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Google's Gemini AI app has been topping the "most downloaded" charts on both the Apple App Store and the Android Store ever since the company added a free image generation feature, called "Nano Banana," back in August. Of course, Google is hardly the only huge tech corporation with an AI assistant that can make images right on your phone.

I wanted to know which mobile AI image generation tools is best, so I pitted three of the biggest—Google's Gemini (with Nano Banana), the iPhone version of OpenAI's ChatGPT, and Meta's Meta AI—against one another in a not-so-old-fashioned image-generation throw down. While there was ultimately a winner, the results weren't exactly clear cut.

How I tested these tools

I wanted to compare how each app handled the same basic prompts to generate images an average user might want to create.

To test their photo editing acumen, I asked the different models to remove an object from a photo and to expand the background of a photo. To test their utility for straightforward purposes, I asked them to create a cover for a brochure. And to test their "creativity," I asked them to put a celebrity in a surreal situation, draw a one-panel comic, and make an image of Frankenstein doing stand-up comedy.

Here's how it went.

Removing an object from an image

For the source image, I used the below photo of my mom, and the prompt "Remove the cup from the subject's hand."

Here are the results:

Gemini object removal

ChatGPT object removal

Meta AI object removal

Winner: Gemini

Loser: ChatGPT

While all three tools removed the cup, Gemini added a fairly natural-looking hand held in a jaunty position that suggests my mom has just made a really good point. Other than that, Gemini mostly left the original image alone, just like I asked.

Meta AI's made the fingers look cartoonish and left the hand in an awkward looking "holding a cup" pose, making the image look like someone did a bad Photoshop.

I am not sure what ChatGPT is doing here. It seems to have removed my mom's entire right arm instead of just the cup. It smoothed out wrinkles, took out stray hairs, changed the entire color palette to be more orange, and even subtly shifted the direction my mom is looking. I asked for none of this, and all it of it made the photo worse. ChatGPT, You made my mom into an AI-ghoul; you're doing too much.

Expanding a photo's background

For the "expand the background" challenge, I used this selfie, and the prompt "Expand the background on this image and remove the sweat stain."

Gemini background expansion

ChatGPT background expansion

Meta background expansion

Winners: Gemini and ChatGPT

Loser: Meta AI

There are really only two competitors here, as Meta doesn't do background expansion.

Gemini was more ambitious this time out: It expanded the background further, and did a nice job approximating what the parts of my bike and bike rack it couldn't "see" actually looked like. It even added a distant car. But it also changed the shape of the mountains behind my head for some reason, and turned down the red-tint—more flattering, maybe, but not requested.

ChatGPT was more modest in its background expansion, and while it didn't mess around with the color scheme, it did give my skin that weird plastic look common to many AI images.

I consider this one a draw: adequate work from everyone. Except you, Meta AI.

Generating an image for a brochure cover

For this test, I let each tool have more "creativity," but also provided some clear context and a suggested style, via the prompt "I'm making a brochure for my country club. Generate a painterly image of two rich people playing tennis."

Gemini brochure cover

ChatGPT brochure cover

Meta AI brochure cover

Winner: ChatGPT

Loser: Meta AI

The winner here is obvious. ChatGPT's output looks "painterly," as requested, and the placement of the two figures suggests a friendly game of mixed-doubles.

I found Gemini's generic depiction of "rich people" to be kind of funny, especially with the mansion in the background, but that is not what a painting looks like, and that is not how anyone plays tennis.

Meta's depiction of "people playing tennis" isn't funny. Its result looks like an Exhibit A in a high-profile divorce case, and domestic violence is not a joke.

A famous person in an unlikely situation

To test how each program would handle creating the likeness of an actual person—a dead person, to stay on the safe side—I fed each tool this prompt: "Generate a photo of David Bowie going cave exploring."

Bowie spelunking by Gemini

Bowie spelunking by ChatGPT

Bowie spelunking by Meta AI

Winner: Meta AI

Loser: ChatGPT

This time, Meta's the hands-down winner. I asked for a photo of David Bowie, and got something like a photo of David Bowie. I like that Meta chose an older-Bowie, but not ancient-Bowie, as if he'd taken up cave exploring to clear his mind and ponder his future after the commercial failure of 1989's Tin Machine.

I'm not sure what Gemini is going for here: Bowie with a light saber made out of a crystal and wearing a colander with lights for a hat? Bowie was cool, man.

But ChatGPT is the big loser, for being cowardly and not generating an image at all.

