Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that his department is canceling 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts, totaling about $500 million.
Kennedy said mRNA vaccines, including the most widely used COVID-19 immunizations, have been ineffective, so his department is instead shifting this funding toward &#8220;safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
&#8220;After reviewing the science, and consulting top experts at [National Institutes of Health] and [Food and Drug Administration], HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risks than benefits for these respiratory viruses,&#8221; RFK said in a video posted to X.
Kennedy said that mRNA vaccines used during the pandemic &#8220;only code for a small part of the viral protein, usually a single antigen.&#8221;
&#8220;One mutation, and the vaccine becomes ineffective,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This dynamic drives a phenomenon called antigenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine.&#8221;
Millions of people, RFK noted, caught the Omicron variant, despite being vaccinated. This is due to the nature of the mRNA vaccines. &#8220;A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,&#8221; the secretary emphasized.
“Let me be absolutely clear: HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them,&#8221; Kennedy told the public. &#8220;That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions.&#8221;
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an HHS agency, is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments &#8220;because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu,&#8221; a press release from HHS reiterates.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted. BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward… <a href="https://t.co/GPKbuU7ywN">pic.twitter.com/GPKbuU7ywN</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1952851097019633766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
BARDA will now focus on &#8220;platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices,&#8221; HHS said. &#8220;Technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions – like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-maha-wins-12-states-cutting-soda-candy-from-food-stamps?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=More+MAHA+Wins%3A+12+States+Cutting+Soda%2C+Candy+From+Food+Stamps">More MAHA Wins: 12 States Cutting Soda, Candy From Food Stamps</a>

RFK Jr

RFK Jr. Shuts Down $500M In mRNA Vaccine Research: ‘More Risks Than Benefits’

Health

Medical Research

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

vaccine

Vaccines

In what&#8217;s being praised as another &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-targets-ultra-processed-foods-in-latest-move-to-maha">Make America Healthy Again</a>&#8221; win, a growing number of states have been approved to limit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">food stamp</a> purchases to healthier options, cutting out sugary drinks and candy.
Agriculture Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-amnesty-trump-usda-chief-address-deportations-of-illegal-farm-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooke Rollins</a> on Monday authorized waivers from another six states asking to limit purchases with food stamps &#8212; known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The latest states to join the MAHA trend are West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
In total, 12 states are now approved to limit food stamps since President Donald Trump took office in January and tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. &#8212; the figurehead of the MAHA movement &#8212; to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Below are the 12 states making these cuts:
Arkansas: Soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice, other unhealthy drinks, and candy will be barred from food stamps purchases by July 2026.
Colorado: By March 2026, SNAP will restrict soft drink purchases.
Florida: Soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts will no longer be permitted food stamp purchases by January 2026.
Idaho: Soda and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Indiana: Soft drinks and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Iowa: By January 2026, taxable food items in the state, which will include most candy, soft drinks, and prepared foods, will be restricted. 
Louisiana: With a target date of January 15, 2026, the state will ban the purchase of soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy with SNAP.
Nebraska: Soda and energy drinks will be restricted by January 2026.
Oklahoma: Soft drinks and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Texas: By April 2026, sweetened drinks and candy will be barred from SNAP purchases.
Utah: Soft drink purchases will be barred by January 2026.
West Virginia: Soda will be restricted by January 2026.
Kennedy on Tuesday reaffirmed his message that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for unhealthy foods like soda and candy, which he says are fueling the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and making Americans sick.
&#8220;We are spending $405 million a day on SNAP and about 10% is going to sugary drinks, and if you add candies to that, it&#8217;s about 13-17%.&#8221;
&#8220;We all believe in free choice,&#8221; the secretary emphasized. &#8220;We live in a democracy &#8212; people can make their own choice about what they are going to buy and what they are not going to buy. If you want to buy a sugary soda, you should be able to do that, but the U.S. taxpayer should not pay for it.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. taxpayers should not be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes,&#8221; RFK added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. says he is officially moving to BAN food stamps from being used for soda
FINALLY!
&#8220;The U.S. Taxpayer should NOT be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes.&#8221;
&#8220;We are spending $405 MILLION a day on SNAP..… <a href="https://t.co/jjsmZ8DrGE">pic.twitter.com/jjsmZ8DrGE</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1952449669163839580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA</a>

