Vice President JD Vance refused to talk politics about the newly elected pope on Friday, calling his election a "great thing.""So many people my entire lifetime have said youre never going to have an American pope," Vance told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt after being asked for his reaction to his election. "Obviously, now we do, so I think thats a great thing."Vance added that "We dont know a whole lot about him, but I just wish him the best, right? Im a Catholic. Hes now the head of the Catholic Church, and well pray for his wisdom, for his good decisions, and his good health, and hope that he has a long and successful papacy."The vice president told Hewitt that something like the election of a new pope can often become "discolored" by politics.INCLUSIVE TONE OF NEW POPE ISN'T SITTING WELL WITH SOME IN TEH AMERICA FIRST MOVEMENT"People are asking is he a conservative or is he a liberal," Vance continued. "Will he attack President Trump and J.D. Vance on certain things, and hasnt attacked Democrats on other things."He said his thoughts on that were that its hard to "fit a 2,000-year-old institution into the politics of 2025 America."Vance added that as a Catholic convert, he tries "not to play the politicization of the Pope game. Im sure hes going to say a lot of things that I love. Im sure hell say some things that I disagree with, but Ill continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all, and thatll be the way that I handle it."Vances remarks came after news spread of an X account linked to Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, that reposted articles earlier this year criticizing the Trump administration on its deportation push.He also agreed with Hewitt that it was "disappointing" that reporters asked cardinals in a press conference about Leos election about Trump.FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION"The Church is so much bigger than politics," he said, adding that most of the millions of Catholics in the U.S. arent worried about whether the pope is liberal or conservative.He continued, "There are a lot of views the Catholic leadership holds that are, you know, you might consider on the right side of the spectrum. There are a lot of views theyre going to hold that might be more traditionally on the left side of the spectrum. And then there are a lot of views that dont map easily onto politics at all."Vance said that although the church touches on public policy from time to time, "thats not really what its about.""I think it would be better for all of us if we allowed the Church to be about the saving of souls and didnt try to fit it into a pre-ordained political box," he concluded.Pope Leo XIV was elected to succeed Pope Francis on Thursday after the formers death last month after a health battle.President Trump quickly congratulated Leo on his selection on Thursday."It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope," he wrote in Truth Social Post. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"However, other conservatives like Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump's first administration and a Catholic, called Leo the "worst pick ever."Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that "the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis."Conservative radio host Charlie Kirk said in a video on X, "Lets just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. Well see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that Im not too crazy about."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPKirk added that "overall, it seems like hes a pro-life warrior. Theres a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty."

Left-handedness and certainneurological disorders could go hand-in-hand, a new study revealed, though the researchers and others acknowledged potential limitations.While about 10% of people in the world are left-handed,people with autism are 3.5 times more likely to have the trait, according to an international team of researchers that analyzed data from over 200,000 individuals.The study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, indicated that left- and mixed-handedness also appear more often in people who have diagnoses such as schizophrenia, autism and intellectual disability.RISING AUTISM RATES NOW AFFECT 3% OF CHILDREN, SAYS CDC REPORTMixed-handedness refers to a situation in which people may use their left hand for a certain task and their right hand for others, according to psychology experts.This is slightly different from ambidexterity, which is the equal use of both hands."The key takeaways of this study are that alterations in hand preference from the norm (i.e., right-handedness) are associated especially with psychiatric and psychological conditions that affect the language system (e.g., dyslexia or schizophrenia) or affect neurodevelopment through an early age of onset (e.g., autism or ADHD)," lead author Dr. Julian Packheiser told Fox News Digital.He is a researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany.Not all neurological conditions showed a link to people's dominant hand.Depression and dyscalculia (a math learning disability), for example, showed no meaningful difference in hand preference compared to control groups, the study found.The researchers also determined that "atypical handedness" may be associated with long-term linguistic symptoms like stuttering and dyslexia."In most people, the dominantside of their brain is typically where speech, language, logical thought processing and hand preference is located," Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a neurologist with West Tennessee Medical Group, told Fox News Digital.He was not involved with the new study.CHILDREN WITH AUTISM MAY SEE SPEECH IMPROVEMENTS WITH OFF-LABEL PRESCRIPTION DRUG"People who are left-handed or ambidextrous often dont have such a dominant one-sided brain rather, the key portions of language can be divided between both sides," Murray also said.The study also examined the likelihood of atypical handedness in clinical populations, or groups of people diagnosed with a specific set ofhealth conditions compared to a control population."We suspected that left- and mixed-handedness could be associated with disorders whose symptoms are related to language," said Packheiser in a press release about the study."Language, like handedness, has a very one-sided location in the brain, so it stands to reason that the development of both and their disorders could be linked."The researchers also considered other factors that could come into play, such as the age at which a person might exhibit symptoms.