Drawing a one-panel comic

I like asking AI to tell jokes, because I like to see hard evidence that there's still something people can do better than robots. Expecting AI to actually be funny is as foolish as—I couldn't come up with a simile, so I asked chatGPT, and it said, "...asking a goldfish to explain quantum physics while juggling flaming marshmallows." Ha ha ha.

Anyway, I thought if I gave AI guidelines and a model of something funny, maybe it would come up with a good comic. Here's the prompt I used: "I'm making a one-panel comic in the style of The Far Side. Generate an image for the caption: 'The real reason Larry was late for work.'"

Here are the results:

The Far Side by Gemini

The Far Side by ChatGPT

The Far Side by Meta AI

Winner: Gary Larson

Loser: Comedy itself

Are any of these comics funny? No. But I think Gemini provided the most interesting result: It kind of made a joke, but it also made me think. If the joke is that Larry was late because it was his goose's birthday, why is there a hole in the door? Why is the goose so mad? Why is there a suitcase full of money and a UFO? Sometimes I didn't understand The Far Side either. I also appreciate that Gemini didn't copy Gary Larson's drawing style at all, but did add the signature "Gary Larnson."

Meta AI's comic is just lazy. I'm not convinced it's even reading my prompts.

ChatGPT's result looks the most like The Far Side, without being a direct copy, and the signature is even spelled correctly. But it doesn't capture any of the weird spirit of the source material. In the end, it's way more obvious and workmanlike than Gemini's left-field approach.

And it's also worth noting that here I ran into one of the main limitations with ChatGPT's iPhone app when compared to Meta AI and Gemini: I ran out of tokens for the day and had to wait 24 hours to make the image. Output quality aside, if you're interested in iterating and improving your result, or you just want to make a ton of pictures, five a day on the free tier will certainly hamper your, uh, creativity. Your solution is to upgrade to the paid version for $19.99 per month.

Frankenstein doing stand-up comedy

I next asked these programs to generate images of Frankenstein doing stand-up comedy, because that's the kind of person I am. The prompt: "Generate a photo-realistic image of Frankenstein doing stand-up comedy."

Here are the results:

Frankenstein doing stand-up comedy by Gemini

Frankenstein doing stand-up comedy by Chat GPT

Frankenstein doing stand-up Comedy by Meta AI

Winner: Everyone!

I can't choose a favorite here. ChatGPT followed the prompt most closely, and depicted an expressive Frankenstein having a good night.

Gemini went way off-script, but sometimes you don't know exactly what you want, and it turns out I wanted a crowd made up of both people and Draculas, with a monster with a lost expression, like he's trapped between two worlds.

Meta AI's miserable monster seems to be saying "We belong dead!" which I appreciate as well. So it's a three-way tie.

Note: Not one AI pointed out that "Frankenstein" is the name of the doctor, not the monster.

The ultimate test: Recursive image generation

Every blog post needs an image to accompany it, so as a final, ultimate test, I fed this entire article into Gemini, ChatGPT, and Meta AI with the prompt: "Generate an image to accompany this blog post."

Gemini recursive test

ChatGPT recursive test

Meta AI recursive test

Winner: Gemini

Loser: Art

Meta AI seemed determined to covertly compare tennis to domestic violence, and ChatGPT's grid approach is staid, but I gotta hand it to Gemini for at least understanding the assignment.

(The real test is whether Lifehacker's editors have left the image in place at the top of this page or sent me a terse message saying, "Steve, take that garbage down immediately.")

Overall winner: Gemini (but not by much)

There's a reason everyone has been downloading Gemini to mess around with Nano Banana—it's really good. It's not perfect—in my tests, ChatGPT's image generation engine was better at generating different styles of art from scratch—but Gemini can whip up pictures fast that are often surprisingly close to what you want.

And Gemini is free, whereas ChatGPT's app costs $19.99 a month for unlimited pictures. Meta AI is also free, and its results have a goofy charm, but it fails to properly understand prompts more often than the other two models, and doesn't have some useful functions, like expanding backgrounds. (It did a good job with Bowie, though, I must admit.)

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Best Buy has joined the battle against Amazon's Prime Big Deals Day, the fall version of Prime Day. There will actually be two sales leading up to Best Buy's main Techtober sale, so I've rounded up all the info below to help you keep things straight.

All of Best Buy's October sales

Best Buy's fall sale is actually three separate sales from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12. Here are the dates of each sale and what you can expect from each:

• Sept. 27 to Sept. 28: A 48-hour flash sale.

• Sept. 28 to Oct. 5: Member deal days event. You will need to be a Best Buy Plus or My Best Total member, which starts at $49.99 per year.

