Health Fitness Archives

Trump announces crackdown on pharmaceutical advertising

The administration is planning to take regulatory action to require companies to include more drug information

Trump is back to touting his Covid shot

The president said many think the shots he helped develop are ‘amazing’ a day after senators criticized new restrictions imposed by his health secretary, RFK Jr.

House Republicans launch bill to extend health subsidies past midterms

It’s the latest sign the GOP sees political peril in letting enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expire at the year’s end.

What RFK Jr. got wrong about vaccines during Senate hearing

The health secretary’s statements came amid heated exchanges with some senators.

Kennedy prepares to name new vaccine panel members

The list of names includes at least three people who have questioned the safety of messenger RNA shots against Covid.

Pushback to Trump’s foreign aid cuts is coming from a surprising corner

The National Association of Evangelicals is headed to Capitol Hill to convince lawmakers to keep feeding the world’s hungry.

Resigned health official: 'I only see harm coming'

Demetre Daskalakis said the line between science and ideology has become hopelessly blurred.

Monarez would not cross ‘red lines’ before she was fired, confidant says

The former CDC director was ousted late Wednesday after refusing to resign under pressure from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

America’s once-powerful doctors are struggling to remain relevant in Trump’s Washington

The leading physicians’ group, the American Medical Association, is balancing opposition to the administration with pocketbook concerns.

The meeting that sparked Monarez’s dismissal

Here are the steps the Health and Human Services secretary took during his push to fire Susan Monarez.

HHS schedules next vaccine panel meeting after CDC director ousted

Senate HELP Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) called for the meeting to be indefinitely postponed “until significant oversight has been conducted.”

CDC in turmoil. Trump still backs RFK Jr.

When Kennedy wanted to fire the CDC director, Trump helped.

FDA revokes emergency use of Covid-19 vaccines

The decision could make it difficult for young healthy children to get a Covid-19 shot.

HHS: Monarez ‘no longer director’ of CDC

Counsel for Monarez released a statement disputing the HHS statement, saying she has not resigned or been notified by the White House that she is fired.

Republicans could take midterm hit if Obamacare subsidies expire

As an epicenter of small business growth and the MAGA movement, Florida offers a glimpse into the potential political fallout

‘Going to be a bloodbath’: The GOP megalaw threatens a flooded hospital’s future

The company that owns the hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, vowed to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. Federal cuts may make that impossible.

The fall trip to the pharmacy for a Covid shot may be strewn with obstacles

Millions of Americans who live in certain states may not be able to get vaccinated at a local pharmacy.

RFK Jr. attacks pediatricians’ group over vaccine recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatrics had earlier urged parents to get young children vaccinated against Covid — pushing back against the health secretary’s stance.

Looming Medicaid cuts could hurt Black children, advocates warn

Nearly 2 in 3 Black children are enrolled in the program.

Gunman opens fire near CDC headquarters in Atlanta

Photos shared with POLITICO show bullet holes in windows of a building on the agency’s main campus near Emory University.

Everything we know about the fatal shooting near CDC headquarters

The shooting comes amid an already tumultuous time for CDC staff.

Top vaccine regulator returns to FDA after recent firing

Vinay Prasad had been dismissed less than two weeks ago.

Why the ivory tower wants a deal with Trump

The schools won a reprieve in court, but they’re still offering the president a compromise.

CDC shooter believed Covid vaccine made him suicidal, his father tells police

DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose was mortally wounded while responding.

Trump's former surgeon general blasts Kennedy for 'tepid' response to CDC shootings

Dr. Jerome Adams said HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “failed” in his response to the deadly violence.

Kennedy's MAHA strategy will not be released to the public immediately

Industry will have to wait longer for the report, which is expected to give the government’s response to childhood chronic diseases.

Humanitarian groups cannot challenge Trump’s impoundment of foreign aid grants, appeals court rules

The ruling overturned a district judge’s injunction that had directed the administration to restore the flow of the grants.

Congress is lukewarm on RFK Jr.’s plans. In the states, they’re catching fire.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement is taking off in red — and blue — states, even as health experts condemn some of his actions.

