By JONEL ALECCIA, Associated Press

More than a dozen years after higher-fat milk was stripped from school meals to slow obesity in American kids and boost their health, momentum is growing to put it back.

Federal lawmakers have revived bills that would allow whole and 2% milk to be served again in schools, in addition to the skim and low-fat milk mandated since 2012. A U.S. Senate committee hosted a hearing Tuesday on a bill that has bipartisan support.

“Kids need wholesome, nourishing food to grow strong and stay healthy, and whole milk is packed with the nutrients they need,” said Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who is co-sponsoring the legislation.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called the federal dietary guidelines requiring low-fat milk “antiquated” and last month encouraged “full fat/whole milk” to be used in Head Start programs for the nation’s youngest children.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during an event announcing proposed changes to SNAP and food dye legislation, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Martinsburg, W. Va. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

The Obama-era move to require skim and low fat milk in schools was aimed at cutting kids’ consumption of saturated fat and calories, which can increase the risk of heart disease and obesity.

But some nutrition experts, lawmakers and the dairy industry argue that whole milk has been unfairly vilified, and that some studies suggest kids who drink whole milk are less likely to have obesity. Critics also contend that many children don’t like the taste of lower-fat milk and don’t drink it, leading them to miss valuable nutrients.

Here’s what you need to know about the debate over whole milk in school meals:

Why was whole milk removed from school meals?

In 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which aimed to reduce childhood obesity and cut health risks for kids. It required school meals to include more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, protein and low-fat dairy and less sugar, sodium and fat.

Starting in 2012, whole and 2% milk was not permitted in school meals because those products are higher in saturated fat and calories than lower-fat options.

Nutrition experts said that skim and low-fat milk gave kids the benefits of necessary nutrients like calcium and Vitamin D with less fat and fewer calories.

How are school meal guidelines set?

The U.S. Agriculture Department sets nutrition guidelines for the national school lunch and breakfast programs, which serve nearly 30 million students each school day.

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The nutrition standards are required to meet the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are reviewed and revised every five years. Since 1985, those guidelines have recommended that Americans older than age 2 consume low-fat or fat-free dairy.

The 2025-2030 dietary guidelines are set for revision this year under a joint effort by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. A panel of scientific experts who reviewed evidence regarding milk fat content recommended that the U.S. policy remain the same.

One reason was that research has shown changes in the federal nutrition program after the 2010 law have slowed the rise in obesity among U.S. kids — even teenagers, said Deanna Hoelscher, a nutrition expert and researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center who served on the dietary guidelines committee.

“We didn’t find enough definitive evidence to change a policy that’s been in place that has shown good outcomes to date,” Hoelscher said.

Although there was limited evidence that consuming higher-fat dairy rather than lower-fat dairy could benefit very young children, there wasn’t enough evidence to make a conclusion for older kids and teens, she said. There were “substantial concerns” with the consistency, quantity and risk of bias in the existing research, the report concluded.

What’s behind the push for whole milk in schools?

Some nutrition experts point to recent research suggesting that kids who drink whole milk could be less likely to be overweight or develop obesity than children who drink lower-fat milk. One 2020 review of 28 studies suggested that the risk was 40% less for kids who drank whole milk rather than reduced-fat milk, although the study authors noted that the research couldn’t say whether milk consumption was the reason.

One top nutrition expert, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Tufts University, noted that the dietary guidelines panel found “no evidence that whole fat dairy is worse than low-fat dairy,” but they retained the recommendations, citing the need for more research.

“Saturated fat in dairy has not been linked to any adverse health outcomes,” Mozaffarian said.

The pending bills in Congress stipulate that milk fat would not be considered as part of the saturated fat limits required in school meals. That’s because the saturated fatty acids in dairy have a different composition than beef fat, Mozaffarian said, adding that dairy has other beneficial compounds that could offset theoretical harms.

In addition, Mozaffarian noted current USDA guidelines ban whole milk but allow skim and low-fat chocolate and other flavored milk sweetened with added sugars. Last year, the USDA agreed to limit added sugars in school foods for the first time.

