NASHVILLE — Banana Taffy, Dragon Drink, Hawaiian Fruit Punch. Those aren’t smoothies or soft drinks. Those are a sampling of the variety of vapes that continue to enter the United States illegally from China in 2025.
Cases of the brightly-colored devices lined the booths at this year’s Alternative Products Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. Some vape devices featured LED screens. Some were stackable, allowing up to three flavors, enabling the user to concoct their own mixture of candy-like vape flavors. Other vapes were stylized as designer purses. One wholesaler employee pitched a pastel vape device that doubled as a fidget toy.
And as of 2020, all of them were illegal.
<div id="attachment_966933" style="width: 453px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-966933" class="wp-image-966933 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_6-443x576.jpg" alt="" width="443" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_6-443x576.jpg 443w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_6-231x300.jpg 231w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_6-768x999.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_6-1181x1536.jpg 1181w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_6.jpg 1516w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px" />A promotional flyer for the Alternative Products Expo in Nashville, Tennessee.</div>
While American manufacturers like JUUL only sell vapes in menthol and tobacco flavors — the only legal flavors in the United States — wholesalers skirt Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations by importing vape products from China. These unregulated Chinese vapes are flooding the United States, despite warning letters and threats of seizure by the FDA. At the Alternative Products Expo, wholesalers promoted their illegal, Chinese vape products completely out in the open.
The Chinese company <a href="https://www.kangvapecig.com/">Kangvape</a> prominently displayed its TC8000 vape. The booth stocked the flavors Cool Mint, Miami Mint, Pineapple Coconut, Vintage, Virginia Tobacco, and Watermelon Ice. A flyer advertised an additional 23 flavors, including Rainbow Paradise.
Kangvape also sold its Speedy Beast vape in 20 flavors — none of which included tobacco or menthol. Instead, the Speedy Beast boasted the exotic-sounding Blue Laffi Taffi, Ruby Delight, and Tropical Starburst.
These are being openly hawked with no concern for past threats of action. The FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/nfv-llc-dba-nfdvapes-and-nic-fix-doctor-673307-12122023">cited</a> the Rainbow Paradise flavor of the TC8000 in a warning letter from December 2023. Another FDA warning letter from April 2024 <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/highfi-vape-682420-04302024">noted</a> the illegal Kangvape Onee Stick. 
<div id="attachment_966947" style="width: 429px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-966947" class="wp-image-966947 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4-419x576.jpg" alt="" width="419" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4-419x576.jpg 419w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4-218x300.jpg 218w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4-768x1055.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4-1118x1536.jpg 1118w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4-1490x2048.jpg 1490w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_4.jpg 1496w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px" />ZColors by ZLAB is another Chinese vape company that sells its products in the United States.</div>
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said cracking down on illegal vapes is a “top priority” for the agency, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-priority-fda-to-crack-down-on-illegal-chinese-vapes">reported</a>.
“Eighty-five percent of the vaping products sold in the vape stores are illegal according to the FDA’s list,” Makary said. “We don’t even know what’s in some of these vaping products.”
There are only 39 vape products that have been authorized by the FDA.
An FDA spokesman says a federal task force is facilitating actions against illegal products.
“FDA has taken numerous actions against unauthorized new tobacco products from international firms, including e-cigarettes that are most popular with youth,” the spokesman told The Daily Wire.
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The FDA reports that it has seized millions of dollars’ worth of illegal products. In January, the agency seized $7 million worth of vape products, including the brand Geek Bar, which an FDA press release <a href="https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/more-7-million-worth-illegal-e-cigarettes-seized-federal-operation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> “may appeal to youth.”
The seizures haven’t scared Kangvape. The company sold dozens of boxes of Geek Bar vapes at the Expo, featuring flavors ranging from Banana Taffy Freeze to Blue Razz Ice.
Federal action appears to have had little impact on Chinese vapes in general. The Expo featured wholesalers that have received FDA warning letters and seemingly ignored them.
One such wholesaler, Safa Goods, was a sponsor of the Expo. Its name appeared on Expo nametags, as did advertisements for two other illegal vape brands, Beri Crush and Raz LTX.
The warning letter to Safa, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/safa-goods-llc-665079-10052023">sent</a> in October 2023, cited the illegal vape product EB Design BC5000 Blue Razz Ice. Safa’s booth didn’t advertise the EB vapes. But it did sell the illegal vape Raz LTX 25K, which was <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/vapejuicecom-709722-05302025">cited</a> in an FDA warning letter from May 2025.
The Raz LTX 25K is a <a href="https://mipod.com/blogs/mipodblog/what-happened-to-raz-dc25000-vapes?srsltid=AfmBOor8Y9qvgdp0D6RivbJ6vGd7lvXcRpp2AeXAOV_R7DvF28cbEUfl">rebrand</a> of the Raz DC25000, which has also been cited in multiple FDA warning letters. Safa’s Expo booth sold the flavor Mango Loco, which was <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/thesmokeplugcom-709720-05302025">named</a> in an FDA warning letter from May 2025.
<div id="attachment_967009" style="width: 452px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-967009" class="wp-image-967009 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7-442x576.jpg" alt="" width="442" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7-442x576.jpg 442w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7-230x300.jpg 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7-768x1000.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7-1179x1536.jpg 1179w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7-1572x2048.jpg 1572w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Vape-Flyers_7.jpg 1612w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px" />Safa Goods, a U.S. company that distributes Chinese vape products, was a sponsor of the Alternative Products Expo in Nashville.</div>
Safa also sold dozens of flavors aside from menthol and tobacco in additional brands.
The company is the subject of a New York lawsuit <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-nations-largest-vape-distributors-fueling-youth">suing</a> multiple vape distributors “for illegally distributing, marketing, and selling flavored disposable vapes.”
A primary concern with these vapes, with flavors more fit for a candy store than a tobacco shop, is that they appeal to children. Illegal e-cigarettes often attract children and teens through bright colors and fruit- and candy-based flavors, according to Makary.
The FDA spokesman said the agency works with “federal partners to combat these attempted illegal imports and enhance enforcement activities,” especially against vape products “that may be appealing to youth.”
An FDA seizure in 2023 included the illegal brand Lost Mary. Expo wholesaler Strictly E-Cig’s 2025 product catalog advertised 30 flavors of Lost Mary vapes, with names such as Dragon Drink, Rocket Popsicle, and Scary Berry. The Lost Mary products are available for purchase online.
Another wholesaler, Sol Trading, leaned into pastel colors and “cutie, fruity flavors” to market its UT Bar vape, which one employee pitched as both a vape and a fidget toy.
The UT Bar combines two flavors into one vape. The flavor combinations included B-Pop and Watermelon, Citrus Ice and Sour Fab, Cool Mint and Icy Mint, and Raspberry and White Peach.
Multiple sellers advertised flavor combinations at the Expo. Chinese-based company Ziip Lab sold its Z-Land vape, which allows the user to stack up to three vape pods for more than 125,000 flavor combinations, according to a handout from the booth.
The flyer advertised stacking flavors such as Berry Mix and Guava, as well as Blueberry, Green Apple, and Orange. Z-Land comes in a total of 51 flavors, including Milk, Rainbow Rain, and Skittle Ice Fruits.
Another wholesaler, Unishow, sold GeakNexx vapes at the Expo. Unishow <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/128992/download?attachment">received</a> an FDA warning letter in 2019 for selling illegal products. The GeakNexx vapes came in about a dozen illicit flavors, including Blue Oat Donut, Frozen Fcuking Fab, and Strawberry Banana.
The Alternative Products Expo, Kangvape, Safa Goods, Strictly E-Cig, Unishow, and Ziip Lab did not respond to requests for comment.
The illegal vapes didn’t stop with the wholesalers. The Alternative Products Expo itself advertised a giveaway of $50,000 worth of illegal vape products, including the disposable Geek Bar Pulse and the Raz DC25000, and the Raz TN9000. The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/denverelectroniccigarettescom-708988-05162025">Geek Bar Pulse</a>, Raz DC25000, and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/nepa-wholesale-inc-710957-06262025">Raz TN9000</a> have been cited in FDA warning letters.
The Expo promoted the illegal vapes giveaway with a large sign and a locked case of vapes just inside the entrance to the convention center. It also marketed the giveaway online and in the official show book.
The advertised flavors included Blue Razz Ice, Fire and Ice, and Miami Mint. An additional flavor, Strawberry Burst, did not contain nicotine.
The Expo was not only for vapes, but also “the full spectrum of alternative products,” including CBD-based products, mushrooms, and Kratom, another drug that’s become dangerously popular with America’s teenagers.
Many of these vapes are smuggled into the United States. A previous Daily Wire investigation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-is-flooding-america-with-illegal-vapes-and-more-than-90-fly-under-the-radar">found</a> that over 90% of imported Chinese vape products in 2024 were not included in U.S. import data. The companies often disguise their products by labeling them as battery chargers and flashlights.
“[What] we have been doing is laughable,” Makary said. “We’re going to start confiscating and seizing. We’re going to take this seriously.”

