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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years. FREQUENT HEARTBURN MAY BE A WARNING SIGN OF A MORE DANGEROUS CONDITION, DOCTOR SAYSThe study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH MAY TRAVEL TO THE GUT AND TRIGGER STOMACH CANCER, RESEARCH FINDSAfter adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIESThese findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERHowever, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZA key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.

When I testify on Capitol Hill, I’ll be addressing the fact that my home state of Ohio is not immune to the sophisticated fraud and abuse plaguing Medicaid and other government programs nationally.Wherever there are big government programs backed by big government spending, there will be people who find ways to exploit loopholes and lax controls to fill their own pocketbooks.Left unaddressed by the state bureaucracies, these weaknesses invite outside manipulation and erode public trust. The crimes are even worse when they affect the most vulnerable among us, taking resources for programs that serve truly needy residents.VANCE-LED TASK FORCE CUTS OFF $1.4B FROM HOME HEALTH, HOSPICE PROVIDERS SUSPECTED OF FRAUDI’ve been sounding the alarm about Medicaid fraud, waste and abuse since becoming Ohio’s Auditor of State in 2019. I’m thankful more people are taking notice and voicing a commitment to addressing the misuse of tax dollars.The Ohio Department of Medicaid makes up the biggest part of the state’s biennial budget, with about $40 billion annually in the state general fund and federal funding directed to health care and related programming for about 2.9 million lower-income residents, older adults, individuals with disabilities, pregnant women, infants and children, and others. It’s a large, complex program administered (often inconsistently) with confusing rules and ample system and human error.Year after year, my office has pointed out issues in the Medicaid system and error rates that are likely leading to hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in potential fraud, waste and abuse. Consider:Most recently, the annual State Single Audit reported an error rate of 15.6% for payments made for services for residents who had died or were otherwise ineligible for Medicaid programming, meaning potential unallowable costs of $800 million to $4.4 billion. That’s not including the dozens of other Medicaid provider audits we’ve conducted that have included more than $20 million in improper payments in the past seven years.The list goes on and on.These are not minor bookkeeping errors. They are the direct result of an administrative unwillingness to enforce the strict boundaries of the law.One glaring example involves Medicaid-funded home healthcare. Federal law requires states to use Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) systems to confirm that in-home services actually occurred before payments are processed.In 2024, we found that roughly half of Ohio’s Medicaid-reimbursed home healthcare services skipped this required verification entirely, despite a $146 million investment to implement the system. This lack of agency enforcement leaves the backdoor wide open for unscrupulous providers to engage in improper billing for services that may never have occurred.Furthermore, recent reporting has raised questions about unusual provider concentrations and billing patterns within Ohio’s home healthcare sector, particularly within a small geographic area of Franklin County.My office is independently evaluating these anomalies to expose any bad actors involved. That said, we must distinguish between identifying risk and making criminal allegations. Audits expose internal control failures; investigators and prosecutors must determine if specific conduct constitutes fraud.Still, ignoring repeated warning signs is irresponsible. Every dollar lost to outside exploitation is a dollar unavailable to Ohioans who genuinely rely on these services.These problems are entirely fixable. Leadership is committed to accountability, but success requires state agency administrators to match that commitment. Stronger eligibility verification, better cross-state coordination, and ruthless enforcement of EVV requirements will restore program integrity.My office will continue independently auditing state programs and reporting findings transparently. Ohio taxpayers deserve competent stewardship of public dollars, and vulnerable residents deserve confidence that the resources intended for their care are rigorously protected from abuse.

All flights out of Kuwait Airport were halted after it was hit by Iranian missiles and drones, injuring several people and causing extensive damage.

“Dramatically Less Accessible To The Average Fan”: Knicks Finals Tickets At MSG Sell From $3K To $280K

For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks are heading to the NBA Finals. For fans, it’s a dream decades in the making. For anyone hoping to attend a game at Madison Square Garden, however, that dream comes with a staggering price tag in the thousands of dollars. 

