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AOC, Sanders tell supporters to mask up for West Coast town halls

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are taking the ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ rallies out West next week – and advising supporters to mask up to participate. 

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox News Digital can confirm that the RSVP for the events in Denver and Las Vegas includes guidance that ‘masks are advised for all attendees of this event.’

A post shared by conservative podcaster Stephen L. Miller on Friday about the Denver event had many wondering why masks would be advised for an outdoor event in 2025. 

Sanders did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry about the mask guidance. 

‘Sent from a friend. Bernie’s speaking tour is advising everyone in attendance to wear masks. This is an outdoor event,’ the X post said, accompanied by a screenshot of the RSVP.

‘Still trying the Covid panic politics,’ the top comment said. 

‘Was this from the year 2020?’ a content creator asked.

But another reply countered: ‘They don’t want the paid attendees found out.’

The reactions to the post are split, with many people online dumbfounded by the need for masks exactly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns and social distancing. 

Others speculated that the masks are a way to protect attendees’ identities. Masks are a common practice to protect protesters’ identities at large demonstrations, like the pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University this past year. 

However, Sanders’ ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ events are not protests. Events in the Blue Wall states of Michigan and Wisconsin last weekend operated like a traditional campaign rally, with thousands of supporters lining up to earn a spot inside to hear the headline speaker. 

Sanders announced the West Coast leg of his ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour with Ocasio-Cortez in a social media video on Friday. The progressives will make stops in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado ‘to hold town meetings with working people who are profoundly disgusted with what is going on in Washington, D.C.’

‘Nevada, Colorado, Arizona: You deserve public servants who show up for you. The time is now to protect the public good, advance healthcare and living wages for all, and fight against corruption. See you next week,’ Ocasio-Cortez said on Friday.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the political campaign committee tasked with electing more Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives, advised against town halls following a series of protest disruptions fueled by Democrats’ discontent with President Donald Trump’s second term. 

Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., began his own slew of town hall events in Republican-held congressional districts on Friday, saying if a Republican representative refused to meet with their constituents, then he would ‘lend a megaphone’ to them. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced on Friday a revised organized effort alongside the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) and Democrat state parties to host town halls in Republican-held districts. 

‘Republicans in Congress know they sold out their voters by backing the Trump-Musk agenda – and now they’re terrified to be in the same room as the people who sent them to Washington,’ DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement on Friday. 

‘Instead of facing their constituents, they’re running scared and hiding from the people they were elected to represent. If they won’t talk to their own voters, then Democrats will. That’s why we’ll be hosting People’s Town Halls in all 50 states across the country, starting now with vulnerable GOP-held target districts. Working families deserve to have their voices heard, even if Republicans want to ignore them,’ Martin added. 

The NRCC said the protests that shut down Republicans’ town hall meetings were ‘manufactured productions.’ Fox News Digital reported last month about the coordinated effort by progressive groups protesting the Department of Government Efficiency. 

MoveOn.org, which has accepted millions of dollars from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Policy Center, announced in a press release last month that it was mobilizing resources as part of a ‘Congress Works for Us, Not Musk’ initiative ‘aimed at pressuring lawmakers to fight back against the Trump-Musk agenda’ at Republican town halls and offices. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Trump called the protesters who shut down Republican town halls ‘professionals’ and ‘paid troublemakers.’

‘Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

In addition to the mask guidance, the flier for next Friday’s event with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez includes typical safety precautions for large public events, including a request for anyone not feeling well to stay home.

‘Please note: no bags, signs, or firearms are allowed. Masks are advised for all attendees of this event. Anyone experiencing a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 is asked to stay home and not attend,’ it says on the RSVP. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ended their travel mask mandate on April 18, 2022. 

According to the CDC’s website, masks are still ‘recommended in indoor public transportation settings’ and ‘people may choose to mask at any time.’

The website advises people who are at medium to high risk of getting very sick to wear a mask or ‘consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public where you could be exposed.’

While the CDC has maintained that masking can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, other studies since the pandemic have brought into question the efficacy of wearing a mask. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Top House Democrat leaves Schumer in the cold amid left’s disarray on shutdown drama

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sidestepped questions on whether he had confidence in Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Friday.

The top House Democrat was directly asked about Schumer twice during a hastily-announced press conference to emphasize their opposition to Republicans’ government funding bill.

Early during the press conference, Jeffries was asked if it was time for new leadership in the Senate, to which he replied, ‘Next question.’

Jeffries gave the same exact answer when asked later if he had ‘lost confidence’ in Schumer.

Many say it’s a major public rift between the top two Democrats in Congress. Jeffries’ silence on his fellow New York liberal comes as other Democratic lawmakers aim their fury at Schumer for announcing he will vote with Republicans to avert a partial government shutdown.

