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These 7 kitchen tools can sneakily help lower your grocery bill
The average American family is spending more than ever at the grocery store, and, for a lot of people, it’s because convenient items like pre-cut vegetables, pre-shredded cheese, single-serve snack packs and bottled water drive up the cost. With the help of a few nifty kitchen tools like veggie choppers, cheese graters, water filters and reusable containers – and a few extra minutes of prep time – you can help save yourself money in the long run.
Original price: $49.99
Pre-peeled and pre-chopped produce might be the most convenient choice at the grocery store, but it actually drives up the price (and tends to spoil faster). This chopper tool dices, slices and spiralizes fruits and veggies in seconds. It has four stainless steel cutting options – a fine dicer (great for onions, carrots and celery), a medium dicer (great for tomatoes, potatoes and peppers), a ribbon blade and a spiral blade (great for veggie noodles). The easy-grip handle ensures controlled operation and the rubber base keeps the BPA-free plastic 5-cup container steady as you use it.
Shred your cheese, not your budget. Skip the pricey pre-shredded bags and grate cheese fresh with this stainless steel rotary tool. It comes with multiple blades – one doubles as a mandoline – so you can slice or shred cheese and veggies for nachos, pizzas, sandwiches and more.
Original price: $149.95
Skip the overpriced pre-cut produce section entirely with these razor-sharp Henckels knives. The 15-piece set (which includes a pair of kitchen scissors and a honing steel) makes it easy to chop, slice and dice everything from onions to melons – saving you time, money and a lot of hassle in the kitchen.
Ditch bottled water and save hundreds when you opt for a Brita water pitcher, which filters out chlorine, mercury, copper and more so your tap water tastes better and costs less. Each 10-cup pitcher fills about three 24-ounce reusable bottles. Need more? Upgrade to the Brita UltraMax dispenser for fewer refills.
No more wrestling with tough skins or sticky juice. This clever tool cores and slices whole pineapples in minutes using sharp, serrated blades so you can skip the overpriced pre-cut tubs and enjoy fresh fruit hassle-free.
Original price: $19.99
Stop overpaying for jarred garlic – whole cloves are cheaper, fresher and last longer. With this garlic press, you can mince what you need, when you need it. The stainless steel tool has a comfy grip, plus a silicone peeler and cleaning brush to make prep (and cleanup) easy.
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Original price: $149.99
While not a necessity, if you tend to splurge on green juices or prefer the taste of fresh-squeezed orange juice, this juicer from Ninja is worth considering. For the price of around 10 pre-packaged juices, you can make them at home. The stainless steel blades squeeze every last bit of flavor from your favorite fruits, veggies and greens, and you can even customize it for your desired amount of pulp.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get these items sent to your door ASAP. You can join or start a 30-day free trial to start your shopping today.
Giants rookie gives explicit non-answer about reason for latest benching
New York Giants rookie pass rusher Abdul Carter and head coach Mike Kafka were deceptive when asked why the former Penn State standout was benched to start their game Monday against the New England Patriots.
Carter, who had already seen some of his playtime squandered because he missed a team meeting, didn’t exactly go into detail after the game.
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"S--- happens," Carter said when he was asked to comment about his second benching in three weeks.
"I ain’t going into detail. S--- happens," he responded when asked again.
Carter didn’t appear to like being asked a third time as he referred to the other two comments he made about it.
GIANTS ROOKIE BLITZES REPORTS HE WAS DISCIPLINED FOR SLEEPING DURING TEAM MEETING
Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka was also less than forthcoming about the reason to bench Carter.
"That was a coach’s decision – my decision," Kafka said, adding that it was based on how things were going during the week. He denied that it was a disciplinary reason.
"It’s unfortunate, but it’s kinda the way we worked with it this week."
Carter had four tackles and a sack despite him missing the first two series of the game. The Giants lost the game 33-15 and started the first half down 30-7.
The Patriots had 395 total yards on offense and were 6-of-13 on third downs. New York has yet to win a game on the road, falling to 0-8 this season.
