Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Wednesday that the United States would not donate to Gavi, a global vaccine alliance, unless and until the organization took steps to &#8220;re-earn the public&#8217;s trust.&#8221;
Kennedy&#8217;s criticism of the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/25/rfk-vaccine-donations-gavi-00422705" target="_blank" rel="noopener">global body</a> was rooted primarily in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he made that abundantly clear in a video he sent to the Gavi pledging summit – in which he accused the organization of silencing dissent over the highly controversial COVID vaccines and pushing them despite concerns about their safety, per <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/25/rfk-vaccine-donations-gavi-00422705">POLITICO</a>.
&#8220;When the science was inconvenient, Gavi ignored the science,&#8221; Kennedy said, arguing that if the United States was going to continue funding the organization, they would have to do better in the future. He also accused Gavi of coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) to &#8220;recommend best practices for social media companies to silence dissenting views, to stifle free speech and legitimate questions during that period.&#8221;
&#8220;I call on Gavi today to re-earn the public trust and to justify the $8 billion that America has provided in funding since 2001. And I’ll tell you how to start taking vaccine safety seriously: Consider the best science available, even when the science contradicts established paradigms,&#8221; Kennedy declared. &#8220;Until that happens, the United States won’t contribute more to Gavi.&#8221;
The pledging summit, which is being held in Brussels, hopes to raise $9 billion in funding for the next five years — 2026-2030, but the approximately $300 million the United States provides on an annual basis is what is in question.
&#8220;When vaccine safety issues have come before Gavi, Gavi has treated them not as a patient health problem, but as a public relations problem,&#8221; Kennedy said in his video presentation. &#8220;Business as usual is over, unaccountable and opaque policymaking is over. I invite all of you to join us in a new era of evidence-based medicine, old-standard science and integrity.&#8221;
Kennedy&#8217;s announcement follows earlier reports that suggested President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration planned to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/health/usaid-cuts-gavi-bird-flu.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut funding</a> to Gavi — although they planned to continue funding key grants for things like natural disaster response, HIV, and tuberculosis medications.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

RFK Jr. Nixes U.S. Funding For Vaccine Alliance Until It ‘Re-Earns The Public’s Trust’

RFK Jr. Nixes U.S. Funding For Vaccine Alliance Until It 'Re-Earns The Public's Trust'

Health and Human Services

Health Care

Politics

Vaccines

World Health Organization

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named eight people to serve on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-guts-cdc-vaccine-panel-retiring-all-17-members?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Guts+CDC+Vaccine+Panel%2C+‘Retiring’+All+17+Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a highly influential vaccine panel he gutted</a> earlier in the week. 
The new members include Dr. Robert Malone, who worked on early research for mRNA vaccine technology and is a vocal critic of the mRNA COVID vaccines, as well as other medical experts who took dissenting positions from the medical establishment during the COVID pandemic.
Kennedy announced on X Wednesday evening that the eight new members are &#8220;highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America’s most accomplished physicians.&#8221;
&#8220;All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.&#8221;
In addition to Malone, who&#8217;s the most well-known, the other members include Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln, Martin Kulldorff, Retsef Levi, Dr. Cody Meissner, Dr. Michael A. Ross, Dr. James Pagano, and Vicky Pebsworth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On Monday, I took a major step towards restoring public trust in vaccines by reconstituting the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). I retired the 17 current members of the committee. I’m now repopulating ACIP with the eight new members who will attend ACIP’s…
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1932899858920120692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy noted Malone&#8217;s work on mRNA vaccine technology, specifically his &#8220;foundational research in the late 1980s on lipid-mediated mRNA delivery, which laid the groundwork for later developments in mRNA-based therapeutics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you for the honor of serving my country in this way, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>. I will do my best to serve with unbiased objectivity and rigor. <a href="https://t.co/mO0a3eGcjb">https://t.co/mO0a3eGcjb</a>
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RWMaloneMD/status/1932901388360847477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Dr. Martin Kulldorff, another panelist, is an epidemiologist who co-authored the pandemic-era Great Barrington Declaration, which criticizes lockdown restrictions, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-advisory-panel-names/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-advisory-panel-names/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. Additionally, Dr. Cody Meissner opposed COVID vaccine requirements for children and spoke out against masking them.
Kennedy said the new eight members will attend a scheduled ACIP meeting on June 25, which is set to discuss the COVID vaccine.
Explaining his reasoning for gutting the panel on Monday, Kennedy wrote in the Wall Street Journal that ACIP had lost the trust of the American people, effectively becoming a &#8220;rubber-stamp&#8221; for all vaccines while ignoring safety concerns and conflict of interest rules. 
RFK Jr. wrote that ACIP has “never recommended against a vaccine—even those which were later withdrawn for safety reasons,&#8221; adding that the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women.” 
ACIP is highly influential. The panel meets a few times a year and makes recommendations to the CDC, thereby basically setting the childhood vaccine schedule and other vaccine-related recommendations, like flu shots and COVID vaccines. ACIP also heavily influences which vaccines are covered by both public and private insurance.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-guts-cdc-vaccine-panel-retiring-all-17-members?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Guts+CDC+Vaccine+Panel%2C+‘Retiring’+All+17+Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RFK Jr. Guts CDC Vaccine Panel, ‘Retiring’ All 17 Members</a>

