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The PGA Tour announced Tuesday it hired Brian Rolapp to be its new Chief Executive Officer.

Rolapp spent more than two decades with the National Football League, where he assisted in reshaping how fans experienced live sports. He served as the league’s Chief Media and Business Officer before joining the Tour.

As CEO, Rolapp will lead the PGA Tour into its next phase, serving as the CEO of PGA Tour, Inc. and PGA Tour Enterprises. The PGA Tour management team will report to Rolapp upon his start date, and he will report to both Boards of Directors.

‘I’m honored to join the PGA Tour at such a pivotal time,’ Rolapp said in a release. ‘The PGA Tour represents the highest level of competition, integrity and global opportunity in the game of golf, and I believe deeply in the Tour’s mission and its potential to grow even stronger. I’m ready to get to work – alongside our players, partners and leadership team – to build lasting value and deliver an even more dynamic future for the sport and our fans.’

The PGA Tour CEO Search Committee – consisting of Arthur M. Blank, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Commissioner Jay Monahan, Joe Gorder and Sam Kennedy – unanimously recommended Rolapp for the role. Rolapp will officially begin his new role later this summer.

Having formed the committee to find his successor, Monahan will transition his day-to-day responsibilities to the new CEO and increasingly focus on his role as a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board and the PGA Tour Enterprises Board through the end of 2026.

‘A year ago, I informed our Boards that upon completing a decade as Commissioner, I would step down from my role at the end of 2026,’ Monahan said. ‘Since then, we’ve worked together to identify a leader who can build on our momentum and develop a process that ensures a smooth transition. We’ve found exactly the right leader in Brian Rolapp, and I’m excited to support him as he transitions from the NFL into his new role leading the PGA Tour.

“Brian is the perfect choice for the next chapter of the PGA Tour. His arrival strengthens our leadership team and reflects our shared commitment to the Tour’s continued evolution. With Brian’s expertise and vision, and the trust we’ve established with our players and fans, I’m more confident than ever in the future we’re building.”

Rolapp added, ‘Commissioner Monahan is an incredible leader, and it has been a pleasure getting to know him throughout the interview process. I greatly appreciate his commitment to making me successful in the role and look forward to working with him in partnership throughout this transition.’

Rolapp also penned an open letter to membership after his hire was announced. Here’s what he said:

‘I’m honored to step into the role of CEO of the PGA Tour.

Golf has one of the deepest histories and many of the most timeless traditions in all of sports. That history and those traditions have inspired generations of players and fans, creating both a game and a Tour that millions around the world love. At the same time, professional golf is evolving, as are the ways fans consume sports. My goal as CEO is to honor golf’s traditions but not be overly bound by them.

Over the past few years, the Tour has made meaningful progress in addressing these changes — from creating more opportunities for players to improving the competitive structure and enhancing the fan experience. But there’s still significant work to do and incredible opportunity remains ahead. From creating the highest quality golf product that includes the best players in the world, to strengthening commercial partnerships — as I spoke to players, board members, and fans in recent months, I felt drawn to this potential.

I come from the National Football League, so I’ll be the first to admit — I’ve got a lot to learn about golf. But I love the game, I play the game, and I am a PGA Tour fan myself. To that end, I cannot wait to meet every one of our players, get in front of as many fans as possible, and better understand the needs of our partners. I’m all in.

I am here with deep respect and curiosity to listen, learn from all of you, and help take the Tour to the next level. Players are central to everything we do, and making sure they are supported and heard will be a top priority. At the same time, we are going to keep challenging ourselves to grow the game in new ways, reach new fans, and create a TOUR that reflects the future of sports and entertainment.

Respect the past. Build the future. Let’s move forward together.’

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

– When it comes to Iran’s nuclear program, President Donald Trump has been clear about one key point.

‘IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,’ the president reiterated this week.

It was one of a handful of signs from the president that he’s considering joining Israel’s nearly week-long bombardment of Iran, as the two Middle Eastern juggernauts continue to blast each other with missiles and other aerial attacks.

