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Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
AI: A new lab partner in biotech
THE REGULATORS Biotech companies are using a new set of artificial intelligence products to hasten drug discovery and other scientific research, and they're energized by the Food and Drug Administration's apparent embrace of generative AI tools, said biotech leaders at a virtual Google Cloud AI roundtable Thursday. What they said: Generative AI tools can absorb some tedious work that scientists would normally perform, like extracting novel insights from large datasets, including scientific literature or the human genome, the latter of which could take 'thousands of years' to comb through manually, said Ben Mabey, chief technology officer at Recursion, a pharmaceutical company. 'We can have [generative AI] agents do that and save the really hard problems for humans,' he said. The remarks come as the FDA looks to universalize AI use in-house. Earlier this month, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary mandated the agency's divisions to use AI to conduct scientific reviews by the end of June. Mabey and other biotech executives, including Girish Naganathan, chief technology officer of glucose monitoring tech company Dexcom, said that's a good sign for health AI's future as the FDA looks to build a regulatory framework for the technology. Now, companies like Dexcom are 'engaged in providing feedback to and seeking input from the FDA as we take steps to incorporate gen-AI into our products,' Naganathan said. Artificial intelligence could help the FDA achieve other goals it set earlier this year, particularly one that aims to phase out animal testing with 'more effective, human-relevant methods,' Mabey said. 'We can replace [animals] with [AI] models that are more predictive, not just of the animals but of the humans we care about,' he said. 'It's a great North Star to work towards.' Why it matters: Biotech companies are sizing up the FDA's relationship with AI to understand how the agency might regulate those tools. Regulations will likely influence their bottom line and dictate, for example, how many hurdles a company must clear to bring a drug borne out of AI to market. WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Scientists have developed gene delivery 'trucks' that can target specific brain cells, which could lead to therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, The Washington Post reports. Radiologists are skeptical about how well AI can detect and diagnose cancer, even as the Food and Drug Administration clears the technology to analyze mammograms and imaging centers adopt these programs, STAT reports. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health used machine learning to identify an early biomarker of aggressive breast cancer and help predict which patients could be at high risk of recurrence or death from the disease. The findings: The researchers used machine learning to detect minute changes in more than 9,000 samples of connective breast tissue, called stromal tissue, and found that significant abnormalities were associated with more aggressive forms of breast cancer and greater mortality, particularly in women with invasive forms of the disease. An analysis of the stromal tissue samples — from healthy women, women with benign breast disease and women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer — suggested that so-called disruptive tissue might be tied to common risk factors for aggressive breast cancer, such as being Black, obese or young. The study also found that significantly abnormal tissue was linked to higher risks of aggressive cancer and faster progression from benign breast disease to cancer than tissue with little to no stromal disruption. Those disruptions can be influenced by chronic inflammation and wound healing, but according to Dr. Mustapha Abubakar, one of the study authors, 'We don't know which one comes first: inflammation [and wound healing] or stromal disruptions.' It's also not yet clear how people can prevent stromal anomalies from occurring. Why it matters: The findings come as breast cancer incidence is rising in young women. A 2024 study by the American Cancer Society found that breast cancer incidence among women under 50 was increasing at 1.4 percent a year — about twice as fast compared with women older than 50. The disease is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women — only behind skin cancers. These findings, if replicable and transferable, could offer scientists a therapeutic target. It also gives women another reason to get biopsies, Abubakar said; stromal disruptions don't manifest in anything we can see with our naked eye and can only be detected under a microscope. It could take years for these findings to yield tangible impacts for women in clinical settings, Abubakar added. But scientists are moving faster than ever by using machine learning to identify patterns or anomalies in images of tissue, sequences of genomes and other data sets.
Politico
3 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
An Interview With Shannon Bream
Happy last Friday in May! Thanks for reading Women Rule. Hit our lines: ecordover@ and klong@ This week, I sat down with a veteran reporter about her trailblazer status, covering Trump 2.0 and maintaining neutrality in today's political atmosphere. Shannon Bream is FOX News Sunday's first female anchor. She pivoted to TV journalism after starting her career as a lawyer specializing in race discrimination and sexual harassment, joined Fox in 2007 as a Washington D.C.-based correspondent covering the Supreme Court and has helmed FOX News Sunday since 2022. Bream came under fire from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) last year for asking the representative a question about how her support of President Donald Trump has changed over time, citing a New York Times article. 'It's a disgrace you would quote The New York Times with nameless and faceless people,' Stefanik said, which led to a sharp back and forth between the two. 'For me, it's not an unusual or bold choice to cite The New York Times. I'm giving them an opportunity to clarify or to rebut or to take on that reporting, which was my intention with the congresswoman,' Bream tells Women Rule in an interview. Trump also disparaged Bream last year after she pushed back during an interview with his attorney, Alina Habba, on her assertion that his criminal hush money trial was in some way directed by the Biden White House. 'I never knew Shannon Bream was so 'naive,'' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'I just always feel like it's part of his strategy and I just take it with a grain of salt,' Bream says. 'It feels like part of the job and just sort of the way that the Trump stratosphere — how they operate.' Bream will be moderating a conversation Monday between Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and David McCormick (R-Pa.) at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston. Women Rule spoke with Bream about covering Trump's second administration, remaining neutral at a network known for its conservative opinions and being a woman in journalism today. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You aren't afraid to get into tussles with high-profile interviewees on screen, I'm thinking of your exchanges last year with Elise Stefanik and another with Alina Habba. How did you navigate the fallout from those interactions, specifically being called 'naive' by President Trump online? This exchange with Alina, I was just simply pointing out the case that we were at was a state case and that there wasn't a federal component to it. So I didn't see it as a big deal. I feel like any time that you're out there, and you're probing and having an interview with somebody, especially somebody who is specifically aligned with the campaign or a specific administration, there's going to be pushback and there's going to be blowback from people at home or from the president himself who don't agree with how that interview went down. So to me it just felt like part of the job and I didn't see it as as big of an issue as maybe some other folks did. Do you feel like those public attacks on journalists that the president can often engage in are fair? Do you feel like they're dangerous? It's just the way that this president operates. You know, I think back to 2016, 2015 to where he kind of upended the media landscape as it works, going around them, using social media in a really powerful way to leverage the message he was getting out. I just always feel like it's part of his strategy and I just take it with a grain of salt. It feels like part of the job and just sort of the way that the Trump stratosphere — how they operate because social media has been so successful for them. How would you respond to criticism that Fox sometimes chooses not to rely on The New York Times' reporting in other scenarios and maybe delegitimizes their reporting when it doesn't serve their narrative? For me, it's not an unusual or bold choice to cite to The New York Times. I'm giving them an opportunity to clarify or to rebut or to take on that reporting, which was my intention with the congresswoman because she was under contention as a VP shortlister. Some lawmakers will say 'Thank you for bringing that up, that was inaccurate.' You'll see almost every weekend that I'm going to cite The New York Times and many of my news colleagues do the same because some of these outlets are legacy outlets that do deep dive reporting on important issues. And so I say, 'Listen, if they break news, whatever the outlet is, if it's something that is topical and newsworthy, I'm going to cite it and use that as a jumping off point for the questions that we and our viewers may have.' Do you see a shift in the kinds of questions that need to be asked of the current Trump administration compared to his first term? I think that President Trump feels very unencumbered by the fact that he's not going to have to run again. He seems to be having a lot more fun. He seems a lot more confident and relaxed this time around. President Trump is almost an endless access machine. He enjoys engaging and getting in these dust-ups with reporters. For me, I'm leaning a lot more heavily on my legal background as an attorney and covering the Supreme Court because so much of what we're doing, and I think that it is covering just what the Trump administration had planned to do, which was really push the envelope on executive power. They knew these things would immediately wind up in court. So for me, there's much more of an emphasis the second time around on all of the legal stuff. Do you feel a push to soften your questioning, or an increasing hostility toward fair questioning, from the political right today? I don't feel it personally. I have had Republicans who have come on the show that afterwards have expressed some level of frustration at some of what we asked, have that from Democrats too. But what I'm proud of is that everybody we've had on has said, 'I'd come back.' I can't remember having somebody on from either party to say, 'That wasn't a fair interview and I wouldn't give you another chance.' You can't listen too much to the noise because there are critics, we hear from them every day, who would do our jobs differently. I just try to be consistent and fair. Are there any pressures or double standards that you have faced as the first woman anchor of your show that your male counterparts or predecessors haven't? It doesn't feel that way to me at all. To now look around the landscape to see that most of the Sunday shows are helmed by women, it's just sort of a fun moment to be a part of these women who are strong, they're intelligent, we challenge each other, we're competitive, but we're also friends and so it feels like a real blessing to kind of sit in this moment in broadcasting. Have you ever faced skepticism or dismissal from sources or political figures because of your gender? I haven't, but I would say the one thing in Washington is that we're always fighting for sources for access. It's a little different as a woman because so much of D.C. is still very male dominated — when grabbing a drink, having dinner, you always want to make sure that the optics of that are clean or above board or good. I'm not sure that my male coworkers or others in the media think about that in the same way, because most of the time it's a guy grabbing a drink with a guy. I think sometimes there's that extra layer. Maybe it's just me putting it on myself; I want to make sure that it doesn't ever have any tinge or appearance of something that's inappropriate. Do you feel conservative women in journalism face different expectations than progressive women, both from their networks and their audiences? I think what's gotten tricky the last few years is that people who are in journalism, some of them have slipped into advocacy. As a member of our news division, I try to keep it neutral. I think if people are confused about where I am or unsure, then I've done my job as a journalist to be neutral. I think people project a lot onto us because politics is so heated right now and people are very passionate about where they're at. So for me, I think if I'm taking heat from both sides, then good. I want them to not ever be worried about my personal politics. That should never be the story. Do you feel like it's harder at Fox to remain neutral, in that there's an expectation set for you, by your audience, to be loyal to a certain party? I think where that comes in is with our opinion shows which are unabashedly what they are. They've got millions of viewers, very passionate followers, and we're all a family, so, we all work together, but I find that for me in the news division, you do have people that are frustrated if they think you should be advocating one position one way or another. I can come out of the same show and people say, 'You were too easy on the Republican guests; you were too hard on the Republican guests.' Same thing with Democrats: 'You were too hard on the Democrat guests; you're too easy on the Democrat guests.' I do think that sometimes viewers show up with their own expectations, so my job is just to do my job and not let that noise bother me. I do think that people are very frustrated. Some of them want to hear the most extreme voices, the most extreme attack interviews, the most contentious stuff. But I do think there's a big section of the country who says, 'I just want my questions answered.' Do you feel like bipartisanship truly does have a place right now, on the Hill? I don't think it's irreparably broken. It may be on some kind of life support and some issues and with some policies, but Washington always finds a way to make it work. I think our system is so unique and there are checks and balances within the different branches. The judicial branch is getting an overtime workout right now. But I do find that people feel the court system and the branches are functioning in the way that the Constitution intended them to, which was under duress. Are you ever frustrated by the super opinionated things that come out of your network and how that might make people frustrated with you as you endeavor to be neutral? I don't feel that way at all because I do see us having very different silos and very different assignments. That you look to other networks and you can very clearly tell the opinion shows and the opinion hosts, and they're going to differ from their news division too. POLITICO Special Report Judge Jeanine Finds Herself in the Spotlight — Again by Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing for POLITICO: 'Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, D.C.'s new interim U.S. attorney, is leaping from one spotlight directly into another as she helms the investigation into the capital's most high-profile crime in years. Pirro — who President Donald Trump hosted for a ceremonial swearing in at the Oval Office Wednesday — made an abrupt departure from her longtime position at Fox earlier this month after Trump tapped her for the position in Washington, making her the latest in a string of former personalities at the president's favorite network to join the administration.' Fired Copyright Chief Loses First Round in Lawsuit Over Trump Powers by Katherine Tully-McManus for POLITICO: 'Shira Perlmutter was fired as register of copyrights earlier this month, an office housed inside the Library of Congress. In a suit filed in Washington's federal court last week, she alleged that Trump and his subordinates overstepped in both naming a new Librarian of Congress — the only official, she claims, that can hire and fire a copyright chief. Perlmutter asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order keeping Trump's appointees out of the Library of Congress and keeping her on the job, but U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly denied the motion from the bench in a hearing Wednesday.' The CDC Is No Longer Recommending Covid Vaccines for Healthy Children, Pregnant Women by Sophie Gardner and David Lim for POLITICO: 'The CDC is no longer recommending that 'healthy' children and pregnant women get vaccinated against Covid-19, according to a post on X from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The CDC had recommended the vaccine to everyone at least six months old, including during pregnancy. Kennedy has long said that Covid vaccines are not safe, despite the medical consensus. The top U.S. vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad, has said that the cost-benefit of the shots doesn't make sense for some groups, such as young men, who face an elevated risk of heart inflammation or myocarditis. POLITICO first reported last month that Kennedy was considering pulling the CDC's Covid-19 vaccine recommendation for children.' Number of the Week Read more here. MUST READS Noor Abdalla's First Month of Motherhood by Angelina Chapin, The Cut for New York Magazine: 'It's late May, and her baby, Deen, is napping soundly in the other room. 'Sometimes he'll have the little crying fits where you don't know what's wrong. I've changed his diaper, I've burped him, I've fed him. What's going on?' Such are the challenges faced by every first-time parent, and Abdalla's living room has all the typical trappings of postpartum life: a diaper bag on top of a green pouf, a WubbaNub pacifier attached to a stuffed giraffe, a bassinet against the wall. But among the baby gear is a poster that says FREE MAHMOUD KHALIL and a Mother's Day bouquet with wilting white roses that her husband sent through a friend. Instead of celebrating the day with his wife and new son, Khalil has been held in an immigration-detention center nearly 1,500 miles from his family since Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested him on March 8. 'To the most beautiful mother in the world,' the card reads. 'I love you and will see you soon.'' Sexual Exploitation and Domestic Violence Soared After Lahaina Wildfire, Report Finds by Nina Lakhani for The Guardian: 'Sexual exploitation and domestic violence soared after the catastrophic Lahaina wildfire in 2023, with pre-existing gender inequalities exposed and exacerbated by the post-disaster response, new research has found. In the weeks and months after the deadliest American fire in a century, one in six female fire survivors surveyed felt forced to engage in sexual acts in exchange for basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing. Immigrant women and other limited English speakers felt particularly isolated and unsafe in emergency shelters, with some sleeping with their children in vehicles — or engaging in 'survival sex' for a safer place to stay, according to the new report by Tagnawa, a Filipino feminist disaster response organization in Hawaii, shared exclusively with the Guardian.' Missouri Supreme Court Effectively Blocks Access to Abortion, at Least for Now by Katie Benner for The New York Times: 'The Missouri Supreme Court has temporarily blocked access to abortion in the state, despite a new amendment to the State Constitution, passed by voters, that ensures such access. The court's ruling on Tuesday lifted an injunction by a circuit judge who had found that some state laws regulating abortion access could undermine the new amendment. After the Supreme Court's decision, Planned Parenthood, the state's last abortion provider, temporarily halted abortion procedures in the state.' Quote of the Week Read more here. on the move Molly Fromm is now vice president and general counsel at the Nickles Group. She previously was general counsel and parliamentarian for House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.). (h/t POLITICO Playbook) Emmy Ruiz is joining Somos Votantes as senior adviser. She previously was senior adviser to the president and director of the office of political strategy and outreach in the Biden White House. (h/t POLITICO Influence) Linda Goler Blount is now president and CEO of Community Catalyst. She previously was president and CEO of the Black Women's Health Imperative. (h/t POLITICO Playbook)
Politico
3 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
A Kamalaless confab in the shadows of Disneyland