Jeffries later emphatically pushed back when Fox News questioned whether he was ‘afraid to say anything about Schumer.’

‘Do not characterize my remarks. I’m not afraid about anything,’ Jeffries said.

When pressed again, he said, ‘Do you think that this is what the American people care about right now? Or do they want us to do everything that we can to stop this partisan and harmful Republican bill from actually becoming law? Because that’s what we as House Democrats are focused on right now.’

Jeffries avoided mentioning Schumer during his press conference, but reporters pressed him with questions about the growing rift between him and the senior Democrat.

He did not directly answer when asked if Schumer ‘acquiesced’ to President Donald Trump, only pointing out the vote had not yet taken place.

‘That’s a question that is best addressed by the Senate. The vote hasn’t taken place yet, and the House Democratic position is very clear. We strongly oppose any efforts to cut the healthcare of the American people, veterans benefits and nutritional assistance, all of which are in the partisan Republican bill,’ Jeffries said.

Democrats are in historic levels of disarray over a Republican bill to avert a government shutdown that’s been backed by Trump.

Progressives have been attacking Schumer for announcing he would not block the bill, but whether Republicans can find enough Democratic support to reach the necessary 60-vote threshold is still unclear.

The bill passed the House last week with support from just one House Democrat — Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.

The House and the Senate must send a bill to Trump’s desk by midnight Friday to avert a partial government shutdown.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Trump blasts Biden’s DOJ: They tried to turn US into a ‘corrupt communist’ third world country

President Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice of transforming the agency into the ‘department of injustice,’ as they sought to turn the U.S. into a ‘corrupt communist’ country. 

‘Our predecessors turned this Department of Justice into the Department of Injustice,’ Trump said Friday at the Department of Justice. ‘But I stand before you today to declare that those days are over and they are never going to come back.’ 

Trump routinely has blasted the Justice Department and the FBI since his first term for being corrupt, amid multiple investigations and lawsuits filed against him. The FBI investigated Trump and his 2016 campaign for alleged collusion with Russia, which ultimately found no evidence that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. 

More recently, Trump has come under legal scrutiny after former Attorney General Merrick Garland tapped former special counsel Jack Smith to conduct investigations into alleged efforts from Trump to overturn the election results in 2020, and Trump’s efforts to obtain allegedly classified materials at Mar-a-Lago following his first term as president. 

‘They tried to turn America into a corrupt communist and third world country, but in the end, the thugs failed and the truth won,’ Trump said. ‘Freedom won, justice won, democracy won. And above all, the American people won.’ 

‘There could be no more heinous betrayal of American values than to use the law to terrorize the innocent and reward the wicked,’ Trump said. ‘And that’s what they were doing at a level that’s never been seen before. And it’s exactly what you saw with Joe Biden, Merrick Garland and their cronies to do the building over the last four years. They ripped what they’ve ripped down is incalculable.’ 

A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Trump also accused the judicial branch of conspiring with the media, and accused newspapers and TV networks of functioning as a ‘paid political operative.’ 

‘It has to be illegal,’ Trump said Thursday. ‘It’s influencing judges … and it just cannot be legal. I don’t believe it’s legal, and they do it in total coordination with each other.’

Trump also accused a ‘corrupt group of hacks and radicals’ within the American government of targeting him and his family over the years, and claimed they sought to prevent him from ever returning to the White House again. Specifically, he said the government employed those like Marc Elias, the former chair of law firm Perkins Coie.

In April 2016, Perkins Coie hired opposition research firm Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research into then-presidential candidate Trump on behalf of Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee.

Fusion GPS then hired former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who authored the so-called ‘Steele dossier,’ which contained shocking and mostly unverified allegations, including details that Trump engaged in sex acts with Russian prostitutes. 

The FBI also used the dossier to obtain a surveillance warrant against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 

Trump routinely has denied the allegations included in the dossier, and signed an executive order on March 4 cutting off security clearances and federal access for Perkins Coie attorneys. 

In response, the law firm filed a motion in a federal court in Washington Tuesday requesting a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from rescinding its access to federal resources, and U.S. Judge Beryl Howell approved the request Wednesday afternoon. 

‘It is absurd that a billion-dollar law firm is suing to retain its access to government perks and handouts,’ White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a Wednesday evening statement to Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and David Spunt contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
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Business

Egg prices are falling, with a dozen now less than $5

After surging for much of the year, egg prices have declined sharply over the past week as consumers pulled back on purchases, allowing supplies to resettle at more normal volumes.

The result: The average cost of a dozen large white eggs is now $4.90, compared with an all-time high of $8.64 on March 5, the United States Department of Agriculture said Thursday.

That’s the lowest level registered since Dec. 20.

