the Department of Health and Human Services

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of the 80,000 federal workers responsible for researching diseases, inspecting food and administering Medicare and Medicaid under the auspices of the Health and Human Services Department were emailed an offer to leave their job for as much as a $25,000 payment as part of President Donald Trump’s government cuts.

https://apnews.com/article/hhs-employee-buyouts-kennedy-cdc-nih-medicaid-bf5a746518b2b3fe967ab95a8e2a1a65?

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Kennedy and influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists

Until recently, most Americans had never heard the term “seed oils,” even though they’ve likely cooked with and consumed them for decades.

https://apnews.com/article/seed-oil-beef-tallow-kennedy-4fdf0f30134277fd6dd20b4ede789295?

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RFK Jr.’s first month as health secretary: Touting French fries and casting doubts on vaccines

WASHINGTON (AP) — There sat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, at a Steak ’n Shake with Fox News host Sean Hannity, raving about the fries.

https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-robert-kennedy-vaccines-measles-steak-shake-9c970a1f6bdfd6ac4b4160480e996ac0?

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Herd immunity

Dr. Jerome Adams, the former US surgeon general, said the country is getting a crash course in how herd immunity works and that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure as Health and Human Services secretary will be defined by how he responds to vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.

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HHS cuts 10,000 employees in major overhaul of health agencies

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it is cutting 10,000 full-time employees across health agencies, the department told CNN.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/27/health/hhs-rfk-job-cuts?

Health and Human Services will lay off 10,000 workers and close agencies in a major restructuring

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major overhaul, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country.

https://apnews.com/article/health-human-services-layoffs-restructuring-rfk-jr-fa4e89285e668a3939e20b6cf4c26fd4?

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Murdoch’s Paper Flames RFK Jr. on Vaccines: ‘Our Worst Fears Are Coming True’

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board blasted the secretary of health and human services for appointing an anti-vax lawyer to the CDC to study vaccines and autism.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/murdochs-paper-flames-robert-f-kennedy-jr-on-vaccines-our-worst-fears-are-coming-true/?

ps:What a awesome bunch of people running this administration!!!!!!!!

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Health funding

Democratic attorneys general and governors in 23 states and Washington, DC, filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the department’s sudden rollback of $12 billion in public health funding. The states are seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the decision to pull back funding that was allocated to state and community health departments during the Covid-19 pandemic. They claim the loss of funds will force the end of key public health services and cost thousands of health care workers their jobs. HHS said Tuesday it does not comment on ongoing litigation.

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RFK Jr. has suggested vaccines caused 1918 Spanish flu pandemic at least twice

Kennedy made the claim at least twice during his 2024 presidential election campaign.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/04/01/rfk-vaccine-spanish-flu-pandemic/?

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Got milk?

More than a decade after schools dropped whole and 2% milk in an effort to lower obesity rates among children, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and some lawmakers are arguing for their return. Experts weigh in.

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HHS layoffs

Earlier this week, a massive wave of layoffs occurred at US health agencies. Although the exact number of job cuts was not released, the reduction was described by one FDA employee as “a bloodbath.” Now, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says some of those personnel and programs will be reinstated. During an event on Thursday, Kennedy said that the cuts were meant to streamline the agencies and mostly involved redundant administrative positions. But then he noted that there were several instances where studies and personnel that should not have been cut were eliminated — and that he plans to reinstate them. "And that was always the plan," Kennedy said. "We’re going to do 80% cuts, but 20% of those are going to have to be reinstalled because we’ll make mistakes.” In March, the HHS announced plans to terminate 10,000 full-time employees. 

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RFK Jr.'s surprise Texas trip

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning a hastily arranged visit to Texas after the state informed his department that a second child's death there could be linked to measles, Axios' Marc Caputo reports.

• The death is under investigation. The child was a member of the same Mennonite religious community that in February reported the death of an unvaccinated 6-year-old girl who had had measles.
• Details of Kennedy's trip to the Lubbock, Texas, area are being closely guarded by his press-averse department, but the White House was informed of his travel plans yesterday.

The big picture: Texas has the nation's highest number of reported measles cases — 481 since late January. The nation's first confirmed death of a child with measles occurred in Texas on Feb. 26.

