September 22, 2025

Good Monday evening. In this edition: Trump links Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism despite unproven connection.

• Plus, Kimmel, Palestine, shutdown, FTC and Kirk.

Tylenol

President Trump directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue new guidance advising pregnant women to avoid acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, citing a potential link to autism.

• "Taking Tylenol is not good," he said at the White House alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal health officials.
  
  
• "For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary."

He added that pregnant women suffering from conditions such as high fever should consult with their doctors about taking a small dose.

• "If you can't tough it out, if you can't do it, that's what you're going have to do. You'll take a Tylenol, but it'll be very sparingly," he said. "I think you shouldn't take it."

The president said the FDA would issue a notice to physicians about the potential risks of acetaminophen during pregnancy and begin the process of making a safety label change.

• The administration, however, did not present any new evidence to back up its claims of a potential link to autism, which affects about 1 in 31 children in the U.S., according to the CDC.

Secretary Kennedy said the FDA was basing its decision on "clinical and laboratory studies," but the science concerning the connection between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism is far from settled.

• Some studies point to a possible link, but major medical groups who have evaluated a possible link continue to recommend it as the safest painkiller during pregnancy.
  
  
• A major study published last year that included nearly 2.5 million children in Sweden concluded there was no connection, pointing instead to possible genetic factors.

The maker of Tylenol, Kenvue, pushed back on the administration's claims, saying acetaminophen was "the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy."

• "We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers," the company said in a statement.

Autism has become more prevalent in U.S.-born children over the past 25 years, but there's no scientific consensus on why.

• Most experts say it's likely due to a combination of factors, including changes to the way the condition is diagnosed.

The administration also announced it was starting the approval process for a drug called leucovorin, which it said could possibly be used to help the symptoms of some children with autism.

• The White House said the drug, which is currently used to treat cancer and anemia patients, could be used to treat kids with "cerebral folate deficiency and autistic symptoms."

President Trump further said he was in favor of spacing out childhood vaccines without citing medical evidence to support his claims.

• "It would be good, instead of one visit where they pump the baby, you load it up with stuff, you do it over a period of four times or five times," he said.
  
  
• "You know, I'm just making these statements from me. I'm not making them from these doctors."

Watch the White House announcement.

In other news…

• Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show is set to return on Tuesday after ABC suspended him over comments he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. He was taken off the air last Wednesday after the Trump administration pressured the network to act following comments from the host inaccurately describing the politics of the man accused in the murder. "It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive," ABC owner Disney said in statement. "We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday."
  
  

• France became the latest Western country to formally recognized the Palestinian state, joining the U.K., Canada, Australia and Portugal, who announced their formal recognition Sunday. "The time has come," French President Emmanuel Macron declared at the United Nations. Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon said he was "disappointed" in the countries' decisions. "On Oct. 8, you stood with Israel, you spoke about the hostages. Today, you're moving on. You're trying to leave the hostages behind," he said.
  
  

• President Trump plans to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) sometime this week as the federal government heads toward a possible shutdown on Oct. 1. The Senate rejected dueling government funding proposals from Democrats and Republicans on Friday, increasing the chances of a shutdown.
  
  

• The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to allow President Trump, for now, to fire Democrat Rebecca Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces consumer protection and antitrust laws. Justices said they will hear the case in December, when it will grapple with the broader question of whether to overturn the precedent that has prevented presidents from removing independent regulators.
  
  

• Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, said at a memorial service Sunday she forgives the man charged with killing her husband. "I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do," she said. "The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love — love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us." However, President Trump, closing out the night, said he will continue to "hate" his opponents. "And I don't want the best for them," he added. "I am sorry, Erika."

For your radar…

• President Trump addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN at 9am ET.
  
  

• Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivers remarks Tuesday on the U.S. economy, one week after the central bank approved its first interest rate cut since December. Watch LIVE on C-SPAN at 12:30pm ET.

Was this email forwarded to you? 
Sign up here

Like this newsletters? Make sure to share it: