FDA Is On A Hiring Spree, But Onboarding Red Tape Is Holding Up Hires, Employees Say

The agency has hired 1,050 staff since October 2025, and 956 new hires are “in the final stages of the hiring process,” an FDA spokesperson acknowledged to Stat. In other news, grant applicants allege in a lawsuit that the National Institutes of Health infringed on their First Amendment rights when it screened their work for terms that weren't in line with the administration's policy priorities.

Stat: FDA Rehiring Efforts After DOGE Are Delayed By Original DOGE Cuts

To hear Food and Drug Administration leaders tell it, everything is going swimmingly — a far cry from the dark days of April 2025, when Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service took a chainsaw to the agency, slashing 3,500 workers and triggering a broader staff exodus. (Manto, 9/17)

Stat: Researchers Sue NIH For Violating First Amendment Rights

A group of researchers are suing the National Institutes of Health for allegedly infringing on their freedom of speech by screening grants for certain words and phrases when making funding decisions. (Oza, 9/16)

Also —

Bloomberg: HHS Launches SPECTRA Initiative To Advance Autism Research With AI Tools

The US Department of Health and Human Services plans to launch a new research initiative related to autism, using AI and other technology to map how the condition develops and identify opportunities for early intervention. The initiative, called SPECTRA, will analyze available data and then fill in the gaps on “the missing biology needed to treat earlier and prevent avoidable illness,” according to a draft document reviewed by Bloomberg News. The program will operate under the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a division of HHS that funds potential breakthroughs in biomedical research at an accelerated pace. (Cohrs Zhang and Ambaye, 9/16)

Healthcare Dive: HHS Adds New IDR Entity As Surprise Billing Disputes Surge

The Trump administration has certified a new arbiter to decide out-of-network payment disputes between providers and insurers through the process set up by the No Surprises Act. Physio Solutions, which does business as Medlitix, is an independent review organization that provides medical and peer reviews, as well as dispute resolution services to health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, third-party administrators and over 40 government programs. (LaPointe, 9/15)

MedPage Today: Health, Defense Secretaries Pave Way For Ketamine Drug

At first, the Federal Register notice set off alarm bells: The secretaries of health and defense were collaborating on emergency use of medical countermeasures for U.S. military forces -- but they didn't specify why. In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth determined there was a military emergency -- or significant potential for one -- involving a higher risk of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack on U.S. forces. (Fiore, 9/16)

Axios: Top Trump Adviser Susie Wiles Says She's Cancer Free

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles announced Wednesday she is cancer free. Wiles, President Trump's most trusted adviser, announced in March that she had early stage breast cancer, but planned to stay on the job as she sought treatment. (Scribner, 9/16)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics