Category: HHS
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s chronic disease agency would eliminate or reduce funding for some prevention programs Budget documents released by the Trump administration Friday provide the first clear indication of the priorities of a proposed new agency focused on preventing chronic disease. The Administration for a Healthy America would absorb multiple federal agencies and existing programs,…
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STAT+: FDA reassures rare disease advocates that ‘being flexible’ is plan for gene therapy
STAT+: FDA reassures rare disease advocates that ‘being flexible’ is plan for gene therapy What will the Trump administration mean for gene therapy? Researchers, advocates, and executives got a glimpse of the answer Thursday, as the Food and Drug Administration convened a “Cell and Gene Therapy Roundtable.” It was an unusual event. Multiple panelists told…
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Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research
Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research A large government study published Thursday shows more definitively than ever before that Americans’ self-reported race is a poor proxy for their genetic ancestry. Researchers said the findings have major implications for the way health disparities are studied, and how…
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STAT+: New HHS document details deep NIH cuts as part of Trump budget request
STAT+: New HHS document details deep NIH cuts as part of Trump budget request The Department of Health and Human Services on Friday released a summary of President Trump’s budget request for the 2026 fiscal year that provides the most detailed look yet at how his administration hopes to reshape the National Institutes of Health…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s latest moves on vaccines
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s latest moves on vaccines You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. NIH is terminating research grants left and right, impeding early career paths and leading some young scientists…
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White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s MAHA report
White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s MAHA report WASHINGTON — The White House will fix errors in a much-anticipated federal government report spearheaded by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which decried America’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. Kennedy’s wide-ranging “Make America Healthy Again” report, released last week, cited hundreds of…
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RFK Jr. rolls back Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy children, pregnant people
RFK Jr. rolls back Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy children, pregnant people Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that he has unilaterally struck the recommendation that healthy children and healthy pregnant people get Covid-19 booster shots — a move that experts say is unprecedented. Kennedy made the announcement on the social media site X,…
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Opinion: The FDA is circumventing key roles and procedures for licensure and use of Covid vaccines
Opinion: The FDA is circumventing key roles and procedures for licensure and use of Covid vaccines The Food and Drug Administration’s recent activities regarding Covid-19 vaccines stray far from the well-established standards of vaccine regulatory processes. The first sign of trouble was the failure to rule on the licensure of the Novavax protein-based Covid-19 vaccine…
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STAT+: At gene therapy meeting, no one wants to talk about the Vinay Prasad (not) in the room
STAT+: At gene therapy meeting, no one wants to talk about the Vinay Prasad (not) in the room NEW ORLEANS — Last year, hundreds of people poured in to see Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s head of biologics, speak at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference. The regulator was seen by…
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HHS to stop recommending routine Covid shots for children, pregnant people, RFK Jr. ally says
HHS to stop recommending routine Covid shots for children, pregnant people, RFK Jr. ally says Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to announce that the Department of Health and Human Services will stop recommending Covid vaccines for children and pregnant people, a close Kennedy ally said Thursday. The news arrived between panels at…
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‘What wouldn’t I be worried about?’: Research leaders discuss threats to U.S. science
‘What wouldn’t I be worried about?’: Research leaders discuss threats to U.S. science Attacks on efforts to diversify the sciences. Research grant terminations. Fear among scientists to speak out against the government. Cuts to international aid. These were some of a long list of concerns shared by three research leaders as they discussed the state…
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STAT+: In combative hearings, Kennedy defends HHS cuts, backtracks — and lashes out
STAT+: In combative hearings, Kennedy defends HHS cuts, backtracks — and lashes out WASHINGTON — In hours of combative congressional hearings Wednesday, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swung between defending sweeping changes at his agency and backtracking on aspects of a reorganization he nevertheless said would be “painful.” He repeatedly cast doubts on reports about…
