Sarah Owermohle

Pressure builds on Kennedy’s vaccine panel ahead of first meeting | CNN Ahead of the first meeting of newly appointed vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lawmakers are sharing fresh concerns about the panel’s membership and last-minute ...

New: Ahead of the first meeting of CDC's newly appointed vaccine advisers, lawmakers are sharing fresh concerns about the panel’s membership and last-minute actions that could see Covid-19 and influenza vaccines thrown into question. W/ @megtirrell.bsky.social

www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/h...

Some strong reactions. National Corn Growers say report is "fear-based" misinfo & if the goal is efficiency, "why is HHS Sec. Kennedy duplicating efforts by raising questions about pesticides that have been answered repeatedly through research and reviews by federal regulatory bodies?"

First MAHA health report calls for reassessing medicines, processed foods, pesticides | CNN Politics Poor diet, environmental toxins, unhealthy habits and pharmaceuticals are contributing to a national rise in chronic illnesses, particularly among children, top Trump officials said in a Thursday repo...

The MAHA commission's first report has landed, laying the groundwork for a potential government overhaul of food guidelines, medical research and environmental policies:

www.cnn.com/2025/05/22/p...

RFK builds his team of ‘renegades’ amid friction between MAHA and traditional Trump allies | CNN Politics The opulent ballroom of the Willard Intercontinental Hotel is a regular stop on the high-dollar circuit of industry conferences that populate downtown Washington.

Agency shake-ups and new appointees have begun to splinter the alliance between traditional Trump world allies and Kennedy’s MAHA acolytes.

Ben of Ben & Jerry’s *arrested* after confronting RFK Jr. & Congress:

"They need to let food into Gaza. They need to let food to starving kids! Congress is paying to bomb poor kids in Gaza, and paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US!"

Lawmakers press Kennedy on mass cuts ahead of future budget | CNN House lawmakers repeatedly pressed US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy on canceled medical research and mass layoffs during a Wednesday hearing on Trump administration proposals t...

The HHS budget hearings so far today:

- Robert F. Kennedy defends funding cuts & layoffs
- Says Americans shouldn't take advice from him on vaccines
- Says about DEI cuts that Trump is committed to a "colorblind" administration

www.cnn.com/2025/05/14/h...

Trump’s diversity purge freezes hundreds of millions in medical research at universities across the country | CNN Politics Universities across the country are scrambling to comply with President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity push in an effort to hold on to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants that fund critic...

NJ's @repbonnie.bsky.social asks RFK Jr. about 100s of cancelled NIH grants that include words like Black, race, bias, disparity & minority.

Two grants to study maternal mortality - with known racial disparities - were cut. One was toMorehouse School of Medicine:

www.cnn.com/2025/05/08/p...

Trump’s drug-pricing order takes a hard line against pharma. Investors shrugged President Trump unveiled his plan to dramatically overhaul the way the U.S. pays for drugs. Pharma investors didn't seem to care.

President Trump unveiled his plan to dramatically overhaul the way the U.S. pays for drugs. Pharma investors didn't seem to care.

Here are the states and districts that depend on Medicaid the most, in 3 charts | CNN Politics As part of their effort to pass a massive tax, immigration and spending cuts package, House Republicans are eyeing plans to shave billions from the federal budget. Some of those cuts could affect Medi...

Sixty+ House Republicans represent districts with higher-than-average Medicaid enrollment. Several have warned against program cuts in the new budget.

The states and districts that depend on Medicaid the most, in charts:

www.cnn.com/2025/05/07/p...

FDA chooses Dr. Vinay Prasad to lead biologics, vaccines division | CNN The US Food and Drug Administration has named Dr. Vinay Prasad, a hematologist oncologist, to lead its Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the division that oversees vaccines and biologic me...

FDA commissioner Marty Makay taps Vinay Prasad, an oncologist and critic of the agency's Covid-19 vaccine policies, to lead the division overseeing vaccines

www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/h...

White House touts Covid-19 ‘lab leak’ theory on new website | CNN Politics The White House on Friday morning launched a new website championing the theory that the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was a manmade pathogen that leaked from an infectious disease laboratory in Wu...

White House touts Covid-19 ‘lab leak’ theory on new website that reroutes from a Covid.gov, a website that used to list info about vaccines, tests and treatments.

www.cnn.com/2025/04/18/p...

RFK Jr. claims new research effort will find cause of ‘autism epidemic’ by September | CNN The US Department of Health and Human Services has launched a “massive testing and research effort” involving hundreds of scientists worldwide that will determine “what has caused the autism epidemic”...

RFK Jr says HHS is launching a “massive testing and research effort” that will determine “what has caused the autism epidemic” by September. Researchers and advocates are skeptical, to say the least

(+ first @cnn.com byline from @owermohle.bsky.social!)

www.cnn.com/2025/04/10/h...

Hearing from all corners of HHS this morning about a total bloodletting — firings of scientists, analysts and many more as delayed RIFs take effect.

Many folks didn’t see early AM email and showed up, only to be turned away when badges didn’t work. Was sent this photo of long lines at one HHS site.

Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism A long-discredited researcher and vaccine skeptic will conduct a government study on whether vaccines cause autism.

