Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Rescinds Millions In Grants Given To American Academy Of Pediatrics
The Washington Post: American Academy Of Pediatrics Loses HHS Funding After Criticizing RFK Jr.
The Department of Health and Human Services has terminated seven grants totaling millions of dollars to the American Academy of Pediatrics, including for initiatives on reducing sudden infant deaths, improving adolescent health, preventing fetal alcohol syndrome and identifying autism early, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. The abrupt loss of funds this week surprised the professional pediatrician association, which has been one of the harshest critics of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to federal vaccine policy. (Sun and Cunningham, 12/17)
More health news from the Trump administration —
The Washington Post: Trump Selects Doctor Who Promoted Unproven Covid Treatment To Helm U.S. Cancer Initiative
Harvey Risch, a Yale epidemiologist long respected for his work in cancer research but who has faced controversy for promoting an unproven covid-19 treatment, has been selected by President Donald Trump to lead the nation’s cancer initiative. Over the course of his career, Risch published 400 original peer-reviewed research papers most notably on cancer prevention and early detection, and has studied a wide array of malignancies including ovarian, pancreatic, lung, bladder, esophageal and stomach cancers. He has also served as an editor at several of the field’s leading journals. (Eunjung Cha, 12/17)
ProPublica, The Salt Lake Tribune: Pam Bondi Drops Surgeon’s COVID-19 Fraud Charges, Emboldens Others With Similar Cases
Dr. Kirk Moore had been on trial for five days, accused of falsifying COVID-19 vaccination cards and throwing away the government-supplied doses. The Utah plastic surgeon faced up to 35 years in prison if the jury found him guilty on charges that included conspiracy to defraud the United States. Testimony had paused for the weekend when Moore’s lawyer called him early one Saturday this July with what felt to him like unbelievable news. (Schreifels, 12/17)
The Washington Post: Trump Set To Explore Expanding CBD Access For Seniors
President Donald Trump’s planned executive order to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, expected as soon as Thursday, also will announce a pilot program to pay for Medicare patients to use CBD, according to six people familiar with the plans. (Diamond, Ovalle and Bogage, 12/18)
The Washington Post: Brendan Carr Said The FCC Isn’t Independent. Its Website Quickly Updated
In the course of an otherwise anodyne Senate committee hearing where its commissioners were testifying, the Federal Communications Commission removed the word “independent” from a description of the agency on its own website to line up with its chairman’s live remarks. (Nover and Duncan, 12/17)
