Casey Means was nominated to become the new face of American public health. She's not a career doctor — but she knows how to go viral. That's the point. And the risk.
Why it matters: This is part of the Trump administration's broader strategy to prioritize messaging, allegiance and influence over expertise.
Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen was among seven people arrested during Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday, police confirmed.
The big picture: Cohen, who along with the ice cream company has long engaged incorporate political activism, indicated he was protesting the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
There is "a war on the American public having transparency" about their health and their treatment, White House health adviser Calley Means said Wednesday at Axios' Future of Health Summit in D.C.
Why it matters: The former health influencer turned White House aide has become an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who shares his disillusionment with the U.S. medical system.
Award-winning journalist Katie Couric said it's "chilling" what's happening to scientific research under the Trump administration.
Why it matters: Couric, whoencouraged health screenings well before wellness influencers rose to fame on social media, spoke about what changes could mean for the future of medical advancements at Axios' Future of Health Summit in D.C. on Wednesday.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was pressed on mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services, billions in cuts to the agencies he oversees and the ongoing measles outbreak during testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
Why it matters: Kennedy's appearances before a House panel and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee marks his first time testifying before Congress since he was sworn in earlier this year.
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during Wednesday testimony before a House panel that he would "probably" vaccinate his child for measles, if he had one today.
The big picture: As measles cases continue to spread throughout the U.S., critics have highlighted Kennedy's history of vaccine skepticism.
Medicare's innovation center plans to put more emphasis on empowering consumers to make personal choices in health care, and on promoting healthier lifestyles to prevent diseases, officials wrote in a strategy memo released Tuesday.
Why it matters: The low-profile office created as part of the Affordable Care Act has wide latitude to try out different health policy experiments and could be a useful lever to implementing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s agenda.
The Trump administration is launching a review of the nutrient makeup of infant formula, in the first such federal inquiry in more than a quarter century.
Why it matters: It marks the latest examination of U.S. food supply under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but carries especially high stakes, targeting a product that's complicated to manufacture and has a notoriously fragile supply chain.
Over 40% of children in some U.S. counties live in food-insecure households, per new estimates shared first with Axios from Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks.
Why it matters: Potential cuts or changes to federal food aid programs like SNAP and tariffs on imported foods could affect millions of Americans and exacerbate the childhood hunger crisis.
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