Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Fires National Science Board Members Who Steer Funding
Multiple scientists who serve on an independent board established to guide the nations nearly $9 billion basic science funding agency were terminated from their positions Friday by President Donald Trump. Members of the National Science Board, which helps govern the National Science Foundation, were dismissed in a message from the Presidential Personnel Office thanking them for their service, according to screenshots shared with The Washington Post: On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, Im writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately. (Johnson, 4/25)
With Trump purging the National Science Board, and the NSF director seat vacant, scientists warn of a shift away from fundamental research toward a narrow focus on AI. (Jarvie, 4/26)
The latest from the NIH
Kristine Blanche, an integrative medicine doctor and wife of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has been named as a member to one of the advisory councils that provides critical funding recommendations to the National Institutes of Health. Her appointment, to serve on the advisory council to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, is the first of such appointments to be made in over a year. (Molteni, 4/26)
Fewer than half of papers published by NIH-funded researchers analyze or report their data by sex, which could make it harder to know what the results mean for men and women, a new study found. (Merelli and Oza, 4/27)
On RFK Jr. and MAHA
For most of last year, Calley Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was advising on changes to the American health system while running a rapidly growing wellness company poised to benefit from Trump administration health policies. Records released to The New York Times by an ethics office at the Department of Health and Human Services show that Mr. Means held between $25 million and $50 million in stock in the company, Truemed, through November, as he continued to serve as its president. For months, Mr. Means has ignored questions from Democrats in Congress about his finances, including the extent of his stake in Truemed, and how they related to federal policy. (Jewett and Mueller, 4/24)
Leaders of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s Make America Healthy Again movement say theyll help Republicans stay in power but theyve got little money to do it. Last month, Tony Lyons, the ally of the health secretary who runs the MAHA PAC, said hed raise $100 million to support Republicans, bolstering President Donald Trumps view that MAHA voters will help Republicans maintain their majorities in Congress this year. (Chu, 4/24)
About a quarter of people worldwide say they believe that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk, that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy causes autism, and that vaccines are used for population control. These are a few of the harmful health claims that were surveyed in the 5th annual Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Health. The report was authored by theEdelman Trust Institute. The think tank, which is part of the Edelman global communications firm, studies shifts in trust across institutions, geographies, and society.(Boden, 4/24)
Also
High mortgage payments, higher child care costs and economic uncertainty are making some people rethink their plans on starting a family. (Rhone, 4/26)