The Brief

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made a dramatic about-face in the agency's position on the relationship between vaccines and autism.

The CDC's website now says a link between vaccines and autism cannot be ruled out. That's a reversal from the CDC's longstanding stance that there is no link.

The change comes even though a connection between vaccines and autism has long been debunked by a large body of high-quality research. But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long promoted the discredited claim.

The CDC's change is alarming public health experts. They are already worried about a drop in childhood vaccination, which has led to a resurgence of dangerous childhood diseases like measles and whooping cough.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has been changed to promote false information suggesting vaccines cause autism," said Dr. Susan J. Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a statement. "Since 1998, independent researchers across seven countries have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people. The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There's no link between vaccines and autism."

She went on to say, "Anyone repeating this harmful myth is misinformed or intentionally trying to mislead parents. We call on the CDC to stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims that sow doubt in one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine immunizations."

In a statement to NPR, Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon repeated one of the changes to the website: "The claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism."

He said the department "has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links."

"The new statement shows a lack of understanding of the term 'evidence,'" the Autism Science Foundation said in a statement the organization provided to NPR, adding, "No environmental factor has been better studied as a potential cause of autism than vaccines."

It's a statement that's confusing by design, said Dr. Paul Offitt, a pediatrician and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "These are the usual anti-vaccine tropes, misrepresentation of studies, false equivalence," he says. "They might as well say chicken nuggets might cause autism because you can't prove that either."

The changes on the website "blindsided" career scientists at CDC, says Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a former top CDC official who resigned from the agency in August. "The scientists did not participate in its creation," he says. "And the data are unvetted."

Two current CDC staffers, who contacted NPR Thursday, say the updates are a glaring red flag that indicate the vaccine information on the agency website is no longer credible, and is instead "anti-science." They requested anonymity out of concern they could lose their jobs for speaking to the press.

The moves are the latest in a series of steps Kennedy has taken on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines that run counter to mainstream medical and scientific organizations like the pediatrics academy, the Infectious Disease Society of American and the American College of Physicians.

Vaccine proponents say the moves are recklessly undermining public confidence in vaccines and fueling vaccine hesitancy, putting the nation's children at risk. The U.S. appears to be poised to lose its status as having eliminated measles.

Kennedy sacked all the members of the CDC's influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, earlier this year and replaced the members with his own slate. In one of its first actions, the new advisory committee called for the removal of the preservative thimerosal used in a small fraction of flu vaccines, even though safety concerns about it have also been debunked.

Under Kennedy, federal health agencies have also made it harder for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and canceled grants funding new vaccines that rely on mRNA technology at the heart of the most used COVID vaccines.

The Trump administration has also claimed there is a link between acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and autism, and promoted the use of leucovorin, a prescription form of vitamin B9, to treat autism even though the evidence supporting that is scant.

An ACIP working group is now studying more major changes in childhood vaccinations, including removing compounds that include aluminum used to increase vaccine effectiveness. These adjuvants have been used safely for nearly a century. The committee is also exploring separating a single shot now given to protect against measles, mumps and rubella in a single shot into individual shots.

Public health experts say both moves are scientifically unsound and would essentially upend the nation's childhood vaccination regimen, leaving children vulnerable to diseases that had long been brought under control.

The committee is also considering recommending delaying vaccinating children against hepatitis B. For years, all babies have been vaccinated against hepatitis at birth. Hepatitis B can cause liver failure and liver cancer.

The CDC acknowledges in a footnote on its main webpage on autism and vaccines that it still carries a header reading "Vaccines do not cause autism*" and says it hasn't "been removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website."

NPR emailed Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy's office for comment but didn't receive an immediate response. Cassidy chairs the Senate HELP Committee, which vetted Kennedy's nomination to lead HHS and voted along party lines to support it.

Cassidy posted on X Thursday afternoon: "I'm a doctor who has seen people die from vaccine-preventable diseases. What parents need to hear right now is vaccines for measles, polio, hepatitis B and other childhood diseases are safe and effective and will not cause autism. Any statement to the contrary is wrong, irresponsible, and actively makes Americans sicker."
Copyright 2025 NPR

Hosting and preparing a Thanksgiving meal can be hectic enough. Meeting everyone’s dietary needs does not have to be the thing that tips your very full metaphorical plate.

For some advice, LAist asked one of L.A.’s premiere vegan chefs, Maciel Bañales Luna of Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli in Highland Park.

A vegan butcher? Explain yourself!

