Can America become a leader in helping infertile couples? More and more couples are struggling with infertility, unable to conceive. According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility. In the United States, 19% of childless married women aged 49 and younger are unable to get pregnant after trying to for a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF), a medical process that involves fusing the sperm and egg into an embryo in a lab setting and then implanting one or more of the created embryos into the mother. But what if there was a different way? Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and James Lankford, R-Okla., introduced Thursday the Reproductive Empowerment and Support Through Optimal Restoration (RESTORE) Act. “The holistic fertility policy promoted through the RESTORE Act aims to treat the root causes of infertility, many of which stem from chronic conditions and environmental factors that are the focus of President [Donald] Trump’s MAHA movement,” said Hyde-Smith in a statement. Many couples, if certain conditions were treated, might be able to conceive naturally and not require IVF to have a child. But our current medical system isn’t ideal for couples looking to treat root causes, rather than start IVF. Take the story of Marie and Joseph Meaney, who struggled with infertility for nine years before having their daughter, Therese.  “Early in our marriage, we realized that babies weren’t arriving as we had hoped, and we were devastated. The thought of a life without children stretching out in front of us seemed like one unending heartbreak,” write the Meaneys in “Treating Infertility: The New Frontier of Reproductive Medicine,” a March Heritage Foundation report. Ultimately, the Meaneys, who had moral objections to IVF, decided to pursue treatment using Natural Procreative Technology (generally dubbed “NaProTECHNOLOGY”). The couple traveled from their home in Virginia to Omaha, Nebraska, where NaPro founder Dr. Thomas Hilgers practices. “Dr. Hilgers’ various treatments have proved far more successful than IVF (ranging from 81.9% in case of anovulation [ovulation not occurring], 56.7% in case of endometriosis, to 38.4% in case of tubal occlusion [blocked fallopian tubes]), yet the average gynecologist remains completely ignorant of this option for couples suffering from infertility,” write the Meaneys. The NaPro treatment is not a simple fix necessarily. The Meaneys describe a variety of treatments they experienced from surgery to extensive tracking of Marie’s menstrual cycle and symptoms to specialized massages designed to treat endometriosis tissue. But shouldn’t Americans like the Meaneys who wish to avoid IVF, whether because of moral or financial concerns, have a way to get such treatment without flying to another state? The RESTORE Act would provide resources and training for medical professionals interested in learning more about treating reproductive health conditions and infertility. It would also direct the Department of Health and Human Services to study how much access Americans have to restorative reproductive medicine, or medicine that seeks to treat infertility by identifying and healing the root causes. Last year, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy signaled his support for exploring why so many are struggling with infertility. “We are going to investigate the alarming decline in fertility,” Kennedy posted on X in September. “We will evaluate research implicating chemicals like glyphosate, BPA, heavy metals, xenoestrogens, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and so on. We will look into nutritional factors too.” “Why are sperm counts declining year after year? Why are girls reaching puberty so early? Why are so many couples infertile? The American people deserve answers, and we will provide them,” he added. Dr. Casey Means, Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, has also raised questions about how we’re handling the infertility crisis. In her book “Good Energy,” which she wrote with her brother Calley Means, Means notes that polycystic ovary syndrome often causes female infertility, but that the focus is often not on treating the syndrome. Instead, medical professionals push patients to use IVF. “[V]ery few of the women who elect for these invasive procedures [assisted reproductive technology] are told by their doctor the root causes of their infertility, or how to reverse them,” she writes. Means also notes that men are suffering a fertility crisis, too—and obesity, which is correlated with a higher chance of having zero sperm count, might be part of the reason. “Assessing the data holistically, it appears that modern diet and lifestyle are sterilizing the human population in part through Bad Energy,” she concludes. Right now, many American couples who desire children can’t have them. That’s not just a personal crisis, especially not in an era where our birthrate is falling below replacement rates. Clearly, the status quo isn’t working for too many couples. Let’s give the MAHA movement the chance to give couples some promising new options.   The post The MAHA Approach to Infertility appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Chris LaCivita's Homecoming

