Two senior Trump administration health officials — including one who was running the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — are leaving their posts as part of a staff shakeup by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of the midterm elections, two sources confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The departures of deputy health secretary Jim O'Neill and general counsel Mike Stuart coincide with Kennedy's public emphasis on top administration priorities like cleaning up the food supply and lowering drug prices.
The "Make America Healthy Again" movement has the potential to boost Republicans in the midterms — as long as it avoids politically toxic vaccine rhetoric, which could be tough for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Why it matters: Embracing Kennedy on the campaign trail could either boost Republicans' chances of keeping one or both chambers of Congress in November, or further alienate voters increasingly wary of President Trump's tenure.
The EPA has overturned a formal 2009 scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to human health and welfare, President Trump said Thursday.
Why it matters: It's the Trump administration's most direct effort yet to rip out climate regulations root and branch — and make it harder for a successor to impose new ones.
Growing recreational cannabis at home is illegal in Washington state — but lawmakers in Olympia are considering a bill this year to legalize it.
The big picture: Of the 24 states that have legalized recreational cannabis, only four — including Washington — ban home growing for nonmedical use, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Senate Democrats on Thursday are reviving a Biden-era effort to set the first-ever national minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The Trump administration last year rescinded a policy that would have created baseline staffing rules for long-term care settings in response to widespread reports of patient harm due to understaffing.
The Food and Drug Administration's refusal to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine is raising questions about how the Trump administration intends to treat other new products built around the technology.
Why it matters: Some medical experts warn that the U.S. will miss out on promising new vaccines if it does not embrace the technology, which powered the COVID-19 shots and could be adapted to target other diseases, including cancer.
The Trump administration's surprise decision to freeze payments to private Medicare plans is likely to supercharge tensions between physicians and insurers and create new barriers to senior care.
Why it matters: Limiting revenue in a core business for major health insurers will set off a chain reaction that ultimately affects the more than 34 million beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans.
The day before Valentine's Day has become its own holiday for platonic love, known as Palentine's Day or Galentine's Day.
Why it matters: The holiday helps make love feel less exclusive and reminds us of the importance of platonic relationships — according to Marisa Franco, a psychologist, professor and author of "Platonic," a research-backed book about how to make and keep friends.
