Latest news with #healthPolicy
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
RFK's health report omits key facts in painting dark vision for US children
A new report led by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr lays out a dark vision of American children's health and calls for agencies to examine vaccines, ultra-processed foods, environmental chemicals, lack of exercise and 'overmedicalization'. Kennedy has made combatting the chronic disease 'epidemic' a cornerstone of his vision for the US, even as he has ignored common causes of chronic conditions, such as smoking and alcohol use. The 69-page report is the result of a February executive order by Donald Trump that established a 'Make America Healthy Again' (Maha) commission and required it to report on children's health. While the report broadly summarizes scientific evidence about nutrition, mental health, chemical exposures and children's mental health, it ignores the leading causes of death for children – firearms and motor vehicle accidents – and one of the most common chronic conditions: dental cavities. 'We will save lives by addressing this chronic disease epidemic head-on. We're going to save a lot more money in the long run – and even in the short run,' Kennedy said in a press call on Thursday about the report. Notably, the report reflects some of Kennedy's bugbears where science is unsettled, but argues research 'demonstrates the need for continued studies', such as on fluoride in water and electromagnetic radiation. The report also criticizes the growth in the childhood vaccine schedule. The vaccine schedule is widely accepted in the medical community as safe and effective. Additions are publicly debated in meetings with both career government scientists and outside expert advisers. It also points to research that the report argues 'raise[s] important questions' about medications – such as antidepressants, stimulants, GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and gender-affirming care – which are widely considered safe and even standard care. The flavor of the report is well-represented in a section on 'medicalization', which describes the potential for 'undetected but potentially major long-term repercussions'. The portion describes 'established harms' as 'the tip of a potentially vast iceberg representing both detectable short term negative effects, and potentially hidden negative effects with long term implications'. The report comes as the administration has taken a raft of actions researchers consider contrary to the health of Americans, such as eliminating world-leading sexually transmitted disease research laboratories and highly effective tobacco-prevention offices and pushing health leaders and researchers to quit or be fired in the face of censorship and politicization. While the report compares US life expectancy and healthcare costs to peer-developed democracies, it does not mention how other nations typically finance healthcare for all citizens: often at minimal or no cost. By contrast, about 26 million Americans lack health insurance coverage, and the Republican-controlled House passed a bill only hours earlier that was expected to kick 13 million low-income people off public health insurance by 2033 and cut federal food support for the poor. Health spending in the US is also characterized by unbridled prices and substantial administrative costs associated with administering a labyrinthine public-private system. In spite of the report's apparent bias toward issues of concern for Kennedy, there are some areas which, much like the Maha movement itself, will make strange political bedfellows. For instance, many of the left and right likely share concerns over industry capture of regulators of food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. 'Pesticides, microplastics and dioxins are commonly found in the blood and urine of American children and pregnant women – some at alarming levels,' the report states, citing issues of pollution that will likely resonate on a bipartisan basis. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion In the past, it has been Republicans who typically fought against regulations on those industries. This anxiety was reflected even before the report's release, as many Republicans representing rural and agricultural districts criticized the report before its publication, including in a letter from 79 Republican lawmakers in early April and in questioning from the Mississippi Republican senator Cindy Hyde-Smith this week on Capitol Hill. 'It's no secret you were involved with pesticide litigation prior to becoming secretary,' said Hyde-Smith, who asked whether Kennedy could remain objective when writing the report. 'There is not a single word in them that should worry the American farmer,' Kennedy replied. 'You can prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt?' Hyde-Smith retorted. 'You'll see the report,' Kennedy said. That pressure, in turn, has prompted pushback from influencers in Kennedy's orbit, including many who identify directly with the Maha movement. The work of the Maha commission was reportedly spearheaded by senior the Kennedy advisor Calley Means, a former food lobbyist and healthcare entrepreneur who rose to prominence as a Maha 'truth-teller'. Means co-wrote a bestselling book with his sister, the current US surgeon general nominee Casey Means, which blames many of the US's ills on sedentary lifestyle and poor diet.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Kennedy's placebo requirement for vaccine testing could cost lives
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his hearing before Congress last week doubled down on his plans to revamp the vaccine approval process. The health and human services secretary claimed that no vaccines other than the coronavirus shots had been tested against a placebo, which he vowed to 'remedy.' An HHS spokesperson previously characterized conducting placebo-controlled trials as 'a radical departure from past practices.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
RFK Jr.'s running mate criticizes surgeon general nominee
Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s former running mate has spoken out against President Donald Trump's new surgeon general nominee - and suggested someone besides the Health and Human Services secretary and Trump is pulling the strings. The president stunningly announced Wednesday he was nominating Casey Means to be the nation's top doctor and work directly with Kennedy at the Department of Health and Human Services to direct health policy. Nicole Shanahan (pictured), who ran as Kennedy's pick for vice president during his short-lived 2024 presidential run, called the nomination 'strange' - and claimed that Kennedy had 'promised' her neither Casey nor her brother Calley would serve at the Department of Health and Human Services if she were to support Kennedy's nomination to the Cabinet position. 'Yes it's very strange. Doesn't make any sense,' she wrote in response to another post expressing concern that Casey has 'just about no clinical experience.' 'I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these sibling would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),' Shanahan claimed on X. She added that she is now unsure whether RFK Jr 'very clearly lied to me,' but said: 'It has been apparent in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone who is controlling his decisions (and isn't President Trump).' The billionaire divorcee then concluded her message by hitting out at the Means siblings, saying 'there is something artificial and aggressive' about them 'almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets.' Means (pictured) is a Stanford University-trained physician and runs a business on on holistic health and combating chronic illness, according to her website. Her book, 'Good Energy: The Surprising Connection between Metabolism and Limitless Health' is a New York Times Bestseller. Means criticizes the conflicts of interest in the food industry and the government agencies that regulate them as well as the importance of physical activity in promoting wellness. She is also popular in the podcast community and the MAHA (Make America Healthy AGAIN) movement, appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Tucker Carlson Show to discuss the future of public health and wellness. Her brother, Calley, a former food industry lobbyist, has also previously been appointed as a special government employee at the Department of Health and Human Services. 'Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans,' Trump wrote on Truth Social, making the announcement. 'Her academic achievements, together with her life's work, are absolutely outstanding,' he continued, sayin she 'has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States history.' Kennedy also expressed his support for the nominee in a Thursday morning post on X, calling her a 'breath of fresh air. 'She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom and gold-standard medical advice, even when it challenges popular orthodoxies,' he wrote. 'She will be a juggernaut against the ossified medical conventions that have helped make our people the sickest in the world at the highest cost per capita.' But many are now skeptical about Means' credentials to be the next surgeon general. She does not have an active medical license, having never completed her training as an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon after graduating from Stanford University's medical school - leading to criticism from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, according to the Independent. 'How is the top doctor in the US supposed to give medical guidance and advice to the nation when she doesn't even have an active medical license in the state where she allegedly practiced medicine?' Loomer asked, rhetorically. 'Does Casey Means even have an active medical license in any state??' 'This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration,' she lamented. In a separate post, Loomer said 'It is worth noting that Casey Means doesn't have a surgical residency and isn't a surgeon. 'The term Surgeon General is interesting given the fact that there is no requirement to be a surgeon to be Surgeon General,' she continued. 'Turns out you can be a social media influencer and become Surgeon General.' Others have also attacked Means for not being skeptical enough about vaccines, even though she has declared it is 'criminal' to require vaccinations and said she supports Kennedy 'relentlessly pushing for vaccine safety.' Means claimed that 'the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule' could be the cause of health problems in children - and supported Kennedy's efforts to investigate the matter. It now appears Trump appointed Means to be the country's top doctor after he received backlash for his first pick to hold the position - former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat (Pictured). Her credentials had come into question last month after CBS News reported she graduated from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine rather than the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. Many in Trump's base also had concerns over Nesheiwat's former support of vaccinations, sharing clips of her participating in the TikTok trend of dancing nurses trying to inform the public about how to protect themselves during the pandemic in 2020 and praising Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for censoring and banning so-called 'misinformation' about vaccines on Facebook and Instagram. But it seems Nesheiwat grew more skeptical about the federal government's guidance in recent years, as she criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for profiting off unnecessary vaccines for kids in 2022. 'There's no good reason to have a vaccine that can't stop disease, can't stop transmission on the scheduled vaccination,' she said during an appearance on then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show. Still, Trump ultimately decided to pull Nesheiwat's nomination - just one day before she was set to appear at the US Senate for her confirmation hearing. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need. RFK Jr.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
How to Raise Super-Achievers? Hint: It's Not the Cereal.