And a new poll indicates that Americans agree with Trump on the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Eighty-four percent of those questioned in a national survey released by the Ronald Reagan Institute said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons matters to U.S. security and prosperity. The figures were shared first with Fox News on Tuesday.

Preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was the top response, followed by 75% who said a potential war between China and Taiwan matters to U.S. security and prosperity, with illegal immigration across the southern border of the U.S. one point back at 74%.

Seventy-three percent of those surveyed in the poll said the war between Russia and Ukraine matters to U.S. security and prosperity, followed by 71% saying the security of Israel and 69% pointing to tariffs to promote trade deals.

The poll of adult Americans was conducted from May 22-June 2, before Israel’s unprecedented attack late last week on Iran, named ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ which included strikes on both the Islamic State’s nuclear program and military leaders. The attack triggered a response by Iran, and the two sides have since traded fire daily.

According to numbers shared with Fox News late last week, 45% of those questioned said they would support Israel conducting targeted airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities if diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Iran fail.

Thirty-seven percent said they opposed Israeli airstrikes, with 18% unsure.

But the poll indicated a partisan divide.

Six in 10 Republicans said they support the airstrikes, but that backing dropped to 35% among independents and 32% among Democrats.

Twenty-seven percent of Republicans opposed the Israeli airstrikes, with a third of independents and just over half of Democrats opposed.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

President Donald Trump has refused to say whether the U.S. will use direct military force against Iran to stop it from getting a nuclear weapon, but one top security expert is sounding the alarm that taking out Iran’s nuclear threat ‘is a job only the U.S. can do.’

Israel launched a series of strikes against Iran beginning overnight on Thursday, and according to the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the Natanz nuclear facility’s underground structures, some 36 feet underground, did see ‘direct impact’ from the strikes, though the extent of damage remains unclear.

However, Israel did not strike the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant – which is believed to be capable of producing a nuclear warhead in as little as two to three days, according to the Institute for Science and International Security – likely because Israel does not possess the military capabilities it would take to strike the Fordow facility, which is reported to be up to 300 feet underground.

‘Fordow is not the only remaining important nuclear facility, but it’s the most dangerous,’ Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. ‘Destroying it from the air is a job only the U.S. can do.’

The Fordow nuclear facility is believed to be Iran’s most heavily protected nuclear site, built deep into mountain bedrock and divided into two enrichment halls capable of holding some 3,000 centrifuges.

The only way to penetrate this facility may be by using a 30,000-pound bomb, known as the ‘bunker buster,’ a GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) specifically designed to penetrate deeply buried targets, though even this capability is estimated to have a reach of some 200 feet, according to publicly available information.

Dubowitz explained that to ‘inflict real damage’ more than just bunker-busting munitions are needed, including ‘stealth delivery platforms like the B-2 Spirit bomber to penetrate advanced air defenses and deliver the MOP’ as well as precision Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) ‘to ensure you’re not just damaging outer entrances or fake decoys.’

‘Only the United States possesses the full spectrum,’ he told Fox News Digital. Israel, despite its unmatched regional capability and world-class Air Force, does not yet have the MOP or the platforms to deliver it. 

‘It’s F-35I Adirs and F-15I Ra’ams can inflict serious damage – but penetrating Fordow fully remains beyond current Israeli capability without U.S. cooperation or creative alternatives like internal sabotage or specialized ordnance,’ he added.

Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to tout the U.S. military’s capabilities, saying, ‘We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff.’ 

‘Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA,’ he added.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether the president is considering a direct hit on Iranian soil, though he has repeatedly said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and on Monday issued an ominous warning and said, ‘everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran.’

Earlier on Monday, the president told reporters he ‘didn’t want to talk about it’ when asked what it would take for the U.S. to get ‘directly involved’ in the Israel-Iran conflict.

However, he left the G7 meeting in Canada one day early to address the ongoing conflict and told reporters aboard Air Force One that he is looking for a ‘real end’ to the conflict.

‘I’m not looking at a ceasefire. We’re looking at better than a ceasefire,’ he said, adding, ‘I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate.’

