Officials slam hospital food as health experts demand menu overhaul: 'Farm to gurney'

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to expand the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into hospitals, integrating federal nutrition standards into patient care.

On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, sent a memo directing hospitals to align their meals with the guidelines by reducing ultraprocessed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined carbohydrates and added sugars.

Kennedy reportedly shared that Oz’s memo effectively acts like a federal mandate, as hospitals may need to follow the dietary guidelines to maintain funding.

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Most hospital menus rely heavily on convenience foods, according to Dr. Hamid Khan, chief medical officer of Jorie AI, a healthcare revenue service.

"Patients are often served items such as pasta, processed deli meats, packaged snacks with artificial components, sugary desserts, cereals, juice and soda," he told Fox News Digital. 

"Although many hospitals have begun the implementation of 'healthier options,' the average menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition."

Larger concerns include high sugar and sodium levels, processed ingredients and refined carbohydrates in hospital foods, Khan said. "There seems to be a lack of high-quality protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats," he added.

Khan said he has seen patients order their meals from Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats because they felt the hospital menu options were not healthy enough.

"Most of the hospital meals do not provide adequate nutrients … to properly support healing, muscle maintenance, immunity or overall recovery," he told Fox News Digital.

"Poor nutrition only makes things worse for this patient pool," Khan went on. "Ultimately, poor nutrition is very harmful for elderly patients and people with chronic illnesses. They are at a higher risk for muscle loss, weakness, delayed healing, infection and re-infection."

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is partnering with Tampa General Hospital in Florida to transform hospital dining, introducing Mediterranean diet–inspired meals for patients.

Zakarian told Fox News Digital that hospital food is often a mix of "high desire, low-value and low-nutrition food," typically priced to meet a strict per-plate cost that hospitals cannot exceed.

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"[There is] very little emphasis on original, pasture-raised proteins and fats like eggs, whole dairy grass-fed beef and poultry, and unprocessed vegetables," he said.

In Tampa, Zakarian has been working since 2023 to eliminate all processed foods — removing items containing hormones, added sugars, seed oils and anything prepackaged.

"All the food originates from farms and gardens in and around Tampa," he said, calling the mission "Farm to Gurney."

Sec. Kennedy and CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a similar initiative at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami.

Vani Hari, known as the "Food Babe," told Fox News Digital that this is the first time leaders in Washington are openly acknowledging that food is medicine.

"The fact that they had to send a memo reminding hospitals of that tells you everything about how broken the system is," said Hari, who is based in North Carolina. "People are at their most vulnerable in a hospital bed – and for decades, nobody in charge seemed to care what they were eating."

Medicare and Medicaid fund the majority of inpatient services, including at least half of inpatient days at 96% of hospitals and two-thirds or more at 80% of hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

An AHA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that hospitals recognize nutritious food is an essential part of healing and recovery. 

"They are deeply committed to providing patients with high‑quality, nutritious meals that meet clinical standards, individual dietary needs and federal guidance," said the spokesperson. 

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Hospital teams collaborate with registered dietitians and clinical staff to make sure each patient receives meals tailored to their medical needs and recovery plan, according to the AHA.

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The spokesperson also said the organization regularly evaluates current evidence-based nutrition recommendations and integrates them into meal programs.

"Beyond the hospital walls, we partner with community organizations to expand access to nutritious food, provide education on healthy eating, and support initiatives that promote long‑term wellness," they added.

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Airman rescue shows US can penetrate enemy territory 'anywhere' in Iran, former Pentagon official warns

A former Pentagon official said the rescue of a U.S. airman in Iran served as more than a recovery mission, saying it was a warning to Tehran that the United States can penetrate anywhere in Iranian territory to carry out operations ranging from rescues to securing sensitive targets.

"This demonstrates to the Iranian leadership that we can get anywhere that we so choose and hold ground as long as we desire to accomplish a mission," Brent Sadler, a retired Navy captain, said on "Fox & Friends Weekend" Sunday.

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"Not only can we rescue our pilots, but we can also go to where we need to secure nuclear equipment or the remainders of their leadership."

Sadler's comments come after the rescue of a U.S. Air Force weapons system officer (WSO) early Sunday morning local time after roughly 36 hours in hiding.

The pilot and WSO ejected from an F-15E fighter jet when it was downed over Iran on Friday. The pilot was rescued that morning.

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Sadler said there have been reports that intelligence agencies and special forces from various military services were involved in the operation, and that America's regional allies also played a part.

"Our Gulf partners would have had to have given some clearance for the aircraft to fly through. They wouldn't know what it was for, and, of course, the Israelis, I think they [were] deeply integrated into this, to shift their targets and their attacks so that it would draw the Iranians away or keep them busy as we focused in on locating and exfiltrating our pilot."

Sadler added that the daring operation dashed any hopes Iran had of using the downed airman "for political purposes" or to stop U.S. military operations and said the successful rescue mission should underscore the seriousness of President Donald Trump's Monday deadline for Iranian leaders to return to the negotiating table.

"Despite going and hunting down and successfully exfiltrating our pilot, the operations and the attacks continued, which means that deadline that President Trump has given is very serious and the regime in Tehran better take it as such, because there's a lot more that's coming their way if not."

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Niki Taylor chooses Nashville 'privacy' after ‘90s supermodel fame

Supermodel Niki Taylor is no longer chasing the spotlight.

The ’90s fashion icon — once one of the most recognizable faces in fashion — has traded the chaos of international runways for a quieter life in Nashville, where privacy and family now take center stage.

Taylor reflected on the pace of her early career and why stepping back from the glare of fame ultimately brought her something more meaningful.

"I do prefer privacy and I have always been a bit of a loner," she told People. "I live life at a much more natural pace than I did in the ‘90s. I'm thankful that I was busy, but I was away from my sons Jake and Hunter more than I wanted to be. With Ciel and Rex I feel like I have had a lot better balance of family and work."

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It’s a stark contrast to the double life she led as a teen model — one that blurred the line between normal adolescence and international fame.

"In a way, I was living two different lives," Taylor, now 51, quipped, explaining that during her rise to fame, she was appearing in People magazine even as she was still getting written up for detention.

"I was trying to fit in at my high school, but then I would show up on set and all the other models I looked up to were 10 years older than me. There's no handbook for how to handle that."

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Behind the scenes, Taylor said she had a tightly knit support system that kept her grounded as her career skyrocketed.

"I was young enough that I always had an adult with me," she said of flying nonstop to fashion shoots around the world.

"When my dad walked in the room, people took note. He was a strong, handsome but gentle man. And so, along with him and my mom and manager, Jean, I had a solid support team around me."

These days, the pace is slower — but the work isn’t over, according to the fashion icon.

Taylor is still modeling, just on her own terms.

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"My day-to-day is simple," she said. "Being a mom, fitness and working pretty much define my days. Someone once said you spend the first 40 years acquiring, and the last 40 simplifying. I still am in love with the fashion business, but I love coming home to my family."

But fame didn’t come without a devastating loss.

Taylor’s younger sister, Krissy Taylor — a rising star in her own right — died suddenly of heart disease at just 17, at the height of her career.

"She was my best friend, she was my gravity … even to this day, I think about her all the time," Taylor previously shared with Fox News in an interview.

The sisters had shared not just a bond, but the runway — walking shows across Europe and landing major campaigns together.

"I don’t know how we got through it, but time has helped," she told People. "I think about her often. Like when I see a lifted truck, sunflowers, an old country song, sundresses, the beach, certain scents in the air ... yeah, it's often. In many ways, Krissy and I had a special bond that was almost like being a twin, even though she was younger than me. I think anyone who knows about Krissy knows that she was my best friend." 

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Nepal probe exposes $20M fraudulent rescue scheme involving lacing Mt Everest hikers' food: report

An investigation has exposed a nearly $20 million insurance scam in Nepal involving guides who allegedly fake or induce mountainside rescues, including by lacing the food of some hikers near Mt. Everest, according to a report by The Kathmandu Post.

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, where some adventurous individuals go to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. 

The mountain sits on the border of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

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The Kathmandu Post reported that after it highlighted the fraud in 2018, the government established a fact-finding committee, issued a 700-page report and declared reforms. 

But last year, the Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) reopened the matter and discovered that the fraud was increasing.

The outlet indicated that the CIB probe points out two main fraudulent scenarios.

One involves guides suggesting to tired adventurers who do not want to walk back that if they feign illness, a chopper will pick them up, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The outlet reported that, in the other scenario, guides and hotel staff, according to the CIB probe, have been coached to scare trekkers at high altitude, where altitude sickness can occur. They allegedly claim that the trekkers are in danger of dying and that only immediate evacuation will spare them. 