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERIt appears that the earlier adisorders symptoms emerged, the more frequently researchers saw cases of left- and mixed-handedness.The researchers hypothesized that left- and mixed-handedness could be associated with diseases that occur very early in life, because the dominant hand is determined at a very early age possibly evenbefore birth.In the womb, thumb-sucking at 10 weeks' gestation is heavily linked to which hand will be preferred later in life, they noted.The connection could help experts potentially understand the way brains are organized and how they develop."The study has implications when understanding ways of finetuning the neurorehabilitation of patients with one-sided brain conditions, such as stroke,multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injury," Murray said.Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author, said the study was "interesting," though he emphasized its limitations."Correlation doesnt imply causation and being left-handed does not mean someone will develop autism or schizophrenia," Alpert, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital."Handedness is just one of many factors that can be associated with neurological traits, and these findings should be interpreted with caution to avoid unnecessary alarm or stigma."Alpert called for more research to understand the relationship, if any, between handedness and mental health.Lead author Packheiser agreed the results are "purely correlational.""We have no causal evidence that developing a psychiatric disorder linked to language or neurodevelopment causes a change in handedness, or whether changes in handedness cause any disorder," he told Fox News Digital.For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/health"Individuals from the general public should therefore never be alarmed if their child prefers to use the left hand," the researcher said."But given the rise of mental disorders in the population, it is important to better understand them."

FIRST ON FOX: The White House is blasting Democrats for "prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens," after "outright breaking the law" and storming an ICE facility in New Jersey.On Friday, Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, entered ICE's Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, N.J. and were held up inside the first checkpoint, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlintold Fox News.The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, DHS said.The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Ras Baraka, was arrested at the ICE detention facility where the three members of Congress also stormed the gate, demanding they be allowed to conduct an "oversight visit."IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDERBaraka, a top Democratic gubernatorial candidate, was arrested at the scene for trespassing, authorities said.The White House is blasting the Democrats, telling Fox News Digital they are "crossing the line.""As always, Democrats are prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens - except now they're crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law," White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital.BLUE CITY MAYOR SAYS ICE ARRESTS OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ARE NOT FOCUSED ON MAKING US SAFERActivists have demanded entry into the facility in recent days, saying the GEO Group, the buildings new owner, is unlawfully preventing it from being inspected.A lawsuit filed on behalf of the City of Newark on April 1 alleges that GEO Group failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including by conducting electrical and plumbing renovations without proper oversight.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Department of Homeland Security said the allegations by Newark politicians that Delaney does not have the proper permitting is false.Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

A public school district is in the process of transferring from Nevada's high school sports conference to California's so it can avoid Nevada's new policy that keeps biological males out of high school girls' competitions and locker rooms.The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) in Truckee, California, is leaving the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) to join the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).The change will go into effect in Fall 2025 and comes after the NIAA voted to ban trans athletes from the girls' category during its April 2 Board of Control meeting. It was made in order to comply with President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. However, California has continued to defy the order and enable trans inclusion in girls' sports.