Trump's Autism Announcement & Jimmy Kimmel Returns

Hi readers, happy Tuesday! Today, we’re covering Trump’s autism announcement, Palestinian statehood, Trump bailing out Argentina, North Korea’s negotiation tactics, Charlie Kirk’s memorial, antifa’s domestic terrorist designation, and Jimmy Kimmel’s return.

“And I have exposed myself to art so that my work has something beyond just the usual potter.” – Beatrice Wood 

Trump Gives Scientists Another Headache

Tylenol, according to the president of the U.S., causes autism. Yesterday, President Trump (a Diet Coke and McDonald’s addict), health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (who’s had a worm found in his brain) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid head Dr. Mehmet Oz (a former daytime TV show host) appeared at the White House to announce that the Food and Drug Administration would be updating a few of its guidelines to protect Americans against a supposed autism epidemic. The new guidelines discourage the use of acetaminophen (Tylenol) by pregnant women due to the drug supposedly causing autism, and also approve leucovorin (a type of vitamin B) as a treatment for autism.

Both of those choices were made without any clear scientific evidence backing them up. While a handful of studies have suggested an association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and a slightly increased risk of autism diagnosis, there are zero studies actually showing a causal relationship between the two. Meanwhile, very few studies suggest that leucovorin could actually improve the symptoms of autism.

“We are unsure why this announcement came today and how the conclusions were drawn,” said the Autism Science Foundation in a statement. “No new data or scientific studies were presented or shared. No new studies have been published in the literature. No new presentations on this topic were made at scientific or medical conferences. Instead, President Trump talked about what he thinks and feels without offering scientific evidence.”

Statehood But No Solution

Over the weekend, the U.K., Canada, Australia, and Portugal all recognized Palestinians’ right to statehood. On Monday, France joined their ranks, and Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, and San Marino are all set to join in as well. The recognitions of Palestinian statehood are part of a wider trend speaking out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, though they’re largely understood to be symbolic measures. At this point, 156 of 193 U.N. member states recognize Palestine as a state, with just the U.S., Israel, and a handful of other countries pushing back against the tide. 

While that makes for some nice headlines, the reality is that a two-state solution is not going to come anytime soon. That’s because Israel and the U.S. are staunchly against any sort of Palestinian statehood, and the IDF is still carrying out its war in Gaza. Plus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to annex parts of the occupied West Bank if more countries recognize a Palestinian state.

Besides a symbolic recognition, France also participated in a one-day summit aimed at creating a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Alongside Saudi Arabia, France put forth a plan calling for an immediate end to the war, which would involve Hamas returning all its hostages in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. If that exchange were to go through, Hamas would then hand over its political power to an independent committee set up by the Palestinian Authority before laying down its arms. After that, Gaza would be rebuilt by the Palestinian Authority with the help of the international community, and Israel would normalize its ties with regional neighbors.

LMNT’s Lemonade Salt Is Here To Stay!

Capitalism Is When You Get Bailed Out By The U.S. Government

• Argentine President Javier Milei’s house of cards is finally crumbling around his mutton chops. After years of attempting to fix Argentina’s economy through deregulation and spending cuts, the country’s currency is in freefall, its stock market is in shambles, and it looks like Milei might lose control over the legislature after just two years in office. Luckily for the right-wing libertarian, he has friends in high places. Or at least the White House. Yesterday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the U.S. government is considering “all options” for propping up Argentina’s economy, including swap lines and direct currency purchases. 

• Argentina’s economy is struggling thanks to multiple factors, including corruption allegations against Milei’s government, Argentinians’ frustrations with government aid cuts, and a recent massive election loss by Milei’s party which has spooked investors. Trump is set to meet with Milei later today during this week’s U.N. General Assembly to work out the terms of the bailout. “What they're trying to do is bolster Argentina until the elections - if they can get that far,” said one former senior U.S. Treasury official. 

North Korea Needs Its Nukes

• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has indicated that his country is willing to negotiate with the U.S., but only if the White House gives up on its “obsession” with taking away North Korea’s nuclear weapons. “If the U.S. drops its hollow obsession with denuclearization and wants to pursue peaceful coexistence with North Korea based on the recognition of reality, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the U.S.,” said Kim in an address to North Korean lawmakers. 

• “The world already knows well what the United States does after forcing other countries to give up their nuclear weapons and disarm,” he added. Pyongyang has repeatedly referenced Libya and Iraq as countries that have had their governments overthrown by the U.S. after scrapping their nuclear weapons programs. 