The 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs have produced some of the most expensive basketball tickets ever recorded. Secondary-market prices have surged to levels that rival — and in some cases exceed — major championship events such as the Super Bowl.

The cheapest tickets available for Knicks home games in the Finals have generally been listed between $3,600 and $4,100. Reports from TickPick, SeatGeek, and other ticket marketplaces showed get-in prices exceeding $3,800 for some Madison Square Garden games, while average ticket prices in New York have hovered around $6,000.

Even compared with the already-expensive games in San Antonio, Madison Square Garden stands in a category of its own. While some Spurs home games have had entry prices closer to $1,200-$2,000, New York’s home games have consistently commanded much higher premiums.

The biggest shock has come at the luxury end of the market. One pair of courtside Knicks Finals tickets reportedly sold for nearly $280,000 on the secondary market. Individual premium seats have been listed for well into six figures, with some season-ticket holders reportedly considering offers approaching $100,000 per seat.

To put that into perspective, the cost of sitting courtside for a Knicks Finals game can exceed the price of a luxury automobile or a down payment on a home in many parts of the United States.

Several factors are driving the unprecedented demand. First, the Knicks have not appeared in the NBA Finals since 1999, creating nearly three decades of pent-up demand among one of sports’ largest fan bases. Second, Madison Square Garden has a relatively limited seating capacity compared with many newer arenas. Finally, the New York metropolitan area contains one of the world’s largest concentrations of affluent sports fans and corporate buyers willing to pay premium prices for marquee events.

The combination has created a perfect storm in which demand dramatically exceeds supply.

The difference between today’s prices and those from the Knicks’ previous Finals appearances is striking. According to reporting comparing 2026 prices with the 1994 NBA Finals, upper-level seats that once cost roughly $35 now carry prices well above $1,700, while even the least desirable seats for the current Finals often cost several thousand dollars.

In inflation-adjusted terms, Knicks Finals tickets have become dramatically less accessible to the average fan.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 06/03/2026 – 06:55

