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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 14h

a few of you have brought up autism here.. and actually there IS a link between PFNA and autism

PFNA "showed the strongest and most consistent association" with autism-related traits

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and childhood autism-related outcomes

Epidemiological evidence linking prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with altered neurodevelopment is inconclusive, and few large studies have focused on autism-related out...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

ProPublica @propublica.org · 22h

NEW: 19-year-old Jorge Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant in Alabama on an H-2B visa, was convicted of murder after a fatal car crash.

He was initially sentenced to the maximum possible punishment, longer than what prosecutors had requested: 99 years.

How a Fatal Car Crash Tested Alabama’s Justice System

A 19-year-old was arrested and charged with reckless murder after a fatal car crash in Alabama. His lawyers have come to believe that one factor changed the course of the case, starting in the first moments after the crash.

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

ProPublica @propublica.org · 21h

NEW: PFNA can be found in drinking water systems that serve about 26 million people.

The EPA’s toxicity report on the forever chemical has sat in limbo for months, raising concerns that the Trump administration might change it or not release it at all.

Scientists Completed a Toxicity Report on This Forever Chemical. The EPA Hasn’t Released It.

The report was completed in mid-April, scientists familiar with the document told ProPublica, but the Trump administration has yet to release it.

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

ProPublica @propublica.org · 1d

Texas AG Ken Paxton hired a former staffer to work on a recent case. As a state employee, her labor would have cost taxpayers $641.

As a private attorney, Paxton allowed her to bill $3,780 an hour, so that day of work cost taxpayers $24,570.

(Published July with @texastribune.org)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Is Outsourcing More of His Office’s Work to Costly Private Lawyers

Despite having an office of hundreds of attorneys, Ken Paxton is frequently opting for private lawyers — many to whom he has personal or political ties — to argue on behalf of Texas. One attorney cost...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

ProPublica @propublica.org · 1d

NEW: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told state agencies to take “any and all steps necessary” to expedite solar and wind permits before federal green energy tax credits expire next year.

The order prioritizes high-priority projects to begin by July 2026.

With @opb.org

Oregon Fast-Tracks Renewable Energy Projects as Trump Bill Ends Tax Incentives

Gov. Tina Kotek ordered the move, which follows reporting by Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica that highlighted impediments green energy advocates blame for the state’s poor ranking when it co...

www.propublica.org

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 18h

PFAS are also associated with female reproductive problems, such as endometriosis, ovarian dysfunction and tumors and dramatic decreases in fertility

www.niehs.nih.gov/research/sup...

PFAS Exposure Linked to Reduced Fertility in Women

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may reduce fertility in women by as much as 40%, researchers from the NIEHS-funded Environmental Health Sciences Core Center at Mount Sinai found...

www.niehs.nih.gov

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 18h

And about those likely repro effects, which the report based on animal evidence: There's a lot of science tying PFAS to repro fx:

they've been tied to smaller testes and reduction in the number and mobility of sperm pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

theintercept.com/2018/11/30/p...

PFOA and PFOS Cause Lower Sperm Counts and Smaller Penises, Study Finds

There’s a new reason to be concerned about PFOA and PFOs, toxic chemicals used in nonstick pans, waterproof products, and firefighting foam.

theintercept.com

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 19h

one other reason to worry about this chemical: the report found it likely causes damage to the liver and to male reproductive systems, including reductions in testosterone levels, sperm production and the size of reproductive organs

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 19h

The EPA told me it would release the report when it was finalized.

But according to an internal document I reviewed and scientists I spoke with, it was already completed and ready for posting

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 19h

EPA is now reconsidering a PFNA drinking water limit, which some see as possible reason to hold the report

“If you’re trying to roll back drinking water standards, you probably don’t want to release information that makes the case for why those standards are necessary” @dminovi.bsky.social told me

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 20h

The report would help EPA and states set health-protective levels for drinking water and cleanup of toxic sites.