The prices for this measure remain significantly higher than the long-term average of around $2.

And the prices consumers are paying at the grocery checkout in the post-pandemic-lockdown era are still higher than their pre-Covid levels.

But in its latest daily market report, the USDA described underlying price trends as ‘sharply lower’ amid ‘light to occasionally moderate’ retail demand.

A USDA report a week ago said there had been a lull in outbreaks of the viral bird flu that has ravaged egg-laying poultry stocks, providing ‘an opportunity for production to make progress in reducing recent shell egg shortages.’

‘As shell eggs are becoming more available, the sense of urgency to cover supply needs has eased and many marketers are finding prices for spot market offerings are adjusting downward in their favor,’ the USDA said.

Shoppers, meanwhile, ‘have begun to see shell egg offerings in the dairycase becoming more reliable,’ the agency said.

Prices will also have more room to trend downward thanks to the Easter holiday falling three weeks later than last year, it said.

‘This will give the marketplace a change to adjust prices down to a more acceptable level ahead of the holiday demand season,’ it said.

Soaring egg prices had become a hot-button political issue in recent weeks, with the Trump administration’s Justice Department opening an investigation into the matter.

The rising prices also caused overall food-at-home cost to accelerate in recent months after it had cooled dramatically from the highs seen in the throes of the pandemic and post-lockdown period.

Still, food price levels remain higher across the board compared with the pre-pandemic era, thanks to the heavy bout of inflation the U.S. economy has experienced in recent years.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
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Winners, losers: Who’s done best with NFL free agency, ahem, 1 day old?

The NFL’s 2025 league year turned exactly one day old at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday … and so much has already happened. Naturally, many of the moves that were executed Wednesday afternoon and subsequently had been telegraphed well before football New Year’s Day – pending free agents permitted to negotiate and agree to deals earlier in the week, and several significant trades framed up even prior to that. Details, details.

As it pertains to this overview, the goal is to assess – yes, winners and losers (and notice the spiffy mirror image pattern!) – what’s transpired one day into free agency now that most of the major moves we knew were coming are officially official:

WINNERS

Howie Roseman

The forward-thinking, forward-leaning executive vice president and general manager of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles sweetened the deal of his (maybe arguably) best player, RB Saquon Barkley, when there was no contractual trigger to do so. Roseman also managed to re-sign All-Pro LB Zack Baun, who emerged as a key component of this team (and a Defensive Player of the Year finalist) – a critical move given the serious knee injury fellow LB Nakobe Dean suffered in the playoffs. And keep an eye on G Kenyon Green, who arrived via the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. A first-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2022, every reason to believe Green will finally approach his potential under the tutelage of offensive line guru Jeff Stoutland. Yes, the Eagles have bled some major talent (CJGJ, DT Milton Williams, OLB Josh Sweat), but Roseman has potential solutions in his proprietary pipeline, if not another ace up his sleeve.

Ja’Marr Chase

The Cincinnati Bengals have already openly committed to making their All-Pro wide receiver the league’s best-compensated non-quarterback. Then the cross-state rival Cleveland Browns made that at least a $40 million-a-year proposition – well beyond the $35 million annual benchmark Justin Jefferson set last year – after extending DE Myles Garrett. Best advice to Ja’Marr? Let Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pay LB Micah Parsons next … which would also doubtless mean an extended summer vacation for Chase.

Josh Allen

The reigning league MVP took a team-friendly extension with the Buffalo Bills – and, yes, six years and $330 million (with a record $250 million guaranteed) is team friendly given Allen left at least $30 million on the table by not taking the Dak Prescott market rate ($60 million annually). ‘It didn’t seem like from my perspective I was taking a whole lot less,’ Allen said Wednesday. “(I)t’s weird to say this, but what is ($5 million more per year) going to do for my life that I can’t already do right now?”

What not having that money is doing for Allen’s life is making it easier for the Bills to extend core players like DE Greg Rousseau and LB Terrel Bernard while signing free agent DE Joey Bosa and WR Josh Palmer.

Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks

40% of Colts’ 2024 Week 1 offensive line

Ex-Indianapolis G Will Fries and C Ryan Kelly were among the veterans who cashed in as the Minnesota Vikings began printing money following the departure of Darnold. (DTs Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, CB Byron Murphy Jr., S Harrison Smith and RB Aaron Jones also got their cuts.) Not all that hard to recruit and retain quality veterans when your quarterback is getting paid peanuts relative to his position’s overall pay scale. But, with the Darnold and Daniel Jones insurance plans now expired, 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy must prove he’s able to do in the NFL what he pulled off at Michigan – executing at an efficient (and sometimes spectacular) level without undermining all the talent that’s been amassed around him.

Cam Ward?