Trump is expected to be in the Situation Room today, but any upcoming attack by the U.S. or Israel on Iran remains unconfirmed. 

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told ‘Fox and Friends’ on Tuesday that ‘as we speak, our planes, our air force is acting in Iran right now,’ adding, ‘we have very impressive results on the ground.’ 

‘We will continue, and you will see more results. But you know when you look at the side of Israel and compare[d] to the side Iran, we are a tiny country…9 million people compared to 90 million Iranians,’ he added. ‘So, we have limited capabilities, but we punch high.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

President Donald Trump’s business organization has announced the creation of a new wireless phone service that will carry the president’s name.

Trump Mobile, as the service will be known, will soon be available for what Donald Trump Jr. described as “real Americans” seeking “true value from their mobile carriers.” The eldest of Trump’s children, who serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization, which runs the president’s businesses, made the remarks at a press event in New York City on Monday morning alongside his brother Eric Trump, who also oversees the Trump Organization.

According to the TrumpMobile.com website, the plan starts at $47.45 a month, reference to the elder Trump having served as the 45th and 47th president.

By comparison, Boost Mobile and Verizon’s Visible offer similar unlimited service for $25 per month. T-Mobile and Spectrum offer unlimited plans for $30.

Users can change to Trump Wireless while still keeping their existing phones. At the same time, the Trump Organization is also rolling out a $499 gold-colored phone, dubbed the T1, later this year as part of the service’s launch.

The announcement represents another example of the unprecedented line-blurring the president has undertaken by running the country while his branded business ventures continue to operate and make millions.

Late Friday, the president filed financial disclosure forms for 2024 showing hundreds of Trump-branded business ventures in operation as of last year. The Trump Organization, the main corporate entity run by the president’s family, earned more than $57 million from sales of digital tokens launched by its World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency platform. Trump has aggressively wielded the powers of the executive office to threaten businesses whose policies he does not support.

The launch of a wireless phone is a particularly striking case, since it comes as the president seeks to bring more production of electronics, including smartphones, to the United States. Trump has explicitly threatened Apple with tariffs for not making its iPhones stateside. Trump has sought to exert a strong influence over the heavily regulated telecom industry through Brendan Carr, the attorney Trump appointed to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Carr has cited traditional carriers for allegedly abusing workforce diversity requirements and censoring conservative voices.

The White House referred a request for comment to the Trump Organization. It did not respond to a follow-up query asking whether the president planned to use his own branded wireless service or the T1 phone.

According to its website, Trump Mobile is “powered” by Liberty Mobile Wireless. Florida state business records indicate Liberty Mobile was first registered in 2018 by its president and CEO, a Miami-area entrepreneur named Matthew Lopatin. He did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Representatives for the three major U.S. phone carriers did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump Mobile’s T1 PhoneTrump Mobile

According to its website, Trump Mobile users would be able to receive telemedicine on their phone, roadside assistance and unlimited texting to at least 100 countries.

The service and phone are not actually made by the Trump Organization. The company is licensing the president’s name to a wireless service that is supported by the three major U.S. phone carriers. In a separate appearance with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo’s “Mornings with Maria” show Monday, Eric Trump said the phones would also be made in the U.S. but did not state the manufacturer. He also said the service’s call center would be based in St. Louis.

The announcement appears to echo one made earlier this month by the trio of actor-hosts of the popular “SmartLess” podcast, who said they were launching their own wireless service by purchasing network capacity from T-Mobile.

Another actor, Ryan Reynolds, has invested in Mint Mobile, which also uses T-Mobile’s network. Both Mint and SmartLess have been pitched as value services for users who don’t have need for unlimited data.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

The WWE ‘Monday Night Raw’ fans roared and chanted ‘Goldberg’ like it was still 30 years ago when the familiar beats of his entrance music hit. Many in the pro wrestling world are speculating whether he was there for the retirement match he alluded to not long ago.

Bill Goldberg was back in the WWE for the first time in more than three years Monday and announced his return to the ring in a confrontation with world heavyweight champion Gunther. During a segment in which Gunther initially challenged new Money in the Bank winner Seth Rollins, Goldberg instead appeared through the smoke and pyrotechnics once more.

