Latest news with #EHE
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Former Trump official says DOGE cuts undermine HIV legacy
A former top federal health official who served during President Trump's first term warned that the drastic cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could have 'devastating and illogical' impacts on combatting the HIV epidemic. Brett Giroir, who served as assistant secretary for health, wrote in a post on LinkedIn that making progress on the HIV epidemic in the U.S. was one of his first goals when he assumed his new role in Trump's first administration. 'During my first week in office, I set an HHS goal to reduce new HIV infections in America by 50 [percent]. We had once-daily medicines that make the HIV virus undetectable, and when the HIV virus is undetectable, it is untransmittable by sex,' wrote Giroir. 'But the real key was identifying HIV infected people early and getting them into care – and we could surely do that.' As Giroir recounted, he told Trump in an Oval Office meeting the U.S. had the capability to essentially 'end HIV in America,' to which Trump replied, 'Can we really do that?' Giroir was a designated survivor during the 2019 State of the Union address and said he was 'glued to the broadcast' when Trump announced the Ending HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. Lauding the achievements of the initiative — such as a 21 percent reduction in new HIV cases — Giroir called it the 'legacy of Trump '45.' 'But that legacy is now threatened by changes currently proposed or already implemented, including eliminating the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV Policy (which I proudly created) that leads the EHE effort; eliminating 150 staff in the Office of HIV prevention at CDC; reassigning key leaders in HIV to other programs; and the elimination of about $750 million in HIV targeted NIH grants,' Giroir wrote. Advocates and stakeholders raised the alarm when several branches of key federal HIV offices were effectively eliminated by HHS layoffs. Some have characterized the move to be in stark contrast to what Trump set out to do in his first term. Giroir in his post on Wednesday expressed further concerns as leaked budget proposals from the HHS suggest zero funding for the EHE initiative and cuts to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. 'The impact of these cuts would be devastating and illogical — reversing all the gains we have made and destroying what is a legacy of courage and expert implementation by Trump '45,' wrote Giroir. 'Trump '47 should not allow Trump '45's massive public health achievement to be cancelled — especially when that legacy will be remembered in history books as the beginning of the end of HIV/AIDS in America. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
23-04-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Former Trump official says DOGE cuts undermine HIV legacy
A former top federal health official who served during President Trump's first term warned that the drastic cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could have 'devastating and illogical' impacts on combatting the HIV epidemic. Brett Giroir, who served as Assistant Secretary for Health, wrote in a post on LinkedIn that making progress on the HIV epidemic in the U.S. was one of his first goals when he assumed his new role in Trump's first administration. 'During my first week in office, I set an HHS goal to reduce new HIV infections in America by 50 [percent]. We had once-daily medicines that make the HIV virus undetectable, and when the HIV virus is undetectable, it is untransmittable by sex,' wrote Giroir. 'But the real key was identifying HIV infected people early and getting them into care – and we could surely do that.' As Giroir recounted, he told Trump in an Oval Office meeting that the U.S. had the capability to essentially 'end HIV in America,' to which Trump replied, 'Can we really do that?' Giroir was a designated survivor during the 2019 State of the Union address and said he was 'glued to the broadcast' when Trump announced the 'Ending HIV Epidemic' (EHE) initiative. Lauding the achievements of the initiative — such as a 21 percent reduction in new HIV cases — Giroir called it the 'legacy of Trump '45.' 'But that legacy is now threatened by changes currently proposed or already implemented, including eliminating the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV Policy (which I proudly created) that leads the EHE effort; eliminating 150 staff in the Office of HIV prevention at CDC; reassigning key leaders in HIV to other programs; and the elimination of about $750 million in HIV targeted NIH grants,' wrote Giroir. Advocates and stakeholders raised the alarm when several branches of key federal HIV offices were effectively eliminated by HHS layoffs. Some have characterized the move to be in stark contrast to what Trump set out to do in his first term. Giroir in his post on Wednesday expressed further concerns as leaked budget proposals from HHS suggest zero funding for the EHE initiative and cuts to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. 'The impact of these cuts would be devastating and illogical — reversing all the gains we have made and destroying what is a legacy of courage and expert implementation by Trump '45,' wrote Giroir. 'Trump '47 should not allow Trump '45's massive public health achievement to be cancelled — especially when that legacy will be remembered in history books as the beginning of the end of HIV/AIDS in America.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Trump Administration's HIV Prevention Contradictions