RFK Jr

RFK Jr. Names New Members To Vax Board, Including Critics Of COVID Measures

Covid vaccine

COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine

Department of Health and Human Services

Health

vaccine

Mars Inc.’s Skittles candies are no longer being made with a popular food additive called titanium dioxide.
The chemical, which whitens foods and brightens colors, was recently targeted in the MAHA Commission report, which was headed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Others in the MAHA movement have identified the ingredient as a &#8220;toxin.&#8221;
&#8220;The momentum is unreal,&#8221; MAHA influencer Vani Hari, aka &#8220;Food Babe,&#8221; wrote in a post online. &#8220;Mars Inc. Skittles dropping titanium dioxide in the U.S. Already banned in Europe due to DNA damage and cancer risk. Let’s go!!!!!&#8221;
&#8220;I just heard some amazing news,&#8221; Hari said in a video attached to the post. &#8220;Titanium dioxide is getting removed from Skittles. This is one less toxin in the &#8216;taste of rainbows.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The momentum is unreal. Mars inc Skittles dropping titanium dioxide in US. Already banned in Europe due to DNA damage and cancer risk. Let’s go!!!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FoodBabeArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FoodBabeArmy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAHA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAHA</a> <a href="https://t.co/XX3b2g9BYZ">pic.twitter.com/XX3b2g9BYZ</a>
— Vani Hari (@thefoodbabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/thefoodbabe/status/1927479542974742903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
A spokesperson for the candy <a href="https://torontosun.com/life/food/skittles-removes-controversial-additive-targeted-by-rfk-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> to Bloomberg News on Tuesday that titanium dioxide was removed from all Skittles production at the end of last year.
In the MAHA report, the chemical was identified as a potentially concerning food additive, possibly having &#8220;carcinogenic effects.&#8221;
&#8220;Over 2,500 food additives — including emulsifiers, binders, sweeteners, colorings, and preservatives — may be used to mimic the taste and texture of conventional food and increase its shelf life,&#8221; the report highlighted. &#8220;Studies have linked certain food additives to increased risks of mental disorders, ADHD, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndromes and even carcinogenic effects.&#8221;
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&#8220;Titanium Dioxide, widely used in a range of candies and sauces, may cause cellular and DNA damage,&#8221; the report said.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-to-ban-petroleum-based-food-dyes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, Kennedy has already targeted food dyes, another controversial food additive.
RFK Jr. announced in April that he&#8217;s directing food manufacturers to phase out eight petroleum-based food dyes from candy, cereals, sports drinks, and other grocery staples by the end of 2026.
The dyes targeted <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/dining/rfk-jr-food-dyes.html">include</a> Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, and Orange B. Skittles candies still contain some of these dyes.
&#8220;Certain food colorings, such as red 40, which is present in widely-consumed products have been associated with behavioral issues in children, such as increased hyperactivity and symptoms consistent with ADHD,&#8221; the MAHA Commission report said of the additives. &#8220;Additionally, preliminary evidence suggests a possible association between the consumption of food colorings and autism, although further long-term research is necessary to establish a definitive link.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-looming-gop-food-fight-over-pesticides?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Looming+GOP+Food+Fight+Over+Pesticides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Looming GOP Food Fight Over Pesticides</a>

Skittles  Candy  At Costco Wholesale

Skittles No Longer Uses Controversial Ingredient Eyed By RFK Jr.

Skittles Removes Controversial Ingredient Eyed By RFK Jr.

Business

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday released the highly anticipated MAHA Commission report, detailing findings on potential causes of the epidemic of Americans, particularly children, fighting chronic illnesses. 
The report, which is 68 pages long, details findings concerning ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, stress, and the lack of physical activity, and reliance on medications and vaccines. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: The MAHA Commission Report &#8220;identifies four major factories that are contributing to the rise of childhood chronic disease&#8221;:
&#8211; Poor diet 
&#8211; Environmental chemical exposure 
&#8211; Lack of physical activity 
&#8211; Overmedicalization <a href="https://t.co/HWGgirNkR0">pic.twitter.com/HWGgirNkR0</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1925605095032463619?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
On nutrition, the report notes Americans&#8217; reliance on ultra-processed foods, which it says leads to &#8220;nutrient depletion, increased caloric intake, and exposure to harmful additives.&#8221; The report found that 70% of children’s calories now come from ultra-processed foods, contributing to chronic conditions.
On environmental chemicals, the report says children are being &#8220;exposed to an increasing number of synthetic chemicals, some of which have been linked to developmental issues and chronic disease.&#8221;
Specifically, when it comes to pesticides, the report&#8217;s authors order a study on the chemicals by next year, but it also tires to quell fears of quick regulatory action. Notably, some Republicans have expressed concern about action on pesticides because of how it might impact farmers.
&#8220;American farmers rely on these products, and actions that further regulate or restrict crop protection tools beyond risk-based and scientific processes set forth by Congress must involve thoughtful consideration of what is necessary for adequate protection, alternatives, and cost of production,&#8221; the report states.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Excessive screen time, inactivity, sleep deprivation, and chronic stress were also identified as significant factors contributing to the rise in chronic diseases and mental health challenges.
Addressing the over-medicalization of children, the <a href="https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/fd441e56ad4bcf36/2f18e38b-full.pdf">report</a> cites a 1,400% increase in antidepressant prescriptions and increased prescribing of stimulants, antibiotics, and asthma drugs, an Axios report notes.
Vaccinations were also highlighted, specifically calling for &#8220;more rigorous clinical trial designs.&#8221;
The detailed report is framed as a &#8220;call to action.&#8221;
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<div class="column">
&#8220;It presents the stark reality of American children’s declining health, backed by compelling data and long-term trends,&#8221; it reads. &#8220;More importantly, it seeks to unpack the potential dietary, behavioral, medical, and environmental drivers behind this crisis. By examining the root causes of deteriorating child health, this assessment establishes a clear, evidence-based foundation for the policy interventions, institutional reforms, and societal shifts needed to reverse course.&#8221;
In the coming 80 days, Secretary Kennedy is tasked with creating a strategy based on these findings to tackle the chronic disease crisis.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Delivers Address To Jewish Community In New York

