TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: The race to succeed Ron DeSantis officially heated up as Republican investor James Fishback launched his gubernatorial bid on Monday, November 24, positioning himself as a direct challenger to President Donald Trump’s chosen successor, Rep Byron Donalds.
Fishback, a 30-year-old investment firm founder and self-described “anti-woke” activist, wasted no time in attacking the frontrunner, labeling Donalds a “s***e” to corporate interests in a fiery announcement that has already drawn sharp rebukes from the Trump-aligned wing of the party.
While Fishback attempted to frame himself as the true heir to the DeSantis legacy, polls show that he faces an uphill battle against Donalds, who commands a massive lead thanks to the president’s “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
In a move that stunned political observers, Fishback used his launch to hurl insults at Donalds, who would be Florida’s first Black governor if elected.
“Byron Donalds is a s***e. I’m sorry, he’s a s***e,” Fishback told reporters, claiming that the Congressman is beholden to “tech bros” and corporate donors.
“He is a s***e to the corporate interests… He wants to turn Florida into Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong,” he added.
The inflammatory rhetoric was accompanied by an announcement video where Fishback declared, “I’m a proud American who will never apologize for our history,” followed immediately by a close-up shot of a Confederate monument in Jackson County.
Donalds’ campaign immediately dismissed the attacks, framing Fishback as a desperate outsider trying to fracture the party.
“Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor because he is the proven conservative fighter endorsed by President Trump,” said Ryan Smith, chief strategist for Donalds’ campaign.
Smith didn’t mince words about Fishback’s standing in the MAGA movement. “Anyone running against him is an anti-Trump RINO and will get crushed in the Republican primary,” he declared, signaling that the party base was firmly behind the president’s pick.
Recent polling reportedly backed up this confidence. A survey by ‘The American Promise’ found Donalds dominating the field with 58% support among voters who knew of Trump’s endorsement, while Fishback languished at just 1%.
Fishback is running on a platform of economic nativism.
He pledged to “fire every single H-1B” visa holder working in state agencies on his first day, attacking the legal immigration program that allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers.
“Florida is our home, America is our birthright, and we will never let them steal it from us,” Fishback said.
He also promised to eliminate property taxes entirely, a proposal critics argued would destabilize the state’s budget, further distinguishing his allegedly burn-it-down approach from Donalds’ more measured, Trump-aligned economic agenda.
On Monday (22 September), US President Donald Trump claimed that women should stop taking Tylenol during pregnancy, as it was contributing to rising autism rates in children.
The active ingredient in Tylenol is acetaminophen, which is better known as paracetamol over in the UK.
Speaking about the drug, Trump claimed: “The FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, which is commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.
“So taking Tylenol is not good. For this reason they are strongly recommending women limit Tylenol use in pregnancy, unless medically necessary, that’s for instance in cases of extremely high fever, that you feel you can’t tough it out, you can’t do it, I guess there’s that.
“If you can’t tough it out, if you can’t do it, you’ll take a Tylenol but it will be very sparingly.”
Paracetamol has always been considered safe in pregnancy, and since Trump’s comments on the drug, many medical experts have refuted the claims.
Now, the makers of Tylenol, Kenvue, have said in a statement that ‘independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism.’
“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise,” the statement reads.
“Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy. Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives.
“The facts are that over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators, confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism.”
Kenvue added that it ‘will continue to explore all options to protect the health interests of American women and children’.
Following Trump’s announcement, the FDA shared an open letter urging doctors to ‘consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers’.
It added: “To be clear, while an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature,” calling the issue an ‘ongoing area of scientific debate’.
According to the NHS: “Paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you’re pregnant. It’s commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby.”
However, expectant mothers are warned not to use ibuprofen, naproxen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the third trimester.
US President Donald Trump has issued advice to women after instructing them not to take Tylenol during pregnancy in a move which has angered experts across the globe.
Tylenol is a pain relief medication containing the active ingredient acetaminophen, which is better known as paracetamol in the UK.
Paracetamol has always been deemed safe in pregnancy. In fact, the NHS says that ‘paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you’re pregnant. It’s commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby’.
However, comments made by Trump earlier this week do not align with guidance, with the president explaining: “The FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of acetaminophen, which is commonly known as Tylenol, during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.
“So taking Tylenol is not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending women limit Tylenol use in pregnancy, unless medically necessary, that’s for instance in cases of extremely high fever.”
Trump did have one piece of advice, urging that women try to ‘tough it out’ before considering taking the drug.
He added: “If you can’t tough it out, if you can’t do it, you’ll take a Tylenol, but it will be very sparingly.”