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Hidden cause of veterans' struggles drives renewed urgency in VA messaging
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Honoring America's veterans means more than reflecting on their service now and then. It means supporting those still fighting battles that are largely unseen by others.
Advocates are spotlighting a nationwide effort to end veteran suicide. The effort is 24/7.
The Ad Council and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are partnering on a campaign called "Don’t Wait. Reach Out." It encourages veterans to seek help and connect with the resources they deserve.
VETERANS DESERVE 'NATIONAL MOMENT OF GRATITUDE' ON VETERANS DAY TO HELP HEAL 'UNSEEN WOUNDS'
The campaign strongly urges any vets who are struggling to seek help for their life challenges before they reach a crisis point.
Suicide was the 12th-leading cause of death for veterans in 2022, with an average of 17.6 veteran suicides per day, according to the 2024 National Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
An estimated 3.5 million veterans who are familiar with the campaign have taken action to seek help when they were struggling, according to the VA.
"No mission should be fought alone. Life has its challenges. You don’t have to solve them alone. That’s true whether it’s an everyday struggle, or something more complicated," the campaign's website notes.
For anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts: "Don't Wait. Reach Out." Visit VA.gov/REACH for resources today.
Watch the new public service announcement here.
MILITARY HEROES TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE WITH HELP OF UNIQUE 'COFFEE MEETINGS'
U.S. Army veteran Aaron Knowles is involved in the campaign and said he's honored to be involved in something so personal to veterans nationwide.
"To speak to those who may not feel worthy of the title 'veteran' is such a meaningful chance to remind them they absolutely do belong, that growth and camaraderie are still theirs — and that new missions and opportunities are always within reach," said Knowles in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council, told Fox News Digital the group has seen progress in preventing veteran suicide, though there's still work to be done.
"We’re committed to keeping this message front and center year-round. While we know that the holidays can be especially hard for many, the reality is that veterans can struggle at any time," said Arthur.
She added that the "goal is always to encourage veterans to reach out if they’re struggling and to remind them that their experiences are valid, and that support is always within reach."
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The "Don’t Wait. Reach Out." campaign lists resources concerning money, career, education, relationships, and substance abuse challenges.
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Resources that address feelings of depression, isolation and PTSD are also shared.
Veterans may be struggling if they are experiencing sleep or fatigue issues, facing financial difficulties, having trouble managing stress, feeling bothered by traumatic memories, using alcohol or drugs in unhealthy ways or struggling with personal relationships, according to the campaign.
The campaign noted that friends and family should "start the conversation" by sharing their own feelings — and reminding veterans that they care and are ready to listen.
Suggestions include such words as, "I might not be able to understand exactly what you’re going through or how you feel, but I care about you and want to help," and "When you want to give up, or feel overwhelmed by emotion, take things in smaller chunks, like getting through the next minute, hour or day — whatever you can manage."
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The campaign advises friends and family not to argue, lecture, agree to confidentiality or blame themselves.
For more information, anyone can explore details on "Don't Wait. Reach Out."
Texas mother demands answers after 19-year-old daughter found dead hours after college tailgate
The mother of Texas A&M sophomore Brianna Aguilera, 19, said she’s not satisfied with information regarding the death of her daughter and is still "awaiting answers" about what happened to her.
Police have publicly maintained that the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Aguilera’s body at an Austin, Texas, apartment just hours after she attended a college tailgate show "no indications of suspicious circumstances."
The Austin Police Department said officers responded to reports of an unconscious person at an apartment in the 2100 block of Rio Grande Street around 12:50 a.m. Saturday.
Aguilera "was pronounced deceased on scene," according to police.
"At this time, the incident is not being investigated as a homicide, and there are no indications of suspicious circumstances," APD said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The cause of death will be determined by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation remains ongoing."
Although APD’s story has not wavered, Aguilera’s mother, Stephanie Rodriguez, has publicly signaled that she believes the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s final hours do not add up.
"This was not accidental. Someone killed my Brie and gave all the group of friends a lot of time to come up with the same story," Rodriguez wrote on Facebook. "My daughter would not jump 17 stories from a building and to be labeling this as a suicide is insane."