Bañales Luna creates her own meat substitutions from scratch so her shop is part deli, serving sandwiches and sides, and part butcher counter where you can buy plant-based “meats” like vegan pastrami and mesquite turkey, all made in-house and plant-based. Read my full write-up from Maciel’s early days here.

It's all about sides and substitutions 

Start with traditional Thanksgiving recipes and substitute with vegan options.

These days, in Southern California, it's pretty easy to find vegan alternatives in your neighborhood grocery store like vegan milks and butters.  

”I like the Miyoko's butter,” Bañales Luna said. “It's very delicious, so I use that.”

For mashed potatoes, she recommends soy milk.

“It's so creamy and rich, and kind of thicker than the other ones,” Bañales Luna said.

She also highly recommends coconut milk as a dairy substitute, especially for its texture. Just be aware the coconut flavor can come through in a simple dish. But it could work for something with more ingredients like green bean casserole.

Casseroles in general often use sour cream. For that, Bañales Luna recommends cashews for a base instead. She says even some non-vegan friends like her version because it can lighten a traditionally heavy dish.  

“You are losing all the fat and the grease from the dairy,” Bañales Luna said. “You can use it for everything. You won't lose that creamy part of what dairy does.”

Maciel's vegan turkey loaf, stuffing and cranberries

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Courtesy Maciel's Plant-Based Butcher & Deli

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A main dish for the vegans 

There’s a fair share of faux-turkey products in the frozen aisle in November, but sometimes they lack in taste and texture. If you go that route, don’t be afraid to dress it up.

If you’re a vegan guest, offer to bring a main meal.

“ As a vegan, I like to make my friends' lives easier," she said. "I'm gonna bring my own protein. I can make a meatloaf with vegan ground beef, lentils or mushrooms. There's just many things.”

Can’t skip dessert 

Pumpkin pies and apple crisps can be easy to make vegan and stay delicious. For an egg substitution, Bañales Luna likes to use flaxseed meal.

“Just add some water into two tablespoons of that,  stir it, and then you leave it there for a few minutes,” she said. “And then it's ready to bake or whatever you need to do. It's simple.”

And if you want to skip the oven, you can use her’s vegan chocolate mousse as an inspiration,

”It's just using silken tofu,” Bañales Luna said. “It just has a ton of protein and just a few ingredients. And then instead of chocolate, you can add pumpkin or whatever you want to make. It's just a matter of being a little bit creative.”

Need more help? 

These cookbooks will teach you how to prepare vegan meals to delight everyone at your table:

• The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life from Roy Choi
• Big Vegan Flavor from Nisha Vora
• The Vegenaise Cookbook: Great Food That's Vegan, Too from Bob Goldberg

Proposition 50, the Democratic-backed ballot measure to temporarily redraw the state’s congressional maps, has scrambled California’s congressional playing field in more ways than you might think.

Yes, it’s given Democrats the opportunity to flip up to five Republican-held seats, said Erin Covey, House editor at the Cook Political Report. But it’s also made a handful of blue districts even safer. That, Covey said, puts Democrats in a position to beat Republicans — who set off the mid-decade redistricting fight — at their own game nationally.

“In terms of the national redistricting outlook, I think that California is basically putting Democrats in a position where they may be able to fight this to a draw or at least limit Republicans to only picking up maybe three or four seats through redistricting alone,” Covey said.

That’s despite the fact that far more GOP-led states have moved to redraw their maps ahead of 2026 than blue states. Texas, the first to redraw its maps at the behest of President Donald Trump, just saw its new districts blocked by a district court. It’s unclear whether that ruling will stand if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to weigh in.

“Seats are going to flip as a result of these new maps [but] a lot of these maps cancel each other out. And so we’re in kind of an interesting situation where it may not be quite as good for Republicans as they anticipated going into this,” she said. “Without California, that would not have been possible because of the sheer number of seats that the California map affects. It really was a significant achievement on the part of Democrats and could potentially make the difference in the majority next year.”

Here’s a look at the biggest shifts under Proposition 50 — with thanks to Covey and the number crunchers over at the Cook Political Report for many of the data points below.

Congressional District 1

The new North State district is seen as an easy pickup opportunities for Democrats.

District 1, currently held by Republican Doug LaMalfa, shifted west and now includes both Chico and Santa Rosa. Under the old map, Trump won the district by 25 points; under the new boundaries, he would have lost by 12. LaMalfa said he will run, but it’s going to be tough: State Senate President Mike McGuire, who has represented Sonoma County in the Legislature for 12 years, is in the race, along with Audrey Denney, an educator and consultant who unsuccessfully challenged LaMalfa twice.