RFK Jr’s Highly Anticipated MAHA Commission Report Is Out. Here’s What To Know

RFK Jr’s Highly Anticipated MAHA Commission Report Is Out. Here's What To Know

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

Abortion

Medical Research

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) tried to trip up Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his testimony on Wednesday, but instead exposed herself to be wildly unfamiliar with Kennedy&#8217;s department.
While Kennedy was trying to respond to Alsobrooks&#8217; confusing questions about his sprawling department, she suggested to the secretary that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is not part of his department, which, of course, is false, since HHS does oversee NIH.
&#8220;It&#8217;s assistive reproductive technology, it&#8217;s a division. Do you know what it does?&#8221; Alsobrooks asked Kennedy.
The secretary asked what she&#8217;s specifically talking about is part of NIH, since, when he took over as secretary, there were dozens of offices for reproductive health, which Kennedy is in the process of organizing and consolidating.
&#8220;No, it&#8217;s actually part of your agency,&#8221; Alsobrooks responded.
&#8220;NIH is part of my agency,&#8221; RFK shot back. &#8220;Senator, you should know that.&#8221;
&#8220;I do know that,&#8221; the senator suggested. &#8220;It&#8217;s actually, the CDC is where is it.&#8221;
Astonishingly, Alsobrooks then told RFK that he was &#8220;unfamiliar with the programs&#8221; in his department.
&#8220;You&#8217;re unfamiliar with my agency,&#8221; a fiery Kennedy reacted. &#8220;The NIH and the CDC are part of HHS.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This sums up today for you.
RFK Jr was supposed to be answering questions about his 2026 proposed budget. Instead, he was giving Congress a lesson on his agency.
Kennedy: “Is it part of NIH?”
Senator: “No, it’s actually part of your agency.”
Kennedy: “NIH is part of my… <a href="https://t.co/8sT6IzX8o9">pic.twitter.com/8sT6IzX8o9</a>
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaRMatson/status/1922748430784557216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sparks-fly-at-hearing-as-rfk-jr-takes-on-dems-for-playing-politics-with-health?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Sparks+Fly+At+Hearing+As+RFK+Jr.+Takes+On+Dems+For+Playing+Politics+With+Health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted by The Daily Wire,</a> Kennedy sparred with a number of Democrats during his testimony before the House committee on appropriations before his hearing with the Senate.
Kennedy defended cuts made to HHS and called out Democrats for echoing party talking points and engaging in what he viewed as the politicization of public health.
In one instance, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) accused Kennedy of potentially breaking the law and putting Americans’ health at risk over cuts he’s made at HHS. The secretary shot back by describing the “absolute cataclysmic disorganization” of the department when he took it over, which he said was under her oversight for decades.
“We had nine separate offices of women’s health,” RFK explained. “When we consolidate them, Democrats say that we’re eliminating them. We’re not, we’re still appropriating the $3.7 billion, but we’re not keeping all nine. We had eight separate offices for minority health, we eliminated one. We had 27 HIV offices, we had 59 behavioral health programs.”
Moreover, during his testimony before the Senate Health Committee, several protesters were tackled and arrested by Capitol Police for screaming and interrupting Kennedy&#8217;s opening statement. Among those arrested was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-jerrys-co-founder-arrested-for-stunt-during-rfk-testimony?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ben+%26+Jerry’s+Co-Founder+Arrested+For+Stunt+During+RFK+Testimony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-jerrys-co-founder-arrested-for-stunt-during-rfk-testimony?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Ben+%26+Jerry’s+Co-Founder+Arrested+For+Stunt+During+RFK+Testimony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben &amp; Jerry’s Co-Founder Arrested For Stunt During RFK Testimony</a>

Sen. Alsobrooks, RFK

Dem Senator Tries To Trip Up RFK Jr. At Hearing. It Ends Very Poorly For Her.

Dem Senator Tries To Trip Up RFK At Hearing. It Ends Very Poorly For Her. 