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMMultiple TTUSD parents and girls' athletes pleaded with school officials not to make the switch to California's federation at the Truckee Unified school board meeting Wednesday night.Not only did they speak out the notion of letting trans athletes in girls' sports, but many speakers also pointed out that other details of the switch would affect the district's sports teams' ability to conduct their seasons, including travel and scheduling changes that would bring about potential weather complications for outdoor events.The current setup with Truckee competing in the NIAA allows its teams to travel east into Nevada for most of its away competition, as the town sits near the northern California-Nevada border. But with the coming change, the student athletes could soon have to travel west for most of their away competition.This means that students will often have to travel through California's Donner Pass, a 7,056-foot-high mountain pass. During winter, the pass is known for being dangerous due to extreme weather conditions like heavy snowfall, strong winds and icy roads. The high elevation and frequent storms contribute to treacherous travel conditions, including the potential for avalanches.Truckee high school girls' track and field athlete Ava Cochram expressed her fears of playing against trans athletes."Men generally have more muscle mass, higher lung capacity and greater bone density that gives them greater advantages, physically, in sports, and I think that it's very unfair to watch all of our hard work as women to go down the drain," Cochram said. "I do not have anything against trans people, but I think this is a violation of our privacy."Truckee High School girls' soccer, track and basketball athlete Kenzie Zilstorf lamented the idea of changing with trans athletes in the same locker room, and having to increase the risk of travel with the change."It's even more bad if a woman has to go in the locker room with a man and change with them. There's two genders, a man and a woman," Zilstorf said. "And I think it's unfair that we have to take a dangerous drive to risk our lives over the summit when there's snow, all because of a privacy rule. This is wrong."North Tahoe High School girls' soccer player Anna Holly said she isn't even going to be playing girls' soccer anymore because of the change."It's sad for me, because this is the only time I get to play soccer in my life, and I really do enjoy it, but I'm choosing basketball over that," Holly said. "And biologically, boys are born with greater speed and strength than girls, and having to play against them, they do have an unfair advantage, and I would not feel safe with them. There's also safety concerns about how much stronger they are than us."CALIFORNIA GIRL OPENS UP ON FIGHTING LEGAL AND POLITICAL BATTLE OVER TRANS ATHLETES AFTER LIFE-CHANGING PAINTTUSD still defended its decision to switch to CIF in a statement provided to Fox News Digital."A recent Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) policy change made on April 2, 2025, directly conflicts with California state law, specifically the California Education Codes mandate against discrimination and protection of student privacy. Given the direct conflict between the NIAA's recent policy changes and the mandates of California state law, TTUSD viewed joining a California athletics association as a necessary action to ensure legal compliance," read a statement from the TTUSD to Fox News Digital.TTUSD also said it anticipates the new arrangements will lead to shorter travel times for its student athletes for away competitions, despite concerns over the Donner Pass."TTUSD is working with CIF on details related to league assignment, schedules, and travel distances. We anticipate that the overall mileage student-athletes travel within the CIF will be less than our current travel schedules," the district's statement read.CIF is one of many high school sports conferences located in blue states to defy Trump's executive order since it was signed on Feb. 5.It is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for its defiance of the order, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon has warned Governor Gavin Newsom that his state could be subject to federal funding freezes if it continues to defy.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Two men were found guilty on Friday of cutting down Britain's 'Sycamore Gap' tree two years ago, felling the much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette had featured in a Hollywood movie in what prosecutors described as a "moronic mission".The sycamore, estimated to be almost 200 years old, stood at the centre of a dramatic dip in the landscape alongside the historic Hadrian's Wall in northern England, making it a popular spot for photographers, hikers and even marriage proposals.2 MEN CHARGED WITH FELLING 150-YEAR-OLD ROBIN HOOD TREE IN ENGLANDSuch was its fame that it featured in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and its felling in September 2023 provoked widespread grief and anger.Prosecutor Richard Wright told jurors at Newcastle Crown Court last month that Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were responsible for the "mindless vandalism", expertly and deliberately cutting it down with a chainsaw.The felling also caused damage to part of Hadrian's Wall, built by the Romans almost 2,000 years ago and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Graham and Carruthers, who travelled to the site in the Northumberland National Park from their homes in the Carlisle area, about 25 miles away, had denied any involvement. But they were convicted of two counts of criminal damage.The men will be sentenced on July 15."For over a century, Sycamore Gap has been an iconic natural landmark in the north east of England, bringing immeasurable joy to those visiting the area," Chief Crown Prosecutor Gale Gilchrist said."In just under three minutes, Graham and Carruthers ended its historic legacy in a deliberate and mindless act of destruction."During the trial, the jury was shown a video of their "moronic mission", filmed on Graham's mobile phone, which showed grainy footage of what appeared to be the iconic tree being cut down.The prosecution said the men had taken a wedge of the tree as a trophy and messages they sent to each other afterwards showed they had been "revelling" in the worldwide reaction to the incident. No explanation has been given for their actions.The National Trust, a heritage conservation charity which looks after the site, said last August there were signs of life at the base of the tree, giving hope it might live on.