Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine agenda is one of the biggest political liabilities hanging over Republicans, but his suspicion of the medical system is likely to endure with the GOP base. Why it matters: Kennedy will one day leave public life, whether it's after the midterms or later, and it is an open question who — if anyone — will pick up where he left off merging vaccine skepticism with official health policy. Mistrust of the medical establishment and willingness to question foundations of public health like the childhood vaccine schedule are already baked into segments of the Republican faithful. - Even without Kennedy — the nation's most prominent vaccine critic before entering the Trump administration —…
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine agenda is one of the biggest political liabilities hanging over Republicans, but his suspicion of the medical system is likely to endure with the GOP base. Why it matters: Kennedy will one day leave public life, whether it's after the midterms or later, and it is an open question who — if anyone — will pick up where he left off merging vaccine skepticism with official health policy. Mistrust of the medical establishment and willingness to question foundations of public health like the childhood vaccine schedule are already baked into segments of the Republican faithful. - Even without Kennedy — the nation's most prominent vaccine critic before entering the Trump administration —…Open
Tensions over pesticide use erupted in an Oval Office meeting last week, as a top agriculture lobbyist warned President Trump that an executive order calling for pest-killing alternatives would cost Trump support from farming interests. Why it matters: The confrontation, which one attendee called "shocking," exposed a sharp fault line in Trump's coalition — the push by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement to reduce conventional pesticides vs. farming interests determined to preserve them. - Both sides see the debate as existential: MAHA argues pesticides are making Americans sick, while the agricultural industry says restricting their use would raise food prices and cost farmers billions of dollars . Zoom in: The long-running fight…
Tensions over pesticide use erupted in an Oval Office meeting last week, as a top agriculture lobbyist warned President Trump that an executive order calling for pest-killing alternatives would cost Trump support from farming interests. Why it matters: The confrontation, which one attendee called "shocking," exposed a sharp fault line in Trump's coalition — the push by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement to reduce conventional pesticides vs. farming interests determined to preserve them. - Both sides see the debate as existential: MAHA argues pesticides are making Americans sick, while the agricultural industry says restricting their use would raise food prices and cost farmers billions of dollars . Zoom in: The long-running fight…Open
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his MAHA movement are out for payback, setting their sights on unseating a fierce adversary — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy — in next week's Louisiana primary. Why it matters: Kennedy and his supporters view the physician-turned-senator as an avatar for the medical establishment they're determined to upend. The big picture: Cassidy, who chairs the Senate HELP Committee, has been openly skeptical of Kennedy's bid to reform health policy. - After providing a pivotal vote to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy has pushed back on Kennedy's efforts to scale back vaccine recommendations and reshape the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. - He has also challenged Kennedy's claims that environmental…
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his MAHA movement are out for payback, setting their sights on unseating a fierce adversary — Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy — in next week's Louisiana primary. Why it matters: Kennedy and his supporters view the physician-turned-senator as an avatar for the medical establishment they're determined to upend. The big picture: Cassidy, who chairs the Senate HELP Committee, has been openly skeptical of Kennedy's bid to reform health policy. - After providing a pivotal vote to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy has pushed back on Kennedy's efforts to scale back vaccine recommendations and reshape the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. - He has also challenged Kennedy's claims that environmental…Open
Dr. Nicole Saphier, a renowned radiologist and Fox News contributor, has been nominated by President Trump to replace Casey Means as the U.S. surgeon general after Senate delays stalled the prior nomination.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: President Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole Saphier as U.S. surgeon general, replacing Casey Means, whose nomination has been stalled in the Senate. The president made the announcement on Truth Social, citing delays caused by Senator Bill Cassidy. Cassidy has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Big Pharma firms and executives in recent years. DETAIL: Dr. Saphier, the replacement pick, is a radiologist and director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Monmouth, as well as a Fox News contributor and podcast host. President Trump praised her for her expertise in cancer detection and treatment, as well as her ability to communicate complex…Open
Calley Means remained president of a company that relied on health savings accounts last year as the Trump administration developed policies to expand them.