"My daughter loved life and was excited to graduate and pursue her career in Law. Austin PD and Detective Marshall are not doing their jobs! How is it that certain friends left immediately and the person who was living at the apartment complex vacated her apartment ASAP?"
A GoFundMe page set up for the family states that Aguilera attended the UT vs. Texas A&M tailgate on Friday and that "the details surrounding what happened next remain unclear, and her mother is still awaiting answers."
CRUISE TRAGEDY: ‘I AM NOT OKAY,’ SAYS MOTHER OF 18-YEAR-OLD FOUND DEAD ABOARD CARNIVAL SHIP
Although Rodriguez has not accused anyone directly, her public comments make clear she does not feel she has been given an adequate explanation of how her daughter went from attending a college tailgate to being found dead at an Austin apartment within hours.
In her emotional message posted to the fundraiser, Rodriguez writes that the sudden loss of her daughter left her devastated and questioning the events of the night.
"I’m so grateful for your love and support at this moment," she said. "The unexpected loss of my brie brie has been a tremendous challenge… I’ve experienced every parent’s worst fear."
She also states that she is leaning on the strength of her community but is still processing the limited information she has received. She goes on to say that her daughter "touched so many hearts" and that supporters will be notified once funeral arrangements are finalized.
Fundraiser organizer Amabelii Fernandez says the family is struggling as they wait for clarity.
"Our hearts are shattered," the GoFundMe states.
After donations passed the goal, Fernandez wrote, "I will leave the donations open so that my aunt can comfortably grieve through this unimaginable loss."
Aguilera is described on the page as a driven student who graduated magna cum laude from United High School in Laredo and was studying at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.
As of Tuesday, police have not released any additional investigative findings.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the organizer through the GoFundMe fundraiser for comment but has not immediately heard back.
The case remains open pending the medical examiner’s report.
Recordings of Brian Walshe played as prosecutors outline alleged love triangle murder
Brian Walshe, the 50-year-old Massachusetts man accused of killing his wife after uncovering an affair between her and a friend in Washington, D.C., returns to court Tuesday for the second day of his murder trial.
Walshe's defense attorney, Larry Tipton, said during his opening statement Monday that Walshe found his wife dead in her bed but did not kill her. Tipton said evidence would show a "sudden, unexplained death" and that such a thing "happens." He denied the prosecution's allegation that his client was aware of Ana Walshe's suspected affair.
Walshe is accused of killing Ana, dismembering her and hiding her body — after searching the internet for information about the man she was seeing behind his back.
WATCH A DEADLY MARRIAGE ON FOX NATION
"The defense can argue that the search shows the awareness of a name, not that he knew about a romantic relationship," said Randolph Rice, a Maryland attorney and legal analyst who is following the case. "That distinction matters because without clear knowledge of an affair, the state's motive theory gets a lot weaker."
Walshe already pleaded guilty to lesser charges of misleading police and unlawful conveyance of human remains.
Cohasset Police Sgt. Harrison Schmidt will come back to the stand after prosecutors said they intend to continue questioning him and also to play about 40 minutes of additional excerpts from his interviews with Walshe prior to the defendant's arrest.
Prosecutors played more than an hour of similar recordings Monday, in which Walshe spoke calmly with detectives with sporadic interruptions from his three children as their mother was unaccounted for in early January 2023.
BRIAN WALSHE DEFENSE SAYS HE FOUND WIFE DEAD IN BED, DENIES UNCOVERING AFFAIR AS MURDER TRIAL BEGINS
"I would never do anything to my wife," he told Schmidt at one point, after Ana's death. "I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my wife. I'm still going to."
Massachusetts State Trooper Nicholas Guarino, an expert on digital forensics, is expected to take the stand next and discuss Walshe's alleged Google searches, which included the name of the man involved in an affair with Ana, 39, and for information on how to dispose of human remains.
Guarino testified earlier this year in another high-profile Massachusetts murder trial, reading text messages sent between Karen Read and John O'Keefe. Read was acquitted of all homicide-related charges in the death of her former boyfriend, O'Keefe, and convicted of drunken driving.