Seismic scoop from @lenasun.bsky.social: A long-time anti-vaxer who was disciplined for practising medicine without a license has been selected by #HHS to conduct the study RFK Jr. wants looking yet again at whether vaccines cause autism. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Trump picks Susan Monarez to run the CDC Monarez is the CDC's acting director and a longtime biosecurity expert with ties to former President Biden’s flagship health initiative.

@owermohle.bsky.social and @helenbranswell.bsky.social with a developing story on @statnews.com

www.statnews.com/2025/03/24/s...

Line chart showing the deletion of data over time. Most of it was deleted around Jan 18, but on Mar 13 8 items were deleted.

Deleted items: Quitline – Services Available – Counseling - 2010 To Present Quitline – 7-Month Follow-Up (Not Comparable Across States) – 2010-2011 Quitline – Service Utilization - 2010 To Present Quitline Glossary and Methodology "Table for STATE System Quitline Service Utilization - Callers Who Received Counseling and/or Medications per 1,000 Callers (NQDW OSH) Interactive Map" Quitline – Services Available – Medications - 2010 To Present "Table for STATE System Quitline Service Utilization - Incoming Calls per 10,000 State Population (NQDW OSH) Interactive Map" Quitline – Services Available – Hours Of Operation And Available Languages - 2010 To Present

NEW: After nearly a month it appears the CDC is back at it, deleting data from their site. Today they removed 8 items involving Quitline data. Of course, I've got it backed up on our site.
www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/t...

Wild details from @owermohle.bsky.social, @lizzylawrence.bsky.social and John Wilkerson on Dave Weldon's CDC nomination getting pulled this AM:

www.statnews.com/2025/03/13/t...

Dave Weldon, President Trump's pick to head the CDC, harbors vaccine criticism that runs long and deep, @owermohle.bsky.social of @statnews.com reports. He once went to bat for discredited scientist Andrew Wakefield. www.statnews.com/2025/03/12/c...

How CDC nominee Dave Weldon’s support for anti-vaccine theories runs long and deep MELBOURNE, Fla. — Unlike President Trump's picks to lead other health agencies who established their conservative bona fides during the Covid-19 pandemic,

CDC nominee Dave Weldon is going to face a lot of questions tomorrow about his views on vaccines and autism.

I went down to Florida to check out his congressional archives myself:

www.statnews.com/2025/03/12/c...

Bhattacharya demures on his view on Trump’s slashing of NIH indirect costs President Trump's nominee to lead the NIH, Jay Bhattacharya, demurred on his view on Trump’s move to slashi NIH indirect cost payments to universities and other instituions.

NIH nominee Jay Bhattacharya, asked about Trump's proposal to cut indirect research $$, said "there’s a lot of distrust about where the money goes...I think transparency regarding indirect costs is absolutely worthwhile.”

www.statnews.com/2025/03/05/j...

So proud of @bobjherman.bsky.social, @tarabannow.bsky.social, @caseyross.bsky.social, @lizzylawrence.bsky.social for their Polk-winning reporting on UnitedHealth. Not only are they inspiring journalists, but also lovely human beings. Go read their pieces!

Federal judge extends restraining order on Trump administration's cap on NIH indirect costs Judge Angel Kelley kept in place an order blocking the Trump administration from implementing a 15% cap on NIH indirect cost payments

BREAKING: Federal judge extends the restraining order on NIH capping indirect costs to 15%

www.statnews.com/2025/02/21/t...

Federal judge extends restraining order on Trump administration's cap on NIH indirect costs Judge Angel Kelley kept in place an order blocking the Trump administration from implementing a 15% cap on NIH indirect cost payments

#Breaking - Federal judge extends restraining order on Trump administration’s cap on NIH indirect costs

Georgia congressman confronted by angry crowd over support for Trump’s agenda U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick was met with boos and jeers at a town hall in a north Atlanta suburb Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick was peppered with boos and catcalls throughout a town hall meeting in Roswell late Thursday, as hundreds of critics jeered the Republican for backing President Donald Trump’s agenda during his first month in office. #gapol ajc.com/politics/mcc...

My latest: DOGE canceled a CDC contract for FDNY
research work, part of a study of the links between firefighters' cancers and their response to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

“Freezing US research is like benching Jalen Hurts”

Protestors outside HHS

Protestors gathering before the HHS building as the afternoon snow begins. Protesting again this weekend’s broad layoffs at health and science agencies

Looking to talk with federal employees with disabilities who were terminated this weekend, especially folks hired through Schedule A or disabled veterans. Please boost! #disability #journorequest

Are you affected by firings at federal health agencies? Have you been affected by firings at federal health agencies? @statnews would like to hear from you.

If you're a federal health worker and/or been impacted by the recent layoffs across HHS, STAT wants to here from you. We have a form, linked below.

You can also reach me on signal: sarah_owermohle.07

www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/f...

FDA’s former top food official says Trump firings are ‘dismantling’ the division The former head of the FDA's food division told STAT he resigned because cuts made by the Trump administration imperil the agenda set forth by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

"I didn’t want to spend the next six months of my career on activities that are fundamentally about dismantling an organization, as opposed to working on the stated agenda.”

Candid @matthewherper.bsky.social intvu with FDA's top food official, who just resigned

www.statnews.com/2025/02/18/f...