Central Michigan requires ‘white privilege’ essay
lots of photos:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1971019807341543912.html
Tylenol Maker Privately Admitted Evidence Was Getting ‘Heavy’ For Autism Risk In 2018
The pharmaceutical company behind Tylenol privately acknowledged the likelihood of an association between its drug in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism in children seven years ago, company documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.
“The weight of the evidence is starting to feel heavy to me,” said Rachel Weinstein, U.S. director of epidemiology for Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, in 2018. Johnson & Johnson marketed Tylenol at the time but in 2023 spun off its consumer products division into a separate company called Kenvue.
Legacy media headlines and vocal public health experts have dismissed the conclusion of President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that Tylenol taken in pregnancy and early infancy has driven rises in autism. But one stakeholder has for years viewed the evidence as credible enough to act upon, at least privately: The makers of Tylenol.
The DCNF obtained the company documents from the law firm Keller Postman LLC, which brought a class action lawsuit against Kenvue in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York.
To be sure, much of the highly-cited research on autism spectrum disorder emphasizes genetic rather than environmental drivers. The scientific community continues to debate its causes, with many scientists agreeing that multiple factors may be at play.
The company’s FAQ webpage says that “acetaminophen is an active ingredient in all TYLENOL® products and in more than 600 other over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines.”
A decade before Weinstein’s email, in 2008, Johnson & Johnson began receiving queries from consumers and physicians about a possible link, emails show.
“Not much choice but to consider this a safety signal that needs to be evaluated,” J&J Office of Consumer Medical Safety Lead Andre Mann wrote in 2008 after receiving a letter from a physician with concerns.
Leslie Shur, the head of the division of Johnson & Johnson that monitors the side effects of drugs already on the market, received an alert in 2012 about concerns about acetaminophen and autism from a concerned father, with one employee writing “in case this goes to press.”
Concerns about a link between Tylenol and neurological disorders may have reached the C-suite by 2014, according to another email, which references then-Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorski.
The makers of Tylenol have closely tracked a drumbeat of scientific publications finding an association between taking the blockbuster drug in pregnancy and infancy and autism risk, other company documents show.
A 2018 internal presentation the company labeled “privileged and confidential” acknowledges that observational studies show a “somewhat consistent” association between prenatal exposure to Tylenol and neurodevelopmental disorders. Another presentation slide acknowledges that larger meta-analyses — reviews summarizing multiple scientific studies — found an association, but notes weaknesses of these studies like confounding variables and subjectivity in measuring autistic traits.
“Johnson & Johnson divested its consumer health business years ago, and all rights and liabilities associated with the sale of its over-the-counter products, including Tylenol (acetaminophen), are owned by Kenvue,” a Johnson & Johnson spokesman said in a statement.
Shur did not respond to a request for comment. Mann and Gorski could not be reached for comment.
“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products,” Kenvue spokesperson Melissa Witt told the DCNF. “We have continuously evaluated the science and continue to believe there is no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism.”
“Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy,” Witt continued. “Our products are safe and effective when used as directed on the product label. We recommend pregnant women do not take any over-the-counter medication, including acetaminophen, without talking to their doctor first.”
Hearings before the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the class action suit against Kenvue will begin Oct. 9. Judge Denise Cote granted summary judgement for Kenvue in September 2023, after tossing the scientific testimony from experts for Keller Postman, citing the “great public health implications” of pregnant women not having the drug.
Ashley Keller, lead attorney for the families with autistic children, argues the judge overstepped and that women should be alerted to the risk.
“We saw this nonsense with COVID on all sorts of things that turned out to be untrue. They said these lies were noble lies. Well, we shouldn’t sugar coat things for pregnant moms,” he said to the DCNF.
The judge also responded to the internal records showing that the company knew about studies showing an autism risk by saying that “candid internal discussion […] is positive corporate behavior.”
Meanwhile, Kenvue states on the website for Tylenol that “credible, independent scientific data continues to show no proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism.”
“If you are treating your little one with acetaminophen, please know that there is no credible science that shows taking acetaminophen causes autism,” the site also reads.
Internal emails sharply contrast with that public statement.
Emails show employees of Johnson & Johnson discussing a 2018 literature review concluding that pregnant women should be cautioned against indiscriminate use of Tylenol as well as a 2016 study that concluded that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen was associated with autism “with hyperkinetic features,” or abnormal involuntary movement, though not with autism without those symptoms.
Weinstein, the company epidemiologist, wrote to one of the authors lauding the “substantial strengths of the study design,” the “strength and robustness of the association,” and the study’s ability “to control for possible confounding by indication,” that “lend support to the findings.” Weinstein joined Kenvue from Johnson & Johnson but has since retired, her LinkedIn shows. She could not be reached for comment.
In 2018, Weinstein and other top scientists within the company considered funding follow-on studies about the drug’s autism risk but eventually opted against “sticking their necks out.” Weinstein mentioned that they could end up confirming the findings. The company noted in a 2018 presentation that recommending against Tylenol in pregnancy would leave women with few options.
Tylenol has few competitors among pregnant women, with ibuprofen and aspirin discouraged in late pregnancy due to potential complications.