HIV attacks the body's immune system and without treatment, it can lead to AIDS. The virus is transmitted via contact with body fluids such as semen, blood, and other bodily discharges. The new head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has expressed some doubts about those facts. Now the Trump administration is contemplating the elimination of the HIV prevention division that is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to NBC News. If the CDC is anything, it is supposed to be the chief agency that detects, controls, and eliminates infectious diseases. HIV is just such a communicable microbe. The CDC estimates 31,800 Americans were infected with it in 2022, the year in which the latest data are available. The CDC also estimates that "approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV. About 13 percent of them don't know it and need testing." Oddly, efforts to cut back on the CDC's programs aimed at reducing HIV infections stand in contradiction to President Donald Trump's own Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative that he announced during his 2019 State of the Union address. Trump's original EHE goal was to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. The EHE initiative boosted preventative strategies including increased HIV testing and the promotion of effective new pre-exposure prophylaxis medications. Thanks in part to the EHE, the rate of HIV infections is down 19 percent since 2016. The Trump administration's ultimate plans with respect to the CDC's HIV prevention division are not yet public, but some reporting suggests that at least some of its programs may be shifted to the Health Resources and Services Administration. As KFF, a health care policy nonprofit, observes, the agency's primary focus has historically been the delivery of medical care, not implementing preventive strategies. "We are deeply concerned by the Trump administration's reckless moves to defund and deprioritize HIV prevention," warns a statement released on behalf of 13 LGBTQ+ and health care organizations. "These abrupt and incomprehensible possible cuts threaten to reverse decades of progress, exposing our nation to a resurgence of a preventable disease with devastating and avoidable human and financial costs." It is certainly true that the CDC lost its focus on combatting infectious diseases over the decades. Instead, the agency turned more of its attention to non-communicable lifestyle "epidemics" of obesity, smoking, and violence. Attempting to remedy these lifestyle maladies actually seems more in line with HHS Secretary Kennedy's own priorities. "We're going to give drug development and infectious disease a break—a little break, a little bit of a break—for about eight years. And we're going to study chronic disease," RFK, Jr. said before suspending his presidential campaign. Infectious diseases are, however, not going to give the HHS secretary or the rest of us a break. The post The Trump Administration's HIV Prevention Contradictions appeared first on
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet Everyone Hates Elon, the U.K.-Based Collective Attempting to Take Down Musk: 'Let's Make Billionaires Losers Again'
Last week, a poster was put up at a bus stop in east London. 'Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds,' the image says, with a picture of Elon Musk in a Tesla. Below that, it reads: 'The Swasticar.' As of the time of writing, a TikTok of the poster being installed has more than 10 million views with 1.1 million likes. The group responsible for this viral moment is the U.K.-based collective Everyone Hates Elon. 'This is a real moment where people have had enough of billionaires getting involved in our politics,' one of the group's spokespeople says in an anonymous interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 'So how do you hurt the richest man in the world?' More from The Hollywood Reporter BBC Boss Isn't "Ruling Out" Reinstating Gaza Doc, Admits "Unanswered Questions Weren't Followed Up" Series Mania Unveils Buyers Upfront Lineup BritBox U.S. Now Tops 4 Million Subscribers, BBC Boss Tim Davie Says EHE is a currently just a handful of people working to 'piss off Elon Musk one small action at a time.' It all began in January, when a group of friends were decidedly fed up with Musk, founder of Tesla, owner of X and Donald Trump's head of department for government efficiency (DOGE), who was tweeting at the time: 'Free Tommy Robinson!' (Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a far-right activist and anti-Islam campaigner in the U.K., currently serving jail time for publicly repeating false accusations against a teenage Syrian refugee.) In addition to this, Musk has continuously attacked British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in relation to an infamous U.K. grooming scandal, making confusing and unsubstantiated claims. He said Starmer, who ran the country's Crime Prosecution Service from 2008-13 while the grooming gangs were investigated, is 'deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes' and called one of Starmer's ministers, Jess Phillips, a 'genocide rape apologist' for rejecting a request that the government lead a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation (Phillips later said a local inquiry was more effective at prompting change). Musk's fanning of political flames in Europe has continued in recent weeks, posting content such as 'From MAGA to MEGA: Make Europe Great Again!' and endorsing Germany and Britain's far-right parties. '[Musk] is the richest person in the world,' EHE says. 