Why Florida Is Right To Leave Vaccine Decisions Up to Parents, Not Bureaucrats
Florida announced it is taking steps to be the first state to end school vaccine mandates. Every state should follow suit.Florida announced it is taking steps to be the first state to end school vaccine mandates. Every state should follow suit.Study warns of possible link between world's most popular painkiller and autism
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised the alarm earlier this year about the meteoric rise of reported autism cases in the United States, underscoring at a press conference, "We are doing this to our children, and we need to put an end to it."
"The [autism spectrum disorder] prevalence rate in 8-year-olds is now 1 in 31," said Kennedy, referring to a study that examined children born in 2014. The health secretary noted further that American boys face an "extreme risk" of ending up with autism, stating that they have a 1 in 20 chance of being diagnosed with the condition — or a 1 in 12.5 chance in California.
Kennedy promised President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting in April that "by September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures."
A study published this month in the peer-reviewed medical journal BMC Environmental Health could prove valuable to the Department of Health and Human Services' campaign to narrow down the possible causes of autism.
Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles' School of Public Health, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai systematically reviewed 46 "well-designed" studies incorporating data from over 100,000 participants regarding the relationship between neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and prenatal exposure to acetaminophen.
'The research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices.'
Acetaminophen, the drug sold under the brand Tylenol in the United States and Canada, is the most common over-the-counter pain and fever medication used during pregnancy and is reportedly used by well over 50% of pregnant women worldwide.
The researchers found that 27 of the studies reported "significant links" between acetaminophen exposure in the womb and NDDs and noted that "higher-quality studies were more likely to show positive associations."
"Overall, the majority of the studies reported positive associations of prenatal acetaminophen use with ADHD, ASD, or NDDs in offspring, with risk-of-bias and strength-of-evidence ratings informing the overall synthesis," said the study.
RELATED: FDA blasts 'politically motivated' criticism over review of SSRI health risks during pregnancy
When specifically evaluating the studies pertaining to Tylenol use and autism in children, the researchers found "strong evidence of a relationship between prenatal acetaminophen use and increased risk of ASD in children."
The drug freely crosses the placental barrier, "reaching levels in fetal circulation similar to maternal circulation within less than an hour of maternal ingestion."
According to the researchers, the drug:
- "undergoes oxidative metabolism via the enzyme CYP2E1 — present in fetal brains, placenta, and lungs — to produce toxic metabolites";
- "affects prostaglandin and endocannabinoid pathways, which are involved in prenatal neuronal development";
- has been shown in animal models to increase "oxidative stress markers in the fetal brain and is associated with neurodevelopmental deficits"; and
- "directly perturbs hormone-dependent processes, affects neurodevelopment and reproductive disorders, and might alter steroidogenesis in the placenta and induce placental damage."
Dr. Diddier Prada, an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in a release, "Our findings show that higher-quality studies are more likely to show a link between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and increased risks of autism and ADHD."
"Given the widespread use of this medication, even a small increase in risk could have major public health implications," added Prada.
Mount Sinai noted that while the damning study "does not show that acetaminophen directly causes neurodevelopmental disorders," "the research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices."
RELATED: Jab first, ask questions never: Vaccine truths your doctor won't tell you
The medical community has long raised concern about the possible downsides of acetaminophen consumption during pregnancy.
An international coalition of public health experts said in a consensus statement published on Sept. 23, 2021, in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology that "increasing experimental and epidemiological research suggests that prenatal exposure to APAP [acetaminophen] might alter fetal development, which could increase the risks of some neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and urogenital disorders."
'This work is ongoing, and the department will follow the science wherever it leads.'
"Epidemiological studies consistently suggest prenatal APAP exposure might increase the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental and behavioral outcomes, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, language delay (in girls) and decreased intelligence quotient," said the experts. "Collectively, the studies suggest that the timing and duration of maternal APAP use are critical factors."
HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard told Blaze News that HHS does not comment on outside studies. Hilliard noted, however, that "under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS is taking action guided by gold-standard, evidence-based science. This work is ongoing, and the department will follow the science wherever it leads."
Tylenol does not appear to be particularly pleased with the study.
A company spokesperson for Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, said in a statement to Blaze News, "Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products. We continue to evaluate the science, and this study does not change our view that there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues."
"To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and leading medical organizations agree on the safety of acetaminophen, its use during pregnancy, and the information provided on the label," added the spokesperson.
A source close to Tylenol noted further that "it appears the study was designed for litigation and not public health, as two of the authors are experts for the plaintiffs in the acetaminophen litigation."
Harvard University's Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, one of the authors on the study, served as an expert witness on matters of general causation involving acetaminophen use during pregnancy in a multi-district litigation class-action lawsuit against Tylenol.
