Health and Human Services

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CDC to Launch New Search for Vaccines-Autism Link

Agency cites Trump's speech to Congress

(Newser) - In spite of a body of scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause autism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a new study to look for a link. "As President Trump said in his Joint Address to Congress, the rate of autism in American children has...

Most HHS Employees Receive Buyout Offers

Email goes to staffers in disease research, food safety, Medicare and Medicaid administration

(Newser) - Thousands of Department of Health and Human Services employees responsible for researching diseases, inspecting food for safety, and operating Medicare and Medicaid have been offered buyouts. The staff members have until March 14 to decide whether to resign in exchange for a payment of $25,000, CBS News reports. The...

Kennedy Says HHS Will Send Measles Vaccine to Texas

Secretary has played down the outbreak

(Newser) - Leading vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been dismissive of the measles outbreak in Texas, now says that the spread needs to be stopped and that the federal response will include vaccinations. "Ending the measles outbreak is a top priority for me and my extraordinary team,"...

After 'Radical Transparency' Claim, RFK Jr. Backtracks

HHS reverses policy allowing public comment on its decisions

(Newser) - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who promised "radical transparency" in the work of his department— a guarantee also made for him by President Trump—has proposed eliminating public comment on its actions. The change is included in a document placed Friday in the Federal Register,...

LGBTQ Activists Call New HHS Guidance 'Deeply Concerning'

Health Secretary RFK Jr. issues new guidance recognizing only 2 sexes: male and female

(Newser) - The Department of Health and Human Services has synced up with the Trump administration's push against transgender protections , releasing new guidance on Wednesday that states the US government recognizes only two sexes: male and female. The new "sex-based definitions" assert that "an individual human is either female...

Feds Giveth Accidental Pink Slips, Taketh Them Away

Chaos abounds as multiple federal agencies accidentally fire staffers amid DOGE cuts

(Newser) - Last week, the Energy Department had to scramble to rehire nuclear energy specialists for the National Nuclear Security Administration, after it mistakenly told hundreds of staffers at the agency they'd lost their jobs. That's not the only incident of head-count slashing gone awry throughout the government at the...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Confirmed as Health Secretary

Mitch McConnell is the only 'no' vote among Republicans

(Newser) - The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Trump's health secretary, per the AP . Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy's views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America's most storied political—and Democratic—families to...

Judge Orders CDC, FDA to Restore Scrubbed Web Pages

Official calls situation 'a double waste' due to time spent needlessly

(Newser) - Part of the Trump administration's purge of the federal government included the removal of thousands of web pages . Now, some of them might be coming back. A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration to put some websites...

White House Readies Order Firing Health Agency Workers

Plan calls for action to be taken after buyouts are final

(Newser) - The next section of the federal workforce to face mass firings by the Trump administration could be health workers. White House aides are preparing an executive order to fire thousands of employees in the Department of Health and Human Services, the Wall Street Journal reports. Other agencies involved in health,...

Senate Panel Backs RFK Jr. for Health Secretary

His nomination now goes to the full Senate

(Newser) - A Senate panel advanced the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become the next health secretary on Tuesday morning, reports the New York Times . In the closely watched vote by the Senate Finance Committee, Kennedy prevailed in a 14-13 result along party lines, per the Hill . The pivotal vote...

Kennedy's Fate May Rest With One Senator on Tuesday

Both he and Tulsi Gabbard face committee votes on their Trump nominations

(Newser) - It's a do-or-die day for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard on their Cabinet nominations. The Senate Finance Committee will vote Tuesday morning on whether to advance Kennedy as health secretary, and the intelligence committee will vote in the afternoon on whether Gabbard should oversee the nation's...

Kennedy Faces Senators for a Second Day
Two GOP Doctors Clash
During Kennedy Hearing
UPDATED
Jan 30, 2025 4:25 PM CST

Two GOP Doctors Clash During Kennedy Hearing

Bill Cassidy fact-checks Rand Paul on vaccines

(Newser) - Robert F. Kennedy returned to the Capitol on Thursday for Round 2 of his confirmation hearings, and the hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee was as testy as Wednesday's before the Senate Finance Committee. Some key moments from the hearing:
  • "What will you do
...

Sanders to RFK Jr.: 'Do You Support These Onesies?

Key lines from the RFK Jr. hearing

(Newser) - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was grilled by members of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday in the first of two confirmation hearings. President Trump's nominee to lead Health and Human Services faced questions about his stance on issues including vaccines, abortion—and onesies.
  • "Do you support these onesies?"
...

Trump: Maybe RFK Jr. Could Look Into Vaccine-Autism Link

Both have a history of promoting the long-debunked claim

(Newser) - Assuming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as President-elect Trump's Health and Human Services secretary, it appears he may be utilizing that role to delve into the idea—long-debunked—of a connection between vaccines and autism. Kennedy has long pushed the theory, and Trump has done the same since...

Biden Backs Medicare, Medicaid 'Game Changer' for Obese

Proposal to add coverage of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic for those with BMI of 30+

(Newser) - Millions of Americans with obesity would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning, per the AP . The costly proposal from the US Department of Health and Human Services sets the stage...

RFK Jr. Pick Wipes Billions Off the Value of Vaccine Firms

Companies including Pfizer, Moderna dropped sharply after Trump announcement

(Newser) - Thursday was a good day for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a bad day for companies that make vaccines. As President-elect Trump announced that Kennedy will be his nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, stocks in top vaccine makers dropped sharply, wiping billions of dollars off...

HHS to Hospitals: Stop Pelvic Exams Without Patient Consent

Agency letter warns hospitals could lose Medicare funding if they don't comply

(Newser) - The Department of Health and Human Services has come out firing against a practice it says violates the privacy and dignity of patients in health care settings across America. The New York Times reports that on Monday, the federal agency sent out a letter to the nation's med schools...

Health Dept. on Marijuana: It Shouldn't Be a Schedule I Drug

Recommendation has been passed to the Drug Enforcement Administration

(Newser) - The US Department of Health and Human Services has delivered a recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration on marijuana policy, and Senate leaders hailed it Wednesday as a first step toward easing federal restrictions on the drug. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday on X that the agency has responded...

Texas Takes Administration to Court Over Abortion Rule
Texas Sues US
Over Abortion Rule
Jul 14, 2022 4:20 PM CDT

Texas Sues US Over Abortion Rule

Lawsuit would block requirement that doctors provide access in emergencies

(Newser) - Three days after the federal government told doctors and hospitals they're still required to provide abortions when a patient's health is at risk—regardless of state laws or US Supreme Court rulings—Texas has sued the administration. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told health care providers...

$50 Hearing Aids Without a Prescription? That's the Goal
FDA Making a Big Shift
on Hearing Aids
in case you missed it
Oct 23, 2021 4:55 PM CDT

FDA Making a Big Shift on Hearing Aids

Plan would make them available over the counter at a cheaper price

(Newser) - Nearly five years after it was urged to make affordable hearing aids available over the counter, the FDA is taking a big step toward that goal. In a plan released Tuesday , the agency says it will create a new category of hearing aids that will be made available online and...

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