Congress

Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparred with a number of Democrats on Wednesday while he testified before the House committee on appropriations.
Kennedy called out Democrats for echoing party talking points and for engaging in what he viewed as the politicization of public health.
In one instance, RFK took on Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) over budget cuts and other health initiatives.
DeLauro accused Kennedy of potentially breaking the law and putting Americans&#8217; health at risk over cuts he&#8217;s made at HHS. The secretary shot back by describing the &#8220;absolute cataclysmic disorganization&#8221; of the department when he took it over, which he said was under her oversight for decades.
&#8220;We had nine separate offices of women&#8217;s health,&#8221; Kennedy explained. &#8220;When we consolidate them, Democrats say that we&#8217;re eliminating them. We&#8217;re not, we&#8217;re still appropriating the $3.7 billion, but we&#8217;re not keeping all nine. We had eight separate offices for minority health, we eliminated one. We had 27 HIV offices, we had 59 behavioral health programs.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NEW: RFK Jr. flips the script on Democrat Rosa DeLauro—and exposes total chaos inside HHS.
DeLauro tried to corner him on tobacco prevention funding. But Kennedy turned the tables, spotlighting the disastrous failures under her oversight.
Rosa DeLauro: “Do you commit to… <a href="https://t.co/uw7EUwo92L">pic.twitter.com/uw7EUwo92L</a>
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1922670888811401454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy name-checked DeLauro later in the hearing, too, this time for what he viewed as her partisan behavior over health, specifically children&#8217;s health.
&#8220;Congresswoman DeLauro, you say that you’ve worked for 20 years on getting food dye out,&#8221; the secretary said. &#8220;Give me credit, I got it out in 100 days!&#8221;
Kennedy notably announced the phasing out of petroleum-based dyes last month. Already, major food companies have committed to making the changes before the end of 2026, which was the secretary&#8217;s goal.
&#8220;Let’s work together and do something we all believe in, which is have healthy kids in our country, for God’s sake,&#8221; a fiery Kennedy continued. &#8220;There’s no such thing as Republican children or Democrat children. There’s just kids, and we should all be concerned with them.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 MIC DROP
RFK Jr just lost it on congressional democrats.
“We’re poisoning this generation. 800,000 kids- the poorest kids in the country- and we’re starting them out with this count against them. With, you know, diabetes, pre-diabetes.
Thirty-eight percent of our youth are… <a href="https://t.co/txD4Um4HrQ">pic.twitter.com/txD4Um4HrQ</a>
— Anna Matson (@AnnaRMatson) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnnaRMatson/status/1922675139436581066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy also took on Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA), whom RFK said was echoing Democrat talking points about HHS cuts.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if you understand this, or whether you&#8217;re just mouthing the Democratic talking points. Cuts to Medicaid are for fraud, waste, and abuse,&#8221; Kennedy told the congressman.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a million people who are claiming Medicaid from multiple states. That&#8217;s illegal. It&#8217;s theft. You&#8217;re not allowed to do that,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;There are another million people who are collecting both Medicaid and Obamacare,&#8221; Kennedy said, before noting that the federal government will also no longer pay Medicaid for illegal immigrants.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dem: WHY ARE YOU TAKING MEDICAID AWAY FROM MY SICK CONSTITUENTS?
RFK: WRONG! ~1 million ppl are claiming Medicaid illegally ~1 million ppl are collecting Medicaid AND Obamacare illegally. ~1 million ILLEGAL aliens are using Medicaid illegally. -Millions of able-bodied adults on… <a href="https://t.co/sBsHeEhspG">pic.twitter.com/sBsHeEhspG</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1922688081666171368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kennedy will also appear before the Senate Health Committee.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-order-to-reduce-drug-prices-tells-rest-of-world-to-pay-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Signs Order To Reduce Drug Prices, Tells Rest Of World To Pay U</a>p

