The Headlines – Sept. 23, 2025: Trump Targets Tylenol and Vaccines, and ABC Brings Kimmel Back

Host: Tracy Mumford | Podcast: The Headlines (The New York Times)
Date: September 23, 2025

Overview

Today’s episode provides a brisk but thorough rundown of the latest major news stories, with sharp reporting and context from Times journalists. The big stories: President Trump reignites the vaccine-autism debate—and targets Tylenol. The Supreme Court upends the power of federal agencies. Jimmy Kimmel’s show returns after political controversy. And NASA’s new class of astronauts includes a historic majority of women.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump, Autism, and Tylenol: Unfounded Claims and Scientific Pushback

(00:48 – 03:46)

• Press Conference Statements:
  President Trump, joined by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., held a press conference to address autism’s root causes. Trump claimed, without new evidence, that autism may be caused by acetaminophen (Tylenol), and revived debunked links between vaccines and autism.

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:

    "I think I can say that there are certain groups of people that don't take vaccines and don't take any pills, that have no autism, that have no autism. Does that tell you something... Is that a correct statement, by the way?" (00:48)

    "The meteoric rise in autism is among the most alarming public health developments in history. There's never been anything like this." (01:17)

    "Taking Tylenol is not good. I'll say it, it's not good." (01:43)
    "Don't take Tylenol. Don't take it. If you just can't. I mean, it's just fight like hell not to take it." (02:26)

  • Context & Rebuttal from Experts:
    Tracy Mumford underscored that increased autism diagnoses are mainly due to better awareness and that decades of research, while examining many risk factors (e.g., air pollution, parental age), have found autism to be a complex interplay of genetic and environmental causes.

    • Reporter Analysis—Emily Baumgartner Nunn (Health Reporter):

      "All of the scientific experts we've spoken to since that press conference have stood by their previous opinion, which is that Tylenol or Acetaminophen should only be used in pregnancy in low doses at the least frequent interval possible, but that sometimes Tylenol is necessary because fevers during pregnancy can really bring about all of their own risks." (02:47)

    • Scientific Consensus:
      Major medical bodies state limited Tylenol use in pregnancy is safe and there's no established cause-effect between acetaminophen and autism.

  • Federal Action:
    Millions in federal funding directed toward further autism research, including re-examining vaccine links, despite clear scientific consensus on their safety.

2. Supreme Court & the FTC: A New Battle Over Presidential Power

(03:46 – 05:29)

• SCOTUS Decision:
  The Supreme Court’s conservative majority allowed President Trump to fire an FTC commissioner, challenging nearly a century of precedent limiting such executive power.

  • Historical Reference:
    The 1935 ruling protected independent regulators from removal for mere policy differences. The emergency order now suggests the current Court may be open to overturning this.

  • Justice Elena Kagan’s Dissent:

    "...opened the door to presidents firing regulators, quote, 'for any reason or no reason at all,' and that her colleagues were essentially letting the president take control over agencies that were supposed to be protected from partisan politics." (04:45)

    • She also criticized the use of the so-called "shadow docket"—unsigned emergency rulings issued without oral arguments—highlighting its increasing use during the Trump administration.

3. Jimmy Kimmel Returns Amid Free Speech Debate

(05:29 – 07:00)

• Controversy:
  ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! after Kimmel's comments about the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk angered conservatives. The FCC hinted they might penalize stations airing Kimmel.

• Behind the Scenes:
  Disney executives paused production to “avoid further inflaming a tense situation.” Kimmel initially refused to alter his monologue.

• Resolution & Fallout:
  Agreement reached for Kimmel’s return, but reach may be limited: Sinclair, a conservative broadcaster owning numerous ABC affiliates, announced it won’t air the show and demanded Kimmel apologize to Kirk’s family and donate to Turning Point USA.

4. NASA’s New Astronaut Class: Women in the Majority for the First Time

(07:00 – End)

• Personal Story—Erin Overcash:
  34-year-old Navy pilot Erin Overcash recounted receiving the NASA call as she and her spouse scrambled on their couch:

  "He effectively said, do you still want the job? And the first words that I said on the phone were, no way. I mean, I mean, yes, of course, but like no way." (07:27)

  • Overcash is among 10 new astronaut candidates (six women, four men), chosen from over 8,000 applicants.

• Significance:
  First time women have outnumbered men in a NASA astronaut class, continuing the agency’s slow progress toward gender parity.

• Future Prospects:

  • Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation/Acting NASA Head:

    "One of these 10 could actually be one of the first Americans to put their boots on the Mars surface, which is very, very cool. Again, no pressure, NASA. We have some work to do." (07:54)

  • Training includes flying T38 jets, learning Russian for International Space Station duties.

    "Because if things go sideways up there, you really want to be able to say, nye ot kruviyai etot. Look, don't open that hatch." (08:08)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tylenol & Autism:

  "Taking Tylenol is not good. I'll say it, it's not good." (01:43)

• Emily Baumgartner Nunn (on expert consensus):

  "Tylenol or Acetaminophen should only be used in pregnancy in low doses at the least frequent interval possible, but that sometimes Tylenol is necessary because fevers during pregnancy can really bring about all of their own risks." (02:47)

• Justice Elena Kagan, Dissent:

  "...letting the president take control over agencies that were supposed to be protected from partisan politics." (04:45)

• Erin Overcash’s disbelief at NASA call:

  "No way. I mean, yes, of course, but like no way." (07:27)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Details | |-----------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:48 | Trump / Autism / Vaccine Press Conference | RFK Jr. and Trump statements; autism claims | | 02:47 | Expert Opinion / Tylenol Safety | Emily Baumgartner Nunn comments | | 03:46 | Supreme Court / FTC Power Case | Explanation of decision and Kagan dissent | | 05:29 | Jimmy Kimmel Controversy & Return | Behind-the-scenes negotiations & Sinclair’s response | | 07:00 | Erin Overcash / NASA Astronaut Announcement | NASA call anecdote, gender milestone, Mars mentions |

Tone & Style

The podcast is brisk, clear, and informative, with a neutral, reporterly tone. Memorable moments—such as Erin Overcash’s relatable shock at her NASA call—add warmth and immediacy, while analysis segments balance context and expert authority.

This episode is packed with consequential stories, vividly reported and contextually rich, suitable for listeners who want a quick but comprehensive grasp of the day’s top headlines.