Trump’s chief intervened to save RFK Jr.’s top vaccine aide

A well-connected drug company and Laura Loomer wanted Kennedy ally Vinay Prasad gone. Trump Chief of Staff Susie Wiles got his job back.

Proponent of Medicaid cuts set to brief House Republicans as they plot another megabill

Brian Blase has pushed the GOP to make deeper cuts to the safety-net health program.

Bhattacharya and Kennedy split on mRNA cuts

CDC shooter, motivated by vaccine distrust, died of self-inflicted gunshot wound

Agency Director Susan Monarez tried to soothe staff at a Tuesday meeting, but some employees said the all-hands call was lacking.

CDC staff dreads going back to work after fatal shooting

Agency employees said HHS’s response has been lackluster.

China fights mosquito-borne chikungunya virus with drones, fines and nets

Thousands have fallen ill.

Kennedy to halt $500 million in vaccine projects

The move ends investments in projects involving mRNA technology.

Trump drove firing of FDA official

The president overruled his HHS secretary and FDA chief, four people with knowledge of the decision tell POLITICO.

Women’s health care lacks funding, research, FDA chief says

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary has taken a personal interest in addressing hormone therapy treatment for menopause.

FDA commissioner: No ‘preconceived plans’ on policy changes for abortion drug

Some in Congress have put pressure on the FDA to review the pill, which ends pregnancy before 10 weeks.

US has wasted hundreds of thousands of vaccines meant for Africa, health officials there say

The expiration of shots the Biden administration promised to send comes after President Donald Trump cut deeply into foreign aid.

Read the White House Physician's Letter

The letter from President Donald Trump’s doctor details his new vascular diagnosis.

3 things to know about Trump’s vein condition

Chronic venous insufficiency is a common condition that can worsen over time.

Many American Indians put their faith in RFK Jr. They’re starting to lose it.

The Health secretary has said repeatedly he wants to provide better care for Native Americans, but he’s yet to reveal how.

The megabill’s Medicaid cuts shocked hospitals, but they may never happen

The most painful health care provisions in the new Republican law don’t take effect for years, giving lobbyists plenty of time to undo them.

Dentists are struggling to counter RFK Jr. on fluoride

Red states are banning the tooth-protecting mineral, while blue state skeptics aren’t budging.

Supreme Court disabuses federal workers who thought their jobs were safe

Civil servants told POLITICO they’re anxious and exhausted, but holding out hope their lawyers can still save their jobs.

The 2025 measles outbreak is largest in three decades

The CDC says cases have reached nearly 1,300, the most since 1992.

Trump admin asks staff to report cases of bias due to DEI directives

It seeks information on employees who quit or faced discipline during the Biden administration for refusing to execute DEI orders, according to an email obtained by POLITICO.

Doctors’ groups sue Kennedy over Covid shot changes for kids, pregnant people

They say the decision ‘erodes trust’ by pitting providers against federal recommendations that aren’t grounded in evidence.

Megabill hits health care for immigrants, including legal ones, hard

President Donald Trump has targeted undocumented immigrants, but the GOP bill will bar those who played by the rules from subsidized care, too.

Three reasons why Republicans cut Medicaid

The politics of the party have shifted, with more of the GOP base reliant on welfare programs. But policy hasn’t followed.

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down state’s 1849 abortion ban

The procedure was already being performed in the state following a lower court ruling.

Medicaid moderates face a politically perilous vote

Six Republicans said big cuts to the low-income health insurance program were unacceptable. Now they have to vote.

RFK Jr. is bringing psychedelics to the Republican Party

Republicans now support counterculture drug research, while Democrats have become cautious about unproven medical treatments.

Kennedy’s vaccine panel votes to remove preservative long targeted by activists

If the CDC adopts the recommendation, it will mark one of the first major changes in federal vaccine guidance and access as Kennedy embarks on his goal of remaking immunization policy in his image.

Kennedy’s vaccine panel met for the first time. Here’s what to know.

The meeting offered a glimpse into how the new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will operate — and how federal vaccine policy is beginning to reflect Kennedy’s personal views.

Kennedy’s vaccine panel to review childhood immunization schedule

The new work group could open the door to changes to vaccine recommendations.

