Adriel Bettelheim

Plastic surgeons urge against surgeries for trans youths. What to know The Trump administration has often cited surgeries as part of efforts to limit transition-related care.

Plastic surgeons urge against procedures for trans youths. www.axios.com/2026/02/03/p...

Axios Vitals - Thousands at HHS furloughed by shutdown

Thousands at HHS furloughed by partial government shutdown. www.axios.com/newsletters/...

Trump faces new pressure over his "most favored nation" drug pricing deals Most of the details have been kept under wraps, including how the new prices are calculated.

Trump admin pressed on details of drug pricing deals. www.axios.com/2026/02/03/t...

Dr Oz: "If we could get the average American to start working a year earlier, right out of high school, or a year later -- not retire -- or work better during their lifetime because they're healthy, it would generate about $3 trillion to the US economy. That would more than remove the debt."

1946, Mandrake.

PBMs hit by Trump transparency rule Drug supply chain middlemen would have to disclose financial dealings with drugmakers, pharmacies and others.

Drug chain intermediaries targeted by new transparency rule. www.axios.com/2026/02/02/p...

Fluoride ban efforts show RFK Jr.'s reach The EPA is advancing a fast-track review of health risks, and at least 16 states are weighing new restrictions.

Efforts to limit fluoride in public water advance on federal and state levels. www.axios.com/2026/02/02/f...

Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...

BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

Laurels and Darts: 60 Minutes of soft soap. Some puffery at CBS News. Plus: Radley Balko reads the receipts, New York magazine thieving from the New York Times, and a “high-ranking dumb” drug bust.

I wrote about Peter Attia and CBS News a few months ago. Alas, all the signs were there.

www.cjr.org/laurels-and-...

Schumer, White House engage in 11th-hour talks on shutdown The compromise, if agreed to, would pass five of the six appropriations bills.

Senate Dems and White House are in 11th hour shutdown talks with health deal hanging. www.axios.com/2026/01/29/s...

White House is pushing off the planned rollout of the TrumpRx DTC drug portal to next week.

Axios Pro Rata - Top of the Morning

America's retreat from vaccines is likely to reduce venture investment. www.axios.com/newsletters/...

RFK Jr. taps vaccine critics for federal autism advisory panel Anti-vaccine figures could give Kennedy cover to push for more studies into the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism.

Kennedy taps vaccine critics for federal autism advisory panel. www.axios.com/2026/01/29/v...

Trump and his anti-vax allies are at odds over the future of COVID shots RFK Jr.'s pledge to keep vaccines available to anyone who wants them is being tested.

The Trump admin and anti-vax allies are at odds over whether to pull Covid shots from the market. www.axios.com/2026/01/29/t...

Bari Weiss to CBS News staff: Without a shift in strategy, ‘we are toast’ The CBS News editor in chief said the network needs to produce journalism people want as she named a raft of new contributors from her website, the Free Press.

Along w/ Huberman, CBS also announced Mark Hyman, a longtime RFK Jr ally and functional medicine proponent, and Peter Attia, a longevity influencer, as contributors. All three were cited by Kennedy in a recent interview as the best people for lifestyle advice.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Congress is poised to take this big step intended to lower drug costs A deal attached to the Senate government funding package would "delink" PBM compensation from drug prices in Medicare Part D.

Congress readies changes to PBMs. The effect on drug prices could be limited. www.axios.com/2026/01/28/c...

Exclusive: Walmart raises pay for thousands of pharmacy technicians, expands roles Walmart told Axios it's raising pay and elevating thousands of technician roles as it invests more heavily in pharmacy workers.

Walmart is elevating thousands of pharmacy workers as part of a push into more patient care. www.axios.com/2026/01/28/w...

Health care stocks rocked by proposed Medicare Advantage rates The proposal threatens revenue and margins in a core profit engine for major health insurers.

Health care stocks rocked by proposed Medicare Advantage rates. www.axios.com/2026/01/27/t...

Axios Vitals - Trump proposes flat Medicare Advantage rates

Trump proposes keeping Medicare Advantage payments to insurers almost flat for 2027. www.axios.com/newsletters/...

Fear of ICE is driving patients away from medical care Health workers say many patients aren't coming in for necessary care out of fear they'll be detained by federal agents.

Fear of ICE keeps patients away from hospitals. www.axios.com/2026/01/27/t...

Axios Vitals - DHS funding fight puts health deal in limbo

Homeland Security funding fight puts congressional health deal at risk. www.axios.com/newsletters/...

The health care hiring boom is losing steam Cuts to federal health programs, AI automation and rising costs are making health systems and other employers level off hiring.

The health care hiring boom that sustained the jobs market is stalling out. www.axios.com/2026/01/26/h...

Minneapolis shooting hardens Democrats on government shutdown The Senate won't be back in Washington until at least Tuesday.

Minneapolis shooting hardens Democrats on government shutdown. www.axios.com/2026/01/24/m...

Trump admin to expand foreign aid abortion ban to gender identity and DEI programming Vance said the U.S. is "going to start blocking every international GO that performs or promotes abortion abroad from receiving a dollar of U.S. money."

Trump admin is expanding the "Mexico City policy" foreign aid ban to gender identity and DEI. www.axios.com/2026/01/23/t...

United States Completes WHO Withdrawal WASHINGTON —  January 22, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of State today announced the United States’ completion of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the organization's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement on the termination of U.S. membership in the WHO.President Trump on January 20, 2025, announced the U.S. plan to leave the WHO. During the yearlong process, the U.S. stopped funding WHO, withdrew all personnel from WHO, and began pivoting activities previously conducted with WHO to direct bilateral engagements with other countries and organizations. With the exit from WHO, the U.S. will be coordinating with WHO solely in a limited fashion to effectuate withdrawal.  The WHO delayed declaring a global public health emergency and a pandemic during the early stages of COVID-19, costing the world critical weeks as the virus spread. During that period, WHO leadership echoed and praised China's response despite evidence of early underreporting, suppression of information and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission. The organization also downplayed asymptomatic transmission risks and failed to promptly acknowledge airborne spread.After the pandemic, the WHO did not adopt meaningful reforms to address political influence, governance weaknesses or poor coordination, reinforcing concerns that politics took priority over rapid, independent public health action and eroding global trust. Its report evaluating the possible origins of COVID-19 rejected the possibility that scientists cre…

And just like that, the US has left the World Health Organization.

Link goes to the official announcement—lies pretending to justify a decision that will kill countless numbers—from people too stupid to even include a proper twittercard.

www.hhs.gov/press-room/u...

NIH Announces Major Policy Shift to End Use of Human Fetal Tissue in NIH-Supported Research Agency to focus on next-generation, validated research models.

NIH declares end to human fetal tissue research. www.nih.gov/news-events/...

The 30-year high in US measles cases, in one chart Why the U.S. is on track to lose its measles "elimination status."

Charted: The big measles surge. www.axios.com/2026/01/22/m...

Why health insurers face new pressure from GOP on affordability Policymakers would have to address underlying drivers of health costs to really do something about high premiums.

Health insurers are feeling political heat from Republicans trying to shape the affordability narrative. www.axios.com/2026/01/22/h...

Imagine, speaking German in the Graubunden Canton of Switzerland

Congress pushes back against Trump's NIH cuts The bipartisan sentiment shows that medical research and new cures still have strong support on Capitol Hill.

Congress pushes back against Trump’s NIH cuts. www.axios.com/2026/01/21/c...