In some instances, investigators discovered that Diamox (acetazolamide) tablets, utilized to prevent altitude sickness, were given in conjunction with excessive water intake to cause the symptoms that would give grounds for a rescue, the outlet reported. 

In at least one instance noted in the investigation, guides allegedly laced food with baking powder to cause people to be unwell, the outlet stated.

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Police recorded a case in which four individuals were picked up on one chopper flight, but insurance claims were filed as more than one separate rescue, the report noted.

The framework tying the system of mass fraud together was detailed in police interrogations, according to the outlet, which reported that hospitals shell out 20% to 25% of the insurance money to trekking businesses and 20% to 25% to chopper rescue operators in return for patient referrals. 

Trekking guides and their businesses get a boost from inflated invoices, the outlet suggested. In some instances, tourists are offered money to join in the scam, The Kathmandu Post added.

In the period between 2022 and 2025, investigators found a whopping 4,782 foreign patients serviced at implicated hospitals, with 171 cases verified as fraudulent rescues, the outlet reported. During that span, Era International Hospital raked in deposits of over $15.87 million for such activities and Shreedhi International Hospital got more than $1.22 million, the outlet reported.

Mountain Rescue Service carried out 171 fake rescues from an overall 1,248 charter flights, scoring around $10.31 million from insurers, the outlet reported, adding that Nepal Charter Service executed 75 fake rescues out of 471 flights, claiming $8.2 million. Everest Experience and Assistance was allegedly tied to 71 suspicious rescues out of 601 flights, with claims of $11.04 million.

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CIB charged 32 people last month with offenses against the state and organized crime, the outlet reported, noting that nine individuals were arrested while others were said to be absconding.

Individuals from Mountain Helicopters, Altitude Air and Manang Air, which was rebranded as Basecamp Helicopters, as well as physicians and administrators with Swacon International Hospital, Shreedhi International Hospital and Era International Hospital were among the individuals who have been charged, the outlet indicated.

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Chicago mayor doubles down on illegal alien 'assault' comment after Sheridan Gorman's death

Chicago's mayor in a Tuesday news conference doubled down on recent comments that sparked backlash in the wake of the killing of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman.

At a "No Kings" rally in the Windy City on Saturday, Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed to stop "assaults" on immigrants. The comments came on the same day that Gorman was buried, drawing fierce criticism from some. The suspect in her murder is Jose Medina-Medina, 25, an illegal immigrant from Colombia.

"We have [to] end the assaults against immigrants," Johnson said at the rally. "We have to get active. First of all, we have to make sure that we're participating in our democratic process. We've already seen election shift around this country, so things are happening. We have signed multiple executive orders to force ICE out of the city of Chicago."

Asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he would apologize to Gorman's parents, Johnson ducked the question.

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"I will again acknowledge the tragedy of the loss of life here," Johnson said. "You know, look, burying a child is something that no parent should have to do, especially as someone who is a parent. The tragedy that occurred is one that, quite frankly — it challenges us to do better to ensure that we are protecting people — and you know, as far as the call for no kings, what I said, and I still stand by this, that we do have to protect working people. We do have to ensure that the immigrant community is not being assaulted."

"Violating people's Constitutional rights does not make us safer," the mayor continued.

He was asked the same question in a news conference last week, and also answered indirectly.

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"Will you take this opportunity to apologize to Sheridan's parents for the policies that you have promoted, that have directly caused her death? That suspect would not be in the city, would not be in the country, but for your policies. Will you take this opportunity to apologize?" a reporter asked.

"Once again, I believe that we're all grieving the loss of Sheridan and other folks who have lost their lives because of senseless violence," Johnson responded. "And let's just be very clear, between the SAFE-T Act and the welcoming city ordinance, the welcoming city ordinance was passed 40 years ago by the first Black mayor in the history of Chicago, and the SAFE-T Act was passed under the governor at that time, who was a Republican."

Medina-Medina is accused by prosecutors of hiding behind a lighthouse before running toward Gorman and her friends, firing his weapon indiscriminately. The alleged murder took place in the early morning hours of March 19.

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The illegal alien suspect has been charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, aggravated discharge of a firearm and illegal possession of a weapon.

Medina-Medina entered the country illegally under the Biden administration and was released into the country, DHS said.