RFK Jr. says US won’t donate to global vaccine effort

Kennedy ripped into Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in a video address at its pledging summit.

Democrats challenged RFK Jr. on vaccines. Fireworks ensued.

The health secretary resurfaced anti-vaccine claims at a House hearing, alleging collusion by pharma companies, public health experts and politicians to mask the truth.

Lawmakers bet millions on pharma stocks as Trump targets industry

Drug company shares are down amid President Donald Trump’s assault on the industry, but some in Congress see value.

Cassidy criticizes RFK Jr.'s vaccine advisers

How the Senate megabill could backfire on conservatives

The leader of South Carolina’s hospital association said a cost-saver in the bill would force the state to consider Medicaid expansion.

RFK Jr. is making it more difficult to enroll in Obamacare

The Trump administration projects as many as 1.8 million people, including many DACA recipients, could lose coverage.

Vaccine advisers to review ingredient RFK Jr. has long wanted banned

The health secretary wrote a 2014 book arguing that thimerosal caused brain damage, a claim his own agencies say is unfounded.

Trump administration to end LGBTQ+-specific crisis hotline

The Trevor Project, a leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group that works with the government to help administer the “Press 3” option, said the decision could have grave consequences.

Hospitals stunned by Senate GOP’s Medicaid plan

Republicans want to curtail taxes states have imposed to increase payments to hospitals.

‘Undermining trust’: Kennedy’s promises on vaccines put to the test

The health secretary wants regulators to question long-settled science and public health guidance.

CDC backtracks on layoffs, rehires more than 400 people

Around half of those employees are in the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention.

There’s one vice RFK Jr. isn’t talking about

The health secretary, who wants Americans to make healthier choices, rarely mentions smoking.

HHS justifies decision to stop recommending Covid shots during pregnancy with studies supporting the shots’ safety

The studies are cited in a document sent to lawmakers.

RFK Jr. to fire all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee

The HHS secretary announced his plans in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece Monday afternoon.

‘It’s made up’: Democrats say Rubio isn’t playing it straight about foreign aid cuts

The State Department would not provide data to support the secretary’s repeated claim that 85 percent of the US global AIDS program is operational.

Fired HHS employees allege terminations were based on ‘error-ridden’ personnel records

Agency personnel files listed incorrect performance ratings that were used to determine which employees would be laid off, according to a new lawsuit.

Dr. Oz on the future of Medicaid, Trump’s megabill and AI avatar health care

The Conversation with Dasha Burns launches with Mehmet Oz as its first guest.

FDA chief wary of federal recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration commissioner repeatedly said patients should rely on guidance from their doctors.

‘They're the backbone’: Trump’s targeting of legal immigrants threatens health sector

Federal policy changes are having spillover effects on everything from disease outbreak mitigation to long-term care

Dr. Oz pushes back on GOP criticism of proposed Medicaid changes

New Covid shot recommendations appear to contradict Kennedy

An update to the CDC’s website shows that children “may” get the Covid vaccine if their parents and doctors want them to.

Dr. Oz pushes back on criticism that GOP is cutting Medicaid

The CMS administrator says in a POLITICO podcast that most Americans agree with the White House push to enact work requirements.

The CDC is no longer recommending Covid vaccines for healthy children, pregnant women

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the decision without waiting for an agency advisory panel to vote.

RFK Jr. threatens to bar government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals

The health secretary said the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association and The Lancet are in bed with pharma.

The pool's open. Trump's laid off the team that helps protect swimmers.

The loss of the CDC’s drowning-prevention unit is one that water safety advocates fear will have a direct impact on children’s safety.

RFK Jr.’s report had a surprise target: Your doctor

The commission led by the health secretary says physicians often have the wrong prescription for America’s ills.

RFK Jr. says food and pharma are poisoning Americans. His big report says a fix is coming.

The Make America Healthy Again Commission that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leads will release a strategy to combat chronic disease by summer’s end.

GOP allies in farm and food are sweating RFK Jr.’s big report

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Health Again Commission will assess the causes of childhood disease on Thursday.

