HHS Chief RFK Jr. Urges More States To Outlaw Fluoride In Drinking Water
He spoke Monday in Utah, where a ban goes into effect in May. Meanwhile, the fallout continues from layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The New York Times:
Kennedy Calls For States To Ban Fluoridated Drinking Water
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. kicked off a tour through southwestern states on Monday by calling on states to ban fluoride in drinking water supplies, a move that would reverse what some medical experts consider one of the most important public health practices in the country’s history. The announcement came at a news conference in Utah, the first state to enact such a ban into law. The state’s new law is set to take effect in early May, despite concerns from public health experts who consider fluoridation of water core to preventing tooth decay. (Baumgaertner Nunn, 4/7)
CNN:
HHS, EPA To Study Fluoride In Drinking Water As RFK Jr. Says He’ll Tell CDC To Stop Recommending It
The US Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that it is reconvening the Community Preventative Services Task Force, an independent panel of public health and prevention experts, “to study and make a new recommendation on fluoride.” (Christensen and McPhillips, 4/7)
On the restructuring of HHS —
Stat:
RFK Jr.'s Senate Hearing On Health Department Cuts To Be Delayed For Weeks
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely delay his appearance before the Senate’s health committee by several weeks, even as he makes historic changes to the Department of Health and Human Services and contends with a surging measles outbreak. (Payne and Wilkerson, 4/7)
NPR:
HHS Guts Sexual Violence Prevention Division, Leaving Local Efforts Adrift
April 1 was the first day of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It's also the day the Department of Health And Human Services fired the teams that work on sexual violence prevention. The layoffs were part of a round of dramatic cuts to the federal health agencies, amid the Trump administration and Elon Musk's efforts to shrink the federal workforce. (Simmons-Duffin, 4/8)
Stat:
Entire Chronic Pain Research Division Eliminated In NIH Layoffs
Last week’s layoffs across the Department of Health and Human Services left a significant casualty in the vast ecosystem of government-backed science: an entire division focused on researching pain. (Facher, 4/8)
KFF Health News:
Firings At Federal Health Agencies Decimate Offices That Release Public Records
Public access to government records that document the handling of illnesses, faulty products, and safety lapses at health facilities will slow after mass firings at the federal Department of Health and Human Services swept out staff members responsible for releasing records, according to transparency advocates and health experts. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s layoffs across health agencies in recent days eliminated workers who handled Freedom of Information Act requests at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and cut FOIA staff at the FDA and the National Institutes of Health. (Pradhan and Kelman, 4/7)
The Hill:
How Kennedy’s Cuts To HHS Could Curb ‘MAHA’ Agenda
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Government Efficiency are reshaping the U.S. health care system, starting with deep cuts to the agencies Kennedy now leads. Kennedy and his allies argue such moves are needed to change federal culture and improve efficiency in the name of long-term health improvements. But critics question how Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement can be successful with a weakened federal health department. (Weixel, 4/7)
Bloomberg:
RFK Jr. Helps Underpin A $25 Billion Trend On US Farm
Rick Clark, a fifth-generation farmer in Indiana, started going all natural more than a decade ago. Today, the land where he grows corn, soybeans and alfalfa is fully organic and free of all chemical inputs. More producers will start to follow suit, he says, thanks in part to a new ally: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy has long advocated for American growers to curb their reliance on certain chemicals to grow and protect crops, claiming they can be toxic. (Chipman, 4/7)
On biotech and AI —
Stat:
Federal Commission Calls For $15 Billion In New Biotech Funding To Counter China
A federal commission is calling for $15 billion in new financing to reinforce the United States’ biotech leadership amid encroaching competition from China. (DeAngelis, 4/8)
Fierce Healthcare:
CHAI Embarks On Post-Deployment Monitoring For AI As FDA Lags
In the absence of a federal framework to monitor the impact of artificial intelligence in the clinic, the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) is stepping in on post-deployment oversight. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lacks the capability to assess how models are performing in the real world after they are authorized for use by the agency. The failure to monitor AI products in the post-deployment phase has been a major hurdle for the industry to adopt AI. (Beavins, 4/7)