• Oct. 6 to Oct. 12: Best Buy’s Techtober Sale. This will be Best Buy's equivalent to Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which is from Oct. 7 to Oct. 8.

Do you need to be a member to shop for Best Buy's fall sale?

Only the second event from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5 will be exclusive for paying members. The rest are for everyone, but members can get better savings throughout the sales. Keep in mind, it is free to sign up for a My Best Buy membership, which will give you free shipping. If you join one of its paid subscriptions (My Best Buy Plus for $49.99 per year or My Best Buy Total for $179.99 per year) you'll get faster free shipping, exclusive prices and deals, an extended 60-day return window on most products, and access to select sales. Paid members will also earn extra rewards from both the current sale and the upcoming Black Friday in July sale.

What deals can I expect during Techtober Sale?

There is no official list of deals from Best Buy yet, but in an email, the company said shoppers can expect deals on tech like laptops, TVs, headphones, video games, electric bikes, "and more." The retailer will debut new deals every day in stores, on its website, and in the Best Buy mobile app.

What other retailers are competing with Amazon's October Prime Day?

After Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days announcement, both Target and Walmart announced theirs. Target is having Circle Week, which will run from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and Walmart is having Walmart Deals from Oct. 7 to Oct. 12.

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When the Powerbeats Pro 2 came out earlier this year, with their in-ear heart rate sensors, I had a hard time getting them to read my heart rate accurately from my ears. Now, with iOS 26, Apple and Beats are introducing some new fitness features that make these headphones work better as heart rate sensors. They also apply to the new  AirPods Pro 3, which also measure heart rate. I tested the new features, and found that the experience is much improved—but still has serious problems. 

The heart rate feature now works on iPhones without third-party apps

This is the biggest improvement, and it’s unquestionably a good thing. In iOS 26, Apple has turned the Fitness app into a real workout-tracking app, not just a viewer for Apple Watch data. And it can pull heart rate data from Powerbeats or AirPods with heart rate sensors.

Just tap the Workout tab, check the heart rate icon in the upper right corner to make sure your Powerbeats are paired, and hit the start button on the activity you want to do. It’s easy and simple—as it should have been in the first place. 

Previously, iPhones could only read heart rate data from the Powerbeats Pro 2 through certain third-party apps. These apps included a few popular premium and specialty apps, like Runna and Peloton, but there was no basic option. Now, with the updates to the Fitness app, you can log a workout that is just a native Apple workout, without having to create an account on a new app. 

None of this was ever an issue for Android users, by the way: They were always able to pair the Powerbeats Pro 2 as a Bluetooth heart rate sensor the way you would a chest strap, and can still do that. Unfortunately, iPhone users still don’t have that kind of freedom. Only some apps are supported—16 of them so far, which are listed here—but at least the main Fitness app is one of them.

You can now use a single earbud (sort of)

At first, the Powerbeats Pro 2 could only read your heart rate if you had both earbuds in. With the changes in iOS 26, you can now get heart rate readings with just a single earbud. I tried this out, with mixed results. 

On the bright side, it’s true—the Fitness app gives me heart rate data even with only one earbud in. But the downside is that accuracy is diminished. The earbuds already have an accuracy issue, as I’ll discuss below, so they lose data points when the fit isn’t perfect. Remove one earbud, and you’re taking away half your data. 

This is good news for people who get a good fit and good accuracy; they can choose between one and two earbuds and get a heart rate reading either way. But for those of us who can’t get a good enough fit to get good data (like me), this just gives us worse data.

The algorithm is better, but maybe not good enough

Apple has said that its new heart-rate-sensing algorithm is able to sample data points faster, which should help accuracy. It can also combine data from the headphones and from your Apple Watch, rather than choosing one or the other. (Previously, if you were wearing your Apple Watch, heart rate data from your earbuds would be ignored). 

I took the earbuds for a few test runs (without the Apple Watch) to try the new algorithm. I do think the accuracy is a little bit improved! It’s still not great, but as long as I had both earbuds in, I can at least see the similarity between my chest strap data and what I was getting from the Powerbeats. 

It still tended to read high for me, though—often riding above the peaks of my intervals and never dropping down very far. This isn’t good enough to follow heart rate zone training very closely, and would likely skew heart-rate-based metrics such as estimated VO2max. But it does seem to be an improvement. 

My single-earbud readings were awful, though, as you can see. To Apple’s credit, I did get a poor fit notification after both the runs that produced the graphs above.

