Axios

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s sister and nephew called on the secretary to resign Friday after he questioned the safety of vaccination while testifying before a congressional committee.

Why it matters: The resignation calls came hours before President Trump broke with Kennedy by encouraging the public to take vaccines, and a day after several Republican members of the committee questioned the secretary's fitness following the upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s forthcoming report on the causes of autism will link the use of Tylenol during pregnancy to the neurodevelopmental disorder and suggest that a form of folate can treat the condition, according to a published report.

Why it matters: Kennedy, who has promoted debunked theories about the disorder, said some of the report's conclusions could be revealed this month.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is pressing health insurers to warn their enrollees about the upcoming end of Affordable Care Act financial assistance that was expanded during the pandemic.

Why it matters: The letter, shared first with Axios, is part of a growing pressure campaign as Democrats push Republicans to extend the enhanced ACA tax credits that are expiring at the end of the year.

Blue states are quickly moving to defy Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine restrictions, increasing the likelihood of a patchwork of conflicting policies similar to the divides over abortion and gender-affirming care.

Why it matters: The resulting standoff could confuse the public on potentially life-and-death decisions. And a state-by-state approach could be inadequate in a major crisis.

There's a new megadonor force in Republican politics: the crypto-mogul Winklevoss twins.

Why it matters: Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, 44, are part of a rising group of millennial and Generation X crypto and tech billionaires who are bolstering President Trump — and could dominate the GOP donor world for decades to come.

Two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy ship in international waters in a "highly provocative move" on Thursday, the Pentagon said.

The big picture: The incident came two days after President Trump announced that U.S. forces killed 11 suspected "Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists" in a U.S. military strike that he ordered in the Caribbean Sea off Venezuela's shores.

For the last few months, I've been developing a pen-pal habit with a close friend. At first it was just something fun to do, but it has since become a bulwark against existential dread.

Why it matters: Most Americans haven't written a personal letter in years.

Former President Biden recently had surgery to remove skin cancer lesions from his forehead, his spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

The big picture: Kelly Scully, the spokesperson, shared a brief statement to outlets including Axios on Biden's treatment after images emerged of the 82-year-old leaving church in Delaware with what appeared to be a gash on his head over the Labor Day weekend.

Top MAGA world officials rushed to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s defense after Congressional Republicans and Democrats grilled the health secretary during a senate hearing for his anti-vaccine views.

Why it matters: After days of Republican leaders questioning Kennedy's leadership following his massive shakeup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Trump White House officials are signaling that Kennedy isn't going anywhere.

Reading your phone while on the toilet could potentially lead to hemorrhoids, a new study finds.

Why it matters: Most Americans are glued to their screens — even when they hit the head.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez lied to Americans when she said she was fired for refusing to endorse vaccine recommendations not supported by science.

Why it matters: Kennedy's public rebuke will likely cause additional turmoil at the CDC. Monarez's firing led to outrage, with several top officials resigning and other employees staging a walkout at the agency.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. showed no signs of backing down on his controversial policies even as some Republican senators used a Thursday hearing to send signs they're ready to tighten oversight.

Why it matters: Kennedy has had relatively free rein to limit COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, fire personnel and challenge current evidence-based science. But pressure from administration allies on the Hill could eventually change the calculus.

Massachusetts will require health insurers operating in the state to cover vaccines recommended by the state's department of public health, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday.

Why it matters: Massachusetts is the first state to mandate insurance coverage of vaccines even if the federal government stops requiring it.

• Health insurers have to cover vaccines as recommended by the CDC at no extra cost to patients. But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has indicated that he wants to roll back some federal vaccine recommendations.

Zoom in: The directive is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, the state said in a news release.

• The national health insurance trade group AHIP in June said its members will continue to cover vaccines for this year's respiratory season.
• Healey filed legislation last month that would give the state's public health department the ability to set independent standards for buying and recommending vaccines.

Zoom out: Massachusetts is joining several other Democrat-led states in pushing back on Kennedy's changes to vaccine policy.

The other side: "Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people's trust in public health agencies," HHS said in a statement.

• "ACIP remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic."

What's next: Healey is also leading efforts to create collaboration of northeastern states that would develop evidence-based guidelines around vaccines, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and supporting state public health labs, the state confirmed.

Senate Democrats lambasted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday for repeatedly questioning the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations, including the COVID shots President Trump championed in his first term.

The big picture: Kennedy had assured Senators during his confirmation that he would do nothing to discourage or hinder people from using vaccines, but in his tenure at HHS, lawmakers say he's created confusion among physicians and families and eroded access.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott rebuffed Gov. Ron DeSantis' call to end Florida's vaccine mandates, arguing that the state already strikes the right balance between children's health and parents' rights.

Why it matters: Scott is the most prominent Republican to break with DeSantis, and it's another sign of fractures within the state's GOP.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sitting for a Senate grilling on Thursday over his sweeping shakeup of the nation's health agencies and vaccine policy.

The big picture: His testimony is senators' first opportunity to publicly question Kennedy since May, when he defended the Trump administration's mass layoffs and funding cuts to his department. Since then, turmoil at HHS has grown and spilled into public view.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wanted then-CDC director Susan Monarez to pre-approve the recommendations of his handpicked vaccine advisory panel filled with individuals who've expressed anti-vaccine rhetoric, the ousted director wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

Why it matters: In the first direct explanation of what led to her ouster last week, Monarez said she was fired for holding the line when it came to supporting evidence-based recommendations on vaccinations.

The Trump administration is expanding individuals' ability to purchase catastrophic health insurance during Affordable Care Act enrollment if they qualify for a hardship exemption based on their household income, officials tell Axios first.

Why it matters: The coverage could be a less costly alternative to protect individuals against high medical costs in the event of serious illness or injury.

More than 60% of Medicare enrollees with opioid use disorder are getting substandard care, according to a new study in Health Affairs.

Why it matters: Opioid use is a growing health problem for older adults in the U.S.

Republican senators are growing impatient with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and vowing to use a high-profile hearing Thursday to crank up oversight following last week's ouster of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez.

Why it matters: Kennedy has had relatively free rein to shake up health policy, and President Trump has his back, but criticism from the Hill GOP would be the first public sign that he could be reeled in.

More missiles. Fewer arrests. President Trump's war on drugs is officially a war, not a mere law enforcement action.

Why it matters: The U.S. has entered a new era in which narcotraffickers are classified as terrorists — and Trump is claiming the right to kill them before they or their drugs reach this country.

With kids back in school, neuroscientists, scholars and psychologists are encouraging parents to get curious about how their children — particularly K-12 — are using AI.

Why it matters: There's essentially "an experiment underway" with young kids, because a huge percentage of them are using genAI tools at school and at home, says Kris Perry, executive director of children and screens at the Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.

The Texas Legislature on Wednesday passed a sweeping measure aimed at restricting mail-order abortion medications and allowing private citizens to sue those mailing, delivering or distributing abortion pills to or from Texas.

Why it matters: Republicans hope the new law shuts down medication abortion in Texas and provides a blueprint for red states in the ongoing battle over abortion access.