Jul 3, 2025
– U.S. Space Force award for development and production of two satellites with options for two more, to deliver resilient space-based nuclear, command, control, and communications (NC3) for the President of the United States and joint strategic forces worldwide
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., July 3, 2025 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a $2.8B contract for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications (ESS) program, the space-based component of the U.S….
It’s not uncommon for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to mention sperm counts when he makes a public appearance.
In recent television interviews, political speeches and congressional hearings, Kennedy has repeatedly claimed that teenage boys today have half the sperm that men in their 60s do — a stat that’s not exactly accurate. Kennedy has cited the talking point as evidence of a broader health crisis in the U.S.
“We have fertility rates that are just spiraling. A teenager today, an American teenager, has less testosterone than a 68-year-old man. Sperm counts are down 50%,” he told Fox News’ Jesse Watters in April, adding: “It’s an existential problem.”
Contrary to Kennedy’s claims, sperm counts decline with age, so young men have much higher counts than older men. And data about sperm counts in teen boys largely does not exist.
Some researchers contend that men’s overall sperm counts are lower than they were generations ago, based mostly on two papers published in the last decade. Others say there’s no convincing evidence of the trend. And many agree that even if sperm counts are declining, it does not amount to a full-blown fertility crisis.
“This is a very contentious issue in our field, and for every paper that you find that suggests a decline and raises an alarm for this issue, there’s another paper that says that the numbers aren’t changing, and that there’s no cause for concern,” said Dr. Scott Lundy, a reproductive urologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesperson, said Kennedy is “sounding the alarm on a public health issue others are too timid, or too politically cautious, to confront.”
The secretary’s warning feeds on a burgeoning narrative that men today face a fundamental threat to their fertility. Similar claims have been spread by various wellness influencers, tech startups and young men on social media. Young men concerned about a decline in virility have opted to freeze their sperm, abstain from sex or undergo testosterone replacement therapy. A 2022 study found that “semen retention” was the most popular men’s health subject on TikTok and Instagram.
Meanwhile, adherents of the “pro-natalist” movement have argued that more families should be having children to compensate for a decline in fertility and birth rates in the U.S. The most prominent figure among them, Elon Musk, has cited the declining birth rate as an omen of humanity’s collapse.
Researchers who study male fertility say the reality is far more complicated and little cause for panic. Fertility and birth rates in the U.S. are declining, in part, because people are choosing to have fewer children or delaying having kids until later in life. Though some men do struggle to have kids, in many cases the issue can be corrected through medical interventions or lifestyle changes.
In 1993, scientist Louis Guillette shocked Congress when he testified at a hearing that “every man sitting in this room today is half the man his grandfather was.”
Guillette was referring to a generational decline in sperm count. A year before his testimony, a review of papers published from 1938 to 1991 determined that the average sperm count had fallen around 50%.
But many researchers have since found flaws in the review — among them, that it included relatively little data from the first few decades of the analysis, the men in the studies were evaluated using different methods and the data analysis did not account for the fact that many men’s sperm counts fall within a lower range.
“The paper was widely, wildly cited,” but “the statistics were not solid,” said Dolores Lamb, who researches male infertility at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.
In a follow-up review of studies published from 1992 to 2013, eight studies showed a decline in semen quality, 21 showed no change or an increase, and six showed ambiguous or conflicting results. Based on that, Lamb said, “the preponderance of the data suggests that there was no decline.”
In 2021, reproductive epidemiologist Shanna Swan reignited the debate with her book “Count Down,” which warned of falling sperm counts “imperiling the future of the human race.”
A paper Swan and her co-authors published in 2017 determined that from 1973 to 2011, sperm counts declined by 52% in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. A follow-up analysis in 2022 showed a similar trend worldwide. In an interview with The Guardian, Swan said her work implied that the median sperm count could reach zero by 2045.
The research was picked up by men’s rights groups, which pointed to it as evidence that men were losing their masculinity. It even inspired a viral publicity stunt to raise awareness about a possible future where people couldn’t reproduce: A crowd gathered to watch sperm cells race under a microscope.
HHS’ Nixon said the 2017 and 2022 papers support Kennedy’s claims about declining reproductive health.