Presented by California Environmental Voters DEM DERBY — California Democrats will gather in Anaheim this weekend to hold their largest meeting since native daughter Kamala Harris faceplanted in the presidential race and Donald Trump returned to besieging them from Washington. Harris' decision of whether to run for governor or president for a third time will hang over the 4,000 party faithful in attendance — but she's not expected to be among them. Only a vestige of her failed run, ex-running mate Tim Walz, is scheduled to be in the building. He'll rally the troops Saturday but is unlikely to have time for a ride on the tea cups at nearby Disneyland, as he's also headlining the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention on the same day. Let's hope Harris' would-be competitors in the governor's race aren't fiending for a Mickey-shaped pretzel, because they'll be busy stumping as if delegates aren't waiting to see if the former vice president gets in the race. Other would-be 2028 contenders will be around. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is slated to speak, ideally for fewer than the 25 hours he recently spent filibustering on the Senate floor. And Rep. Robert Garcia of Long Beach is scheduled to take a break from his House Oversight bid to party with Planned Parenthood Friday night (DJ not yet announced). The party won't vote on endorsements this weekend, but candidates down the ballot in the lieutenant governor's and treasurer's race are descending on the city to promote their runs. Math problem: This initial phase of the endorsement fight will be especially critical for the governor's field — particularly if Harris doesn't get in — and the race remains as crowded. Candidates would need more than a majority of delegates to back them to get the party nod, though California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks did not rule that out in an interview. 'They may or may not get 60 percent,' Hicks said. 'You know, in 2018 many folks didn't think that Gavin Newsom would get the endorsement.' The Kamala in the room: Hicks went to great lengths to praise his party's 'deep bench,' rattling off candidates in the field, but agreed Harris will be on attendees' minds. 'A former Attorney General, Senator, Vice President, and presidential candidate from California is certainly going to loom large, especially when everyone has had some interaction with her, has probably worked, certainly worked hard for her, and worked hard for her recently,' Hicks said. 'The decision is for her to make in the coming weeks and months.' GOOD MORNING. Happy Friday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. You can text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as 'CA Playbook' in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@ and bjones@ or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE'S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. CAMPAIGN YEAR(S) FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: A Democratic candidate to succeed Assemblymember Mike Gipson is excavating one of her opponent's left-leaning tweets on policing and oil in a bid to erode the challenger's labor bona fides and consolidate union support. Compton school board member Ayanna Davis' campaign has launched a website chock full of social media posts from progressive candidate Fatima Iqbal-Zubair in which Iqbal-Zubair expressed support for the Defund the Police movement in the wake of George Floyd's murder and called for divestment from oil companies. The campaign is also planning to blast out a memo full of opposition research to convention-going party delegates in the Assembly district in play this morning. 'Ban police associations. End qualified immunity. Prosecute cops,' Iqbal-Zubair wrote in a 2021 post featured on the site. The open race for Assembly District 65 is already shaping up to be a tough Dem-on-Dem contest. Davis and Iqbal-Zubair — the chair of the state party's progressive caucus and a legislative affairs staffer for California Environmental Voters who has challenged Gipson in the past — are also joined in the race by another Democrat, Myla Rahman, the district director for state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. Gipson is term-limited and running for the California Board of Equalization next year. Labor support was key for Gipson in locking down the seat in the past and could be critical in the heavily Democratic district again this cycle. Iqbal-Zubair in an interview said her values haven't changed but that 'it's important to preserve all union jobs in my district, that includes the jobs in the refineries at the ports.' 'Policing and prisons: There's union members in there that have good jobs,' she elaborated. Iqbal-Zubair bemoaned environmental pollution and police violence disproportionately affecting people of color in her Los Angeles-area district. She cast clean energy jobs as an opportunity to maintain union ranks while offsetting the effects of climate change. And she called for more social service workers to work in the criminal justice system. 'The whole underpinning of my campaign is undoing the systemic harms in the district,' Iqbal-Zubair told Playbook. 'Public safety is a huge part of that, obviously, because, if you ask community members in my district, they haven't had systems that have helped them feel safe.' TRADE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC — State Attorney General Rob Bonta joined Democratic officials across the country who took a victory lap after a pair of federal court rulings struck down Trump's tariffs. But, the AG cautioned, economic turmoil over Trump's see-sawing tariffs is likely not over. 'He's pretty stubborn, he wants to do it how he wants and when he wants,' Bonta told Playbook. 'He's clearly, in our view, far overstepped his legal authority.' The Trump administration is appealing the decisions, which found the president unlawfully invoked emergency economic powers to unilaterally enact tariffs on dozens of countries without congressional approval. A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated Trump's sweeping 'reciprocal' tariffs while litigation plays out. California, led by Bonta and Newsom, was the first state to sue over Trump's taxes on imports. The state is still challenging his actions in a separate but related lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. 'These are our own arguments… included in court orders,' Bonta said of the two rulings. 'That's validating. Of course, we're interested in durable, permanent results.' SAN FRANCISCO PELOSI MANS UP — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week endorsed a San Francisco county party resolution urging Democrats to pay more attention to the well-being of men and boys — siding with moderate leaders who've sought to force Democrats to confront criticisms that the party isn't male friendly. Pelosi backed the measure at the SF Democratic County Central Committee's monthly meeting, albeit after a minor friendly amendment. Gary McCoy, Pelosi's proxy representative to the county party, said she shares the sentiment that Democrats 'need to do more' to reach out to men and boys and listen to their issues. Party leaders overwhelmingly approved the resolution. Emma Hare, a local Democratic county vice chair who wrote the resolution, said it's designed to spark an intraparty conversation about how to win back male voters who have flocked to Trump, including through efforts like universal paid parental leave for fathers, apprenticeship job programs and more behavioral health resources targeted at men. CLIMATE AND ENERGY EMISSIONS DISCOUNT — The state's latest quarterly sale of pollution permits to high-emitting companies went worse than it ever has since the pandemic, leaving the state with a third less revenue from the program this fiscal year than last. Read last night's California Climate for more on how questions around the future of California's signature cap-and-trade program are becoming budget problems. Top Talkers YER FIRED— Floyd Brown said on X today that he was fired yesterday by Richard Grenell, the presidential envoy for special missions, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts one month after being recruited to be the center's vice president, POLITICO's Cheyenne Daniels reports. He theorizes that his firing may have had something to do with an inquiry from CNN, where they asked him about his 'past writings and statements about traditional marriage and homosexual influence in the @GOP.' 