Court-Restored NIH Research Grants Will Be Short-Lived, Director Says
Although the Trump administration will comply with directives to fund DEI-related grants that had already been awarded, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya says the U.S. does not intend to renew grants that "no longer meet NIH priorities." Plus, news about drug smuggling, mifepristone, and more.
Stat:
NIH Director Says DEI-Related Grants That Were Restored Under A Court Order Won’t Be Renewed
Throughout the year, researchers have been heartened by legal decisions pushing back on directives from the National Institutes of Health to halt and deprioritize work it deems related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. But in comments made on a podcast posted Wednesday, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya indicated the reprieve may be short-lived for the grants restored in June, and they could be terminated over the next year. (Oza, 12/31)
On drug smuggling —
The New York Times:
The U.S. Indictment Of Maduro Cites Cocaine Smuggling. Venezuela’s Role In The Trade Is Believed To Be Modest.
President Trump has asserted that the campaign is targeting drugs killing Americans, but most U.S. overdoses involve fentanyl, which doesn’t come from South America, experts say. Fentanyl, which causes tens of thousands of overdoses per year, is almost entirely produced in Mexico using chemicals from China, according to U.S. authorities, and Venezuela plays no known role in its trade, nor does any other South American country. (Glatsky and Correal, 1/3)
Bloomberg:
Trump Warns Colombia In Threat To Other Drug-Producing Countries
President Donald Trump warned other drug-producing nations in the Western Hemisphere that he wouldn’t long tolerate the flow of illegal substances to the US. A day after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to stand trial in the US, Trump said several other nations need to change their ways. (Wallbank and Lucey, 1/5)
On reproductive health —
The Hill:
Anti-Abortion Group Calls On EPA To Classify Abortion Drugs As Pollutants
Anti-abortion group Students for Life of America is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to add abortion drug mifepristone to its list of water contaminants. It follows 40 other anti-abortion groups and lawmakers previously calling for the EPA to assess the water pollution levels of the abortion drug. “The EPA has the regulatory authority and humane responsibility to determine the extent of abortion water pollution, caused by the reckless and negligent policies pushed by past administrations through the [Food and Drug Administration],” Kristan Hawkins, president of SFLA, said in a release. (Djordjevic, 1/2)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Arielle Zionts reads the week’s news: Cuts to federal programs may limit the Trump administration’s plan to help Americans have more babies, and states face a challenge determining which Medicaid recipients are medically frail enough to keep their benefits without proving they are working, volunteering, or going to school. (12/23)
Concerns persist about President Trump's health —
The Hill:
Trump Denies Health Concerns After CT Scan At Walter Reed
President Trump disputed the idea that there was anything wrong with his health and clarified that he got a CT scan instead of an MRI scan when he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a “secondary” physical. Trump, who is 79, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Thursday it was “too bad” he had cardiovascular and abdominal imaging done, saying “it gave them a little ammunition.” “I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’” Trump said. “Well, nothing’s wrong.” (Vakil, 1/1)
The Hill:
Dick Cheney's Former Doctor Questions Donald Trump's Aspirin Regimen
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, cardiologist to the late former Vice President Dick Cheney, dismissed President Trump’s aspirin regimen Thursday. The president told the Wall Street Journal that he takes a larger dose of the pain reliever to thin his blood, despite recommendations from his doctors to reduce intake. “I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” added Trump, 79. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” But Reiner told host Phil Mattingly on CNN’s “The Lead” that it, in fact, “makes no sense.” (Rego, 1/2)