Kennedy//DeLauro

Sparks Fly At Hearing As RFK Jr. Takes On Dems For Playing Politics With Health

Sparks Fly At Hearing As RFK Takes On Democrats For Playing Politics With Health

Major companies like PepsiCo and Tyson Foods are accelerating changes to their American recipes to more align with the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; agenda.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-to-ban-petroleum-based-food-dyes?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwbrand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with companies to phase out petroleum-based food dyes by the end of 2026, in addition to banning numerous other color additives.
The CEOs of both PepsiCo and Tyson Foods have said they will be ahead of schedule on such changes.
Ramon Laguarta, the head of PepsiCo, said on a recent conference call that he wants his company to lead the way on ridding products of artificial food dyes. PepsiCo makes drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade, and owns the Frito-Lay brand, which makes Doritos, Lay&#8217;s, and Sun Chips, to name only a few popular products.
Specifically, brands like Lay’s and Tostitos will be rid of artificial colors by the end of 2025 &#8212; a year ahead of Kennedy&#8217;s planned phase-out.
“We’ve been leading the transformation of the industry now for a long time on sodium reduction, sugar reduction and better fats,” Laguarta said on the call, Food Business News <a href="https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/28167-pepsico-to-accelerate-phaseout-of-artificial-ingredients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;When we talk about the US food business, 60%-plus of our (portfolio) today doesn’t have any artificial colors, so we’re undergoing that transition,” he added. “For example, brands like Lay’s will be out of artificial colors by the end of this year, and the same with Tostitos — some of our big brands. So we’re well underway.”
Laguarta also said he stood by the safety of all PepsiCo products as they are now, but acknowledged that this shift to more natural ingredients is what consumers are asking for. In the next couple of years, all PepsiCo products will have natural colors, or, at the least, options for natural colors so the consumer can choose, Laguarta said. 
“Our products are very safe, and there’s nothing to worry about. But we understand that there’s probably going to be a consumer demand for more natural ingredients, and we’re going to be accelerating that transition,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Ideally, we can do this in a very pragmatic, orchestrated way as an industry and not create unnecessary panic or chaos.&#8221;
“But we’ll lead that transition, and in the next couple of years, we’ll have migrated all the portfolio into natural colors or at least provide the consumer with natural color options,&#8221; the CEO added. &#8220;And every consumer will have the opportunity to choose what they prefer. So that’s the journey we’re undergoing.”
Donnie King, the CEO of Tyson Foods, which makes a number of chicken products and frozen foods, said the company will eliminate synthetic dyes from its products by the end of this month. 
&#8220;Just 13 days after [HHS] and the [FDA] announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May,&#8221; Secretary Kennedy celebrated on X. &#8220;I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of Americans first. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just 13 days after <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSgov</a> + <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@US_FDA</a> announced plans to phase out petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply, Tyson Foods today reported it will eliminate these dyes by the end of May. I look forward to seeing more companies follow suit and put the health of… <a href="https://t.co/HUyKJCTN70">pic.twitter.com/HUyKJCTN70</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1919498755554083277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-in-100-days-how-trump-and-rfk-are-transforming-american-food-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America</a>

Doritos tortilla chips seen in a Target superstore

Major Food Companies Accelerate MAHA Changes To Recipes

Food

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing half a billion dollars into a project that seeks to develop universal vaccinations for numerous viruses, according to a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/rfk-jr-bets-500-million-on-universal-vaccines-in-shift-from-covid-19-funding-0299d927" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Wall Street Journal.
The project is called &#8220;Generation Gold Standard.&#8221; It seeks to use chemically inactivated whole viruses, which is how flu vaccines were created decades ago. Currently, flu vaccines contain synthetic viral proteins or pieces of viruses.
The goal is to create these vaccines with such technology that are &#8220;universal,&#8221; meaning they will protect against multiple strains of a virus, like the flu, coronavirus, and RSV.
The new project would shift HHS from its current COVID projects and use funding from larger <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doge-meets-hhs-rfk-jr-to-terminate-20000-bureaucrats-restructure-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cuts</a> the department has already made.
For example, The Journal noted that under former President Joe Biden, HHS developed a $5 billion project called NextGen, which studied new COVID vaccines. Under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., NextGen has been deemed &#8220;wasteful,&#8221; and several of the projects within NextGen have been given stop-work orders.
Generation Gold Standard will give the American public &#8220;a cost-effective, accountable alternative&#8221; to COVID vaccines and therapeutics, an HHS spokesperson told the Journal.
Next year, the project aims to begin trials for a universal flu vaccination, which would protect against numerous strains. Another goal is for trials for a universal coronavirus vaccine to start by 2026, “with FDA approval targeted for 2029.&#8221;
Two scientists with senior roles in the project are Dr. Matthew Memoli, the principal deputy director of the National Institutes of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/10/vaccines-nih-rfk-research-canceled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health</a> (NIH), and Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, acting director of NIH&#8217;s infectious-diseases institute.
“Our commitment is clear: every innovation in vaccine development must be grounded in gold standard science and transparency,” Secretary Kennedy said in a statement.
Under Kennedy, HHS has already made shifts in funding for vaccinations. For example, NIH will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-in-100-days-how-trump-and-rfk-are-transforming-american-food-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stop</a> spending money to determine why Americans hesitate to get vaccines. NIH is terminating or scaling back more than 40 related grants and has said that such spending no longer aligns with NIH priorities.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-in-100-days-how-trump-and-rfk-are-transforming-american-food-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America</a>

RFK Jr.

