The city of Des Moines was left stunned on Friday after Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) — Iowa’s largest district — was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Federal officials allege that Roberts, 52, was in the United States illegally and had existing weapons charges.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Roberts was taken into custody during what they described as a “targeted enforcement operation.” Authorities claim he attempted to flee before being detained and was found carrying a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a hunting knife. Federal law prohibits firearm possession by undocumented immigrants.

Roberts, who once represented Guyana in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as a track-and-field athlete, has had a decades-long career as an educator. Since 2023, he has overseen more than 30,000 students in Des Moines.

DHS vs. district narrative

In statements, DHS painted Roberts as a “criminal alien” and a threat to public safety. But DMPS officials and local community leaders pushed back, calling him an integral part of the school community.

Board president Jackie Norris told reporters: “He has shown up in ways big and small for students and staff. There is new information that we did not know, and we have not been able to verify.”

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The district said Roberts had disclosed a prior firearms offense during the hiring process and provided enough context for officials to move forward with his appointment.

A complex history

Roberts first entered the U.S. on a student visa in 1999, according to DHS. Public records show he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge in Pennsylvania in 2022. DHS claims he also faced charges as early as 2020 and that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal in May 2024.

Despite this, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners granted Roberts a license to serve as superintendent in July 2023. He previously held leadership roles in school districts in New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Oakland, and Erie, Pennsylvania.

Community response and protests

News of Roberts’ detention sparked immediate backlash. Dozens gathered outside the federal courthouse in Des Moines carrying signs reading, “Education, not deportation / Free Dr. Roberts.”

Teacher Mary Pat LaMair expressed solidarity: “It’s really important that we take care of one another. The general public is not okay with what’s happening.”

The Directors Council, a nonprofit serving Des Moines’ Black community, also voiced its support: “Roberts has been a trusted partner, a dedicated advocate for equity, and an unwavering supporter of families and youth in Polk County.”

Meanwhile, immigrant-rights advocates warned of fear spreading among local families. “Our families are afraid that if they go to pick up their kids, if they send them to school, agents might take them away,” said Elizabeth Balcarcel of the Iowa Movement for Migrant Justice.

District moves forward

Following Roberts’ arrest, Matt Smith was named interim superintendent. The district issued a statement emphasizing its priority to maintain stability: “Our priority is to provide a safe, secure and outstanding education for all students and to support our students, families, and employees.”

Roberts remains in custody at a county jail in Council Bluffs, Iowa, according to ICE’s detainee locator system. The Des Moines School Board has scheduled a special closed-session meeting to determine the superintendent’s future.

As the community wrestles with the shock of his detention, Roberts’ story — from immigrant athlete to school leader, now facing deportation — highlights the deep tensions between immigration enforcement, public service, and community trust.

In a highly controversial announcement on Monday, former President Donald Trump claimed that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will alert doctors that using Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy may be associated with a “very increased risk of autism,” despite decades of scientific evidence supporting its safety.

Speaking from the White House alongside US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump urged caution for pregnant people, suggesting Tylenol should only be used when medically necessary.

“They are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary, such as to treat fever, if you can’t tough it out,” Trump said.

Experts and researchers, however, have pointed out that autism is a multifactorial condition and no causal relationship has been established with acetaminophen. High fevers during pregnancy, left untreated, pose significant risks including miscarriage, birth defects, and high blood pressure.

Scientific Evidence Contradicts the Claims

Numerous studies affirm the safety of acetaminophen when used responsibly. A 2024 peer-reviewed Swedish study in JAMA involving over two million children found no association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, a BMC Environmental Health 2025 study concluded that while some associations exist, causality could not be established.

Medical professionals have strongly criticized the announcement. Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, called it “irresponsible,” stating:

“Today’s announcement dangerously simplifies the many complex causes of neurologic challenges in children and is not backed by the full body of scientific evidence.”

Similarly, Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, labeled it “dangerous,” emphasizing that no new studies were presented and that the statements could unduly alarm parents and pregnant individuals.

Public Health Concerns

Trump and Kennedy also used the forum to comment on childhood vaccinations, including delaying the hepatitis B shot, a strategy that public health officials have long endorsed for newborn protection. Critics argue that the announcement undermines established guidance and may discourage safe use of over-the-counter medications during pregnancy.

The FDA clarified that while it is beginning the process to update acetaminophen labeling and notify physicians, parents still retain decision-making authority. Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, reaffirmed the drug’s safety and stressed consulting healthcare providers before use.

“Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women… Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through fevers or use riskier alternatives,” the company said.

As the debate unfolds, medical experts urge pregnant individuals to continue evidence-based practices, emphasizing the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration under professional guidance.
For more Update http://www.dailyglobaldiary.com

Donald Trump just cracked open a door he’s been trying to keep firmly shut for years.

In a surprising statement aboard Air Force One earlier this week, the former President of the United States admitted that the employees Jeffrey Epstein allegedly “poached” from his Mar-a-Lago club weren’t just staffers — they were young women working at the spa, a detail he had not mentioned previously.

“The answer is yes, they were,” Trump said plainly when asked if the workers in question were indeed young women.

That statement — offhand as it may seem — has reignited public interest in Trump’s past ties with Jeffrey Epstein (Wikipedia), the late financier and convicted sex offender who was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges before dying in jail. Though Trump (Wikipedia) has never been formally accused of wrongdoing in connection to Epstein’s crimes, the evolving narrative around their fallout has left a trail of contradictions.

What Really Happened Between Trump and Epstein?

According to Trump, the breaking point came when Epstein recruited Mar-a-Lago spa staff for his own use, despite being warned not to. One of those recruits, Trump now acknowledges, may have been Virginia Giuffre (Wikipedia), a prominent Epstein accuser who tragically died by suicide earlier this year.

“I think she worked at the spa,” Trump said. “I think that was one of the people, yeah. He stole her.”

That acknowledgment could have profound implications. Giuffre was a teenager during her time at Mar-a-Lago, and her name has long been associated with Epstein’s trafficking ring. If Trump knew she was “stolen” by Epstein — and that she was young — it raises difficult questions about his awareness of Epstein’s behavior.

Multiple Timelines, Contradicting Stories

Just last week, a White House spokesperson claimed that Trump had banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for “being a creep.” Trump now says it was because Epstein “hired help” from his club — particularly young women.

“He did something that was inappropriate,” Trump said. “He hired help… He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place.”

But that version contradicts another from 2019, reported by The Washington Post, which traced their fallout to a real estate rivalry over the coveted Maison de l’Amitié, a $41 million oceanfront mansion in Palm Beach. Back then, there was no mention of spa workers or “stolen” employees — only hard-nosed business competition.

When asked by CNN to clarify these contradictions, the Trump White House responded tersely:

“Nothing more to add to POTUS’ comments.”

Did Trump Know More Than He Let On?

Trump’s now-infamous 2002 comment about Epstein still echoes loudly:

“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

The quote, once brushed off as flippant, feels more ominous in hindsight.

There’s also a Florida businessman who told The New York Times that he warned Trump about Epstein’s behavior during an event at Mar-a-Lago:

“I said, ‘Look, Donald, I know Jeff really well, I can’t have him going after younger girls.’”

In Roger Stone’s 2016 book, Trump is quoted reminiscing about Epstein’s swimming pool being “full of beautiful young girls,” and how he assumed Epstein was generously letting “neighborhood kids use his pool.”

Even more disturbing is a scene described in the 2020 book Perversion of Justice, authored by journalists from the Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal. It suggests Trump cut ties with Epstein after he hit on a Mar-a-Lago member’s teenage daughter — a move Trump feared could damage his brand.

“Such an act could irreparably harm the Trump brand,” said one of the authors, explaining Trump’s decision to bar Epstein.

If true, this means Trump severed ties with Epstein years before the financier’s criminal activities became widely known — possibly as early as the late 1990s or early 2000s. This timing would mean Trump might have had early insight into Epstein’s predatory behavior.

And that’s the real problem: What exactly did Trump know, and when?

Trump Wants to Move On — But His Words Won’t Let Him

Despite the scandal’s heavy weight, Trump has often shrugged it off. After Epstein’s 2019 arrest, he told reporters,

“The reason [for our fallout] doesn’t make any difference, frankly.”

But clearly, it does now. Every time Trump comments on Epstein — whether out of defensiveness or candor — the timeline gets murkier and the speculation grows louder.

With Tuesday’s admission, Trump may have intended to distance himself from Epstein once again. But in doing so, he may have revealed more than he meant to.

And now the public wants to know: If Trump saw Epstein’s predation years before the rest of the world did, why didn’t he speak up?
For more Update http://www.dailyglobaldiary.com