Tim Dillon is hard to pin down, politically speaking. He’s no progressive but he chafes at some conservative platforms. He’s not aghast about Trump 2.0 but doesn’t agree with the President’s aggressive, anti-illegal immigration measures. One thing is clear. Dillon sees right through today’s Legacy Media outlets. The comic sat down for a long chat with CNN's Elle Reeve this week. He delicately debunked some of the reporter’s stubborn narratives piece by piece. The biggest? Dillon and his podcast chums helped Donald Trump win re-election. He didn’t scream or yell. Nor did he turn the conversation into a “clown nose on/off” affair. He spoke clearly and patiently, even when Reeve clung to her narratives like Kate Winslet staying afloat in 1997’s “Titanic.” In the process, he mocked the far-Left news outlet to its face. Dillon started by sharing why audiences no longer embrace Legacy Media outlets as they once did. He didn’t bring up the extreme bias or relentless Fake News attacks. He chose a more elegant approach.     “The news has said a variation of the same thing for a very long time,” Dillon began. “And people tend to get bored.” Sources like CNN and Fox News “fell on opposite sides of the same question,” he added. He said younger Americans grew up online and prefer digital news sources, not the “fake, stilted corporate speak of the traditional legacy media.” Ouch. Later, Reeve pressed Dillon on the power of the so-called “Dudebro” podcast universe, but he stuck to his argument. “I don’t know if it’s that comedians have gotten smarter or the media’s gotten dumber,” Dillon said, lobbing the journalist’s question back at her. “The media has become predictable and boring, and the Internet has been an antidote to that.” Other revelations from the long-form interview: Dillon says his podcast bookers reached out to both Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Tim Walz to appear on his podcast, presumably before Election Day. Both declined the invitation. Dillon also shut down the interviewer’s insinuation that he and his fellow podcasters (Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Andrew Schulz) tipped the election in Trump’s favor by inviting the former president and future Vice President J.D. Vance on their shows. Dillon skewered the talking point with restraint. “It would be pretty difficult to look at these podcasts … after running an incredibly unpopular candidate who was introduced very late in the race because an elderly man who could not be the president who everyone was told was functioning as the president for the past four years,” he said before they were interrupted by heavy winds outside of their taping studio. He pressed on. “[Kamala Harris] was somewhat unpopular and wasn’t a star in Democratic politics before this at all, and her communication strategy was pretty weak. Most people have admitted that. So to hang this defeat all on a few podcasters and to say that they were the problem, I just don’t buy the narratives,” he said. “It’s a great way to excuse running an unpopular candidate on a platform American people weren’t sold on.” Reeve wouldn’t give up her narrative. So Dillon kept setting her straight. “The idea that the power that Theo Von has would be equal to the power of the intelligence agencies or these massive Legacy Media institutions seems crazy,” Dillon said.

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Tom Cruise revealed that a game of phone tag and some old-school Hollywood finesse got the city back in the swing of production during COVID-19 shutdowns.Cruise gave an exclusive interview to "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday ahead of the premiere of "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," the eighth movie in the franchise that has spanned 29 years.'I don't take no for an answer, really.'Host Pat McAfee asked Cruise if he felt the weight of the movie industry on his shoulders during COVID-19 shutdowns. Hollywood came to screeching halt in March 2020 and did not resume filming until June, and even then only with heavy restrictions. Cruise is widely credited for getting the industry moving again that summer."Yeah, I did," Cruise replied. "It's not just about the films I'm making. The difference in movies and other sports is I've never felt competitive with other people. I'm like, 'I want everyone to do well.'"Cruise explained that while productions were firmly shut down, he had a conversation with his lead producer and said they needed to figure out how to get the cameras rolling.After the producer agreed, Cruise then pulled off one of the greatest Hollywood capers of all time.RELATED: California gas-car ban overturned by Senate Tom Cruise attends the 'Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning' Mexico red carpet. Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images for Paramount PicturesCruise went to into his bag of tricks on his first call with a movie studio. He picked up the phone and asked a studio head, "You guys shooting?"Cruise recalled, "He's like, 'No, no, we can't. We're all shut down for that.' I said, 'Oh, wow. ... You know we're shooting our movies.' And they were like, 'What?' I said, 'Yeah, yeah, we're making our movies.'"Referring to "Top Gun: Maverick" and the latest "Mission: Impossible" sequel, Cruise faked that he was continuing production in order to string studio heads along. Cruise knew that if he could convince other studios that he was still filming, they would start their own productions, which in turn would actually get his movie the go-ahead to resume."I called back a week later, and I was like, 'How's it going?'" the movie star continued. "They said, 'Oh yeah, we're shooting our films.' And I said, 'Cuz we're coming out next summer, you know. ... So you know we're on this date. I hope you're not on this date.'" They're like, 'Well, you know we're making our movie. We're coming out next summer.'"Cruise then called the studio he was working with and said, "Look, all these guys are making movies. We got to make movies!"RELATED: Trump’s new tech policy director doesn’t want you to 'trust the science' The 62-year-old actor said if he had not pulled the slick moves, he would not have been able to finish "Top Gun: Maverick" in post-production and he would not have been able to carry on with the sequel of his best spy films.Cruise also noted he got on the phone with governments, production companies, and those responsible for COVID protocols to map out safety precautions to please the powers that be."Everyone was kind of like, 'No, you can't do this; no, you can't do that.' I don't take no for an answer, really, Pat," Cruise told the host.After establishing the production restrictions, Cruise resumed filming in the U.K. in July 2020 with special permissions from the government. They began with outdoor scenes but were able to avoid a two-week quarantine requirement for actors who were flying in and out to film.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Chicago police allegedly found a "chunk of hair" embedded in the smashed windshield of a vehicle they pulled over last week — and it just so happens that officers were investigating a fatal hit-and-run in the area, CWB Chicago said.One factor that helped turn the case toward getting solved was that police allegedly noticed that the hair in the windshield resembled the hair of the deceased 76-year-old hit-and-run victim, the outlet noted.Tolefree was charged with failure to report a fatal accident — which is a felony.Patrolling officers on the city's South Side found the victim lying lifeless in traffic lanes near 70th Street and Western Avenue just before 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday, CWB Chicago said.RELATED: Chicago-area Democrat mired in scandal reportedly joins all-out brawl at public meeting, loses shoe, thrown to floor Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago TribuneWitnesses told officers they saw the driver of a speeding silver vehicle strike the man while traveling north on Western, the outlet said, citing a police report — and the driver kept going.More from CWB Chicago: About 30 minutes later, officers at the crash scene saw a silver Hyundai Santa Fe travel past them with a heavily damaged front end and a “large crack” in the windshield, the report said.Cops tried to stop the car, but the driver took “an unusual amount of time to pull over,” according to their report. Once the driver stopped, the cops allegedly found a “chunk of hair” similar to the victim’s embedded in the windshield. They said they also noticed Svedka vodka bottles on the passenger seat and under the driver’s seat, the report said.Arresting officers said the driver, 29-year-old Nyamca Tolefree, asked “multiple times” to lean on their squad car so she could stay upright. Their report said they could “smell a heavy odor of alcoholic beverage” on her breath and body and said she exhibited “slurred, thick tongued and stuttered speech.”Tolefree urinated on herself while riding to the hospital in the back seat of a squad car, CPD’s arrest report said. She refused sobriety tests and made “multiple utterances” about being involved in a crash while driving, according to the report.While police initially indicated that Tolefree faced a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol, the outlet said prosecutors didn't end up charging her with DUI.CWB Chicago said, however, that Tolefree was charged with failure to report a fatal accident — which is a felony. She also was cited for transporting alcohol as a driver, failure to exercise due care, and failure to reduce speed, the outlet added.Judge Luciano Panici Jr. ordered Tolefree detained pending trial, CWB Chicago reported.Blaze News reached out to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for comment, particularly in regard to why Tolefree wasn't ultimately charged with DUI — and officials there responded to Blaze News on Wednesday, saying they "approved the felony charge of Leaving the Scene of a Fatality, and the misdemeanor charge filed by police was dismissed." The CCSAO added that Tolefree remains in custody at the Cook County Jail, and her next court appearance is scheduled for June 4."As this matter is pending litigation, we are unable to further comment," the CCSAO added to Blaze News.RELATED: 'F*** this car up!' Thugs climb on Tesla's hood amid Chicago street takeover, repeatedly pound, kick car — then one idiot gets schooled on Newton's third law of motion - YouTube youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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I live for those moments when a status screen pops, a level ding hits, and my brain fires dopamine. Give me clear numbers, give me loot, let me watch a plucky noob snowball into raid-boss material. Game-logic anime delivers that loop in story form, so I binge like it is double-XP weekend.

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