Rachel Cohrs Zhang

New: Top FDA regulator Vinay Prasad has returned to his role as chief medical and scientific officer at the agency in addition to leading CBER
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, just called to end liability protections for vaccine makers during a hearing with people affected by vaccine injury: "I don't really think any industry should be immune from legal responsibility."

HHS Formally Lays Off Employees Following Supreme Court Ruling The US Department of Health and Human Services officially laid off employees on Monday, following an order from the Supreme Court on July 8 that allowed its restructuring plans to proceed, according t...

Link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

News: HHS officially separated with employees laid off on April 1 on Monday, following a Supreme Court order. Employees under a separate court order in Rhode Island were not affected. A HHS spokesperson declined to comment on the total number of layoffs.

Digesting Trump’s Big Budget Law - KFF Health News President Donald Trump’s big budget bill became his big budget law on July 4, codifying about $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid program. But the law includes many less-publicized provisions that cou...

President Trump’s big budget bill became his big budget law on July 4, codifying about $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid program. Host @julierovner.bsky.social discusses this news and more with @rachelcohrs.bsky.social, @rachelroubein.bsky.social, and Tami Luhby. kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

Pro-Trump Urologist Appointed as Top Adviser to CDC Director The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has appointed a retired Georgia urologist who is a supporter of President Donald Trump as a senior adviser to the agency’s director, according to an i...

The second big CDC scoop in two days from @jessicanix.bsky.social: The agency appointed a pro-Trump urologist to be a senior adviser. Send her more tips on Signal at username jessicanix.24! www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Bird Flu Emergency Response Ends in US as Infections Decline The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its emergency response for bird flu as the outbreak that sickened dozens of people, spread to cattle and drove up egg prices has abated.

SCOOP > The CDC has ended its bird flu emergency in the US. @jessicanix.bsky.social has more >
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Starbucks Is Looking to Remove Canola Oil From Its Food Menu Starbucks Corp. is exploring how to remove canola oil from its food lineup in the US.

New: Starbucks is exploring how to remove canola oil from its food lineup, including egg bites. The company's CEO met with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in June. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

RFK Jr. Sued by Doctors Over Abrupt Changes to Covid Vaccine Guidance Organizations representing pediatricians and public health experts sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his decision to unilaterally change government recommendations on...

New: Groups representing pediatricians and health experts sued HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over abrupt changes to Covid vaccine recommendations for healthy kids and pregnant women www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

FDA to Require Placebo-Controlled Trials for Vaccine Approvals The US Food and Drug Administration will require all new vaccines go through placebo-controlled studies before they are approved, a policy change that could alter how novel immunizations are developed...

New: FDA plans to require placebo-controlled trials for new vaccine applications. h/t @washingtonpost.com who had this one first
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

CDC Launches Team to Manage the Fallout From Deep Staff Cuts The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is creating a temporary strike force to manage the fallout of sweeping workforce cuts, according to an email obtained by Bloomberg News.

New w/ @jasonleopold.bsky.social: CDC is launching a new team to manage the fallout from staff cuts and reorganization. Internal email says it was created to address "significant operational and programmatic issues" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Food Industry Says There’s No Agreement With US Health Agency to Cut Dyes The US Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it plans to work with food companies to phase out use of many artificial food colorings by 2026, but industry lobbyists say there’s no agree...

In a major announcement yesterday, RFK Jr and his allies said they had an "understanding" with the food industry to phase out artificial food dyes.

But Will Kubzansky + @rachelcohrs.bsky.social report that there's no agreement with the food industry to do so.

Soda Companies Are Next Target of RFK Jr.’s Health Agenda US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined West Virginia’s governor, Patrick Morrisey, on Friday in declaring the latest front in their war on unhealthy foods.

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. is talking with at least 15 governors to persuade them to take West Virginia's lead and ban soda purchases from government-sponsored food programs, reports @rachelcohrs.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

RFK Jr.’s Next Targets Are Companies Making Baby Formula Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to meet Tuesday with executives of companies that make infant formula in the US, according to people familiar with the roundtable ...

SCOOP > RFK Jr is meeting with baby formula makers today, after he's said he's concerned about toxic metals in formula.

By @rachelcohrs.bsky.social Madison Muller @annaedney.bsky.social & @itskelseybutler.bsky.social
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

RFK Jr.’s Next Targets Are Companies Making Baby Formula Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is planning to meet Tuesday with executives of companies that make infant formula in the US, according to people familiar with the roundtable ...

News: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is meeting with companies that make infant formula on Tuesday www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trump’s CDC Pick Is Pushing Vaccine-Autism ‘Lie,’ Senator Says Dave Weldon, President Donald Trump’s pick to run the country’s top public health agency, said in a recent meeting that he still believes the debunked theory that the childhood immunization schedule m...

News: Trump CDC pick Dave Weldon told a senator that the childhood vaccine schedule exposes kids to toxic levels of mercury and may cause autism @bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Senators Blast Cancelled Flu Shot Meeting in FDA Pick’s Hearing Marty Makary, President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee US food and drug regulation, faced pointed questions in a Senate confirmation hearing over the government’s decision to cancel a key public meeting on flu shots.

Marty Makary, Trump’s pick to head FDA, got an earful from GOP Senator Cassidy about RFK Jr.'s move to cancel a key public meeting on flu shots after promising "transparency" -- it appears to “go kind of backward on that.”
@rachelcohrs.bsky.social & Damian Garde www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

US Health Department Layoffs Expand to Medicare, FDA The Department of Health and Human Services laid off employees Saturday evening across some of its biggest agencies — the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration, ...

The Dep't of Health and Human Services laid off employees Saturday evening across some of its biggest agencies, including the FDA and CDC.

Those laid off included people who evaluate the safety of medical devices.
@rachelcohrs.bsky.social @bloomberg.com
Gift link:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

If you’re experiencing layoffs at CMMI, FDA, ASPR, or other agencies, I’m available at Signal below if you’d like to help us understand the scope of what’s happening today.

He ruled the operating room and then daytime TV. Now, Dr. Oz is set to take over a $1.5 trillion health agency Dr. Oz, the surgeon turned daytime TV host, has a large contingent of loyal supporters who back his nomination to oversee Medicare and Medicaid.

He ruled the operating room and then daytime TV. Now, Dr. Oz is set to take over a $1.5 trillion health agency.

A brilliant profile from @tarabannow.bsky.social on Oz the family man, Oz the brilliant surgeon, Oz the kind TV host, and now Oz, the potential CMS administrator

No, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren aren’t top recipients of pharmaceutical industry donations A quirk in the website OpenSecrets has given RFK Jr. a chance to misleadingly portray Sen. Bernie Sanders as receiving big money from big Pharma.

During RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing, he accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of being the top recipient of campaign donations from the pharmaceutical industry. That's a misleading claim, I report with @levfacher.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/02/03/b...