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From Banana Taffy To Dragon Drink: The Illegal Chinese Vapes Flooding The U.S. Market

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A week ago, President Donald Trump <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2025/08/11/trump-says-marijuana-rescheduling-will-be-decided-within-weeks/">said</a> that he would soon decide whether to move cannabis from Schedule I to III for purposes of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA), which would take marijuana out of the category of drugs that cannot be used for any purpose. Doing so would be a huge mistake. Huge.
Congress placed cannabis in Schedule I — the category for drugs that have no legitimate medical use, that are potentially addictive, and have no safe use even under a physician’s supervision — when it passed the CSA 55 years ago. While Congress empowered the U.S. Attorney General, after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to reschedule cannabis, in the ensuing half-century, no Republican or Democratic attorney general has done so, and no court has ruled that they must do so.
In 2023, however, cannabis advocates finally found a friend. Admiral Rachel L. Levine, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health under President Biden, <a href="http://www.jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2834954">recommended</a> that Attorney General Merrick Garland transfer cannabis into Schedule III. To justify that conclusion, Levine invented a newfangled test that relied heavily on the fact that multiple states have adopted medical cannabis programs. As a matter of law, that rationale is wrong for multiple reasons.
First, Congress could not have been clearer that it is the exclusive responsibility of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), not the states, to decide whether a drug is safe, effective, and uniform. Levine’s rationale effectively and unlawfully transfers decision-making authority from the FDA to the states.
Second, the FDA has never approved the botanical form of cannabis as a safe, effective, and uniformly made drug. The FDA has approved the synthesis of compounds found in the plant by legitimate pharmaceutical companies, but has not approved the interstate distribution of the cannabis plant enjoyed by Cheech and Chong and Harold and Kumar fans.
Third, the FDA could not find that the cannabis plant is safe, effective, and uniformly made.
Start with its safety. The cannabis sold today is <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110381/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF14-Wstate-VolkowN-20200115.pdf">far more powerful</a> than the version smoked at Woodstock. At that time, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content — the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis — was 3-6%. Now, some concentrated cannabis products can have a 90% THC content. That difference is like comparing near beer to grain alcohol.
Growing evidence also links cannabis use to a host of <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110381/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF14-Wstate-VolkowN-20200115.pdf">adverse physical outcomes</a>, such as oral, head, and neck cancers; cardiovascular disorders; pulmonary disease; and numerous adverse psychological effects, such earlier onset of psychosis; reduced IQ; childhood poisonings; amotivational syndrome; increased school absenteeism; and a reduced likelihood of graduating high school, enrolling in a university, or completing higher degree requirements. Heavy cannabis users and people who begin its use as minors and continue into adulthood are particularly <a href="https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110381/witnesses/HHRG-116-IF14-Wstate-VolkowN-20200115.pdf">susceptible</a> to these harms.
Plus, botanical cannabis can be adulterated with a host of dangerous, unhealthy, or downright disgusting contaminants. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told Congress in 2020 that “individuals across the country are using cannabis strains and extracts that have not undergone the rigorous clinical trials required to show that they are safe and effective for medical use, and are not regulated for consistency or quality.”
As I explained in an <a href="https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">earlier article</a>, among the “hodgepodge” of dangerous contaminants found in the cannabis sold today are E. coli, fungi, mold, toxins, hazardous chemical solvents such as butane and propane, pesticides, heavy metals (such as arsenic, lead, and mercury), and other harmful and disgusting substances such as formaldehyde and insects. The FDA would never allow such contaminants to be present in any drug sold to the public.
Cannabis can also lead to physical dependence in users. Heavy or long-term use can lead a person to develop a tolerance to THC, requiring ever greater quantities of the chemical to experience the same euphoria. As drug policy experts Wayne Hall and Rosalie Pacula have explained, there is a 10% risk of addiction for people who have ever used cannabis, a 20-33% for people who use it more frequently, and a 50% risk — &#8220;<a href="https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">a coin flip</a>” — for people who use it daily. Driving while stoned can, of course, lead to motor vehicle accidents that maim or kill pedestrians or other drivers and their passengers.
Keep in mind that the FDA has <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">never</a> given approval for a drug to be smoked. Why? There is no uniform depth or length of any one inhalation, and no uniform number of inhalations that users follow. Moreover, the nation concluded over 60 years ago that smoking burnt carbon products damages a smoker’s health, which explains why major medical institutions such as the American Medical Association, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Royal College of Physicians have <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">not</a> recommended smoking as a legitimate drug delivery system.
The raw cannabis plant also is not “effective” for purposes of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Only a handful of controlled studies have examined whether pot can be used as a legitimate treatment for disease or injury; the results are <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/public-policy-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019/09/17-2-Larkin-Madras.pdf">inadequate</a> to draw any scientific conclusion.
The most common justification offered is that its psychoactive calming effect makes it a legitimate analgesic alternative for pain. But that argument is medically <a href="https://www.law.georgetown.edu/public-policy-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019/09/17-2-Larkin-Madras.pdf">unsound</a>. Cannabis is too weak to substitute for opioids as a treatment for severe pain — indeed, it hinders cessation of opioid use by anyone trying to kick an opioid <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4127123/pdf/nihms609765.pdf">dependency</a> — and scientific proof that THC is a valid treatment for lower levels of pain is also lacking.
