HHS Studying Cellphone Effects On Health — After Deleting Data On Safety
“The FDA removed webpages with old conclusions about cellphone radiation while HHS undertakes a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said. Plus, the updated dietary guidelines are drawing scrutiny.
The Wall Street Journal:
RFK Jr.’s Health Department Quietly Removes Webpages Saying Cellphones Aren’t Dangerous
The Food and Drug Administration quietly removed webpages saying cellphones aren’t dangerous as the Department of Health and Human Services under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launches a study on cellphone radiation. Kennedy and some of his allies have long pointed to cellphones as a potential source of illnesses including cancer. Many mainstream scientific institutions, including the FDA, previously concluded that there isn’t adequate proof to link health problems to cellphones or other wireless devices. A vocal group of scientists have said there is reason to worry and to take more precautions, and Kennedy has echoed their concerns. (Essley Whyte and Haggin, 1/15)
On nutrition —
The Hill:
Democrats Rip Brooke Rollins's 'Chicken, Broccoli, Tortilla' Dinner Suggestion
Democrats pounced on Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins after she suggested Americans could save money by eating a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and “one other thing” to afford a nutritious dinner. In a NewsNation interview, Rollins addressed concerns that the White House’s newly revamped dietary guidelines — which prioritize protein and healthy fats over ultra-processed foods and sugars — would be costly for the average American already facing financial constraints. (Fortinsky, 1/15)
The Hill:
School Lunch Advocates Respond To RFK Jr.'s New Food Pyramid: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
The release of a new food pyramid has been met with mixed reactions by school food advocates, who say changes to the cafeteria menu will need financial backing. While there is skepticism regarding the science behind the new guidelines, which were unveiled last week by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., schools are more concerned about any infrastructure and training to implement them. (Lonas Cochran, 1/15)
MedPage Today:
Experts Who Advised On Diet Guidelines Say RFK Jr.'s Version Is Full Of Errors
Some of the experts who advised on the development of the most recent national dietary guidelines told MedPage Today that their work wasn't considered, and that the final guidance is riddled with errors. Christopher Gardner, PhD, an expert in diabetes and nutrition at Stanford University in California, and Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, an obesity medicine physician at Harvard University in Boston, both worked on the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) report. It was more than 400 pages long with a 1,000-page supplement, and was submitted just before President Donald Trump started his second term. (Robertson, 1/15)
Stat:
Cost Of New Food Pyramid Tested By Economists. Results Are Mixed
How easy is it to make a healthy dinner for $3? When the new U.S. dietary guidelines came out last week, food economist William Masters emailed a few colleagues with a fun exercise — or at least what passes for fun among economists. (It was, after all, a spreadsheet.) The challenge: Design your own diet to figure out how affordable, and healthy, following the new guidelines would actually be. (Todd, 1/16)
On federal funding cuts —
The New York Times:
U.S. Cuts Health Aid And Ties It To Funding Pledges By African Governments
The State Department is negotiating agreements with countries across the developing world to provide billions of dollars in health aid, an effort intended to replace the system of global health assistance that had for decades been offered through the now-dismantled U.S. Agency for International Development. Over the past month the U.S. has signed agreements with 16 African countries to provide more than $11 billion in health aid over the next five years, and is negotiating dozens more deals with governments in Asia and Latin America as well as Africa. (Nolen, 1/15)
The New York Times:
For The World’s Food Supply, Federal Funding Cuts Have Long-Term Impacts
Crops and livestock that are essential for feeding the world’s population are constantly threatened by depleted soil, evolving pathogens and erratic weather spurred by a changing climate. So in laboratories and farms around the world, scientists labor to protect them, breeding more resilient varieties and developing farming practices to stabilize harvests against the swings and shocks of the environment. But lately, the United States, not nature, has created the biggest uncertainty for global agriculture. (Alcorn, 1/15)
On vaccines and mistrust —
MedPage Today:
Controversial CDC-Funded Hep B Study Halted
A controversial study on hepatitis B vaccination in Guinea-Bissau that was funded in part by the U.S. CDC has been halted. Yap Boum, PhD, MPH, a senior official at the Africa CDC, said the study was "cancelled" during a press briefing on Thursday morning. He noted, however, that conversations between officials in Guinea-Bissau and the U.S. are ongoing, since research on hepatitis B in that country is needed. However, if the study is to move forward, he said, it will need to meet ethical criteria. The Guardian first reported the news. (Fiore, 1/15)
St. Louis Public Radio:
St. Louis County Officials Reject New CDC Vaccination Guidelines
St. Louis County Department of Public Health officials said they do not agree with updated federal childhood vaccine guidelines and made their own recommendations, part of a growing trend of jurisdictions breaking with federal immunization guidance. (Fentem, 1/15)
Stat:
77% Of Americans Trust In Science, New Survey Finds
Even in this starkly divided country, Americans can agree on one thing: They want the U.S. to be a global leader in the sciences. But while Democrats fear the country’s position at the scientific fore is slipping, Republicans remain largely unworried. (Oza, 1/15)