HHS Investing $500 Million To Develop Universal Vaccines

The Department of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-to-ban-petroleum-based-food-dyes?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+To+Ban+Petroleum-Based+Food+Dyes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health and Human Services</a> (HHS) on Thursday released a comprehensive review of medical interventions for minors experiencing gender confusion, finding that risks for such treatments cannot be ignored and are not supported by science.
The review identified a number of risks associated with intervention, including infertility, sexual dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease.
&#8220;Despite increasing pressure to promote these drastic medical interventions for our nation’s youth, the review makes clear: the science and evidence do not support their use, and the risks cannot be ignored,&#8221; an HHS press release sent to The Daily Wire reads.
&#8220;The &#8216;gender-affirming&#8217; model of care includes irreversible endocrine and surgical interventions on minors with no physical pathology,&#8221; the review summary <a href="https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/gender-dysphoria-report-exec-summary.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;These interventions carry risk of significant harms including infertility/sterility, sexual dysfunction, impaired bone density accrual, adverse cognitive impacts, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, psychiatric disorders, surgical complications, and regret.&#8221;
It also determined that there is &#8220;no independent association between gender dysphoria and suicidality,&#8221; and &#8220;no evidence that pediatric medical transition reduces the incidence of suicide, which remains, fortunately, very low.&#8221;
The review found that the supposed benefits from medical intervention are severely in question and do not outweigh the risks. HHS also said that the perception of a &#8220;consensus&#8221; in support of these treatments is being pushed by medical associations, while dissent is stifled.
&#8220;U.S. medical associations played a key role in creating a perception that there is professional consensus in support of pediatric medical transition,&#8221; the summary review said. &#8220;This apparent consensus, however, is driven primarily by a small number of specialized committees, influenced by WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health). It is not clear that the official views of these associations are shared by the wider medical community, or even by most of their members. There is evidence that some medical and mental health associations have suppressed dissent and stifled debate about this issue among their members.&#8221;
The evidence for benefits from pediatric medical intervention is &#8220;very uncertain,&#8221; the review stated, &#8220;while the evidence for harm is less uncertain.&#8221; Thus, the review suggested, medical professionals should not offer them, even if they are requested.
&#8220;When medical interventions pose unnecessary, disproportionate risks of harm, healthcare providers should refuse to offer them even when they are preferred, requested, or demanded by patients,&#8221; it said. &#8220;Failure to do so increases the risk of iatrogenic harm and reduces medicine to consumerism, threatening the integrity of the profession and undermining trust in medical authority.&#8221;
The review also recognized detransitioners, or individuals who received medical treatment for their gender confusion but later regretted such intervention.
&#8220;The voices of whistleblowers and detransitioners have played a critical role in drawing public attention to the risks and harms associated with pediatric medical transition,&#8221; HHS said. &#8220;Their concerns have been discounted, dismissed, or ignored by prominent advocates and practitioners of pediatric medical transition.&#8221;
Evaluating other forms of treatment for a gender-confused minor, HHS ridiculed the notion that psychotherapy could be deemed &#8220;conversion therapy.&#8221;
&#8220;There is a dearth of research on psychotherapeutic approaches to managing gender dysphoria in children and adolescents,&#8221; the department said. &#8220;This is due in part to the mischaracterization of such approaches as &#8216;conversion therapy.&#8217; A more robust evidence base supports psychotherapeutic approaches to managing common comorbid mental health conditions. Psychotherapy is a noninvasive alternative to endocrine and surgical interventions for the treatment of pediatric gender dysphoria. Systematic reviews of evidence have found no evidence of adverse effects of psychotherapy in this context.&#8221;
The department underscored how minors and their families &#8220;require, and are entitled to, accurate, evidence-based information to guide their decisions,&#8221; and said this comprehensive review is for them, as well as policymakers, clinicians, therapists, and medical organizations.

Gender Symbols

HHS Releases Damning Review Of Gender Treatments For Minors: ‘The Risks Cannot Be Ignored’