Anyone who travels a lot knows the moment. You reach the TSA line, your bag slides off your shoulder, your boarding pass is somewhere on your phone and your passport somehow sinks to the bottom of your carry-on. Samsung wants to make that routine less annoying.The company has partnered with CLEAR to launch Samsung ID with CLEAR, a free digital ID inside Samsung Wallet. It uses information from a U.S. passport and lets eligible Galaxy users verify their identity at more than 250 TSA checkpoints that support digital IDs.That sounds incredibly convenient. Still, this new feature also raises a bigger question. How much of your identity should live inside one app on your phone?If you use an iPhone, we break down Apple’s version here.GOOGLE CHROME AUTOFILL NOW HANDLES IDSSamsung ID with CLEAR is a mobile digital ID stored in Samsung Wallet. It is backed by information from your U.S. passport and verified by CLEAR.Once approved, you can use it at supported TSA checkpoints by presenting your phone instead of digging out your physical ID. Samsung says travelers can present the ID with a tap or QR scan.That could make a real difference when you are juggling a carry-on, laptop bag, coffee and impatient travelers behind you.Woncheol Chai, EVP and Head of Digital Wallet Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said the feature is designed to make airport travel and identity verification “easier and frictionless” for users.However, this feature does not mean you should leave your passport or REAL ID-compliant document at home. Keep a physical ID with you in case TSA needs it or a checkpoint does not support digital ID verification.Right now, Samsung ID with CLEAR has a few important limits. Samsung says the feature is available to U.S. passport holders and works only at select TSA checkpoints that support digital ID verification.Samsung Wallet itself requires a compatible Samsung smartphone, Android 9.0 or higher and a Samsung account. However, availability can still depend on your phone, airport and TSA reader support.That means you should not assume every TSA lane will accept it. Look for a supported digital ID checkpoint before relying on your Galaxy phone.1 BILLION IDENTITY RECORDS EXPOSED IN ID VERIFICATION DATA LEAKHere’s how Samsung says you can add Samsung ID with CLEAR to Samsung Wallet:CLEAR verifies U.S. passports added to Samsung Wallet, then Samsung Wallet stores the digital ID on your phone.Once your Samsung ID with CLEAR is approved, you can use it at supported TSA checkpoints. Samsung and CLEAR say travelers can present the ID with a tap or QR scan.That means you may be able to keep your physical passport in your bag while moving through airport security. Still, Samsung notes the feature only works at select TSA checkpoints with compatible TSA reader machines. A boarding pass may also still be required for ID verification at the checkpoint.So, the smart move is simple. Use the phone for convenience, but keep your backup ID close.BIOMETRIC IRIS SCANNING LAUNCHES IN US CITIES FOR DIGITAL IDENTITYSamsung says Samsung Wallet now supports passports, travel, age 21+ checks and other government use cases through this CLEAR integration. The company also says Samsung ID with CLEAR can be used at select sporting arenas, including BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.Samsung isn’t the only tech company moving in this direction. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet also support passport-based digital IDs for domestic TSA checks at select airports. The difference here is that Samsung’s version uses CLEAR for identity verification and places the credential inside Samsung Wallet.That could make venue entry and age checks faster. Instead of handing over your driver’s license or passport, you may be able to verify from your phone.This is where the bigger digital wallet race gets interesting. Your phone already stores payment cards, tickets, boarding passes, keys and loyalty cards. Now identity is becoming part of that same experience.Samsung says Samsung ID with CLEAR requires fingerprint or PIN access. The company also says Samsung Knox helps secure the digital ID on Galaxy devices and that ID information is encrypted directly on the device.That should give users some confidence. However, convenience always comes with tradeoffs.A digital ID can reduce how often you pull out your passport. It can also lower the odds of leaving your ID behind at a checkpoint, bar or stadium counter.At the same time, your phone becomes even more important. If it gets lost, damaged, locked or drained, you need another way to prove who you are.Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturerBefore adding your passport to Samsung Wallet, update your phone and Samsung Wallet app. On your Galaxy phone, go to Settings → Software update → Download and install. To update Samsung Wallet, open the Galaxy Store or Google Play Store → search Samsung Wallet → tap Update if one is available.Also, make sure your Samsung account has strong protection. Go to Settings → tap your Samsung account name at the top → Security and privacy → Two-step verification and make sure it is turned on.Use fingerprint authentication or a secure PIN. To check this, go to Settings → Security and privacy → Lock screen → Screen lock type, then choose a stronger unlock method. Avoid obvious PINs like birthdays, repeated numbers or your street address.11 EASY WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR ONLINE PRIVACY IN 2025You should also keep your physical passport or REAL ID-compliant document in a safe pocket of your bag. That gives you a fallback if a TSA reader is unavailable or your phone fails.Finally, review what you store in Samsung Wallet. Open Samsung Wallet → tap All → review your cards, passes, IDs and keys. Digital wallets can be useful, but they should not become a messy drawer for every credential you own.Samsung ID with CLEAR could make travel feel a little less frustrating. For frequent flyers, the appeal is obvious. Your phone is already in your hand, your bag is probably full and the TSA line rarely feels like the place to start searching for documents. Still, this is about more than airport convenience. The more your phone becomes your wallet, key ring, boarding pass and ID holder, the more you need to protect it like the center of your digital life. Digital IDs may soon feel normal. For now, Samsung ID with CLEAR looks useful, but your physical passport still deserves a safe spot in your bag.Would you trust your phone enough to use it as your main ID at the airport, or does that feel like giving one device too much control over your life? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.comSign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportCopyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Aaron Donald hasn’t played since 2023, and, after recently turning 35, has taken up golf, so everything about his life suggests that life is good and he’s not coming out of retirement to resume his 10-year NFL career. Or is he?Nah. His wife, Erica Donald, had heard the rumors and mostly dismissed them as “hilarious” on Tuesday.So the idea that the Los Angeles Rams — setting themselves up for a Super Bowl run after they just traded for All-World pass rusher Myles Garrett, after adding a star starting cornerback duo, after getting the word from MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford that he’s playing in 2026 — would be unbeatable with Donald coming back is crazy talk.Right?Riiiiiight?!?!Wrong.NFL GREAT AARON DONALD MAY COME OUT OF RETIREMENT TO JOIN MYLES GARRETT ON RAMS’ DEFENSE, EX-TEAMMATE SAYSBecause no one — not Rams coach Sean McVay, and not Donald — is dismissing the notion. Indeed, both are kind of feeding the idea.”Listen, if he’s interested, here’s what I’ll say,” McVay told reporters Tuesday afternoon at the Garrett introduction news conference. “You talk to Aaron, and you see what he’s saying about that.”‘Looking for the part where McVay said it’s out of the question…Looking…Still looking. Nope, don’t find it.”Here’s what I would tell you guys overall, too,” McVay added, “Aaron is a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles.”Talked to him about the opportunity to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust ‘em off at the age of 35, I bet you he can still do it at a pretty high clip.”RAMS ADDING MYLES GARRETT AS PART OF BLOCKBUSTER TRADE AND SUPER BOWL PUSH FOR 2026 SEASONNo one doubts that. Donald supposedly finished off his career three years ago by collecting eight sacks at his usual defensive tackle spot and earning both All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He even got some Comeback Player of the Year votes because that final season was better than his previous one in 2022.Donald also had a reputation for being a maniac about taking care of his body and staying in shape. He’s continued to do that even in retirement. So, it’s not out of the question he could help the Rams as they vie for a bid to a Super Bowl that will be played in their hometown at SoFi Stadium.And this: Donald is mulling the idea, per a report.”I’m for sure flirting with the idea,” Donald texted Jordan Schultz of the Schultz Report on Tuesday night. “Helluva an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”Again, where is the “no” in that sentence?Donald has about seven weeks before the Rams report to training camp. He has time to figure out during that time if the “fire” is still there. Even if he isn’t sure by the start of camp, he might decide to play the long game and perhaps join the team after the season begins.Some veterans often like that idea because it gets them out of dealing with difficult training camp practices. And if the Rams are winning but could use some extra help, Donald joining the fray could be a huge boost.This isn’t speculation. The door is open and Aaron Donald is going to consider it.FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

