
Trump's CDC Pick Is Pushing Vaccine-Autism ‘Lie,' Senator Says
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Dave Weldon, President Donald Trump's pick to run the country's top public health agency, said in a recent meeting that he still believes the debunked theory that the childhood immunization schedule may be linked to autism, according to a Democratic senator in attendance.
Weldon told Senator Patty Murray that children may be exposed to toxic levels of mercury through the US government's recommended immunization schedule, even though mercury hasn't been used in childhood vaccines for nearly 25 years in the US. Weldon's comments indicate his long-held vaccine skepticism hasn't changed despite ample evidence contradicting this view.

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New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
Illinois parents, policy experts concern over new school mental health screening law
A new Illinois law mandating annual mental health screenings for students in the third through 12th grades is drawing concern from parents and policy experts, who say the measure, and the way it could be implemented, raises more questions than it answers. 'What does that [screening] entail?' asked Cata Truss, a Chicago mother, grandmother, and former educator. 'A child dealing with trauma may show the same signs as one with mental illness, but you don't want to treat or medicate them the same.' Though parents will reserve the right to opt their children out of the mental health screenings, the law leaves key details to be determined by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which has until September 1, 2026, to develop guidance on how screenings will be conducted, how follow-up referrals will work, and how student privacy will be protected. Illinois moms, including Truss, voiced their skepticism while appearing on 'Fox & Friends First,' citing transparency gaps and their own fears of overreach. 'We do need an increase in our mental health [services] for our children,' said Christine McGovern, also a former public school teacher. But McGovern is concerned the measure could open the door for overreach and the 'alienation of parents,' which she identified as the 'biggest issue' she encountered during her tenure in education. 4 A new Illinois law mandating annual mental health screenings for students in the third through 12th grades is drawing concern from parents and policy experts. arrowsmith2 – Policy attorney and parent Mailee Smith is concerned that several provisions in the law remain vague, including how parents are supposed to opt their children out of the screenings. 'Are parents going to be told every year they can opt out? Because if they don't, that's really not an opt-out process,' she said. 'Who is going to be collecting and reviewing this information? How will students how will their confidentiality be protected?' she continued. 'It seems to pose more risks to freedom than answers to the mental health crisis.' 4 Key details of the mental health screening will be determined by the Illinois State Board of Education, which has until Sept. 1, 2026, to develop guidance on how screenings will be conducted, according to reports. – Truss also expressed a desire for 'so many things' to be added to the measure that have not yet been 'looked at,' likely referencing the law's reliance on future guidance from the ISBE. 'Certainly, we want to say to parents, opt out. And if you think that your child may be suffering from some sort of mental episode, get your own screening. Go out and allow your child's doctor to be the catalyst for whether or not you make the decision to deal with that, whether it's mental illness or whether it's trauma.' Fox News Digital previously reached out to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who signed the measure on July 31, for comment, but did not receive a reply. 4 Pritzker said the policy is designed to 'overcome the stigma' surrounding mental health and ensure students have access to help if they need it. Getty Images The broader national debate over mental health screenings also roused concerns from author Abigail Shrier, who recently shared that her middle school-aged son was given a mental health screening at an urgent care center after he went in, complaining of a stomachache. In an article with The Free Press, Shrier said she requested a copy of the survey and photographed it. She proceeded to detail the questions, which asked whether he had wished he were dead or was thinking about killing himself. Shrier questioned whether such screenings plant harmful ideas in children's heads or bear the potential for false positives. 4 Supporters of the law argue that the goal is to identify anxiety, depression, or trauma before it escalates. Rido – Local reports say Illinois' approach will use a self-assessment tool and that state lawmakers have identified the screenings as a method of detection rather than diagnosis. 'Tens of thousands of Illinois kids will be encouraged to think of themselves as sick,' she claimed. Supporters of the law argue that the goal is to identify anxiety, depression, or trauma before it escalates. Pritzker said the policy is designed to 'overcome the stigma' surrounding mental health and ensure students have access to help if they need it. The law is set to take effect during the 2027–2028 school year.