Gender

Gender Identity

gender ideology

Non-binary

Transgender

transgender surgery

Minutes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Kennedy and his team to Make America Healthy Again.
The order created the MAHA Commission, and specifically instructed Kennedy to focus on addressing the root causes of America&#8217;s escalating health crisis, especially childhood chronic disease.
Kennedy did just that — and swiftly.
Here’s what the secretary has done so far to transform American food standards and reorient his agency’s health initiatives.
<h3>Food Changes </h3>
DYES: Kennedy announced in April that he’s phasing out a number of artificial food dyes and colorings by the end of 2026. Specifically, HHS is banning petroleum-based synthetic dyes, including Red 3 and 40, Blue 1 and  2, Yellow 5 and 6, and Green 3. Such dyes are common in cereals, candy, baked goods, soft drinks, and other junk foods commonly consumed by children.
HHS will also be partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct comprehensive research on how these dyes impact children’s health and development.
INGREDIENT STANDARDS: Kennedy has directed the FDA to revise a rule that allows companies to “self-affirm” the safety of food ingredients. Under the revision, manufacturers will have to publicly submit safety data for new ingredients. HHS <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/revising-gras-pathway.html">says</a> such enhanced oversight will “bring transparency to American consumers.”
LIMITING SNAP: Several states are moving to limit food stamps, also known as SNAP benefits, to healthier options. The limits often exclude sugary drinks like soda, candy, and some other highly processed foods.
RFK has urged governors to submit waivers to the Department of Agriculture to effectuate such limits on SNAP. On April 16, Arkansas was the first state in the nation to submit such a request. States like West Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Tennessee, South Carolina, Missouri, and Indiana are exploring SNAP restrictions, too.
TRANSPARENCY TOOL: In March, the FDA unveiled a tool that allows people to look up chemical contaminants in foods from a large database. The tool, which can be <a href="https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=contaminant-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accessed here</a>, includes tolerances, action levels, guidance levels, derived intervention levels, recommended maximum levels, and advisory levels of contaminants. Some of the contaminants included in the database are Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT, a synthetic pesticide; Chlordane, an organochlorine pesticide; and Aldrin and Dieldrin, which are both synthetic chemicals in the insecticide family.
<h3>Formula </h3>
OPERATION STORK SPEED: The FDA announced in March that it is tightening its standards on infant formula and reevaluating current products on the market. The move followed a Consumer Reports investigation, which found that about <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/baby-formula/baby-formula-contaminants-test-results-a7140095293/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half of the 41 formulas</a> it tested contained potentially harmful levels of arsenic, lead, BPA, acrylamide, or PFAS, <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/rfk-jr-baby-formula-operation-stork-speed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to News Nation.
The FDA, for example, will increase testing for heavy metals and other contaminants in infant formula and encourage companies to work with the FDA to increase transparency and clearer labeling
<h3>Fluoride Fight </h3>
This month, Utah became the first state in the nation to ban the addition of fluoride to public drinking water. Numerous other states are also considering bans, including Florida, where a bill proposing a statewide ban just passed the Senate.
The movement seems to have been sparked by Kennedy, who has routinely spoken out against fluoridation. Just before the election, he <a href="https://x.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1852812012478398923">posted</a> on X that on day one of Donald Trump’s presidency, he would advise that all United States water systems remove fluoride. He’s also called fluoride an “industrial waste” and says it’s associated with numerous negative effects, like arthritis, IQ loss, and thyroid disease.
<h3>Autism </h3>
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: There have been reports since March about the CDC studying potential links between vaccinations and the rise in autism. HHS never confirmed nor denied such reports, but said “no stone would go unturned” when researching autism causes. In April, RFK confirmed that he’s commissioning a series of studies on suspected links to high autism rates, including mold, pesticides, food chemicals, and, notably, medication.
NIH, which falls under HHS, is investing $50 million in research for causes and improving treatments for autism, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/04/25/hss-autism-registry-nih-data-platform/83269805007/">according</a> to USA Today.
DEADLINE ON CAUSES: RFK told Trump in April that HHS will know what is causing the autism epidemic by September. Kennedy also revealed new CDC data that found 1 in 31 children are diagnosed with the disorder, which is nearly 5 times higher than when the CDC started these surveys back in 1992, according to some estimates.
<h3>Cleaning House </h3>
Kennedy announced in March that he’s restructuring HHS and terminating tens of thousands of employees.
“What I found when I came to HHS, is really a sprawling bureaucracy. We have over 100 communications departments — we should have one. We have 40 IT departments, 40 procurement departments, dozens of HR departments,” Kennedy <a href="https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1905403551024554014" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Daily Wire host Michael Knowles</a>. “And that is where we’re doing the cuts. We’re going down from 82,000 personnel to 62,000.”
“We’re keeping the scientists, we’re keeping the front-line providers,” he added. “We&#8217;re trying to do our best, not only to serve as stewards of the taxpayer money, but also to make the agency more efficient.”
<h3>Realigning Funding and Research </h3>
VACCINES: The National Institutes of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/03/10/vaccines-nih-rfk-research-canceled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health</a> (NIH) will stop spending money to find out why Americans are hesitant to take vaccines. NIH is terminating or scaling back more than 40 related grants and has said that such spending no longer aligns with NIH priorities.
AUTISM RESEARCH: As noted above, Kennedy has launched a $50 million initiative aimed at investigating the causes of autism and improving treatments.
FUNDING CHRONIC DISEASE: RFK is reallocating funds he’s cut from the NIH and CDC to address chronic disease.
<h3>What’s Next?</h3>
Kennedy is only starting on his mission to address the alarming rates of chronic disease, especially among children. But the secretary has also signaled that he’s eyeing the pharmaceutical industry next.
Kennedy has voiced concerns about how we overmedicate, especially young Americans. There have also been reports that RFK is aiming to curb or <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2025/04/04/rfk-jr-may-want-to-ban-prescription-drug-ads-but-can-he/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ban</a> prescription drug ads.

Untitled design (21)

MAHA In 100 Days: How Trump And RFK Are Transforming Food And Healthcare In America