Commodity Markets Are Living On Borrowed Time

Authored by Helen Thomas via City AM,

Governments and industry have softened the impact of energy and commodity supply disruptions by releasing reserves, reducing inventories, and increasing operational flexibility.

These measures are temporary, and continued inventory drawdowns are pushing oil and metal markets toward historically tight conditions.

Once inventories become critically low, higher prices may become the primary mechanism for balancing supply and demand, leading to weaker economic growth and lower consumption.

Commodity markets have spent the past three months performing an extraordinary balancing act. Despite one of the most significant disruptions to global energy flows in decades, the global economy has continued to function remarkably smoothly. After an initial spike, prices for several key commodities have stabilised or even eased. Yet this apparent calm is deceptive. The reason the system has held together is due to governments, producers and consumers drawing down the buffers that normally protect the global economy from disruption. Those buffers are now approaching dangerous limits.

Inventories are being depleted at a remarkable pace. Global oil stockpiles have fallen to levels that senior industry executives describe as unprecedented. Aluminium markets are facing a similar squeeze. Bloomberg recently calculated that combined stockpiles tracked by the London Metal Exchange, CME Group and the Shanghai Futures Exchange would cover less than five days of global supply. 

The surprising resilience of commodity prices reflects the fact that the global economy has proved far more adaptable than many expected. Strategic reserves have been deployed on a large scale. The United States and Japan have both released oil from emergency stockpiles to cushion the loss of supply. American jet fuel output has reached record levels. Even China has managed to reduce crude imports without any obvious drawdown of its strategic petroleum reserves, which a recent report from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies suggests is due to changing refinery yields and industrial flexibility. In effect, China has been extracting greater flexibility from its industrial system rather than relying solely on inventory releases.