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Former FDA head Robert Califf says RFK Jr.’s vaccine rhetoric is ‘doing harm’ to Americans
Former FDA head Robert Califf says RFK Jr.’s vaccine rhetoric is ‘doing harm’ to Americans SAN FRANCISCO — Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hesitance to endorse vaccines is harming the American public. “Fundamental vaccination saves millions of lives every year already, and he’s busy eroding public…
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Mental health care may be harder to obtain after HHS rule reversal
Mental health care may be harder to obtain after HHS rule reversal For a recent therapy session, Andria Donaghy’s insurance plan paid her psychiatric nurse practitioner only $11 on a $125 service. “To even put that on paper is insulting,” she said. “These people give their lives [to help others] and that’s what you pay…
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STAT+: Our biggest burning questions on Trump’s order to bring down drug prices
STAT+: Our biggest burning questions on Trump’s order to bring down drug prices WASHINGTON — President Trump’s executive order to lower drug prices through sweeping, cross-agency action left leaders in the pharmaceutical industry scrambling Monday to make sense of what may be ahead — and how to respond. The announcement was long on messaging, but…
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20 attorneys general ask federal judge to reverse deep cuts to HHS
20 attorneys general ask federal judge to reverse deep cuts to HHS Attorneys general in 19 states and Washington, D.C., are challenging cuts to the U.S. Health and Human Services agency, saying the Trump administration’s massive restructuring has destroyed life-saving programs and left states to pick up the bill for mounting health crises. The lawsuit was filed in federal…
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Scientists question NIH project’s use of 20th century technology to make a universal flu vaccine
Scientists question NIH project’s use of 20th century technology to make a universal flu vaccine When word broke this week that the Department of Health and Human Services was investing half-a-billion dollars on a National Institutes of Health project to develop a vaccine platform for pathogens that could trigger pandemics, a number of scientists who…
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STAT+: At AACR, leading cancer researchers urge colleagues to ‘fight for your science’
STAT+: At AACR, leading cancer researchers urge colleagues to ‘fight for your science’ CHICAGO — In the first few weeks of President Trump’s second term, many leaders and top scientists in cancer research found themselves questioning if they could have communicated better to the public. After all, experts told STAT, maybe if people understood how…
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STAT+: Trump proposes billions in cuts to federal health agencies from NIH to CDC
STAT+: Trump proposes billions in cuts to federal health agencies from NIH to CDC WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday proposed massive cuts to the federal government’s health agencies in his 2026 budget request, arguing that Congress should reduce spending by tens of billions from current levels. The request would be a 26% cut to…
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Assessing the impact of Trump’s first 100 days on science and health policy
Assessing the impact of Trump’s first 100 days on science and health policy On this week’s episode of the Readout LOUD, we review President Trump’s first 100 days, the return of biotech M&A, strong drug launches, and Eli Lilly’s PBM problem. The first 100 days of the Trump administration have had a profound impact on…
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STAT+: Autism evaluations are being canceled over fears about a national registry
STAT+: Autism evaluations are being canceled over fears about a national registry SEATTLE — Michael VanPelt spent several weeks recently glued to his telephone, dialing doctors who might be able to get his 3-year-old son in for an autism evaluation. The music teacher ran out of providers who took his health insurance, but luckily the…
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STAT+: Collins and fellow GOP senators speak out in opposition to Trump’s cuts to biomedical research
STAT+: Collins and fellow GOP senators speak out in opposition to Trump’s cuts to biomedical research WASHINGTON — There was broad bipartisan support at a Senate hearing Wednesday to reverse course on the Trump administration’s cuts to federally funded biomedical research. Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, kicked off…
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STAT+: Supreme Court sides with HHS on formula used to pay hospitals for treating low-income patients
STAT+: Supreme Court sides with HHS on formula used to pay hospitals for treating low-income patients The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected hospitals’ argument that the federal government doesn’t pay them enough for treating low-income patients. The seven-justice majority instead sided with the Department of Health and Human Services’ interpretation of the law concerning disproportionate…
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STAT+: Despite Kennedy’s stated support, funding for Women’s Health Initiative remains in limbo