RFK Jr. calls for global health cooperation outside the World Health Organization

The health secretary also rejected a pandemic agreement member countries of the U.N. agency just adopted.

Biden diagnosed with aggressive form of prostate cancer

The disease included “metastasis to the bone,” according to a statement from his personal office.

‘Rolling Thunder’: Inside conservatives’ strategy to curb abortion pill access

Abortion opponents hope a new report will spur the GOP to ban abortion pills and defund Planned Parenthood.

Wellness CEO files ethics complaint against top RFK Jr. adviser

An internal MAHA battle is breaking out between an HHS employee who co-founded a health care payments company and a CEO of a rival company.

Democrats confront RFK Jr. on budget cuts, but will need Republican help to stop them

Trump admin cancels layoffs for some health workers ahead of Kennedy hearing

The move reinstates some employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health — which lost more than 90 percent of its workforce.

Why the 1 senator who can rein in RFK Jr. isn’t calling him out

Bill Cassidy, the senator who secured Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s promise to protect vaccines, will question the health secretary at a hearing Wednesday.

Guthrie has long wanted to overhaul Medicaid. Now he has to sell members on a compromise

The Energy and Commerce Committee chair is about to be put to the test.

Trump promises to slash drug costs, tying US prices to those paid abroad

The push will likely draw lawsuits from the pharmaceutical industry.

RFK Jr., DOGE gutted legally required offices. Courts may undo it all.

Federal workers, Democratic lawmakers, state officials and independent legal experts say keeping offices afloat in name only – with minimal or no staff – is an unconstitutional power grab.

Trump injected uncertainty into federal contracting. Donor brains went to the grave.

Brain banks stopped taking donations as their contract expiration date approached.

States loosen vaccine rules — even as measles outbreak rages

With a longtime vaccine skeptic serving as the country’s top health official, the movement is likely to make further inroads.

RFK Jr.’s former running mate attacks Trump’s new surgeon general pick

Casey Means’ nomination to the post comes after former Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat’s nomination was abruptly withdrawn.

The MAGA backlash to Trump’s MAHA surgeon general pick

Casey Means and brother Calley are favorites of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Measles hits 1,000 cases — for the second time in 30 years

The new figure comes as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly delivered mixed messages about the outbreak.

‘Dismantling one of the strongest tools we have’: Conservatives fret HHS cuts

Fired employees and conservatives say the gutted research teams’ work aligned with the Trump administration’s “pro-family” messaging.

RFK Jr. set to name new top HHS spokesman

The selection of Rich Danker comes after HHS’ first assistant secretary for public affairs abruptly quit days into his tenure.

Trump to pull surgeon general nominee Janette Nesheiwat

The withdrawal comes after questions were raised about her academic credentials.

Trump picks Casey Means for surgeon general

The announcement came after he withdrew the nomination of Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat.

Trump will defend Biden’s abortion pill rules in Texas case

The filing over the regulation of mifepristone indicates an emerging pattern: An effort to preserve executive power.

Tulsi Gabbard is out to prove Covid came from a lab

The director of national intelligence told podcast host Megyn Kelly she’s working with top HHS officials to investigate Covid-19’s origins.

RFK Jr.'s politically explosive search for autism's ‘root cause’

Groups advocating for people with the condition are split on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s effort to understand why so many more are being diagnosed with it.

DOGE hits Trump country

Red states have borne the brunt of DOGE’s targeting of AmeriCorps

Trump admin asks laid-off firefighter and coal mining safety research staff back temporarily

An HHS spokesperson said the reprieve could become permanent.

Trump administration to close a civil rights office in RFK Jr.'s HHS

CMS’ Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights develops civil rights compliance policy for agency workers.

Weight-loss craze sparks a DC lobbying bonanza

President Donald Trump is under pressure to decide how widely available anti-obesity drugs should be and whether Medicare should cover them.

RFK Jr. isn't staying in his lane. Trump is thrilled.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expanded his authority well beyond the bounds of a traditional health secretary.

‘A gut punch’: Trump admin cuts wipe out firefighter health and safety programs

People in and out of government told POLITICO that they fear the cuts will lead to major backsliding on understanding firefighters’ health risks.