To be sure, smoking a joint can get you “high,” but that is not the test for a medicine’s effectiveness. As Dr. Peter Bach, Director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-weed-is-medicine-so-is-budweiser-11547770981?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAh7LaDEYv_vcqs-izvRtTLHvE4_TMMU_qu3NyDxy9OXughPlX3zaBL-&amp;gaa_ts=689c8e99&amp;gaa_sig=tzI2Ti78lH5zRhqIjd3w0ZVcT308pAa8r1GA3Re1URauoN8dYXnoBs5EqZYAmoitDwKaFsuYPpeZooGzKZ9AwA%3D%3D">explained</a>, “[E]very intoxicant would pass that sort of test because you don’t experience pain as acutely when you are high. If weed is a pain reliever, so is Budweiser.”
Finally, the cannabis plant is not a <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">uniformly made product</a>. As Brian Thomas and Mahmoud ElSohly <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">explained</a> in their book The Analytical Chemistry of Cannabis, “The number of parameters on which cannabis can vary is enormous,” and differs according to “strain, growing conditions, harvesting methods and handling,” to “storage and processing of the raw material to combining them with a wide variety of foods and other excipients in manufacturing, and to “methods of administration (eating, smoking, ‘vaping,’ applying to mucous membranes)” and so forth.
Botanical cannabis also varies according to potency and the presence of cannabinoids (i.e., biochemically active compounds), which tends to <a href="http://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/SR275.pdf">offset or moderate</a> the potential adverse effects of high THC consumption, such as anxiety, cognitive impairment, amotivational syndrome, dependence or addiction, and psychosis.
In sum, the Levine recommendation from 2023 is wrong as a matter of law and medically unsound, indeed dangerous. If the President truly wants to Make America Healthy Again, he should reject that recommendation.
* * *
Paul J. Larkin is the John, Barbara &amp; Victoria Rumpel Senior Legal Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Trump Administration Considers Reclassifying Marijuana As A Less Dangerous Drug

Dude, Rescheduling Cannabis Downwards Would Be A Huge Mistake. Huge.

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The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine and gene therapy regulator has reportedly been ousted from his position.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, recently came under scrutiny for a request to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-requests-sarepta-therapeutics-suspend-distribution-elevidys-and-places-clinical-trials-hold">pause</a> shipments of a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), claiming the genetic treatment is linked to three potential deaths. Earlier this week, the FDA lifted the pause for DMD patients who are still able to walk.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for Health and Human Services, confirmed Prasad is no longer with the FDA but did not share details about his departure.
“Dr. Prasad did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the FDA in the Trump administration and has decided to return to California and spend more time with his family,” Nixon said in a statement. “We thank him for his service and the many important reforms he was able to achieve in his time at FDA.”
In a statement issued on July 18, Prasad said the gene therapy &#8212; called Elevidys and made by Sarepta Therapeutics &#8212; needed to be paused for patient safety.
“Protecting patient safety is our highest priority, and the FDA will not allow products whose harms are greater than benefits,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The FDA will halt any clinical trial of an investigational product if clinical trial participants would be exposed to an unreasonable and significant risk of illness or injury,”
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary gave his support to Prasad, seeming to praise the &#8220;swift action.&#8221;
“Today, we’ve shown that this FDA takes swift action when patient safety is at risk,” Makary said. “We believe in access to drugs for unmet medical needs but are not afraid to take immediate action when a serious safety signal emerges.”
Some conservatives criticized Prasad for pausing the therapy. A piece published by RealClearHealth said Prasad was standing with &#8220;progressive health policies,&#8221; and not the president.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
More on the man destroying <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> legacy for helping patients. FDA’s Vinay Prasad Stands with Progressive Health Policies <a href="https://t.co/4wQ3mRuA6U">https://t.co/4wQ3mRuA6U</a>
— Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) <a href="https://twitter.com/RickSantorum/status/1948769526776025597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Prasad’s hostility toward breakthrough therapies is not confined to policy memos. He has dismissed Elevidys as &#8216;disgusting&#8217; because of its $3.2 million price tag, decried its &#8216;unclear benefit,&#8217; and labeled it a &#8216;useless drug,'&#8221; the piece said. &#8220;He lumped it together with Sarepta’s earlier exon-skipping therapy Exondys 51, calling its approval the result of &#8216;shenanigans&#8217; and &#8216;FDA politics&#8217; overriding science.&#8221;
In the past, Prasad expressed publicly his skepticism of President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;right to try&#8221; policy.
However, Emily Kopp, an investigative journalist from The Daily Caller, suggested Big Pharma was playing a role in the controversy. &#8220;Hit pieces on FDA’s Vinay Prasad are being fed to the right by pharma company Sarepta, the maker of an experimental drug that just killed an eight year old boy,&#8221; she wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hit pieces on FDA’s Vinay Prasad are being fed to the right by pharma company Sarepta, the maker of an experimental drug that just killed an eight year old boy. <a href="https://t.co/1wCq3ksXWZ">https://t.co/1wCq3ksXWZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y8aeRtqBU9">pic.twitter.com/Y8aeRtqBU9</a>
— Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyakopp/status/1948867147855212627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
Though Prasad was a critic of COVID vaccine protocols and other pandemic-related approaches, his personal politics have also become <a href="https://loomered.com/2025/07/28/exclusive-trump-fda-official-vinay-prasad-once-said-he-stabbed-a-trump-voodoo-doll-to-curse-him/">a topic</a> for some on the Right. Makary, however, recently defended Prasad from attacks. “There’s not a political bone to his body,” Makary <a href="https://www.politico.com/video/2025/07/26/commissioner-marty-makary-defends-fdas-vinay-prasad-1690337">said</a> of Prasad last weekend. “He’s an impeccable scientist, I think one of the greatest scientific minds of our generation.”

