Daniel Payne

Trump administration backs off 100% pharma tariffs threatened to start today The White House is pressing drugmakers to lower their prices and invest in U.S. factories.

News: Trump's 100% pharma tariffs, which were supposed to start today, have been delayed

www.statnews.com/2025/10/01/t...

Low-income children lack access to Covid vaccines because of approval delay Two weeks after vaccine advisers approved new Covid recs, Kennedy still hasn’t given his approval, leaving states unable to order updated shots for low-income kids.

Low income children lack access to Covid vaccines because of approval delay, @aniloza.bsky.social and @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social report

www.statnews.com/2025/09/30/c...

Trump strikes deal with Pfizer aimed at lowering prescription drug prices Pfizer will offer discounted prices on some of its drugs and avoid U.S. tariffs, in a deal with President Trump.

New details on the Trump drug pricing announcement:

— Trump promises more deals in the coming days
— Officials say they will hold off on some tariffs while negotiations play out
— But if companies don’t agree, Trump threatens more tariffs

www.statnews.com/2025/09/30/t...

Trump to roll out plan aimed at lowering prescription drug prices Pfizer will offer discounted prices on some of its drugs and avoid U.S. tariffs, in a deal with President Trump.

Trump to roll out plan aimed at lowering prescription drug prices

www.statnews.com/2025/09/30/t...

Days before Trump deadline to lower prices, companies push a flurry of initiatives. Will it be enough? Drugmakers are scrambling to make last-minute announcements ahead of a Trump deadline on Monday for the firms to lower U.S. prices.

Days before Trump deadline to lower prices, companies push a flurry of initiatives. Will it be enough?

w/ @elaineywchen.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/26/p...

Trump threatens 100% tariffs on prescription drugs — unless companies build in the U.S. The president threatened tariffs on pharmaceuticals, days before a deadline he set for drug companies to lower their prices.

Days before a Trump-set drug pricing deadline, the president threatens a 100% tariff on drugmakers — unless they build in the U.S.

www.statnews.com/2025/09/25/t...

Hospitals get dinged for reporting too many infections. In some cases, the solution is not to test A STAT Investigation: To avoid fines for reporting excessive hospital-acquired infections, some facilities are discouraging testing.

This story shouldn’t get lost in the rush of health policy news this week:

Hospitals get dinged for reporting too many infections. In some cases, the solution is not to test

Via @tarabannow.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/h...

With Trump’s anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy’s influence grows RFK Jr. is moving rapidly to reshape vaccine policy, and Trump's remarks raise questions about how far the two may go.

New: For a brief time, it seemed like RFK Jr.'s criticism of Covid vaccines could spell trouble for him with the White House. Instead, he appears to retain as much political influence as ever.

Via @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social @danielpayne.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/23/t...

With Trump’s anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy’s influence grows RFK Jr. is moving rapidly to reshape vaccine policy, and Trump's remarks raise questions about how far the two may go.

Where Trump's anti-vaccine comments came from, what they mean for RFK Jr. — and how it could shape federal health policy

w/ @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/23/t...

Trump, questioning vaccine safety, pushes major changes to how kids get shots At a White House event, Trump linked vaccines to autism and urged major changes in how kids get their shots.

At a White House event on autism, Trump baselessly linked vaccines to the disorder and urged major changes in how kids get their shots.
www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/t...

Trump, questioning vaccine safety, pushes major changes to how kids get shots At a White House event, Trump linked vaccines to autism and urged major changes in how kids get their shots.

What President Trump said today about vaccines could send shockwaves through the country for a very long time.

Story from @danielpayne.bsky.social @aniloza.bsky.social @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/t...

Trump, questioning vaccine safety, pushes major changes to how kids get shots At a White House event, Trump linked vaccines to autism and urged major changes in how kids get their shots.

Trump pushes sweeping changes to how kids get vaccines, despite longstanding evidence

www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/t...

FDA brings back GSK's leucovorin drug that RFK Jr. touted as autism treatment The Trump administration is touting leucovorin as a treatment for autism.

A very unusual move at the FDA as the Trump administration unveils its "Autism Action Plan"

www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/f...

Cassidy invites RFK Jr. to testify before Senate health panel The Senate health committee has invited HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to testify before the panel amid allegations of the politicization of the CDC.

New: Cassidy invites RFK Jr. to testify before Senate health panel

www.statnews.com/2025/09/18/c...

HHS abruptly cancels CDC meeting with RFK Jr., anti-vaccine activist as scrutiny mounts A meeting of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and anti-vaccine campaigner David Geier with leaders of the country’s most robust database that

A late scoop: HHS abruptly cancelled a meeting today w/ Kennedy, David Geier and the officials at a key vaccine safety database.