Once all-powerful, pharma’s allies in Washington are fleeting

The industry is struggling to find its voice as Trump and RFK Jr. rage against it.

Clinics begin closing as Trump admin continues freeze on family planning funds

Dozens of medical providers have struggled to stay afloat since more than $65 million dollars for the Title X family planning program was withheld on April 1.

Obamacare returns to SCOTUS, with preventive care on the line

The lawsuit, brought by conservative employers in Texas, targets the expert panel that advises HHS on which preventive care services insurers must cover without cost-sharing.

Supreme Court appears to reject conservative argument over Obamacare provision

Preventive care services for millions hang in the balance.

How Mark Zuckerberg is flipping the script on kids’ safety online

The Facebook founder is lobbying Congress to leave his firm alone — and making headway.

HHS funding slashed by 30 percent in budget proposal

The Trump administration is mulling sharp budget cuts at health agencies.

Kennedy pledges to figure out which ‘environmental toxins’ are causing autism

The secretary said better diagnostics and awareness are responsible for a quarter of the increased rate.

New FDA commissioner agreed to oust top vaccine regulator after private swearing-in

The forced resignation of Peter Marks has unsettled scientists and researchers.

Key House Republican opposes Medicaid cuts

Rep. Vern Buchanan told POLITICO’s Health Care Summit that Republicans will find savings in Medicaid but won’t cut it.

Means defends HHS cuts, calls bureaucracy an ‘utter failure’

He also said the election of Trump was a mandate to make dramatic change in leadership.

‘We are flying blind’: RFK Jr.’s cuts halt data collection on abortion, cancer, HIV and more

Fired workers and outside experts say the cuts leave the nation more vulnerable to health threats.

JB Pritzker doubts Republican promises on Medicaid

“Medicaid is where most of us think they will go,” he said.

Republicans say efficiencies will save Medicaid. Dems say 'not possible.'

Rep. Diana DeGette told POLITICO’s Health Care Summit that there’s not enough waste in Medicaid to find the savings the GOP is promising.

Supreme Court upholds FDA decision banning flavored vapes

The high court overturned a ruling that the FDA arbitrarily banned e-cigarette products.

RFK Jr. says Deep State ‘is real,’ called FDA employees ‘sock puppet’ of industry

The HHS secretary’s remarks shocked staffers at the Food and Drug Administration, prompting some to walk out.

RFK Jr. says Deep State 'is real,' references past work with 'the retarded' in speech to FDA staff

The HHS secretary’s remarks shocked staffers at the Food and Drug Administration, prompting some of them to walk out.

The surprising pair fighting Medicaid cuts

Republicans are seeking billions in savings from the insurance program for low-income people to pay for tax cuts.

Here's another sign Musk's power is waning

The National Institutes of Health is the latest agency to break from Trump’s billionaire adviser.

Supreme Court wrestles with red state efforts to defund Planned Parenthood

The case hinges on whether Medicaid patients have the right to see the doctor of their choice.

Cash-strapped states panic over end of Obamacare subsidies

The looming possibility of slashing Medicaid spending and not extending ACA subsidies has prompted a legislative scramble from Sacramento to Annapolis.

Top Trump FDA official Brenner hits pause on Novavax Covid-19 vaccine decision

The intervention by a senior FDA official in a product decision is a highly unusual action.

Kennedy shutters several FOIA offices at HHS

The department plans to consolidate all agency FOIA offices into one.

Kennedy says he plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water

RFK Jr. also said he’s assembling a task force to focus on the issue.

Trump on measles outbreak: 'Not something new'

Kennedy announces support for measles vaccine amid outbreak

The statement is a surprising turn for the health secretary and comes amid reports of a second child’s death.

Second child dies from measles-related causes in West Texas

The state has almost 500 cases

RFK Jr.’s staff cuts leave health workers scrambling

Employees who survived mass firings this week say management hasn’t provided an accounting.

RFK Jr. drops plan to have Medicare, Medicaid cover weight loss drugs

The health secretary says better diet and exercise will keep Americans trim.

RFK Jr. said HHS would rehire thousands of fired workers. That wasn't true.

