TMI Show Ep 261: “A Formula for Rotten Kids”

The TMI Show informs you about an alarming multistate outbreak of infant botulism tied to ByHeart baby formula, exposing risks that demand immediate parental vigilance.

Hosts Ted Rall and Manila Chan dissect this health crisis gripping families nationwide, highlighting regulatory scrutiny and corporate accountability. Federal health officials, including the FDA and CDC, investigate 13 hospitalizations among infants in 10 states—spanning Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington—linked to the consumption of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula since August. The company voluntarily recalled two batches out of caution, amid broader reports of 83 infant botulism cases nationwide. ByHeart insists no direct contamination link exists—botulism typically arises from environmental sources like soil—yet critics question the manufacturing standards for a product marketed as breast milk's closest rival, sold in major stores and online. As FDA tests on seized samples continue, parents need to look out for symptoms like poor feeding, weak cry, or breathing issues that emerge over weeks.

Plus:

• Shutdown Winding Down: The Senate advances a bipartisan funding package in a 60-40 procedural vote, breaking Democratic ranks to clear hurdles after 40-plus days of the longest shutdown on record. The deal funds government operations through January 30, with full-year appropriations for Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Military Construction, plus back pay for furloughed workers, but healthcare subsidies are screwed.

• Dude Drivers Dissed: Male drivers file class-action lawsuits against Uber and Lyft, alleging gender discrimination due to "women-only" features that limit their ride access and earnings in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. Launched in 2023 amid safety complaints and assault reports, the policies spark backlash for stereotyping men as dangerous, pitting rider protections against worker equality in the gig economy.

• The Right Face: D.C. plastic surgeons report surging requests from Trump insiders for overt "Mar-a-Lago face" enhancements—bold fillers, Botox, lip augmentation, and lifts—embracing maximalist aesthetics over Washington's blander norms. The trend, signaling wealth and virility, raises concerns like "filler blindness" from over-injection, diverging from first-term subtlety and rooted in South Florida's flashy influences.