Chasing Cancer Summit

FDA Shake-Up: The Controversial Ouster Of The Top Vaccine Regulator

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will crack down on illegal vapes entering the U.S. from China, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary told ABC News.
&#8220;[What] we have been doing is laughable,&#8221; Makary said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to start confiscating and seizing. We&#8217;re going to take this seriously.&#8221;
The illegal e-cigarettes appeal to children and teens through bright colors and fruit- and candy-based flavors, according to Makary. The vapes are often disguised as handheld video game consoles, highlighters, or smartphone cases, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fda-head-warns-illegal-vaping-products-china/story?id=123977131">reported</a>.
&#8220;There is no approved vaping product in the United States that has a video game,&#8221; Makary said. &#8220;There is not an approved vaping product in the United States that has one of these cutie fruity flavors.&#8221;
The only legal e-cigarette flavors are menthol and tobacco, Makary said. There are only 39 authorized e-cigarette products in the U.S.
&#8220;Eighty-five percent of the vaping products sold in the vape stores are illegal according to the FDA&#8217;s list,&#8221; Makary said. &#8220;We don&#8217;t even know what&#8217;s in some of these vaping products.&#8221;
Makary said stopping illegal vapes is a &#8220;top priority&#8221; for the agency.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol seized about two million illegal vape products last month, ABC News reported. The vapes are worth about $34 million.
&#8220;This is just a small fraction of the seizures we have here,&#8221; CBP official Eric Everson told the outlet.
Over 90% of Chinese vape products imported to the U.S. in 2024 were not reported in American import data, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-is-flooding-america-with-illegal-vapes-and-more-than-90-fly-under-the-radar">reported</a>. Experts say Chinese manufacturers intentionally mislabel their products to avoid duties, tariffs, and FDA regulations.
In late 2023, CBP agents <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ecigarettes-elf-bar-fda-teen-vaping-434dc600866cf2a626aa8c7a0063ac43">seized</a> $18 million worth of illegal vapes mislabeled as shoes, toys, and other items.
The influx of illegal vapes led Attorneys General from 27 states to <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/IACIO/2025/04/10/file_attachments/3226671/2025.04.09%20-%20Letter%20on%20Chinese%20E-Cigarettes.pdf">write</a> a letter to the Trump administration asking for help &#8220;combating the flood of illegal Chinese products — including illegal Chinese e-cigarettes marketed to minors.&#8221;
&#8220;Illegal, flavored Chinese e-cigarettes are flooding the U.S. market in flagrant disregard of State and federal laws. The products have never been approved by the FDA and target America’s youth,&#8221; the Attorneys General wrote in April. &#8220;They are often brought into the country in mislabeled packaging or shipped in a manner specifically designed to evade detection by the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.&#8221;