The health department has no plan to mass reinstate employees it cut earlier this week.

Which jobs were cut at CDC? Here’s a list.

The Trump administration wants the agency to focus on infectious disease. Other areas of public health were hit hardest.

Inside RFK Jr.’s MAHA agenda with Calley Means | Playbook Deep Dive

Fauci allies, Covid vaccine officials get ax at NIH

The removals have gutted FDA and NIH leadership.

One takeaway from POLITICO’s Health Care Summit: Trump has broken open America’s partisan divide on health

Republicans painted a picture of a corrupt, broken system. Democrats said Trump’s cuts were putting millions of lives at risk.

Hassan defends her votes for Trump nominees

The New Hampshire senator has backed as many Trump Cabinet picks as anyone in the Democratic caucus.

The health industry is starting to express alarm about RFK Jr.

Drug and medical device makers didn’t oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as health secretary but are speaking up in opposition to the agency downsizing he ordered.

Thousands laid off as Kennedy and Musk take aim at health agencies

Overnight notices hit civil service leaders as well as the rank and file.

Trump admin cuts tens of millions from Planned Parenthood

The Title X funds were earmarked for birth control and other non-abortion services.

‘This is all wholly preventable,’ former Covid chief says of measles outbreak

Ashish Jha blames Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Drug policy expert set to take senior role at HHS

Art Kleinschmidt would have a role focused on behavioral health issues.

Top FDA vaccine regulator Peter Marks pushed out

The departure of Marks leaves the agency without yet another senior regulator.

RFK Jr.’s massive cuts stun staff, leave senior employees scrambling

The cuts sent shockwaves through the department’s sprawling workforce, prompting a scramble among senior agency officials to figure out which employees and policy priorities were affected.

‘Painful period’: RFK Jr. eliminates 10,000 jobs at HHS

The cuts amount to more than 20 percent of staff.

Documents reveal scope of Trump’s foreign aid cuts

The State Department sent the list of impacted grants and contracts to Congress, according to a document seen by POLITICO.

Trump to tap CDC acting director as nominee

Susan Monarez was the deputy director for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health since January 2023.

Long Covid office ‘will be closing,’ Trump administration announces

The move comes as part of the administration’s reorganization of HHS, according to an internal email seen by POLITICO.

Global AIDS program teetering after Trump admin’s shock-and-awe

President Trump is taking apart one of George W. Bush’s proudest achievements.

Trump admin considers shutting down some CDC expert panels

HHS tells CDC leaders it is “recommending termination” of the discretionary advisory committees.

Hawley has pointed questions for Dr. Oz on abortion, trans care

The Missouri Republican, alone, isn’t enough to block Oz’s nomination to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, even if Democrats join him.

‘I knew that threats would increase’: Clashes over abortion clinic safety intensify after Trump’s pardons

Democratic state lawmakers are trying to bolster protections, but those efforts are imperiled by legal fights.

Trump admin mulling over cutting HIV-prevention funds in US

The cuts would seem to run counter to a first-term Trump priority.

Weldon’s history of vaccine skepticism helped tank his CDC nomination

Sen. Lisa Murkowski shared concerns about his vaccine views before the White House pulled his nomination.

Dr. Oz, with a TV host’s flair, promises simple solutions for America’s health care ills

At his confirmation hearing to run Medicaid, Oz brushed off Democrats’ concerns about cuts Republicans are planning.

HHS braces for a reorganization

The effort is part of the Trump administration’s plan to shrink the federal government.

Oz may have underpaid Medicare, Social Security taxes, Democrats say

The memo created by Democratic staff on the Senate Finance Committee comes as Oz is expected to face the panel on Friday for a confirmation hearing.

NIH set to replace chief of staff with former Massie aide

The move is likely to tighten the Trump administration’s control over the public health agency.

Top US health agency makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its employees

The workers have until 5 p.m. on Friday to submit a response for the so-called voluntary separation offer.

‘He needs to do much more’: RFK Jr.'s measles response under scrutiny

The health secretary’s muted response to the first major disease outbreak on his watch worries even some allies.

