Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Administration Looks To Shave 20% Off NIH Research Funding: Sources
Roll Call: White House To Propose 20 Percent Cut To NIH Funding
The White House is expected to ask Congress to cut National Institutes of Health spending by 20 percent in the president’s fiscal 2027 budget request, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the planning. The budget request, slated for release next week, reflects President Donald Trump’s policy priorities and acts as a guide to lawmakers as they draft appropriations bills for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. (Cohen, 3/27)
More news about the Trump administration —
Los Angeles Times: Demonstrators Arrested, Tear Gassed At 'No Kings' Protest
More than 70 protesters were arrested Saturday evening after authorities shot tear gas and pepper balls into the crowd, leaving at least one teen with an eye wound and others with skin burns, according to demonstrators and police. The confrontation outside the federal Metropolitan Detention Center came after hours of peaceful “No Kings” demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles and across the county. Authorities said the crowd that gathered at the federal building later in the afternoon, as the rally was winding down, had ignored orders to disperse. (Sheets and Tchekmedyian, 3/29)
Stat: FDA Briefs Lawmakers On Food Safety Priorities
Food and Drug Administration officials briefed senators on the agency’s plans for food policy for 2026, according to a person familiar with the meeting. The agency plans to focus on infant formula safety, updating food labels, defining ultra-processed foods, expanding inspections of food processing plants, and bolstering seafood safety programs, according to a document shared with lawmakers, obtained by STAT. (Payne, 3/27)
The Washington Post: Trump’s First Surgeon General Tries To Stop His Second From Confirmation
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams stood with President Donald Trump at the White House, serving as a prominent face of the president’s health agenda. Now Adams has taken a far different stand: trying to stop Trump’s nominee to be his successor, Casey Means, from being confirmed as the nation’s top doctor. (Diamond, 3/29)
Stat: For Next CDC Director, Confirmation Is Just The First Of Many Problems
Public health experts watching the leadership void at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been predicting for a while that finding someone to head the agency would be a Herculean task. (Branswell, 3/30)
In military health news —
The War Horse: Mental Health Issues Plague New Moms In The Military
Shawna Bush had been blissfully ignorant during her pregnancy: happy, excited, and expecting the best out of motherhood. It took just two days for the wrecking ball of postpartum depression to demolish her joy and leave her sobbing on the couch. “It hit me like a train,” Bush said. “I was not expecting any of it.” (Brookland, 3/29)
Military.com: You Took Separation Pay Years Ago. Now The VA Wants It Back From Your Disability Check.
Under federal law, a veteran cannot receive both separation pay and VA disability compensation for the same period of service. (Wile, 3/27)