The 58-year-old former NFL player congratulated Gunther on regaining his title last week and then told him they had a match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12 in Atlanta. Goldberg’s feud with Gunther stems from a segment during the Bad Blood premium live event in Atlanta in October 2024, when Gunther insulted Goldberg in front of his son.

‘A few months ago, you started something with me and my family in Atlanta, Georgia, and I am going to make sure I end it in Atlanta, Georgia,’ Goldberg told Gunther in front of the crowd in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Monday night. ‘You’re mine because you’re next.’

Goldberg previously said during an appearance on ESPN’s SEC Nation on Nov. 2, 2024, soon after his initial confrontation with Gunther, that WWE had granted his request for a retirement match in 2025. Goldberg did not mention retirement during Monday’s appearance.

But WWE is already promoting the match as ‘Goldberg’s Last Ride’ on merchandise, and Goldberg wore a ‘Goldberg’s Last Ride’ shirt out to the ring to confront Gunther.

Goldberg became a pro wrestling sensation in WCW in the late 1990s, with a memorable undefeated streak using his spear and jackhammer finishing moves. He has appeared periodically in the WWE since WCW’s demise, but not since a match against Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber in February 2022.

Saturday Night’s Main Event is scheduled for July 12 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Goldberg’s hometown.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Jalen Williams has arrived.

No longer should he be considered a blossoming player full of potential. Williams propelled the Thunder in a crucial Game 5 victory Monday, June 16, putting them just one win from the franchise’s first NBA title since 1979 and its first since relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

And though NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander draws most of the attention and generates headlines for his consistency, Williams — a first-time All-Star in February — is helping to lift the Thunder to new heights.

He led all players Monday with a playoff career-high 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting. At 24, he became the fifth-youngest player in NBA Finals history to score 40 or more points, joining Jerry West, Russell Westbrook, Rick Barry and Magic Johnson.

Over the past three games, Williams is averaging 31.0 points per game on 50.8% shooting, while adding 6.3 boards.

And he’s doing it by attacking with efficiency, not wasting movement, using speed to blow past defenders, getting to his spots down low and finishing with intent.

Over the past three games, Williams also has attempted 34 free throws.

“Great force,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the game. “I mean, that’s the word. We’ve used that word with him in his development. When he’s at his best he’s playing with that type of force. That was an unbelievable performance by him, just throughout the whole game.

“He really was on the gas the entire night. Applied a ton of pressure. Thought he made a lot of the right plays. We’re going to need a similar type of approach in Game 6 from him.”

The scary part for the rest of the Western Conference is that Williams is still learning. He has talked openly about the struggles he has confronted in his development, how there had been games in his career when he was too passive, waiting for the ball to swing to him.

“In order to get better and being good in these moments, and by no means am I perfect in these moments, you’re able to generate good habits when you have the right way of going about it and you have a process,” Williams said after the game. “I’m extremely fortunate that I have a coach and a staff and teammates that allow me to have those ugly plays during the year and figure out my game.

“I think right now it’s paid off. I understand the level of physicality I have to do in order to be good.”

Many star players develop their signature moves to get baskets when needed. James Harden has his step-back. Tim Duncan would go to the glass. Michael Jordan’s fadeaway was unguardable.

But that’s just one element of his game; he has become a three-level scorer who can knock down 3s — he went 3-of-5 from deep Monday night — just as easily as he can lace mid-range jumpers.

But, as always, and similar to Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams appears to be unbothered and unhurried when he attacks. He seems to survey the defense before deliberately getting to his spot.

“He was really gutsy tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He stepped into big plays. Felt like every time we needed a shot, he made it. He wasn’t afraid.’

When the Thunder needed those shots most, it was the third quarter.

Pacers guard T.J. McConnell sprung off on a heater and scored 13 in the period, as the Pacers made a late charge to close what had been a sizeable deficit.

Williams provided an answer, scoring 13 of his own in the third, on 4-of-5 attempts, including 4-of-5 on free throws.