New fit notification

A new feature in iOS 26 is that you’ll get a notification to check the fit of your earbuds if the data seemed to be poor. That’s a helpful feature, because otherwise you wouldn’t know whether you’re getting good data or not. (I sit down at my computer and compare new devices to chest strap data, but it’s not fair to expect everyone to do that.) 

Based on my experience, the Powerbeats’ issue with heart rate accuracy seems to be tied to the way they fit in your ears. The optical heart rate sensor is built into the hard plastic component, and it needs to be in close contact with your skin to be able to detect your pulse. 

The earbuds come with different silicone tips to adjust the fit, and an “ear tip fit test” you can do in Settings to ensure that you get a good seal between your tip and your ears. If you get the notification telling you to check your fit, it directs you to this test and its associated advice about getting a good fit. 

But there’s still a big problem here. Apple assumes that a good fit for sound is the same as a good fit for heart rate. That’s not always the case, as my own testing showed. When I passed the fit test, I got terrible heart rate data. If I turned the earbuds backward so the ear hooks were vertical, I got good heart rate data but terrible sound quality—and failed the fit test.

So these notifications can tell you that you have a problem, but they can’t solve your problem. I suspect it’s not really solvable. The plastic component only comes in one size, and if your ears are a different size or shape than what it was designed for, there’s no way to put the sensor in closer contact with your ears. 

iPhone users still can’t play music while broadcasting heart rate to gym equipment

I almost feel embarrassed for Apple on this one. The Powerbeats Pro 2 can broadcast your heart rate data to gym equipment, but not while playing music. This still feels half-baked and I hope Apple is working on a fix for this. For now, here’s what you can expect: 

• Android users can play music from their phone while broadcasting to gym equipment.

• Gym equipment that plays sound over bluetooth can play to your Powerbeats while you broadcast heart rate to that same gym equipment.

• iPhone users cannot play music from their iPhone while broadcasting to gym equipment. 

Overall, I'm pleased to see the changes Apple has made to improve the usefulness and accuracy of the Powerbeats Pro 2's heart rate monitoring feature, but I'm still disappointed in some of the ways it fails to live up to its promises. These are expensive headphones to buy without knowing whether they'll fit your ears well enough to get reliable heart rate data. The missing music when broadcasting to gym equipment is especially disappointing. But the fit notifications are a great addition so that at least people know when they're having accuracy issues, and I appreciate the more accurate data sampling—even if the result isn't perfect.

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Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy rebuked former vice president and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris for propping herself up as “Momala” when she was actually a stepmom who “inherited” older kids.

On Tuesday’s Outnumbered, Campos-Duffy — who has nine kids with husband, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — called Harris “inauthentic” as she blasted the ex-veep over her “inauthenticity.”

She is so inauthentic. Not only — I am a political spouse. No way I am not talking to my husband on Election Day about the election. There’s no way. Do you remember when they kissed with their masks on? And then she tried to convince everybody she was “Momala” when she actually inherited stepchildren. They were like 17 or 18. So all of us who had little tiny kids, it just doesn’t count. She is just not authentic.

Harris revealed to Elle magazine last year that husband Doug Emhoff’s kids from his previous marriage, Cole and Ella, took to calling her “Momala” after they were married.

Campos-Duffy’s critique of Harris came on the heels of her appearance on The View earlier Tuesday and with Rachel Maddow on Monday night. as she promotes her new memoir, 107 Days.

Watch above via Fox News.

The post Fox Host Slams Kamala Harris for Calling Herself ‘Momala’ When She Never Had Kids of Her Own: ‘It Doesn’t Count’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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Walmart has jumped on the October Prime Day bandwagon in an attempt to sway you away from the biggest online sale of the fall. The main event is Amazon's two-day Prime Big Deal Days promotion, aka October Prime Day. This week, Walmart officially announced its own "Prime Day"-esque promotion, and there's some good news for those of you who balk at the idea of paying for a membership to take advantage of a sale—it's free to everyone.

What is Walmart Deals?

Walmart Deals is meant to be the answer to Amazon's Prime Day sales. It is both an in-store and online sale with deals on most things that Walmart sells (food being arguably the biggest omission). The sale happens every year around spring, summer, fall, and winter, revolving around Prime Day sales.

When does Walmart Deals start?

Walmart Deals kicks off Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members (a five-hour head start) and Oct. 7 for everyone else. It runs until Oct. 12, both online and in stores at local opening times.

Do you need to be a Walmart+ member to shop during Walmart Deals?

No. But, if you are a Walmart+ member, you'll get early access to the sales beginning Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET, the evening before the event opens to the public. You can sign up for a free 30-day Walmart+ subscription or get the annual plan for $98 ($8.17/month).

