Latest news with #Obama-administration
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Pro-Vaccine Surgeon Who Will Soon Report to RFK Jr.
Leading the FDA has long been one of the greatest professional achievements in American health. At the start of every administration, doctors jockey for the role, hoping to steer an agency that regulates 20 cents of every dollar spent in the United States. To be the FDA commissioner who presides over the approval of a cure for a previously intractable disease, or who launches an investigation into a product that is sickening Americans, is to etch your name into the annals of modern medicine. Perhaps you've never heard of David Kessler, the FDA commissioner for much of the 1990s, but he is largely the reason the federal government regulates cigarettes at all. Marty Makary, Donald Trump's pick for FDA commissioner, is undoubtedly qualified for the job. A longtime Johns Hopkins surgeon and best-selling author, he has advised the World Health Organization and been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. (Makary, whose confirmation hearings kicked off in the Senate this morning, told Senator Rand Paul that he spent part of yesterday removing a patient's gallbladder.) Makary is not universally embraced: As a Fox News contributor, he has repeatedly critiqued the medical establishment on air. But he's still widely regarded as well credentialed. 'He has the ability to become one of the greatest commissioners we've seen,' Kavita Patel, a physician and former Obama-administration official who considers Makary a personal friend, told me. But Makary might end up with one of the worst jobs in the entire Trump administration. His scientific bona fides are at odds with the impulses of his boss, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The newly confirmed secretary of Health and Human Services, who has a penchant for spreading conspiracy theories, has promised lawmakers that he will empower scientists and won't 'impose my preordained opinions on anybody.' But he has also promised to change the agency so radically that delivering on that vision would require Makary to throw much of his medical training out the window. What Makary decides to do will go a long way in determining the extent to which Kennedy is able to remake American health in his image. That's not to say that Makary, who did not respond to a request for comment, will be waging a war of resistance against everything RFK Jr. wants and believes. During his testimony this morning, Makary spoke about his desire to improve America's diet and address chronic disease—both of which Kennedy has made his central focus as America's health secretary. 'We now have a generational opportunity in American health care,' Makary said. 'President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's focus on healthy foods has galvanized a grassroots movement in America.' Last fall, he took part in a roundtable with Kennedy where he lamented that 'highly addictive chemicals' lace the U.S. food supply. Tackling that issue will be Makary's surest bet for delivering on what Kennedy wants. Contrary to Kennedy's long-standing anti-vaccine advocacy, Makary reiterated in his Senate testimony that he believes that 'vaccines save lives.' But like Kennedy and several other prominent Trump health advisers, Makary has been a vocal critic of how the Biden administration handled COVID. In 2021, he called out the FDA's decision to approve COVID boosters for young, healthy Americans, citing a lack of clear evidence for their benefits relative to the potential side effects. The government's 'policies are no longer driven by science,' he wrote at the time, and 'data is being cherry-picked to support predetermined agendas.' (The FDA pushed forward with boosters for young adults without convening its own independent advisory committee, though the agency said its decision was supported by data.) Other statements Makary has made are more questionable. In an appearance on Fox News in July 2023, he said that '100 percent' of Kennedy's book on Anthony Fauci was true. He didn't acknowledge that the book falsely claims that 'COVID vaccines were causing far more deaths than they were averting.' ('The Marty you might see on Fox News clips is obviously not the person I know,' Patel told me.) Much of what Makary actually wants to do at the FDA remains unclear. He spent little time during his testimony on Thursday outlining his moves once confirmed. Still, most of the changes Kennedy wants to see at the agency are untenable for any FDA commissioner concerned about adhering to basic science. Kennedy has said that the FDA's 'war' on treatments such as stem cells and psychedelic drugs 'is about to end.' Decisions on how to regulate these products typically don't rest with the health secretary or the FDA commissioner, but with the agency's scientists and doctors. In both cases, there is no scientific reason for the FDA to change course. The agency doesn't allow stem-cell treatments for most conditions because they aren't proven to work and can cause people serious harm; last year, the FDA rejected what would have been the first MDMA-based medical treatment, likely due to shoddy clinical-trial data. On his own, Makary can do only so much. The FDA's powers are actually given by law to the