Lots of nuggets, but the upshot: RFK Jr and Geier want to study the pediatric vaccine schedule to find a link with autism.

www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/r...

Three key takeaways from the Senate hearing on CDC director’s firing and RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda WASHINGTON — A Wednesday Senate hearing aimed to answer questions about the exodus of top leaders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last

The key takeaways from an important Senate hearing today, w/ @isabellacueto.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/m...

Ousted CDC director says Kennedy plans to change pediatric vaccine schedule Ousted CDC director Susan Monarez told lawmakers that her boss, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told her he plans to change the childhood vaccine schedule this month.

News from a tense hearing, reported by @danielpayne.bsky.social and @isabellacueto.bsky.social at @statnews.com

www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/m...

Fear and politics pervade Kennedy’s CDC, former leaders testify In a climate of fear CDC scientists are withdrawing names from papers, and local and global health agencies are losing confidence.

Fear and politics pervade Kennedy’s CDC, former leaders testify

@elizabethcooney.bsky.social reporting

www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/m...

Monarez's meeting with Kennedy has come up again and again at this hearing.

Context from our earlier reporting:

www.statnews.com/2025/09/16/c...

On the one hand, these purported comments by an HHS secretary about CDC staff are astonishing. On the other, they echo much of what RFK Jr. has said publicly in the past.

Via @danielpayne.bsky.social @isabellacueto.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/m...

Ousted CDC director says Kennedy plans to change pediatric vaccine schedule Ousted CDC director Susan Monarez told lawmakers that her boss, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told her he plans to change the childhood vaccine schedule this month.

BREAKING: Ousted CDC director says Kennedy plans to change pediatric vaccine schedule

www.statnews.com/2025/09/17/c...

CDC temporarily revokes remote work approvals for employees with disabilities The CDC revoked permission for employees with disabilities to work from home, at least temporarily

BREAKING: The CDC is temporarily ending remote work. The decision leaves scores of employees in the lurch, even forcing people with disabilities with high-support needs to come into the office. #disability

www.statnews.com/2025/09/16/c...

After ousting CDC's director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency Kennedy and the CDC's director had similar plans for the agency, a confidential memo shows.

Sen. Cassidy enters STAT reporting into the record for the hearing about the tumult and vaccine policy changes at the CDC

Our reporting from earlier this month:

www.statnews.com/2025/09/03/k...

Surgeon General nominee Casey Means discloses financial ties to supplement industry Casey Means, nominated for surgeon general, earned hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting supplements, per new financial disclosure statements.

Supplements and other health and wellness products are on the list. New from @sarah-todd.bsky.social and @isabellacueto.bsky.social at @statnews.com

www.statnews.com/2025/09/16/c...

CDC has been ‘censored’ and ‘politicized’ under RFK Jr., former officials plan to say Two former top CDC officials plan to deliver fiery testimony about how RFK Jr. has undermined the agency.

NEW: CDC has been ‘censored’ and ‘politicized’ under RFK Jr., former officials plan to tell senators

www.statnews.com/2025/09/16/c...

Hill staff get briefed on implications of Trump’s drug pricing plan Experts joined Congressional staff behind closed doors to discuss Trump's most-favored nation drug pricing plan.

New: Hill staff mull Trump’s drug pricing plan in a closed-door meeting

www.statnews.com/2025/09/15/t...

Inside the hospital ‘war rooms’ bracing for Medicaid cuts In the war rooms hospitals have stood up to respond to historic Medicaid cuts, leaders are planning substantial financial moves and innovative solutions as they brace for revenue dips.

Inside hospitals’ war rooms for handling Medicaid cuts, considerations include shuttering services, deploying new tech, and consolidating with larger systems.

How the $1 trillion cut is reverberating across the U.S.

www.statnews.com/2025/09/15/h...

HHS to have Rensselaer investigate question of autism-vaccine link A much-investigated question about autism, dismissed in many studies, is getting a surge of new federal research money.

The CDC plans to fund new research on the previously debunked connection between vaccines and autism.

More on the proposed research and the researcher tapped for the job:

www.statnews.com/2025/09/12/v...

If you run a life science lab where research has either significantly slowed or shut down completely due to Trump administration policies, I’d like to hear your story. I'm a biotech and life sciences reporter for @statnews.com, and you can reach me at jonathan.wosen@statnews.com #journorequest

Monarez to testify in Senate hearing next week Susan Monarez, the former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director who was pushed out over vaccine policy after just a month on the job, is set

Monarez to testify in Senate hearing next week

www.statnews.com/2025/09/09/f...