STAT+: Despite Kennedy’s stated support, funding for Women’s Health Initiative remains in limbo The word came down at 9 a.m. Pacific on April 14 that they were done. Marcia Stefanick of Stanford and three other leaders of regional centers that for decades have researched women’s health heard from their study’s national leaders that their funding…
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Rural health study is told it’s losing federal funds, and other major heart studies are worried
Rural health study is told it’s losing federal funds, and other major heart studies are worried Vasan Ramachandran is baffled. A cardiologist and veteran of the famed Framingham Heart Study, he is struggling to understand why a similar study he brought to life in 10 rural counties across four Southern states is facing elimination. The…
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RFK Jr. faces mixed reception, unruly crowd at major addiction conference
RFK Jr. faces mixed reception, unruly crowd at major addiction conference NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appearance at a major addiction and drug policy conference was marked by repeated interruptions on Thursday, as protesters and jeers forced him to pause and wait for noise to subside at least five times during his 36-minute…
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STAT+: No new autism registry, HHS says, walking back NIH director’s claim
STAT+: No new autism registry, HHS says, walking back NIH director’s claim The federal health department is not creating a new registry of Americans with autism, a Department of Health and Human Services official said in a written statement Thursday. Instead, the official said, HHS will launch a $50 million research effort to understand the…
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Day by day, how Trump is roiling science and health
Day by day, how Trump is roiling science and health It’s hard to remember all the earthshaking decisions and events that have transpired with unprecedented speed in the first few months of the Trump administration. We’re tracking, day by day, what’s happened in the worlds of science and health. Key Legal action Covid DEI and…
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STAT+: Former Trump official warns president he’s at risk of ruining his legacy on ending HIV
STAT+: Former Trump official warns president he’s at risk of ruining his legacy on ending HIV WASHINGTON — The health official who helped convince President Trump during his first term that it’s possible to end the HIV epidemic in the United States is now imploring the president to stay the course, as funding cuts threaten…
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Food companies agree to phase out synthetic dyes, handing MAHA a victory
Food companies agree to phase out synthetic dyes, handing MAHA a victory Food manufacturers will phase out eight synthetic dyes from all U.S. products by the end of 2026, the federal government announced today in a move that reflects the growing reach of the Make America Healthy Again movement. Decrying the “toxic soup of synthetic…
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STAT+: Research grants as political ammo; Death to dyes?
STAT+: Research grants as political ammo; Death to dyes? You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. STAT won its first National Magazine Award for General Excellence. Not bad, huh? Help us…
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STAT+: Women’s Health Initiative, known for hormone therapy trials, to lose federal funding
STAT+: Women’s Health Initiative, known for hormone therapy trials, to lose federal funding Federal funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, which as one of the largest research projects in women’s health has shaped treatment of menopause, osteoporosis, and nutrition, will stop in September, the program said Tuesday in a message to its 40 regional centers.…
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STAT+: Harvard sues Trump administration over funding freeze
STAT+: Harvard sues Trump administration over funding freeze Harvard University sued the Trump administration on Monday, alleging that the government’s campaign to alter the school’s policies while cutting off research funding is unconstitutional. In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston, the university’s lawyers argued that the government’s “attempt to coerce and control Harvard”…
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STAT+: RFK Jr. is back to criticizing vaccines, and Trump’s new drug-cost plan
STAT+: RFK Jr. is back to criticizing vaccines, and Trump’s new drug-cost plan You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I cast my leafy-green seeds already, and my mint, chives and…
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STAT+: Leaked budget document outlines how Kennedy may cut up HHS to build new AHA
STAT+: Leaked budget document outlines how Kennedy may cut up HHS to build new AHA An internal budget document leaked to the press on Wednesday gives the clearest vision yet of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s planned chronic disease-fighting agency, the Administration for a Healthy America. The Office of Management and Budget document, which STAT obtained,…
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‘The same Bobby Kennedy’: How RFK Jr.’s vaccine criticism came rushing back
‘The same Bobby Kennedy’: How RFK Jr.’s vaccine criticism came rushing back WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed his past criticism of vaccines as he sought to become the nation’s health secretary. Now, just two months after winning confirmation, he’s frequently returning to rhetoric from his time as perhaps the most prominent vaccine critic…
