Kennedy鈥檚 HHS Sent Congress 鈥楯unk Science鈥 To Defend Vaccine Changes, Experts Say
A look inside the Department of Health and Human Services document citing vaccine misinformation that could influence congressional perceptions.
All Coverage
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RFK Jr. Upends Vaccine Policy, After Promising He Wouldn鈥檛
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week did something he had promised not to do: He fired every member of the scientific advisory committee that recommends which vaccines should be given to whom. And he replaced them, in some cases, with vaccine skeptics. Meanwhile, hundreds of employees of the National Institutes of Health sent an open letter to the agency鈥檚 director, accusing the Trump administration of policies that 鈥渦ndermine the NIH mission.鈥 Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
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鈥極ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥 Would Batter Rural Hospital Finances, Researchers Say
Rural hospitals would take an outsize hit from Republicans鈥 proposed cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs. Researchers say the financial erosion would trigger hospital closures and service cuts, especially in communities where large shares of patients are enrolled in Medicaid.
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Readers Endorse Doctor Migration and Shun ‘Elderspeak’
吃瓜不打烊 gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
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Listen: With Vital Health Research Defunded, Who鈥檚 Losing Out?聽
From Florida to California, National Institutes of Health grant cuts have halted research studies on HIV, vaccines, and health equity 鈥 affecting red and blue states alike.
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What Are 鈥業mproper鈥 Medicaid Payments, and Are They as High as a Trump Official Said?
The vast majority of improper payments stem from documentation mistakes and do not fit the definition of waste, fraud, or abuse. They also typically stem from health care providers鈥 actions, not beneficiaries鈥 abuse.
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Four Ways Trump鈥檚 鈥極ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥 Would Undermine Access to Obamacare
The combination of the House-passed spending and tax bill and the Trump administration鈥檚 regulatory action could change Affordable Care Act enrollment and the cost of insurance. The result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, is that millions of people may become uninsured.
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Watch: RFK Jr. Dismisses All 17 Members of Vaccine Advisory Committee
吃瓜不打烊鈥 C茅line Gounder joined CBS Evening News to discuss the unprecedented move by the Health and Human Services secretary.
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Echoing 2020, Police Use Rubber Bullets Against Protesters in Los Angeles
鈥淟ess lethal鈥 weapons are once again being used in Los Angeles 鈥 against people protesting the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration raids. With terms like 鈥渇oam,鈥 鈥渟ponge,鈥 and 鈥渂ean bag,鈥 the projectiles may sound harmless. They鈥檙e not.
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As Federal Health Grants Shrink, Memory Cafes Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers
Memory cafes are small social gatherings for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. The events are cheap to run and can offer measurable benefits. Memory loss experts say they may become an even more important tool in the face of federal cuts to health programs.
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鈥榃e Dissent鈥: NIH Workers Protest Trump Policies That 鈥楬arm the Health of Americans鈥
A letter signed by more than 300 National Institutes of Health workers 鈥 some still working, others who were fired this year 鈥 is an extraordinary public rebuke of actions taken under Director Jay Bhattacharya and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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$20K Bonuses Among Latest Moves To Improve California鈥檚 Prison Mental Health System
After decades of unsuccessful efforts to improve California prison conditions, advocates and a federal judge are betting that bonuses and better work accommodations will attract and keep the mental health professionals needed to better treat prisoners.
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As Cannabis Users Age, Health Risks Appear To Grow
More older people are using cannabis products regularly, but research suggests their cannabis-related health problems are also on the rise.
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Journalists Recap State of NIH Cancer Research and Abortion Law’s Effect on Clinical Decisions
吃瓜不打烊 journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
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Tribes Question Kennedy’s Promise To Protect Them From Health Cuts
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
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In Axing mRNA Contract, Trump Delivers Another Blow to US Biosecurity, Former Officials Say
The Trump administration is eroding national pandemic flu defenses as it guts health agencies, cuts research and health budgets, and withdraws funding for bird flu vaccines, health security experts said.
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In a Dusty Corner of California, Trump’s Threatened Cuts to Asthma Care Raise Fears
The Trump administration wants to shutter the CDC鈥檚 National Asthma Control Program, which provides millions in funding to state-administered initiatives aimed at fighting the disease. The program鈥檚 closure, combined with massive cuts to environmental programs, could put the 28 million Americans with asthma at increased risk.
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Trump鈥檚 鈥極ne Big Beautiful Bill鈥 Lands in Senate. Our 400th Episode!
The House鈥檚 gigantic tax-and-spending budget reconciliation bill has landed with a thud in the Senate, where lawmakers are divided in their criticism over whether it increases the deficit too much or cuts Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act too deeply. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office鈥檚 estimate that the bill, if enacted, could increase the ranks of the uninsured by nearly 11 million people over a decade won鈥檛 make it an easy sell. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Arielle Zionts, who reported and wrote the latest 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about a Medicaid patient who had an out-of-state emergency.
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Trump Decried Crime in America, Then Gutted Funding for Gun Violence Prevention
The U.S. Department of Justice canceled $500 million in grants to public safety organizations nationwide, including some that address gun violence. A clinic in St. Louis lost a $2 million award to develop a mobile clinic, increase mental health services, and engage the community.
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A Mathematical Solution for US Hospitals?
An immigrant mathematician is on a mission to save U.S. hospitals billions of dollars and improve the lives of doctors, nurses, and patients. At one hospital, it’s working.
