Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Fires National Science Board Members Who Steer Funding
The Washington Post: Trump Ousts National Science Board Members
Multiple scientists who serve on an independent board established to guide the nation’s nearly $9 billion basic science funding agency were terminated from their positions Friday by President Donald Trump. Members of the National Science Board, which helps govern the National Science Foundation, were dismissed in a message from the Presidential Personnel Office thanking them for their service, according to screenshots shared with The Washington Post: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I’m writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately.” (Johnson, 4/25)
Los Angeles Times: Critics Slam Trump’s Purge Of National Science Board: ‘Wholesale Evisceration Of American Leadership In Science’
With Trump purging the National Science Board, and the NSF director seat vacant, scientists warn of a shift away from fundamental research toward a narrow focus on AI. (Jarvie, 4/26)
The latest from the NIH —
Stat: Kristine Blanche, Wife Of Acting Attorney General, Named To NIH Advisory Council
Kristine Blanche, an integrative medicine doctor and wife of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has been named as a member to one of the advisory councils that provides critical funding recommendations to the National Institutes of Health. Her appointment, to serve on the advisory council to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is the first of such appointments to be made in over a year. (Molteni, 4/26)
Stat: NIH-Funded Research Lags In Reporting Sex Differences, New Study Finds
Fewer than half of papers published by NIH-funded researchers analyze or report their data by sex, which could make it harder to know what the results mean for men and women, a new study found. (Merelli and Oza, 4/27)
On RFK Jr. and MAHA —
The New York Times: As Trump Officials Pushed Health Savings Accounts, RFK Jr. Aide Ran Wellness Company Poised To Benefit
For most of last year, Calley Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was advising on changes to the American health system while running a rapidly growing wellness company poised to benefit from Trump administration health policies. Records released to The New York Times by an ethics office at the Department of Health and Human Services show that Mr. Means held between $25 million and $50 million in stock in the company, Truemed, through November, as he continued to serve as its president. For months, Mr. Means has ignored questions from Democrats in Congress about his finances, including the extent of his stake in Truemed, and how they related to federal policy. (Jewett and Mueller, 4/24)
Politico: The Groups Backing RFK Jr. Are Running Low On Cash
Leaders of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement say they’ll help Republicans stay in power – but they’ve got little money to do it. Last month, Tony Lyons, the ally of the health secretary who runs the MAHA PAC, said he’d raise $100 million to support Republicans, bolstering President Donald Trump’s view that MAHA voters will help Republicans maintain their majorities in Congress this year. (Chu, 4/24)
CIDRAP: New Global Health Misinformation Survey Reveals Deep Divides
About a quarter of people worldwide say they believe that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk, that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy causes autism, and that vaccines are used for population control. These are a few of the harmful health claims that were surveyed in the 5th annual Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Health. The report was authored by the Edelman Trust Institute. The think tank, which is part of the Edelman global communications firm, studies shifts in trust across institutions, geographies, and society. (Boden, 4/24)
Also —
The New York Times: Rising Costs Are Causing Couples To Delay Or Forgo Having Children
High mortgage payments, higher child care costs and economic uncertainty are making some people rethink their plans on starting a family. (Rhone, 4/26)
