Critics Contend Trump’s Push To Fund Faith-Based Foster Programs That Exclude Same-Sex Couples Is State-Sponsored Discrimination
But HHS’s Office of Civil Rights argues that some of the country’s oldest religious agencies in places have gone out of business because of nondiscrimination requirements that are themselves discriminatory. Other Trump administration health news comes out of the FDA and the EPA.
The Washington Post:
Administration Seeks To Fund Religious Foster-Care Groups That Reject LGBTQ Parents
President Trump made religious leaders a contentious promise at this week’s National Prayer Breakfast: Faith-based adoption agencies that won’t work with same-sex couples would still be able to get federal funding to “help vulnerable children find their forever families while following their deeply held beliefs.” The president offered no details, but a plan is already in motion. (Cha, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
FDA Questions Juul, Altria Commitment To Combat Teen Vaping
The head of the Food and Drug Administration is questioning whether electronic cigarette maker Juul and its new partner Altria are following through on pledges to help reverse the boom in underage vaping. FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Friday posted letters he sent to Juul and Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and other tobacco products. He called for a joint meeting to discuss what he calls "inconsistent" statements from the companies. (Perrone, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
EPA Decision Soon On Chemical Compounds Tied To Health Risks
The chemical compounds are all around you. They're on many fabrics, rugs and carpets, cooking pots and pans, outdoor gear, shampoo, shaving cream, makeup and even dental floss. Increasing numbers of states have found them seeping into water supplies. There's growing evidence that long-term exposure to the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS, can be dangerous, even in tiny amounts. (Knickmeyer, Casey and Flesher, 2/11)
The Washington Post:
Under Trump, EPA Inspections Fall To A 10-Year Low
Under President Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency inspected fewer industrial facilities during 2018 than at any time over the past decade, according to data released by the agency Friday. The sharp drop in inspections and evaluations last fiscal year — to roughly 10,600 — is only half the number EPA conducted at its peak in 2010, and continues a downward trend that began in 2012. Other enforcement activities at the agency experienced similar declines, according to EPA figures: The number of civil cases the division started and completed in 2018 hit a 10-year low, and the $69 million in civil penalties it leveled represents the lowest in nearly a quarter-century. (Eilperin and Dennis, 2/8)
