Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced tough questions on vaccine policy and deep staff cuts at federal health agencies in a pair of House hearings Thursday that marked his first appearance before Congress in more than six months.
The big picture: Kennedy doubled down on some of his most controversial moves, but also gave some ground, acknowledging at one point that the measles vaccine could have saved the life of a child who died in an outbreak in Texas last year.
President Trump on Thursday nominated his former deputy surgeon general Erica Schwartz for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and moved to fill several other top positions at the beleaguered agency.
Why it matters: The CDC has been without a permanent political leader since Susan Monarez was fired in August after serving in the role for less than a month.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will face Congress for the first time in more than six months on Thursday with his autonomy and political influence in a very different place.
Why it matters: As the White House tries to reel in his agenda, Kennedy is expected to face a gauntlet of questions about vaccines, autism and other hot-button issues at the first of seven hearings over this week and next.
Walmart is making a play to own what it calls the "last mile" of the GLP-1 boom, telling Axios exclusively it's launching a platform that goes beyond prescriptions to combine virtual care and nutrition.
Why it matters: Weight-loss treatments like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound are exploding, but the real friction is everything around them. The retail giant is betting it can simplify that fragmented system.
The Trump administration is bringing on a new official to focus on health care affordability, the Department of Health and Human Services tells Axios.
Why it matters: The personnel move suggests the administration is attempting to respond to voters' concerns about health care costs ahead of the midterm elections.
Your doctor's new prescription might be for a fishing rod, or other goods or services you won't find at a pharmacy.
The big picture: With the rise of "social prescribing," physicians are sending patients to choirs, art studios, walking clubs and lakesides. Overstretched health systems and a worsening loneliness epidemic are forcing a hard look at how social interventions can improve mental and physical health.
Why it matters: Bayer — which acquired Roundup when it bought Monsanto in 2018 — recently announced a $7.25 billion settlement deal and is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling that could decide the product's fate in the U.S.
Former deputy surgeon general Erica Schwartz has emerged as the leading contender to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to two sources familiar.
Why it matters: The CDC has been without a full-time political leader since the ouster of Susan Monarez last August, and several top officials have resigned as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeks to remake the federal health bureaucracy.
State efforts to regulate pharmacy benefit managers are colliding with federal law, reviving a power struggle over who can police the companies that manage drug benefits for most Americans.
Why it matters: The states are trying to rein in the middlemen that negotiate drug prices and pay pharmacies, but they're running into a federal law that has the final say over employer health plans.