HHS secretary, who then has historically delegated powers to the FDA commissioner, according to Lewis Grossman, a law professor at American University. What is given can be taken away; if Kennedy wants to meddle in Makary's work, he's well within his rights to do so. Still, should Makary stand up to Kennedy, he will not be the first FDA secretary to clash with more powerful officials in the administration. Kessler's efforts to investigate the tobacco industry were so controversial in Washington that, as he wrote in his memoir, the White House worried he would resign if they didn't allow him to continue his work. If Makary can conjure up a similar power—using whatever leverage and cache he would have as FDA commissioner to negotiate with Kennedy and the Trump White House—he may hold his own. Makary 'has both a mandate and an authority to not feel like he needs to step in line with any secretary, much less RFK Jr.,' Patel said. The first major test for how willing Makary is to stand up to his boss will likely center on mifepristone, an abortion pill. Kennedy told senators in January that he would order the FDA and NIH to review the safety of the drug to determine whether access to it should be restricted. (Access to mifepristone varies by state, though prescriptions via telehealth have complicated the picture.) But that review has already been done. The FDA recently rereviewed the drug's safety information, and determined that previous restrictions around the drug, namely that patients needed to physically go to a clinic to get it, were unnecessary. The agency is unlikely to find any new evidence that the drug is especially dangerous. If Makary comes up with a reason to question its safety, and thus meddles with the agency's previous findings, it will show that his loyalty rests more with Kennedy than FDA's scientists. During his confirmation hearing, Makary was unwilling to preview how exactly he would come down on the issue, much to the frustration of some Democratic senators. In any administration, overseeing the FDA's sprawling, vital work is a colossal undertaking. Should he be confirmed, Makary will be tasked with safeguarding the infant formula Americans feed their newborns, the cosmetics we use on our skin, the painkillers we take when we have a headache, the chemotherapy we receive to fight cancer, the pacemakers that keep hearts ticking, the flu shots we get every fall, and even the hand sanitizer we reach for when our hands are dirty. Makary's biggest challenge, however, could turn out to be his ability to manage up. His ideal version of the FDA presumably is different from Kennedy's. They both can't get their way. Article originally published at The Atlantic
Atlantic
06-03-2025
- Health
- Atlantic
The Pro-Vaccine Surgeon Who Will Soon Report to RFK Jr.
Leading the FDA has long been one of the greatest professional achievements in American health. At the start of every administration, doctors jockey for the role, hoping to steer an agency that r egulates 20 cents of every dollar spent in the United States. To be the FDA commissioner who presides over the approval of a cure for a previously intractable disease, or who launches an investigation into a product that is sickening Americans, is to etch your name into the annals of modern medicine. Perhaps you've never heard of David Kessler, the FDA commissioner for much of the 1990s, but he is largely the reason the federal government regulates cigarettes at all. Marty Makary, Donald Trump's pick for FDA commissioner, is undoubtedly qualified for the job. A longtime Johns Hopkins surgeon and best-selling author, he has advised the World Health Organization and been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. (Makary, whose confirmation hearings kicked off in the Senate this morning, told Senator Rand Paul that he spent part of yesterday removing a patient's gallbladder.) Makary is not universally embraced: As a Fox News contributor, he has repeatedly critiqued the medical establishment on air. But he's still widely regarded as well credentialed. 'He has the ability to become one of the greatest commissioners we've seen,' Kavita Patel, a physician and former Obama-administration official who considers Makary a personal friend, told me. But Makary might end up with one of the worst jobs in the entire Trump administration. His scientific bona fides are at odds with the impulses of his boss, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The newly confirmed secretary of Health and Human Services, who has a penchant for spreading conspiracy theories, has promised lawmakers that he will empower scientists and won't 'impose my preordained opinions on anybody.' But he has also promised to change the agency so radically that delivering on that vision would require Makary to throw much of his medical training out the window. What Makary decides to do will go a long way in determining the extent to which Kennedy is able to remake American health in his image. That's not to say that Makary, who did not respond to a request for comment, will be waging a war of resistance against everything RFK Jr. wants and believes. During his testimony this morning, Makary spoke about his desire to improve America's diet and address chronic disease—both of which Kennedy has made his central focus as America's health secretary. 