This performance, if the Thunder do go on to win the championship, will be one that helps launch him into the conversation as an elite player.

“There were times earlier in the season where he had some ugly plays, ugly games, trying to establish the type force you saw tonight,” Daigneault said. “I complimented him back then. But he’s trying to make All-Star teams. He’s an All-NBA player this season. He’s got an individual career that he’s ambitious.

“The way that you accomplish your goals and become the player you’re going to be is by improving. I credit him because in the face of all those things, he just focused on improving. Now, in the face of going up to Indiana, up 3-2, we have to focus on improving. That’s got to be our mindset. We have to discipline ourselves to do that.”

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

OMAHA, NE ― Day 4 of the 2025 Men’s College World Series brought a 19-strikeout no-hitter and a rain postponement.

Arkansas defeated Murray State, 3-0, in an elimination game thanks to Gage Wood’s historic no-no. But the Razorbacks will have to wait to find out their opponent, as the winners’ bracket game between UCLA and LSU was suspended after three innings and will resume at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 17.

Following the completion of that game, Oregon State will face Louisville in an elimination game, then Arkansas will face the loser of the earlier game in another elimination game. The winners of the two later games will advance to the semifinals, needing to beat their opponent twice to advance.

Coastal Carolina already has clinched a spot in the semifinals with a win over Oregon State on Sunday, June 15.

Louisville vs. Oregon State prediction

Oregon State 8, Louisville 7 — How about a high-scoring game for once? Both the Beavers and Cardinals have had a few run-scoring outbursts, and the defense of both teams has left a little to be desired. Both are also low on reliable pitching after already having played two games.

Oregon State is the team with a slightly more reliable offense, though, so they’re the pick.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Senate Republicans are moving full steam ahead with their probe into the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s reported mental decline and have unveiled their witness list for the forthcoming hearing.

The witness list for the upcoming hearing, which is set for Wednesday and is the first congressional hearing on the subject, includes former members of President Donald Trump’s first administration and a legal scholar, each selected to give their perspective on how Biden’s inner circle and the media allegedly hid his declining health.

Included on the list of witnesses are Theodore Wold, who formerly served as acting assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy at the Justice Department and deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy during the Trump administration; Sean Spicer, former White House press secretary and communications director; and John Harrison, a legal scholar from the University of Virginia School of Law who previously served during former the Reagan and Bush administrations.

Democrats on the committee did not call any witnesses. Fox News Digital reached out to the top Democrat on the panel, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., for comment.

The hearing, led by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., was announced last month and will zero in on the alleged concealment of the 82-year-old former president’s reported mental decline while in office by the media and those closest to him.

Cornyn told Fox News Digital that the trio of witnesses selected for the hearing ‘have impressive records defending our Constitution and serving in the West Wing.’

‘This week’s hearing is an important opportunity for the American people to get the answers they deserve about who was really running the country when Joe Biden’s health was obviously declining and the constitutional questions raised by an unfit president,’ he said.

Schmitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the alleged cover-up was ‘a threat to our nation and it undermined our Constitution — we must ensure it never happens again.’

‘I look forward to hearing from our panel of witnesses who will share their expertise on the Constitution, the approval process within the White House, and the media’s access to the President,’ he said. ‘The American people are demanding accountability, and this hearing will be the first step in that process.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Wold, Spicer and Harrison for comment.

Cornyn and Schmitt join their colleagues in the House who are similarly demanding answers about what really went on behind the scenes during Biden’s presidency.

House Republicans are pushing to create a select committee that would investigate the Biden administration’s alleged cover-up.

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., introduced legislation last month to start a committee that would dive into ‘the potential concealment of information from the American public’ regarding Biden’s health.  

Additionally, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., has called on several high-ranking staffers from the Biden White House to participate in transcribed interviews regarding their alleged roles in covering up the former president’s decline.

Of the 10 witnesses he called to attend, only four agreed to participate, including the director of Biden’s former Domestic Policy Council; Neera Tanden, Biden’s assistant and senior advisor to the first lady; Anthony Bernal, former special assistant to Biden and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations Ashley Williams; and Biden’s Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini.