Dairy industry advocates say participation in school meals programs and consumption of milk have declined since whole milk was removed.

What’s next?

The USDA and HHS must issue the new dietary guidelines this year. Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have said they are conducting “a line-by-line review” of the scientific report issued under the previous administration — but whether that means a new acceptance of whole milk remains unclear.

Versions of the “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act” are pending in both chambers of Congress.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Actor Josh Brolin and director Michael Mann are among those paying tribute to Val Kilmer, who died Tuesday at age 65. Here’s a look at some of the reactions.

“See ya, pal. I’m going to miss you. You were a smart, challenging, brave, uber-creative firecracker. There’s not a lot left of those. I hope to see you up there in the heavens when I eventually get there. Until then, amazing memories, lovely thoughts.” — Josh Brolin on Instagram.

“He was a wonderful person to work with and a joy to know — I will always remember him.” — Francis Ford Coppola on Instagram.

“While working with Val on ‘Heat’ I always marvelled at the range, the brilliant variability within the powerful current of Val’s possessing and expressing character. After so many years of Val battling disease and maintaining his spirit, this is tremendously sad news.” — Michael Mann, in a statement.

“A long time ago, I was auditioning for the movie ‘The Doors’ It was kind of a cattle call. They paired together potential Jims with potential Pamela‘s. And they were running behind so we were spilling out of the casting office, sitting on the porch, the lawn, and the driveway. All of a sudden, a Sixties convertible came screeching up, blaring Doors music at top volume. And a guy jumped out and strode inside: He had wild hair and he was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of tight leather pants. We all looked at each other like… Who is this guy? We were more than a little shook by the sheer audacity of his entrance. Well, of course, it was Val Kilmer and from that minute on, nobody else stood a chance. Rip King.” — Jennifer Tilly on X.

“Remembering Val Kilmer, whose indelible cinematic mark spanned genres and generations. RIP Iceman.” — The “Top Gun” account on X.

“RIP Val Kilmer. Thank you for defining so many of the movies of my childhood. You truly were an icon.” — actor Josh Gad on Instagram.

“Rest in peace VAL KILMER. A brilliant actor and a good man.” — author Don Winslow on X.

“RIP Val Kilmer. If it wasn’t for our chance encounter at the Source in 1985, I may never have been cast in FULL METAL JACKET. Thanks, Val.” — Actor Matthew Modine on X. The Source was a Hollywood restaurant.

“Listen, Val Kilmer had me wanting to fly fighter jets, be Batman, rob banks, and hunt lions as a kid. They don’t make too many movie stars like him anymore. Generational.” — Writer-direct Dylan Park-Pettiford on X.

“Rest in peace to our former campus mate, the great Val Kilmer (1959-2025), who at 17 was the youngest drama student ever admitted to The Julliard School’s Drama Division.” — Film at Lincoln Center on X.

By MARTHA BELLISLE, Associated Press

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has fired a coach and a director after The Associated Press reported that the coach was accused of sexually abusing a young biathlete, causing her so much distress that she attempted suicide.

“Following our thorough internal evaluation, we can confirm that Gary Colliander and Eileen Carey are no longer affiliated with the USOPC,” spokesman Jon Mason told the AP. He refused to provide a reason, saying only that Colliander was put on administrative leave from the Paralympic team in December — days after the AP report on the alleged misconduct. The two were fired on March 14.

Colliander was accused of sexually abusing Grace Boutot, a biathlete he coached at the Maine Winter Sports Center over four years beginning in 2006 when she was 15, the AP reported. Colliander quit the job after Boutot’s October 2010 suicide attempt and was later hired by the U.S. Paralympic Nordic team.

FILE – Biathlon competition medals, credentials and media clippings belonging to Grace Boutot, silver medalist in Youth World Championships in 2009, are displayed for a photograph at her home on Oct. 17, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Carey was the Maine center’s vice president at the time of the abuse and had discussed it with Boutot’s mother. After leaving the center in December 2010, Carey was hired as a coach and later promoted to director of the Paralympic team. She was there when Colliander came onboard.

