Six minutes of news from around the nation.

Without evidence, President Trump urges pregnant women not to take Tylenol as his administration links it to autism; Experts discuss prescription med safety with Congress; and Girl Scout leaders in Texas address mental health.

TRANSCRIPT

The Public News Service Daily Newscast for Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025.

I'm Mike Mullen.

President Donald Trump is promoting unproven ties between Tylenol, vaccines, and autism without offering new medical evidence.

Speaking at the White House Monday, President Trump said women should not take acetaminophen during their entire pregnancy.

According to the Associated Press, the president said the Food and Drug Administration would begin notifying doctors with this messaging.

But a letter published by the FDA during President Trump's news conference says only doctors should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.

US physicians aren't bound by FDA guidance and NBC News reports that a recent study of two and a half million children in Sweden found no association between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.

In other health news, Georgia's maternal mortality rate has ranked among the highest in the country for years, with more than 85 percent of deaths deemed preventable.

Shantia Hudson reports.

The Georgia Health Initiative commissioned a 10-year study to review what the state is doing to change that.

The researchers focused on 15 key recommendations from the state's Maternal Mortality Review Committee and House Study Committee to measure progress.

Kai Limberg with the Georgia Health Initiative says in the last decade, one major improvement has been Medicaid's expanded postpartum coverage, which she says is critical for many Georgia families.

When we looked at the data, we know that a significant number of maternal deaths happen in that postpartum period.

So the more individuals that we can get covered during that critical time, the better.

So the policy win in itself was to offer this resource for Georgians.

Lindbergh says Georgia has made progress on other recommendations too, including passing a law to investigate pregnancy-related deaths and getting more birthing hospitals to adopt safety bundles that improve care during emergencies.

Shantia Hudson reporting.

Indiana voices are at the front and center in a national debate over drug safety and supply.

Lawmakers in Washington heard from Dr. George Ball of Indiana University's Kelly School of Business last week.

He told lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Special Committee and aging that flaws in the system for generic drugs put patients at risk.

The root cause of the generic drug quality problem is the original design of the generic drug marketplace, requiring little quality verification and no transparency.

We find that generic drugs made in India, particularly older ones that have lower profit margins with greater incentives to cut costs, have significantly more serious adverse events than equivalent generics made in the US.

Ball says the market structure encourages cutting costs instead of ensuring quality.

Orders of overseas manufacturing argue it helps keep drug prices affordable.

Critics counter that safety and oversight must come first.

This is public news service.

Mexico activated emergency controls Monday after detecting a new case of New World screw worm in cattle in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon, the closest case to the US borders since the outbreak began last year.

The Associated Press says the animal came from the Gulf state of Veracruz.

The last case was reported in July in that same location, prompting Washington to suspend imports of live Mexican cattle.

The parasite attacks warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Mexico has reported more than 500 active cases in cattle across southern states.

This week is National Farm Safety and Health Week, bringing focus to an industry that can be surprisingly dangerous.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2021 to 2023 found farming, fishing and forestry occupations had the most injuries per capita of any profession.

Cynthia Curl is the director of Boise State University's Curl Agricultural Health Lab.

She says there are many dangers in agricultural work that we might associate with other professions like construction, such as the use of heavy machinery.

There are also unique hazards to farm work like pesticides, livestock, different kinds of diseases for people that are working in animal production.

And then there's all of those kinds of weather challenges that also face construction workers like extreme heat.

The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety leads this Awareness Week.

It comes as the busy fall harvest season ramps up.

The theme this year is safety first and avoid the worst.

And finally, the Girl Scouts are tackling mental health, self-esteem and career concerns among teen girls and young adults across Texas.

Brayda Ross has details.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, mental health issues among teens have been on the rise since at least 2012.

Feelings of sadness, depression and despair are higher among young girls than boys.

Jennifer Bartkowski with Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas says symptoms increased following the pandemic with 78 percent of girls saying they feel like they're going to explode.

Given all the pressures they're facing from social media, AI, school, all the things that are coming at them.

It is a different generation this generation is and we have to create a space and an environment for girls to build their confidence so they can make the best decisions for themselves.

The organization recently opened one of its new dream labs in Denton County in Northeast Texas.

Girls don't have to be a Girl Scout to participate in activities at the facility.

The organization supports girls across 32 Northeast Texas counties.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

And again, that was Freda Ross and I'm Mike Moen for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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