'The only explanation is the one given to me at the time of my firing,' he wrote ''Floyd, you must recant your belief in traditional marriage and your past statements on the topic, or you will be fired.' Needless to say, I refused to recant and was shown the door. My beliefs are much more common to Biblical Christianity.' APUSH LESSON— California Rep. Judy Chu says President Donald Trump's decision to revoke Chinese students' visas is 'xenophobic,' the Los Angeles Times reports. 'This is yet another example of the Trump administration targeting Chinese people instead of the Chinese government, assuming that every Chinese person is a pawn for the Chinese Communist Party,' Chu said. 'That is what xenophobia is all about, and it is reminiscent of the Chinese Exclusion Act.' AROUND THE STATE — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wants to cut about 1,400 city jobs as the city confronts a roughly $800 million budget deficit. (San Francisco Chronicle) — Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho wants to establish a registry for people convicted of fentanyl murders. (The Sacramento Bee) — Twelve people who were charged with crimes at a pro-Palestinian protest at Stanford's executive offices were arraigned in Santa Clara County. (The Mercury News) PLAYBOOKERS PEOPLE MOVES — John Goodwin was named vice president of global brand at Back Market. He was most recently at Ogilvy, Razorfish, Klaviyo and Patagonia. — Josué Estrada has just been named chief operating officer at the Center for AI Safety. He's a former COO at both Salesforce and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, now stepping into the AI safety space to help scale research and impact. — Stacey Geis, former deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has joined Crowell & Moring's environment, energy and natural resources and white collar and regulatory enforcement groups as senior counsel in its San Francisco office. — Chris Shimoda joined the Supply Chain Federation as strategic policy adviser. He will continue to operate his firm Shimoda Government Strategies which he opened in April 2025. BIRTHDAYS — POLITICO's Maggie Miller … songstress Idina Menzel … rapper Remy Ma BELATED B-DAY WISHES — Tami Grossglauser in the office of Assemblymember Rick Zbur You may have noticed that the lead-in to California Playbook, 'The Buzz,' has disappeared from your screen. After many years, we've decided it was time to retire it. We woke up today feeling a little lighter for it. Onward. WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.
Politico
4 days ago
- Health
- Politico
Foreign-aid cuts back in the spotlight
Presented by Driving The Day REPORT WARNS OF SETBACKS — Human rights nonprofit Amnesty International called on lawmakers today not to codify the Trump administration's foreign-assistance cuts through rescission. The White House plans to send a so-called rescissions bill to Congress next week. Amnesty's call was part of a report it released today outlining the impact of U.S. foreign-aid cuts in a dozen countries, including Guatemala, South Sudan and Yemen. Nonprofit and public health experts in Guatemala are concerned that people with HIV will lose access to HIV drugs and prevention services for marginalized groups. The report says that aid workers in Yemen 'described to Amnesty International how President Donald Trump's decision to cut US aid funding has led to the shut-down of lifesaving assistance and protection services, including malnutrition treatment to children, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, safe shelters to survivors of gender-based violence, and healthcare to children suffering from cholera and other illnesses.' And in South Sudan, rehabilitation services for conflict victims and emergency nutritional support for children are among the health services that have been interrupted or stopped, according to the report. Why it matters: The report comes amid continued uncertainty about how the Trump administration plans to spend foreign-aid money Congress has appropriated for this fiscal year. The top Democratic appropriators in the House and the Senate accused the White House on Wednesday of failing to provide the required detailed information about what the administration is doing with billions of dollars of spending already approved by Congress. Meanwhile, two top Democrats in the House Foreign Affairs Committee asked the Government Accountability Office on Wednesday to assess the costs of the foreign-aid cuts and of the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. In a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, head of GAO, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the panel's top Democrat, and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) asked the agency to examine the costs and the savings of the award cancellations and the extent to which the State Department retains the capacity and workforce 'to oversee the contracts, grants, or agreements for remaining foreign aid programs.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week pushed back on Democratic senators' claims that global health and food-assistance cuts have killed hundreds of thousands of children in the world's poorest countries. Rubio said some canceled programs didn't align with the administration's 'America First' foreign policy. WELCOME TO THURSDAY PULSE. I'm tuning into 'Jeopardy! Masters' this week to see which Jeopardy! Champion lands on top. I'm rooting for Victoria Groce. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to ccirruzzo@ and khooper@ and follow along @ChelseaCirruzzo and @Kelhoops. AROUND THE AGENCIES BIRD FLU VAX FUNDS HALTED — HHS is canceling $590 million in funds awarded to Moderna to help the drugmaker develop vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses, including bird flu, the company said Wednesday, POLITICO's David Lim reports. The administration's decision was announced on the same day the vaccine maker said it had 'positive interim data' from an early-stage clinical trial evaluating a bird flu shot. The money had been awarded shortly before former President Joe Biden left office. Moderna said HHS notified the company Wednesday that it was canceling both funding, which would have helped accelerate the shot's late-stage development, and purchase rights for its pre-pandemic flu vaccines. 'While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis of the Phase 1/2 study of our H5 avian flu vaccine and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program,' Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a press release. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the Trump administration won't spend taxpayer dollars 'repeating the mistakes of the last administration,' describing mRNA vaccine technology as 'undertested.' 