What you can expect from Walmart Deals

Walmart says its sale will include many different categories, including deals on electronics, home, toys, travel, and many other categories—similar to the deals we found last year. The sale will be on Walmart.com, the Walmart app, and in stores. You can already see the landing page, even though the sale hasn't started. Here are some deals Walmart says will be available:

Electronics

• ASUS 16” R7 4050 16/512 Gaming Laptop – $400 (Walmart exclusive)

• Proscan Elite, 14.1” Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame – $25 Savings

• VIZIO 50" Class Quantum 4K QLED HDR Smart TV – $100 Savings

Home

• Better Homes & Gardens Farm Apple Pumpkin Scented 1-Wick 16.1oz Ribbed Jar Candle – $7 Savings (Walmart exclusive)

• Dyson Ball Animal Origin Upright Vacuum – $80 Savings

• Lasko Oscillating 1500W Electric Motion Heat Whole Room Ceramic Heater with Remote Control – $30 Savings

• HART 215-piece Mechanics Tool Set, Chrome finish – $52 Savings (Walmart exclusive)

Seasonal Decor

• 5Ft Halloween Inflatable Pumpkin Ghost with 360° Rotating Colorful LED Lights – $102 Savings

• 4' Pre-Lit Starburst Gold Artificial Christmas Tree – $42.97 (Walmart exclusive)

• Govee Christmas LED Net Lights – $30 Savings

• Mr. Christmas Santa's Magical Telephone – $59.88 (Walmart exclusive) 

Toys

• Hot Wheels Mario Kart Bowser’s Castle Track Set – $36.42 Savings

• LEGO Harry Potter Buckbeak  – $24.99 Savings

• Monster High Frankie Stein Make-A-Monser Pet Doll  – $20 Savings

• Pokemon Scarlet & Violet - Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box – $60 Savings 

Fashion

• Free Assembly Women's and Women's Plus Cozy Yarn Welt Pocket Cable Cardigan Sweater – $11 Savings (Walmart exclusive)

• Chaps Men's Stretch Regular-Fit Denim Jeans, Sizes 30-42 - $10 savings

• Madden Girl Women's Bells Slide-on Strappy Heeled Mule - $25 savings

 Beauty

• Calvin Klein Eternity, Eau de Parfum, 3.4 oz – $55.02 Savings

• Oral-B iO Series 2 Rechargeable Electric Powered Toothbrush, Peach – $15.03 Savings

Food

• Frito Lay Flamin' Hot Mix 6 Flavor Variety Pack 40 Ct – $6.73 Savings

• Sanpellegrino CIAO Lime Sparkling Flavored Water – $2.88 Savings

• Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino 13.7oz 12ct – $30.40 Savings

You can choose between in-store pickup and different delivery options, including early-morning delivery, late-night express delivery, and next- and two-day shipping.

All of the other competing sales for October Prime Day

You can always expect major retailers to have their own competitive sales, the big ones being Best Buy, Target, and, of course, Amazon. Target has been the only other retailer to officially announce their October competition sale. Like in previous years, the dates for these sales will start earlier, overlap, and run longer than October Prime Day. There are usually a couple of deals that are better than Amazon's Prime Day from each of the retailers, but the majority of the good deals will be on Amazon. I will be updating this post with details on those offerings as soon as they've been announced.

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In a press conference totally divorced from reality as scientists and doctors understand it, President Trump announced yesterday that the FDA would be warning providers and patients away from acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) in pregnancy. There were some other unsubstantiated claims about vaccines and autism mixed in, so let me break down what’s actually known and understood here. 

What is acetaminophen? 

Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter medication used to relieve pain and fevers. The flagship products of the Tylenol company are acetaminophen pills and syrups, but Tylenol sells other products as well, including medicines with a mixture of active ingredients. (Always check the Drug Facts label when you take medications to know what you’re getting.) I’ll often use the word Tylenol, since it’s more commonly known, but acetaminophen is also available in other products, like Excedrin and NyQuil..

Outside the U.S., acetaminophen is often known as paracetamol: Same drug, different generic name, though Trump seems to have stuck with the brand name Tylenol during the press conference. The Tylenol company now has a pop-up on its website pointing customers to this response, which correctly points out there is no credible link between Tylenol and autism.

What the science actually says about acetaminophen and autism 

The short answer: There is no credible link between autism and the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy. But HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. sorta-kinda spoke correctly when, during the press conference, he said there were some studies that “suggest a potential” connection between acetaminophen and autism. For example, a review published this year (not a study itself, but an analysis of prior studies) found that some studies do in fact show a link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism, although the evidence is mixed. 