Texas Bill Would Mandate Warning Label “Not Recommended For Human Consumption” On Some Foods

More MAHA Wins: 12 States Cutting Soda, Candy From Food Stamps

MAHA

News

Trump Administration

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is eyeing another key health panel to reform, apparently due to members&#8217; past &#8220;woke&#8221; comments and recommendations.
The panel in question is called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which has 16 members. The task force helps determine which cancer screenings and other preventative measures should be covered by insurance.
Sources <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/rfk-health-screening-panel-members-c308cbb0?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAj7wH3sv3WoEdu4VAgkX6dfrc6WdD03ZsDFxQbqvweBFhTgu_F4bYLFku3VqJA%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6887e303&amp;gaa_sig=oN9e3u89wwsyjVVX6d5R9XbyL7iYRTsaUIR4FqoqZCoezMLzPT0cDFBgyVzWY0YgrMPHCREJbHmJtRje3S_OQw%3D%3D">told</a> The Wall Street Journal that Kennedy is looking to oust all 16 members and replace them with his own appointments, as he did with a recent vaccine panel. RFK Jr. is reportedly motivated by past &#8220;woke&#8221; comments from the task force members.
The Journal highlighted recent commentary from The American Conservative, which detailed the panel&#8217;s “left-wing ideological orthodoxy.&#8221;
For example, the task force highlighted &#8220;racial discrimination&#8221; when discussing risk factors for anxiety in some children and teenagers. They also referred to pregnant women as “pregnant persons.&#8221; And in a publication on breastfeeding, the panel spoke about the “lasting psychological impact and stigma&#8221; of &#8220;enslaved Black women being forced to act as wet nurses.&#8221;
HHS said in a statement that Kennedy &#8220;looks forward to working with the USPSTF to improve public health.&#8221;
The apparent upcoming move follows RFK Jr. firing all 17 panelists on a highly influential vaccine panel called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP. His explanation of the removals was to restore public trust, citing conflicts of interest.
Kennedy said ACIP had “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 held its first vote with 8 new members appointed by Kennedy last month, and they voted to recommend a shot that protects infants against RSV, a respiratory virus that can be deadly for babies. The panel has also recommended flu shots without a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. Kennedy has already moved to cement the recommendation. 
ACIP is expected to tackle the childhood vaccination schedule, which is riling up critics.
The Daily Wire has reached out to HHS for further comment on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-targets-ultra-processed-foods-in-latest-move-to-maha?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Targets+Ultra-Processed+Foods+In+Latest+Move+To+MAHA">RFK Jr. Targets Ultra-Processed Foods In Latest Move To MAHA</a>