The Tennessee Titans haven’t made many (any?) headlines in free agency, though among their fairly quiet additions are LT Dan Moore Jr. – for four years and $82 million if you can believe it – and reliable G Kevin Zeitler. Maybe it’s reading tea leaves (and hearing rumors), but starting to seem like the foundation is being laid to take a quarterback – which would be Ward – at the top of the 2025 draft rather than trade out of the No. 1 spot and hope the lights fully come on for incumbent QB1 Will Levis in Year 3.

New England Patriots’ bid for Milton Williams

One of the Eagles’ pocket-pushing bullies last season, Williams heads to Foxborough after commanding the largest deal in terms of total money (4 years, $104 million) of any free agent who’s switched teams so far. He’s also the crown jewel of a Pats spending spree long on quality experience to reduce a glaring talent deficiency (CB Carlton Davis, OLB Harold Landry, LB Robert Spillane, OT Morgan Moses, WR Mack Hollins) if lacking star power.

Joe Thuney’s new team

The All-Pro offensive lineman was shipped from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Chicago Bears, who also obtained G Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams and signed highly regarded C Drew Dalman, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons. GM Ryan Poles fortified the other side of the trench, too, adding DT Grady Jarrett and DE Dayo Odeyingbo. First-year HC Ben Johnson and second-year QB Caleb Williams stand to benefit greatly after a lost rookie season for the apparent franchise passer – though that seemed more a function of a flawed staff than the talent that was already apparent on this promising roster.

Jayden Daniels

With a nod to second-year Washington Commanders GM Adam Peters, the team’s second-year quarterback is watching more talent materialize around him and his cost-controlled contract after the 2024 NFC runners-up acquired WR Deebo Samuel and LT Laremy Tunsil to shore up this offense’s major deficiencies. And sure is nice to get high-performing graybeards (and invaluable leaders) like Hall of Fame-caliber LB Bobby Wagner and TE Zach Ertz back.

Rams’ newest wide receiver

Davante Adams escaped the rebooting New York Jets, returning to his native West Coast and joining the suited-and-booted Rams. He deservedly – if surprisingly to some – landed as good a contract as any free agent wideout on a per-season basis ($22 million annually) after signing for two years and matching Chris Godwin’s haul (though that was something of a hometown discount for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is for three years). Adams’ stats were quite strong after he joined the Jets at midseason in 2024 (projecting to 104 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 TDs over 17 games) and could quite conceivably be better in a Sean McVay offense where Puka Nacua slots in as the primary receiver. Nacua even vacated his No. 17 jersey so Adams could continue sporting his familiar digits.

Aaron Rodgers

Now that the Jets have gotten around to officially releasing him, the four-time league MVP is a free agent for the first time after 20 seasons in the NFL. He’ll also doubtless be the belle of the ball for a period of time as he chooses his next team … though only because most folks have already left the dance.

Myles Garrett

LOSERS

Myles Garrett

That social media plea begging to leave Cleveland in order to pursue a Lombardi Trophy looks pretty weak after he accepted the Browns’ money rather than forcing the trade he could have eventually manifested. But to each his own.

Russell Wilson

Even as he begins proactively visiting potential employers like the Browns and New York Giants, he’s been pretty vocal – literally and also digitally – regarding his desire to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers, horrifically as his first season in the Steel City ended. But appears as if Mr. Unlimited’s options … are currently limited by Rodgers’ decision matrix, however long that takes to play out.

Rams’ ex-wide receiver (and an over-the-hill gang)

While Adams and Godwin got plenty of new money, Super Bowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp had to accept a release from the Rams he never wanted … though he will doubtless land on his feet, bag in hand, soon enough. Elsewhere, DeAndre Hopkins won’t make more than $6 million in 2025 to serve as what’s likely QB Lamar Jackson’s fourth option (at best) with the Baltimore Ravens. Elsewhere, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper – all will be past 31 by Week 1 and all seem past their primes to varying degrees – remain unemployed.

C.J. Stroud

He was Daniels circa 2023, an Offensive Rookie of the Year who sparked an unexpected turnaround and deep playoff run for the Houston Texans before watching the team attempt to fortify the roster around him in the following offseason – an effort that basically led to a lateral season for Houston. Now? Stroud looks on as his already shaky protection is stripped of Tunsil and Green while hoping that WR Christian Kirk, who was acquired for a song, can manage to be an effective alternative amid Diggs’ departure.

Joe Thuney’s previous team

The Chiefs managed to keep RG Trey Smith (franchise tag), LB Nick Bolton (extension) and WR Hollywood Brown (extension), but S Justin Reid will be missed, among others. Worse, the offensive line that utterly failed QB Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl apparently couldn’t afford to retain Thuney but took a two-year, $30 million flyer on former San Francisco 49ers backup Jaylon Moore in free agency … after failed flyers with Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia in 2024 before Thuney shifted over to left tackle out of necessity. That’s no longer an option.