• The parents of that child are Mennonites and have said they stood by their decision not to vaccinate.

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? RFK declares vaccine effective

Via X

HHS Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tweeted yesterday after visiting the epicenter of West Texas' growing measles outbreak — the same day a funeral was held for a second child who wasn't vaccinated and died from a measles-related illness: "The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine." Why it matters: It was Kennedy's most direct statement on the issue. He has avoided endorsing the vaccine, and stopped short of saying he "recommended" it, "as public health officials have called on him to do," STAT reports. Less than six hours later, STAT notes, Kennedy promoted unorthodox, unproven measles treatments in another post. Get the latest: The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024, with Texas reporting another large jump in cases and hospitalizations on Friday.

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RFK Jr. says HHS will determine the cause of autism by September The nation’s top health agency will undertake a “massive testing and research effort” to determine the cause of autism, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday. Read more.

Why this matters: Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic who has pushed a discredited theory that routine childhood shots cause the developmental disability, said the effort will be completed by September and involve hundreds of scientists. He shared the plans with President Donald Trump during a televised Cabinet meeting. Trump suggested that vaccines could be to blame for autism rates, although decades of research have concluded there is no link between the two.   Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. It presents with a wide range of symptoms that can include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills.   Autism Society of America spokeswoman Kristyn Roth said many agree that more research is needed to determine what causes autism, but Kennedy’s approach has raised alarms

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? RFK Jr.'s not-so-secret weapon

Photo illustration: Maura Losch/Axios. Photos: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg, Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Los Angeles Magazine, and courtesy of Lydia Emrich

A cadre of moms on social media is using TikTok activism to amplify calls by HHS Secretary RFK Jr. to clean up America's food supply. Why it matters: Kennedy has tapped into the followings of these "mom-fluencers" to further his agenda, which has included narratives that aren't scientifically sound, Axios' Tina Reed reports. ? Their pet causes range from food additives and seed oils to the use of glyphosate in farming, fluoride in water and the vaccine schedule. But they've coalesced around Kennedy's suspicion of the pharmaceutical and food industries, and his contention that regulators have grown cozy with the businesses they're supposed to be policing. Keep reading.

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Testing change

The US Department of Health and Human Services said it will require that all new vaccines undergo placebo-controlled trials before they’re licensed for use, raising urgent questions about the system used to clear updated Covid-19 boosters.

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Privacy concerns

The US Department of Health and Human Services will tap into Medicare and Medicaid data to build an autism database as part of its search for the root causes of the neurodevelopmental disorder. Doctors and advocates have swiftly rebuked the program.

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All quiet on the public health front. Once confirmed as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Food and Drug Administration, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised a new era of “radical transparency” — but that hasn’t happened. Instead, in February, the FDA removed thousands of pages of medical information for doctors, from HIV protocols to guidance on contraception and transgender health care. Then in April, the agency purged both its media relations staff and its public records team. Now, internal emails viewed by The Lever reveal how the FDA has been working to suppress or alter public communications since January, making it harder for doctors, patients, journalists, and advocates to access scientific information and public health guidance. 

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? RFK Jr.'s next target

Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios

After targeting dyes and other chemicals allowed for use in food, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is zeroing in on the active ingredient in Roundup in his bid to root out what he calls environmental toxins that contribute to chronic disease, Axios' Tina Reed writes. Why it matters: Herbicide glyphosate is expected to feature prominently in a report due out this week from President Trump's Make America Healthy Again Commission, which was charged with identifying top contributors to America's chronic health problems. ? Zoom in: In a speech last week, White House senior health adviser Calley Means previewed the report's findings, pointing to chemical pesticides as contributors to Americans' poor health. "Obviously it's because of environmental toxins. We produce and ingest 25% of the world's pesticides," Means said. Between the lines: Some warn that clamping down on pesticides could cause major disruption of the food supply, with repercussions for agricultural interests and consumers. Keep reading ...