RFK Jr. To Oust Key Health Panel Over ‘Woke’ Nonsense

Health and Human Services

Politics

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-nixes-u-s-funding-for-vaccine-alliance-until-it-re-earns-the-publics-trust?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Nixes+U.S.+Funding+For+Vaccine+Alliance+Until+It+‘Re-Earns+The+Public’s+Trust’">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a> is demanding reform to the organ transplant system after a shocking investigation found organs were nearly harvested from dozens of patients who showed signs of life. 
An <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hrsa-to-reform-organ-transplant-system.html">investigation</a> conducted by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration reviewed 351 cases out of Kentucky where organ donation was approved, but not completed. More than 100 of those cases – about 30% – showed what HHS called “concerning features,” including 73 patients who showed neurological signs “incompatible with organ donation.” At least 28 patients may not have been dead at the time the organ procurement was started.
 Some of these patients died within hours, but others lived for multiple days, and some became well enough to actually leave the hospital. 
Outside of the HHS investigation, a recent report from The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/us/organ-transplants-donors-alive.html">highlighted</a> a number of disturbing cases where the push for organs threatened potential donors. In one case, a 42-year-old Alabama woman had her chest cut into and her breastbone sawed before the doctors realized her heart was still beating and she was breathing. 
“Our findings show that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying,” Kennedy said in a statement, and his department said it found a “systemic disregard for the sanctity of life.” 
The secretary singled out organ procurement organizations (OPOs), nonprofits that coordinate access to these transplants, and said they will be &#8220;held accountable.&#8221;
&#8220;The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves,&#8221; RFK added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our findings show that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying. The organ procurement organizations that coordinate access to transplants will be held accountable. The entire system must be fixed to… <a href="https://t.co/DeiFa2FlEJ">https://t.co/DeiFa2FlEJ</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1947723786641346605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
The federal inquiry into the organ transplant system was sparked by a Kentucky man who overdosed in 2021. The OPO involved, which is now called Network for Hope after a merger, was at the center of the investigation. 
The Times, which had access to HHS&#8217;s findings, said hospital staffers were uncomfortable moving forward with the organ procurement, fearing they were committing euthanasia. However, an OPO coordinator assured the staffers that everything was fine. Eventually, a doctor said he wouldn&#8217;t move forward, and the Kentucky man “cried, pulled his knees to his chest and shook his head.” 
The patient became well enough to leave the hospital and is still alive today. 
Two former employees of the OPO told the Times the organ harvesting would have “1000% moved forward” if not for the doctor putting a stop to the OPO. Three other former employees said they witnessed similar cases. 
Barry Massa, the CEO of Network of Hope, testified before Congress on Wednesday and stated that the nonprofit is conducting its own internal investigations and has implemented new standards to protect organ donors. 
“We have devised a checklist for every nurse that is on a DCD (donation after circulatory death) case,&#8221; Massa said. &#8220;We did the same thing with every attending physician.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve implemented &#8216;hard stops,&#8217; so that during any part of the process, we have huddles with everyone involved in the care and the treatment of that DCD donor so that if any concerns are raised, they can raise those concerns at that time, or any time in the process,&#8221; he added. 
HHS has outlined several procedures for OPOs to follow and requires them to adopt a formal method that allows any staff member to halt a donation process if patient safety concerns arise.
Kennedy has also threatened to decertify OPOs if they fail to comply with corrective actions outlined by HHS. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1628">WALSH: The Dark Truth About Becoming An Organ Donor</a>

Doctor and nurse in the operating room with patient on the operating table in hospital

Shocking Federal Report Reveals Organ Donors Showed Signs Of Life When Harvesting Started