Carolina Panthers’ bid for Milton Williams

Finalized > “working to finalize.” A bummer in Tar Heel Country, where the Panthers also (over?)paid Jaycee Horn to become the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

Shedeur Sanders?

Is his draft stock being torpedoed by nefarious forces? Let’s wait and see how it all plays out first, especially since Sanders has never projected as a diamond-cutting NFL prospect anyway and might wind up the beneficiary of a thin quarterback crop this year. But what is clear is that several of the QB-needy teams atop the draft board (Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints) have firmed up the position in some fashion while the Titans, Browns and Giants all seem to be lining up contingency plans of their own. Would it be a shock if Sanders still winds up in the top 10? A little but not necessarily. Would it be a shock if he slides into Day 2? A little but not necessarily.

60% of Colts’ 2024 Week 1 offensive line

LT Bernhard Raimann, All-Pro LG Quenton Nelson and RT Braden Smith constitute a strong foundation of a unit Indy GM Chris Ballard has routinely resourced. But … now they (and the rest of the team) will be hoping for the best as wildly inconsistent former first-round QBs Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones vie for starting duties on a squad that could be dangerous – particularly in the AFC South – if it gets at least passable play at its most important position.

Pete Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks

The greatest coach in Seattle’s history has, of course, been long gone … now joined by QB Geno Smith, WRs DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and quite a few more as ex-Seahawks while Schneider and Macdonald reimagine success for the 12s. But that’s fine. Carroll is only worried about where he made his soft landing, and Smith has reunited with him in a bid to revive the Raiders … who still seemingly have a long way to go in order to compete with the rest of the AFC West.

Nick Bosa

Not only did Buffalo outbid his 49ers for big bro Joey – precluding a Bosa brothers bull market in Silicon Valley – the Niners have also been shedding much of their veteran-laden (read: expensive) core amid something of a roster reset while laying the groundwork for the massive contract QB Brock Purdy earned years ago but only just became eligible to sign.

Joe Burrow

The superstar quarterback spent the early part of 2025 – when the Bengals were home for the playoffs – publicly pleading with his team to keep its talented core intact. And while Chase and franchise-tagged WR Tee Higgins are apparently sticking around, Cincinnati seemingly let itself get priced out of DE Trey Hendrickson’s market while letting Chase’s steadily spin out of control (though the Bengals may actually be holding Hendrickson hostage rather than legitimately allowing him to leave via trade). Burrow may have all the weapons he wants … and he may desperately need them to produce 40 points a week for this team to remain relevant.

Vic Fangio

The masterful coordinator of Philadelphia’s defense has lost four starters from his Super Sunday lineup – and that doesn’t include Williams, who subbed into the rotation that day. Fortunately for Fangio, Roseman has a strong succession plan in place – but he still doubtless has plenty of work ahead in attempting to maintain the level of a unit that finished the 2024 season ranked first overall before wrecking shop against Mahomes and the Chiefs.

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This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Top 25 NBA free agents for 2025: Who are best players available?

The NBA thrives on transactions and player movement. What team will a player join next?

That means it’s never too early for a discussion about free agency.

So while many teams are trying to get into the postseason and secure a playoff spot, all teams are focused on the future, which includes free agency this summer.

Some players are unrestricted free agents, which means they are able to sign with any team that offers a deal; restricted free agents can sign a contract with another team but the team he last played for has the right to match the offer and retain the player.

Some players have player options, meaning they can opt out of the final season of their contract and become a free agent or they can opt in and play out the final year of the deal. Similarly, some contracts have a team option on the final season of the contract, meaning the team can decide whether it brings the player back or allow him to enter free agency.

Here are the top 25 NBA free agents in 2025 (stats through games of March 11):

Top NBA free agents in 2025

1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers forward

2024-25 stats: 25 ppg, 8.5 apg, 8.2 rpg, 51.7% FG, 38.4% 3PT, 77% FT

James hit free agency last summer and signed a two-year, $101.3 million contract with a player option at $52.6 million for 2025-26. It’s likely James will become a free agent again and try to maximize his earnings (with the Lakers most likely) while including a no-trade clause in his contract. At every chance, James has indicated he is happy playing for the Lakers and living in the L.A. area. Plus, his son, Bronny, is under contract with the franchise. At 40 years old, James is still producing at an All-NBA level.

2. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks guard

2024-25 stats: 24.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.6 apg, 47.3% FG, 41% 3PT, 91.6% FT

Irving has a player option for 2025-26 and can become a free agent after this season. He can also remain in his contract at $43.9 million for next season and go to free agency in 2026. Irving sustained a season-ending torn ACL and will miss a significant portion of next season if not the entire season. Irving was an All-Star in 2025 and enjoying another stellar season before the injury. Given his injury and timeline to return, Irving may push free agency to 2026 – unless Dallas is ready to re-up with Irving on another contract. Regardless, with the Mavs trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, there are parts the Mavs need to resolve, which could impact Irving’s future.

3. James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers guard

2024-25 stats: 22.3 ppg, 8.7 apg, 5.8 rpg, 39.4% FG, 34% 3PT, 87.6% FT

Harden has a player option for 2025-26 at $36.3 million for the season. He can play out the final year of the contract or become a free agent in the summer. Still logging significant minutes (35 per game), Harden continues to produce, though his overall shooting percentage is the lowest of his career.

4. Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves forward-center

2024-25 stats: 18.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 46.9% FG, 31.7% 3PT, 82.1% FT

Randle is another player with an option for 2025-26. He can either finish the contract at $30.9 million for next season or become a free agent in the summer. What to watch here: Is the likely new ownership group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore ready to spend what it takes to keep the core roster intact?

5. John Collins, Utah Jazz forward-center

2024-25 stats: 18.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg, 52.4% FG, 40% 3PT, 85.4% FT

Collins also can choose to become a free agent this summer or play out the final season of his contract that will pay him $25.6 million in 2025-26. Collins has missed games due to injuries (back, hip) but is productive when on the court and can be a valuable third or fourth option on a playoff team.

6. Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves center-forward

2024-25 stats: 14.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1 bpg, 46.5% FG, 39.2% 3PT, 79.2% FT

Reid is headed for a big payday — whether it’s this offseason or the next. He’s under contract for 2025-26 at a team friendly $15 million for the season but can exercise his player option and become a free agent this summer rather than the summer of 2026. His production made it possible to part ways with Karl-Anthony Towns before the season.

7. Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors forward

2024-25 stats: 16.8 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.2. apg, 45.9% FG, 34.5% 3PT, 63.9% FT

Kuminga is a restricted free agent, meaning the Warriors can match any offer from other teams and retain him. He has missed time with injuries but he’s the kind of youthful, athletic big man the Warriors need.

8. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers center

2024-25 stats: 15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.6 apg, 47.5% FG, 39.7% 3PT, 77.2% FT

It seems Turner has been mentioned in trade talks for several seasons. Now, he’s in control of where he plays next season as an unrestricted free agent. Playing almost four more minutes per game this season than last, Turner remains a positive presence in the Pacers’ rotation.

9. Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls guard

2024-25 stats: 13.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 6.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 46.2% FG, 37.6% 3PT, 78.9% FT

Giddey is a pending restricted free agent in his first season with the Bulls after Oklahoma City traded him for Alex Caruso. Giddey does a little bit of everything for the Bulls, putting together career highs in assists, 3-point shooting percentage, 3s made per game and minutes.

10. Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets guard

2024-25 stats: 14.4 ppg, 5.8 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.6 spg, 38.3% FG, 34% 3PT, 82.4% FT

The Rockets have a team option to retain VanVleet for 2025-26 at $44.8 million for the season or they can make the veteran guard a free agent this summer. The Rockets have young players who are in line for lucrative extensions so it is worth watching what the front office – and ownership – decides to do.

11. Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets guard

2024-25 stats: 24 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.2 rpg, 44.3% FG, 34.9% 3PT, 88.3% FT

Thomas is a restricted free agent and headed for a raise on his $4 million salary in 2024-25. Limited by injuries that have sidelined him for more than half of the season, Thomas can still get buckets and drop 20-plus in just about every game.

12. Caris LeVert, Atlanta Hawks guard

2024-25 stats: 11 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.1 rpg, 47.4% FG, 39.2% 3PT, 71.3% FT

LeVert will hit unrestricted free agency this summer following a two-year, $32 million contract. LeVert had a nice season with Cleveland until it traded him, and he continues to excel as a scorer with Atlanta, where he’s getting more offensive opportunities.

13. Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks forward

2024-25 stats: 13.7 ppg, 2.2 apg, 8.3 rpg, 46.3% FG, 36.4% 3PT, 82.1% FT

Portis has a player option, so he would need to exercise it to remain with the team. Yet, if he opts to test the market, his ability to provide steady and solid scoring and rebounding off the bench could be appealing to any number of teams. A frequent contender for Sixth Man of the Year, Portis also brings instant energy and tenacity upon stepping on the floor.

14. Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs guard

2024-25 stats: 8.9 ppg, 7.9 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 spg, 41.9% FG, 37.5% 3PT, 93.9% FT

How much more does Paul want to play? He signed a one-year, $10.4 million contract last offseason and will have his choice of teams in unrestricted free agency if he wants to continue his playing career.