Following the announcement, the FDA shared an open letter encouraging doctors to ‘consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers’.
“To be clear, while an association between acetaminophen and autism has been described in many studies, a causal relationship has not been established and there are contrary studies in the scientific literature,” the letter adds.
Meanwhile, a statement by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added: “The Trump Administration does not believe popping more pills is always the answer for better health.
“There is mounting evidence finding a connection between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism — and that’s why the Administration is courageously issuing this new health guidance.
“Additionally, the Trump Administration is approving a new treatment option that has been found to improve some autism symptoms. President Trump pledged to address America’s skyrocketing rates of autism, and his team is deploying Gold Standard Science to deliver on this pledge. We will not be deterred in these efforts as we know millions across America are grateful.”
As it stands, acetaminophen/paracetamol is actually the first thing medical experts recommend for pain management in pregnancy.
Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians (ACOG) and Gynecologists, Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), and other medical organisations all recommend it and say it is safe.
However, expectant mothers are warned not to use ibuprofen, naproxen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the third trimester.
The ACOG and RCOG warn that these medications can lead to birth defects.
Donald Trump has made some shocking claims about autism in recent days – and everyone’s a little bit confused.
Mid-tribute to his political ally Charlie Kirk on Sunday (21 September) the US president came out with: “I think you’re going to find it to be amazing. I think we found an answer to autism, how about that?”
And in a news conference yesterday (Monday 22 September) with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, he went on to claim there is a link between autism and Tylenol, known elsewhere as paracetamol.
However, medical experts around the world have pushed back on the claims, with some even calling the president’s comments dangerous.
While this was all going on, Trump has also hailed another medication, leucovorin, as ‘the answer’ to autism.
And the US Food and Drug Administration has seemingly followed suit, as yesterday it announced it’s planning to approve a new use for the drug in the coming weeks to treat children with ‘cerebral folate deficiency and autistic symptoms’.
Leucovorin, which is also known as folinic acid, is a form of folate, an essential B vitamin, or B9, as per Reuters.
It’s most often used in cancer treatment, alongside the chemotherapy drug fluorouracil, which stops cancer cells from making DNA and dividing.
In simple terms, leucovorin enhances and helps the effects of fluorouracil.
As reported by The Conversation, it also helps to reduce the toxic side effects of methotrexate, another chemotherapy drug.
Essentially, methotrexate blocks the body’s use of folate, which healthy cells need to make DNA.
So, leucovorin comes in to provide an active form of folate that healthy cells can use to make DNA, while the methotrexate continues to target cancer cells.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration website and Reuters, leucovorin is already made by more than half a dozen different companies.
To break it down, the US Food and Drug Administration have now initiated the approval of leucovorin calcium tablets for patients with cerebral folate deficiency (CFD).
CFD is a neurological condition that affects folate – a vitamin essential for brain health – transport into the brain.
The FDA said in a press release that individuals with CFD have been observed to have developmental delays with autistic features, such as challenges with social communication, sensory processing, and repetitive behaviours, seizures, and problems with movement and coordination.
Some studies, but not all, have also found a link between low folate levels during early pregnancy with an increased risk of autism in children.
So, the FDA now want to relabel the drug as being able to treat CFD, which reportedly in turn would ‘treat autism’.
It’s important to note that the Autism Science Foundation (ASF) said in a statement that the science regarding leucovorin and autism ‘is still in very early stages, and more studies are necessary before a definitive conclusion can be reached’.
Reuters reported that researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York, suggested that up to three-fourths of children with autism have ‘genetic variations that impair their body’s ability to process folate or autoimmune disorders that block folate transport to the brain’.
A handful of other small studies have linked these findings with more severe forms of the disorder and suggested that treatment with leucovorin can improve verbal skills, social skills and irritability in these children.
However, as we say, there’s a long way to go before any of these findings are concrete.
The ASF continued in it’s statement: “The suggestion that folate may ameliorate some of the symptoms of autism comes from four randomized controlled trials investigating a drug called leucovorin, which is also known as folinic acid.
“Unlike regular folic acid, folinic acid can cross into the brain even when folate transport is impaired. Some studies suggest that folate transport is blocked in some children with autism, resulting in low brain levels of folate, but these findings have been inconsistent.
“Data suggesting that leucovorin may be effective come from four small randomized controlled trials, all using different doses and different outcomes, and in one case, reliant on a specific genetic variant. This science is still in very early stages, and more studies are necessary before a definitive conclusion can be reached.”
Pregnant women in the US could be banned from taking paracetamol, following an announcement from Donald Trump.