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested on Friday for trespassing at an ICE holding facility, is known as a far-left progressive who has a record of associating with controversial celebrities.Baraka, who is currently one of the top Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was arrested by Homeland Security personnel outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center for his involvement in what the DHS called a "beyond bizarre political stunt."The prison currently holds alleged killers, MS-13 gang members and accused child rapists, among other criminal offenders.U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced that Baraka, one of the leading Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was arrested on Friday for his involvement in the incident."The Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, committed trespass and ignored multiple warnings from Homeland Security Investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey this afternoon," said Habba. "He has willingly chosen to disregard the law. That will not stand in this state. He has been taken into custody. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW."NEWARK MAYOR TAKES FIGHT TO THE GATES OF ICE DETENTION CENTER AMID LEGAL BATTLE OVER ALLEGED SAFETY VIOLATIONSAccording to Baraka's campaign website, if elected governor he envisions working to "deconstruct the state budget and reassemble with equity as our north star; judging every decision as either a step towards equity or a step towards inequity."Besides pushing these controversial "equity" policies, Baraka has been criticized for having a record of associating with questionable characters, including Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and radical antisemitic preacher Louis Farrakhan.When he was first running for mayor in 2014, Baraka was endorsed by P. Diddy. He posted about the endorsement on Facebook and in 2015 posted another picture of himself with the former rapper, saying, "great to see see you [P. Diddy] you're welcome here anytime!"Baraka has also been caught on video applauding and embracing Farrakhan after an address in which the Nation of Islam preacher called White people "demons" and encouraged violence as retribution.The video taken in 2004 at a Newark church shows Baraka introducing Farrakhan to the congregation by calling him a major personal inspiration and "the leader of every Black person."During the speech, which was first reported on by the New York Post, Baraka stood to give Farrakhan a standing ovation two times. The first is after Farrakhan denounces the non-violent protests of the civil rights movement, saying, "We didnt believe in no non-violence. The cracker hit you on your jaw, you break his neck. Thats the way we think."Baraka applauds again after Farrakhan demonizes White people as "the enemy."DEM CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON CAMERA APPLAUDING NOTORIOUS ANTISEMITE'S VIOLENT RHETORIC: 'YOU BREAK HIS NECK'Local outlet Insider NJ reported that a spokesperson for Barakas campaign confirmed the arrest, saying that he "was arrested and detained by ICE" and that he was being transported to the Homeland Security Investigations Newark field office.DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, were also involved in the incident and rushed through the facilitys gates, demanding they be allowed to conduct an "oversight visit."The lawmakers were held up at the first checkpoint.Baraka, who has been protesting the facilitys opening for months, was a regular presence at protests outside the building throughout the week.Baraka has said that using Delaney Hall for processing people in the country illegally goes against state and local law, leading the city to file a lawsuit in the Essex County Superior Court at the end of March.NEWARK MAYOR SAYS ICE AGENTS RAIDED 'WITHOUT WARRANT,' VIOLATED CONSTITUTIONIn a press conference on Monday, Baraka said that GEO Group, the private company running the prison, is "following the pattern of the president of the United States who believes that he can just do what he wants to do and obscure the laws, national and constitutional laws, and they think they can do the same thing in the state of New Jersey and in Newark."Commenting on the arrest, New Jersey Sen. Jon Bramnick, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News that "it doesnt really surprise me because he's been fighting the opening of Delaney Hall since it opened" and that the mayor "wasnt very pleased with ICE taking over Delaney Hall."Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., who is also a candidate for governor, condemned the arrest, calling it an "absolute outrage."Sherill said that Baraka "needs to be released immediately."Another Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Steven Fulop, who is mayor of Jersey City, also condemned the arrest, saying, "Were watching lines get crossed in real time" and that "this is a dangerous precedent."DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: 'SAFEST OPTION'Meanwhile, Jack Ciattarelli, another GOP candidate for New Jersey governor, called Barakas actions a "cheap publicity stunt."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"In Newark, the airport is in the midst of an unprecedented & dangerous meltdown, the public schools are failing students & families, and there is crime in the streets every day. And yet its Mayor and leading Democrat candidate for Governor, [Ras Baraka], is busy shilling for illegal Immigrants at an ICE detention center with a cheap publicity stunt. Shameful," he posted on X.