15. Quentin Grimes, Philadelphia 76ers guard

2024-25 stats: 12.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 47.8% FG, 39.1% 3PT, 76% FT

Grimes is a restricted free agent this summer, and he has made the most of his opportunity since being traded from Dallas to Philadelphia. Grimes has averaged 19.3 points on 50.2% shooting from the field and 39.1% on 3s and has scored at least 30 points four times in 12 games with the 76ers, including 44 in a victory against Golden State.

16. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Minnesota Timberwolves guard

2024-25 stats: 9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 44.3% FG, 39.7% 3PT, 75.9% FT

Alexander-Walker is in the final season of a two-year, $9 million contract, which makes him an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He has established himself as a viable rotation player.

17. Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies center

2024-25 stats: 12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.8 spg, 48.7% FG, 37.5% 3PT, 70% FT

Aldama is a restricted free agent in the offseason, and he has turned into a valuable big man for the Grizzlies’ formidable frontcourt. The fourth-year big is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage.

18. Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia 76ers forward

2024-25 stats: 15.1 ppg, 1.8 apg, 6.1 rpg, 1.5 spg, 47% FG, 29.3% 3PT, 75.1% FT

He has had to take on more responsibility with the series of injuries Philadelphia has faced this season, and Oubre has responded to become one of the team’s more consistent producers. He has plus athleticism, can get to the rim and his length allows him to defend many of the athletic wings in the NBA well enough.

19. Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks center

2024-25 stats: 8.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1 bpg, 55.9% FG, 53.6% FT

Capela is finishing a two-year, $45.8 million contract and is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Playing his fewest minutes per game (21.4) since 2015-16, Capela’s per-36 minutes stats reveal a noticeable contribution: 14.9 points, 14.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

20. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks center

2024-25 stats: 12.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.7 apg, 48.6% FG, 36.6% 3PT, 84.6% FT

Lopez has been a valuable player for the Bucks, who signed Lopez to a two-year, $48 million contract in 2023. Will the two sides be able to reach terms on a new deal in free agency and continue a mutually beneficial relationship, or will Lopez find a new team?

21. Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons guard

2024-25 stats: 16.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.7 apg, 44.1% FG, 42% 3PT, 65.4% FT

A veteran sharpshooter, Beasley is a plug-and-play sniper who should give any team instant contributions just from the volume of shots and accuracy he has from beyond the arc. Though he’s only an occasional starter, Beasley ranks ninth in the NBA in 3-point shots per game (9.3). But when lacing them at 42%, he should find plenty of suitors.

22. Al Horford, Boston Celtics center

2024-25 stats: 8.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 41.8% FG, 35.8% 3PT, 89.3% FT

This has been another fruitful relationship at the end of Horford’s career. Following the end of a two-year, $19.5 million contract with the Celtics, Horford is an unrestricted free agent. Though he’s not having as good a season as last season, he’s beloved by his teammates.

23. Dorian Finney-Smith, Los Angeles Lakers forward

2024-25 stats: 8.3 ppg, 1.1 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1 spg, 42.7% FG, 35.1% 3PT, 77.8% FT

Finney-Smith has a $15.3 million player option on the 2025-26 season. One aspect is certain: Since acquiring him from Brooklyn in a trade in late December, Finney-Smith has made the Lakers a better defensive team with his length and versatility.

24. D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets guard

2024-25 stats: 13 ppg, 5.1 apg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 spg, 38.9% FG, 31.9% 3PT, 84.7% FT

Though his scoring numbers are down, approaching his rookie season levels from 2015-16, Russell is still a player who can handle the ball and create for others, one who can ignite from 3-point range and one who can infuse instant offense into a system. Feasibly, what Russell has needed most is a clear definition of his role and stability.

25. Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets guard

2024-25 stats: 12.8 ppg, 6.1 apg, 5 rpg, 1.4 spg, 46.2% FG, 33.8% 3PT, 63.5% FT

Westbrook has a player option for 2025-26 at $3.4 million for the season. Was the partnership successful enough to get another season out of Westbrook in Denver? Will the Nuggets’ — and Westbrook’s — playoff success determine that?

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Biden White House turned over Trump, Pence government cellphones to FBI as part of anti-Trump agent’s case

The Biden White House turned over government cellphones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI in May 2022 as part of a bureau probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election, tying Trump to that investigation without sufficient predication, Fox News Digital has learned.

The FBI did not need a warrant to physically obtain the government phones from the Biden White House.

But after acquiring the devices, agents began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital.

‘The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s ‘gotcha’ scheme against Trump,’ a source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital. ‘Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, under the leadership of Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones in early May 2022. Weeks later, the FBI began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data.’ 

