Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RFK Jr.'s Health Targets Extend To Food Toxins, Raw Milk, Stem Cells
The New York Times: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s FDA Wish List: Raw Milk, Stem Cells, Heavy Metals
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been unflinching in his attacks on the Food and Drug Administration in recent weeks, saying he wants to fire agency experts who have taken action against treatments that have sometimes harmed people or that teeter on the fringe of accepted health care practice. ... Some of Mr. Kennedy’s priorities are relatively standard, such as focusing on the health effects associated with ultraprocessed foods. Yet others threaten to undermine F.D.A. authority to rein in inappropriate medical treatments or to warn about products that can damage the public health. (Jewett, 11/12)
Bloomberg: ‘Make America Healthy Again’: RFK Jr. Wins Over Fans by Stoking Food Toxin Fear
“Make America Great Again” has long been a signature phrase at Donald Trump’s rally speeches. Its recent offshoot, “Make America Healthy Again” or MAHA, is now spreading on social media as fitness influencers and parents embrace a push by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to clean up US food production. (Mufarech, 11/12)
The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Claims Canadian Froot Loops Have 3 Ingredients. They Have 17.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is fiercely critical of the federal government’s handling of child health, including rising childhood obesity rates, has wrongly claimed that Froot Loops sold in Canada have just a few ingredients, compared with those sold in the United States. “Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada and it’s got two or three?” he said in an interview with MSNBC’s Vaughn Hillyard last week while criticizing the Food and Drug Administration. Kennedy, known for his debunked medical claims, was wrong about the numbers of ingredients in Canadian and American Froot Loops, which are similar: 17 and 16, respectively. The biggest difference is the dyes, which in the American version are known as Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 1. Canadian authorities limit the use of those dyes. (Brasch and Lee, 11/12)
The Wall Street Journal: The Siblings Behind RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Campaign
They are pushing for healthier school meals, sustainable agricultural practices and banning some food colorings—and they are about to shape President-elect Donald Trump’s health agenda. Meet Calley Means and Dr. Casey Means, the brother-sister duo who have built a wellness empire by questioning some traditional medical expertise and vaccine mandates, but who have also tapped ideas more recognizable to the political left to fuel the Trump-aligned Make America Healthy Again movement. Means, a former food-industry lobbyist, and his sister, Casey, a Stanford-educated surgeon, have pushed for a radical overhaul of the country’s food and health systems, driven by a deep distrust of the pharmaceutical and food industries. They have also espoused some disputed medical theories. (Peterson and Whyte, 11/13)
Stat: Fluoride In Drinking Water: The Science Behind The Controversy
Adding fluoride to water is considered one of the great public health achievements of the 20th century. With President-elect Donald Trump in the White House, the 21st century may be another story. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has pledged to let “go wild” on public health under his administration, is an outspoken opponent of adding fluoride to drinking water. He intends to take action. (Oza, 11/13)
Stat: FDA Commissioner Suggests RFK Jr. And Trump Might Compromise An Agency ‘At Peak Performance’
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf said he’s unsure about the future of the agency under the incoming Trump administration and “disappointed” about the election’s outcome. “I think we just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Califf said at a conference hosted by the nonprofit Friends of Cancer Research on Tuesday. “The gist of this administration, from everything that’s been said, is that they want to change a lot of things, and how it gets changed depends on who gets appointed into key positions.” (Lawrence, 11/12)
On health care in schools —
Axios: Kraft Heinz Pulls Lunchables From School Meals Program
Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it's pulling Lunchables meals from the National School Lunch Program due to flagging demand. The Chicago-based food giant said in a media statement that its decision was not related to a study by U.S. consumer watchdog group Consumer Reports that found Lunchables meal kits for low-income children contained relatively high levels of sodium, lead and cadmium. (Falconer, 11/13)
The Washington Post: Trump Pledged To Close The Education Department. What Would That Mean?
The department does not dictate curriculum or have a hand in most school policies. But the federal agency plays an important role. It administers federal grant programs, including the $18.4 billion Title I program that provides supplemental funding to high-poverty K-12 schools, as well as the $15.5 billion program that helps cover the cost of education for students with disabilities. (Meckler and Timsit, 11/12)