A press release about the review noted, “While the study does not show that acetaminophen directly causes neurodevelopmental disorders [emphasis mine], the research team’s findings strengthen the evidence for a connection and raise concerns about current clinical practices.” That said, it seems most medical experts aren’t convinced that this review, or the studies that claimed to find a link, are strong enough to change clinical practice. (More in the next section on what medical experts are saying about these claims.) 

So why doesn’t this count as strong evidence? An association (two things tend to occur together) is not the same as causality (this thing definitively causes that thing). People who take acetaminophen during pregnancy tend to be different than those who don’t—for example, if somebody takes Tylenol during pregnancy because they are sick, it may be the sickness rather than the Tylenol that is the risk factor. Or the people who take Tylenol may be different from people who don’t in some other way.

A large study published last year took this into account. The researchers looked at 2.5 million children in Sweden, and their initial analysis found an increase in risk of autism in children whose mothers had taken acetaminophen. But then they looked at whether this relationship held up between pairs of siblings, where one was exposed to acetaminophen in utero and the other was not. And the relationship disappeared. 

In other words, if acetaminophen increased autism risk, you’d expect the sibling exposed to the drug in utero to have a higher likelihood of autism than their sibling who wasn’t. But that wasn’t the case. Instead, it seems some families have a higher likelihood than others of having children with autism, and taking acetaminophen doesn’t increase the risk within that family. 

What medical experts say about acetaminophen in pregnancy

Acetaminophen (including Tylenol) is generally considered the safest pain reliever for use in pregnancy. Other common alternatives, like ibuprofen, have known risks and are not recommended if you are able to take acetaminophen instead. Medical experts also agree that it’s dangerous to leave pain and fever untreated during pregnancy. 

Several medical organizations issued statements in response to the president’s press conference, all of which are worth reading in full, but here are some key quotes from each: 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in a statement: “Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy.” The statement goes on to discuss the strength of the evidence, saying that “not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children.”

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine said in their statement: “In response to today’s White House press conference announcement, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) reiterates its recommendation advising both physicians and patients that acetaminophen is an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy.  Despite assertions to the contrary, a thorough review of existing research suggesting a potential link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children has not established a causal relationship.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics said in their statement: “Today’s White House event on autism was filled with dangerous claims and misleading information that sends a confusing message to parents and expecting parents and does a disservice to autistic individuals. … Families who have questions about their child’s medications, autism care plans or other health care should consult with their pediatrician or health care provider.”

The Autism Science Foundation said in their statement: “Any association between acetaminophen and autism is based on limited, conflicting, and inconsistent science and is premature… Today’s announcement distracts from the urgent scientific work needed to understand the true causes of autism and to develop better supports and interventions for autistic people and their families.”

The European Medicines Agency, which plays a similar role in Europe as the FDA does in the U.S., issued a statement that there is no new evidence that would require reevaluating the status or labeling for acetaminophen, which they call paracetamol. “Paracetamol remains an important option to treat pain or fever in pregnant women. Our advice is based on a rigorous assessment of the available scientific data and we have found no evidence that taking paracetamol during pregnancy causes autism in children.”

There is no evidence that vaccines cause autism, either

The press conference also repeated long-debunked myths about vaccines and autism. There’s no credible link here, either to vaccines in general, to specific vaccine ingredients like mercury, or to combined vaccines like the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella vaccine). 

And I shouldn’t have to tell any parent this, but babies are not in fact “pumped” with a “vat” of “80 different vaccines” at “one visit,” as Trump claimed. Babies see the pediatrician every few months during their first year of life, getting a few shots each time, many of which are combination vaccines (not just the MMR). Many of these vaccines need to be given in multiple doses—it’s not a one-and-done shot for each one. 

So it’s not true that separating the MMR into its components has “no downside.” Splitting the shots means kids are getting more needle sticks and delaying the date at which they’ll get their last dose of each and be fully protected. (The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, which was gutted of its longtime experts and filled with controversial replacements handpicked by the HHS secretary, who has long been an anti-vaccine activist himself, has already voted to remove the combined MMR-chickenpox vaccine as a standard option for young children.) 

Trump also repeated the myth that there’s no reason for babies to get hepatitis B shots at birth. Hepatitis B can be sexually transmitted, sure, but it’s not only sexually transmitted. Babies can get it at birth from a parent who doesn’t know they have it; they can also get it during childhood from various non-sexual, non-drug exposures. Hepatitis B is a more severe disease the younger you get it, and it’s one of the vaccines babies’ immune systems can process even in those early days (not all vaccines will work that early) so the risk-benefit calculation is an easy one: this vaccine, like others, offers children real protection.