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Chris Pratt mocks Trump haters for being 'allergic' to good policy, defends RFK Jr.
Actor Chris Pratt says it's not hard for him to back Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite him being a member of the Trump administration.
Pratt is married to Katherine Schwarzenegger, whose mother, Maria Shriver, is part of the Kennedy family. This has put the actor in close reach of RFK Jr., the United States secretary of Health and Human Services.
Comedian Bill Maher recently asked Pratt about his connection to the Kennedys and wanted to know what type of criticism he has faced over the relationship.
'I'll put Clorox in my children's cereal myself!'
Pratt opined that the media has taken a lot of shots at him and others through unnamed sources that he believes do not exist at all.
"In politics, you inherit enemies," he told Maher on "Club Random." "And when you jump in on the bandwagon with the most divisive president ever, it makes sense that you're going to be made to look terrible."
Both Maher and Pratt agreed that there is something the media cannot take away from RFK Jr.: He is fighting big industry on behalf of the American people. Particularly, as Maher described, Kennedy Jr. is over the target regarding toxic ingredients in food and pharmaceuticals being used by children.
Still, Pratt said he finds it nonsensical for anyone to criticize the HHS secretary simply for being in Trump's orbit.
"I'd hate to be so mired in hatred for the president that any success from his administration is something I'd have an allergic reaction to — to be like, 'Oh, well, if they do it, I don't want it to happen. I'll put Clorox in my children's cereal myself!'" he joked with Maher.
Putting it simply, Pratt explained that a lot of discourse could emerge just from the two political sides being somewhat reasonable.
RELATED: Bill Maher shocks with humble admission about Trump: 'I gotta own it'
"You know, it's like, come on, be reasonable here," Pratt added. "There are certain things that would be a good thing to have. I want them all to be successful," he said of the Trump administration.
Pratt and Maher had a lot to agree on during the podcast, especially when it came to supporting American troops. Maher revealed that his parents met in the U.S. Army, and despite not always agreeing with foreign policy, he has always had a "soft spot" for the Army.
In the same breath, Maher had a strong message for those who label the U.S. as a horrible place to live.
"If you think we're the worst country in the world, then just f**king do some research. Just f**king noodle around the internet. You will find a lot of people who did a lot of worse things," he said.
The host and his guest then shared a unique perspective about being a media figure that has the luxury, or curse, of being able to read about themselves through the eyes of others.
"Politics, it's a nasty business," Pratt declared. "I've seen how the person you are can be such a contrast to the person that people are being told that you are."
At the same time, the actor said he would only be doing himself a disservice if he were to constantly rebuke claims that are made in the media.
"Proverb 26:20, 'For lack of wood the fire will go out,'" Pratt cited, explaining that he would rather let something that's "not real" be "liked" by 300,000 people than address the fake claim to 50 million people.
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Trump's nomination of Casey Means for surgeon general prompts mixed reactions, heated debate
President Donald Trump pulled his support for Janette Nesheiwat to become surgeon general days after the publication of an article accusing the former Fox News medical contributor of "falsely represent[ing] and obfuscat[ing] facts about her medical education, board certifications, and military service" — an article that activist Laura Loomer greatly amplified.
On Wednesday, the president announced that he was instead nominating Dr. Casey Means, a tech entrepreneur and Stanford-educated doctor who has long criticized the exploitative nature of the health care system.
"Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans."
Trump added, "Dr. Casey Means has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States History."
Trump's decision was met with mixed responses from some of his allies and supporters.
While many in Trump's broader coalition celebrated the president's second pick, underscoring that Means was "an upgrade" from Nesheiwat, others cast doubt on her qualifications and past remarks.
Against
"It's very strange," wrote Nicole Shanahan, the host of Blaze Media's "Back to the People" podcast and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in his 2024 presidential campaign.
"Doesn't make any sense. I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be)," continued Shanahan. "I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on."
In January, Shanahan threatened to primary senators if they tried to torpedo Kennedy's nomination, telling Georgia Democratic Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff specifically that she was watching their votes and would make it her "personal mission" that they lose their seats if they voted "against the future health of America's children."
Shanahan, who did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for clarification, suggested further in her Wednesday post that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to be "reporting to someone regularly who is controlling his decisions (and it isn't President Trump)."
Shanahan, a big proponent of the Make America Healthy Again movement, suggested further that "there is something very artificial and aggressive" about Means and her brother Calley Means, a White House health adviser and former food industry lobbyist — "almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets."
Blaze News reached out to a spokeswoman for Means but did not receive a response by deadline. Politico was informed by an HHS spokesman that the agency would respond to requests for comment on Casey Means' behalf and linked to Kennedy's Thursday tweet, discussed later in this article.
'She talks to trees and doesn't even have an active medical license.'