Mason declined to say whether Carey hired Colliander or how the Paralympic team vets the coaches they hire. The U.S. Center for SafeSport, created to investigate sex-abuse allegations in Olympic sports in the aftermath of the Larry Nassar U.S. Gymnastics scandal, launched an investigation into Colliander in December.

“Please note that Mr. Colliander’s case remains active with SafeSport,” Mason told the AP.

Colliander’s lawyer, Simone Montoya, said officials did not tell Colliander why he was fired and he “adamantly denies any wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior, as alleged.”

Colliander “is committed to full and transparent cooperation into this matter,” Montoya told the AP in an email. “He denies any conduct in violation of the SafeSport Code or applicable laws and policies and maintains that he has always upheld professional standards throughout his career.”

AP phone and email messages seeking comment from Carey were not immediately returned.

Boutot was among a half-dozen Olympians and other biathletes who came forward after the AP reported last year that Olympian Joanne Reid was sexually abused and harassed for years, according to SafeSport findings. Biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing with target shooting.

The AP generally does not identify victims of sexual abuse except in cases where they publicly identify themselves or share their stories openly.

Boutot, 34, told the AP that when Colliander began coaching her, he gave her a lot of attention, including inappropriate touching. The conduct escalated after she turned 18 to “kissing, sexual fondling and oral sex,” according to a treatment summary by her therapist, Jacqueline Pauli-Ritz, shared with the AP.

Boutot said she begged Colliander to stop but he ignored her. She became severely depressed and started cutting herself, according to the therapist’s notes. In September 2010, Pauli-Ritz contacted Colliander and told him Boutot was suffering from major depression and he should stop coaching her, the treatment summary said.

“He did not do this until after the suicide attempt,” Pauli-Ritz wrote, referring to Boutot’s Oct. 7, 2010, overdose on antidepressants during a Utah training camp.

Colliander resigned the next day. He took a coaching job in Colorado and was hired in December 2016 by the U.S. Paralympic team. He was associate director of high performance for U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing before being fired.

Boutot tried to keep racing but faced discrimination by the center’s staff and teammates, who blamed her for his departure, according to a letter she wrote to the Maine Sports Center’s board in January 2011.

Boutot’s mother, Karen Gorman, had repeated discussions and email exchanges with Carey and the center’s CEO, Andy Shepard, about the abuse her daughter suffered, Gorman told the AP.

In an Oct. 22, 2010, email, Gorman told them, “the issue of any coach-athlete relationships … must be scrutinized” by the Maine sports center.

Carey responded that she was “working really hard” to make that happen. “I am very supportive of having positive things come out of this situation for everyone involved,” she said in an Oct. 25, 2010, email.

But, Boutot told the AP, no investigation was ever conducted.

In a 2011 complaint she filed with the Maine Human Rights Commission, Boutot accused the Maine sports center of failing to prevent Colliander’s sexual misconduct and retaliating against her when she reported it — denying her coaching and ending financing of equipment, travel, athlete housing and other U.S. Biathlon competition-related expenses.

The center settled for $75,000 in September 2011 and Boutot quit racing.

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

DULUTH, Minn. — At rallies and meetings across the Northland held in protest of President Donald Trump’s cuts to the federal government, signs held by attendees and the speakers addressing them often return to a familiar theme: Where’s U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber?

The Republican from Hermantown has shrugged at calls to hold an in-person town hall, opting to continue his practice of telephone town halls instead, and when, or if, he does respond directly to the actions, he’s been supportive of Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk’s efforts to reshape and shrink the federal government.

Approximately 900 people attended a town hall Saturday organized by Practicing Democracy — a new group led by Jen Schultz, who ran as a Democrat and lost to Stauber in the last two elections, and Adrienne Dinneen — to address concerns people in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District have on Trump’s actions.

While Stauber was invited, he did not attend. An empty seat bearing Stauber’s name sat on stage at Duluth East High School’s auditorium throughout the event.