THE FAMILY DYNAMIC: A Journey Into the Mystery of Sibling Success, by Susan Dominus Once, when I was giving a lecture on health policy, I'd thoughtlessly failed to turn my phone off, and unexpectedly it rang. 'It's my brother,' I said. Someone called out, 'Answer it, it's the White House!' 'No,' I said, 'it's the other brother — the successful one.' Afterward, a crowd gathered to ask questions, but they weren't interested in the substance of my talk. Instead, most asked some version of, 'What did your mom put in the breakfast cereal?' I often get that question from anxious new parents wanting to know how they can raise their children to be 'successful.' Susan Dominus had that question, too. Finding no book on the subject, she set out to elucidate the commonalities among families that had 'more than one high-achieving child.' The result is her wonderfully engaging new work, 'The Family Dynamic.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
RFK Jr's running mate lashes out over surgeon general nominee and makes bold claim about who is pulling the strings
Robert F Kennedy Jr.'s former running mate has spoken out against President Donald Trump 's new surgeon general nominee - and suggested someone besides the Health and Human Services secretary and Trump is pulling the strings. The president stunningly announced Wednesday he was nominating Casey Means to be the nation's top doctor and work directly with Kennedy at the Department of Health and Human Services to direct health policy. Nicole Shanahan, who ran as Kennedy's pick for vice president during his short-lived 2024 presidential run, called the nomination 'strange' - and claimed that Kennedy had 'promised' her neither Casey nor her brother Calley would serve at the Department of Health and Human Services if she were to support Kennedy's nomination to the Cabinet position. 'Yes it's very strange. Doesn't make any sense,' she wrote in response to another post expressing concern that Casey has 'just about no clinical experience.' 'I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these sibling would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be),' Shanahan claimed on X. She added that she is now unsure whether RFK Jr 'very clearly lied to me,' but said: 'It has been apparent in recent conversations that he is reporting to someone who is controlling his decisions (and isn't President Trump).' The billionaire divorcee then concluded her message by hitting out at the Means siblings, saying 'there is something artificial and aggressive' about them 'almost like they were bred and raised Manchurian assets.' Shanahan claimed Kennedy told her neither Casey Means nor her brother would be appointed to positions at the department if she supported his nomination to the Cabinet position Means is a Stanford University-trained physician and runs a business on on holistic health and combating chronic illness, according to her website. Her book, 'Good Energy: The Surprising Connection between Metabolism and Limitless Health' is a New York Times Bestseller. Means criticizes the conflicts of interest in the food industry and the government agencies that regulate them as well as the importance of physical activity in promoting wellness. She is also popular in the podcast community and the MAHA (Make America Healthy AGAIN) movement, appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience and the Tucker Carlson Show to discuss the future of public health and wellness. Her brother, Calley, a former food industry lobbyist, has also previously been appointed as a special government employee at the Department of Health and Human Services. 'Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans,' Trump wrote on Truth Social, making the announcement. 'Her academic achievements, together with her life's work, are absolutely outstanding,' he continued, sayin she 'has the potential to be one of the finest Surgeon Generals in United States history.' Kennedy also expressed his support for the nominee in a Thursday morning post on X, calling her a 'breath of fresh air. 'She will provide our country with ethical guidance, wisdom and gold-standard medical advice, even when it challenges popular orthodoxies,' he wrote. 'She will be a juggernaut against the ossified medical conventions that have helped make our people the sickest in the world at the highest cost per capita.' But many are now skeptical about Means' credentials to be the next surgeon general. She does not have an active medical license, having never completed her training as an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon after graduating from Stanford University's medical school - leading to criticism from Trump loyalist Laura Loomer, according to the Independent. 'How is the top doctor in the US supposed to give medical guidance and advice to the nation when she doesn't even have an active medical license in the state where she allegedly practiced medicine?' Loomer asked, rhetorically. 'Does Casey Means even have an active medical license in any state??' 'This is so embarrassing for the Trump administration,' she lamented. In a separate post, Loomer said 'It is worth noting that Casey Means doesn't have a surgical residency and isn't a surgeon. 'The term Surgeon General is interesting given the fact that there is no requirement to be a surgeon to be Surgeon General,' she continued. 'Turns out you can be a social media influencer and become Surgeon General.' Others have also attacked Means for not being skeptical enough about vaccines, even though she has declared it is 'criminal' to require vaccinations and said she supports Kennedy 'relentlessly pushing for vaccine safety.' Means claimed that 'the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule' could be the cause of health problems in children - and supported Kennedy's efforts to investigate the matter. It now appears Trump appointed Means to be the country's top doctor after he received backlash for his first pick to hold the position - former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat. Her credentials had come into question last month after CBS News reported she graduated from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine rather than the University of Arkansas School of Medicine. Many in Trump's base also had concerns over Nesheiwat's former support of vaccinations, sharing clips of her participating in the TikTok trend of dancing nurses trying to inform the public about how to protect themselves during the pandemic in 2020 and praising Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for censoring and banning so-called 'misinformation' about vaccines on Facebook and Instagram. But it seems Nesheiwat grew more skeptical about the federal government's guidance in recent years, as she criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for profiting off unnecessary vaccines for kids in 2022. 'There's no good reason to have a vaccine that can't stop disease, can't stop transmission on the scheduled vaccination,' she said during an appearance on then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show. Still, Trump ultimately decided to pull Nesheiwat's nomination - just one day before she was set to appear at the US Senate for her confirmation hearing.
