HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's newly appointed vaccine advisory board will review the federal childhood vaccination schedule and make recommendations on measles and Hepatitis B shots, the panel's chair said during a Wednesday meeting.
Why it matters: Changes to the schedule could limit access to certain immunizations, since recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices influence insurance coverage decisions and what physicians tell patients.
Senate Republicans are eyeing a $15 billion fund for rural hospitals to be added to the "big, beautiful bill," according to a draft plan obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: Some Republicans have been raising the alarm about how changes to the Medicaid provider tax could hurt — and even close — rural hospitals. The new measure is intended to alleviate some of those concerns.
👉 HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defends agency cuts at a House hearing and hinted at some rehirings. (Axios)
🔀 Medical device company Semler Scientific pivots to being a bitcoin treasury after a government crackdown. (Stat)
🏥 The Trump administration is investigating the University of Michigan health system over a transgender care case. (Michigan Public)
🛑 FDA Commissioner Marty Makary was behind a short-lived request to reject a rare-disease drug application from KalVista Pharmaceuticals. (Endpoints News)
The Trump administration has terminated millions worth of funding for Springer Nature, a German-owned scientific publishing giant that has long received payments for subscriptions from National Institutes of Health and other agencies, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: President Trump and MAGA have made a push to target academic institutions as well as research organizations perceived to be the source of so-called "woke" ideology, including DEI and gender-affirming care policies, by withholding federal funding and in some cases initiating legal action.
Drinking something hot might actually cool you down.
Why it matters: As millions of Americans experience record-breaking heat this summer, finding ways to cool down and stay hydrated is more important than ever.
With record high temperatures becoming the norm, humans are more regularly hitting the threshold of our ability to cope with heat.
Why it matters: An early summer heat wave plaguing the U.S. raises questions about how our bodies can cope with excessively high temperatures that are worsening due to climate change.
🥼 Joe Biden's doctor will be interviewed by the House Oversight Committee as part of a broad GOP probe into the former president's health. (Axios)
✍🏻 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a THC ban passed by his fellow Republicans, securing the future of the state's multibillion-dollar hemp industry. (Axios)
🤖 Duke researchers are evaluating how well AI tools are performing in hospitals and other health settings. (Axios)
A federal judge's order to restore hundreds of millions of dollars of NIH grants marked a big win for scientists last week — but it doesn't mean they can immediately get back to work.
The big picture: Researchers haven't yet been able to access funds covered by the ruling as part of the order, and the likelihood that the government will appeal or seek to halt the order leaves the outlook murky.
