Health

A LOVE Island star opened up about his secret 18-month health battle, saying ‘I felt like my brain was falling out’.

Chris Williamson, 37, featured on the ITV2 dating show’s first series in 2015.

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He entered the villa on Day 1, however, he was ultimately “dumped” on Day 19.

Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Chris discussed his health with subscribers.

In particular, his experience facing toxic mould exposure, Lyme disease and EBV.

In a clip recorded in September 2024, Chris said: “Struggling, yeah, in the last week.

“Five episodes in three days in New York. Two episodes in two days in Florida, plus travelling. Plus a bunch of meetings.

“It’s felt like my brain is trying to fall out of my ears the entire time.

“Memory is really rough, thoughts are very muddy. Getting confused in the middle of sentences.

“So it’s probably the worst that my mind’s been – just disheartening as I’ve been working on trying to get out of all this.

“Mould, EBV, Lyme, whatever it is, stuff for six months, more.

“It’s disheartening. I’ve no idea how far along I am, it feels like I’m going backward.”

Chris also appeared on dating show Take Me Out and has completely reinvented himself following his reality star days and is now a millionaire.

He earned the bulk of his fortune through his podcast, Modern Wisdom.

Chris does not look back fondly on his time on Love Island, stating in a chat with Sadia Khan he was “pretty bored” and having an ‘”existential crisis” while in the villa. 

He told the BBC: “I was living this persona of the professional party boy – the big name on campus, the guy with the hair out front [of the club], that wanted people to need him, that thought he had found the culture and industry he belonged in.

“Then I got on to Love Island and had nowhere to hide from people who were the person I was pretending to be.

“I was there with people who were genuinely extroverted, outgoing, party people. And I was just playing a role…

“I’d convinced myself [Love Island] was something that made me finally belong. And I didn’t belong.”

Love Island airs on ITV2 and ITVX.

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US President Donald Trump blames Democrats for looming federal layoffs as shutdown enters fifth day.

The White House has warned that mass layoffs of federal workers could begin if US President Donald Trump concludes that negotiations with congressional Democrats to end a partial government shutdown have reached a dead end.

As the shutdown entered its fifth day on Sunday, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN’s programme State of the Union that he believed there was still a chance Democrats would yield and avoid what could become a costly political and economic crisis.

“President Trump and Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don’t,” Hassett said, referring to the White House budget director. “If the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere, then there will start to be layoffs.”

Trump, speaking to reporters on Sunday, described the potential job cuts as “Democrat layoffs”, saying, “Anybody laid off, that’s because of the Democrats.”

Talks remain frozen

There have been no meaningful negotiations since Trump last met congressional leaders, with the impasse beginning on October 1 — the start of the federal fiscal year — after Senate Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill to keep government agencies open through November 21.

“They’ve refused to talk with us,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told the CBS programme Face the Nation, insisting that only renewed talks between Trump and congressional leaders could end the standoff.

Democrats are demanding a permanent extension of enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and assurances that the White House will not unilaterally cut spending agreed to in any deal.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he was open to addressing the Democrats’ concerns, but urged them to first back reopening the government. “It’s open up the government or else,” Thune told Fox News. “That’s really the choice that’s in front of them right now.”

Trump said Republicans were also willing to discuss healthcare reform. “We want to fix it so it works. Obamacare has been a disaster for the people, so we want to have it fixed so it works,” Trump said.

No deal in sight

Rank-and-file senators from both parties have held informal talks on healthcare and spending to break the deadlock, but progress has been minimal. “At this point, no,” Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego told CNN when asked if lawmakers were closer to a deal.

The Senate is set to vote again on Monday on competing funding bills — one backed by the Republican-controlled House and one proposed by Democrats — though neither is expected to win the 60 votes required to advance.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, nearly 750,000 federal employees face being furloughed as long as the shutdown continues, with total lost compensation estimated at $400m per day. While federal workers are guaranteed back pay under the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, payments will only resume once the shutdown ends.

Amanda Holden has stepped up on Britain’s Got Talent after Simon Cowell’s illness forced him to miss the Birmingham auditions, with Stacey Solomon drafted in as a temporary replacement on the panel

Amanda Holden has been handed the role of head judge on Britain’s Got Talent after Simon Cowell was forced to withdraw from the Birmingham auditions due to illness.

Producers turned to Holden, 53, as the natural choice to lead the panel, given that she is the only judge who has remained on the show since its launch in 2007. Although Stacey Solomon was drafted in at short notice to replace Cowell during this week’s auditions at the Hippodrome, insiders stressed that Holden had earned the senior role.

A source revealed: “The producers were hugely grateful to Stacey for stepping in, particularly as it was at such short notice. What she did helped ensure the hundreds of audience members were not disappointed.

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon breaks silence on Britain’s Got Talent ‘dream’ job with one-word commentREAD MORE: Stacey Solomon joins Britain’s Got Talent after Simon Cowell health crisis

“But they also thought she shouldn’t just go straight into Simon’s seat as head judge and that Amanda had very much earned that right. And she seamlessly filled the role during the first batch of auditions on Friday, with Stacey slotting right in with fellow judges KSI and Alesha Dixon,” they told The Sun.

It is not the first time Cowell’s sudden departure has led to a reshuffle. When the music mogul left the panel last year after learning of the tragic death of former One Direction star Liam Payne, the then-newcomer Bruno Tonioli stepped in as head judge.

Tonioli has since departed from the programme altogether, replaced this year by KSI, after filming clashes with his role on Dancing with the Stars. Cowell’s absence was first confirmed on Thursday when production cancelled the initial day of auditions.

There were hopes he might recover quickly enough to return on Friday, but he remained unwell. Instead, Solomon took his seat on the panel – a full-circle moment given that Cowell himself auditioned her on The X Factor back in 2009. She finished third in that series but has since become a well-known TV presenter.

And Stacey has shared her excitement after her dream of becoming a judge on Britain’s Got Talent has come true. The Sort Your Life Out star took to Instagram on Friday to share a glimpse of the iconic set of the long-running ITV show after she was asked to step in as a guest judge last minute.

The mum-of-five, 35, took to her Instagram stories to post a picture of the iconic BGT stage with her name in lights. Instead of Simon Cowell’s name, Stacey’s name could be seen on the iconic stage. Alongside the picture, Stacey wrote: “What in the alternative universe is going on. A dream.”

Cowell’s condition has not been disclosed publicly, and it remains uncertain whether he will be fit enough to appear on the third and final day of Birmingham auditions.

Filming is scheduled to resume next week in Blackpool, with producers optimistic that Cowell will be well enough to reclaim his place at the judging desk.

Until then, Holden is firmly established as the figure leading the panel in his absence.

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US President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that his administration would launch a new website, called TrumpRx, which will allow American consumers to buy prescription drugs from pharmaceutical companies at discounted prices.

Pfizer, the first United States pharmaceutical group to sign up to the website, said it would offer discounts of up to 85 percent on the cost of its medicines for those not using health insurance policies to pay and for those on the government’s low-cost insurance programme, Medicaid. Pfizer will also sell medicines to the Medicaid programme itself at lower prices.