“A growing body of peer-reviewed research shows significant declines in sperm counts over the past decades, and pretending this isn’t a serious trend is irresponsible,” he said. “The data is real, the stakes are high and ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.”
Lamb said the analyses from Swan and her co-authors had a major weakness in their methodology. They assumed that laboratories in different parts of the world were collecting and testing semen in the same way, she said, when in fact the methods likely varied.
Swan stood by her team’s results, telling NBC News in an email that they accounted for differences in methodologies across studies, as well as the challenges of getting accurate sperm counts.
Lundy, of the Cleveland Clinic, said measuring sperm counts can be hard to do consistently. The count itself can go up and down depending on the frequency of ejaculation, time of year, or whether someone is injured or has a fever.
His analysis last year found a subtle decline in sperm count among men in the U.S. from 1970 to 2018, but one that likely wouldn’t impact fertility in real life.
“What it has done is showed that there’s no cause for widespread panic for the typical U.S. male,” Lundy said.
Researchers who believe sperm counts are declining said it might be influenced by two factors: obesity and environmental chemicals.
“We know that obesity is one of the strongest predictors of serum testosterone, and also to a lesser extent, of sperm counts,” said Jorge Chavarro, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In particular, he said, obesity can decrease the secretion of key hormones in the brain that regulate reproduction in both men and women.
A 2023 study also found an association between exposure to pesticides and significantly lower sperm concentrations.
Pesticides “can imitate or interfere with naturally occurring hormones, and those hormones are necessary for the production of healthy sperm,” said Melissa Perry, the study’s author and dean of the College of Public Health at George Mason University.
Kennedy has blamed both factors for falling sperm counts in the U.S., but some researchers say it’s too soon to draw a link to national or worldwide trends.
Vaping, cigarette smoking and binge drinking can also decrease sperm counts. (Research on marijuana use is mixed, with one study suggesting it can increase sperm counts and another finding the opposite.) Testosterone replacement therapy — a treatment that has exploded in popularity among young men looking to feel more energized or to increase their sex drive — can also shut off sperm production entirely.
“Men on testosterone are almost uniformly azoospermic and totally infertile, and sometimes that is only partially reversible if they’ve been on high-dose testosterone for many years,” Lundy said.
Kennedy himself told Newsmax in 2023 that he takes testosterone replacement as part of an “anti-aging protocol.” Most doctors say the treatment should be reserved for people with a medical condition and is not meant to counteract the normal aging process or increase vitality in young men.
While sperm count can influence fertility, it’s not the only factor. The shape and movement of sperm can also have an effect, since slow or misshapen sperm can have trouble reaching or fertilizing an egg. Swollen veins in the scrotum called varicoceles can play a role, too.
“If you lined up 100 men who are having fertility problems, about 35% or 36% would have varicoceles,” said Dr. Stanton Honig, a urology professor at Yale School of Medicine. “That’s one of the most treatable, reversible causes of male factor infertility.”
Honig said doctors tend to get concerned when sperm counts fall below 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen, or less than 31% of sperm being mobile. But even then, a suboptimal sperm count doesn’t necessarily mean an inability to reproduce.
“You have to get to pretty low sperm concentration levels before you start seeing an impact on a couple’s ability to become pregnant,” Chavarro said.
Even men with high sperm counts may struggle to have kids. Up to half of male infertility cases have an unknown cause, according to a 2007 study.
Lundy said the issue deserves more attention to better understand men’s health — not because of any fears about humanity dying out.
“This is not the end of our species as we know it,” he said.
Marstrand, Sweden (3 July 2025) – The third day of racing at GKSS Match Cup Sweden saw the completion of the quarter-final matchups in both the Open and Women’s class, locking in the final four teams in each division for tomorrow’s semi-finals. Danish skipper Jeppe Borch/ Borch Match Race join the Swedish trio of Björn Hansen/ Hansen Sailing Team, Johnie Berntsson/ Berntsson Sailing Team and Oscar Engström/ Team Liros for the Open class final four. Defending Women’s Trophy champion Anna Östling / Team Wings leads the line-up for the Nordea Women’s Trophy final four, joined by France’s Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy Elite, Sweden’s Martina Carlsson/ Beyond Racing Team, and Julia Aarsten/ Team Out of the Box from the Netherlands.