Disposable Vapes For Sale In London

‘Top Priority:’ FDA To Crack Down On Illegal Chinese Vapes

Communist China

trade

In a landmark decision this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld West Virginia’s near-total ban on chemical abortions — a major win for federalism, health and safety, and the pro-life cause. This ruling affirms what we at March for Life have long believed: states have both a right and a responsibility to protect life and public health, even when it means outpacing the federal government in doing so.
The key question before the court was this: if the federal government, through the FDA, has approved a drug for use nationwide, can a state nonetheless decide to further restrict or even ban that drug within its own borders?
The Fourth Circuit — not a court known for reaching “conservative” outcomes — answered with a resounding “yes.” And that answer has profound implications, both for abortion policy and for the authority of the states to chart their own paths in matters of health and safety.
Let’s break it down.
Plaintiff GenBioPro — a manufacturer of generic mifepristone — argued that the FDA’s approval of the drug should preempt West Virginia’s more stringent restrictions. In other words, GenBioPro wanted the federal stamp of approval for mifepristone to override the state’s pro-life laws.
The court rejected that argument.
The majority pointed out that under our federalist system, states have the authority to regulate matters of health and safety. Congress, therefore, when granting the FDA authority over drug regulation, “intended to create a regulatory floor, not a ceiling.”
In other words, states cannot weaken federal safety standards – but they absolutely can strengthen them.
This matters because abortion drugs like mifepristone are not like ordinary medications. They have the power to end a human life — and increasingly, they do so without any in-person medical oversight. That’s not just a pro-life concern — it’s a basic medical and ethical concern. Chemical abortion carries significant risks, including hemorrhage, infection, and even death, particularly when used outside a clinical setting.
West Virginia’s legislature recognized those risks and chose to act, including chemical abortions in its law prohibiting abortion in most circumstances. Their law protects
unborn children, yes. But it also protects women from the harms of a deregulated chemical abortion industry. The Fourth Circuit’s decision affirms that West Virginia is fully within its rights to do so.
On its face, this is a case about “preemption,” a legal doctrine that determines when federal law overrides state law. But the Fourth Circuit reminds us that preemption isn’t a magic wand that erases the traditional powers of the states every time it’s waved. Preemption applies only when an intention to preempt state authority has been clearly expressed by Congress — and in the case of abortion pills, it hasn’t been.
The court concluded that in defining the FDA’s regulatory authority, Congress never said states must surrender their own traditional authority over abortion regulation or drug safety. And in the post-Dobbs era, the Supreme Court has made clear that regulating abortion is now a matter for the elected representatives of the people, including at the state level.
The outcome of this case about the preemption doctrine is therefore not merely a legal technicality. It’s a moral and political turning point.
The pro-life movement has always believed that the people, through their elected representatives, should have the power to restrict abortion in their communities. Dobbs confirmed this vision. And the Fourth Circuit’s ruling helps make that vision a reality. States that want to defend life and prioritize women’s safety can move forward confidently, knowing they are not hamstrung by FDA decisions shaped by politics, ideology, or abortion industry pressure.
To be clear, this decision affirming that states are free to take a more restrictive approach to chemical abortions does not let the FDA off the hook. We continue to urge the FDA to perform its own rigorous health and safety analysis of mifepristone, consistent with the responsibilities given to it by Congress and its obligations to the American people.
The court says that FDA regulation is a “floor” upon which the states can build – and that floor should be higher than it currently is. But our federalist system of government requires that states be empowered to determine that the interests of their citizens are best served by laws that are more pro-life than the federal “floor,” and then to act accordingly.
Thanks to the leadership of West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, and legal advocates like Alliance Defending Freedom, this case sets a precedent that will impact legislation and litigation across the country.
We at March for Life are encouraged — but not complacent. We know the abortion industry and profit-driven drug manufacturers will continue to fight tooth and nail to
eliminate any limits on chemical abortion, including in states that have chosen to protect life. But with this ruling, the courts have affirmed what is both constitutional and common sense: states can lead the way in defending life.
This is not just a victory for West Virginia. It’s a victory for every state that dares to protect its citizens — born and unborn — with the boldness to stand against a one-size-fits-all federal agenda.
Jennie Bradley Lichter is the President of March for Life and former Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Appeals Court Keeps Abortion Pill Mifepristone Available, But With Restrictions

States Need To Go Further Than The Federal Government On Banning Chemical Abortions

Abortion

Abortion Drug

West Virginia

Actress Michelle Pfeiffer called out a “very concerning” additive that’s been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be sprayed on organic produce, putting some of the blame on billionaire Bill Gates.
“Apeel (an edible, plant-based coating designed to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables) was just approved and now ‘organic’ produce is coated in something we cannot see or wash off,” the 67-year-old wrote on her Instagram Stories Thursday, per <a href="https://pagesix.com/2025/07/11/celebrity-news/michelle-pfeiffer-blasts-very-concerning-fda-approved-food-technology-once-backed-by-bill-gates/">Page Six</a>. “Very concerning,” she added. 
Her warning was attached to an original post that said, “Organic produce is no longer safe. Bill Gates’ Apeel just got approved for USDA-certified organic.” 
Pfeiffer also advised followers on which grocery stores would not sell produce treated with Apeel.
The company Apeel was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur James Rogers and got a jump start thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, as The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14896749/Michelle-Pfeiffer-launches-extraordinary-attack-Bill-Gates-suggests-hell-contaminate-Americas-food-supply.html">noted</a>, but beyond that, the Gates family is not associated with the brand.
The company received significant backing from venture capitalist Andreessen Horowitz.
“Bill Gates has zero involvement or ownership in Apeel. We’re a team who value honesty and transparency, dedicated to enhancing food accessibility and sustainability,” a 2024 statement <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C587l6cJUwS/?hl=en&amp;img_index=2">posted</a> on the official Apeel Instagram said. 
A spokesperson for Apeel told Page Six, “It is both disappointing and concerning to see a public figure like Michelle Pfeiffer use her platform to spread disinformation about our company, our mission, and the work of our employees.”
The statement continued, “Apeel Sciences remains committed to correcting the record and defending our work in the face of disinformation. We urge Ms. Pfeiffer and others to do their research before contributing to the spread of falsehoods on social media.”
The company claims on its <a href="https://www.apeel.com/product-information">website</a> that the coating, which helps prolong the shelf life of produce, is made from “non-GMO, responsibly-sourced plant oils” that “are distilled into purified mono- and diglycerides that we use to create an additional edible layer, or peel, on fresh produce to help keep moisture in and oxygen out. These naturally occurring, fatty acid-based ingredients are found in plant peels, regular dietary fats, and everyday foods, and they have a long history of safe consumption.”
&nbsp;

Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer Blasts Bill Gates After Organic Produce Additive Approved By U.S. Health Officials

Michelle Pfeiffer Blames Bill Gates For FDA Approved Additive Sprayed On Organic Produce