'We now have a generational opportunity in American health care,' Makary said. 'President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's focus on healthy foods has galvanized a grassroots movement in America.' Last fall, he took part in a roundtable with Kennedy where he lamented that 'highly addictive chemicals' lace the U.S. food supply. Tackling that issue will be Makary's surest bet for delivering on what Kennedy wants. Contrary to Kennedy's long-standing anti-vaccine advocacy, Makary reiterated in his Senate testimony that he believes that 'vaccines save lives.' But like Kennedy and several other prominent Trump health advisers, Makary has been a vocal critic of how the Biden administration handled COVID. In 2021, he called out the FDA's decision to approve COVID boosters for young, healthy Americans, citing a lack of clear evidence for their benefits relative to the potential side effects. The government's 'policies are no longer driven by science,' he wrote at the time, and 'data is being cherry-picked to support predetermined agendas.' (The FDA pushed forward with boosters for young adults without convening its own independent advisory committee, though the agency said its decision was supported by data.) Other statements Makary has made are more questionable. In an appearance on Fox News in July 2023, he said that '100 percent' of Kennedy's book on Anthony Fauci was true. He didn't acknowledge that the book falsely claims that 'COVID vaccines were causing far more deaths than they were averting.' ('The Marty you might see on Fox News clips is obviously not the person I know,' Patel told me.) Much of what Makary actually wants to do at the FDA remains unclear. He spent little time during his testimony on Thursday outlining his moves once confirmed. Still, most of the changes Kennedy wants to see at the agency are untenable for any FDA commissioner concerned about adhering to basic science. Kennedy has said that the FDA's 'war' on treatments such as stem cells and psychedelic drugs 'is about to end.' Decisions on how to regulate these products typically don't rest with the health secretary or the FDA commissioner, but with the agency's scientists and doctors. In both cases, there is no scientific reason for the FDA to change course. The agency doesn't allow stem-cell treatments for most conditions because they aren't proven to work and can cause people serious harm; last year, the FDA rejected what would have been the first MDMA-based medical treatment, likely due to shoddy clinical-trial data. On his own, Makary can do only so much. The FDA's powers are actually given by law to the HHS secretary, who then has historically delegated powers to the FDA commissioner, according to Lewis Grossman, a law professor at American University. What is given can be taken away; if Kennedy wants to meddle in Makary's work, he's well within his rights to do so. Still, should Makary stand up to Kennedy, he will not be the first FDA secretary to clash with more powerful officials in the administration. Kessler's efforts to investigate the tobacco industry were so controversial in Washington that, as he wrote in his memoir, the White House worried he would resign if they didn't allow him to continue his work. If Makary can conjure up a similar power—using whatever leverage and cache he would have as FDA commissioner to negotiate with Kennedy and the Trump White House—he may hold his own. Makary 'has both a mandate and an authority to not feel like he needs to step in line with any secretary, much less RFK Jr.,' Patel said. The first major test for how willing Makary is to stand up to his boss will likely center on mifepristone, an abortion pill. Kennedy told senators in January that he would order the FDA and NIH to review the safety of the drug to determine whether access to it should be restricted. (Access to mifepristone varies by state, though prescriptions via telehealth have complicated the picture.) But that review has already been done. The FDA recently rereviewed the drug's safety information, and determined that previous restrictions around the drug, namely that patients needed to physically go to a clinic to get it, were unnecessary. The agency is unlikely to find any new evidence that the drug is especially dangerous. If Makary comes up with a reason to question its safety, and thus meddles with the agency's previous findings, it will show that his loyalty rests more with Kennedy than FDA's scientists. During his confirmation hearing, Makary was unwilling to preview how exactly he would come down on the issue, much to the frustration of some Democratic senators. In any administration, overseeing the FDA's sprawling, vital work is a colossal undertaking. Should he be confirmed, Makary will be tasked with safeguarding the infant formula Americans feed their newborns, the cosmetics we use on our skin, the painkillers we take when we have a headache, the chemotherapy we receive to fight cancer, the pacemakers that keep hearts ticking, the flu shots we get every fall, and even the hand sanitizer we reach for when our hands are dirty. Makary's biggest challenge, however, could turn out to be his ability to manage up. His ideal version of the FDA presumably is different from Kennedy's. They both can't get their way.