The announcement prompted shares in the pharmaceuticals sector to lift sharply this week, signalling a favourable response from markets and the pharmaceuticals industry.

Here’s what we know about the new service, why it is being launched and how it will work.

What is TrumpRx and when is it being launched?

The new website will be launched in early 2026. It is a platform from which consumers will be able to buy prescription medicines directly from pharmaceutical companies without going through insurance.

On the site, consumers will be able to search for the prescription drug required and then be directed to the drug’s manufacturing company.

They will have access to discounted prices much closer to those typically paid by national health services in foreign countries at what are known as “most favoured nation” prices.

Beneficiaries of Medicaid – the federal government insurance programme for adults and children from lower-income backgrounds – will also be able to use the site.

“By taking this bold step, we’re ending the era of global price gouging at the expense of American families,” Trump told a news conference on Tuesday.

What are ‘most favoured nation’ prices?

“Most favoured nation” (MFN) prices are those that national health services in other countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Denmark, pay US pharmaceutical companies for prescription drugs.

As these countries buy medicines in bulk, they have much greater purchasing power to demand lower prices than ordinary consumers. This means pharmaceutical companies tend to sell their drugs at a much lower price to other countries than they do domestically.

The US cannot leverage this sort of purchasing power because it does not have a national health service, so the government cannot influence the price of drugs in the same way.

The Trump administration argues that this means US pharmaceutical companies are effectively subsidising foreign health services while artificially inflating prices for American consumers. In May this year, therefore, he signed an executive order aimed at reducing prescription drug prices in the US, stating: “The United States will no longer subsidise the health care of foreign countries.”

When a country grants MFN status, it commits to providing the recipient country with the same trade advantages it gives to any other country with MFN status, but not necessarily the same low prices – prices still vary from country to country. However, it is understood that companies will be expected to offer drugs at their lowest selling price in any other country.

What else has Trump done about the cost of medicines in the US?

The launch of the new website is just one part of Trump’s strategy to reduce prescription medicine prices in the US.

In July this year, he sent a letter to the CEOs of 17 pharmaceutical companies ordering them to reduce their prices.

In the letter, he laid out demands and promises:

• He called on manufacturers to provide MFN prices to every single Medicaid patient.
• He required manufacturers to stipulate that they will not offer other developed nations better prices for new drugs than prices offered in the United States.
• He promised to provide manufacturers with an avenue to cut out middlemen and sell medicines directly to patients, provided they do so at a price no higher than the best price available in developed nations.
• He promised to use trade policy to support manufacturers in raising prices internationally, provided that increased revenues abroad are reinvested directly into lowering prices for American patients and taxpayers.

The new TrumpRx website addresses the first of these promises.

To address the second promise, Trump has also announced new 100 percent tariffs on imported, branded pharmaceutical products. Companies which set up production facilities and operations in the US will be exempt from these.

He cited the cost of prescription drugs as one of the reasons for levying these tariffs.

How much more do medicines cost in the US than other countries?

According to a 2022 study commissioned by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, published on the US government website, standard insulin prices in the US are as much as 10 times higher than prices in 33 OECD countries.

“Average gross prices in the US were more than 10 times prices in France and the United Kingdom; nearly nine times prices in Italy; more than eight times prices in Japan; about seven times prices in Germany; and more than six times prices in Canada,” the study found.

Many people who take insulin already pay a “net price”, which is lower than the standard price via rebates that the manufacturer agrees with insurance companies. But the net price is still, on average, 2.33 times the price paid in other countries, the report found.

Who will benefit most from this platform?

Anyone who wants to buy prescription drugs direct from pharmaceutical companies, instead of via insurance coverage, at a discounted price can use the platform.

A 2024 report from the US Census Bureau showed that about 8 percent of the US population (26 million people) did not have health insurance in 2023 – so these people may be able to benefit.

The Medicaid programme is also likely to benefit from lower prices as its deal with Pfizer includes more favourable terms. However, details of how this part of the deal will work have not been fully explained.

Currently, most Americans use insurance policies to provide medical care, so initially, most will not use the website, experts said.

Stacie B Dusetzina, professor of health policy at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, told Al Jazeera: “There are a small number of people who may be better off purchasing their medicine this way, but the majority of Americans won’t benefit from this type of model.”

However, she added: “There are other components to the deal that could save the public Medicaid programme money, but without knowing more about how that deal is structured, we can’t say for sure that it would produce savings.”

Which drug companies will sell via the new website?

On Tuesday, Trump said pharma group Pfizer was the first to sign up for the new website.

In return for direct access to consumers, the US pharmaceuticals major has agreed to lower the cost of its prescription drugs for those buying direct via the site (and not using insurance to pay), as well as those on the Medicaid programme. Customers will pay prices closer to “most favoured nation” prices, Trump said.

In a news release, Pfizer said it had “voluntarily agreed to implement measures designed to ensure Americans receive comparable drug prices to those available in other developed countries” and said it will also price “newly launched medicines at parity with other key developed markets”.

“The large majority of the Company’s primary care treatments and some select specialty brands will be offered at savings that will range as high as 85 percent and on average, 50 percent,” the company said in a statement.

The White House and Pfizer gave some examples of primary-care Pfizer medicines which will be available on the TrumpRx website. This is not an exhaustive list:

• Eucrisa, a topical ointment for atopic dermatitis, which will be made available at an 80 percent discount for patients purchasing directly.
• Xeljanz, a widely used oral medication for types of arthritis which will be available at a 40 percent discount.
• Zavzpret, a drug used to treat migraines, which will be sold at a 50 percent discount.
• Duavee, used to treat menopause symptoms, which will be offered at around an 85 percent discount.
• Toviaz, a drug for for overactive bladder.
• Abrilada and Xeljanz, both autoimmune drugs which will be available at significant discounts.

Some of these drugs will remain very expensive even with the discounts. According to Pfizer’s website, Xeljanz, for example, costs around $6,000 per month at the standard price. A 40 percent discount brings this down to $3,600 per month.

Currently, Americans with health insurance can obtain the drug for up to $20 a month – in many cases, their insurance policy terms mean they pay nothing at all.

What else have Pfizer and Trump agreed to under this deal?

Pfizer has agreed to reduce drug prices in the US generally, putting prices in line with those paid in other developed countries, the company said.

The group has also committed to spending $70bn on domestic manufacturing facilities, which will be dedicated to “US research, development and capital projects in the next few years”.

In return, the company will be given a three-year grace period from Trump’s tariffs on branded pharmaceuticals made abroad.

“I think today we are turning the tide, and we are reversing an unfair situation,” Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla said at a news conference on Tuesday alongside Trump, referring to the difference in prices that people in the US pay for medicines compared with consumers overseas.

Will other drug companies follow suit?

Trump said on Tuesday that other pharmaceutical companies are expected to sign up for the new website, but there have been no new official announcements so far.

“It is clear that the deal that Pfizer struck is a friendly one to the industry,” said Dusetzina. “The companies that received letters requesting that they act are all likely to make agreements that I would expect to be similarly structured.