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RFK Jr. plans changes to vaccine injury reporting system
RFK Jr. plans changes to vaccine injury reporting system WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that he plans to roll out changes to the vaccine injury monitoring system that would automate and increase data collection as well as look for negative impacts of the shots. Reforming the current Vaccine Adverse Event…
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On an RFK Jr. road show, MAHA goals take precedence. Measles prevention less so
On an RFK Jr. road show, MAHA goals take precedence. Measles prevention less so GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY, Ariz. — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaking Tuesday morning at a conference on Native American tribal self-governance, was working hard to win his audience’s affection. But amid a measles outbreak linked to the deaths of two children…
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National public health group calls for RFK Jr. to resign, citing ‘complete disregard for science’
National public health group calls for RFK Jr. to resign, citing ‘complete disregard for science’ A national public health organization is calling for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign the federal post he assumed just weeks ago, citing “implicit and explicit bias and complete disregard for science.” Georges Benjamin, executive director of the…
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STAT+: HHS firings could face legal challenges over inaccuracies, process used to make cuts
STAT+: HHS firings could face legal challenges over inaccuracies, process used to make cuts WASHINGTON — A week after widespread cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, many workers are left wondering: Was that legal? Some lawyers and labor experts say errors in termination notices and the swift speed and scale of the…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing delayed, living with more measles
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing delayed, living with more measles You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. STAT is cutting the price of an annual subscription in half. Click here for…
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RFK Jr. says he plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water
RFK Jr. says he plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday said he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention soon to stop recommending fluoridation in communities nationwide. Kennedy also said he’s assembling a task…
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RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing on health department cuts to be delayed for weeks
RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing on health department cuts to be delayed for weeks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely delay his appearance before the Senate’s health committee by several weeks, even as he makes historic changes to the Department of Health and Human Services and contends with a surging measles outbreak. Senate health committee Chair…
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CDC’s top laboratory on sexually transmitted diseases is shut by Trump administration
CDC’s top laboratory on sexually transmitted diseases is shut by Trump administration At a time when the world is down to a single drug that can reliably cure gonorrhea, the U.S. government has shuttered the country’s premier sexually transmitted diseases laboratory, leaving experts aghast and fearful about what lies ahead. The STD lab at the…
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CDC division responsible for asthma control and lead poisoning prevention effectively eliminated
CDC division responsible for asthma control and lead poisoning prevention effectively eliminated After Hurricane Ian, as Floridians returned home to sodden furniture and moldy piles of debris, many with asthma could feel their chests tightening. To figure out what was safe, some sent their concerns directly to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. …
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STAT+: Trump administration begins mass cuts of federal health policy researchers
STAT+: Trump administration begins mass cuts of federal health policy researchers The Trump administration has gutted two small federal agencies filled with researchers who study how the health care system functions and how to improve it. More than half of employees at the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Agency…
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STAT+: Makary’s first speech to FDA staff focuses on challenging norms, fighting chronic disease
STAT+: Makary’s first speech to FDA staff focuses on challenging norms, fighting chronic disease WASHINGTON — Marty Makary’s first address to staff as FDA commissioner on Wednesday afternoon sounded a bit like an introduction to one of his books. It included sweeping declarations about the need to challenge scientific norms, and to identify the root…
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New York City’s health department just lost $100 million in federal funds. That has consequences