Medina-Medina was arrested in 2023 and charged with shoplifting after he allegedly stole just over $130 in merchandise from a Macy's in downtown Chicago. He failed to appear for court hearings related to that case, and an arrest warrant remained active until the alleged murder.

Gorman's family ripped Johnson for his initial response to her alleged murder. 

"What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to a ‘senseless tragedy,’ nor can it be explained in general terms about public safety. Sheridan was our daughter. She was 18 years old. She was doing something entirely normal—walking near her campus with friends. She should be here," the family said. 

"Calling this ‘senseless’ is not enough. There must be a clear and honest accounting of what went wrong," the family added. "We will not allow Sheridan’s life to be reduced to a talking point or a generalization. We expect leadership that is willing to confront hard truths and ensure that what happened to her does not happen again."

The suspect's lawyer says that after crossing the border illegally, he was bused from Texas to Chicago, despite requesting to be sent home to Columbia, according to The Chicago Tribune. The governor's office reportedly said they have no record of busing Medina-Medina anywhere.

Johnson's office declined to comment.

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DeSantis calls for impeachment of judge for releasing sex offender who then allegedly killed stepdaughter

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed new crime accountability laws Tuesday and ramped up his calls for judges to be held accountable for releasing criminals who commit further violent crimes, using the power of impeachment.

"We live in a time where some people just don't get it, and that includes some of these judges who just don't want to hold these people accountable to the fullest extent of the law," DeSantis said at a news conference to announce the signing of Missy’s Law.

"Now that is not going to be a problem."

DeSantis urged the Florida House to impeach Leon County Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper, who released a convicted sex offender on bond before sentencing, saying the decision helped lead to the later alleged murder of the man’s 5-year-old stepdaughter.

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"To my friends in the Florida House of Representatives, I don’t think what you’ve done is enough," DeSantis said. "You have the power, and you have sufficient numbers in your chamber, to impeach this judge, Tiffany Baker-Carper.

"Until you start holding these judges accountable, they are going to continue to find ways to benefit the criminal element."

Baker-Carper allowed Daniel Spencer to remain free after his conviction in an underage sex sting case. Spencer was later charged, along with Chloe Spencer, in the 2025 killing of his stepdaughter, Missy Mogle. The state is seeking the death penalty for both.

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"This is an outrage," DeSantis said. "This should be such an easy call to make sure that this guy was put behind bars, and this judge refused to do it, knowing the risks. And the result has obviously been a tragedy."

DeSantis noted the Florida State Legislature has more than the two-thirds majority needed to pass an impeachment of a judge.

"Honestly, I think some Democrats would vote to impeach, given what happened in this case," he said.

Baker-Carper won her judicial seat Nov. 3, 2020, becoming the youngest woman and youngest Black candidate elected judge in Florida's 2nd Judicial Circuit.

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Missy’s Law's requires judges keep defendants convicted of dangerous crimes in custody, pending sentencing.

"It’s a miscarriage of justice, a dereliction of judicial duty," DeSantis said. "If we had this bill in place then, Missy would be alive today."

DeSantis added that "the legislation's great," but the Florida State Legislature should be the next to take action to hold the judge accountable.

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"Some of these judges are going to find other ways to benefit the criminal element unless they know there's going to be a really significant check and balance that's going to be administered to them," DeSantis said.

The Republican governor also signed House Bill 1159, which is aimed at strengthening protections for children and enhancing penalties for and expanding criminal offenses related to child sexual abuse material.

"Justice demands that those who victimize innocent people face swift and meaningful consequences," DeSantis said. "Today, I signed two important bills to strengthen law and order in Florida by holding dangerous criminals and sex offenders accountable for their crimes. In Florida, we will always fight to protect our children and deliver justice for victims of crimes."

Missy's Law strengthens Florida’s pretrial detention system for specified dangerous crimes. Under the law, individuals found guilty of or entering a plea for a dangerous crime will be immediately remanded into custody and held without bond while awaiting sentencing. The legislation also expands the statutory list of dangerous crimes to include certain computer pornography and child exploitation offenses, ensuring individuals arrested for these crimes are not automatically released at their first appearance.

"Last year, we proposed Missy's Law after the tragic murder of 5-year-old Missy Mogle at the hands of a convicted, abusive pedophile who was allowed to remain out on bond by Judge Tiffany Baker," Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said. 

"Missy’s Law removes judicial discretion and ensures dangerous criminals are locked up after conviction. I am grateful to Governor DeSantis for signing this bill."

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