Democrats’ Medicaid strategy gets a reboot after GOP cancels town halls

The outside group Indivisible said Democrats should hold their own town halls — and if Dems don’t, they’ll hold their own.

Jay Bhattacharya, once condemned for his lockdown critique, is poised for a comeback

The Covid contrarian’s Senate confirmation hearing to lead the National Institutes of Health promises another airing of pandemic grievances.

Trump admin moves to drop fight over emergency abortions, reversing Biden admin stance

An Idaho hospital is stepping in to argue that the state’s near-total abortion ban violates patients’ rights.

Pardoned anti-abortion activists plan next steps

Trump’s FBI and DOJ dropped several ongoing investigations into threats against abortion clinics and issued a new memo signaling reduced enforcement going forward against such acts.

Kennedy praises fast food chain’s efforts to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ after it ‘RFK'd’ its fries

Steak ‘n Shake said that locations across several states transitioned away from using seed oils in their fries.

Democrats hit the airwaves to bash Republicans on Medicaid

House Majority PAC will run TV and digital ads targeting vulnerable GOP congressional incumbents.

Republicans say states are pulling a fast one on Medicaid

GOP lawmakers are considering a plan to limit federal matching funds for the health insurance program to pay for tax cuts.

‘We’re headed for disaster’: America’s foreign aid cuts expected to devastate global health

The Trump administration has terminated funding for HIV, malaria and maternal health programs it had labeled lifesaving.

5th Circuit rebuffs ruling against Planned Parenthood

The unanimous ruling overturns a decision by Texas U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Donald Trump appointee.

First death reported in Texas measles outbreak

When asked about the measles outbreak and death, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said “it’s not unusual, we have measles outbreaks every year.”

Republicans’ rosy Medicaid savings plan sees waste galore

Even if every improper payment were caught, it wouldn’t provide a third of the savings the GOP needs.

Republicans’ plans for Medicaid have a political problem

GOP lawmakers expected to vote soon on slashing the insurance program for low-income people represent tens of millions reliant on it.

USAID to place most personnel on leave, lay off at least 1,600

A federal judge cleared the move Friday after a two-week hold.

Democrats need to use spending battle to control Trump, Tammy Baldwin says

Speaking at a POLITICO event, the Wisconsin senator said fellow Democrats should use their leverage when government funding expires next month.

Inside RFK Jr.’s health department takeover

Kennedy’s first week at HHS included dismissing the workforce, vaccine advisers and some longtime health priorities.

Biden CMS chief warns DOGE is moving too fast

Speaking at a POLITICO event, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure suggested that Elon Musk and his team don’t have sufficient expertise in Medicare.

RFK Jr. should handpick vaccine scientists, former adviser says

Del Bigtree, now a leader of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s grassroots movement, said he should seek proof of an autism link.

Redfield backs Kennedy’s efforts on vaccines

The former CDC director calls for more vaccine research, and also warns that a bird flu pandemic “is coming” and could be worse than Covid.

RFK Jr. prepares shake-up of vaccine advisers

The health secretary is planning to remove members of a panel that recommends vaccines if he sees conflicts of interest.

Brooks-LaSure: 'If we don't care about the least among us, we all suffer'

Former CMS administrator says she's 'heartbroken' over HHS layoffs

‘Nothing … off limits’: Kennedy lays out plan for HHS

His first remarks to the department since being confirmed comes as Washington reels from mass firings and funding cuts.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump cuts to health research grants

The cuts would slice $4 billion from the budgets of universities and research organizations.

Why the health care industry is letting RFK Jr. cruise to confirmation

From drugmakers to doctors, few health care groups are asking senators to block Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from becoming HHS secretary.

South Africans worry Trump’s aid freeze will cause HIV patients to default on treatment

“This is a matter of life and death.”

Judge blocks Trump order restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth

The nationwide restraining order seeks to restore access to health services for transgender patients 19 years and younger that had been disrupted by a Trump executive order.

Trump officials defend HHS cuts as more methodical than the slashing at other agencies

The administration’s Friday night message comes as a sharp departure from the approach that Trump and DOGE have taken to cuts in other federal departments and agencies.