Left-handedness and certainneurological disorders could go hand-in-hand, a new study revealed, though the researchers and others acknowledged potential limitations.While about 10% of people in the world are left-handed,people with autism are 3.5 times more likely to have the trait, according to an international team of researchers that analyzed data from over 200,000 individuals.The study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, indicated that left- and mixed-handedness also appear more often in people who have diagnoses such as schizophrenia, autism and intellectual disability.RISING AUTISM RATES NOW AFFECT 3% OF CHILDREN, SAYS CDC REPORTMixed-handedness refers to a situation in which people may use their left hand for a certain task and their right hand for others, according to psychology experts.This is slightly different from ambidexterity, which is the equal use of both hands."The key takeaways of this study are that alterations in hand preference from the norm (i.e., right-handedness) are associated especially with psychiatric and psychological conditions that affect the language system (e.g., dyslexia or schizophrenia) or affect neurodevelopment through an early age of onset (e.g., autism or ADHD)," lead author Dr. Julian Packheiser told Fox News Digital.He is a researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany.Not all neurological conditions showed a link to people's dominant hand.Depression and dyscalculia (a math learning disability), for example, showed no meaningful difference in hand preference compared to control groups, the study found.The researchers also determined that "atypical handedness" may be associated with long-term linguistic symptoms like stuttering and dyslexia."In most people, the dominantside of their brain is typically where speech, language, logical thought processing and hand preference is located," Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a neurologist with West Tennessee Medical Group, told Fox News Digital.He was not involved with the new study.CHILDREN WITH AUTISM MAY SEE SPEECH IMPROVEMENTS WITH OFF-LABEL PRESCRIPTION DRUG"People who are left-handed or ambidextrous often dont have such a dominant one-sided brain rather, the key portions of language can be divided between both sides," Murray also said.The study also examined the likelihood of atypical handedness in clinical populations, or groups of people diagnosed with a specific set ofhealth conditions compared to a control population."We suspected that left- and mixed-handedness could be associated with disorders whose symptoms are related to language," said Packheiser in a press release about the study."Language, like handedness, has a very one-sided location in the brain, so it stands to reason that the development of both and their disorders could be linked."The researchers also considered other factors that could come into play, such as the age at which a person might exhibit symptoms.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERIt appears that the earlier adisorders symptoms emerged, the more frequently researchers saw cases of left- and mixed-handedness.The researchers hypothesized that left- and mixed-handedness could be associated with diseases that occur very early in life, because the dominant hand is determined at a very early age possibly evenbefore birth.In the womb, thumb-sucking at 10 weeks' gestation is heavily linked to which hand will be preferred later in life, they noted.The connection could help experts potentially understand the way brains are organized and how they develop."The study has implications when understanding ways of finetuning the neurorehabilitation of patients with one-sided brain conditions, such as stroke,multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injury," Murray said.Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author, said the study was "interesting," though he emphasized its limitations."Correlation doesnt imply causation and being left-handed does not mean someone will develop autism or schizophrenia," Alpert, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital."Handedness is just one of many factors that can be associated with neurological traits, and these findings should be interpreted with caution to avoid unnecessary alarm or stigma."Alpert called for more research to understand the relationship, if any, between handedness and mental health.Lead author Packheiser agreed the results are "purely correlational.""We have no causal evidence that developing a psychiatric disorder linked to language or neurodevelopment causes a change in handedness, or whether changes in handedness cause any disorder," he told Fox News Digital.For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/health"Individuals from the general public should therefore never be alarmed if their child prefers to use the left hand," the researcher said."But given the rise of mental disorders in the population, it is important to better understand them."

