Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Stephen Hahn Of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center To Be Nominated As Head Of FDA, Reports Say
The Wall Street Journal: Trump To Nominate Texas Doctor To Lead FDA
President Trump plans to nominate Stephen M. Hahn, a radiation oncologist and chief medical executive at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, as the next Food and Drug Administration commissioner, according to people familiar with the situation. Dr. Hahn, 59, would replace acting FDA commissioner Norman “Ned” Sharpless, whose acting term expires on Nov. 1. He took the acting position after the departure in April of previous commissioner Scott Gottlieb. The appointment requires confirmation by the Senate. (Burton, 10/23)
In other news from the administration —
ProPublica: How Donald Trump Turned To A Comics Titan To Shape The VA
President Donald Trump personally directed administration officials to report to one of his largest donors, Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter, according to a new book by former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin. Starting with Shulkin’s interview for the cabinet post, Trump routinely dialed Perlmutter into meetings and asked if the secretary was keeping Perlmutter informed and happy, Shulkin wrote. Perlmutter would call Shulkin as often as multiple times a day, and White House officials such as Stephen Miller would scold Shulkin for not being in close enough contact with Perlmutter and two of his associates at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida. (Arnsdorg, 10/22)