Bill Gates

Celebrities

Food

Organic Food

U.S.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary has committed to reviewing the abortion pill&#8217;s safety, according to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO).
Hawley posted a letter he received from Makary on social media, noting the FDA head promised to review the safety of mifepristone, the popular abortion drug.
&#8220;As the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, I am committed to conducting a review of mifepristone and working with the professional career scientists at the Agency who review this data,&#8221; Makary wrote in his letter to Hawley.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FDA chief Marty Makary just committed to me to do a full review of the chemical abortion drug’s safety: “As Commissioner of Food and Drugs, I am committed to conducting a review of mifepristone” 👇 <a href="https://t.co/nMxUhE18UA">pic.twitter.com/nMxUhE18UA</a>
&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1929696353010987013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;As with all drugs, FDA continues to closely monitor the postmarketing safety data on mifepristone for the medical termination of early pregnancy,&#8221; Makary wrote.
Makary also noted that mifepristone is currently enmeshed in legal battles.
&#8220;FDA generally does not comment on matters that are the subject of pending litigation and therefore is unable to provide further information on this topic at this time,&#8221; the FDA chief said.
&#8220;FDA is committed to safeguarding public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of the products it regulates,&#8221; Makary wrote. &#8220;The Agency carefully evaluates the scientific data, leveraging rigorous science to make informed decisions.&#8221;
The two-pill chemical abortion regimen — mifepristone, usually followed by misoprostol — aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abortion+Pill+22+Times+More+Dangerous+Than+FDA+Claimed%2C+New+Study+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> released in April found that more than one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023. This can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
That is about 22 times higher than what the FDA listed on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.
Meanwhile, more than one in 20 women need a second abortion attempt after the abortion pill fails, another analysis of insurance claim data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-1-in-20-women-need-second-abortion-attempt-after-abortion-pill-fails?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+Than+1+in+20+Women+Need+Second+Abortion+Attempt+After+Abortion+Pill+Fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> this week showed.
Last month, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers he had requested the FDA do a “complete review” of the abortion pill in the wake of the new data.
“It’s alarming,” RFK Jr. told Hawley during a Senate committee hearing.
“Clearly, it indicates that at the very least the label should be changed,” he said. “I’ve asked Marty Makary, who’s the director of the FDA, to do a complete review and to report back.”
A few months before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the FDA scrapped the requirement that women must obtain abortion pills in person from a healthcare provider, allowing them to get them online through the mail.

President Trump Signs Executive Orders At The White House

FDA Chief Commits To Full Review Of Abortion Pill

Josh Hawley

Medical Research

Pro-Abortion

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

&#8220;It looks like a baby. It was on the ground moving.&#8221;
That is what an 18-year-old girl told a pregnancy center employee after taking an abortion pill she ordered online from overseas.
It is just one of the shocking incidents workers in PreBorn&#8217;s pro-life pregnancy center network have experienced as they scramble to help desperate women who show up seeking help after taking the abortion pill.
PreBorn founder Dan Steiner spoke to The Daily Wire about his group&#8217;s harrowing work. He said women often show up at his clinics &#8220;severely traumatized&#8221; after days of severe bleeding.
&#8220;I&#8217;m talking about their mattress being soaked with blood, and that&#8217;s very dangerous,&#8221; Steiner said. &#8220;That trauma is bringing them into our clinics, and it&#8217;s twofold. One is the bleeding, but even more traumatic is that they are delivering the baby on the floor, in their bathroom toilet.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re bringing this into our clinics, like wrapped in washcloths, you know, these little babies,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s traumatizing our clinic workers as well.&#8221;
Sometimes, the pregnancy center has an arrangement with a local cemetery to dispose of babies&#8217; bodies in a dignified way. But &#8220;that&#8217;s not the case with a lot of our clinics,&#8221; Steiner said.
Afterward, he noted, women &#8220;have to go back to the scene of the crime, their own bathroom, every day for the rest of their lives.&#8221;
&#8220;This is just a nightmare on steroids,&#8221; Steiner said. &#8220;It definitely kills their baby, but it also kills their hearts.&#8221;
On top of this, women often end up with severe complications after taking mifepristone, the popular abortion drug.
The two-pill chemical abortion regimen — mifepristone, usually followed by misoprostol — aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
A study released last month shows the abortion pill is many times more dangerous than the FDA claims.
More than one in 10 women suffer “serious adverse events” after taking mifepristone, which can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis, insurance claim data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abortion+Pill+22+Times+More+Dangerous+Than+FDA+Claimed%2C+New+Study+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">show</a>.
This is about 22 times higher than what the FDA put on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.
The pill also has a high failure rate. More than one in 20 women need a second abortion after mifepristone fails, the insurance data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-1-in-20-women-need-second-abortion-attempt-after-abortion-pill-fails?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+Than+1+in+20+Women+Need+Second+Abortion+Attempt+After+Abortion+Pill+Fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a>.
According to Steiner, the typical woman who comes to PreBorn for help is between 19 and 24, has multiple sexual partners, and likely does not know how far along she is in her pregnancy. That makes taking the abortion pill more dangerous, since it is only designed to be effective in early pregnancy.
Many women also change their minds after taking mifepristone, and frantically search online for how to reverse the drug&#8217;s effects and save their pregnancy.
Heartbeat International is a pro-life organization that reaches those women through its Abortion Pill Rescue Network, which has helped more than 6,000 women reverse their abortions with progesterone.
Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, said that for most of the women who reach out to them, the experience of abortion was &#8220;not as promised.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not &#8216;just a pill&#8217; and it&#8217;s not &#8216;safer than Tylenol,'&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Once they begin to have significant symptoms, they sometimes call with deep regret and we must get them to care immediately.
Godsey recalled one mother, Sara, who took the abortion pill for her fourth baby because her boyfriend threatened to leave her if she did not.
&#8220;She realized her mistake and said it felt like a darkness had come over her,&#8221; Godsey said.
In desperation, the woman called the Abortion Pill Rescue Network&#8217;s hotline, and the nurse who answered connected her with a clinic that gave her progesterone.
The boyfriend kept his promise and left Sara and the children. But the baby, Isaiah, is now six, in kindergarten, plays soccer, and has a large extended family who &#8220;adore him,&#8221; Godsey said.
But not every story has a happy ending.
One woman took the abortion pill while carrying twins and delivered a &#8220;perfectly formed, deceased, tiny baby boy,&#8221; Godsey said. She called the Abortion Pill Rescue Network to stop the abortion and save her second baby, but it was too late — she quickly delivered a second deceased baby.
&#8220;That evening alone in her backyard she buried her tiny babies,&#8221; Godsey said. &#8220;I often think of her when I hear the lie that abortion empowers women. Instead, it often brings them to their lowest point.&#8221;
Medication abortions are far more common than surgical abortions. Medication abortions made up 63% of all abortions in 2023, up from 31% in 2014, <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/2024/03/medication-abortion-accounted-63-all-us-abortions-2023-increase-53-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.
The abortion pill is likely the main factor driving up the country’s total number of abortions in recent years, even in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Abortion advocates have argued that the abortion pill should be more available to order online now that some Republican-led states ban abortion.
A few months before Roe was overturned, the FDA scrapped the requirement that women must obtain abortion pills in-person from a health provider, allowing them to obtain them online through the mail.
Steiner said the FDA engaged in &#8220;ideological, intentional ignorance&#8221; on the dangers of mifepristone.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve known it all along. They would have to know it all along,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If it was Xanax and women were hospitalized because of taking Xanax, pull it!&#8221;
Steiner said that short of pulling mifepristone from the market, he would like to see it slapped with a black box warning, the FDA&#8217;s most serious warning. He would also like to see the Trump administration enforce the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that criminalized mailing abortion material.
Mifepristone was approved by the FDA in 2000.
Godsey slammed the FDA as well, saying the agency has relied on &#8220;highly controlled clinical trials performed by the abortion industry.&#8221;
&#8220;No one even knows how many abortions are happening or how many women are being harmed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This isn&#8217;t healthcare, and women deserve better.&#8221;

