In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.

News that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is once again at the center of controversy over autism should not surprise anyone. He has made a career out of inhabiting the space that our political, medical, and cultural institutions have left empty. On the surface, his latest push, linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism development, is just another entry in his long list of questionable crusades. I wrote earlier this month about why I don’t believe Tylenol is the culprit and why piling more blame on mothers is both cruel and counterproductive. Emily Oster, an economist who dedicates her life to poring over data to answer parenting questions, dove deeper into the shaky science behind the Tylenol explanation.