All of these developments demonstrate a market responding exactly as economic theory would predict. When a critical input becomes scarce, producers seek substitutes, inventories are drawn down and existing capacity is pushed harder. These adjustments can be remarkably effective. They buy time. But time is ultimately what inventories represent. Every barrel released from a reserve, every tonne withdrawn from a warehouse, and every industrial workaround implemented today simply postpones the moment when supply and demand must once again be reconciled.

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a case in point. The United States entered this crisis from a significantly weaker position than prior energy shocks. Having peaked at more than 700 million barrels in 2010, the SPR had already been reduced by roughly a third before the disruption in the Middle East began. Recent releases have helped stabilise markets, but they have done so by consuming the very buffer that exists to absorb future shocks. The critical question is not whether the SPR can technically be depleted. It cannot. The more important question is whether markets begin to doubt that policymakers possess sufficient reserves to continue cushioning disruptions indefinitely. Once that confidence disappears, the existence of barrels underground becomes less important than the perception that the shock absorbers are running out.

At some point, the arithmetic becomes unavoidable. The world cannot permanently consume more commodities than it produces. Strategic reserves can only be released once. Inventories can only be drawn down once. Refineries can only be reconfigured so far. Eventually, the familiar supply-and-demand framework begins to reassert itself, and a new equilibrium must emerge between available supply and desired consumption.

Demand destruction

Economists have a sanitised term for this process: demand destruction. The reality is more painful. Demand destruction occurs when prices rise to a level that forces consumers and businesses to reduce their consumption. Households spend more on fuel and less on everything else. Airlines reduce routes. Manufacturers delay investment. Energy-intensive industries curtail production. Consumption falls not because people choose to consume less but because higher prices leave them no alternative.

This is why inventory levels matter so much. As long as stockpiles remain available, markets can postpone the adjustment. Once they are exhausted, prices become the primary mechanism through which balance is restored. Neil Chapman, senior vice-president at ExxonMobil, recently described the situation with unusual candour. Oil prices, he argued, have remained relatively contained because inventories have been drawn down. Yet those inventories are now approaching levels rarely seen in modern markets. Once those buffers disappear, the economics change rapidly. As Chapman put it, “a model would say Brent will shoot up” towards $150 or even $160 per barrel.

Many governments will inevitably seek to shield consumers from the consequences. Price caps, subsidies and emergency fiscal packages are politically attractive when energy costs surge. Yet such measures do not eliminate the underlying economic loss. They merely redistribute it. If consumers are protected from higher prices, then taxpayers, bondholders or currency holders must absorb the cost instead.

Japan offers an early illustration of this dynamic. The government has proposed additional fiscal support while simultaneously insisting that it will not require higher borrowing over the calendar year. Markets appear sceptical. Yields across the Japanese government bond curve have risen as investors attempt to identify where the cost of these interventions will ultimately fall. The pressure has not disappeared; it has simply been transferred elsewhere within the system.

This is the uncomfortable reality confronting policymakers around the world. There is no financial engineering solution that can replace missing barrels of oil. No accounting adjustment can create aluminium inventories that do not exist. No subsidy can transform a scarce commodity into an abundant one. The shock emanating from the Middle East is real, and while the global economy has responded impressively through substitution, efficiency gains and inventory drawdowns, these measures are temporary expedients rather than permanent solutions.

When inventories become critically low, markets force a new equilibrium. And a new equilibrium in a poorer world means exactly what it sounds like: higher prices, lower consumption and lower living standards. The commodity markets are not forecasting a poorer world. They are enforcing one.

 