Female patient in hospital gown waits for test results

When The Abortion Pill Goes Wrong, These Pro-Life Groups Pick Up The Pieces

Dobbs

Health Care

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary says the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jrs-highly-anticipated-maha-commission-report-is-out-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> on potential causes of chronic diseases in American children calls for a shift from a &#8220;reactionary&#8221; to a &#8220;proactive&#8221; healthcare system in the United States.
The Trump administration official, who appeared for &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6373468984112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Fox News anchor Jackie DeAngelis, argues that more focus should be placed on food and environmental toxins rather than fixating on drugs and treatments.
&#8220;Scientists have been waving the flag for years, saying you have got to look at this body of scientific data. And the modern medical establishment really has been disconnected. We have been so busy focusing on treatment, on billing and coding in a high-throughput model,&#8221; Makary said.
&#8220;We have got to stop and ask ourselves, should we be focusing more on school lunch programs, not just putting every kid on Ozempic?&#8221; he added, referring to a drug widely used for weight loss. &#8220;We have got to talk about food as medicine and gut health and the microbiome. We have got to talk about environmental toxins that cause cancer, not just the chemo to treat it.&#8221;
&#8220;And maybe we need to treat more diabetes with cooking classes, not just throwing insulin at people. This report is a fresh new approach that really calls for a transformation of our health care system from a reactionary system to a proactive system.&#8221;
Makary said he could &#8220;not be more excited&#8221; about the report with its takeaways about ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, stress, and the lack of physical activity, as well as the reliance on medications and vaccines. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jrs-highly-anticipated-maha-commission-report-is-out-heres-what-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">covered</a> its findings last week when it was released by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
&#8220;There are no sacred cows. It talks about 70% of the diet being ultra-processed. It talks about pesticides, microplastics, natural light exposure in children, sleep quality,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And, remember, Republican, Democrat and independent moms showed up in high numbers to vote for President Trump over this very issue.&#8221;
Makary emphasized the findings come from a &#8220;purely independent scientific report on the state of health in America&#8221; when DeAngelis pressed him about the power of the food industry and lobbyists in Washington who might try to fight to stop change.
&#8220;This report talks about how we fix our broken health care system by getting at the root causes and the ultimate issue that we have not been talking about, and that is the health of the population,&#8221; Makary said. &#8220;When you have 40% of our nation&#8217;s children with a chronic disease, that portends for a very expensive future health care system. We can address it. There are many things that we can do even at the FDA addressing food, which many people forget is, the first letter of the FDA is food. It&#8217;s not just drugs.&#8221;

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary

‘MAHA’ Report On Chronic Disease Will Cause Major Shift In Healthcare, FDA Chief Predicts

Children

Ozempic

Trump Administration

A new policy rolled out on Tuesday will limit recommendations for an annual COVID-19 booster shot to the elderly and to children and younger adults who have at least one health condition that puts them at greater risk for developing severe disease.
According to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-fda-kennedy-covid-shots-rfk-trump-bb4de15b6ff955d6cd0b406aaec3cdc5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday morning by The Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would recommend annual booster shots for adults over the age of 65 in addition to younger adults and children whose pre-existing conditions or health concerns put them at greater risk of hospitalization or death from contracting COVID-19.
An <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsb2506929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> published on Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine provides a framework for developing and testing annual vaccines that might eventually be offered to generally healthy people who don&#8217;t fall into the currently recommended age and risk categories.
&#8220;For all healthy persons — those with no risk factors for severe Covid-19 — between the ages of 6 months and 64 years, the FDA anticipates the need for randomized, controlled trial data evaluating clinical outcomes before Biologics License Applications can be granted,&#8221; the article read. &#8220;Insofar as possible, when approving a Covid-19 vaccine for high-risk groups, the FDA will encourage manufacturers to conduct randomized, controlled trials in the population of healthy adults as part of their postmarketing commitment.&#8221;
The article, titled &#8220;An Evidence-Based Approach to COVID-19 Vaccination&#8221; and written by FDA Commissioner Marty Makari and Dr. Vinay Prasad, noted that COVID vaccine recommendations in European nations already reflected a move toward protecting the elderly and those at greatest risk rather than blanket coverage of the entire population, and their goal was to shift the United States to a similar standard.
&#8220;The FDA’s new Covid-19 philosophy represents a balance of regulatory flexibility and a commitment to gold-standard science. The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk. These clinical trials will inform future directions for the FDA, but more important, they will provide information that is desperately craved by health care providers and the American people.&#8221;