Shocking HHS Report Says Organ Donors Still Alive When Organ Harvesting Started  

Organ Donation

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bluntly called genocide charges against Israel a “blood libel” and extolled an <a href="https://x.com/SpencerGuard/status/1948010761957052628">essay</a> by a noted war expert that comprehensively refuted the accusation.
Kennedy, like his father before him, has always been a staunch supporter of Israel; his father Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who had served as John F. Kennedy’s Attorney General before his stint in the Senate and his 1968 campaign for president, in which he was battling Vice-President Hubert Humphrey in the primaries before Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan murdered him.
“The genocide charge is a blood libel. Thank you Major Spencer for this withering deconstruction,” Kennedy wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The genocide charge is a blood libel. Thank you Major Spencer for this withering deconstruction.
&mdash; Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1948196370642608537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The term “blood libel” vis-à-vis the Jewish people has <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blood-libel">historically referred</a> to the false accusation that Jews murdered non-Jews in order to use their blood in the performance of religious ritual, a particularly ridiculous assertion since Jews are religiously forbidden to eat anything that has blood in it, even as small as a speck of blood in an egg. The charge has been used to foster numerous pogroms in Europe over the centuries, in which Jews were murdered en masse by the hundreds and thousands.
The essay Kennedy championed, by noted war expert John Spencer, who serves as chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast, is titled “I’m a War Scholar. There Is No Genocide in Gaza.” Spencer was responding to a New York Times op-ed by <a href="https://www.jns.org/the-new-york-times-genocide-scholar-is-no-neutral-observer/">leftist Brown University professor Omer Bartov</a> that accused Israel of genocide.
 “Genocide is not defined by a few comments taken out of context, by estimates of casualties or destruction, or by how war looks in headlines or on social media. It is defined by specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part,” Spencer noted.
“That is a high legal bar. Bartov did not meet it. He did not even try,” Spencer wrote.  “Since October 7, I have been to Gaza four times embedded with the Israel Defense Forces. I have interviewed the Prime Minister of Israel, the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief of Staff, Southern Command leadership, and dozens of commanders and soldiers on the front lines. I have reviewed their orders, watched their targeting process, and seen soldiers take real risks to avoid harming civilians. Nothing I have seen or studied resembles genocide or genocidal intent.”
Spencer ripped Bartov for claiming Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comment on October 7 that Hamas would “pay a huge price” was a call for genocide, noting, “It is what any leader would say after the worst terrorist attack in the nation’s history.”
“He also cites Netanyahu’s statements that Hamas would be destroyed and that civilians should evacuate combat zones,” he continued, “That is not evidence of a desire to destroy a people. It is what professional militaries do when fighting an enemy that hides among civilians.”
“Bartov presents Netanyahu’s reference to ‘remember Amalek’ as a smoking gun,” he stated. “But this is a phrase from Jewish history and tradition. It is engraved at Israel’s Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, and also appears on the Holocaust memorial in The Hague. In both places, it serves as a warning to remain vigilant against threats, not as a call for mass killing.”
“I have studied the actual orders. They focus on destroying Hamas, rescuing hostages, and protecting civilians whenever possible,” he recalled, continuing:
<blockquote>
Israel has taken extraordinary steps to limit civilian harm. It warns before attacks using text messages, phone calls, leaflets, and broadcasts. It opens safe corridors and pauses operations so civilians can leave combat areas. It tracks civilian presence down to the building level. I have seen missions delayed or canceled because children were nearby. I have seen Israeli troops come under fire and still be ordered not to shoot back because civilians might be harmed. 
Israel has delivered more humanitarian aid to Gaza than any military in history has provided to an enemy population during wartime. More than 94,000 trucks carrying over 1.8 million tons of aid have entered the territory. Israel has supported hospitals, repaired water pipelines, increased access to clean water, and enabled over 36,000 patients to leave Gaza for treatment abroad. The IDF has coordinated millions of vaccine doses, supplied fuel for hospitals and infrastructure, and facilitated the flow of food and medicine through the UN, aid groups, and private partners.
</blockquote>
He derided Bartov’s claim that 58,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including 17,000 children. “But these numbers come from a terrorist organization,” Spencer pointed out. “They mix civilians and fighters and count anyone under 18 as a child, even though Hamas uses teenagers and younger children as combatants. The figures are not independently verified and have been shown to contain false details, including names, ages, and sex.”
“Civilian deaths are tragic, but in Gaza, they are also part of Hamas’s strategy,” he wrote. “No military operation is judged solely by body counts or destruction figures. If we used Bartov’s logic, every major war would be called genocide. Two million civilians died in the Korean War, an average of 54,000 per month. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars killed hundreds of thousands. The fight against ISIS leveled multiple cities and killed tens of thousands. None of those wars were considered genocidal.”
“War is hell,” he declared. “It is inhumane, destructive, and ugly. But it is not automatically a crime. Nations must not target civilians. They must follow the rules of distinction, proportionality, and take all possible care to avoid civilian harm. Israel is doing that. I have seen it.”
“I have seen restraint, humanitarian aid, and deliberate compliance with legal standards, often at tactical cost,” he wrote. “This is not a campaign of extermination. It is a war against Hamas, a terrorist army embedded in civilian areas by design. The law matters. So does precision. And above all, truth matters.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO">https://t.co/5qLpXD35UO</a>
— John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1948010761957052628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testifies During House Hearing

RFK Jr. Blasts Genocide Accusations Against Israel: The ‘Charge Is A Blood Libel’