“If nothing else, these companies will want commitments that they can avoid any potential tariffs. That is worth a lot to them and to their shareholders. It will still be unclear, I think, whether the changes that they make have any tangible benefits for the average American.”

Overseas pharmaceutical companies may be able to sign up as well.

Swiss companies, including Novartis and Roche, said that they were eager to work with the Trump administration to make their drugs more affordable to US patients.

Stephan Mumenthaler, director general of scienceindustries – which represents about 250 Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical companies – told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that he expected “mini deals” to come from Swiss and global pharmaceutical companies in the coming days.

“They are thinking in similar schemes … How can you omit the margins that middlemen are taking away so that you basically have a similar price than before, but the end consumer still gets a lower price,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) announced the launch of its own website AmericasMedicines.com, which will enable consumers to directly buy drugs from manufacturers as well.

In a media release, Stephen J Ubl, president and CEO of PhRMA said: “We need policymakers to protect innovation, fix the broken insurance system that burdens patients with high out-of-pocket costs, and ensure foreign governments pay their fair share.”

How have markets reacted?

Pfizer’s share price rose 7 percent in the US on Tuesday and jumped 8 percent on the UK’s stock exchange on Wednesday.

The announcement of the new website also lifted the shares of European pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Roche and AstraZeneca by about 5 percent.

Police vehicles were filmed ramming into protesters as anti-government demonstrations escalated in Morocco on Tuesday. Officials said police were attempting to disperse ‘violent and unauthorised crowds.’

ROBBIE Williams has revealed his life-changing health battle for the first time, admitting ‘you’re always looking for the cure.’ 

The music star said he’s been secretly living with Tourette’s syndrome. 

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Robbie, 51, has claimed that his Tourette’s are ‘intrusive’ while speaking on a podcast about it for the first time. 

The music legend starred on the first episode of the new season of Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir’s podcast I’m ADHD! No You’re Not. 

He said: “I’ve just realised that I have Tourettes, but they don’t come out. 

“They are intrusive thoughts that happen, I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourettes. It just doesn’t come out.

“Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work as (a distraction), but whatever it is inside me cannot hear it. I cannot take it in.”

Loose Women star Stacey Solomon hit out at her husband Joe Swash as she branded his gift ‘terrible’ and slammed his ‘sheer audacity’ amid her fitness journey

Stacey Solomon slammed her husband Joe Swash as he gave her a “terrible” present amid her fitness journey. The Loose Women star, 35, has been open about her weight loss journey and admitted she’s “so proud” of herself.

She revealed she has stuck to weight training since February, explaining: “I genuinely only do it because I want to be so strong.” The mum-of-five has been wanting to build her strength and showed off her impressive results while on holiday this summer.

However, Stacey clashed with Joe after he gave her a gift that he thought would help her journey. For Mother’s Day, Joe gifted her a calorie counting scale that was not well received by the TV star.

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon left sobbing ‘I don’t know what to do’ over devastating family newsREAD MORE: Panicked Stacey Solomon notices baby is ‘missing’ after Joe Swash gets distracted

He said it was something that would help her on her “health kick,” but Stacey was far from impressed. She fumed: “I would never measure my calories!

“I would never measure my calories. Who the hell wants a calorie counter for Mother’s Day? What are you trying to say? And also, it’s the sheer audacity that you think that I have the time to weigh my food!”

The mum to Rex, five, Rose, three, Belle, two, with her husband Joe, 43, and also mum to Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12, from past relationships previously shared her nerves about wearing bikinis.

Yet, this summer Stacey shared stunning photos as she took a dip under a waterfall. In her candid post, Stacey shared: “Feeling beautiful my sister hyped me up today & made me feel really pretty so I’m posting these.

“I love you Jem also my 3 day blow dry made it to the pool cave for at least 3 mins #buzzing.” Stacey opened up on her fitness regime as she added: “P.S my body looks a little different to last years summer holiday.

“I am actually so proud of myself because I’ve stuck to my weight training consistently since February. Kept quiet and just got my head down & kept going. I genuinely only do it because I want to be so strong.

“Like boss b**** strong. I want to forever be able to pick up my babies with ease & carry double buggies on my shoulder when necessary.

“I feel so much stronger this year which is so empowering & yes my body has changed but honestly I loved my body aesthetically last year as much as I do this year. I’ve always been beautiful no matter what shape or size.”

She concluded: “So I suppose what I’m trying to say is… Don’t commit to fitness just for the looks. Do it so you can wrestle your 17 year old & carry all three of your toddlers in 40 heat & you’ll enjoy the journey more.”

Stacey converted a barn at her Pickle Cottage into a gym following the birth of her daughter Rose in 2023. She has also had the love and support from her older sister Samantha, who is a personal trainer.

While Stacey has admitted she still finds exercising tough and like she is “going to die” when does it, she said the feeling she gets after a work out is worth it.

READ MORE: Hair loss sufferer found ‘lumps of hair in shower’ until she took £1-a-day gummies

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Former US vaccine chief Demetre Daskalakis says the country’s health department is being led by a ‘chaos agent’ who is putting vulnerable people in harm’s way.

Dr Daskalakis was one of three directors to resign in August, following a decision to fire the head of the Centres for Disease Control, Susan Monarez, after her months-long dispute with health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Since then, Dr Daskalakis has publicly criticised Kennedy, saying he is knowingly dismantling the country’s vaccine programme by sidelining experts and pushing his own ideology.

Coronation Street spoilers for next week reveal worrying scenes for Asha Alahan, while Kevin Webster wants revenge and Tim Metcalfe’s shocking past is confirmed

There’s some big moments on Coronation Street next week, and some emotional scenes according to new spoilers.

Asha Alahan takes centre stage as she struggles to cope, with a hospital dash sparking fears about her mental wellbeing. Her family are left devastated, with questions raised as to whether she has attempted to take her own life.

There’s concern for Theo Silverton too as he continues to target his partner Todd Grimshaw amid his recent abuse. Abi Franklin is left out in the cold, and Kevin Webster takes brutal action.

The key storyline is Asha’s turmoil which she continues to hide from her loved ones. Her stepmother Bernie Winter is worried about her after recent events, with Asha avoiding work ever since the vile and racist abuse she faced weeks earlier.

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Asha remains exhausted and hits the bottle, before telling Brody to mind the shop while she heads out. She leaves Brody panicked as he’s left in charge, with Asha suddenly heading down the street in tears.

But in a concerning turn of events we next see Asha in a bad way, having been found by Theo with Amy Barlow also at the scene. Dev races out and sees a paramedic tending to his daughter, while the paramedic asks Dev and Amy whether Asha may have taken any drugs.

Dev fears for his daughter at the hospital, where he’s met by Asha’s paramedic colleague Sienna who reveals drugs were found on his daughter. Bernie is with him, and she shocks her husband when she asks Sienna if Asha tried to kill herself. Will Asha be okay, and what has happened?

Later in the week Dev spirals over his daughter’s hospital dash. He tells his wife that he can’t help feeling angry that Asha was prepared to put the family through so much pain. So does this mean Asha did try to harm herself?