The company also conducted research it described as “social listening” by tracking Google searches and social media posts seeking evidence about Tylenol and autism from January 2020 through October 2023. The company initiated the social media trends research after the 2021 publication of a call to action on Tylenol in Nature Reviews Endocrinology by 13 U.S. and European experts “in light of the serious consequences of inaction.”
Just two years before, a 2013 ProPublica investigation had uncovered the company had also been slow to update its label with information about the risk of overdose. Tylenol caused 1,500 overdose deaths from 2001 through 2010, more than every other over-the-counter painkiller combined, according to the report. That same year, Tylenol added a message to the bottle caps of its extra strength formulation: “CONTAINS ACETAMINOPHEN” and “ALWAYS READ THE LABEL.”
The renewed push to tie the Tylenol brand to themes of family and safety followed.
“Come back,” one marketing slide reads, showing a picture of a mother and baby.
https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2025/09/26/scoop-tylenol-maker-privately-admitted-evidence-was-getting-heavy-for-autism-risk-in-2018/
Amish and Mennonites are still building free homes in North Carolina
Matt Van Swol
@matt_vanswol
🚨#BREAKING: The Amish have confirmed they have completed their very last tiny home for Western North Carolina victims of Hurricane Helene.
This final tiny home is being delivered today to David Hostetter, a Vietnam veteran who lost his home in the storm.
GOD BLESS THE AMISH!!!
https://x.com/matt_vanswol/status/1971956974205259902
Trump Admin Warns Migrant Sponsors To Pay Their Tab Or Face Consequences
The Trump administration is warning migrant sponsors to take financial responsibility for them or expect to be slapped with steep fines, lawsuits, or even prosecution.
American citizens who sponsor migrants that end up using taxpayer-funded benefits like food stamps or housing assistance will be held financially liable and could even face criminal charges, according to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The announcement, which is intended for all migrant sponsors across the country, marks the latest policy crackdown by the Trump administration.
“It is crucial for sponsors and aliens to meet their fiscal obligations and not push financial burdens onto the American people,” USCIS Spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement provided to the DCNF.
“American taxpayers should not be on the hook to subsidize aliens when their financial sponsors have promised to do so,” Tragesser continued.
Most family-based immigrants are required to be sponsored by a citizen or lawful permanent resident when applying for a green card, according to USCIS. A sponsor agrees to take financial responsibility for them, ensuring that foreign nationals seeking resident status in the U.S. have adequate means of support and will not become dependent on public benefits.
If a migrant receives means-tested public benefits — public benefits funded by the federal or state government, such as welfare or cash assistance — while under support of their sponsor, the agency that provided that benefit can request the sponsor to pay back the cost, according to USCIS. If the cost is not repaid, that agency is permitted to sue the sponsor for repayment, legal fees, and other associated costs.
It’s not just agencies that can sue. The memo also reminds sponsors that migrants themselves may sue them if they fail to provide sufficient financial support.
If a sponsor is discovered to have intentionally lied on their sponsorship paperwork — such as misrepresenting their financial standing in order to obtain approval — they can be subject to criminal prosecution to the “fullest extent” of the law, according to USCIS.
“If fraud is suspected, cases may be referred to the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate for review and investigation,” the USCIS memo states. “If a sponsor knowingly and willfully provides fraudulent or false information, USCIS will deem [the sponsorship affidavit] insufficient and may deny the intending immigrant’s application for adjustment of status.”
Beyond increased enforcement measures along the country’s borders, the Trump administration has also continued to tighten the policies and procedures surrounding legal immigration into the U.S.
USCIS revealed earlier this month that it would begin to more heavily weed out green card applicants who’ve used welfare or other taxpayer-funded government services, meaning migrants on welfare should not expect to be on a pathway to citizenship. In August, the agency declared it would not just consider a foreign national’s absence of misconduct during their citizenship application process, but also weigh their “positive attributes” to society.
“USCIS is adding a new element to the naturalization process that ensures America’s newest citizens not only embrace America’s culture, history, and language but who also demonstrate Good Moral Character,” Tragesser said in August. “This memo ensures that USCIS officers are accounting for an alien’s positive contributions to American society — including community involvement, achievements, and financial responsibility rather than the absence of their misconduct.”
Joseph Edlow, the director of USCIS, previously told the DCNF that his agency is aiming to take on more of an enforcement role under President Donald Trump, such as bolstering voter fraud prevention efforts and weeding out criminals seeking immigration benefits.
https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2025/09/25/exclusive-trump-admin-warns-migrant-sponsors-to-pay-their-tab-or-face-consequences/
Jesse Watters
@JesseBWatters
🚨 NEW VIDEO: Fox just obtained Surveillance Footage of the ICE Sniper opening FIRE on the VAN in Dallas 🚨
https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/1971748120234184751
Ford Fischer
@FordFischer
Moments earlier: U.S. Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino leads an exit from the ICE facility, threatening to arrest anyone in the street.
Ultimately, two foot chases begin (both were arrested.)
https://x.com/FordFischer/status/1972074873049743747