Gaza

genocide

Global Politics

Israel

After decades of investing in life science breakthroughs, from biotech platforms to diagnostic innovations, I’ve seen what’s possible when bold ideas meet real backing. I’ve also seen what happens when bureaucracy gets in the way. Nearly $52 billion flows through the National Institutes of Health each year — taxpayer money entrusted to one of the world’s most important engines of biomedical progress. It begs a tough question: Is the NIH delivering what it promises? In my opinion, not yet.
Discovery today moves faster than ever, but the NIH struggles to keep pace — not from lack of talent or mission, but because of outdated systems, fragmented structure, and a risk-averse culture. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s not about dismantling anything. It’s about upgrading an essential institution to work the way science works: fast, open, collaborative, and accountable. Under Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s leadership, with his courage and clear-eyed vision, we’re closer than ever to meaningful reform.
The NIH’s 27 institutes and centers often function in isolation, duplicating work and missing chances to collaborate. In 2024, $9 billion went to indirect costs like admin overhead — paperwork, not pipettes or Petri dishes. Rep. Cathy McMorris proposed streamlining to 15 centers, a plan that ought to be seriously considered. Merging overlapping fields, say, translational medicine and biomedical imaging, would sharpen focus and accelerate progress. It would help the NIH act like a modern, integrated organization, not a loose confederation of silos. Let scientists spend their time in the lab, not in grant-cycle purgatory.
<div id="attachment_946227" style="width: 879px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-946227" class="size-large wp-image-946227" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-869x576.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12, 2025, in Washington, DC. During the event, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing the cost of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals by 30% to 80%. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)" width="869" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-869x576.jpg 869w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2214721636.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px" />Andrew Harnik/Getty Images</div>
Public funding comes with public accountability, and the NIH has work to do. Concerns over inadequate responses to research misconduct, opaque grant reviews, and questionable international ties — like those linked to risky pathogen studies — damage credibility and slow progress. What’s needed isn’t punishment but clarity. Reforms to tighten oversight, simplify peer review, and flag repeat issues will protect the science and the people behind it. The American public is generous in funding medical research. It’s time to be just as generous with the truth.
In my years as a venture capitalist, I’ve learned that real innovation comes from unexpected places — outsiders, first-time founders, scientists chasing questions no one else asks. But the NIH’s grant system favors the safe route, funding incremental research while visionary proposals, like a novel approach to Alzheimer’s, get passed over. Put more generalists and cross-disciplinary thinkers on peer review panels. Train reviewers to recognize high-risk/high-reward ideas. Carve out funding for newcomers applying for the first time. We can’t solve 21st-century problems if we’re afraid to back 21st-century thinkers.
The scientific landscape has changed — AI decodes protein structures, organ-on-chip tech replaces animal testing, wearables guide patient care. Yet the NIH uses tools and timelines built for another era. The new public access policy, requiring funded studies to be shared freely, is a good start. But modernizing how we evaluate, fund, and share research is overdue. AI-driven grant reviews and real-time data platforms could match the global pace of discovery. If we want to compete with China and Europe, we need to move faster.
Despite its massive budget, the NIH sends disproportionate funding to elite institutions. In 2023, half of all grants went to just 10 states. Great science can come from a fresh PhD in Idaho or a tenured lab in Iowa, but without grant caps, geographic diversity, and fair review standards, those ideas never get a shot. America doesn’t have a monopoly on good ideas. Let’s stop acting like it does.
Are all reform proposals perfect? No. They’ll need input from scientists, policymakers, and patients who count on the results. Ignoring the problem, though, is reckless. This isn’t about tearing down the NIH; it’s about retooling it for today’s challenges. I came to this country believing in what it stood for. I’ve backed companies that pushed the limits of healthcare. I believe American science is the best in the world, but it needs a system that doesn’t hold it back. Let’s build an NIH that earns trust, funds bold ideas, and turns the best thinking into real-world cures. It’s time we let science lead. 
* * *
Guy Paul Nohra is co-founder of Alta Partners, a leading Venture Capital firm in life sciences, funding over 150 companies in the healthcare/life sciences sector since 1996 through eight Venture Capital funds.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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

