Login
Researchers Find Brain Signal Linked to Communication Challenges in Autism
Why do some children with autism communicate more easily than others, even when they hear the same words? Researchers from the University of Virginia believe the answer may lie in the brain’s electrical activity. In a new study published in Scientific Reports, they found that subtle patterns in brain activity while children listened to speech were linked to how well autistic youths communicate in everyday life.
The findings offer new clues about the biology behind autism and could one day help researchers objectively measure communication challenges and evaluate new therapies. The research analyzed brain activity in more than 300 children and adolescents while they listened to speech. The findings suggest subtle differences in brain electrical activity may help explain why some autistic youths have greater difficulty with verbal communication than others.
The study included researchers from the University of Virginia’s schools of Medicine and Data Science, along with colleagues from Seattle Children’s Research Institute, the University of Washington, Yale University, UCLA and several other institutions.
Youtube Joins Meta in Appealing a Jury Verdict That Faulted Them for Users’ Social Media Addiction
YouTube has appealed the verdict of a landmark social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles, seeking to challenge the jury’s determination that the company designed its platform to hook young users without concern for their well-being. Lawyers representing YouTube filed a notice of appeal Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, less than a week after Meta, which was also a defendant in the case, filed its own notice of appeal. The lawyers are expected to provide their arguments related to the appeal in later court filings.
The case centered on a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to social media as a child and that it worsened her mental health struggles. The jury found that negligence by both Google-owned YouTube and Meta was a substantial factor in causing harm to the young woman, identified in court only by her initials, KGM, and her first name, Kaley.
The jury awarded her $3 million in damages and recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages. Her lead attorney, Mark Lanier, said in a statement last week following Meta’s appeal that Kaley’s legal team is expecting the appellate court to “continue the careful application of the law to this case, affirming the verdict of the trial court.”
Newsom Signs Into Law Permanent Funding for Farm to School Meals Program
California’s Farm to School program, which connects schools with California farmers to expand access to fresh meals and local ingredients, has secured permanent funding under legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this week. SB 172 codifies the program after state lawmakers included continued funding in the 2026-2027 budget.
State officials said the program has invested $86 million in 327 projects since 2021, benefitting 49% of public school students, with about 80% of grant recipients being Title I schools. “California is leading the nation in supporting children’s health by serving nutritious, locally grown school meals and providing food education that equips students with lifelong healthy habits,” Newsom said in a press release.
“Supporting California farmers, local communities, and the health of California’s children remains a top priority, which is why we have secured permanent funding for California’s nation-leading Farm to School Program.” According to the governor’s office, the Los Angeles Unified School District used the grant funds to connect cafeteria programs and career technical education and overhauled food procurement from small farmers, and was on track to purchase $4.7 million from local growers for the 2025-2026 school year. Organizations like SPORK Food Hub and Burns Blossom Farm also upgraded school food safety, infrastructure, staffing and equipment.
Midnight Social Media Curfew and Limits to Infinite Scrolling Proposed for Older UK Teens
The U.K. government on Wednesday proposed new measures to protect older teens on social media, including a midnight curfew and a limit to infinite scrolling, as tech giants continue to face scrutiny over online safety. Teens between the ages of 16 and 17 years old will face a default overnight curfew from midnight to 6 a.m., and addictive features like infinite scrolling and autoplay will be automatically switched off, the government said Wednesday.
However, teens will have the option to switch off these settings. It’s expected to go into force by Spring 2027. The measures came after a social media restriction trial demonstrated positive results with teens saying an overnight curfew improved sleep and concentration.
The trial involved more than 300 teens and parents across the U.K. The social media trial, which involved more than 300 teens and parents across the U.K., ran for a month and saw teens tested with three different types of interventions, including restricting app use to 15 minutes a day, an overnight curfew between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., and removing specific social media apps entirely.
It found that participants saw a range of mental health benefits, including improved mood, reduced stress, and better daytime energy. However, they also noted a “social and emotional trade-off,” as social media is central to their interactions with friends who weren’t facing restrictions.
Mount Sinai Study Links Early-Life Exposure to PFAS (“Forever Chemicals”) With Childhood Intestinal Inflammation
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” during pregnancy and early life is associated with increased intestinal inflammation during childhood.
The findings, published July 10, 2026, in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, provide new evidence that environmental exposures during critical stages of development may influence long-term intestinal health and future inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) risk. The study is the first to demonstrate that prenatal and early-life PFAS exposure is consistently associated with elevated levels of fecal calprotectin — a biomarker of intestinal inflammation commonly used to monitor IBD — across three birth cohorts in the United States and Mexico.
Researchers measured PFAS concentrations in maternal blood collected during pregnancy, umbilical cord blood, and newborn dried blood spots before following children for up to 11 years. Across all three birth cohorts, higher PFAS mixture levels were associated with higher fecal calprotectin levels later in childhood.
“While genetics play an important role in inflammatory bowel disease, they do not fully explain why the disease develops,” said Manasi Agrawal, MD, MS, corresponding author of the study and Assistant Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology), and Environmental Medicine and Public Health, at the Icahn School of Medicine. “Our findings suggest that prenatal and early-life PFAS exposure may contribute to intestinal inflammation during an important stage of development.