There’s already a sizeable list of things to avoid when pregnant, including alcohol, cigarettes, unpasteurised milk and cheese, pâté and raw and undercooked meat.
Now, the over-the-counter painkiller medication could be next on the list of things that pregnant women can’t have, if the US government goes ahead with a new decision as predicted by the Washington Post and Politico.
Also known in the US as acetaminophen or by the brand name Tylenol, Donald Trump teased ‘an answer to autism’ while speaking at a memorial for the assassinated political speaker, Charlie Kirk.
Medical professionals are waiting to see what the Trump administration does next, and whether a full ban will come into place meaning pregnant women can no longer take the painkiller in the US, or if it will be recommended to be avoided apart from when treating high fevers.
As it stands, acetaminophen/paracetamol is actually the first thing medical experts recommend for pain management in pregnancy.
Guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians (ACOG) and Gynecologists, Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), and other medical organisations all recommend it and say it is safe.
According to the NHS: “Paracetamol is the first choice of painkiller if you’re pregnant. It’s commonly taken during pregnancy and does not harm your baby.”
However, expectant mothers are warned not to use ibuprofen, naproxen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the third trimester.
The ACOG and RCOG warn that these medications can lead to birth defects.
Donald Trump made a surprising speech at the memorial for Charlie Kirk over the weekend, with him announcing: “I think you’re going to find it to be amazing. I think we found an answer to autism, how about that?”
The POTUS told the crowd: “You know what ‘MAHA’ is? That’s right, Make America Healthy Again.”
He said the announcement is ‘one of the most important things that we will do’, and he is set to hold a news conference today (September 22) with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr Mehmet Oz, who is administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“We’re going to be talking in the Oval Office in the White House about autism, how it happens,” he added.
“So, we won’t let it happen anymore, and how to get at least somewhat better when you have it, so that parents can help their child,” Trump explained.
Kennedy Jr, has recently been criticised for his comment saying the US is in the grip of an ‘autism epidemic’ fuelled by ‘environmental toxins’.
The Washington Post and Politico have quoted officials as saying paracetamol in pregnancy is set to be linked to autism in the press conference.
There is currently no expert-approved evidence of a link between the use of acetaminophen or paracetamol and autism.
Current studies have provided conflicting information about the risks involved for a developing foetus.
A 2024 study in Sweden found no link between taking the drug while pregnant, and autism and ADHD in nearly 2.5 million children.
However, a review was carried out in 2025 of 46 earlier studies.
This review suggested there was a link with the medication and increased risks of these conditions.
Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Harvard University and more said the research is not concrete proof.
The experts said pregnant women should continue to use acetaminophen, but at the lowest possible dose and for the least amount of time.
They wrote: “We recommend judicious acetaminophen use — lowest effective dose, shortest duration — under medical guidance, tailored to individual risk-benefit assessments, rather than a broad limitation.”
Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK has come to an end, but his comments whilst returning to the US have left things on a particularly sour note.
The President and the First Lady departed the UK for the US today (19 September), and it’s been an eventful one to say the least.
From an enormous photo of him and Jeffrey Epstein being projected onto Windsor Castle, to Trump’s ‘wildly inappropriate’ comments about Kate Middleton at the state dinner on Wednesday (17 September), the 79-year-old has seemingly ruffled a few feathers.
Amidst Trump’s visit to the UK, news of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, was suspended ‘indefinitely’ in the wake of his comments on Trump and Charlie Kirk’s suspected shooter.
The decision to suspend the show has been met with some criticism from a few famous faces, including Ben Stiller and former President Barack Obama.
The President, however, seemed delighted with the situation, as he wrote on Truth Social: “Great News for America: The ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.
“Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT.”
And on his way back to the US on Air Force One, Trump further spoke about the matter, adding that perhaps some networks should have their license ‘taken away’.
“I have read someplace that the networks were 97% against me, I get 97% negative, and yet I won and easily,” he said. “They give me only bad publicity, or press, I mean, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
He further suggested that these networks were ‘an arm of the Democrat party’ out to get him, as he continued: “When you have a network, and you have evening shows and all they do is hit Trump, that’s all they do.”
He then suggested that it would be ‘up to Brendan Carr’, who is the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
“I think Brendan Carr is outstanding, he is a patriot, he loves our country, and he’s a tough guy, so we’ll have to see,” Trump said.
Carr has previously slammed Kimmel, accusing him of ‘the sickest conduct possible’, and said that networks, like ABC, could ‘find ways to change conduct and take action… or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC’.
In an interview with Fox News, he said they were going to ‘hold these broadcasters accountable to the public interest’, adding: “And if broadcasters don’t like that simple solution, they can turn their licence in to the FCC.”