The FDA was supposed to be the dull and predictable part of President Trump's health bureaucracy.

• Instead, it's become the soap opera whose cliffhangers leave entire industries in suspense — most recently Friday's drama over reports that commissioner Marty Makary was about to be booted out.

Why it matters: The FDA regulates about one-fifth of the U.S. economy, so organizational disarray, surprise policy moves and political interference can cause real disruption.

State of play: The Johns Hopkins physician and researcher appeared to have been spared late last week after multiple outlets reported that President Trump had authorized his firing.

• Under Makary, there's been considerable drama around abortion pills, flavored vapes, vaccine issues and drugs for rare diseases.
• But he's also made moves to speed up drug approvals and clinical trials and lessen regulatory burdens that will play out in the coming months — whether or not he's around.

The intrigue: Asked about reports of Makary's imminent firing on Friday, Trump replied, "I've been reading about it, but I know nothing about it." The White House didn't respond to questions about Makary's status.

• A White House official told Politico that senior HHS leaders were pushing for the possible firing, not the White House.
• Remember that Trump often changes his mind, and there's no guarantee that Makary's apparent survival won't be reversed.

What we're watching: If Makary does leave, the expectation is he'll be replaced by a more mainstream figure from inside the FDA.

• Among the internal candidates mentioned is Kyle Diamantas, the deputy commissioner for food.
• There's also speculation Trump could bring back a veteran from his first administration to run the agency. Names that have been floated include former FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn or Brett Giroir, who was briefly acting commissioner.

Keep reading

The CDC broke its silence on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak over the weekend and announced the evacuation of 17 Americans from the Canary Islands to a special treatment center at the University of Nebraska.

Why it matters: Public health experts had criticized the agency for not updating the public until Saturday or sending its scientists to investigate, as it has in previous deadly disease outbreaks.

• Acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya told CNN on Sunday that the agency didn't want to treat the incident like COVID-19 and cause a public panic.

Driving the news: A CDC team was on site to meet Americans on Sunday to escort them back to the U.S.

• Once they are transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which hosts the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center, each individual will be assessed and offered support based on their individual risk.
• The CDC said it was also working with state health departments for at-home monitoring, depending on each individual's potential exposure to the virus.
• The remaining passengers haven't shown symptoms, and the risks of spread of this hantavirus remain low, officials said.

Read more

HHS marked Mother's Day on Sunday by launching a government website for new and expecting mothers that promotes crisis pregnancy centers that steer people away from abortions, alongside federally qualified health centers.

Why it matters: It's the latest way to boost a reproductive health agenda that also calls for overhauling the Title X federal family planning program.

Driving the news: The moms.gov site links to "Option Line" — a finder for local pregnancy centers.

• It also has a link to enroll in "Trump Accounts," which are essentially 401(k)s for infants in which the White House is contributing $1,000 to babies born from 2025 through 2028.
• And there's a link to the TrumpRx drug portal promoting treatments that may improve fertility outcomes.

Yes, but: The pregnancy centers have drawn criticism from some medical groups for portraying themselves as legitimate health clinics while trying to dissuade people from accessing care including abortions and contraceptive options.

• The government site notes that the majority of pregnancy centers offer limited medical services.
• It also links to a government search site for about 1,400 federally qualified health centers and 16,200 service sites staffed by medical professionals and case managers that it says "ensure that patients receive a full range of care."

"You can make the case right now with your insurance provider that your Peloton could be reimbursable. But wouldn't being outside on your actual bike provide more benefits? I think we can prove that, and that needs to be the norm."

🤙🏻 "Make America Healthy Again" activists are mad at Republicans. Some Democrats want to capitalize. (Notus)

🛳️ What happened on the hantavirus cruise, according to a doctor who was on board. (The Atlantic)

💼 Employees with medical conditions are challenging the CDC's in-office work requirement. (NYT)