White House Official Booed at Conference for Defending Health Agency Cuts
Calley Means, a White House adviser working on implementing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s chronic disease agenda, was booed, shouted down and laughed at during a health conference while defending mass layoffs at the agency.
Means forcefully pushed back at the unusually vocal crowd at the Politico Health Care Summit in Washington, DC, Wednesday. The event occurred one day after the HHS began implementing a directive from RFK Jr. to dismiss 10,000 workers, including senior leaders who oversaw drug reviews, tobacco products and scientific research.
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Newsweek
38 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Airports Where Health Officials Detected Measles Cases
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Health officials have confirmed measles exposures at several major U.S. airports in recent months as infected travelers passed through terminals across the country. Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters There are currently a total of 1,197 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. across 35 states. The disease is impacting a range of ages, and predominantly those who are unvaccinated, according to the CDC. There have been three confirmed deaths from measles this year. The growth in measles cases over the past few months comes as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to deliver an inconsistent message about measles as well as pushing falsehoods about the measles vaccine and its makeup. Earlier this month, he removed all 17 scientists from the CDC vaccine advisory committee. The CDC encourages all international travelers to be "fully vaccinated against measles." What Is Measles? Measles is a viral disease known for often causing a rash made up of large, flat spots and raised bumps that starts on the face and neck and spreads down the body. It is is highly infectious. The rash is preceded by around three to five days by symptoms including conjunctivitis, dry cough, fever and runny nose and watery eyes. According to the CDC, "measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years of age. Common complications are ear infections and diarrhea. Serious complications include pneumonia and encephalitis." What To Know Several major U.S. airports, most recently Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C., have recently reported confirmed measles cases linked to infected travelers. In March, an individual who passed through Los Angeles International Airport was confirmed to have measles. A month later, health officials confirmed a measles case involving a traveler who passed through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and stayed overnight at a nearby hotel. In May, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported a similar incident at Denver International Airport where an infected traveler may have exposed thousands after arriving, spending the night at a hotel, and returning to the airport the next day. Other cases have been reported at Logan International Airport and Chicago O'Hare. Airport exposures are especially concerning due to the high number of people an infected traveler may encounter—in terminals, in transit, and on flights. In February, Texas experienced its biggest measles outbreak in about three decades. West Texas saw an influx of almost 50 cases, and health officials attributed the drastic uptick to a close-knit, under vaccinated Mennonite community. Cases have continued to rise in the months since, leading to hospitalizations and the deaths of two children. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the measles had been eliminated from the U.S. However, vaccination rates have recently been falling in the U.S.—a problem that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the vaccine, the CDC estimates 48,000 people were hospitalized and 400–500 people died annually in the U.S. What People Are Saying Dr. Mathew Kiang, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University, said in an April statement following his study: "With measles, we found that we're already on the precipice of disaster. If vaccination rates remain the same, the model predicts that measles may become endemic within about 20 years." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says on its website: "Vaccines have prevented countless cases of disease and disability and have saved millions of lives. Ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is one of FDA's top priorities. FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) ensures that FDA's rigorous scientific and regulatory processes are followed by those who pursue the development of vaccines. Vaccine development is a complex science. Dr. Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, said in a June statement: "For generations, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been a trusted national source of science- and data-driven advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses." Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, previously told Newsweek: "[Texas Department of State Health Services] DSHS has been encouraging people to get vaccinated if they are not immune to measles because it is the best way to prevent illness and stop the virus from spreading." What Happens Next? The CDC still recommends individuals to be fully vaccinated against measles and warns people to not travel if feeling sick or developing symptoms.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman got into politics because he wanted to help his neighbors
MINNEAPOLIS - Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were in stable condition at a hospital Saturday morning after they were shot in their Champlin home by a would-be assassin. Hoffman, 60, was shot six times and his wife five times, but they are expected to make a full recovery, said Mat Ollig, Hoffman's nephew. Hoffman's wife shielded their daughter, Hope, as shots rang out, Ollig said. "The family is in shock," Ollig said. "These two are the kindest, most giving and caring people I know. He knew his neighbors and everybody knew him." Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, entered state politics after he struggled to obtain insurance for his daughter who had spina bifida, and figured others had the same difficulty. "He hated being in politics," Ollig said. "He loved helping people, and you got to do one thing to do the other." Hoffman, a former marketing and public relations director, was elected to the Anoka Hennepin school board in 2005 and served as vice-chair before running for the Minnesota Senate. He beat incumbent Benjamin Kruse in 2012 and has represented Districts 34 and 36 covering parts of Anoka and Hennepin counties ever since. He served as the minority whip from 2017 to 2020, and as a chair of the Health and Human Services committee during the last half of the 2025 session. He also was a member of the Senate's Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate and the Environment, Climate, and Legacy committees. During his 12-year tenure, Hoffman also spent time on committees crafting policy on education, family care and aging, and energy and agriculture, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Hoffman is co-chairman of the Mississippi River and Town Initiatives City/State Task Force, a regional organization dedicated to conservation and water quality in the entire river basin. "Sen. Hoffman is one of middle America's best," said Coon Rapids Mayor Jerry Kock, who is MRTCI's co-chairman. "He has been a tireless advocate for our state and region. He means so much to us. We are hopeful for his swift and full recovery. We need John." Throughout his career in the Minnesota Senate, Hoffman worked across the aisle to get legislation passed, something he was extremely proud of, Ollig said. "You got a problem, he'd say 'write me a bill,'" Ollig said. "He tried to get things passed for everyone," regardless of their politics. Hoffman and his wife were attacked early Saturday by a gunman posing as a police officer who later assassinated state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha said she was "heartbroken" by the shootings of both lawmakers and their spouses. "They are more than dear friends, but also some of the greatest public servants I have ever known," Blaha said in a statement on X. "Violence has no place in our democracy." Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said she was devastated by the attacks and called the shootings an "unspeakably tragic day for Minnesotans." "John is one of Minnesota's great champions for people in need," Murphy said in a statement. "We are grateful to the law enforcement officers, and the doctors and nurses, who saved and are caring for them. Our prayers are with the Hoffmans and their loved ones. " Senate Republican leader Mark Johnson said the Hoffman and Hortman families are in his prayers. "Senate Republicans are unified in our condemnation of this brazen act of violence," he said in a statement. Levi Strand, who lives a few houses down and across the street from the Hoffmans, said he was awakened around 2 a.m. by several pops, and then he saw a large SUV with emergency lights that he assumed was a law enforcement vehicle. He thought the noises were fireworks and tried to go back to sleep, and then more vehicles flooded the street. "All of a sudden it was cop after cop after cop; it was pretty crazy." He later checked a ring camera on his home but it did not catch footage of the first SUV speeding away. He described the Hoffmans as a friendly couple who gave out full-sized candy bars on Halloween. When he later saw which house had been targeted, "I got a little sad because you see what the reality is, you see he's in politics." Hoffman never talked about political violence and didn't worry about it either, his nephew said. "He only saw kindness in people" Ollig said. Ollig trying said he is trying to process the unthinkable. "He didn't have a harsh word for anybody," Ollig said. "Salt of the Earth, that is how he saw everyone as." Protect Minnesota Executive Director Maggiy Emery said Hortman and Hoffman spent their careers striving to make Minnesota better, and that Saturday's events were a day of "grief, shock, and deep sorrow." "Our hearts are shattered, " said Emery, head of the organization dedicated to preventing gun violence. "We are grieving for the families, friends, and colleagues of those impacted, and we are holding them in our hearts." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Trump Administration Shares Medicaid Data With Deportation Officials: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's administration provided immigration officials with the personal data of millions of Medicaid recipients this week, including their immigration status, the Associated Press reported. Newsweek contacted the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for comment on Saturday via online press inquiry forms. Why It Matters During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation program in U.S. history. Since returning to office on January 20, the president has overseen widespread Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across the country. The administration's use of Medicaid data, which could be used to track migrants, has raised questions about data security and federal government power. What To Know Citing an internal memo and emails, the AP reported that two close advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered officials at the CMS to transfer Medicaid data to immigration enforcement personnel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday. The publication said the order was given after Medicaid employees initially sought to prevent the transfer based on legal and ethical concerns, and that they were given 54 minutes to comply with the renewed request. The information handed over included data from California, Washington state, Illinois and Washington, D.C.—all of which allow non-U.S. citizens to apply for state-funded Medicaid. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 12. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 12. SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY DHS employees' use of the data could affect migrants' ability to apply for permanent residency or citizenship if they have received federally funded Medicaid. Under the Trump administration's direction, the Internal Revenue Service has also been providing information to ICE that could help track illegal migrants. A legal bid to block the order was defeated in May. Last month, the CMS announced a review into Medicaid enrollment to ensure federal money had not been used to fund coverage for those with "unsatisfactory immigration status." The agency said the move was to comply with the "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders" executive order that Trump issued on February 19. What People Are Saying Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in statement provided to Newsweek: "HHS and CMS take the integrity of the Medicaid program and the protection of American taxpayer dollars extremely seriously. With respect to the recent data sharing between CMS and DHS, HHS acted entirely within its legal authority—and in full compliance with all applicable laws—to ensure that Medicaid benefits are reserved for individuals who are lawfully entitled to receive them. He continued: "This action is not unprecedented. What is unprecedented is the systemic neglect and policy failures under the Biden-Harris administration that opened the floodgates for illegal immigrants to exploit Medicaid—and forced hardworking Americans to foot the bill." Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said Trump had "promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans." California Governor Gavin Newsom said: "This potential data transfer brought to our attention by the AP is extremely concerning, and if true, potentially unlawful, particularly given numerous headlines highlighting potential improper federal use of personal information and federal actions to target the personal information of Americans." What Happens Next The Trump administration is expected to continue its hard-line immigration policies. It remains to be seen whether the transfer of data from the HHS to the DHS will be challenged in court.
