Rachana Pradhan

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rpradhan@kff.org

‘We Dissent’: NIH Workers Protest Trump Policies That ‘Harm the Health of Americans’

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

A letter signed by more than 300 National Institutes of Health workers — some still working, others who were fired this year — is an extraordinary public rebuke of actions taken under Director Jay Bhattacharya and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Sen. Ron Wyden Seeks Answers on RFK Jr.’s Purge of FOIA Staff

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

“Citizen oversight is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy,†Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanding answers to more than two dozen questions, including who was involved in decisions to fire staff who handled Freedom of Information Act requests.

Trump Restores Title X Funding for Two Anti-Abortion States — While Wiping It Out Elsewhere

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

The Biden administration shut off federal family planning grants to Tennessee and Oklahoma after the states directed clinics not to provide abortion counseling. The Trump administration restored the money, claiming two lawsuits were settled. They weren’t.

Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.’s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

A ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News analysis underscores how the terminations have spared no part of the country, politically or geographically. Of the organizations that had grants cut in the first month, about 40% are in states President Donald Trump won in November.

RFK Jr.’s Purge of FOIA Staff at FDA Spares People Working on Covid Vaccine Lawsuits

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

A purge of FDA staff spared some people tasked with responding to a judge’s orders to disclose government records on covid vaccines, according to agency employees. The FOIA litigation was brought by Aaron Siri, an ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s who represents anti-vaccine interests.

Firings at Federal Health Agencies Decimate Offices That Release Public Records

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

The Department of Health and Human Services’ mass firings included people who fulfill Freedom of Information Act requests for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and FDA, which result in the release of records about government handling of infectious diseases, medical products, and safety problems in health facilities.

DOGE Job Cuts Hit Federal Workers’ Finances and Mental Health

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

President Donald Trump’s rapid downsizing of the federal government and attacks on the character of public workers have taken a toll on the mental health of some employees. That’s been felt especially in Washington, D.C., where nearly 50,000 people work for the federal government.

‘I Am Going Through Hell’: Job Loss, Mental Health, and the Fate of Federal Workers

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

Since the Trump administration began firing federal workers, they say they feel overwhelmed, have obtained or considered seeking psychiatric care and medication, and are anxious about paying their bills. And soon, their health insurance will run out.

Watch: The Dr. Oz Show Comes to Congress

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

The Senate Finance Committee questioned Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News reporters discussed the biggest takeaways from the hearing.

Por qué los despidos en salud pública ponen en peligro a todos

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

La decisión de la administración Trump de despedir repentinamente a empleados de los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades destruyó los programas de capacitación a lo largo del país

At Catholic Hospitals, a Mission of Charity Runs Up Against High Care Costs for Patients

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

Many Catholic health systems, which are tax-exempt, pay their executives millions and can charge some of the highest prices around — while critics say they scrimp on commitments to their communities.

Inside Conservative Activist Leonard Leo’s Long Campaign To Gut Planned Parenthood

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø News Original

Anti-abortion groups and their allies secured a generational victory in 2022 when the Supreme Court overturned “Roe v. Wade.” A lawsuit in Texas demonstrates how those same forces threaten access to other health services, including birth control and screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted infections.