Prosecutors have alleged two possible motives in the case.
The first is that Walshe allegedly uncovered an affair between his wife and a Washington, D.C., realtor, who is expected to take the witness stand Thursday.
The other is that Walshe allegedly believed that if his wife was out of the picture, and he was the only caretaker for their three children, he could have a chance of avoiding prison in connection with a federal art fraud conviction.
He faces up to life in prison without parole if convicted in Ana's death. Her remains have not been found.
Dems, media credibility in shambles as press fixates on Trump MRI after years downplaying Biden health issues
The White House released President Donald Trump's MRI results on Monday amid mounting scrutiny over the president's health and his age of 79 while serving as commander in chief.
Four years ago, however, the media was overwhelmingly silent on the topic of presidential health when the then-oldest sitting president during his term, Joe Biden, led from the Oval Office in a health saga that has continued long after Biden dropped out of the 2024 federal election and exited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on Jan. 20.
Media outlets and others heightened scrutiny of Trump's health earlier in 2025 when he was spotted with swollen legs in July while attending the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey, as well as other photos stretching back to February showing bruising on his hand.
The media has most recently been focused on an MRI scan Trump received during a checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland in October, which was described as routine by the administration, with Trump's physician reporting that Trump is in "exceptional health." The checkup was Trump's second in 2025, following an April visit that Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the physician to the president, said found Trump "remains in excellent health."
WHITE HOUSE PROVIDES TRUMP HEALTH UPDATE AFTER MRI SCAN CONCERNS SWIRLED
The White House railed against left-leaning media outlets’ recent focus on Trump’s health as "garbage narratives," accusing them of having previously downplayed "Joe Biden’s severe mental health decline" while he was in the Oval Office.
"No one believes the failing legacy media’s disingenuous obsession about President Trump’s health because we all just watched them actively cover up Joe Biden’s severe mental health decline for the past four years," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital on Monday.
"The facts are clear: President Trump has shared several comprehensive medical updates, in the effort of total transparency, all of which show he is in excellent health. The fake news media pushing garbage narratives about President Trump’s energy levels while they get to publicly question him nearly every single day is why Americans’ trust in the media just hit a new all-time low."
Fox News Digital took a look back at the mainstream media's coverage of Biden's health before dropping out of the 2024 presidential race at the 11th hour amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity, and the media's recent focus on Trump's health and evaluations.
Trump has railed against the media for their focus on his health that he said is cast in a negative light despite the administration releasing details to the public on Trump's check-ups. Trump, for example, slammed The New York Times in November for publishing a piece focused on him serving in the Oval Office at 79 years old while facing the "realities of aging." Trump described the article as a "hit piece" that follows years of the media reportedly publishing "purposely negative" articles.
Following reporters questioning White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about details surrounding the MRI in November, Trump told the media on Sunday evening when pressed about the scan that he would release the MRI results to the public amid media scrutiny.
The White House released Trump's MRI results on Monday when Leavitt read the report to the media that found Trump was in normal and good health.
"The purpose of this imaging is preventative to identify any issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure the president maintains long-term vitality and function," Leavitt said. "… Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health."
TRUMP REVEALS HE HAD 'PERFECT' MRI DURING RECENT WALTER REED PHYSICAL
Left-leaning and mainstream outlets have pressed the White House about Trump’s health for months, a shift that intensified after photos of his swollen legs and a bruised hand surfaced online. While Trump entered his second term as the oldest person ever inaugurated at 78, the questions did not escalate until this summer. The White House attributed the bruising to frequent handshakes and said the swelling stemmed from chronic venous insufficiency — "a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70," according to Leavitt.
The media has previously come into the White House's line of fire over its heightened focus on Trump's health after Biden's presidency, which reached a crescendo in July 2024 when Biden dropped out of his re-election race at the 11th hour amid mounting concern that his mental acuity had slipped.
"I can tell you there was certainly a lack of transparency from the former president, from the entire former administration," Leavitt told reporters in April. "And frankly, a lot of people in this room, when it came to the health and the competence of the former president of the United States, Joe Biden."
