Axios

Decades of failures by both political parties left the U.S. strategically vulnerable, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will argue in a speech Friday, and the Trump administration is focused on turning the tide.

Driving the news: Bessent's talk, titled "While America Slept," which invokes U.S. strategic failures before World War II, will argue that this has been an era of dangerous complacency and the deterioration of U.S. manufacturing strength, a Treasury official tells Axios.

A Trump administration plan to overhaul wage levels for visa holders is jolting hospitals and long-term care facilities that are heavily reliant on foreign-born workers.

Why it matters: It's the latest immigration-related policy change to loom over the health care workforce, coming after President Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee and the suspension of certain immigrants' work authorization renewals.

Large numbers of children are dropping off the Medicaid rolls, even though the sweeping changes Congress made to the program last summer didn't target kids' eligibility.

Why it matters: The trend indicates that new Medicaid work rules and nearly $1 trillion in cuts to federal program spending are having spillover effects before they're broadly implemented.

Eli Lilly on Tuesday said that it has agreed to pay up to $3.8 billion in cash to buy three vaccine developers: Curevo, LimmaTech, and Vaccine Co.

Why it matters: GLP-1 riches are being repurposed to prevent infections.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is offering to shield drugmakers from legal liability as an incentive to develop treatments for the Andes hantavirus that caused a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship this month.

Why it matters: The move is stirring criticism within Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement and harks back to COVID-era protections the government gave to obtain antivirals, vaccines and other products during the health emergency.

Health insurers facing growing criticism over rising premiums are trying to shift the narrative by portraying hospitals and drugmakers as the real culprits behind health care's affordability crisis.

Why it matters: Health insurance gets more expensive almost every year. But now, more of those added costs are being passed through to workers who are already reeling from inflationary pressures.

Many Democrats hate Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker told Axios he "absolutely" supports some of the controversial HHS secretary's policies — particularly when it comes to food.

• Booker likes Kennedy's increased testing of infant formula for micro plastics and other materials, pushing for less ultra-processed food, and his pilot program to have schools serve more-healthful meals, an aide to the senator told Axios.

Why it matters: Booker, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, wants to appeal to some of the health-conscious voters Kennedy rallied during his 2024 presidential bid — first as a Democrat, then as an independent who eventually endorsed Donald Trump.

The annual cost of health care for a family of four covered through a typical employer plan is an eye-watering $37,824 in 2026, according to a Milliman estimate out this week.

Why it matters: For as long as I've been covering health care, there's been general recognition that if any one group can really put a dent in health care spending, it's employers.

A next-generation obesity drug from Eli Lilly reached a new level of weight loss in a late clinical trial, matching levels generally seen in those who've had bariatric surgery, company officials said Thursday.

Why it matters: The results challenge assumptions of how much the drugs can achieve and could help Lilly reinforce its position at the front of an increasingly competitive market.

The U.S. response to the Ebola outbreak is drawing new warnings from public health experts about the impact of the Trump administration's global health policies, including the dismantlement of USAID and its withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

Why it matters: While officials are rushing to get resources to stricken parts of Africa, infectious disease experts fear the administration's other actions are weakening critical networks needed for a rapid response in a densely populated, politically unstable part of the world.