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After years of advertising campaigns targeting ‘woke’ hospitals for putting politics before patients, a prominent nonprofit consumer advocacy group has compiled a comprehensive report on what it says are the worst offenders and urges President Donald Trump and lawmakers nationwide to take action. 

The new report, titled ‘Woke hospitals: Embracing Political Priorities Ahead of Patient Care,’ was released by Consumers’ Research on Tuesday and took aim at five hospital systems across the country: Cleveland Clinic, Vanderbilt University Medical, Henry Ford Health, Memorial Hermann and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. 

‘U.S. consumers should be aware that many nonprofit hospital systems have leveraged taxpayer dollars and federal funding to advance controversial political and social causes,’ the report states. 

‘Instead of lowering costs and passing savings onto patients, hospitals have spent considerable money, time, and manpower pursuing a partisan agenda pertaining to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), radical gender ideology, and climate activism. This report examines five of these ‘woke’ hospital systems and the specific ways in which they have opted to engage in various forms of political activism unrelated to – and in some cases at odds with – their core missions as healthcare providers,’ the report continues. ‘Each of them is a tax-exempt beneficiary receiving numerous funding streams and benefits from the federal government.’

The report’s accusations against Cleveland Clinic, which Fox News Digital previously reported on, highlight a comment from CEO Tom Mihaljevic when he stated that ‘healthcare is only part of our mission.’

That mission, according to Consumers’ Research, includes promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) which the hospital’s chief of diversity of inclusion said in 2023, ‘has to be embedded in everything we do.’

In addition to several examples of the hospital system pushing DEI, the report outlines ways that Cleveland Clinic has engaged in ‘climate activism’ while pouring millions into ‘green initiatives’ as well as administering transgender care to children. 

Vanderbilt University Medical, a hospital system that Fox News Digital previously reported was found to be deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources while also keeping some and hiding them from public view, is said in the report to have received $468 million in NIH grants for medical research. 

While receiving substantial funding from the federal government, the hospital system is also pushing a ‘woke’ agenda, according to the report. 

‘VUMC’s Emergency Medicine Department featured a Diversity, Inclusion & Wellness Office co-led by two directors of ‘Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism,’’ the report states. ‘In January 2025, VUMC’s Psychiatry Department hosted a webinar addressing ‘The War on DEI,’ identifying racism, sexism, caste systems, and nationalism as significant barriers to DEI objectives.’

The report also outlines what it says are examples of VUMC promoting climate activism and providing ‘gender-affirming care’ to minors. 

‘According to the nonprofit organization Do No Harm, VUMC has provided sex-change treatments to 33 minors since 2019, with 22 patients receiving irreversible body-altering surgery,’ the report states. 

‘VUMC even awarded grants to a reproductive clinic in Memphis that assists LGBTQ+ youth in acquiring gender-change hormone therapy. Following the implementation of Tennessee’s new law, the clinic announced on its website that it now refers minors seeking such services to its affiliated clinic in Carbondale, IL, pending parental consent,’ the report continued.

Henry Ford Health has also been a previous target of Consumers’ Research, Fox News Digital reported in April, and is mentioned in the report as a place where the ‘racist DEI agenda is so egregious that America First Legal, a pro-Trump legal nonprofit, filed an official complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling for an investigation.’

The report outlines several examples of the hospital allegedly pushing ‘gender ideology’ and cites Do No Harm’s database, which found that Henry Ford Health ‘treated at least 63 sex-change patients who were minors, including eight patients who underwent surgery.’

Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas was also highlighted by the report as an organization rife with examples of DEI, which critics for years have argued puts politics before patients.

‘Memorial Hermann maintains that ‘health equity’ is paramount,’ the report states. ‘The system has stated its intention of embedding EDI practices at the core of its mission and vision and believes overcoming ‘historical and contemporary injustices’ is critical.’

The report adds that ‘Memorial Hermann publicly claims not to offer gender-transition services to individuals under 18’ but, according to Do No Harm, ‘has reportedly performed 15 sex-change surgeries on minors and prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy to three children.’