The Trump administration, as well as conservative critics and liberal journalists, have repeatedly slammed the reported cover-up of Biden's declining health after a wave of political memoirs recounting the 2024 and Biden presidency, including alleging that Biden staffers were aware of and fretted about the president's mental decline, but publicly promoted him as physically and mentally fit to serve as president.
Biden's mental acuity had been under conservatives' microscope since before the 2020 election. Concerns among the mainstream media, however, did not heighten until February 2024, when special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents as vice president, announced he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling Biden "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."
Conservatives railed that the report proved Biden's mental acuity was, in fact, on a steady decline, pointing to the president's increasingly mumbled public remarks, a high-profile fall while boarding Air Force One in 2021 and another fall while on a bike ride in Delaware in 2022.
Biden has denied that he suffered a cognitive decline while in the White House, including during a May interview on "The View," when he said new books detailing an alleged mental decline were "wrong."
The media did grill then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in June 2023 over Biden's repeated public falls, including when he fell during the Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony in Colorado and stumbling on a flight of steps in Japan that year. But it wasn't until 2024 that the White House press corps repeatedly pressed the administration on the president's health.
TRUMP DECLARED IN 'EXCELLENT OVERALL HEALTH' BY DOCTOR AFTER WALTER REED VISIT
The final year of Biden's presidency included a handful of public gaffes and missteps, including former President Barack Obama seen taking Biden’s wrist to seemingly lead him offstage at a fundraiser in Los Angeles in June 2024 and another viral video showing the then-president standing relatively motionless during a Juneteenth concert event at the White House.
The Biden White House brushed off concern surrounding the videos by describing the footage as "cheap fakes," which the administration described as real videos that are cropped or edited in an allegedly deceptive manner.
Concern over Biden's mental acuity hit a fever pitch in June 2024 after he took the debate stage to face off against Trump in the election cycle. Biden's debate performance was seen as a failure, with traditional allies soon joining conservatives in their concern over the president's health in the context of encouraging Biden to pass the mantle to a younger generation of U.S. leaders.
"Is anyone in the White House hiding information about the president’s health or his ability to do the job day to day?" a journalist asked Jean-Pierre during the first press briefing after the disastrous debate.
Another said: "You’ve said a couple of times now that the White House has provided thorough medical records for the president. The White House released a six-page summary back in February. I don’t think that was a full accounting, necessarily. And Dr. O’Connor, in that memo, described the president as quote, ‘a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.’
"I think that is clearly not what the majority of Americans are seeing," the reporter added.
While yet another pressed: "Why not release more about his medical — his physical and mental health? Why not?"
The 46th president ultimately dropped out of the race at the end of July 2024, giving his successor for the nomination, former Vice President Kamala Harris, just over 100 days to rally support.
Concern over Biden's health has carried into the Trump administration, with the Biden team announcing in May that the former president was undergoing treatment for advanced prostate cancer that had not been detected when he was in the Oval Office. In addition, Trump has railed against his predecessor's use of an autopen to sign official presidential documents, including executive orders and pardons, and announced he would terminate all documents signed by the autopen.
The lack of media coverage over Biden's health was underscored during the White House Correspondents' Dinner in April, when an Axios reporter who authored a book on Biden's health decline ripped the Biden administration and his media colleagues for a "cover-up."
"President Biden’s decline and its cover-up by the people around him is a reminder that every White House, regardless of party, is capable of deception," Alex Thompson, Axios reporter and co-author of "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," said during the dinner.
"But being truth tellers also means telling the truth about ourselves. We, myself included, missed a lot of this story. And some people trust us less because of it. We bear some responsibility for faith in the media being at such lows," he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office for any comment and update on his health and recent media focus on Trump's health but did not immediately receive a reply.
Your brain doesn’t age the way you think — new research upends old beliefs
Previous research has found that the human brain reaches maturity sometime in the 20s, but a new study suggests that it never stops developing.
Neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge have identified "five major epochs," or stages, of brain structure, according to a press release from the university.