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MAGA world provocateur Candace Owens took credit over the weekend for a statement by FBI Director Kash Patel in which Patel promised he is “investigating theories and questions” related to Charlie Kirk’s killing.

“Kash Patel just issued the following statement about Charlie’s murder and I want to be clear- WE DID THIS. WE, as in, the people all over the world who absolutely refused to accept the trash narrative that was handed to us-complete with doctored text messages and a vicious cycle of media- gaslighting,” Owens posted on her Instagram account.

Owens has stirred up controversy and anger by continuing to suggest that Kirk’s murder involves some greater plot and that his views were changing in recent months. She has claimed that he felt “blackmailed” by Israel and suggested a “federal conspiracy” is afoot.

“The best way to honor Charlie is with the truth,” Owens said in another post, adding, “What we witnessed was a coordinated assasination [sic] followed by media agents embarking on psychological warfare against the people for noticing.”

Patel posted a lengthy tweet on X Sunday, saying, “As the Director of the FBI, I am committed to ensuring the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s assassination is thorough and exhaustive, pursuing every lead to its conclusion.”

“The full weight of America’s law enforcement agencies are actively following the evidence that has emerged, but our efforts extend beyond initial findings. We are examining every facet of this assassination,” he said, adding:

We are meticulously investigating theories and questions, including the location from where the shot was taken, the possibility of accomplices, the text message confession and related conversations, Discord chats, the angle of the shot and bullet impact, how the weapon was transported, hand gestures observed as potential “signals” near Charlie at the time of his assassination, and visitors to the alleged shooter’s residence in the hours and days leading up to September 10, 2025.

Owens shared the post and wrote, “You guys didn’t even try with the text messages. We deserve an apology for that one.”

Others were quick to point out how extraordinary Patel’s post was in the first place, especially given the amount of evidence against Kirk’s alleged shooter.

“The fact that the director of the FBI needs to post this is a damning indictment of how conspiracy-obsessed society has become,” noted analyst Eitan Fischberger.

Independent journalist Yashar Ali weighed in on Owen’s celebration of Patel’s post.

“She’s right to take credit — if a single person is to be given credit for stirring up the most attention around conspiracies, it is Candace,” Ali wrote, adding:

But she also uses the word “noticing,” and there’s no other way to see the use of this word in this context as a dog whistle toward Neo-Nazis and various types of Jew haters.

Candace is online enough to know what this word means in this context.

(“Noticing” is a euphemism for endorsing Jew-hating conspiracy theories.)

Read Patel’s full post here.

The post ‘WE DID THIS’: Candace Owens Takes Credit for FBI Director’s Statement on Charlie Kirk Conspiracies first appeared on Mediaite.

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As a chronically light sleeper, I've tried everything from white noise machines to sleeping on the couch. It doesn't help that I 1) live above a noisy Brooklyn bar and 2) share a bed with someone who snores and grinds his teeth. My go-to solution had been wearing my Anker Soundcore headphones with some sort of "deep sleep" playlist, but to be honest, sleeping with over-ear headphones is like trying to nap while wearing a helmet. Uncomfortable, potentially unsafe, and a surefire way to destroy my expensive electronics.

That's what led me to the Ozlo Sleepbuds, currently available for $299. Unlike my AirPod Pros, which are great for daily use but pierce my eardrums when I lie on my side, the Ozlo sleepbuds have a remarkably low profile. The pre-installed ear tips fit perfectly, creating a secure seal without the pressure points that make traditional earbuds a nightmare for side sleepers. Despite their mixed online reviews, I've found that these smart earplugs really do help me sleep deeper (and possibly saved my relationship).

The app experience

Here's where the Ozlo sleepbuds diverge from typical wireless earbuds, and honestly, it's a double-edged sword. Unlike AirPods that connect automatically via Bluetooth, these require opening the Ozlo app like a control center. You'll need to select your soundscape, adjust volume, and set your alarm through the app interface.

Initially, this felt clunky compared to the seamless connectivity we're all used to. But after a few nights, I found myself positively reframing this friction as more of a "ritual." Opening the app, placing the buds in my ears, and selecting a soundscape became a bedtime ritual that signaled to my brain it was time to wind down.

Wearing my sleepbuds through the night

The moment of truth came on my first night testing them against my boyfriend's powerful snoring. I opted for the "ocean tide" sound to lull me to sleep. The audio quality is solid, especially knowing these were created by former Bose engineers.