The fifth hospital in the report, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, has said that it considers DEI to be part of its founding values and declared racism to be a ‘public health issue’ after the death of George Floyd. 

The report states that the hospital ‘was the first hospital in the U.S. to offer transgender surgeries, doing so as early as 1966’ and pointed to a 2022 statement from a spokesperson that stated children should have access to transgender care to ‘improve their mental health.’

‘The Johns Hopkins All Children’s website formerly included a page about children’s gender and sexual development,’ the report says. ‘ It referred to the ‘emotional and physical foundation for sexuality’’ among ‘infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and young school-aged kids.’’

Fox News Digital reached out to all five hospitals in the report for comment. 

‘Henry Ford Health respects and fully complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws,’ a Henry Ford Health spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. ‘For more than a century, Henry Ford Health has been fully committed to serving Michigan’s richly diverse communities, providing health care services and employment opportunities to everyone. Our commitment to non-discrimination remains steadfast.’

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Cleveland Clinic spokesperson said, ‘For more than a century, Cleveland Clinic’s mission has been to care for life, research for health, and educate those who serve.  Cleveland Clinic is a nonpartisan organization and we neither have nor promote any political agenda. We are in full compliance with all state and federal laws and strongly refute the false and misleading assertions made in this report. The report intentionally shares information that is outdated.’   

A VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital, ‘Vanderbilt University Medical Center fully complies with the current federal and state mandates and directives, and any accusations otherwise are simply false.’

A spokesperson for Memorial Hermann told Fox News Digital the report ‘reflects information that is outdated, factually inaccurate and intentionally misleading.’

‘As one example of factually inaccurate information, Memorial Hermann does not provide and has never provided any form of pediatric gender transitioning treatment to patients younger than 18 years of age at any of our facilities. Secondly, we are compliant with all state and federal price transparency regulations. As the largest nonprofit health system in Southeast Texas, we are committed to delivering compassionate, patient-centered care that provides high-quality outcomes to all we serve. We do not discriminate based on race, gender or any other characteristics, and we abide by ethical and legal standards of care. We are equally committed to ensuring our policies comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.’

One of the top concerns outlined in the report is what Consumers’ Research describes as ‘insult to injury’ when it comes to federal tax dollars propping up these hospitals that are pushing ‘woke’ ideologies and shelling out millions in salaries for top leadership.

‘Nonprofit hospitals highlighted in this report and across the U.S. receive millions of dollars in federal funding, government-mandated savings programs, and tax exemptions,’ the report states. 

‘This means taxpayers are often left footing the bill for hospitals’ political activism. Hospitals receive nonprofit, tax-exempt status on the basis that they provide a broader benefit to the community. These health systems are able to couple their billions of dollars in tax savings with significant federal funding sources and government-mandated savings programs. These avenues for federal funding include Medicare payments, Medicaid payments, and federal grant funding.’

The report alleges that these hospitals often ‘leverage their position’ to receive ‘multiple special designations through Medicare and Medicaid that allow them access to more taxpayer dollars while arguing against federal cuts to current revenue streams.’

‘As outlined in this report, hospitals are taking advantage of their billions of dollars in tax breaks, federal funding, and mandated discount programs to fund frivolous projects outside the scope of patient care,’ the report alleges. ‘Instead of passing benefits along to patients and lowering costs – as these programs intended – hospitals use these programs to fund political priorities outside of their core mission of providing high-quality care and benefiting their communities.’

In addition to the report, Consumers’ Research has sent letters to President Trump, Senate and House leadership, and governors of the states where the hospitals are located calling for an investigation into the federal dollar funding streams to the organizations that could be violating anti-DEI rules and running counter to state values. 

‘The content of this Consumer Warning should provide your administration with more than enough justification for initiating a formal investigation into these federally supported hospitals’ internal activities and a subsequent review of their tax-exempt privileges and the specific government funding streams which support them,’ the letter to Trump and officials in his administration states. 