• The negotiations Kim is referring to would likely involve the U.S. lifting some of its sanctions on North Korea in exchange for the country somehow deescalating its aggression towards South Korea. While Trump has broadcast his desire to talk with Kim, it’s unclear exactly what Pyongyang would give up for those weaker sanctions with denuclearization off the table.

Additional World News

• US bars Iran's diplomats from shopping at Costco without permission (AP)

• China cancels schools and flights as it braces for Ragasa, one of the strongest typhoons in years (AP)

• ICC charges ex-Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte with murder (BBC)

• U.N. Gathers Amid Its 80th Anniversary and a ‘Free Fall’ (NYT, $)

• Nepal’s Violent Gen Z Uprising (New Yorker)

• ‘Afraid of our talent’: India hits back against Trump’s H-1B visa fee hike (Guardian) 

Keeping It Classy (And Christian) For Kirk

• On Sunday, Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium was home to the nation’s highest concentration of bronzer, facial filler, veneers, and red hats. The football stadium hosted  a massive hours-long rally in memory of dead conservative commentator Charlie Kirk – Christian rock artists provided the soundtrack while top Republicans including Trump, White House advisor Stephen Miller, and Kirk’s widow Erika each took their turn delivering speeches from a podium protected by a thick layer of bulletproof glass.

• “You have no idea the dragon you have awakened. You have no idea how determined we will be to save this civilisation, to save the west, to save the republic,” said Stephen Miller in his remarks. He appears to have forgotten his fedora and mall katana at home. During his speech, Trump asserted that “violence comes largely from the left” without any evidence, adding that Kirk “didn’t hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry.” Classy.

The White House Is Anti-Anti-Fascist

• On Monday, the president signed off on an executive order labeling antifa, a decentralized network of left-wing political groups, as a “domestic terrorist organization.” The network, according to the order, is “a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.” Trump has instructed federal agencies to prosecute any person acting on behalf of, or providing support for, the movement. 

• A few thoughts on this. First, “antifa” is simply short for “anti-fascist” – it’s largely understood to be “a movement or an ideology” (in the words of a former FBI director) rather than an operational organization. Some small political organizations, though, do use “antifa” in their names. Second, the government hasn’t historically prosecuted groups as “domestic terrorist organizations.” The White House has a list of foreign terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, but has avoided curating a list of domestic terrorist groups for fear of impeding Americans’ First Amendment rights. 

• Some states including Georgia have been expanding their definition of domestic terrorism in order to more easily target protestors and activists. Those definitions include harsher charges for already-existing crimes such as destruction of property or participating in protests that turn violent. Civils rights advocates say this new precedent could lead to wider crackdowns on free speech nationwide.

Additional USA News

• News outlets prepare fight against Pentagon’s demand for press to sign ‘pledge’ restricting reporting (CNN)

• US Supreme Court to revisit laws curtailing Trump's power to fire top officials (BBC)

• Halligan, Trump’s Chosen Prosecutor, Takes Over Comey and James Cases (NYT, $)

• What to know about Trump’s new $100,000 H-1B visa fee (Guardian)

• Amazon, Google, and Microsoft warn employees to rush back to the US (Verge) 

• Trump administration wants to hand out $2.4 billion it took from California's high-speed railroad (AP)

Jimmy Kimmel Lives!

• Last Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel made some comments about the political affiliations of the man accused of shooting right-wing commenter Charlie Kirk. In response to those comments, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threatened to use his agency to punish ABC – the network that broadcasts “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” – and Disney, which owns ABC, by revoking their broadcasting licenses. The two media companies responded by pulling Kimmel’s show “indefinitely.”

• It turns out that “indefinite” meant less than a week – after being off the air since last Wednesday, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is set to return to your living room later tonight. The decision to bring Kimmel back was made after discussions between Disney head Bob Iger and Kimmel’s team. According to the New York Times, Disney had chosen to pull the show last week when it learned that Kimmel was planning to slap back at right-wingers in a monologue.

• Disney execs have been in constant contact with Kimmel since the show was taken off the air, figuring out how to bring the show back while also appeasing both right-wing regulators and liberal Disney fans (who’ve been canceling their Disney+ subscriptions in droves). We’re not expecting Kimmel to do anything crazy tonight, but we’ll definitely be watching the show… in the form of YouTube highlights tomorrow morning.

Additional Reads

• Is it true that doing puzzles prevents dementia? (Guardian)

• What to know about Fat Bear Week, a competition to be the chonkiest brown bear (AP)

• Chatbait Is Taking Over the Internet (Atlantic)

• A Cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover Is Causing a Supply Chain Disaster (Wired)

• Nvidia to Invest $100 Billion in OpenAI (NYT, $)

• Why your outdoorsy friend suddenly has a gummy bear power bank (Verge)

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