The Week in Brief: Friday, June 13, 2025
Listen: With Vital Health Research Defunded, Who’s Losing Out?
Rae Ellen Bichell
From Florida to California, National Institutes of Health grant cuts have halted research studies on HIV, vaccines, and health equity — affecting red and blue states alike.
Kennedy’s HHS Sent Congress ‘Junk Science’ To Defend Vaccine Changes, Experts Say
Jackie Fortiér
A look inside the Department of Health and Human Services document citing vaccine misinformation that could influence congressional perceptions.
CDC Staffing Upheaval Disrupts HIV Projects and Wastes Money, Researchers Say
Amy Maxmen
Researchers laid off in April were putting the finishing touches on in-depth HIV surveys that guide treatment and prevention. Some staff have been reinstated, but data remains in limbo.
RFK Jr. Upends Vaccine Policy, After Promising He Wouldn’t
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week did something he had promised not to do: He fired every member of the scientific advisory committee that recommends which vaccines should be given to whom. And he replaced them, in some cases, with vaccine skeptics. Meanwhile, hundreds of employees of the National Institutes of Health sent an open letter to the agency’s director, accusing the Trump administration of policies that “undermine the NIH mission.” Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Watch: RFK Jr. Dismisses All 17 Members of Vaccine Advisory Committee
KFF Health News’ Céline Gounder joined CBS Evening News to discuss the unprecedented move by the Health and Human Services secretary.
Four Ways Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Would Undermine Access to Obamacare
Julie Appleby
The combination of the House-passed spending and tax bill and the Trump administration’s regulatory action could change Affordable Care Act enrollment and the cost of insurance. The result, according to the Congressional Budget Office, is that millions of people may become uninsured.
What Are ‘Improper’ Medicaid Payments, and Are They as High as a Trump Official Said?
Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact
The vast majority of improper payments stem from documentation mistakes and do not fit the definition of waste, fraud, or abuse. They also typically stem from health care providers’ actions, not beneficiaries’ abuse.
Echoing 2020, Police Use Rubber Bullets Against Protesters in Los Angeles
“Less lethal” weapons are once again being used in Los Angeles — against people protesting the Trump administration’s immigration raids. With terms like “foam,” “sponge,” and “bean bag,” the projectiles may sound harmless. They’re not.
As Cannabis Users Age, Health Risks Appear To Grow
Paula Span
More older people are using cannabis products regularly, but research suggests their cannabis-related health problems are also on the rise.
As Federal Health Grants Shrink, Memory Cafes Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers
Lydia McFarlane, WVIA
Memory cafes are small social gatherings for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers. The events are cheap to run and can offer measurable benefits. Memory loss experts say they may become an even more important tool in the face of federal cuts to health programs.
‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Would Batter Rural Hospital Finances, Researchers Say
Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
Rural hospitals would take an outsize hit from Republicans’ proposed cuts to Medicaid and other federal health programs. Researchers say the financial erosion would trigger hospital closures and service cuts, especially in communities where large shares of patients are enrolled in Medicaid.
$20K Bonuses Among Latest Moves To Improve California’s Prison Mental Health System
Don Thompson
After decades of unsuccessful efforts to improve California prison conditions, advocates and a federal judge are betting that bonuses and better work accommodations will attract and keep the mental health professionals needed to better treat prisoners.
Journalists Recap State of NIH Cancer Research and Abortion Law’s Effect on Clinical Decisions
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Readers Endorse Doctor Migration and Shun ‘Elderspeak’
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.