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MAHA report takeaways

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios President Trump's "Make America Healthy Again Commission" blamed childhood chronic illnesses on a range of factors in its highly anticipated report out today, Axios' Maya Goldman reports. ? The 68-page document, from a panel led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., seeks to lay out a unifying theory around youth obesity, autoimmune issues and behavioral disorders. ? The report blends mainstream ideas with highly controversial elements, including doubts about the childhood vaccine schedule. It covers ultra-processed foods, chemical exposure, "overmedicalization," corporate influence in medicine and more. ? The document seeks to strike a balance between protecting consumers and promoting economic interests — especially involving pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. ?‍? "This is not, in any way, an attack on the American farmers or industry," NIH director and commission member Jay Bhattacharya told reporters. "What this is is a commitment to get excellent answers, excellent science, so that we can enable people to do the right thing." ?️ What's next: The commission has about 80 days to suggest a federal response to its findings. Go deeper ... Read the report.

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Bird flu

The Department of Health and Human Services has terminated a $590 million contract with Moderna to develop a vaccine that would protect against bird flu. Since 2024, there have been at least 70 cases of avian influenza in humans and one death. The contract was canceled because the drugmaker was studying the effectiveness of an mRNA-based vaccine, which the Trump administration doesn’t trust. Yet mRNA technology is currently used in Moderna’s and Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccines. “The attack on mRNA vaccines is beyond absurd. It was President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed that gave us mRNA vaccines. These vaccines have been administered nearly 2 billion times to hundreds of millions of people around the world — making it one of the most widely used and widely studied vaccines in human history. They are safe and work well,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator during the Biden administration. “If Bird Flu starts spreading from people to people, we will come to regret this as the day we decided to put the lives of the American people at grave risk.”  ps:Of course!!

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? Poll: America wants food regulation

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Americans broadly support parts of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s food regulation agenda — from removing artificial dyes to increasing safety and labeling, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim and Margaret Talev write from the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. "When you strip away all of the politically charged rhetoric… there is a lot of alignment," says Mallory Newall, Ipsos' vice president for U.S. public affairs. ? By the numbers: 87% of respondents said the government should do more to make food safe through guidelines, labeling or reduced pesticide exposure. 6 in 10 want to remove artificial dyes from foods. 7 in 10 want to strengthen food safety inspections. Friction point: Though they back parts of his agenda, just 31% of Americans say they trust health information from Kennedy. Read on.

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HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-hhs-layoffs-restructuring-maha-rfk-7adbc357bf25b2c92b94e012ba3d8316?

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HHS firings

“You are hereby notified that you are officially separated from HHS at the close of business on July 14, 2025. Thank you for your service to the American people.”   That was the message thousands of federal employees at US health agencies received when they were laid off by email on Monday. Although the job cuts were originally announced on April 1, they were delayed due to a legal battle. However, on July 8, the Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services may move forward with the terminations. The massive reduction in force stems from an executive order President Donald Trump issued in February.

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?RFK Jr. targets organ donations

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The push by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to overhaul government health programs is extending to the troubled organ donation system, Axios' Maya Goldman reports. Kennedy is latching onto dozens of instances in which organ removal was reportedly started while donors still showed signs of life. ? HHS says it found evidence of systemic patient safety issues at a Kentucky organ procurement organization called Network for Hope. ? The organization came under fire last year following reports that staff pressured doctors to move forward with removing organs after patients appeared to be regaining consciousness. Network for Hope, which serves Kentucky, southwest Ohio and part of West Virginia, told Axios that patient safety is its top priority and that it looks forward to working collaboratively with HHS. ? Kennedy said: "The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor's life is treated with the sanctity it deserves." Share this story ... Read HHS' announcement.

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? MAHA sugar trap

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Nutrition leaders have this to say about Coca-Cola's decision to launch a U.S. product made with cane sugar: It won't make America healthier, Axios' Maya Goldman writes. Coca-Cola announced without giving details: "As part of its ongoing innovation agenda, this fall in the United States, the company plans to launch an offering made with U.S. cane sugar to expand its Trademark Coca-Cola product range." The big picture: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may be correct that high-fructose corn syrup is a driver of obesity and other chronic diseases. But alternatives like sugar cane and beet sugar also lead to weight gain and bad outcomes. "These one-ingredient changes don't make these foods healthy," said Marion Nestle, professor emeritus of nutrition and public health at New York University. "They're not going to make any difference unless they change the dietary intake of what people are eating." Keep reading ...