Public Health
An Insider’s View of the Texas Measles Outbreak
Katherine Wells, the public health director in Lubbock, Texas, describes her fight to stop the largest measles outbreak since 2000, despite a chaotic reorganization of federal health agencies.
Former CDC staff warn of “a five alarm fire”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has laid off thousands of workers since January. Current and former CDC staff are grappling with uncertainty about both their futures and public health.
Meet the Florida group chipping away at public benefits one state at a time
The Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that's been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation's public assistance programs.
With disability rights under attack, history offers hope and a possible playbook
Harvard researcher Ari Ne'eman says the policy shifts underway under the Trump administration pose a unique threat to people with disabilities, but that they've fought for rights before and won.
Trump cuts demolish agency focused on toxic chemicals and workplace hazards
The Trump administration has decimated an agency responsible for carrying out much of the research and prevention efforts to curb exposure to dangerous substances and situations in the workplace.
In order to have conversations — start by singing
To foster equity and community, people gather several times a year to sing together in Portland, Oregon. The woman behind this effort has twice been nominated for a Grammy in music education.
In a reversal, the Trump administration restores funding for women’s health study
The unexpected elimination of funding for the decades-long research project focused on women's health shocked scientists. They were heartened by the quick restoration of support.
Funding cut for landmark study of women’s health
The Women's Health Initiative, begun in the 1990s, has made many important discoveries. Now funding to collect more research data will end in September.
RFK’s plan to phase out synthetic food dyes could face industry pushback
The health secretary announced a push to eliminate petroleum-based colorants from the food supply. But he'll need to get food companies on board.
With CDC injury prevention team gutted, ‘we will not know what is killing us’
Workers who track data on car crashes, drownings, traumatic brain injury, falls in the elderly, and other perils lost their jobs. Advocates worry life-saving work will stop.
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.
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.