New York City’s health department just lost $100 million in federal funds. That has consequences If a child in New York City showed up with a fever and a rash that might be measles, it should be simple to have a blood test quickly confirm one way or the other. But $100 million in federal…
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STAT+: Five NIH institute directors and numerous lab heads ousted in unprecedented shake-up
STAT+: Five NIH institute directors and numerous lab heads ousted in unprecedented shake-up Directors of five National Institutes of Health institutes and at least two other members of senior leadership have been placed on administrative leave or offered new assignments since Monday, topping a list of hundreds of employees notified in the last 24 hours…
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After RFK Jr.’s ‘radical transparency’ pledge, HHS shutters much of its communications, FOIA operations
After RFK Jr.’s ‘radical transparency’ pledge, HHS shutters much of its communications, FOIA operations The Department of Health and Human Services made major cuts to teams across its agencies that handle communications, media relations, and Freedom of Information Act requests as part of mass layoffs Tuesday, a move that workers say will cripple the department’s…
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50 canceled vaccination clinics, and other local impact from HHS cuts
50 canceled vaccination clinics, and other local impact from HHS cuts Just last week, the leader of public health in Dallas had to cancel 50 vaccination clinics, including events specifically targeting schools with low immunization rates, all while the West Texas measles outbreak continues to flare. Then on Tuesday came the layoffs of thousands of…
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HHS firings undermine federal government’s ability to care for vulnerable Americans
HHS firings undermine federal government’s ability to care for vulnerable Americans The Trump administration’s decision to fire 10,000 workers across U.S. health agencies looks set to disrupt the flow of millions of dollars in grants and deprive Americans with disabilities of critical services they depend on, according to advocates and federal workers. The cuts, ostensibly…
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STAT+: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary gets off to a bruising start as agency is wracked by layoffs
STAT+: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary gets off to a bruising start as agency is wracked by layoffs WASHINGTON — Marty Makary’s first official day as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration began with employees in tears, learning from security guards that they were losing their jobs. The news release announcing the start of his…
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STAT+: Texas judge strikes down FDA’s plan to regulate lab-developed tests
STAT+: Texas judge strikes down FDA’s plan to regulate lab-developed tests WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Texas squashed the Food and Drug Administration’s plan to regulate lab-developed tests on Monday, ruling in favor of lab trade groups that said the agency was overstepping its bounds. “The Court VACATES and SETS ASIDE, in its entirety,…
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STAT+: FDA to staff: No need to work from pantries for now
STAT+: FDA to staff: No need to work from pantries for now Some Food and Drug Administration employees who were previously working in pantries and conference rooms can work from home for now, according to an email reviewed by STAT. FDA managers sent an email Friday granting some workers temporary work-from-home exceptions, either because their…
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STAT+: HHS emergency response unit given two days to figure out its fate
STAT+: HHS emergency response unit given two days to figure out its fate WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to reshape the federal health department has left its roughly 1,000 emergency response workers in limbo, and with a daunting order: Sort out how you break up — this weekend. The George W. Bush-founded Administration for…
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STAT+: HHS layoffs rile Democrats, but Republicans say they trust RFK Jr.’s cuts will not hamper core operations
STAT+: HHS layoffs rile Democrats, but Republicans say they trust RFK Jr.’s cuts will not hamper core operations WASHINGTON — News of massive layoffs at the Health and Human Services Department was met with anger and predictions of lawsuits by Democratic lawmakers, and with a shrug by Republicans. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced…
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Opinion: Former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala on the agency’s ‘silly new bureaucracy’
Opinion: Former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala on the agency’s ‘silly new bureaucracy’ When I was secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton, an agency head came to me with a dramatic reorganization plan. I advised him that unless it was data- and outcome-driven, he was wasting his time. Just…
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STAT+: RFK Jr. brings FDA under tighter control with HHS workforce cuts
STAT+: RFK Jr. brings FDA under tighter control with HHS workforce cuts WASHINGTON — Around 3,500 employees are on the chopping block at the Food and Drug Administration, but they don’t yet know who they are. The Health and Human Services Department on Thursday announced a sweeping plan to cut 10,000 jobs and consolidate operations…