get passed from parents to offspring. If any genetic changes prove to be beneficial, they might give those young a survival edge.
Over the great span of...
Zohran Mamdani as a creepy trick-or-treater[1], Gavin Newsom body-slamming Donald Trump[2] and Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero[3]. This is not the setup to an elaborate joke. Instead, these are all examples of recent AI-generated political videos. New easy-to-use tools – and acceptance of those tools by politicians – means that these fake...
Generative artificial intelligence has become widely accepted[1] as a tool that increases productivity[2]. Yet the technology is far from mature. Large language models advance rapidly from one generation to the next[3], and experts can only speculate how AI will affect the workforce and peoples’ daily lives.
As a materials scientist[4], I am...
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:1-17.
That is, just look at your own piece of the pie, not the other fellow’s. You will look at what you have, not what someone else has. You will not act upon a desire for something that belongs to someone else. What's your is yours, what's theirs is theirs. You will focus on your property, not their property. It is not about them and what they have; it is about you, your journey toward God, and what you have along the way.
Why would God require this?
Implementing this commandment yields a certain kind of social structure. Not following it creates another. And the social structure in which people grow up and live their lives affects how people are trained up for God.
What are the practical consequences of this?
The primitive hate on display in the streets around the globe cries out for a Final Solution to the Jewish Problem.
It is time to end the Jewish Problem once and for all.
Both the problem and solution are simple, and this instruction can be short.
The decision and responsibility for it are yours.
First one bank announced it will only accept digital currency.
Now the Reserve Bank of Australia has announced it is heading into digital currency.
As the moth is to the flame, so are the follies of man.
Artificial intelligence and the next level of quantum computing will render passwords and encryption efforts obsolete.
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