So: Did these earbuds completely eliminate my partner's snoring? Not entirely—his snores are truly in a league of their own. But the combination of noise blocking and the ocean tide sound significantly reduced my nightly interruptions from constant to few and far between. Most importantly, when I did hear him, it didn't immediately snap me awake. The soundscapes seemed to cushion the noise, making it less startling.

But the street noise from the bar below? Completely gone. The upstairs neighbors walking around? Barely noticeable. These Sleepbuds excel at blocking consistent ambient noise while taking the edge off sudden, disruptive sounds.

Another feature I love is the in-ear personal alarm. Instead of a jarring phone alarm that jolts both you and your partner awake, the Sleepbuds gently vibrate and play a soft tone directly into your ears. My boyfriend has never been woken up by my alarm since I started using them.

Tips and tricks for sleeping with earbuds in

After a few weeks of use, I've discovered several ways to optimize the Sleepbuds experience:

• Find your perfect soundscape: Don't settle for the first one you try. I cycled through several before discovering that rain sounds work better for me than ocean waves or white noise.

• Create a charging routine: Keep the charging case on your nightstand and make putting the buds back a part of your morning routine.

• Experiment with volume levels: I really recommend starting lower than you think you need. Your ears adjust to the soundscape within minutes, and too-loud audio can actually be stimulating rather than relaxing.

• Use the app's sleep timer: If you don't want soundscapes playing all night, set a timer. You might only need the audio to fall asleep, not maintain it.

• Try different sleeping positions: The low profile means you can experiment with side sleeping even if you've never been able to before.

The bottom line

Are the Ozlo Sleepbuds perfect? No. The app dependency isn't ideal, and they won't completely eliminate every noise (I'm looking at you, Greg's snores). But compared to my previous solutions—uncomfortable headphones, potentially unsafe sleeping positions, or relegating myself to the couch—these Sleepbuds rock.

If I'm choosing between traditional foam earplugs, regular earbuds, or these specialized sleep buds, I'd pick the Ozlo Sleepbuds every time. My only concern? I'm becoming so dependent that I'll have trouble sleeping without them. But honestly, if that's the price for consistently good sleep in a noisy city apartment with a snoring partner, I'll take it.

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Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, granted a candid interview to The New York Times in advance of the massive memorial service for her slain husband at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium Sunday.

In the sitdown with Times reporter Robert Draper, Erika Kirk that Charlie was too excited to sleep the night before his scheduled event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.

“’He got up and I could hear him eating something in the kitchen. He’d been waiting all summer to begin touring.’ The visits to college campuses, she said, ‘were like an Olympic event for him. He trained for them. He had whiteboard sessions for hours. Mock debates. He was just so excited,’” she told The Times.

“Mr. Kirk finally fell asleep sometime later, in another bed in the house,” the report continued. “Ms. Kirk heard him slip out early the next morning. She texted ‘I love you’ to him before his chartered plane took off for Provo, Utah. A staff member later told her that he had overheard Mr. Kirk proclaiming to the pilot as he disembarked, ‘Today’s going to be a great day.’”

In light of death threats against her husband, Erika Kirk told Draper that she implored Charlie to wear a bulletproof vest during his speaking engagements, and a friend even suggested he speak behind bulletproof glass. But Charlie’s answer was, “Not yet.”

Erika Kirk had planned to be with her husband in Utah, but remained in Arizona to take care of her mother, who was hospitalized at the time. That’s where she learned of Charlie’s murder.

“Ms. Kirk was sitting in her mother’s hospital room at 11:23 a.m. local time in Phoenix when she saw the number of her husband’s longtime assistant, Michael McCoy, appear on her phone. In retrospect, she said she knew the words — “He’s been shot!” — before Mr. McCoy screamed them.”

Erika Kirk revealed that she now wears a pendant of St. Michael that Charlie was wearing when he was killed. She is scheduled to speak at Sunday’s memorial service, along with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.

She added that she does not plan to weigh in on whether the state should seek the death penalty against suspect Tyler Robinson.

“I’ve had so many people ask, ‘Do you feel anger toward this man? Like, do you want to seek the death penalty?’ I’ll be honest. I told our lawyer, I want the government to decide this. I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger. Because when I get to heaven, and Jesus is like: ‘Uh, eye for an eye? Is that how we do it?’ And that keeps me from being in heaven, from being with Charlie?”

——

The post Erika Kirk Grants Candid Interview To NYT In Advance of Massive Memorial Service For Charlie first appeared on Mediaite.

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