When Dev visits his daughter at the end of the week, it’s not clear if Asha is okay and if she is, what she will reveal. Elsewhere next week, Tim Metcalfe sparks concern as he faces someone from his past, leading to a worrying confession.

Tim recognises newcomer Trisha as someone he knew in the 80s. When he sees her again later while out for a drink with his wife Sally Metcalfe, Tim explains that they know each other.

Later in the week Trisha pops by at the cab office to see Tim, leaving Sally unnerved. She introduces herself as Tim’s wife, before berating her husband for being with Trisha instead of her.

Sally storms out, leaving Tim to reminisce about Trisha. But what he says about her leaves pal Brian stunned. He claims he was in a relationship with Trisha years earlier, but says he was only 14 years old and she was nearly 20.

Brian wastes no time in accusing Trisha of grooming Tim as a child, leaving her and Tim mortified. Brian urges Tim to face the fact that Trisha groomed him. When Sally finds out about the relationship, Tim admits that he was 14 when Trisha, 20, took his virginity leaving Sally shocked.

Also next week, Theo reappears after his sudden disappearing act last week. With him not being in touch, Todd is concerned for his partner, only for Theo to find an unresponsive Asha slumped on a bench in Victoria Garden.

He shouts for help before he faces a telling off from Todd. When Amy tells Todd that if it wasn’t for Theo things may have turned out very differently for Asha he’s left thoughtful.

Later in the week Todd lies to Theo on the day of Noah’s funeral, hiding from him that he’s got an appointment at the hospital to check for bowel cancer. He tells pal Billy Mayhew who agrees to go with him.

When Theo later spots them together he’s furious. Finally next week, Abi continues her secret relationship with brother-in-law Carl Webster after her split from husband Kevin Webster.

Debbie Webster demands they end things, knowing the truth about their affair. She also urges Kevin to hire a lawyer as Abi “isn’t to be trusted”. Fearing she’s about to be exposed, Abi sends a message to Carl to warn him that Kevin knows everything.

However, Abi is mortified when she realises she’s sent the text to Kevin by mistake. As Carl attempts to get hold of Kevin’s phone to delete the text, will it be too late? It seems so as at the end of the week Kevin kicks her out of the home.

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Dolly Parton announced Sunday that she would be delaying six concerts at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas that were slated for December due to “health challenges.”

In a message posted on social media, the country superstar shared that she’s been dealing with some health issues and her doctors have advised her to undergo some procedures to manage it, though she did not provide specifics. The concerts were set for Dec. 4 through 13.

“I want the fans and the public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,” the 79-year-old singer and songwriter wrote in a cheeky statement posted to her Instagram and X accounts. “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. “As I joked with them, it must be for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon.”

Parton said she needs time to “get show ready” to be back on stage and put on a performance that fans “deserve to see.” She also tried to ease any concern that her situation is serious. “Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,” she continued. “But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures in life.”

“I love you and thank you for understanding,” she signed the note. Earlier this year, Parton’s husband Carl Dean died at 82. The pair were married for nearly 60 years.

Tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored when rescheduled dates are announced. Refunds are also available.

For Abeer Hassan, looking after her autistic son, Abdallah, has been perilous amid Israeli bombardment, displacement.

Amid relentless forced Palestinian displacement in Gaza under intense Israeli bombardment, taking care of children with special needs becomes even more perilous.

Abeer Hassan, looking after her autistic son, Abdallah, in Deir el-Balah, says the constant Israeli explosions terrify him.

“As the people started fleeing the area, we were also urged to leave,” Hassan told Al Jazeera.

“Abdallah used to watch cars filled with displaced families fleeing. He would come back to the tent very tense and nervous, and using sign language,” she added.

Hassan explained that they first reached a displaced camp called Ameera, which was full and had no space for their tent.

“Later, they told us to seek a place near Salah al-Din Street, despite the danger. My daughters and I were crying and Abdallah was getting tense and started making weird sounds. The scorching heat is too much and we don’t know where to go,” she said.

Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, the army has issued several forced evacuation orders for Palestinians living in the besieged enclave, often telling them to move to the southern al-Mawasi area, which has been designated a so-called “safe zone”.

However, al-Mawasi has also come under repeated attack by Israel, as has the exodus of Palestinians fleeing Gaza City to an unknown fate further south.

For Abdallah, the never-ending orders and sounds of bombardments mean he spends most of the time roaming the streets and has developed a new habit of pulling his hair. His family cut his hair short to stop him tearing at it.

“I began giving him prescribed sleeping pills again, to stop him from going outside during the heat. There is nothing else I can do to help him. I discovered that my mobile phone was broken two days before we were displaced; my phone was the only means to keep him calm with mobile games and videos,” Hassan explained.

“We were all under immense pressure … young and old. At one point, I asked God to take our lives together so Abdallah wouldn’t be alone. Not everything he needs is available here,” she pleaded.

In the nearly two years of intense attacks, Israeli raids have killed at least 66,005 people and wounded 168,162, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported on Sunday.

Miriam Margolyes appeared in a pre-recorded clip on BBC Breakfast, where she choked back tears

Miriam Margolyes choked back tears after addressing her health concerns on Saturday (September 27).

The beloved actress featured in a pre-recorded segment on today’s BBC Breakfast, where she spoke to presenter Charlie Stayt about her illustrious career.

She also paused to address her wellbeing amid recent rumours. Miriam previously disclosed that she and her partner are preparing to relocate to Tuscany, sparking concern amongst fans who feared she might be unwell.

“There has been quite a lot of press speculation because you’ve said you’re leaving the UK to go and spend more time elsewhere, Tuscany I think it is. And I think people read into that that maybe you’re not well,” Charlie began.

“Two years ago, I had a TAVI [Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation] operation or a procedure. I had a cow’s aortic valve. I was offered a pig’s, and I said, ‘No, I’m Jewish. I better have a cow just to keep it level,”” Miriam explained, reports the Express.

“They used that as if I was dying now. I’m no more dying than you’re dying. Because we’re all dying eventually, but I don’t know when and I hope it’s a long time away.”

Charlie then said: “Well, there will be many people who are reassured to hear that from you.”

Miriam added: “I’m perfectly fine. I’m 84, I’ve got various ailments, a weak bladder which is because I didn’t do pelvic floor exercises. But I am fine. I am not mental. I am a working actress and an extremely successful writer.”

The star later grew tearful as she reflected on cherished memories of her late mother, including the duo belting out musical numbers together.

Miriam is currently performing in her solo show, entitled Miriam Margolyes: From A to Z, which is touring throughout the UK and Ireland. The production showcases touching tales from her youth, alongside professional stories.

“I do not [sing]. I look as if I can sing. I do sing in my show, only one song which is Daisy, Daisy. My mother, whom I adored, used to sing musical songs with me. She played the piano and she wanted to be an actress,” Miriam disclosed.

She emotionally continued: “When she had a stroke, which was after I told her I was gay, and I think it really crushed her, the only words that she could speak were, ‘I can’t afford a carriage,’ and that makes me think of her when I sing it.”