The phones were obtained and entered as evidence as part of the FBI’s original anti-Trump 2020 election investigation, which eventually was taken over by special counsel Jack Smith. That case was known inside the bureau as ‘Arctic Frost’ and was opened April 13, 2022, by anti-Trump former FBI agent Timothy Thibault. 

Thibault, according to whistleblowers, broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying Trump to the probe without sufficient predication. Thibault broke protocol by taking action to open the investigation and involve Trump despite being unauthorized to open criminal investigations in his role. Only special agents have the authority to open criminal investigations. 

Thibault vowed to make the investigation ‘prioritized over all others in the Branch’ and, at the time, commented that ‘it frankly took too long for us to open this (investigation),’ according to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

The FBI, by late April 2022, began scheduling more than a dozen interviews for the investigation in coordination with 13 FBI field offices across the nation, Fox News Digital has learned.

The revelations come from legally protected whistleblower disclosures provided to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senate Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Fox News Digital reviewed the disclosures. 

Grassley and Johnson sent the whistleblower disclosures and records to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel late Thursday.  

‘The new records we are making public point to an aggressive investigation run by anti-Trump agents and prosecutors intent on using every resource available to pursue Trump and his supporters,’ Grassley and Johnson wrote. 

The first record relating to the Trump and Pence phones was dated April 25, 2022, and noted: ‘DOJ and FBI were informed that government-issued cellphones that purportedly previously belonged to former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald J. Trump were in the possession of individuals at the White House. DOJ is currently conducting analysis regarding the FBI taking possession of and processing the phones.’ 

The records revealed that, on May 4, 2022, FBI agents took possession of the two phones belonging to Trump and Pence. The phones were entered into evidence and were not processed until search warrants were obtained, according to the record. 

On that same date, FBI agents interviewed Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su. A follow-up letter requesting additional information regarding the phones was then sent from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C., to White House Counsel Dana Remus May 9, 2022. 

Remus and Su declined to comment to Fox News Digital. 

A representative for former President Joe Biden did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether he was aware of the situation. 

Agents also sought to interview former Trump administration officials, including employees from the offices of the President and Vice President, DOJ and then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe is the CIA director in the second Trump administration. 

‘Sunshine is the best disinfectant,’ Grassley and Johnson wrote to Bondi and Patel Thursday. ‘The American people deserve to know the complete extent of the corruption within the DOJ and FBI that led to the investigation into President Trump.’ 

Grassley and Johnson said that they made the documents public ‘for purposes of public accountability and to provide specific examples of past behavior at your institutions that must not be repeated.’ 

‘Quite simply, the public has a right to know what happened in Arctic Frost, and, based on what we’ve exposed to date, the American people deserve better from its law enforcement agencies.

‘It is important that every individual at your agencies maintains the highest level of professionalism and does not allow political bias to motivate or guide their investigative work.’ 

Grassley and Johnson stressed that they ‘expect the production of all records related to the Arctic Frost investigation, including all internal records of investigative updates.’ 

‘In addition, we request data providing a true and complete breakdown of the total dollar amount spent on the Arctic Frost investigation before it was officially transferred to Jack Smith in November 2022,’ they wrote. ‘Please also include information related to travel funds and hours spent on the investigation.’ 

Grassley and Johnson gave Bondi and Patel a deadline of March 27, 2025, to turn over all records. 

FBI spokesman Ben Williamson told Fox News Digital the bureau is ‘in receipt of Chairman Grassley and Senator Johnson’s request.’  

‘As always per Director Patel’s directive, our team will work aggressively to comply with congressional requests,’ Williamson told Fox News Digital. 

As for Thibault, Fox News Digital exclusively reported in 2024 that he had been fired from the FBI after he allegedly violated the Hatch Act in his political posts on social media. Previous whistleblowers claimed Thibault had shown a ‘pattern of active public partisanship,’ which likely affected investigations involving Trump and Hunter Biden. 

Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a former Justice Department official, as special counsel in November 2022. 

Smith, a former assistant U.S. attorney and chief to the DOJ’s public integrity section, led the investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and whether the former president obstructed the federal government’s investigation into the matter.

Smith was also tasked with overseeing the investigation into whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote Jan. 6, 2021.

Smith charged Trump in both cases, but Trump pleaded not guilty.

The classified records case was dismissed in July 2024 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida Judge Aileen Cannon, who ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

Smith charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request. 

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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.

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. 

‘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.’

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. 

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.

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. 

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.’ 

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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.’

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.

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. 

Kennedy has been focusing on reforming food policies, expanding healthcare coverage and holding big pharmaceutical companies accountable since his controversial Senate confirmation last month.

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