'After a rigorous review, we concluded that continued investment in Moderna's H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable,' Nixon said in an email. Why it matters: Seventy confirmed human avian flu infections tied to a widespread outbreak of the virus in poultry and dairy cows have been documented in the U.S. since 2024, according to CDC data. The agency says the current public health risk is low. HHS: FOLLOW GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE REPORT — HHS is urging health care providers to read a recently released report that found little evidence in support of gender-affirming care and adjust their practices accordingly. 'Given your 'obligation to avoid serious harm' and the findings of the review, HHS expects you promptly to make the necessary updates to your treatment protocols,' reads a publicly posted letter addressed to providers, health care risk managers and state medical boards and signed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While the letter didn't disclose whether any consequences would be imposed for noncompliance, it said HHS 'may soon undertake new policies and oversight actions … to ensure the protection of children, and to hold providers that harm children accountable.' CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz followed up with a similar letter to 'select hospitals performing pediatric sex trait modification procedures' Wednesday, demanding answers within 30 days about their planned policy changes, their billing codes for such procedures and their projected revenues. The letters come after the Trump administration released a report on May 1 about gender dysphoria in adolescents, which found insufficient evidence to support 'any intervention' of gender-affirming care. The review also found little evidence of harms associated with 'pediatric medical transitions.' The review aligns with the administration's goals of abolishing gender-affirming care for minors and an executive order the president signed in January, aimed at cutting federal funding for providers that offer such care to minors. However, multiple states have sued regarding the order, and federal judges have blocked its implementation. The American Medical Association, the largest organization representing providers, updated its policy in 2024 to support coverage of gender-affirming care. In the courts STATES SUE SCIENCE FOUNDATION — NEW YORK — Sixteen state attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, are suing a federal agency for slashing funding for health research infrastructure and cutting diversity-related projects, POLITICO's Maya Kaufman reports. Details: The case, filed Wednesday in the Southern District of New York, alleges that policy changes by the National Science Foundation, which supports science and engineering research, violate the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution. A group of private universities had previously sued the foundation over the agency's policy capping funds for indirect research costs at a rate of 15 percent. 'Every time we go online, scan a barcode at checkout, or get an MRI, we use technology made possible by the National Science Foundation,' James said in a statement. 'This administration's attacks on basic science and essential efforts to ensure diversity in STEM will weaken our economy and our national security.' NSF declined to comment to POLITICO but shared a link to a webpage with updated guidance on its priorities. What's next? The coalition of states seeks a court order ruling that the foundation's policies are illegal and blocking implementation of the policies. Global Health WHO COVID WARNING — A new Covid-19 variant is circulating in the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asian and Western Pacific regions as global rates of the virus rise, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. Since mid-February, Covid-test positivity rates have increased globally, the organization said, reaching a peak on May 11 similar to that in July 2024, mainly driven by cases in regions most impacted by the new variant. The WHO said that publicly available wastewater data from European countries and North America shows cases remain low as of mid-May. The CDC's surveillance data also shows that case counts remain low, and the new variant, N.B.1.8.1, isn't listed as driving cases. The emerging variant comes as HHS says it will no longer recommend routine Covid vaccination for 'healthy' children and pregnant women. Names in the News Andy Slavitt will be co-chair of the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network Executive Forum. Slavitt was acting CMS administrator during the Obama administration and a senior adviser on the Biden White House's Covid response team. 314 Action has hired Bri Gillis to be a federal and statewide campaign adviser. Gillis previously was political director for the Immigrant Justice Fund at the National Immigration Law Center. 314 has also hired Eden Giagnorio, formerly communications director for the Florida Democratic Party, as communications director and Tara Saye, who previously worked on Sen. Tim Kaine's (D-Va.) campaign, as deputy development director. WHAT WE'RE READING POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Doug Palmer report that a federal court has struck down the Trump administration's April 2 tariffs. POLITICO's Katelyn Cordero and Maya Kaufman report a New York deal to expand birth control access.
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Crypto wants in on the NJ primary
Good Thursday morning! We haven't talked much about crypto in the gubernatorial primary, one exception being Steve Fulop pledging to invest a portion of Jersey City's pension into an exchange-traded fund. But the advocacy group Stand with Crypto is trying to change that. The group helped sponsor the last Democratic and Republican debates, and on Wednesday it announced a June 5 rally at Jersey City's White Eagle Hall featuring rappers Soulja Boy and 070 Shake, a Hudson County native. 'We are fighting for clear, sensible crypto policy that fosters innovation and empowers New Jersey's crypto entrepreneurs. Our investment in turning out the crypto voter in this election has elevated cryptocurrency policy as a key election issue that candidates must address in order to win,' said Carlos Ivan Merino, president of the group's New Jersey chapter, said in a statement. The group said all candidates are invited. But it is interesting that it chose Jersey City for this location. Fulop told Bloomberg that he'd also expose the state's pension fund to crypto investments. Still, I'm not sure the group's choice of entertainment is the best way to get candidates to line up to speak at its rally. A jury last month ordered Soulja Boy to pay $4 million to an ex-assistant who accused him of assault and sexual battery. Just days before a primary, it's hard to imagine most candidates would want to be seen in the same room. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ WHERE'S MURPHY — QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'People in your group dressed up in freakish costumes with signs, and you are cursing at people. I got the video. 