NBC News
3 hours ago
- NBC News
U.S. appeals court upholds Arkansas law banning youth transgender care
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld an Arkansas law barring doctors from providing gender-affirming care including puberty blockers, hormones and surgery to transgender minors. The 8-2 decision by the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturns a lower court ruling. It also follows the U.S. Supreme Court's June ruling holding that Tennessee's similar ban did not discriminate based on sex or transgender status. Citing that ruling, the 8th Circuit's majority agreed with Arkansas' Republican attorney general that the law did not violate transgender minors' equal protection rights under the U.S. Constitution. The 8th Circuit also went further than the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, by deciding an unresolved legal issue of whether such bans violate parents' rights to provide appropriate medical care for their children. Lawyers for the plaintiffs — a group of minors, parents and health care professionals — argued the Arkansas law violated parents' due process rights under the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment. But U.S. Circuit Judge Duane Benton, writing for the majority, cited a lack of historical support for the argument that parents have a right to obtain medical treatment for their children that a state legislature deems inappropriate. 'This court finds no such right in this Nation's history and tradition,' Benton wrote in an opinion joined by seven fellow appointees of Republican presidents. U.S. Circuit Judge Jane Kelly, an appointee of Democratic former President Barack Obama, dissented along with another judge, citing a 'startling lack of evidence connecting Arkansas' ban on gender-affirming care with its purported goal of protecting children.' 'This is a tragically unjust result for transgender Arkansans, their doctors and their families,' said Holly Dickson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, which represented the plaintiffs. The decision overturns a ruling by a lower-court judge in 2023 who had declared the law unconstitutional after previously blocking it from taking effect in 2021. That year, Arkansas became the first U.S. state to ban gender-affirming care for minors. The Republican-led legislature passed the ban over the veto of then-Governor Asa Hutchinson, also a Republican. Since then, a slew of other Republican-led states have passed similar laws. Such policies are now in place in 25 states. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week upheld Oklahoma's own ban, citing the Supreme Court's ruling.


Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Illinois parents wary of school mental health screening law, potential for 'overreach'
A new Illinois law mandating annual mental health screenings for students in the third through 12th grades is drawing concern from parents and policy experts, who say the measure, and the way it could be implemented, raises more questions than it answers. "What does that [screening] entail?" asked Cata Truss, a Chicago mother, grandmother, and former educator. "A child dealing with trauma may show the same signs as one with mental illness, but you don't want to treat or medicate them the same." Though parents will reserve the right to opt their children out of the mental health screenings, the law leaves key details to be determined by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), which has until September 1, 2026, to develop guidance on how screenings will be conducted, how follow-up referrals will work, and how student privacy will be protected. Illinois moms, including Truss, voiced their skepticism while appearing on "Fox & Friends First," citing transparency gaps and their own fears of overreach. "We do need an increase in our mental health [services] for our children," said Christine McGovern, also a former public school teacher. But McGovern is concerned the measure could open the door for overreach and the "alienation of parents," which she identified as the "biggest issue" she encountered during her tenure in education. Policy attorney and parent Mailee Smith is concerned that several provisions in the law remain vague, including how parents are supposed to opt their children out of the screenings. "Are parents going to be told every year they can opt out? Because if they don't, that's really not an opt-out process," she said. "Who is going to be collecting and reviewing this information? How will students how will their confidentiality be protected?" she continued. "It seems to pose more risks to freedom than answers to the mental health crisis." Truss also expressed a desire for "so many things" to be added to the measure that have not yet been "looked at," likely referencing the law's reliance on future guidance from the ISBE. "Certainly we want to say to parents, opt out. And if you think that your child may be suffering from some sort of mental episode, get your own screening. Go out and allow your child's doctor to be the catalyst for whether or not you make the decision to deal with that, whether it's mental illness or whether it's trauma." Fox News Digital previously reached out to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who signed the measure on July 31, for comment, but did not receive a reply. The broader national debate over mental health screenings also roused concerns from author Abigail Shrier, who recently shared that her middle school-aged son was given a mental health screening at an urgent care center after he went in, complaining of a stomachache. In an article with The Free Press, Shrier said she requested a copy of the survey and photographed it. She proceeded to detail the questions, which asked whether he had wished he were dead or was thinking about killing himself. Shrier questioned whether such screenings plant harmful ideas in children's heads or bear the potential for false positives. Local reports say Illinois' approach will use a self-assessment tool and that state lawmakers have identified the screenings as a method of detection rather than diagnosis. "Tens of thousands of Illinois kids will be encouraged to think of themselves as sick," she claimed. Supporters of the law argue that the goal is to identify anxiety, depression, or trauma before it escalates. Pritzker said the policy is designed to "overcome the stigma" surrounding mental health and ensure students have access to help if they need it. The law is set to take effect during the 2027–2028 school year.