Tyler Durden
Wed, 06/03/2026 – 06:30

A new Gallup poll reveals that Americans’ support for LGBTQ+ issues has plateaued and begun to slide backward, with fewer Americans favoring same-sex marriage or viewing gay relationships as morally acceptable.The survey, released Wednesday, finds while a majority of Americans (65%) still support legal same-sex marriage, that figure has dropped six percentage points from its peak in 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, moral acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships has dipped to 62%, which Gallup says is its lowest point since 2016.Public acceptance of gender transition has experienced an even steeper decline over the last five years. Today, just 38% of Americans believe changing one’s gender is morally acceptable, down eight points since 2021, while a 57% majority view it as morally wrong.The cultural shift is largely driven by Republicans and, to a lesser extent, independents, while Democrats’ views on LGBTQ issues have remained steady, Gallup says.LEGALIZED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TURNS 10 AFTER LANDMARK SUPREME COURT DECISION RESHAPED AMERICAN LAW AND CULTUREThe partisan shift is clearly seen on attitudes towards same-sex marriage. Among Republicans, support for legal same-sex marriage has plummeted to 37%, down from the 55% majority recorded in 2021-2022.Independents also saw a six-point drop to 67%, while Democrats have held steady at 87% since 2022.A similar pattern emerged on views on the morality of same-sex relationships. Among Republicans, acceptance fell 21 points to 35%, falling to levels not seen since 2005-2014. Independents’ had an eight-point decline, dropping to 64% while there was no meaningful change among Democrats, at 81%.VOTERS WIDELY OPPOSE TAXPAYER-FUNDED GENDER SURGERIES, REVEALING DEMOCRAT PARTY’S VULNERABILITY: POLLAnother stark contrast is seen on the issue of gender transition. Just 5% of Republicans view changing one’s gender as morally acceptable, compared to 42% of independents and 60% of Democrats. Gallup noted that Republicans’ support for this issue has steadily declined since 2021, but independents and Democrats’ attitudes had held steady until a sudden drop in support this year.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREThe survey results were gathered from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey conducted in early May.While Americans have become more supportive of gay marriage over the past 20 years, support has dropped marginally every year since 2024.Similarly, moral approval of gay and lesbian relations rose from 40% in 2001 to 71% in 2022, before a sharp drop to 64% in 2023, where it has since plateaued.Gallup framed the declining support for LGBTQ issues in recent years as a result of conservative pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) intended to foster acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals and other historically marginalized groups.

One of America’s largest pizza chains may introduce a protein-boosted pizza.The news came from a recent call with Sandeep Reddy, Domino’s chief financial officer, according to Yahoo Finance’s executive editor Brian Sozzi.The idea was floated by analysts from Bernstein, a New York-based investment research firm, after discussions with the CFO, who did not disclose any specific product innovations.PIZZA USED TO BE CHEAP, FILLING AND EVERYWHERE — NOW AMERICANS ARE WALKING AWAY FROM IT”Once again, for competitive reasons, management did not share the type of innovation, but we appreciated that ideas like a protein-boosted pizza, revamped chicken platform and variations of existing formats (e.g., a deep dish or new stuffing for the crust) could be operationally deployed and are likely in the long-term pipeline of ideas that management could eventually tap in,” the note said, according to Sozzi.Fox News Digital reached out to Domino’s for comment.While Domino’s has not confirmed plans for a protein-focused pizza, the concept tracks with a broader industry push toward higher-protein menu offerings.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER”There’s no doubt protein is on the rise,” said Maeve Webster, the Vermont-based president of Menu Matters and a restaurant industry expert.From a consumer standpoint, protein is “intuitive and requires little advanced understanding,” Webster told Fox News Digital.”Protein is good,” she said. “Most people like eating it in some form, and adding it to anything will make it healthier.”CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES”Obviously, that’s reductive, but that’s as easy as it is for the consumer — most of whom don’t want to or don’t have the time to dive deeper into health issues.”She also cited the continued growth of GLP-1s as a key reason for protein’s booming popularity.”Adding protein to popular and indulgent items can reduce any guilt associated with its consumption,” she said.”Recently, we’ve seen fiber begin to challenge protein as the trending macro nutrient, and the need for more fiber is greater than the need for more protein. … But protein tends to be sexier, tastier — just another reason to add another slice of bacon to that burger — and more youthful.”The news comes as demand for protein-rich foods continues to climb.Earlier this year, the chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola floated the idea of adding protein or fiber to more soft drinks.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZLast fall, Starbucks introduced its Protein Lattes and Protein Cold Foam, which contain between 15 and 36 grams of protein per beverage.