Charlie then remarked: “And for those that don’t know, that’s a line from the song [Daisy, Daisy]. I can see that gets you, even just recounting the story.”

Miriam concluded: “I’m aware of being old, although still spirited. And it makes me remember when I was little and I was with her. I loved her so much. Life’s a rollercoaster, thank God we’re still rolling.”

BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am

“Star Trek” legend William Shatner saw recent reports about his health as an opportunity to raise the flag about another matter.

The 94-year-old Hollywood veteran on Thursday urged his social media followers to be mindful of where they get their information, writing “don’t trust tabloids or AI!” He shared the cautionary message as he addressed reports that he was hospitalized Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The actor shared a meme of himself portraying Mark Twain in an episode of the Canadian series “Murdoch Mysteries” to his Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts. “Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,” says the text over the photo, referencing a famous and famously misquoted line from the American literary icon.

Shatner also opened up about his health in his caption for the meme: “I over indulged. I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine.”

TMZ reported Wednesday evening that the Emmy-winning actor — who famously originated the role of Capt. Kirk on the TV series that launched the “Star Trek” universe — was hospitalized “after suffering a medical emergency.” Shatner agent Harry Gold confirmed to the outlet that the star “experienced an issue with his blood sugar” while at his Los Angeles home and called emergency services “as a precaution.”

Gold confirmed in a statement shared Thursday that his client is “perfectly healthy,” echoing the “Boston Legal” and “T.J. Hooker” actor’s social media sentiments.

Shatner addressed his health after previously discussing his tinnitus. In a video for nonprofit Tinnitus Quest he said that his struggles with the condition — in which a person experiences ringing or other noises in one or both ears — began during his “Star Trek” days when he was “too close to the special effects explosion,” which left him with permanent tinnitus.

“Over the years, I’ve had many up and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get,” he said, later encouraging viewers to donate to the nonprofit.

President Donald Trump has urged pregnant women to avoid taking Tylenol, pointing to an unproven claim that links the painkiller to autism.

Speaking from the Oval Office with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump claimed that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol – also known as paracetamol in most parts of the world –  was “no good” and should only be used in pregnancy when there’s a high fever.

He then outlined steps his administration would take to restrict the use of the drug during pregnancy, in comments laced with unproven – and, in some cases, false – claims.

Here is what he said, and what the facts say, about the drug, autism and whether Cuba, as Trump claimed at one point, does not have autism.

What did Trump announce?

Trump opened the event by calling autism a “horrible, horrible crisis”.

“The meteoric rise in autism is among the most alarming public health developments in history. There’s never been anything like this,” Trump said, even though experts point out that the data on autism only captures increased diagnoses – not necessarily a rise in the incidence of autism itself.

Trump then laid out his administration’s plans to tackle the “crisis”.

“First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of a – well, let’s see how we say that acetaminophen – is that OK? Which is basically commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy, can be associated with a very increased risk of autism,” he said.

He went on to warn that Tylenol use during pregnancy should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

“So taking Tylenol is not good. All right. I’ll say it. It’s not good. For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during 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.”

Trump then shifted to his broader concerns about vaccines, arguing against combination shots – like the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella – even though they have been proven to be safe in multiple rounds of research.

He also questioned giving newborns the hepatitis B vaccine.

“Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted. There’s no reason to give a baby that’s almost just born, hepatitis B. So I would say, wait till the baby is 12 years old and formed and take hepatitis B.”

Finally, Trump repeated a claim that countries without Tylenol, like Cuba, have little or no autism – framing it as evidence.

“I mean, there’s a rumour, and I don’t know if it’s so or not, that Cuba, they don’t have Tylenol because they don’t have the money for Tylenol. And they have virtually no autism, OK. Tell me about that one.”

President Donald J. Trump, @SecKennedy, @DrOzCMS, @NIHDirector_Jay, & @DrMakaryFDA announce the Autism Action Plan.

Make America Healthy Again. pic.twitter.com/1inEvIecYU

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 22, 2025

As with Trump’s other claims at the event, his assertion about Cuba doesn’t stand up to scrutiny – as we’ll get to in a bit.

But first …

What is autism?

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental condition that’s experienced by people in many different ways. In the United States, it’s recognised as a form of neurodivergence and disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism can shape how someone communicates, learns, and interacts with the world, often in ways that are simply different from most people.

Children diagnosed with autism can also have difficulties with social, emotional and communication skills. This can develop into traits that can affect interaction with others and difficulty in learning.

What causes autism?

Autism has been linked to a complex mix of genetic and developmental factors, and it looks different for every individual. Scientists have identified hundreds of genes that can play a role, either passed down from parents or appearing as new mutations during early brain development.

According to the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, certain environmental influences may increase autism risk, including:

• Advanced parental age
• Prenatal exposure to air pollution or certain pesticides
• Maternal obesity, diabetes or immune system disorders
• Extreme prematurity or very low birth weight
• Birth complications leading to periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain.

Is autism on the rise in the US?

At first look, that’s what the numbers would suggest.

Figures from the CDC show that in 2022, 1 in 31 eight-year-old children were identified with autism in the US, up from 1 in 149 in 2000.

According to the CDC, the condition is also about three times more common in boys than in girls.

Globally, estimates vary. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2021 that about 1 in 127 people worldwide were living with autism. Similarly, a 2022 review of 71 studies found an average prevalence of about 1 percent.

These numbers have been cited by some, like supporters of US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, to argue that the US faces a particularly acute challenge with autism, and have been used to justify crackdowns on drugs like Tylenol.

But experts warn that the data might not necessarily agree with these assertions and the measures that the Trump administration is taking.

Why are the numbers going up?

First, say experts, comparing autism rates across countries is problematic because of differences in diagnostic practices, awareness and access to healthcare – all of which affect how prevalence is measured and reported.

The increased numbers in the US, they point out, only demonstrate a sharp rise in diagnoses – not necessarily a rise in the incidence of autism itself.

According to experts, there are two main factors behind the rise in autism diagnoses. First, the definition of autism has broadened as scientists have recognised its wide spectrum of traits and symptoms. This has led to updated diagnostic criteria and better screening tools.

At the same time, growing awareness has meant that more parents are seeking evaluations.

What about acetaminophen?

Acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) is one of the most widely used over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers.

For more than a decade, researchers have studied whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy is linked to developmental disorders. Findings have been mixed: Some studies reported associations with autism, while a 2025 Mount Sinai review suggested evidence for broader neurodevelopmental risks.

But association is not the same as causation. The largest and most rigorous study to date, published in 2024, found no link between prenatal acetaminophen use and autism, ADHD, or other learning or developmental disorders. Experts note that the best-quality studies so far show no evidence of harm from acetaminophen.

According to the Autism Science Foundation, claims of a connection remain “limited, conflicting, and inconsistent”.

“The big reveal about autism was a total bust full of misinformation,” Arthur L Caplan, an American ethicist and professor of bioethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told Al Jazeera.

“There is no data to show Tylenol causes autism and lots of data to show that fever in pregnant women harms the fetus,” he added.