“He doesn’t care about working people,” state Rep. Pete Johnson, DFL-Duluth, told the crowd gathered six days earlier at a rally in Duluth against U.S. Postal Service cuts. “Everything he has done has been in lockstep with the administration. He has not stood up for anybody. He should be here and be held accountable for the people being impacted, whether he likes what they have to say or not.”

Stauber’s office did not respond to the Duluth News Tribune’s request for comment but told Northern News Now last week that the congressman was attending another event in the district Saturday, the day of the town hall, and “he will also not appear at any event that is organized by left-wing extremists and primarily attended by paid agitators who are more interested in manufacturing outrage than having meaningful conversations about policy.”

There is no evidence that most — or even any — of the hundreds of event attendees were paid.

According to a Facebook post by Stauber’s campaign account, the congressman was in Baxter on Saturday, speaking to Republicans.

Instead of in-person town halls, Stauber has relied on telephone town halls, as have other Republicans nationwide and in Minnesota. He held his most recent on March 24. When a caller asked him when he would have an in-person town hall, Stauber said he’d continue to hold the telephone events. He defended the decision by saying that it is more accessible for people throughout the 8th Congressional District.

“We’ve been doing them — telephone town halls — for six and a half years, and they’re popular,” Stauber said. “It allows the people to stay in the comfort of their own home, and I’m going to continue to do telephone town halls.”

His office said the town hall attracted 17,000 listeners. During the call, Stauber answered a dozen or so questions.

For many, it’s not enough. They want to see him push back against the Trump administration and Musk’s “DOGE,” especially on cuts that would affect his district.

At a March 23 rally in support of USPS employees and against proposed cuts and privatization of the mail service, Jim Barott, of Lakewood Township, stood in the crowd holding a sign that said “STAUBER is MIA.”

Barott said cuts to the USPS could threaten mail delivery to rural communities.

“That’s the rural areas (Stauber) represents, and he doesn’t care,” Barott said.

The next day, during his telephone town hall, Stauber fielded a question about the USPS but said, “Privatization is not going to happen with the Postal Service.”

However, the Associated Press reported that both Trump and Musk have entertained the idea of USPS privatization.

Stauber then sent a letter to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, urging the congressman to hold hearings on the USPS’ “inability to effectively serve rural America” and said the USPS was “facing severe staffing shortages, especially in rural areas.”

But he made no mention of the Trump administration or of former U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s plan to reduce USPS’ headcount by 10,000 through an early retirement program or DeJoy signing an agreement with Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” to “assist us in identifying and achieving further efficiencies.”

The congressman has not addressed some potential cuts in his district at all.

Stauber, whose wife, Jodi, used to work at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Duluth lab, did not respond to the News Tribune’s request for comment in March on whether he supports the  EPA reportedly planning to eliminate the Office of Research and Development,  which includes the Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division Laboratory in Duluth, or if he is concerned about the potential loss of EPA jobs in his district.

John Morrice, of Duluth, who worked at the EPA lab in Duluth for 15 years as a research biologist studying Great Lakes ecosystems before he retired 12 years ago, told the News Tribune that Stauber should place as much importance on the lab’s 136 federal employees as he does on mining jobs.

“Pete Stauber talks about mining jobs like they are these sacred things and that jobs are so important and really supersede any other concerns — it’s jobs and ‘our way of life,’” Morrice said, referencing a slogan Stauber often repeats.

He added later, “If our way of life doesn’t include protection of the Great Lakes, well then, who are we?”

In the first two months of Trump’s second term, regular protests — several per week — have been held throughout the Northland against Trump’s cuts. Some have been aimed directly at Stauber, with up to hundreds gathered outside his Hermantown office. Others have been aimed at specific cuts — USPS, EPA, funding for research, among others. They show no sign of slowing down.

Local chapters of Indivisible, a national group that said it aims to “resist the Trump agenda,” are planning protests for April 5 in Duluth, Two Harbors and Cloquet. And Practicing Democracy, which said it is nonpartisan, said in a news release that it would continue to hold town hall events throughout the 8th District.

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