Paperwork And Petri Dishes: It’s Time To Reform The NIH And Let Science Lead

Paperwork And Petri Dishes: It's Time To Reform The NIH And Let Science Lead

Federal Government

Health Care

Jay Bhattacharya

Medical

New intel shows Iran’s nuclear capability is “severely damaged” – despite media reports and the Ayatollah’s claims. RFK Jr. pulls funding from a global vaccine group he says is ignoring the science. And New York is still reeling from a political earthquake after a self-styled socialist’s victory in the Democratic primary for mayor.
It’s Friday, June 27, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
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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>Iran Intel &amp; More Peace In Middle East</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-940129" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-9.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-9.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-9-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: New details have emerged on the severity of U.S. airstrikes on Iran, as the White House hints at new peace deals with Middle Eastern adversaries.
Ayatollah Khamenei hadn’t been seen or heard from since before Saturday, as he refrained from any electronic communication for fear of being targeted himself. But on Thursday, he released a video where he struck a defiant tone, declaring victory over the U.S. and Israel and threatening to “take action again” if necessary. Khamenei assured his people that the American strikes “were unable to do anything important” and that President Trump had “exaggerated” their effectiveness &#8212; those claims have been mirrored by some elements of the legacy media.
The war in Iran might have ended, but the fighting is still going on in Washington, with the White House going to battle with the media over the state of Iran’s nuclear program. Knocking out Iran’s nuclear program could end up being one of the president’s signature accomplishments, and he wants credit. Almost immediately after the strikes, which the president said totally obliterated the Iranian nuclear program, the media began reporting otherwise, saying the program had only been set back a few months. A leaked damage assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency reportedly claimed Iran could have their nuclear program up and running by the new year and that the three nuclear sites struck by the United States had potentially sustained only “moderate” damage. Democrats and the legacy media jumped on that report, saying it was proof the strike was actually a failure and that Trump was lying to the public.
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The White House is disputing this, saying the assessment in question was one of multiple preliminary estimates and that newer intelligence from the CIA and others has revealed the damage to be significantly more severe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the press failed to report that the leaked document reported “low confidence” in its own assessment and had not been coordinated with the intelligence community more broadly.
&#8220;For people with common sense, everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “Complete and total destruction and obliteration.”
On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, seemed to agree with the White House, saying Iran’s nuclear program “suffered enormous damage.” According to the agency’s director, “there’s a lot of debate about the degree of annihilation, total destruction, and so on. What I can tell you, and I think everyone agrees on this, is that very considerable damage has been done.”
The president has also suggested that other Middle Eastern countries might join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel in the coming days.
<h2>RFK Withdraws Funding For International Vaccine Organization</h2>
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Topline: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the United States is withdrawing funding for an international vaccine organization that he says has lost the public’s trust.
Gavi is a global vaccine alliance that works to provide vaccinations to low-income people worldwide. It was founded by Bill Gates, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Bank back in 2000. Gavi has received more than $8 billion from the U.S. government since 2001 and claims to have vaccinated more than one billion children, saving millions of lives. 
RFK Jr.&#8217;s assessment of the group was not entirely negative: he commended Gavi for some of its work – particularly for keeping medicine affordable – when he announced that the United States would halt its financial contributions until Gavi could prove itself to be science-focused and transparent. Kennedy also stated that Gavi helped censor dissenting voices during the COVID pandemic and “ignored the science.” 