Over the lifespan, the brain "rewires to support different ways of thinking while we grow, mature and ultimately decline," the researchers noted.
BRAIN HEALTH WARNING SIGN COULD BE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, SAY RESEARCHERS
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications and led by Cambridge’s MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, examined the brains of 3,802 people between birth and 90 years old.
They were compared using a specialized MRI scan that tracks how water molecules move through the brain tissue, the researchers stated.
The study pinpointed the following five broad phases of brain structure, separated into four "turning points" between birth and death.
In the childhood era of the brain, rapid growth and "network consolidation" occurs, including the expansion of grey and white matter and the stabilization of the brain surface. Grey matter is responsible for processing information in the brain, while white matter enables communication, according to the researchers.
There is also an overproduction of neuron connectors, or synapses, which are whittled down so only the most active ones survive.
BRAIN AGING MAY SLOW WITH GREEN TEA, WALNUTS AND TINY SWAMP PLANT, STUDY FINDS
"Across the whole brain, connections rewire in the same pattern from birth until about 9 years old," the researchers noted.
At 9, the brain experiences a "step-change" in cognitive capacity and an increased risk of mental health disorders.
In the adolescence stage, which lasts on average until the age of 32, the growth of white matter continues, while the brain’s communication networks become more refined and efficient.
There is also an increase in connectivity, which enhances cognitive development and learning, the study found.
These developments peak in the early 30s, which is defined as the "strongest topological turning point" of the entire lifespan.
Around age 32, the "most directional changes in wiring and the largest overall shift in trajectory" occur, lead researcher Dr. Alexa Mousley, a Gates Cambridge Scholar, wrote in a statement.
"While puberty offers a clear start, the end of adolescence is much harder to pin down scientifically," she said. "Based purely on neural architecture, we found that adolescent-like changes in brain structure end around the early 30s."
Adulthood is the longest era of brain development, lasting more than three decades. In this stage, the brain architecture stabilizes with no major turning points, corresponding with a "plateau in intelligence and personality," the researchers echoed from other studies.
Meanwhile, regions of the brain during adulthood become more compartmentalized or "segregated."
Around year 66, there are no major structural shifts, but researchers still pointed to "meaningful changes" in the pattern of brain networks. This re-organization is most likely related to general aging, coinciding with reduced connectivity and the degeneration of white matter.
According to Mousley, people at this age face an increased risk of health conditions that can affect the brain, like hypertension.
The final brain structure occurs at around 83 years old. While data is limited for this era, there is a noticeable shift in the decline of brain connectivity and an increased reliance on certain regions, the researchers noted.
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Senior author Duncan Astle, professor of neuroinformatics at Cambridge, commented in a statement that "many neurodevelopmental, mental health and neurological conditions are linked to the way the brain is wired."
"Indeed, differences in brain wiring predict difficulties with attention, language, memory and a whole host of different behaviors," he said.
"Understanding that the brain’s structural journey is not a question of steady progression, but rather one of a few major turning points, will help us identify when and how its wiring is vulnerable to disruption."
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This research is the first to identify major phases of brain wiring across a human lifespan, Mousley commented.
"These eras provide important context for what our brains might be best at, or more vulnerable to, at different stages of our lives," she said. "It could help us understand why some brains develop differently at key points in life, whether it's learning difficulties in childhood or dementia in our later years."
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Paul Saphier, a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey, commented that although he agrees with the concept of stages of brain aging, the "segregation they proposed is a little bit broad."
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"I think there are more discreet fundamental aging milestones earlier on," he said. "From birth to 9 years old, there are substantial changes that occur."
Saphier, who was not involved in the study, noted that certain factors can influence brain aging, such as stimulating children's brain development with verbal, written, mathematical and musical skills.
"At the opposite end of the spectrum, continuation with these tasks helps prevent accelerated aging in the later years of life," he said.
Lifestyle factors like healthy diet, limited alcohol intake and avoidance of illicit drug use and smoking can also help promote long-term brain health, according to the expert.