'He's got $200 billion richer last year while nurses in this country have to use food banks. And he thinks he's got a right to talk about what British people need or want.' Then Trump was inaugurated and Musk made what resembled a Nazi salute in front of the entire world. This gave EHE the momentum they needed. 'OK, Elon, if you're going to show the world who you are, let's show the world who Tesla really is,' the group adds, explaining that the car company's business is where the public can best vote against the tech mogul. This is when the campaign really started to take off. Millions of social media likes and one endorsement from Stephen King later, EHE's fundraiser, the People Versus Elon, is on track to make £150,000 ($190,000) by next year thanks to regular donors. People versus Elon is set up so that ordinary folk can donate as little as one penny every time Musk posts on X (which is around 2,000 times a month). The group is also selling 'Don't Buy a Swasticar' stickers. EHE says it is donating this money to causes Musk 'hates,' predominantly those supporting trans people, migrants, refugees as well as groups tackling racism and fascism in the U.K. Crucially, EHE sees these small donations as an enormous act of resistance: 'There's something really powerful about the idea of small actions funded by small donations taking on the world's richest man. There is a global movement of people who won't stand for his fascism and nonsense.' THR spoke to one of the people behind Everyone Hates Elon, discussing Europe's resistance to what's happening in the States, taking on furious Tesla buyers and giving the world the agency to stand up to Musk's politics: 'If we can do anything to make billionaires losers again, that would be amazing. … He's a gruesome man, and we all need to come together to stop him having this incredible influence over all of our lives.' Are you comfortable telling me where you're based and how many of you there are? We're spread around the U.K. … There's just a handful of us, a very small group of friends. We've been doing different campaigns together for a couple years now. And at the beginning of this year, we saw Elon Musk sticking his oar in and demanding new elections in the U.K., campaigning to free Tommy Robinson from prison. We just got really angry about it. We thought a billionaire shouldn't get to interfere in our democracy just because he owns Twitter. And then it escalated after he did that salute at Donald Trump's inauguration. Was that salute the catalyst in kickstarting your campaign? Well, we were already wanting to do something because of him getting involved in British politics and demanding elections in the U.K. He tweeted, 'Free Tommy Robinson' [and] he's been tweeting, 'Make Europe Great Again.' He's the richest person in the world. He's got $200 billion richer last year while nurses in this country have to use food banks. And he thinks he's got a right to talk about what British people need or want. We don't think he knows anything about the U.K. or about where we live. So initially, we started conversations at the beginning of January and it was more about that, but it was the salute that was the catalyst to start doing something. We basically launched after that. We called the [fundraiser] People Versus Elon, where people can pledge a penny every time he tweets and we donate the money to causes he hates. We're about to hit 1000 people pledging on that, and that's going to lead to around £150,000 ($190,000) raised this year so far. And it's just kind of exploded from there. You've already raised £150,000? We will have raised that by next year, because it's all regular donors. We've raised about £12,000 ($15,275) in the first month. We've had lots of people giving small amounts. We'd love to fund many more of these actions through small donations from ordinary people. Because I think there's something really powerful about the idea of small actions funded by small donations taking on the world's richest man. What kind of causes are you donating to — which are the ones you've highlighted as causes that Elon really hates? We're working with a group called Everyday Racism and we're working with two refugee groups. One of them is called Rainbow Migration, which, even just as a name, is the kind of thing he would absolutely hate. And then Women for Refugee Women, a group supporting women refugees, and a group supporting queer refugees, LGBTQI+ refugees. Also Hope Not Hate, who tackle far-right extremism in the U.K. So groups that support trans people, migrants and refugees, groups that tackle racism and hate in the U.K. Have you noticed any high-profile or famous figures supporting your cause? Stephen King posted our poster the other day on Bluesky, which was pretty amazing to see. The Guilty Feminist did a podcast about our People Versus Elon campaign. A few comedians have posted, too. Can I ask, are you in your 20s, 30s? I'd rather not say. Not a problem. So tell me about how the 'Swasticar' poster came to be. It's getting