To be sure, even without a Tylenol-autism link, most doctors “will probably tell pregnant women they should always be careful about medication”, Catherine Lord, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA who specialises in autism, told Al Jazeera.

But those doctors will likely also caution women not to avoid taking medicines when they have a fever during pregnancy, she said. “They also need to realise that having a high fever or being in pain is not good for a growing baby, either, so they should consult their doctor,” she added.

Have there been other claims about what causes autism?

Over the years, autism has been wrongly linked to many supposed causes. The most notorious was the false vaccine-autism link from a 1998 study, now fully debunked. That study claimed an association between the MMR vaccine – the same one that Trump targeted on Monday – and autism. The Lancet, the highly respected British journal that published that study, retracted it 12 years later, in 2010.

Other debated factors include prenatal medications or antidepressants, environmental toxins, and diet, but the evidence is weak or inconsistent. Earlier, the discredited “refrigerator mother” theory blamed parents who were perceived to lack adequate emotional warmth with their children for higher risks of autism.

And finally, is it true, as Trump claims, that autism does not exist in Cuba?

It’s untrue – and if anything, Cuba undercuts Trump’s argument.

Cuba officially recognises autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are multiple specialised schools and paediatric clinics that provide diagnosis and therapy for children with autism.

In Cuba, acetaminophen is generally known as paracetamol and is sold in government pharmacies. In other words, it is very much available and used as in other parts of the world.

According to a 2022 study, Cuba had an autism incidence of about 2 to 4 per 10,000 children in some settings. While research on autism diagnoses in Cuba is much more limited than in the US, the data from the 2022 study shows a far lower rate of recognised cases than in the US – despite the presence of acetaminophen.

United States President Donald Trump has urged pregnant women to avoid Tylenol, the brand name for paracetamol, over the painkiller’s unproven links to autism, prompting a swift backlash from doctors and scientists.

Trump issued the warning on Monday as the US drug regulator announced plans to add a label to paracetamol warning of an increased risk of autism and ADHD in children.

“Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it,” Trump said during a news conference at the White House while flanked by top public health officials.

“Fight like hell not to take it,” Trump said.

“There may be a point where you have to, and that you’ll have to work out with yourself.”

Trump also cast doubt on the medical consensus on childhood vaccines, suggesting that inoculations for measles, mumps and rubella should be administered separately instead of in the combined MMR shot.

“This is based on what I feel. The mumps, measles – the three should be taken separately,” Trump said.

“And it seems to be that when you mix them, there could be a problem.”

Trump’s comments drew condemnation from medical bodies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), which have long recommended paracetamol as one of the few painkillers that is safe for women during pregnancy.

About half of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to take paracetamol – which is sold in different countries under brand names including Dyman, Panadol and Panamax – for pain relief and to reduce fevers, which can be potentially dangerous to both the foetus and the expectant mother.

ACOG president Steven J Fleischman called the suggestions of a link between paracetamol and autism “irresponsible”.

“When considering the use of medication in pregnancy, it’s important to consider all potential risks along with any benefits,” Fleischman said in a statement.

“The data from numerous studies have shown that acetaminophen plays an important – and safe – role in the well-being of pregnant women,” Fleischman said, using the name for paracetamol in the US.

While some research has found evidence of an association between paracetamol and neurological conditions such as autism, medical experts have cautioned that more robust studies have found no link, and that causation remains unproven.

One of the biggest population-based studies, published by Swedish researchers last year in The Journal of the American Medical Association, found no link when comparing children who had been exposed to the painkiller with siblings who had not.

Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, described the Trump administration’s moves as “hugely negative” for public health.

“The big reveal about autism was a total bust full of misinformation, a lack of evidence, bad advice and a bogus answer about the cause,” Caplan told Al Jazeera.

“I think mainstream medicine will ignore what he said today,” Caplan said.

“I think patients can’t trust federal science in the USA and must turn to other reputable sources.”

Catherine Lord, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA who specialises in autism, said studies showing a link between paracetamol use and autism were limited by the presence of confounding factors that are difficult to control for.

“I think the medical community will be firm that Tylenol in pregnancy does not cause autism, but will probably tell pregnant women they should always be careful about medication,” Lord told Al Jazeera.

“But they also need to realise that having a high fever or being in pain is not good for a growing baby either, so they should consult their doctor.”

In its updated guidelines announced on Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration cited evidence of a “correlation” between paracetamol use and autism, and noted studies suggesting a heightened risk when the drug is taken “chronically” throughout pregnancy.

Still, the drug regulator was notably less emphatic than Trump, noting that a causal relationship had yet to be established, and the existence of “contrary studies in the scientific literature”.

“It is also noted that acetaminophen is the only over-the-counter drug approved for use to treat fevers during pregnancy, and high fevers in pregnant women can pose a risk to their children,” the regulator said, using the other generic name for paracetamol.

Autism has no known single cause, but is believed to be related to an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

One resident on Emmerdale will be left ‘devastated’ after a discovery on the ITV soap next week, linked to a separate character’s health scare according to new spoilers

Two characters face a worrying time on Emmerdale next week, with a “devastating” discovery linked to a character’s health scare.

New spoilers for next week’s episodes, released earlier this week, share fan favourite Liam Cavanagh is concerned about a potential diagnosis. Liam’s concern over a health issue leaves him fearing he may have cancer.

Soon the doctor is forced to confess all to his worried fiancée Chas Dingle, leaving her “devastated” when she finds out what her partner has been going through on his own. It kicks off following scenes this week, which showed Liam caught urinating at the allotments by Claudette Anderson.

He was forced to explain that he’s been having issues, unable to control when he ‘relieves himself’. Claudette urged Liam to see someone, and next week he continues to avoid this.

READ MORE: EastEnders Michelle Collins drops cryptic hint over Lauren and Peter weddingREAD MORE: Emmerdale spoilers tease Caleb mystery, Gabby’s secret revealed and Liam’s health fears

Spoilers reveal that Claudette catches up with Liam, and she tells him he needs to attend the appointment for his prostate. With Liam putting it off and avoiding the appointment, Claudette pleads with him repeatedly over the week to rebook it.

He gets her to cancel the initial appointment, and refuses to rebook as he ignores what’s going on. Soon enough someone else finds out what Liam is facing, as his colleague Manpreet Sharma witnesses a desperate Liam relieving himself in his own consulting room hand basin.

She knows something is very wrong and asks him about it, eventually getting to the truth. Liam tries to ignore it all but Manpreet urges him to face up to his health scare, with him also realising he needs to tell his partner Chas too.

He comes clean to Chas who is left “devastated” to hear Liam fears he may have prostate cancer. Gutted that Liam hadn’t confided in her she does her best to support Liam.

But will Liam be okay, as he finally agrees to an appointment to find out what is going on? It comes amid a dramatic time for Chas and Liam, after Chas’ son Aaron Dingle was almost killed by his husband John Sugden.

John has finally been exposed as a baddie, with it now known he framed Ella Forster for the harassment campaign against Chas and Liam. John set the whole thing up ahead of their planned wedding, in order to make himself seem the hero and in order to get Ella away from the village after her heartbreak over the couple getting together.

Viewers can watch these scenes play out next week!