Congressional District 3

District 3, represented by Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, now includes more of Sacramento County and shifts from a Trump +3 to a district former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won by double digits.

Two Democrats have announced their intention to run: Rep. Ami Bera and Nevada County Supervisor Heidi Hall. The big question, Covey said, is what Kiley does.

“He could choose to stay in the Third, which of course would be very tough,” she said. “He could move to the Sixth District, which is also a seat that Harris would’ve won by eight points in 2024. … And then the third option for Kiley outside of retiring or running for something else entirely would be to run in the Fifth District, which is Tom McClintock’s seat.”

McClintock, a Republican, has been in Congress since 2009.

District 22

Aside from 2018, when Central Valley GOP Rep. David Valadao fell victim to a blue tidal wave that swept Democrats into control of Congress, the 22nd District has been a thorn in the side of Democrats.

Valadao has defied political gravity, winning over working-class Latino voters to hang on to a seat even when party registration favored Democrats. In 2024, he won by seven points to Trump’s six. But with the new Proposition 50 lines, the current 22nd would have favored Trump by less than two points.

Health care could be central here: six out of 10 residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.

“His biggest vulnerability going into this election is the impact that the Big Beautiful Bill has on health care, in particular Medicaid cuts,” Covey said. “The district has shifted to the right in recent years as a lot of the Hispanics in the Central Valley have become more and more open to voting for Trump.”

Whether that holds after Trump’s immigration crackdown, and amid affordability concerns, is unclear.

Several Democratic candidates are running, including Dr. Jasmeet Bains, a moderate Bakersfield assemblymember and physician, and progressive Randy Villegas, who earned Sen. Bernie Sanders’ endorsement.

District 40

This Southern California seat has the distinction of being the only California district made more Republican by Proposition 50.

Orange County Republican Rep. Young Kim currently holds it. But longtime Inland Empire Republican Rep. Ken Calvert plans to run there, setting up a potential clash between two strong GOP contenders.

While Kim is well-liked in her district, the redrawn 40th District actually has more of Calvert’s current turf than Kim’s.

“I believe Kim’s portion is about a third and Calvert’s portion is about half the district, so it makes sense that they would both want to run in this seat,” Covey said. “I think this will be a really competitive race.”

Kim, she said, is an incredibly strong fundraiser and campaigner.

“She has put up a really strong electoral performance in Orange County for the past couple of years for a Republican and has typically done better than Trump and won over Democratic voters,” Covey said.

But Calvert is also a “heavyweight,” she added, who will likely run to Kim’s right — and could perform well among the conservative voters in the district’s eastern swath.

“He’s chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He’s been around forever,” Covey said. “He was also someone who I was wondering if he was maybe going to retire. And I guess he feels like he’s in a position where still has a very good shot at winning this district, even against Young Kim.”

District 48

Speaking of retirements: All eyes are on longtime San Diego-area GOP Rep. Darrell Issa to see whether he stays in the newly drawn 48th District, which now slightly favors Democrats.

Issa could jump into the Kim-Calvert race in District 40 or lean on his immense personal wealth to compete in the new District 48, which now includes more of San Diego and liberal Palm Springs.

Whatever Issa decides, there will be plenty of competition on the other side of the aisle: Declared candidates include San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert and former Obama administration official Ammar Campa-Najjar, who previously ran unsuccessfully twice for Congress.

California overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, the measure that dramatically changed congressional district boundaries in the state to favor Democrats.

In Southern California, the measure passed with 64% of the votes.

And while it’s true that all six counties in Southern California voted in favor of Prop. 50, the smallest margin was in Orange County, which voted 55%-45% to pass it.

It’s well known that Orange County has a larger concentration of Republican voters than other parts of Southern California, but there were some notable statistics — based on data from the Registrar’s office — that shed more light on how residents there voted.

For example, there was overwhelming support for the measure in Santa Ana — 76%. Outrage over raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement may be one reason. The city is about half Latino and has been subject to several enforcement actions by the federal agency.

Santa Ana is Orange County’s only “sanctuary city,” signifying that city leadership stands with immigrants and limits cooperation with immigration enforcement.

The cities of Irvine, Anaheim and Tustin were among the cities that also showed strong backing for Proposition 50, each topping 60% support.