After a forecast of building breeze in the afternoon, the quarter-final matches were set at a first-to-two-points in both classes with the Nordea Women’s teams heading to the course first after the morning skipper briefing.
In the first pairing, it was 23-year-old up-and-comer Martina Carlsson and the Beyond Sailing Team that found their early pace, sweeping 2024 runner-up Renee Groeneveld from the Netherlands in a 2-0 defeat to reach their second ever semi-final place on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour.
In match two, Julia Aartsen and her Dutch Team Out of the Box found themselves up against New Zeeland’s Megan Thomson and the 2.0 Racing Team. Both teams scored one-a-piece with a deciding race for the semi-final slot. After winning the start, Aartsen was able to fend off Thomson in a tense match and stay ahead over the finish line.
“That was a tough match against Megan and her [2.0 Racing] team but we are super happy to be going through to the semis” said Aartsen. “I think lost 2 kilos of sweat in the nerves but we are pumped for the semis tomorrow and we are giving it everything.”
In the last women’s quarter-final match, defending women’s world champion Pauline Courtois and the Match in Pink by Normandy Elite team showed no mercy in a clinical dispatch of opponent Celia Willison and the Edge Women’s Match team, advancing the French team into the last semi-final place.
In the Open class, after the surprise departure of USA’s Chris Poole and Switzerland’s Eric Monnin, after both skippers failed to make the cut this year form the qualifying round, the quarter-final field was wide open with three Swedish teams – Bernttson, Westerlind and Engstrom up against the two French skippers – Ian Garetta and Aurelién Pierroz, and Denmark’s Jeppe Borch, returning to Marstrand after recovering from several months of injury.
The young match racing teams of Marius Westerlind and America’s Cup Youth skipper Oscar Engström were first to do battle with each team beating the other to force a deciding race. Engström prevailed in the final match after forcing a penalty on Westerlind to go 2-1 and clinch the semi-final slot.
“A great day for us after a tough start to the weekend” said Engström. “We always have close matches against Marius [Westerlind] as one of our closest rivals but also our training partner. Now we are looking forward to an exciting semi-final and hopefully building on the momentum.”
In the second match, local favourite Johnie Berntsson leaned on local knowledge to knock out Marstrand newcomer France’s Ian Garetta in two straight wins.
Also showing a strong performance this week, Denmark’s Jeppe Borch delivered a commanding 2-0 defeat over his opponent Aurelién Pierroz from France.
Variable weather is forecast for the next two days in Marstrand which will challenge the semi-finalists as they line-up tomorrow to punch their ticket to Saturday’s final in front of expected large crowds on the iconic Marstrand cliffs.
For full results, follow
GKSS Match Cup Sweden https://wmrt.com/live-results/
Nordea Women’s Trophy https://womenswmrt.com/live-results/
ABOUT WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body –World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD24million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com
ABOUT WOMEN’S WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
The Women’s World Match Racing Tour was launched in 2022 to continue the hugely successful legacy of the WIM Series (Women’s International Match Racing Series) providing a global match racing series for female sailors. The name of the series was re-launched as the Women’s World Match Racing Tour with its continued mission to expand and strengthen global match racing and promote opportunities for competitive women’s sailing at every level. The Women’s World Match Racing Tour is the world’s first and only professional sailing series for women providing a valuable pathway for aspiring female world champions in the sport of sailing. womenswmrt.com
A combined force killed a dozen militants and detained several suspects in Kandahar province after stopping a number of vehicles in pursuit of a Taliban commander of the province’s Maywand district. The force initially targeted a number of vehicles in transit across southern Maywand after intelligence indicated militant activity. Several militants were killed after they failed to respond to warnings, and others were detained. Subsequently, the combined force received hostile fire from militants in multiple vehicles maneuvering in their direction. The force returned fire, killing another group of militants. The force searched each of the vehicles and recovered a number of small-arms weapons, documents and 2,600 pounds of black-tar heroin. The force identified one of the dead as the sought-after Taliban commander of Maywand.
— A combined force detained several suspected militants after searching compounds in Wardak province known to be used by a Taliban commander and his unit responsible for several rocket and bombing attacks in the region. The force targeted the compounds near the village of Patankhel in the Sayed Abad district after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The force searched the compound without incident and detained several suspects. No shots were fired, and no one was injured in the search.