“The World Health Organization and Gavi partnered together during the COVID-19 pandemic to recommend best practices for social media companies to silence dissenting views, to stifle free speech and legitimate questions during that period,” Kennedy said. “When vaccine safety issues have come before Gavi, Gavi has treated them not as a patient health problem, but as a public relations problem.”
Kennedy said Gavi must re-earn the public’s trust before the U.S. financial contribution continues. He advised Gavi to “consider the best science available, even when the science contradicts established paradigms.”
The Gates Foundation, in reaction to RFK Jr.’s remarks, has already pledged to give $1.6 billion over the next five years to support Gavi.
<h2>New York City&#8217;s New Frontrunner</h2>
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Topline: Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani shocked New York – and many in the Democratic Party – by rising out of seemingly nowhere to win the city’s Democratic primary for mayor.
A left-wing New York assemblyman, Zohran Mamdani, 33, won an upset victory in the NYC Democratic primary against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67. Despite recent polling suggesting it would be a close race, Mamdani overperformed in the early returns with a decisive enough lead that Cuomo conceded within hours.
“Mamdani pulled it off by increasing the turnout among mostly white progressives,” Ryan Girdusky, host of the “It’s a Numbers Game” podcast, told The Daily Wire. “Cuomo&#8217;s turnout was not high enough among black voters. And at the same exact time, Mamdani&#8217;s voter turnout was absolutely like general election turnout. And that, along with being able to siphon off support from the Asian community &#8212; he had an immense amount of Asian outreach despite being against SATs. And the growing Muslim population certainly helped him. And then his last part of his coalition was he was able to splinter a sizable chunk of the Hispanic vote who do not live in the Bronx. He lost the Bronx terribly. But among other Hispanic communities, he did very, very well.”
Mamdani is a self-described socialist who has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/nyregion/mamdani-policies-stances.html">campaigned</a> on rent control, government-owned grocery stores, raising taxes on the top 1% of New Yorkers, and offering sanctuary to illegal aliens. He has also been highly critical of the state of Israel, which he has described as “an apartheid state” that committed “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
While many prominent New Yorkers, from billionaire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billionaire-pledges-to-bankroll-any-nyc-mayoral-candidate-who-can-beat-zohran-mamdani?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Billionaire+Pledges+To+Bankroll+Any+NYC+Mayoral+Candidate+Who+Can+Beat+Zohran+Mamdani">Bill Ackman</a> to rapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-feeling-this-plan-nyc-native-50-cent-says-hell-put-up-six-figures-for-mamdani-to-go-away">50 Cent</a>, have come out against Mamdani since his victory, he remains the favorite to win the general election. While he is not likely to win a majority of voters, Mamdani will likely face off against three other candidates who are likely to split much of the conservative-to-moderate electorate: incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who chose to run as an independent this election after previously being elected as a Democrat, Cuomo, who despite losing the Democratic primary is also registered to run as a third-party candidate, and Republican Curtis Silwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels crime prevention group.
All three other candidates have their own baggage – Governor Cuomo resigned in disgrace after a sexual harassment scandal, Adams was accused of accepting bribes in a federal investigation that has since been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-dismisses-corruption-case-against-nyc-mayor-eric-adams">dropped</a>, and Silwa, a former radio host and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/22/nyregion/curtis-sliwa-mayor-cats.html">eccentric</a> conservative, faces an uphill battle in a city that favored Democrats over Republicans by <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/new-york-city-2024-election-vote-totals/5959798/">more than 2:1</a> in the last presidential election. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTRLhkPIu0">Adams</a> and <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/26/us-news/defiant-gop-candidate-curtis-sliwa-insists-on-staying-in-nyc-mayoral-race/">Silwa</a> are currently set on staying in the race, while Cuomo is presently &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/andrew-cuomo-zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayor-primary-election/">weighing his options</a>.&#8221;
Girdusky told The Daily Wire that if one or more of the other candidates dropped out and allowed their supporters to coalesce, “they could probably beat him. I don&#8217;t know if anyone&#8217;s ego is small enough to allow that to happen.”

MRN 6.27.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Ayatollah Downplays U.S. Strikes, RFK Cuts Funding For Vaccine Org, NYC Mayoral Race

Andrew Cuomo

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Eric Adams

Iran

Media

Morning Wire

New York City

Zohran Mamdani

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.

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'