Villa Park led Prop. 50 opposition

Proposition 50 redrew congressional district boundaries so that more Democrats could get elected to Congress from California. Backers hope it will help the party take control of the House of Representatives in next year’s midterm election.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was a response to Texas, which redrew its political boundaries to elect more Republicans to Congress. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Texas from using its newly drawn map, ruling that it is likely an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Republicans in California also are challenging Prop. 50 in court.

In Southern California, Republican Representatives Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa saw their red-leaning districts of Riverside and Northern San Diego County turn solidly Democratic. Calvert is expected to challenge fellow Republican Representative Young Kim in next year’s primary.

Villa Park, a mostly residential enclave in the heart of Orange County and with a population of 5,800, led the opposition to the proposition with 63% of voters casting “no” ballots. Newport Beach and Yorba Linda — traditional strongholds of President Donald Trump — each saw 60% of its voters opposing the measure.

Trump had denounced Prop. 50 as a Newsom power grab.

Seven OC cities opposed 50

Under Proposition 50, Newport Beach will likely be represented by Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, whose politics are well to the left of much of the city. The measure split Yorba Linda into two different districts. Yorba Linda is now represented by Kim. Under the new maps, the conservative city will likely be represented by two Democrats.

Seven of Orange County’s 35 cities plus the unincorporated area opposed Prop. 50.

Here’s the breakdown of how Orange County cities voted:

Jose Rodriguez wasn’t trying to be the first person in Altadena to finish a new home after suffering a loss in the Eaton Fire.

But thanks to his decades of construction experience — and fast work by his crew — Rodriguez has earned that distinction. Earlier this week, a county inspector congratulated him on receiving Los Angeles County’s first certificate of occupancy on a property impacted by the January fire.

Speaking with a reporter in Spanish, Rodriguez said he wasn’t expecting this kind of attention.

“It feels strange because I’m not used to this,” he said. “I feel good. I feel happy because everything is finished."

‘An important milestone’

The completed home is a backyard accessory dwelling unit for his adult son, David Rodriguez. (Disclosure: David works on LAist’s community engagement team). The younger Rodriguez previously lived in a unit attached to the family’s garage.

The property’s main home survived the fire, but the garage and the attached studio apartment burned down.

The office of L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, celebrated the completion of the Rodriguez family’s new ADU in a written statement to LAist.

“This is another tangible reminder that Altadena’s recovery is moving forward,” the statement read. “Knowing a fully permitted ADU has transformed what was once a garage into a safe, permanent place to call home feels good and is an important milestone. This is what steady, determined progress looks like."

A team effort

David Rodriguez said the two-bedroom ADU, with its brand new bathroom and kitchen (complete with dishwasher), is an upgrade from his previous space.

“Both of my parents have worked very hard to just move it along,” he said. “It also wouldn't be possible without the people who were working here as well … the plumber and the electricians and the workers who were putting up everything.”

Rodriguez said he has strong childhood memories of watching his father, a retired carpenter, getting ready for work before the sun came up.

“He would leave super early in the morning, like at 4 or 5 a.m.,” he said, adding that the experience was hard-earned but came in handy during the family’s fire recovery process.

“He has that knowledge,” the son said.

The scene immediately after David Rodriguez’s home was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

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David Rodriguez

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LAist

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Getting ready to rebuild

Jose Rodriguez said the process moved quickly because he knew the building process inside and out. He knew how to get plans drawn up, how to apply for building permits, how to assemble a construction crew and how to pass county inspections.

Switching to English, he recalled the moment he got his building permits.

“I have everything ready. I have other people coming to help me,” he said. “I have my list. I have everything.”

Construction took a little over three months. His wife, Sandra, pitched in too. She cooked hot meals for the construction workers on site.

After living in a string of hotels and short-term rentals, the family moved back into their main house about a month ago. Sandra Rodriguez said she looks forward to seeing their son finally return to his own space.

She observed his reactions throughout the construction process.

“Every time when we came here to the back, I saw his face, smiling,” she said. “As a mom, I can feel he's very happy with this new place.”

The kitchen in David Rodriguez’s new accessory dwelling unit comes with a dishwasher and new cabinetry.

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David Wagner

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LAist

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Recovery is slow but visible

David Rodriguez said this feels like a hopeful moment, not just for his family but for an entire community slowly recovering from profound loss. He’s encouraged when he sees framing for other ADUs starting to go up on nearby lots.

“We all lost a lot,” he said. “I think we're all still very much grieving as a community. And I really hope that we can all just continue to rebuild.”

So far, L.A. County’s Department of Public Works has issued 829 building permits in unincorporated areas affected by the Eaton Fire. Nearly 6,750 housing units were destroyed in the fire.