HHS
White House withdraws controversial pick to run the CDC
Dr. Dave Weldon, Trump's pick for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was withdrawn from consideration shortly before a scheduled Senate confirmation hearing.
Nominee to run NIH faces Senate scrutiny
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor of health policy, appears before the Senate HELP committee, which will vet his nomination to become the next director of the National Institutes of Health.
Trump’s picks to oversee Medicare and biomedical research will divest stock
Dr. Mehmet Oz, nominated to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will sell shares in Eli Lilly and UnitedHealth. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH nominee, will shed stock in Walmart and Nvidia.
First CDC vaccine meeting under Trump administration is postponed
The panel of vaccine experts were supposed to hold their first meeting under the Trump administration in late February. It's not clear when that meeting will now take place.
Layoffs start at CDC, targeting probationary staff
As many as 1,300 probationary employees at CDC are being let go, at the direction of the Trump administration. The cuts represent around 10% of the agency's workforce.
ICE officers granted access to unaccompanied minors database
Trump administration officials say the move was necessary "to build a culture of child safety and accountability." But advocates say they fear the administration will use it for immigration enforcement.
Judge orders restoration of federal health websites
The pages that are set to be revived include information for patients about HIV testing and HIV prevention medication, guidance on contraceptives and data on adolescent and youth mental health.
Stress and uncertainty at Head Start and clinics as federal health funding system sputters
Many groups that rely on a federal payment portal started experiencing problems accessing funds last week. HHS says "technical issues" are to blame and lag times continue.
Senate Democrats call for answers on health communications freeze and funding delays
Two letters from different groups of senators call for answers from the Trump administration about pauses in scientific communications and funding.
RFK Jr. appears on his way to being Trump’s health secretary after a party-line vote
RFK Jr.'s nomination cleared the Senate Finance Committee by a 14-13 party line vote.
Caroline Kennedy calls her cousin, RFK, Jr., a “predator” ahead of his confirmation hearings
In a letter, Kennedy said RFK Jr. was "unqualified" to be the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary just hours before he was scheduled to appear for confirmation hearings.
RFK Jr. plans to keep a financial stake in lawsuits against the drugmaker Merck
RFK Jr. plans to keep collecting referral fees in lawsuits against the drug company Merck even if confirmed as HHS secretary, according to new filings with the Office of Government Ethics.
Federal health agencies told to halt all external communications
In a memo obtained by NPR, acting health secretary Dorothy Fink forbade staff from public communications on most matters until Feb. 1, unless they get express approval from 'a presidential appointee.'