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

A federal judge Thursday said she was “inclined to extend” an earlier ruling and order the Trump administration to restore an additional $500 million in UCLA medical research grants that were frozen in response to the university’s alleged campus antisemitism violations.

Although she did not issue a formal ruling late Thursday, U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin indicated she is leaning toward reversing — for now — the vast majority of funding freezes that University of California leaders say have endangered the future of the 10-campus, multi-hospital system.

Lin, a judge in the Northern District of California, said she was prepared to add UCLA’s National Institutes of Health grant recipients to an ongoing class-action lawsuit that has already led to the reversal of tens of millions of dollars in grants from the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, National Endowment for the Humanities and other federal agencies to UC campuses.

The judge’s reasoning: The UCLA grants were suspended by form letters that were unspecific to the research, a likely violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, which regulates executive branch rulemaking.

Though Lin said she had a “lot of homework to do” on the matter, she indicated that reversing the grant cuts was “likely where I will land” and she would issue an order “shortly.”

Lin said the Trump administration had undertaken a “fundamental sin” in its “un-reasoned mass terminations” of the grants using “letters that don’t go through the required factors that the agency is supposed to consider.”

The possible preliminary injunction would be in place as the case proceeds through the courts. But in saying she leaned toward broadening the case, Lin suggested she believed there would be irreparable harm if the suspensions were not immediately reversed.

The suit was filed in June by UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley professors fighting a separate, earlier round of Trump administration grant clawbacks. The University of California is not a party in the case.

A U.S. Department of Justice lawyer, Jason Altabet, said Thursday that instead of a federal district court lawsuit filed by professors, the proper venue would be the U.S. Court of Federal Claims filed by UC. Altabet based his arguments on a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld the government’s suspension of $783 million in NIH grants — to universities and research centers throughout the country — in part because the issue, the high court said, was not properly within the jurisdiction of a lower federal court.

Altabet said the administration was “fully embracing the principles in the Supreme Court’s recent opinions.”

The hundreds of NIH grants on hold at UCLA look into Parkinson’s disease treatment, cancer recovery, cell regeneration in nerves and other areas that campus leaders argue are pivotal for improving the health of Americans.

The Trump administration has proposed a roughly $1.2-billion fine and demanded campus changes over admission of international students and protest rules. Federal officials have also called for UCLA to release detailed admission data, ban gender-affirming healthcare for minors and give the government deep access to UCLA internal campus data, among other demands, in exchange for restoring $584 million in funding to the university.

In addition to allegations that the university has not seriously dealt with complaints of antisemitism on campus, the government also said it slashed UCLA funding in response to its findings that the campus illegally considers race in admissions and “discriminates against and endangers women” by recognizing the identities of transgender people.

UCLA has said it has made changes to improve campus climate for Jewish communities and does not use race in admissions. Its chancellor, Julio Frenk, has said that defunding medical research “does nothing” to address discrimination allegations. The university displays websites and policies that recognize different gender identities and maintains services for LGBTQ+ communities.

UC leaders said they will not pay the $1.2-billion fine and are negotiating with the Trump administration over its other demands. They have told The Times that many settlement proposals cross the university’s red lines.

“Recent federal cuts to research funding threaten lifesaving biomedical research, hobble U.S. economic competitiveness and jeopardize the health of Americans who depend on cutting-edge medical science and innovation,” a UC spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. “While the University of California is not a party to this suit, the UC system is engaged in numerous legal and advocacy efforts to restore funding to vital research programs across the humanities, social sciences and STEM fields.”

A ruling Lin issued in the case last month resulted in $81 million in NSF grants restored to UCLA. If the UCLA NIH grants are reinstated, it would leave about $3 million from the July suspensions — all Department of Energy grants — still frozen at UCLA.

Lin also said she leaned toward adding Transportation and Defense department grants to the case, which run in the millions of dollars but are small compared with UC’s NIH grants.

The hearing was closely watched by researchers at the Westwood campus, who have cut back on lab hours, reduced operations and considered layoffs as the crisis at UCLA moves toward the two-month mark.

In interviews, they said they were hopeful grants would be reinstated but remain concerned over the instability of their work under the recent federal actions.

Lydia Daboussi, a UCLA assistant professor of neurobiology whose $1-million grant researching nerve injury is suspended, observed the hearing online.

Aftewards, Daboussi said she was “cautiously optimistic” about her grant being reinstated.

“I would really like this to be the relief that my lab needs to get our research back online,” said Daboussi, who is employed at the David Geffen School of Medicine. “If the preliminary injunction is granted, that is a wonderful step in the right direction.”

Grant funding, she said, “was how we bought the antibodies we needed for experiments, how we purchased our reagents and our consumable supplies.” The lab consists of nine other people, including two PhD students and one senior scientist.

So far, none of Daboussi’s lab members have departed. But, she said, if “this goes on for too much longer, at some point, people’s hours will have to be reduced.”

“I do find myself having to pay more attention to volatilities outside of our lab space,” she said. “I’ve now become acquainted with our legal system in ways that I didn’t know would be necessary for my job.”

Elle Rathbun, a sixth-year neuroscience PhD candidate at UCLA, lost a roughly $160,000 NIH grant that funded her study of stroke recovery treatment.

“If there is a chance that these suspensions are lifted, that is phenomenal news,” said Rathbun, who presented at UCLA’s “Science Fair for Suspended Research” this month.

“Lifting these suspensions would then allow us to continue these really critical projects that have already been determined to be important for American health and the future of American health,” she said.

Rathbun’s research is focused on a potential treatment that would be injected into the brain to help rebuild it after a stroke. Since the suspension of her grant, Rathbun, who works out of a lab at UCLA’s neurology department, has been seeking other funding sources.

“Applying to grants takes a lot of time,” she said. “So that really slowed down my progress in my project.”

Bella Hadid offered her social media followers an apology and an inside look at her recent hospital stay, sharing photos of herself wearing an oxygen mask and in bed with tubes hooked up to various parts of her body.

“I’m sorry I always go MIA I love you guys,” the 28-year-old model and activist captioned her Instagram carousel, shared Wednesday.

She posted snaps of quaint scenes of calm skies, golden sunsets and blooming flowers. But the photos posted in between captured a different tone: In one photo Hadid crouches on the floor in the corner of an elevator. Dark red fluid can be seen coursing through medical tubing in another, and in a selfie Hadid’s eyes are puffy and teary.

Though she did not reveal which ailment landed her in the hospital, her mother Yolanda Hadid left a hint in the comments section, where she praised her daughter as a “Lyme warrior.” In a separate post of her own, mother shared much more about her youngest daughter’s health.

“As you will understand watching my Bella struggle in silence, has cut the deepest core of hopelessness inside me,” the elder Hadid said on Instagram. She shared photos of her daughter’s hospital stay.

The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star and former model has also been vocal about her own battle against Lyme disesase, notably in her 2017 memoir “Believe Me: My Battle With the Invisible Disability of Lyme Disease.”

She added: “To my beautiful Bellita: You are relentless and courageous. No child is suppose to suffer in their body with an incurable chronic disease.”