Loomer appeared more critical of Trump's second pick than she was of his first, firing off a barrage of denigrating posts aimed at Means, writing, "This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration."
In addition to complaining that Means "doesn't have a surgical residency, and isn't a surgeon" — Politico indicated Means was trained at Stanford Medical School as a head and neck surgeon but dropped out of her surgical residency in the fifth year — Loomer seized upon one of Means' newsletters as evidence of the doctor's supposed engagement in "Witch Craft."
The basis for Loomer's allegation of sorcery was a newsletter wherein Means allegedly claimed she prayed to a photo of her ancestors at a meditation shrine in her house; "worked with a spiritual medium who helped [her] try to connect with [her] spirit guides"; "did full moon ceremonies with grounded, powerful women"; spoke to trees; and "did plant medicine experiences with trusted guides."
"So basically the new Surgeon General is a total crack pot, a shroom consumer and she talks to trees and doesn't even have an active medical license," wrote Loomer, who bragged earlier about initiating the "MAHA breakup." "Another failure by the 'geniuses' who work for President Trump on his non existent vetting team."
For
Kennedy thanked Trump on Thursday for nominating Means, noting that the "Surgeon General is a symbol of moral authority who stands against the financial and institutional gravities that tend to corporatize medicine. Casey Means was born to hold this job."
In a subsequent tweet, the HHS secretary characterized the attacks on Means as "absurd," suggesting they "reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered, and how badly entrenched interests — including Big Food and its industry-funded social media gurus — are terrified of change."
'They understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth.'
In addition to highlighting her academic achievements in the field of medicine and noting she "was a top performer in surgical residency," Kennedy underscored that the "attacks that Casey is unqualified because she left the medical system completely miss the point of what we are trying to accomplish with MAHA."
Whereas some critics suggested Means' departure from the traditional medical system was disqualifying, the health secretary — who was himself an outsider where the medical establishment is concerned — said that made her the "perfect choice."
"I have little doubt that these companies and their conflicted media outlets will continue to pay bloggers and other social media influencers to weaponize innuendo to slander and vilify Casey, the same way they try to defame me and President Trump," added Kennedy.
Prior to Kennedy mounting his defense of Means, BlazeTV's Liz Wheeler addressed the attacks on the doctor, then gave a rebuttal.
Without naming her outright, Wheeler hit back against two of Loomer's top grievances — the status of Means' medical license and her father's authorship of a book premised on gender ideology.
"The inactive medical license is not a big deal," wrote Wheeler. "It's pretty common for MAHA providers to let their medical license lapse anyway, because when you advise things that aren't within 'standards of care' you can be liable legally."
Wheeler suggested that the book written by Means' father, which deals with a kid's so-called "gender identity," was irrelevant, first, because Dr. Means "had nothing to do with the writing of the book," second, because she has criticized transgenderism in the past, and third, because of the work's limited impact.
After rebuffing Loomer's top complaints, Wheeler emphasized that Means is an excellent communicator who has successfully "opened more people's eyes" to the role that "Big Food & Big Pharma" have had in driving America's chronic health epidemic — a doctor whose story "resonates with people because they understand the sacrifice of what she gave up to be allegiant to the truth."
Wheeler thanked Trump for appointing Means, stressing that his appointment of disruptors "is what we voted for!"
Donald Trump Jr., Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, U.S. Commissioner of Food and Drugs Martin Makary, and others in the MAGA ecosystem have similarly expressed their delight with Trump's second pick.
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Dimming the sun? Air Force whistleblower breaks down chemtrail military cover-up
If you say the word "chemtrails" to any government-trusting American citizen, you’ll be painted as a nutty right-wing conspiracy theorist.
However, there’s good news for those who’ve been sounding the alarm. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently confirmed the use of chemtrails over America — and so has an Air Force whistleblower and exposure scientist, Kristen Meghan, who’s been making claims about a secret government chemtrail program for over a decade.
Meghan has worked in occupational environmental safety and health as a senior industrial hygienist and an exposure scientist for 23 years. For nine of those years, she worked on active duty in the Air Force in a field called bioenvironmental engineering.
“So, for people to understand, it’s like the DOD’s equivalent of OSHA, EPA, DOT,” Meghan tells Sara Gonzales on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”
When her brother showed her a documentary on chemtrails, Meghan recalls believing it was “the most ridiculous thing” she’d ever heard.
“In my journey of trying to debunk it and basically tell everyone they’re ridiculous, I realized not only is it real, but it’s coming right through my office,” she explains. “A lot of people that have industrial jobs are familiar with something called a safety data sheet.”
“Basically, there’s certain things that are on those sheets, and it has to have packing group information. Like, if you’re shipping it, is it double-contained, all these things. It was missing so much information, and I always say I’m never going to jail for anybody,” she continues.