In other news from Afghanistan, international forces have responded to accusations that a U.S. servicemember burned the Quran last week in Wardak province’s Maydan Shar district.
In response to the accusations, ISAF troops conducted an investigation in conjunction with local Afghan army commanders and found the claim groundless.
A spokesman for Wardak Gov. Mohammad Alim Fadayee, and Mullah Qari of the Afghan army in Wardak, publicly stated that ISAF troops were not responsible for the desecration and found no wrongdoing by international forces.
In his public address, Mullah Qari provided the results of the investigation into the incident and offered an explanation.
“Dear brothers, recently, the incident of burning of the Quran that happened in Kowte Ashrow, it was the actions of the enemies of Afghanistan and Islam for their private purposes,” Qari said. “The enemies of Afghanistan are trying to make people go against the government in order to start riots.”
(Compiled from NATO International Security Assistance Force news releases.)
Spain’s Blanca Fernandez and Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini carded opening 67s to share the Women’s Irish Open lead after the first round at Carton House.
English trio Lottie Woad, Mimi Rhodes and Hannah Screen are among a group one shot back, but home favourite Leona Maguire is five off the lead.
In tricky conditions that fluctuated between showers and sunshine, with a swirling wind added to the mix, it was Fernandez and Tamburlini who made the best of it to lead the way.
Both had seven birdies and a single bogey in their round, with Tamburlini picking up a shot on three of the last four holes.
Joining Order of Merit leader Rhodes, world number one amateur Woad and Screen on five under were Swedish pair Lisa Patterson and Madelene Sagstroem, plus Alexandra Swayne, who is representing the Unites States Virgin Islands, with the sextet just one shot off the pace in a packed leaderboard.
Indeed, just two strokes separate the top 19 players with another 11 just a further shot back, including the best of the home challengers Emma Fleming, who claimed the Victorian Amateur Championship in Australia last month.
Maguire endured a frustrating day on the greens, but the Cavan woman remains in contention having ended day one with a 72, tied with three other Irish players on one-under-par.
A number of Maguire’s Solheim Cup team-mates started strongly with Sagstrom posting the best round of the five, while England’s Charley Hull (-3) and Georgia Hall (-2) are well in contention heading into day two.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, though, has work to do having finished the day on two over.
British number one Jack Draper says he was not “good enough” in a shock Wimbledon second-round exit, insisting a below-par performance was not because he felt increased pressure at this year’s tournament.
Draper was seeded fourth at the All England Club, but lost 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 to 36-year-old Marin Cilic.
The 23-year-old was the highest seeded home player since Andy Murray defended the men’s title in 2017.
In 2013, Murray, who retired last year, was the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years and added his second title three years later.
“It makes me think that Andy’s achievement of what he did – winning here twice – [was] just unbelievable,” Draper said.
“It’s not the pressure. I wasn’t going out there thinking I was under so much pressure. You [journalists] mention it all the time.
“I just didn’t play good enough. I lost to a better player. That’s the main reason. I just was not able to find the level I wanted. I came up short.”
Vicky López’s professional career is one brought on by pure chance, sparked by a conversation with two girls at the beach.
The encounter would lead her to the youth team of Madrid CFF, despite initial reservations over difficulties getting to and from training.
Both the club and Vicky’s parents worked together to make it happen. Things became difficult in 2018 with the passing of her mother following a four-year long battle with a brain tumour.
“My mother has always been my reference,” the 18-year-old said.
“She has been the strongest person in the world – from her, I have inherited her courage, strength, and being a great person.”
That courage has seen her through a transformational move to FC Barcelona and being called up to the senior national team.
On Thursday evening, all of those years of hard work and sacrifices paid off as the teenage sensation slotted home in her first major tournament for Spain.
Wheeling away in celebration, the talented midfielder pointed to the sky – an homage to her late mother.
What is perhaps most impressive about López’s display is that she did it while filling in for the benched Aitana Bonmati, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, which is no easy feat.
Yet she made it look effortless – a skilful dribbler, a slick passer of the ball, and a refined player for her age.
With her first-half strike, she became the youngest player to appear and score at a European Championships.
Bonmati replaced the youngster with 10 to go and will no doubt feature heavily as the competition goes on, but López has given Montserrat Tomé plenty to think about with this performance.