Left-handedness and certainneurological disorders could go hand-in-hand, a new study revealed, though the researchers and others acknowledged potential limitations.While about 10% of people in the world are left-handed,people with autism are 3.5 times more likely to have the trait, according to an international team of researchers that analyzed data from over 200,000 individuals.The study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, indicated that left- and mixed-handedness also appear more often in people who have diagnoses such as schizophrenia, autism and intellectual disability.RISING AUTISM RATES NOW AFFECT 3% OF CHILDREN, SAYS CDC REPORTMixed-handedness refers to a situation in which people may use their left hand for a certain task and their right hand for others, according to psychology experts.This is slightly different from ambidexterity, which is the equal use of both hands."The key takeaways of this study are that alterations in hand preference from the norm (i.e., right-handedness) are associated especially with psychiatric and psychological conditions that affect the language system (e.g., dyslexia or schizophrenia) or affect neurodevelopment through an early age of onset (e.g., autism or ADHD)," lead author Dr. Julian Packheiser told Fox News Digital.He is a researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany.Not all neurological conditions showed a link to people's dominant hand.Depression and dyscalculia (a math learning disability), for example, showed no meaningful difference in hand preference compared to control groups, the study found.The researchers also determined that "atypical handedness" may be associated with long-term linguistic symptoms like stuttering and dyslexia."In most people, the dominantside of their brain is typically where speech, language, logical thought processing and hand preference is located," Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a neurologist with West Tennessee Medical Group, told Fox News Digital.He was not involved with the new study.CHILDREN WITH AUTISM MAY SEE SPEECH IMPROVEMENTS WITH OFF-LABEL PRESCRIPTION DRUG"People who are left-handed or ambidextrous often dont have such a dominant one-sided brain rather, the key portions of language can be divided between both sides," Murray also said.The study also examined the likelihood of atypical handedness in clinical populations, or groups of people diagnosed with a specific set ofhealth conditions compared to a control population."We suspected that left- and mixed-handedness could be associated with disorders whose symptoms are related to language," said Packheiser in a press release about the study."Language, like handedness, has a very one-sided location in the brain, so it stands to reason that the development of both and their disorders could be linked."The researchers also considered other factors that could come into play, such as the age at which a person might exhibit symptoms.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERIt appears that the earlier adisorders symptoms emerged, the more frequently researchers saw cases of left- and mixed-handedness.The researchers hypothesized that left- and mixed-handedness could be associated with diseases that occur very early in life, because the dominant hand is determined at a very early age possibly evenbefore birth.In the womb, thumb-sucking at 10 weeks' gestation is heavily linked to which hand will be preferred later in life, they noted.The connection could help experts potentially understand the way brains are organized and how they develop."The study has implications when understanding ways of finetuning the neurorehabilitation of patients with one-sided brain conditions, such as stroke,multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injury," Murray said.Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author, said the study was "interesting," though he emphasized its limitations."Correlation doesnt imply causation and being left-handed does not mean someone will develop autism or schizophrenia," Alpert, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital."Handedness is just one of many factors that can be associated with neurological traits, and these findings should be interpreted with caution to avoid unnecessary alarm or stigma."Alpert called for more research to understand the relationship, if any, between handedness and mental health.Lead author Packheiser agreed the results are "purely correlational.""We have no causal evidence that developing a psychiatric disorder linked to language or neurodevelopment causes a change in handedness, or whether changes in handedness cause any disorder," he told Fox News Digital.For more Health articles, visitwww.foxnews.com/health"Individuals from the general public should therefore never be alarmed if their child prefers to use the left hand," the researcher said."But given the rise of mental disorders in the population, it is important to better understand them."

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., gives his take on Democrats storming a New Jersey ICE facility on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.'

Fox News host Sean Hannity argues rage rules the day for the Democratic Party on Hannity.