'You f------ this. You are an f------ traitor. You f------ that.' You are the one disrupting businesses and causing havoc in the township.' — Galloway Councilmember Tom Bassford to Atlantic County Indivisible founder Kim Grieser, whose group he said protested a fundraiser for Rep. Jeff Van Drew at the mayor's business. Grieser had wanted the council to denounce the far-right Proud Boys, who she said were harassing them at other protests. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Mila Jasey, Chapman Vai WHAT TRENTON MADE HAPPENING TODAY — It's a weed day in Trenton, where the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on or discuss several weed-related measures, including a fast-tracked bill designed to clean up the intoxicating hemp law Gov. Murphy signed in September that was partially overturned in federal court. Up for discussion only is this controversial proposal by Senate President Nick Scutari to crack down on illegal weed sales, including by making it a crime to buy from an unlicensed source and up penalties for selling a small amount. The fact that it's discussion only, though, suggests to me this bill will change quite a bit before it's passed, if it ever is. The Senate State Government Committee has a long agenda. Also for discussion only is state Sen. Andrew Zwicker's legislation that would speed up the process of filling U.S. House vacancies. It was introduced after U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died but before U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell died. And it's only taken a year to get to this point. AND THEY'RE PLANNING TO MAKE MORE PEOPLE WALK TO THE STATEHOUSE. COINCIDENCE? — 'After NJ's deadliest year for pedestrians in decades, state plans to cut safety money,' by The Record's Colleen Wilson: 'After New Jersey recorded the deadliest year for pedestrians in 36 years, Gov. Phil Murphy has proposed a budget for the 2026 fiscal year that reduces funding for local pedestrian safety projects. The decision to cut this funding comes after Murphy emphasized in his State of the State address earlier this year that he was making road and pedestrian safety a priority … Francis O'Connor, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, acknowledged the cuts at the annual budget hearings in May when asked about them by Assemblyman Michael Venezia. 'Yes, the grants were reduced, but I don't think it's going to affect our way of helping the cities and helping the safety of the pedestrians and the cyclists,' O'Connor said … Money for local aid and economic development grants — which fund Transit Villages, Safe Streets to Transit and Bikeways grant programs — would get slashed to just $8 million. Last year, the budget was $16 million, and the year before that it was $20 million.' —'New Jersey State Police report seven traffic deaths during Memorial Day weekend' SHERRILL VS. EVERYONE — 'Congresswoman running for N.J. governor is target of escalating attacks on campaign trail,' by New Jersey Monitor's Dana DiFilippo: 'With less than two weeks to go before the June 10 primary, Democrats vying to become New Jersey's next governor have stepped up their attacks on Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who election observers and pollsters consider to be the race's front-runner. In new television ads and mailers, Sherrill's rivals have bashed her wealth, her establishment ties, and past campaign contributions she accepted from a PAC associated with SpaceX, the spaceflight company helmed by Elon Musk. The grievances aren't new, but they're escalating as the primary approaches. And they're coming from candidates like Steve Fulop and Ras Baraka, who are running as anti-establishment insurgents, as well as party darlings like Steve Sweeney as they look to erode Sherrill's support among voters, many of whom remain undecided.' ANTI-MAGA AG AT DAGA — 'AG Matt Platkin's testimony regarding Democratic fundraising group prompts scrutiny,' by HudPOst's Michael Shurin: 'Questions related to the veracity of Attorney General Matt Platkin's testimony regarding his involvement with a multimillion-dollar Democratic fundraising group have gone unanswered by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. On April 3, 2025, state Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R-Warren) asked Platkin about his attendance at Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) events during a Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing. 'No, I don't attend political events' Platkin testified. 'I attend conferences that are approved by the appropriate ethics officers.' … When questioned further by Steinhardt about DAGA conferences, Platkin stated 'there's multiple arms of that. I do not attend the political arm functions, if that makes sense.' … Sources that alerted HudPost to potential issues with Platkin's testimony allege the AG's statements about DAGA's activities were dishonest. … A government affairs professional that's attended numerous DAGA events, speaking under the condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution, told HudPost that Platkin attended political functions and meet-and-greets with the group's donors at separate events.' CASH INTO ME — How New Jersey's candidates for governor are raking in the cash, by POLITICO's Madison Fernandez and Jessica Piper: Money doesn't mean everything. But how much cash candidates rake in can be a sign of momentum — especially when it's anyone's game, like in the Democratic primary for governor of New Jersey. Although Rep. Mikie Sherrill has a lot of establishment support and a narrow lead in the polls, the six-way competition is tight in the final stretch of the election. Some of her opponents have outraised her in a handful of counties where she has been endorsed for the Democratic nomination, according to a POLITICO analysis of campaign finance reports. It's a sign that party boss support doesn't necessarily mean local major donors are. It's a clearer picture on the Republican side, where Jack Ciattarelli has plenty of establishment support and a fundraising advantage over his primary opponents in a majority of counties. The analysis tracked where the prominent candidates for governor are getting their cash based on campaign reports submitted to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission' HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS — Oregon used to be the only other state that banned its residents from pumping their own gas, but it recently changed that, leaving New Jersey all alone. So now New Jersey is going for Oregon's nuts. A new bill introduced by Assemblymember Sterley Stanley would designate the hazelnut New Jersey's state nut. Oregon grows 99 percent of the hazelnuts in the U.S. But that's because, until recently, you couldn't grow them in New Jersey and the region because of Eastern Filbert Blight. But a Rutgers program has been working for decades to overcome the blight, and in 2020 released the first resistant cultivars to growers. Read more about that here. 'The Assemblyman has an incredible amount of pride that this truly groundbreaking and revolutionary work was achieved not only here in NJ, but here in the 18th Legislative district in East Brunswick, which is he so proud to call home,' Stanley Chief of Staff Alexander P. Krasutsky IV wrote in an email. 