PFNA is in the PFAS family, and the report remains in limbo while local governments and companies face off in court about who will pay to clean these chemicals up

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 20h

NEW An EPA report found that PFNA, a chemical in the drinking water of some 26M people, interferes with development and likely causes liver problems & male reproductive harms. The report was done in April, scientists told me. But the agency hasn't released it

www.propublica.org/article/epa-...

Scientists Completed a Toxicity Report on This Forever Chemical. The EPA Hasn’t Released It.

Agency scientists found that PFNA could cause developmental, liver and reproductive harms. Their final report was ready in mid-April, according to an internal document reviewed by ProPublica, but the ...

www.propublica.org

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

Sam Nelson @samnelson752.bsky.social · 14d

Support the workers in @propublicaguild.org who do this great work: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

Extreme Temperatures Around the World @extremetemps.bsky.social · 11d

Ten weather stations across China broke their highest records for late September today, and Quzhou, Zhejiang reached 37.5C. Further records are expected to be broken in Hebei on September 30, in Northeast China on October 1, and in Fujian and Zhejiang on October 4!

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

Dr. Sandra Steingraber 🏳️‍🌈 @ssteingraber1.bsky.social · 10d

At last: media coverage of the new research on microplastics and osteoporosis—

www.wired.com/story/microp...

Microplastics Could Be Weakening Your Bones, Research Suggests

The review of more than 60 scientific articles showed that microplastics, among other effects, can stimulate the formation of osteoclasts, cells specialized in degrading bone tissue.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Sharon Lerner

Justin Elliott @justinelliott.bsky.social · 13d

New:

Kristi Noem fast-tracked millions in disaster aid to Naples, Florida tourist attraction after campaign donor intervened

www.propublica.org/article/kris...

w/ @josh-kaplan.bsky.social @amierjeski.bsky.social

Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened

The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...

www.propublica.org

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 16d

-cutting 10s of millions of $s for more than 50 autism-related studies

-rolling back protections from air pollution, which studies link to autism

-reversing bans on chemicals, including TCE, also linked to autism

-Ending her autism research & gov career 👇

www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...

RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.

While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...

www.propublica.org

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 16d

Trump repeatedly expressed his concern about autism yesterday when he told pregnant women not to take Tylenol.

The research on Tylenol is mixed, some studies show an association, some don't.

It's worth noting how his administration has undermined autism science

www.propublica.org/article/rfk-...

RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.

While touting a $50 million initiative to identify the causes of autism, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is helping lead an administration that is rolling back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals,...

www.propublica.org

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

Trump calls question that refers to his medicaid cuts as "nasty," says

"The only thing we cut was for fraud waste and abuse"

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

In fact, the science is Tylenol and autism is mixed (some show a relationship, some not) and researchers told me that the apparent relationship in some studies may reflect the underlying problems because fever/infection are linked to autism risk

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

Asked why he thinks we haven't heard more about the harm of Tylenol before, Trump responds "When you say it, you get attacked. Now facts on our side."

"I was saying it with Bobby 20 years ago."

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

President Trump now giving specific medical advice to pregnant women and mothers.

"I recommend the Hepatitis B, take it at 12."

"They say there's no problem if you do each shot separately"

"Don't take Tylenol"

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

including a few - not all - links to studies here

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/...

www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/...

Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association

We undertook an epidemiological study to investigate whether measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be causally associated with autism.Children…

www.sciencedirect.com

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Sec Kennedy says NIH will be investigating whether vaccines cause autism.

Over decades, several large-scale studies have already explored this question and found that they do not.

Live News

www.whitehouse.gov

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Sharon Lerner @fastlerner.bsky.social · 17d

As we wait for today's announcement about autism, Erin McCanlies tells us how RFK, Jr. brought an end to her research on the environmental causes of autism

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Spd...

She Was Trying to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. RFK Jr. Shut Down Her Research.

YouTube video by ProPublica

www.youtube.com

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