Donald Trump

The Trump administration and DOGE are continuing their efforts to slash federal spending, with major cuts to the Health Department announced Thursday. Trump takes &#8220;presidential action&#8221; against the elite law firms that targeted him. And, voters in Maine overwhelmingly support keeping men out of women’s sports – but the state’s Democratic governor is still defying Trump’s order to do so.
It’s Friday, March 28th, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>DOGE Cuts HHS</h2>
<div id="attachment_899279" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-899279" class="size-large wp-image-899279" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/RFK-locks-in-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The Trump administration and DOGE are continuing their efforts to slash federal spending, with major cuts to the Health Department announced Thursday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Thursday morning that his department will cut more than 10,000 jobs – more than 20% of HHS’ workforce.
Among others, the Food and Drug Administration will let go of 3,500 employees, though Kennedy said the cuts would not impact inspectors looking at drugs, medical devices, and food. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will lose 1,200 workers, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) 300, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2,400. The overhaul will also eliminate 13 of the department&#8217;s 28 existing divisions and create a new Administration for a Healthy America. According to Kennedy, the cuts will save taxpayer money and force health agencies to become more efficient.
“When I arrived I found that over half of our employees don’t even come to work,” Kennedy said. “As part of President Trump’s DOGE workforce reduction initiative, we’re gonna streamline HHS to make our agency more efficient and effective. … We’re gonna eliminate an entire alphabet soup of departments and agencies while preserving their core functions.”
Context: America’s health care system ranks <a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/us-health-care-system-ranks-last-overall-among-other-high-income-countries">last</a> in health among 38 developed nations, but spends 2 to 3x more per capita on each patient. HHS funding increased by nearly 40 percent under the Biden administration, as staffing went up almost 20 percent – this week’s cuts will reduce the number of employees to pre-pandemic levels.
These aren’t the only cuts being made to HHS. A day earlier, Kennedy moved to pull nearly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-government-pulls-back-over-11-billion-funding-state-health-departments-2025-03-26/">$12 billion</a> in COVID funding that had been allocated to state health departments, NGOs, and an assortment of international groups. Those funds were being used for COVID testing, COVID vaccines, etc. According to a DHS spokesman, &#8220;The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.” Instead, they say, “HHS is prioritizing funding projects that will deliver on President Trump’s mandate to address our chronic disease epidemic.”
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html">CDC</a>, 6 in 10 Americans suffer from a chronic disease, while 4 in 10 suffer from at least two.
<h2>Trump vs. Law Firms</h2>
<div id="attachment_899281" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-899281" class="size-large wp-image-899281" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/tRUMP-SIGNS-eo-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: President Trump is taking action against top law firms that have ties to people who drove investigations and litigation against him.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order targeting the law firm Jenner &amp; Block. The order is similar to a few others he’s signed in recent weeks – it blocks the firm from entering federal buildings and revokes its attorneys’ security clearances. It also bars federal agencies from contracting with the firm.
“I just think that the law firms have to behave themselves,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1904244385342214479">said</a>. “We have others that want to make a settlement also having to do with the elections and other things, they&#8217;ve behaved very badly &#8230; our elections are very dishonest. Very corrupt.”
A federal judge blocked one of these Trump orders earlier this month – that order targeted Perkins Coie, the Clinton-tied law firm at the center of the Russian collusion conspiracy in 2016. The judge in that case, Beryl Howell, was appointed by Barack Obama and called Trump’s order “unlawful” and a violation of the First Amendment.
The targeted firms all have deep ties to the Democratic Party and Trump’s top antagonists. In fact, Trump’s latest order singles out Andrew Weissmann. He was a partner at Jenner &amp; Block from 2021 to 2022 – but before that, he was the top deputy of special counsel Robert Mueller and is thought to have been a key player in propagating the “Russiagate” hoax.
These orders don’t appear to be final – Trump has suggested that he will negotiate with the law firms if they come to the table. When asked if his actions amounted to “coercion” by a reporter, Trump responded, “The law firms all wanna make deals. You mean the law firms that we&#8217;re going after that went after me for 4 years ruthlessly, violently, illegally? I mean, are those the law firms you&#8217;re talking about? They&#8217;re not babies. They&#8217;re very sophisticated people.”
One prominent firm in the hot seat – Paul Weiss – has agreed to make several commitments to avoid sanctions, including $40 million worth of pro bono work for causes the White House supports.
<h2>Maine Defies Title IX</h2>
<div id="attachment_899285" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-899285" class="size-large wp-image-899285" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Janet-Mills-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Public universities in Maine are backing down from their transgender policies, but Governor Janet Mills (D) is still refusing to comply with Trump’s order on girls’ sports.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-spars-with-maines-dem-governor-over-men-in-womens-sports-at-white-house">public spat</a> between President Trump and Governor Mills over an executive order barring men from women’s sports has gone on for more than a month. Mills maintains that the EO does not carry the force of law and has stated flatly that she has no intention of complying with it.
“My issue is about the rule of law, pure and simple,” Mills said in a statement posted to <a href="https://x.com/TheMaineWire/status/1904334942999363625">X</a>. “[The Constitution] doesn’t allow [the president] him to make laws out of whole cloth by tweet or instagram post or press release or executive order.”
Congressional Republicans have been slow to codify Trump’s order on girls&#8217; sports. However, Title IX separates sports based on sex to ensure equal opportunity. Only during the Biden administration did the federal government decide to interpret Title IX through the lens of so-called gender identity. Eight public universities in Maine have already said they will comply with Trump&#8217;s order in response to the Department of Agriculture threatening to withhold federal funding over the issue.
Other departments have also opened investigations into Maine’s transgender policies. For example, Health and Human Services said it found Title IX violations and gave the state <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-gives-maine-10-days-to-comply-with-wh-block-males-from-female-sports">ten days</a> to comply with Trump’s order – that letter was sent on March 19.
“The letter stipulated that if there is no voluntary compliance on the part of Maine, it&#8217;s going to be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution,” Steve Robinson, editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire (no relation) told Morning Wire. “I think there&#8217;s a lot of ego and stubbornness here. They&#8217;re not used to being told that they&#8217;re wrong or that they don&#8217;t have the authority to do something.”
New polling from the American Parents Coalition – which was exclusively shared with The Daily Wire – shows that Maine residents side with Trump on this issue &#8212; 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex. 60% said they’d support a ballot measure to protect girls’ sports, including 64% of independents.

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