FDA Will No Longer Approve Annual COVID Vaccine For Younger, Healthy Patients

Donald Trump

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is removing from the market prescription drug products for children that contain concentrated ingestible fluoride, the agency announced this past week.
The FDA cited studies that suggest a connection between ingested fluoride in children and lower IQ, weight gain, and thyroid issues.
&#8220;Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers,&#8221; a press release from the agency said. &#8220;They have also never been approved by the FDA.&#8221;
&#8220;Ingested fluoride has been shown to alter the gut microbiome, which is of magnified concern given the early development of the gut microbiome in childhood,&#8221; the press release added. &#8220;Other studies have suggested an association between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and possibly decreased IQ.&#8221;
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said it&#8217;s vital that the FDA &#8220;err on the side of safety&#8221; when it comes to our children.
&#8220;The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene, not by altering a child’s microbiome. For the same reason that fluoride may kill bacteria on teeth, it may also kill intestinal bacteria important for a child’s health,” the commissioner said in a statement. “I am instructing our Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area. When it comes to children, we should err on the side of safety.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, the FDA is taking action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market. A growing body of research is demonstrating how ingested fluoride can alter the gut microbiome. This is especially concerning with young children… <a href="https://t.co/pKTtkGyV3J">pic.twitter.com/pKTtkGyV3J</a>
— Dr. Martin Makary (@DrMakaryFDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA/status/1922412396766785898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. applauded Makary for the action.
&#8220;Thank you, [Dr. Marty Makary] for your leadership on this issue,&#8221; he posted to X on Saturday. &#8220;A recent systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzing 74 high-quality studies, found a clear association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children. This isn’t fringe science—this is mainstream, peer-reviewed data. Yes, when it comes to children, we should always err on the side of safety.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrMakaryFDA</a> for your leadership on this issue. A recent systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics, analyzing 74 high-quality studies, found a clear association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ in children. This isn’t fringe science—this is mainstream,… <a href="https://t.co/zLpV90d628">https://t.co/zLpV90d628</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1923742771581423787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy has been a long-time critic of the addition of fluoride to the public water supply. Since RFK Jr. took over as secretary of HHS, a number of states have taken steps to remove the chemical from public drinking water. So far, Utah and Florida have officially banned the chemical.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-raises-larger-issues-desantis-bans-fluoride-in-florida-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘It Raises Larger Issues’: DeSantis Bans Fluoride In Florida Water</a>

HHS Secretary Kennedy Holds News Conference On Synthetic Dyes In Food Supply

FDA Makes Big Announcement On Fluoride

Florida

Utah

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, told lawmakers on Wednesday that he has requested the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do a &#8220;complete review&#8221; of the abortion pill.
The announcement was welcomed by pro-life conservatives, who previously wondered how RFK Jr., a former Democrat, would respond to abortion-related issues, having previously said that while he believes every abortion is a “tragedy,” the issue is “more nuanced and complex.”
During Wednesday&#8217;s Senate committee hearing, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked RFK Jr. if he was aware of a new analysis from the Ethics &amp; Public Policy Center indicating that mifepristone is many times more dangerous than the FDA says on the label for the abortion pill, and he said he was.
&#8220;It&#8217;s alarming,&#8221; RFK Jr. told Hawley.
&#8220;Clearly, it indicates that at the very least the label should be changed,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve asked Marty Makary, who&#8217;s the director of the FDA, to do a complete review and to report back.&#8221;
RFK Jr. also said that he did not yet have a sense of the timeline of the review.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
RFK Jr. says he has asked FDA to do a thorough review of mifepristone in light of a study indicating serious side effects could be 22x more common than the FDA says <a href="https://t.co/kHLNGqsdeA">pic.twitter.com/kHLNGqsdeA</a>
&mdash; Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyakopp/status/1922739876417445997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/abortion-pill-22-times-more-dangerous-than-fda-claimed-new-study-says?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Abortion+Pill+22+Times+More+Dangerous+Than+FDA+Claimed%2C+New+Study+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> released last month found that more than one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event” after taking the mifepristone abortion pill in 2023. This can include hemorrhaging, needing a blood transfusion, an emergency room visit, and even deadly conditions like sepsis.
That is about 22 times higher than what the FDA listed on its label for the brand Mifeprex in 2023. The FDA <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> clinical studies saying less than 0.5% of women suffered “serious adverse reactions” to mifepristone.
Meanwhile, more than one in 20 women need a second abortion attempt after the abortion pill fails, another analysis of insurance claim data <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-1-in-20-women-need-second-abortion-attempt-after-abortion-pill-fails?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+Than+1+in+20+Women+Need+Second+Abortion+Attempt+After+Abortion+Pill+Fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> this week showed.
&#8220;We&#8217;re very thankful for this announcement from Secretary Kennedy. We encourage the FDA to conduct its own study to best ensure that women are given an honest and clear presentation of the dangers of the abortion pill,&#8221; Ryan Anderson, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and one of the authors of the analysis told The Daily Wire.
The two-pill chemical abortion regimen — mifepristone, usually followed by misoprostol — aims to end the life of the unborn baby and expel it from the woman’s uterus. However, the drugs sometimes fail to expel all the fetal tissue, which can cause life-threatening complications.
A few months before Roe v. Wade was overturned, the FDA scrapped the requirement that women must obtain abortion pills in person from a healthcare provider, allowing them to get them online through the mail.
“We applaud Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his swift directive to FDA for a thorough study of the dangerous chemical abortion pill,” Doug Truax, founder of Foundation for the Restoration of America, which put out another report on the abortion pill&#8217;s &#8220;serious adverse events&#8221; told The Daily Wire.
“The health and safety of women is at risk and we can’t allow ideology to trump science,” Truax said.
Last year, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-challenges-rfk-jr-on-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> Kennedy Jr. on abortion during an interview, telling him that abortion is “not just a tragedy. It’s a crime against the child because the child has an independent interest. What do you say to that?”
“I say that I understand that position, and I don’t agree with it,” Kennedy responded, adding that he believes “the solution of having the state come in and dictate choices that a woman is making is not a good solution.”
RFK Jr. appeared before both Senate and House committees on Wednesday to defend President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed budget cuts to the HHS, which RFK Jr. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/politics/rfk-jr-hhs-overhaul-hearing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> would be &#8220;painful&#8221; but would save money “without impacting critical services.”

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Testifies On Budget During House And Senate Hearings On Wednesday

RFK Jr. Wants ‘Complete Review’ Of Abortion Pill, Says Prescription Label Downplays Risks

RFK Says He Has Asked FDA For 'Complete Review' Of Abortion Pill After Data On Dangers

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