'Additionally, we believe that these new blight resistant hazelnut trees could be one of the most potent economic development tools for rural communities in decades.' —'In 35th District race, photos pop up showing Sen. Benjie Wimberly with every candidate' —'N.J. to pay siblings $19.5M for years of sexual abuse by foster parents decades ago' —'Ever-growing NJ budget draws scrutiny' —'How would N.J. governor candidates work with Trump? Here's what all 11 told us' —'NJ primary 2025: Dems dominate mail-in voting for governor' —'Stack asks AG's Office for election monitors in LD-33, which Hector welcomes' —McKeon: 'Trump's budget will gut healthcare in New Jersey. What's Ciattarelli's plan?' TRUMP ERA NO ADEEL — 'Trump says he'll nominate Bove to federal appeals court,' by The New York Times' Glenn Thrush and Charlie Savage: 'President Trump announced Wednesday that he would nominate Emil Bove III, the polarizing and widely feared top Justice Department official responsible for strong-arm tactics in enacting Mr. Trump's immigration agenda, to be a federal appeals judge. Mr. Bove, 44, is a former criminal defense lawyer for Mr. Trump. He would fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The lifetime appointment requires confirmation in the Senate, where he is expected to face the unanimous opposition of Democrats … A defining episode of his tenure so far was the battle he waged against his former colleagues in the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York over the administration's request to drop bribery charges against the New York mayor, Mr. Adams … There are two vacancies in the Third Circuit — one based in New Jersey and one in Delaware. It is not clear which seat Mr. Bove is nominated for. He has a property in Pennsylvania, and some conservatives have called for moving the Delaware-based seat to Pennsylvania.' DON'T WORRY, BBB HAPPY — 'In New Jersey, the political battle over the 'Big Beautiful Bill' is just beginning,' by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: 'When Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) voted last week for his party's enormous tax and health care bill, he said he'd delivered 'a huge win for New Jersey – and his Democratic opponents crowed that he had cast the vote that would cost him his seat. The 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' as the GOP's legislative agenda has been dubbed, covers an extraordinarily large amount of different policy issues, ranging from Medicaid funding to tax deductions to border security funding to green energy to the debt ceiling. And as New Jersey gears up for a competitive 2026 election cycle – at least two districts, one of them Kean's, are likely to be heavily contested – both parties see major political upsides to the bill, which may still change quite a bit in the Senate before it becomes law. In other words, New Jersey Democrats and Republicans alike seem to think they've found a winning issue in the battle for control of Congress. They just have to make sure voters get the message' —'Dem group polling in NJ-2 as party looks to expand playing field' —'NJ disability rights watchdog gets federal funding reprieve after weeks of uncertainty' —'N.Y. Congress members visit Elizabeth detention center. No one was arrested' —'Five Amtrak employees plead guilty in health care fraud scheme' LOCAL THE SWAMP IN WASHINGTON — 'Washington Township school superintendent who was placed on leave files lawsuit against district,' by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Melanie Burney: 'Washington Township school Superintendent Eric Hibbs has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging his suspension was in retaliation for raising questions about a district insurance contract. The lawsuit contends Hibbs was unlawfully placed on administrative leave by the school board in March following his objections to 'conduct that he believed to be both unlawful and unethical' by the board in awarding a contract in 2021, before he was hired by the district … The 35-page civil lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Superior Court in Gloucester County, names school board President Julie Kozempel, unnamed board members, and the district as defendants. Kozempel said she had not seen the lawsuit, but called the allegations ridiculous. '' SEASIDE LOWS — 'Jersey Shore town overrun by brawling teens has backup ready for next melee,' by NJ Advance Media's Eric Conklin: 'After a Memorial Day weekend that saw stabbings, arrests and the closing down of the boardwalk, Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz said he has spoken with Gov. Phil Murphy about having the State Police assist with violent crowds. 'We discussed the challenges of the last weekend and how, in my opinion, it was terrible,' Vaz said. 'I've never seen anything like this. 'I'm confident enough to know that if I request police reinforcement from the state police, I know they'll be there.' Vaz said the Borough Council is going to discuss additional enforcement measures to address unruly crowds.' —'Councilman charged with harassment, forgery for anonymous letters' —'The last time Clifton council members had a raise was 1962. Is it time for another?' R.I.P. — 'He loved his community': Former Lyndhurst mayor, teacher, coach dies at 94' R.I.P. — 'Jackson Councilman Scott Sargent dies after 'extremely risky' surgery' —'Racing to save Stone Harbor's Scotch Bonnet Island before it's swallowed by rising seas' —'Park Ridge man charged over election offenses, including attempted illegal vote' —'Bynum's girlfriend links him to weapon in Dwumfour murder case' EVERYTHING ELSE WATCH FOR FALLING EMPLOYMENT — 'Walmart to lay off 187 in North Jersey this summer after 481 in June cuts,' by The Record's Daniel Munoz: 'Walmart is laying off 187 corporate employees at its Hoboken offices this August, part of much broader cuts of 1,500 staffers nationwide that come as the retail giant grapples with price hikes from President Donald Trump's tariffs. The layoffs go into effect on Aug. 22, according to a May public notice filed with the New Jersey Department of Labor … The layoffs set for August will come on the heels of 481 employees in Hoboken being laid off or relocated by June 13 after the company began asking workers to move to the Arkansas headquarters or its offices in Sunnyvale, California.' SOUTH JERSEY GOP SENATOR TO CHANGE NAME TO MIKE TESLA — 'Oh Tesla, my Tesla! Elon Musk has N.J. drivers fearing for their safety — and their image,' by NJ Advance Media's Steven Rodas: 'The cultural in-fighting plaguing Democrats on the national and statewide stage is now playing out in parking lots and at charging ports up and down the Turnpike. And it's not just an identity crisis — it's turned violent and threatening. Own a now backward-minded Tesla? Watch out, your headlights or windows could be at risk, or worse. And all of the escalated (sometimes physical) feuding over Teslas between factions of liberals is seemingly at odds with the party's progressive values. For Jill — who dropped about $60,000 on a brand new Tesla in 2014, when it was cool to do so — she's left with an internal conflict, and a pricey investment sitting in her driveway every night.' —'Building boom: NJ hospitals plan $6.5B in expansion projects as care and costs rise'