Saphier added, "We also know from research in the ‘blue zones’ that people who live in socially active communities and avoid isolation also have increased brain health and longevity with lower rates of dementia."
'Franklin the Turtle' publisher condemns Hegseth's 'unauthorized use' of character in narco-terror meme
The publisher of the iconic children's book series "Franklin the Turtle" issued a statement on social media Monday condemning Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's "violent" and "unauthorized use" of their character in a meme posted to X.
On Sunday, Hegseth shared a meme parodying the "Franklin" series, depicting the turtle firing a rocket-propelled grenade launcher at armed men in boats under the title "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists."
"For your Christmas wish list…" Hegseth joked when sharing the fake book cover.
TRUMP SAYS HE BELIEVES HEGSETH '100%' ON VENEZUELAN DRUG BOAT STRIKE DENIAL AMID ALLEGATIONS
The Canadian publisher behind the "Franklin" series, Kids Can Press, condemned the secretary’s meme in a statement posted to its social media accounts the next day.
"Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," the statement read. "We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values."
When asked for comment by Fox News Digital, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded, "We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels … or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists."
The meme appeared to reference ongoing U.S. strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, which have stirred up controversy over the last month as detractors argue that the strikes are illegal due to them not receiving congressional approval.
Hegseth and the Trump administration have faced mounting scrutiny over their strikes on suspected "narco-terrorists" after it was revealed that a second strike was carried out on a Venezuelan drug boat in September.
On Monday, the White House confirmed and defended the second strike, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters that the strike was conducted "in self-defense" in international waters "in accordance with the law of armed conflict."
The Washington Post reported Friday that Hegseth verbally ordered a Sept. 2 attack to kill everyone on board the alleged drug boat, prompting calls from lawmakers for greater oversight of the strikes.
The Post reported that a second strike was conducted to take out the remaining survivors on the boat.
HEGSETH SAYS MILITARY CONDUCTED ANOTHER STRIKE ON BOAT CARRYING ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS
According to the Post, the commander overseeing that operation told colleagues on a secure conference call that survivors were legitimate targets because they could still alert other traffickers, and ordered the second strike, citing Hegseth’s directive that everyone must be killed.
"As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland," Hegseth wrote on X on Friday.
"As we’ve said from the beginning and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,’" Hegseth continued. "The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization."
Fox News' Diana Stancy and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Fox News Lifestyle Newsletter: Man eats 1,000 sardines in 30-day diet experiment
FISHY BUSINESS - A researcher ate 1,000 sardines in 30 days and lost 6 pounds while boosting omega-3 levels to "dolphin-like" heights in an extreme diet experiment.
TABLE FOR WHO - Younger diners are bringing back a retro restaurant trend to connect with strangers.
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HOLIDAY HAVOC - A Thanksgiving dinner table collapsed during a New Jersey family's celebration, sending trays of food crashing to the floor in a viral video.
FLIGHT BITES - America's top airport snacks have been revealed.
SEAT EATS - A new study suggests that certain foods may help protect heart health by preventing some of the blood vessel damage caused by long periods of sitting.
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Justice Department considers pursuing new indictments against James Comey, Letitia James: report
In the wake of a federal judge's moves last month to dismiss separate indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Department of Justice is considering possibly pursuing new indictments against the two figures, according to Politico.
The outlet reported that two individuals familiar with the cases indicated that the DOJ is seriously thinking about refraining from appealing the dismissals and is instead seeking new indictments against Comey and James.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ, which did not provide comment.
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Last week, senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed indictments against Comey and James, asserting that the appointment of Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney violated the law and Constitution.
In Comey's and James' separate cases, the judge wrote that "because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will… dismiss the indictment without prejudice."
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Responding to the judge's moves last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the judge was attempting to "shield" Comey and James from "accountability" and said that the DOJ would appeal.
"And it is our position that Lindsey Halligan is extremely qualified for this position, but more importantly, was legally appointed to it," she told reporters outside the White House.
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"We'll be taking all available legal action, including an immediate appeal, to hold Letitia James and James Comey accountable for their unlawful conduct," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a press conference last week.