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterates intention to sue Google over gulf renaming
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterates intention to sue Google over gulf renaming Show Caption Hide Caption White House bars AP reporter over 'Gulf of America' renaming President Donald Trump's administration said the Associated Press was barred from a press briefing over their style decisions around renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened legal action against Google again Monday after it changed the name of the body of water between Mexico and Florida to the "Gulf of America." President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office renaming the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America" in an ongoing bid to put America first. Google later changed the name in its maps and Sheinbaum has already threatened to sue the tech giant in hopes it would reconsider. In a press conference Monday, Sheinbaum reiterated her intentions, saying she was waiting for Google's response to her government's latest letter before proceeding with legal action. The second letter reminded Google that maritime zones under the U.S.'s sovereignty extend for a maximum of 12 nautical miles from the coast. She also read out Google's previous response, which stated the map would still read "Gulf of Mexico" when users are in Mexico. Renaming the gulf "overreaches the power of any national authority or private entity. And, in this case, Mexico's government will proceed to exercise the actions that it deems appropriate according to the law," Sheinbaum said in Spanish, which was translated by USA TODAY. "We are waiting for Google's response, and if not, we will proceed in court." Gulf of America? No paper straws? Trump makes his mark in ways big and small Google users see different names based on where they are located Trump's executive order renaming the gulf also reverses an Obama-administration geography name-change by reverting the name of the Alaska mountain "Denali" to "Mount McKinley." While flying over the body of water on his way to the Super Bowl, he also proclaimed Feb. 9 as "Gulf of America Day." The process to change a geographic name usually takes at least six months as the U.S. Board on Geographic Names consults with states, tribes, mapmakers and other parties, but Trump's order has already been enacted in Google maps, Apple maps, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, to name a few. Google has previously said, "we have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources." The company has not responded to USA TODAY's inquiry regarding Sheinbaum's latest letter. Depending on where Google Map users are in the world, they could see both names reflected on the map. Google has used this approach in other instances when official names vary between countries. Contributing: Kayla Jimenez, Fernando Cervantes Jr. Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at kcrowley@ and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.
USA Today
10-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
President Donald Trump declares Feb. 9 as 'Gulf of America Day': What to know
President Donald Trump declares Feb. 9 as 'Gulf of America Day': What to know Show Caption Hide Caption Trump says he's renaming Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America' President-elect Donald Trump told reporters he plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Sunday declaring Feb. 9 as the inaugural 'Gulf of America Day.' While flying over the Gulf of Mexico on his way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump held a news conference announcing the new honored day and other executive order plans for the week. "As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America," Trump stated in the proclamation. It's the latest in Trump's push to rename the body of water between Florida and Texas, though the change could take months to enact. Super Bowl Sunday takeaways: Trump targets Education, Defense for savings; prepares tariffs on steel, aluminum Trump pushes to rename the 'Gulf of Mexico' to the 'Gulf of America' Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" to the "Gulf of America." The order also reverses an Obama-administration geography name-change by reverting the name of the Alaska mountain "Denali" to "Mount McKinley." The process to change a geographic name usually takes at leastsix months as the U.S. Board on Geographic Names consults with states, tribes, mapmakers and other parties, but Trump's order called for it to go into effect within 30 days. Google has said it will update the name on its maps when it has been updated on official government sources. Other countries aren't required to recognize the name, but international organizations would need to help mediate the discrepancies. The moves drew pushback from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who argued to Google that the U.S. cannot unilaterally rename the gulf as it is shared with Mexico and Cuba. Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Trevor Hughes, Gabe Hauari Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at kcrowley@ and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.