Additionally, Consumers’ Research is running a mobile billboard in Washington, D.C., and launching the website BadMedicine.Org to highlight their warning to consumers. 

‘Consumers need to be aware that hospitals in their own backyards have found ways to use taxpayer dollars to advance a woke agenda, which takes away vital resources that should be going to patient care,’ Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

‘Our Consumer Warning spotlights five nonprofit hospitals that are prioritizing radical causes like DEI, child sex-change procedures, and climate activism, all while receiving millions in taxpayer dollars. Every hospital CEO should read this Consumer Warning and promptly end woke policies in their organizations and refocus on their core mission, which is providing the best quality patient care at affordable prices. Until every hospital in America stops pushing discriminatory DEI policies, mutilating kids’ bodies, and promoting climate politics, their federal funding streams and other government benefits like tax-exemptions should be investigated to ensure taxpayers are not supporting any hospital’s reckless ideological activism. It is time to stop funding woke hospitals.’

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It took 11 years since Facebook acquired it for $19 billion, but Meta is finally bringing ads to WhatsApp, marking a major change for an app whose founders shunned advertising.

Meta announced Monday that businesses will now be able to run so-called status ads on WhatsApp that prompt users to interact with the advertisers via the app’s messaging features. The ads will only be shown to users within WhatsApp’s “Updates” tab to separate the promotions from people’s personal conversations. Additionally, Meta will begin monetizing WhatsApp’s Channels feature through search ads and subscriptions.

The debut of ads on the messaging app represents a significant step in Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to make WhatsApp “the next chapter” in his company’s history, as he told CNBC’s Jim Cramer in 2022. The move to monetize WhatsApp also comes amid Meta’s high-profile antitrust case with the Federal Trade Commission over the company’s blockbuster acquisitions of the messaging app and Instagram.

Already, Meta allows advertisers to run so-called click-to-message ads on Facebook and Instagram that steer users to WhatsApp where they can directly engage with businesses. Messaging between brands and consumers “should be the next pillar of our business,” Zuckerberg told analysts in April, adding that WhatsApp now has over 3 billion monthly users, including “more than 100 million people in the U.S. and growing quickly there.”

Now, companies can run those kinds of ads within WhatsApp itself. The new status ads appear in a user’s Updates tab within that tab’s “Status” feature that can be used to share pictures, videos and text that vanish after 24 hours, akin to Instagram Stories.

Since Meta bought WhatsApp in 2014, the popular messaging app has continued to grow worldwide. But unlike Facebook, Instagram and most recently Threads, WhatsApp has never allowed advertising.

WhatsApp’s co-founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, were public in their scorn for the advertising industry, and the duo left Facebook after reportedly clashing with executives who were eager to inject the app with advertising and other practices they shunned.

The social media company does not reveal WhatsApp’s specific sales, but analysts have previously estimated the app’s revenue to be between $500 million and $1 billion from charging businesses for tools and services so they can message customers on the app.

Meta will “use very basic information” to recommend which ads to show WhatsApp users, Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s head of product for business messaging, said Friday. This includes a person’s country, city, device, language and data like who they follow or how they interact with ads.

The company debuted WhatsApp’s Updates tab in June 2023 along with an accompanying Channels feature that allows people and organizations to send broadcast messages and updates to their followers as opposed to personal conversations. Meta will also monetize the Channels feature, the company said Monday.

Organizations and people who are Channel administrators will now be able to spend money to boost the visibility of their respective Channels when a person searches for them via a directory, similar to ads on Apple’s and Google’s app stores.

Additionally, channel administrators will be able to charge users monthly subscription fees to access exclusive updates and content, Meta said Monday. The company will not immediately make money from those monthly subscription fees, but it plans to eventually take a 10% cut of those subscriptions, a spokesperson said.

Meta hopes that by limiting its new ads to WhatsApp’s Updates tab it will disrupt users as little as possible, Srinivasan said. Users’ status updates as well as personal messages and calls on WhatsApp will remain encrypted, she said.

“We really believe that the Updates tab is the right place for these new features,” Srinivasan said.

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