you some momentum. So we saw Elon Musk doing that salute at Donald Trump's inauguration. We felt like we had to do something. We wanted to call it out and call out his hypocrisy. It's one of these situations where we're sitting here thinking, how do you hurt the richest man in the world? His wealth mostly comes from Tesla. Of course, his other wealth comes from SpaceX, where there's government contracts and things like that. But Tesla is something that the public votes on. Every time someone buys a Tesla, they're voting for Elon Musk and what he stands for. He showed the world what he stood for when he stood up at Donald Trump's inauguration. And we think everybody should know what he stands for and should stand against that by not buying Teslas. So we were trying to think about creative ways to do that and to make that point. Firstly, we went to a Tesla showroom with a cardboard cutout of him doing the salute, and stood in front of customers who were getting ready to buy a Tesla. One of them got really angry at us and basically told us to fuck off. And that video got a couple million views on TikTok. Then the other one was … OK, Elon, if you're going to show the world who you are, let's show the world who Tesla really is, and obviously he wants to make the parallels to Nazi Germany with that salute. So he got us half the way there. It's coincided at a time where Tesla's sales in Europe have plummeted — for a number of different reasons. But European political leaders are trying to distance themselves from the Trump-Musk regime in the U.S. Do you think there's more resistance to Elon Musk over here? I think there's resistance all over the world. Honestly, when we started this, we thought we were going to be doing a campaign about Elon Musk getting involved in U.K. politics and standing against that. And what we found, actually, is that people all over the world have been showing their support. I can see who is looking at our content on our social media channels. We've been selling 'Don't Buy a Swasticar' stickers. Over half the orders have come from around the world, not just Europe, but from the U.S., from Canada, Australia. People have been sending messages of support. So I think it is true that Europe really stands against Musk and everything he represents. But I also think there is a global movement of people who won't stand for his fascism and nonsense. What is the end goal for Everyone Hates Elon? What are you capable of doing? I think we want to show that ordinary people can fight back against billionaire power and annoy Elon Musk one small action at a time. If we can do anything to make billionaires losers again, that would be amazing. More seriously, I think we're fed up with billionaires interfering in our politics, and we're calling it out. And I think every single person can do something. I think one of the big messages we're getting from people, and one of the things we were feeling in January, is that it can feel really powerless when you read the news about what Elon Musk is doing. You think, how does someone like me stand up to someone so wealthy? We want to show people that it's not just us taking actions. We want to find ways to give other people a chance to resist. So if they donate, we'll send them a PDF of the poster. We're selling stickers, we're giving people ways to show people they have agency and power. Are you worried at all about law enforcement when it comes to your protesting? No comment on that one. Have you been looking on at what's happening in the States in horror? Anybody who has gotten involved with the campaign, who's given money, who has shared the videos online, who has watched the TikToks — all of those interactions come from this feeling of disgust and horror about what's happening and who Elon Musk is and what he represents. This is a man who will tweet pictures of an empty office complaining that there's no one there on a Monday while his ex-partner [singer Grimes] goes viral for saying [in now-deleted X posts] he's not listening to her as she's asking him to pay medical bills for their child, and he's not responding so she's having to do it publicly. He's a gruesome man, and we all need to come together to stop him having this incredible influence over all of our lives. Wouldn't it be amazing if we didn't have to ever think about him ever again? That's the goal. A world where we don't have to ever think about Elon Musk ever again. It would be wonderful. You've accrued millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. Are you encouraged by the reaction so far? We didn't have any plans to even necessarily do what we're doing this long. We just thought, let's try something out and see how it goes. But the response has been absolutely incredible and has blown us away. That tells us we're not alone. There's so many people who've been feeling what we've been feeling this past couple of months and that gives us the strength and resolve to keep going. Is the idea to expand your group globally? I would absolutely love to get there. I think we've got a long way to go. I'd love it if people can keep giving to our crowdfunder and we can keep pissing Elon Musk off one small action at a time. I don't want to sound like a Premier League [soccer player] talking about focusing on the next game, but that's kind of how it feels. This is a real moment where people have had enough of billionaires getting involved in our politics and and we'd love to find ways to grow this movement. We encourage people to watch this space. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding" 'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Our progress in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic shows the importance of federal support
