Public Health
How FDA cuts could make the food and drug supply less safe
While Food and Drug Administration inspectors who make sure food and drugs meet quality standards were spared in recent cuts, key support staffers were dismissed.
First meeting of CDC vaccine advisers under RFK Jr. is mostly ‘business as usual’
An independent vaccine advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met to discuss and vote on vaccine policy for the first time since the change in administrations.
RFK pushes to find ‘environmental’ cause of autism, calls rising rates an ‘epidemic’
Researchers and advocates have pushed back at what they consider inaccurate and stigmatizing comments made by the health secretary, and note the causes of autism are complex.
How psychiatric patients get caught in a cycle of homelessness and spotty care
Montana is investing $300 million to help those with severe mental illness from cycling through ERs, state psychiatric facilities, jails and homelessness. Advocates say they also need stable housing.
DOGE cut a CDC team as it was about to start a project to help N.C. flood victims
The National Center for Environmental Health was hollowed out in the cuts of 10,000 federal health workers on April 1. That's the same day an assessment of people hurt in floods was set to begin.
Europe deplores America’s ‘chlorinated chicken.’ How safe is our poultry?
President Trump wants European countries to start buying U.S. chicken and eggs. But the U.K. and E.U. think American poultry is gross and chemically washed. Turns out, chlorine isn't really the issue.
As measles spreads, federal budget cuts force closure of vaccine clinics
Federal funding cuts, though temporarily blocked by a judge, have upended vaccination outreach across the country, including in Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Texas, and Washington state.
Coal miners’ health care hit hard in job cuts to CDC
The CDC unit that dramatically reduced Black Lung Disease among coal miners has been fired in Trump's sweeping overhaul of health agencies. Mining communities must now grapple with its disappearance.
Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters
Prominent anti-vaccine activists lined up on social media to denounce the move.
Misinformation about fentanyl exposure threatens to undermine overdose response
Fentanyl overdoses occur from ingesting the synthetic opioid. But popular culture has misrepresented the risks to first responders.
Long wait for a rushed doctor’s visit? Maybe you’ll get more with a ‘membership’ fee
The growing number of concierge medical practices limit the number of patients and charge them membership fees. Will this worsen the ongoing shortage of primary care doctors for everyone else?
How vulnerable might humans be to bird flu? Scientists see hope in existing immunity
Very few humans have gone up against bird flu. But we've all dealt with seasonal flu for years. Some of our immune systems might be primed to fend off a worse case, research finds.
Are beef tallow fries any healthier? These nutritionists say don’t kid yourself
In a recent appearance on Fox News, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ate French fries cooked in beef tallow and mused that 'food is medicine.' Nutrition scientists are scratching their heads.
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.
An urgent argument for the HPV vaccine
Data shows it can prevent six types of cancer. But anti-vaccine activists, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have helped dampen its usage.
RFK says most vaccine advisers have conflicts of interest. A report shows they don’t
The Health Secretary's assertion inaccurately characterizes the 2009 government report he cites, according to an NPR review and interviews with former committee members.
5 takeaways from the confirmation hearing for Trump’s FDA nominee
Dr. Marty Makary, President Trump's pick to run the Food and Drug Administration, faced questions from the Senate HELP Committee on the abortion pill, vaccines, FDA firings and chemicals in food.
To solve for doctor shortages, states ease licensing for foreign-trained physicians
Some states are trying to make it easier for doctors trained in other countries to work in the U.S. Skeptics say other licensing and hiring barriers could hamper this effort.
As the Texas outbreak grows, how contagious is measles, really?
Vaccination eliminated measles from the U.S. 25 years ago. But it can still spread in pockets where vaccination rates are low, like the west Texas county with a current outbreak. Here's how fast.
Iowa has high cancer rates. Trump’s cuts to CDC and NIH are already hitting the state
Iowa has the second highest incidence rate of cancer in the country, and it is already feeling Trump's cuts to the workforce and research institutions trying to solve the rural cancer problem.
Upheaval and firings at CDC raise fears about disease outbreak response
Staff and observers worry that the agency may not be prepared for emerging threats including bird flu and insect-borne diseases.
Health care workers are rushing to learn about immigration law in case of ICE raids
A policy change by the Trump administration allows immigration agents to enter and arrest people in health facilities. Some clinics are training health workers to support patients in the event of arrests.
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.
FDA staff handling drug safety for pets and livestock lost jobs in Trump firings
The fired staffers were tasked with making sure medications given to animals work well and are safe.
A pediatrician warns of ‘long lasting’ consequences of RFK Jr. leading HHS
Ratner predicts the appointment of Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, will impact vaccine availability and hesitancy: "It is much easier to scare people than to un-scare them," he says.
As sports betting has soared, more people search online for help with gambling addiction
A study shows more people are looking for help to manage gambling addiction, in the years after a Supreme Court decision allowed online sports betting in 38 states.
Health agencies lose staff in key areas as Trump firings set in
As the dust settles from the first wave of firings at health agencies, here's how many people got cut, and the impact of the roles that were lost.
How changes to a CDC vaccine panel under Kennedy could reshape policy
A committee of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is critical in setting national vaccine policy. It's also vulnerable to political interference.
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.
Why Mitch McConnell voted against RFK Jr. for health secretary
A survivor of childhood polio, Sen. Mitch McConnell was the only Republican in the Senate to vote no. Here's how he explained his vote.
After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people
After going quiet on bird flu, CDC scientists have published a report on its spread among veterinarians. The findings suggest a need for better surveillance.
Some red states report zero abortions. Doctors and researchers say it’s not true
The reports are from 2023, in states where abortion is banned. They contradict what doctors and researchers say is happening on the ground, raising concerns about data integrity.
