Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Judge Pauses RFK Jr.'s Mass Firings, Calling Them Unlawful
The New York Times: Federal Judge Halts RFK Jr.’s Mass Firing Efforts At H.H.S. For Now
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from moving forward with a dramatic reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services, finding that the mass firings and organizational changes were probably unlawful. In an opinion accompanying the order, Judge Melissa R. DuBose of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to wipe out entire programs and reorient the agency’s priorities and work far exceeded his authority. (Jewett and Montague, 7/1)
The Hill: 16 States Sue Trump Over School Mental Health Cuts
Sixteen Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday challenging the Department of Education’s cuts to mental health funding for schools. In April, the Education Department announced the $1 billion cut to mental health funding, citing concerns with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives embedded in the contracts. The states allege the contracts were unlawfully terminated under the Administrative Procedure Act and that the cancellation goes against congressional mandates. The lawsuit says the cuts would cause “immediate and devastating harm” to schools. (Cochran, 7/1)
MedPage Today: HHS Confirms Contracts With Springer Nature Have Been Terminated
The Trump administration has terminated contracts with publishing giant Springer Nature, according to a report by Axios and confirmed to MedPage Today by an HHS spokesperson. German-owned Springer Nature has long received payments for subscriptions totaling millions of dollars from the NIH and other federal agencies, Axios reported. However, in a statement provided to MedPage Today in an email, a spokesperson for HHS said: "All contracts with Springer Nature are terminated or no longer active. Precious taxpayer dollars should not be used on unused subscriptions to junk science." (Henderson, 7/1)
KFF Health News: ‘MAHA Report’ Calls For Fighting Chronic Disease, But Trump And Kennedy Have Yanked Funding
The Trump administration has declared that it will aggressively combat chronic disease in America. Yet in its feverish purge of federal health programs, it has proposed eliminating the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and its annual funding of $1.4 billion. (Hilzenrath, 7/2)
On federal funding for Penn, Brown, and Harvard —
The New York Times: Penn Agrees To Limit Participation Of Transgender Athletes
The University of Pennsylvania said on Tuesday that it had struck a deal with the federal government that will limit how transgender people may participate in its athletic programs, bowing to the Trump administration’s new interpretation of the law that bans sex discrimination in education. The government also said the Ivy League school had pledged to “adopt biology-based definitions for the words ‘male’ and ‘female’” that comply with the Trump administration’s reading of Title IX and a pair of executive orders that the president issued this year. (Blinder, 7/1)
Higher Ed Dive: Brown University Preps For ‘Significant Cost-Cutting’ Amid Federal Funding Disruption
Brown University’s top officials warned Monday of “significant cost-cutting” amid the Trump administration’s cuts to research funding and the likelihood of more reductions ahead. (Unglesbee, 6/30)
CNN: These Women Dedicated Almost 50 Years To Science. Their Efforts May Soon Be Trashed
For decades, researchers have been collecting samples from hundreds of thousands of women and tracking their health. The work has deepened our basic understanding of human health, but now the entire project is in danger. (LaMotte, 7/1)