Bella Hadid, sister of model Gigi Hadid, previously disclosed her battle with Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses in 2023, when she shared photos from another hospital stay.

At the time, she shared photos of medical documents dated February 2014 that disclosed her struggles with numerous of health problems, including fatigue, attention deficit disorder, memory disturbances, depression, sleep disorders, headaches, disequilibrium, nightmares, muscular weakness, chest pain and palpitations. The visit summary notes that Bella, then 17, “feels ill all the time.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that people can contract if they are bitten by an infected tick, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can include joint stiffness, muscle aches and pains, fever and headache. Antibiotics are used to treat the infection, which according to the Cleveland Clinic is curable if diagnosed and treated early but can also lead to chronic or recurring symptoms. In addition to Hadid, celebrities who have gone public with the disease include Amy Schumer, Justin Bieber, Ben Stiller, Kelly Osbourne and Riley Keough. Earlier this year pop star Justin Timberlake revealed his diagnosis.

Yolanda Hadid concluded her post with words of encouragement for her daughter: “This disease has brought us to our knees, but we always get back up.”

“We will continue to fight for better days, together,” she continued. “You are a survivor…I love you so much my badass Warrior.”

Former Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — America’s public health system is headed to a “very dangerous place” with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his team of anti-vaccine advisors in charge, fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Susan Monarez warned senators on Wednesday.

Describing extraordinary turmoil inside the nation’s health agencies, Monarez and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry described exchanges in which Kennedy or political advisors rebuffed data supporting the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

Monarez, who was fired after just 29 days on the job following disagreements with Kennedy, told senators deadly diseases like polio and whooping cough, long contained, are poised to make a comeback in the U.S.

“I believe preventable diseases will return, and I believe we will have our children harmed by things they don’t need to be harmed by,” Monarez said before the Senate health committee.

Monarez describes her firing by RFK Jr.

Monarez said she was ordered by Kennedy to resign if she did not sign off on new vaccine recommendations, which are expected to be released later this week by an advisory panel that Kennedy has stocked with medical experts and vaccine skeptics. She said that when she asked for data or science to back up Kennedy’s request to change the childhood vaccination schedule, he offered none.

She added that Kennedy told her “he spoke to the president every day about changing the childhood vaccination schedule.”

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician who chairs the powerful health committee, listened intently as Monarez and Houry described conversations with Kennedy and his advisers.

“To be clear, he said there was not science or data, but he still expected you to change schedule?” Cassidy asked.

Cassidy carefully praised President Trump for his commitment to promoting health policies but made it clear he was concerned about the circumstances surrounding Monarez’s removal.

Houry, meanwhile, described similar exchanges with Kennedy’s political advisors, who took an unprecedented role in preparing materials for meetings of the CDC’s advisory vaccine panel.

Ahead of this week’s meeting of the panel, Houry offered to include data around the hepatitis B shot that is administered to newborns to prevent spread of the deadly disease from the mother. She said a Kennedy advisor dismissed the data as biased because it might support keeping the shots on the schedule.

“You’re suggesting that they wanted to move away from the birth dose, but they were afraid that your data would say that they should retain it?” Cassidy asked.

Critical vaccine decisions are ahead

During the Senate hearing, Democrats, all of whom opposed Monarez’s nomination, also questioned Kennedy’s motives for firing Monarez, who was approved for the job unanimously by Republicans.

“Frankly, she stood up for protecting the well-being of the American people, and for that reason she was fired,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats.

Monarez said it was both her refusal to sign off on new vaccination recommendations without scientific evidence and her unwillingness to fire high-ranking career CDC officials without cause that led to her ousting.

Kennedy has denied Monarez’s accusations that he ordered “rubber-stamped” vaccine recommendations but has acknowledged he demanded firings. He has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a claim Monarez has denied through her attorney.

While Senate Republicans have been mostly loath to challenge Trump or even Kennedy, many of them have expressed concerns about the lack of availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the health department’s decisions to scale back some childhood vaccines.

Others have backed up Kennedy’s distrust of the nation’s health agencies.

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, a doctor, aggressively questioned Monarez about her “philosophy” on vaccines as she explained that her decisions were based on science. Alabama GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Trump was elected to make change and suggested Monarez’s job was to be loyal to Kennedy.

“America needs better than this,” Tuberville said.

The Senate hearing was taking place just a day before the vaccine panel starts its two-day session in Atlanta to discuss shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B and chickenpox. It’s unclear how the panel might vote on the recommendations, though members have raised doubts about whether hepatitis B shots administered to newborns are necessary and have suggested COVID-19 recommendations should be more restricted.

The CDC director must endorse those recommendations before they become official. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, now serving as the CDC’s acting director, will be responsible for that.

“I’m very nervous about it,” Monarez said of the meeting.

Seitz and Jalonick write for the Associated Press. AP writers Mike Stobbe in New York and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.

The 27-year-old US shooter still faces a second-degree murder charge and eight criminal counts.

A New York State court in the US has dismissed two “terrorism” related counts against Luigi Mangione over the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson.

The court handed down the decision on Tuesday.

Mangione, 27, still faces charges of second-degree murder and eight other criminal counts related to Thompson’s death in December.

Justice Gregory Carro ruled that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to the grand jury that Mangione acted with the intent to intimidate health insurance workers or influence government policy, which would have been necessary to prove murder as an act of “terrorism”.

“While there is no doubt that the crime at issue here is not ordinary ‘street crime’, it does not follow that all non-street crimes were meant to be included within the reach of the terrorism statute,” Carro wrote in his decision.

Mangione was led into the courtroom in Lower Manhattan handcuffed and with shackles on his feet, wearing tan prison garb.

The judge set Mangione’s next court date in the case for December 1 – nearly a year after Thompson’s death. Thompson was killed on December 4, 2024, outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where his company was hosting an investor conference.

Mangione still faces significant penalties in the case against him, including life in prison if he is ultimately convicted of murder in the second degree, which is defined as an intentional killing.

He also faces a separate federal indictment over the killing of Thompson, the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit UnitedHealthcare. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to both the state and federal charges.

Mangione faces seven counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of possessing a false identification in the state case against him.

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement, “We respect the court’s decision and will proceed on the remaining nine counts, including murder in the second degree.”

The US Justice Department is seeking the death penalty in the federal case against Mangione. Carro’s dismissal of the state-level “terrorism” counts has no bearing on the federal case.

Steep healthcare costs

While the killing of Thompson was also widely condemned by public officials across the political spectrum, Mangione has become a folk hero to some Americans who decry steep healthcare costs.

A small group of Mangione supporters gathered outside the courthouse on Wednesday morning. One was dressed in a green costume of the Nintendo character Luigi, and another held the red, white and green Italian tricolor with the words “Healthcare is a human right” inscribed on the flag.

About two dozen members of the public – mostly young women – secured a seat in the back of the courtroom to watch the proceedings. One wore a black T-shirt with the words “Free Luigi” written in white letters.

Trial dates have not yet been set in either the state or federal cases. Mangione has been held in federal custody in Brooklyn since his arrest last year.