“Then later, it hits me,” she says. “These same things that are coming in, like powdered oxide form — these heavy metals are the same metals that people are claiming.”
Before telling anyone, she did tests on her own.
“I started doing soil sampling, air sampling, different types of techniques, and ... I finally went to my supervisors and was like, ‘Is this this?’” she tells Gonzales.
“There’s things that I can’t tell you, but I’m telling you the aircraft was being retrofitted, and that is the earth-shattering moment," Meghan adds.
In 2008, just a few days prior to telling her supervisors, Meghan had won noncommissioned officer of the quarter for her exemplary performance. Right after, she began being treated differently.
“They threw the, ‘Are you okay?’ You know, ‘You’re looking a little depressed. I can put you on a 120-day mental hold. Who would watch your daughter?’” she recalls. “I was actually supposed to re-enlist, and without any warning, with about 10 days left, I was out the door. No job.”
“It scared my higher-ups, and I immediately got an attorney, got whistleblower protection, and I was very vocal for a long time,” she continues, noting that they’ve “admitted” why they do this.
“It’s to dim the sun because of global warming,” she says, adding, “but I wonder, though, if a lot of people that are behind this actually believe in global warming.”
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Trump drops 10,000 pages of RFK assassination files, exposing puzzling early death reports
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Friday that the Trump administration had released 10,000 new pages regarding the 1968 assassination of Democratic Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (N.Y.).
The long-since classified investigation documents were released as part of President Donald Trump's January 23 executive order directing the declassification of files on the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy, and Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.
'In my view, these documents provide the background to more questions than answers.'
"The Executive Order establishes the policy that, more than 50 years after these assassinations, the victims' families and the American people deserve the truth," read a White House fact sheet on the action.
During an April 10 Cabinet meeting, Gabbard told Trump she had "over 100 people working around the clock" scanning the relevant files.
"These have been sitting in boxes in storage for decades. They have never been scanned or seen before," she said.
Trump asked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. how he felt about the news that the files on his father and uncle would be released in the coming days.
Kennedy responded, "I'm very gratified."
"I'm very grateful to you, Mr. President," he added.
On Friday morning, Gabbard told Fox News that the first batch of newly released files related to the government's investigation and "questions and theories that were being posed" concerning Sen. Kennedy's assassination.
The documents revealed that State Department cables were reporting on Kennedy’s death before it actually occurred.
Gabbard explained that the cables “showed different countries were sending messages to each other around Senator Kennedy’s assassination, saying that he had been assassinated, but that was before he was actually killed.”
"In my view, these documents provide the background to more questions than answers," Gabbard added.
"We're obviously not stopping here," she said. "We sent people out to hunt through different warehouses at the FBI and CIA, knowing there are likely other documents that have not yet been turned over to National Archives."
Gabbard noted that the second release would include more than 50,000 additional pages on the senator's assassination.
Kennedy Jr. responded to the document release, stating, "Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government."
"I commend President Trump for his courage and his commitment to transparency," he added. "I'm grateful also to Tulsi Gabbard for her dogged efforts to root out and declassify these documents."
A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Nearly six decades have passed since the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and these historic files have been hidden from the American people all this time — until now."
"In the name of maximum transparency, President Trump has released over 10,000 pages of the RFK files with more to come," the spokesperson continued. "There has never been a more transparent president in the history of our country than President Donald J. Trump. Another promise made and promise kept."
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Dear Secretary Kennedy: Please Stop Schools From Needlessly Drugging Kids
I hope Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the new Make America Healthy Again Commission won’t need prescription stimulants to notice this crisis.GOP rep to head task force to declassify JFK files, Epstein client list
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida announced Tuesday that she was appointed to chair a new task force aimed at declassifying federal secrets.
The task force will focus on declassifying records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Luna will also be investigating materials pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein's client list, documents related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, the origins of COVID-19, and UFOs.
'This will be a relentless pursuit of truth and transparency, and we will not stop until the American people have the answers they deserve.'
"For far too long, the federal government has not answered these questions," Chairman James Comer, who appointed Luna to the post, said during a press conference Tuesday. "This creates distrust in our institutions. That ends today."
"This will no longer be a task force that makes bold promises only to fade into irrelevance or send strongly worded letters," Luna said during the press conference. "This will be a relentless pursuit of truth and transparency, and we will not stop until the American people have the answers they deserve. We will cut through the bureaucracy, challenge the stonewalling, and ensure that the American people finally get the truth that they have been denied for far too long."
This task force emerged following President Donald Trump's historic executive order requiring the declassification of documents related to the assassinations of King and the Kennedys. Since then, the FBI has uncovered over 2,400 records tied to the assassination of President Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963.
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