HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wants to tackle the underlying causes of chronic disease in America. But he rarely mentions the nation's leading cause of preventable deaths: smoking. w/ Danny Nguyen: www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

NEW: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to remove members of key outside committees that advise the government on vaccine approvals and recommendations. w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social + @gardnerlm19.bsky.social: www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

If you're impacted by the firings at HHS and would like to talk to a reporter, my Signal information is below. Can talk on the record, off the record or on background - and I can explain what each of those mean.

Top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee weighs in on HHS firings:

The Trump administration fired several employees in a key office handling the nation’s response to bird flu. Their loss will make testing and tracking of the virus slower, I’m told. My latest: www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Firings at FDA include cuts to inspectors and medical product reviewers. Deep concern about impacts to the medical device center. Overall, nearly 700 probationary employees appear impacted at the agency. w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social + @meganmesserly.bsky.social + more:

SCOOP: Cats that became infected with bird flu might have spread the virus to humans in the same household and vice versa, according to data that briefly appeared online in a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but then abruptly vanished. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...

Amid everything, a new study finds that microplastics are accumulating in human brains. “Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” lead author Matthew Campen told me last fall. A short thread: 1/ www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

From @davidlim.bsky.social and @adamfeuerstein.bsky.social at Politico Pro: Career official Sara Brenner expected to be tapped as acting FDA commissioner subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

SCOOP: John Brooks is leading President-elect Donald Trump's HHS landing team. w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

Reprising this from my AEI colleague Ben Ippolito on the cost of Medicare coverage for GLP-1s. CMS appears to see writing on wall here: As additional indications are approved, most Medicare recipients will get coverage for other co-morbidities. Also, Semaglutide subject to IRA price controls in 2027

News: Jim O'Neill is being weighed by Trump for HHS deputy secretary per 3 people familiar with the talks. He has advocated for people to be able to take drugs once safety, but not effectiveness, is reviewed by the FDA. w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social + Lauren Gardner: www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

News: Senior Trump officials rejected an effort to install Project 2025 author ROGER SEVERINO as RFK Jr’s deputy health secretary. The push failed over concerns Severino’s strident anti-abortion views would prove too controversial. www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

President-elect Donald Trump is considering giving Russell Vought, his previous Office of Management and Budget director, his old job back. www.politico.com/live-updates...

The Trump transition is closing in on a number of names for top health posts across HHS. w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

when you look at the net cost GLP1s won’t be my most expensive drug by far, Kinsley said, most expensive will be Dupixent, don't see that drug on the front page he said.