It is almost unimaginable how far we have come from the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. The first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, and the mortality rate increased every year until it peaked in 1995. In that year, more than 40,000 people died from complications related to AIDS. To date, more than 700,000 Americans have died from AIDS. The good news is that there has been a steady decrease in HIV deaths. Today, HIV medications have made it possible to live a long, healthy, and productive life with HIV. We now have the tools we need to end the epidemic — antiretroviral therapy (ART) medications that can reduce a person's viral load to undetectable, meaning they will never develop AIDS and they can no longer transmit HIV to their sexual partners or unborn children. We also have pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which, if taken regularly, prevents a person from acquiring HIV. These are biomedical miracles. We have a strong public health infrastructure to prevent HIV transmissions and deaths by reaching people who are most disproportionately impacted by HIV. This progress would not have been possible without investments from the U.S. government. However, this whole system is in jeopardy. A federal funding freeze - or any cut to HIV funding in an attempt to align with recent executive orders - could be devastating. Any lapse or reduction in funding for life-saving HIV programs will not only threaten this progress but have negative economic impacts throughout the country. Federal support for HIV/AIDS has always been bipartisan. In 1990, Congress passed the Ryan White CARE Act, named after a teenage boy living with HIV from Indiana who faced stigma and discrimination. The CARE Act invested federal funds necessary to develop lifesaving services for people living with HIV to access HIV treatment, care, and support. The Care Act has also been enthusiastically supported by both sides of the aisle since 1990. Republican administrations have a long history of developing HIV/AIDS programming — such as President Trump's Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (EHE) initiative and President Bush's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The Trump administration's EHE initiative directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce new HIV transmissions in the United States by at least 90% by 2030. The initiative focuses on the 57 jurisdictions with the highest rates of HIV transmission and provides additional resources to these areas for them to develop and implement local plans to end the HIV epidemic. States, counties, and territories that have received EHE funding saw a 21% lower HIV transmission rate than non-EHE jurisdictions. Federally-funded HIV programs also have a positive economic impact across the nation. Between 2012 and 2022, approximately 27,900 new HIV transmissions were prevented, which saved over an estimated $15 billion in lifetime medical costs. While cases averted provide cost savings, approximately 31,800 new HIV transmissions took place in the U.S. in 2022, leading to lifetime treatment costs of $15.9 billion just for those new cases. These are costs that our economy can no longer afford. Yet the 1.2 million people in the U.S. who are already living with HIV, who reach an undetectable viral load, can live long, productive lives in the American workforce and as thriving members of their communities. Investing in the health of people living with HIV and in preventing new transmissions would generate significant savings and potential growth for our for HIV prevention, treatment, and care also supports a vast infrastructure of more than 300,000 public health first responders to the HIV epidemic. This includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, phlebotomists, clinical staff, laboratory technicians, and community health workers across the nation especially at the state and local levels. There is a growing public health workforce shortage in the U.S. and the continued funding of HIV programs will help maintain critical staff to continue doing their lifesaving work. Any lapse or reduction in federal funding for HIV programming jeopardizes our progress in addressing HIV, and transfers the burden of HIV prevention, care and treatment to overwhelmed state governments. Most of the 57 EHE jurisdictions are in the South, which has the greatest burden of HIV transmission and deaths of any U.S. region. Those states rely heavily on federal funding to implement their programs because their state does not have the infrastructure to support them. The end of the HIV epidemic – something that we could not even imagine in the 1980s and 1990s – is in sight. The health care infrastructure that has made this all possible has strengthened our nation and developed our public health workforce. Continuous investment is needed to prevent the hurt of disease and the cost to our economy. We must ensure that we sustain the progress that we have made in ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. The health of our people and economy depends on it.