World Health Organization

Trump pressures NATO to increase military spending after mediating the Iran-Israel truce. New Yorkers head to the polls &#8212; will they elect a socialist mayor? And, the United States&#8217; largest medical group doubles down on transgender treatments despite the data.
It’s Wednesday, June 25, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>War &amp; Peace</h2>
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Topline: President Donald Trump headed to Europe on Tuesday for high-stakes NATO meetings after he brokered the tenuous ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
Leaders from all 32 members of the NATO alliance and some partner states are attending a two-day <a href="https://www.act.nato.int/activities/nato-summit/">summit</a> in the Netherlands to discuss defense policy and the broader strategy. President Trump’s main goal is to push NATO members to increase their defense budgets. Trump has long lamented that America is being taken advantage of by allies who benefit from our military without paying their fair share. At the moment, NATO members are expected to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense — Trump wants to raise that to 5%. According to Reuters, &#8220;All NATO members have backed a statement enshrining the target, although Spain declared it does not need to meet the goal and can meet its commitments by spending much less.&#8221;
This is also the first large gathering of world leaders since the president’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday, and the subsequent ceasefire announced on Monday. On Tuesday morning, hours after the deal went into effect, Iran reportedly launched a series of missiles at Israel, prompting the Israelis to respond with strikes on a radar facility outside of Tehran. For a moment, it looked like the war was back on, but then Trump intervened. With Israeli planes reportedly en route to Iran, the president called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly with what the White House called an “exceptionally firm and direct” warning to abide by the ceasefire. 
Trump also made a <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-i-need-israel-to-calm-down-do-not-drop-those-bombs-bring-your-pilots-home-now/">public appeal</a> on social media, writing, “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
Shortly afterward, Netanyahu said he would refrain from further strikes.
While further escalation was avoided, Trump made it clear that he was unhappy with both Israel and Iran.
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing,” Trump <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/1937468807536169315">told</a> reporters bluntly. “[Iran is] not going to have enrichment and they&#8217;re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They&#8217;re going to get on to being a great trading nation.&#8221;
At the summit, Trump also <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-06-24/trump-nato-summit-iran-israel-putin">quipped</a> about ongoing tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched an invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has been accused of slow-walking the peace negotiations with the United States. “Vladimir called me up – he said ‘do you need help with Iran?’ And I told him ‘I don’t need help with Iran, I need help with you.”
<h2>Cuomo Concedes NYC Primary To Socialist</h2>
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Topline: New Yorkers went to the polls on Tuesday to decide the Democratic candidate for mayor.
The New York City Mayoral Democratic Primary took place on Tuesday, and the former frontrunner has already conceded. With 92% of the vote in, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani had a 7-point lead over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, although neither candidate secured a majority, and the official results won’t be tallied until next week. This kind of wait isn’t unusual — it took two weeks for this primary to be decided in 2021, in a large part because New York City uses <a href="https://vote.nyc/page/ranked-choice-voting">ranked-choice voting</a>.
In a ranked choice election, instead of picking one candidate, voters rank candidates in order of preference – if no candidate receives a majority in the first round, then the candidate who received the fewest votes is eliminated and their supporters&#8217; ballots are added to the tally of the candidate who was ranked as their next most preferred choice – the process continuing until one of the candidates has majority support.
There were 11 candidates on the ballot, but in the end, it came down to three: Andrew Cuomo, the former governor who resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct; New York City comptroller Brad Lander, who received the New York Times’ endorsement; and the apparent rising star of the race, Zohran Mamdani, an state assemblyman from Queens and vocal member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Lander and Mamdani made waves a few weeks ago when they endorsed each other, urging their supporters to put both of them in their top two and not to rank Cuomo.
“We both love New York City, and that’s why it’s so important to not send scandal-ridden, corrupt, Andrew Cuomo to City Hall,” Lander and Mamdani <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYH_zerPE3M">said</a> in a joint statement. “New Yorkers deserve so much better than a disgraced creep. … Brad and I are officially telling our supporters: rank me number one, rank him number two. Let’s send Andrew Cuomo back to the suburbs.”
Cuomo led the pack in almost every <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/nyc-mayoral-primary-election-polls-2025.html">first-round poll</a>, but the most recent Emerson College survey suggested that Mamdani was only a few points behind and would actually beat Cuomo by 4 points in the final count. Despite conceding the Democratic primary, Cuomo is still free to run as a third-party candidate against Mamdani in the general election.
<h2>Trans Medicine &#8212; The Establishment Vs The Evidence</h2>
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Topline: The nation’s largest medical association is standing by its controversial guidance to promote transgender medical procedures for minors – despite mounting evidence against it and a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
The American Medical Association (AMA) released a statement signaling against the recent ruling in United States v. Skrmetti, which permits states to ban puberty blockers and other so-called gender-affirming procedures on minors – those procedures have been shown to be damaging and often irreversible. The new president of the AMA, <a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/bobby-mukkamala-sworn-ama-president-william-underwood-iii-chosen-president-elect">Dr. Bobby Mukkamala</a>, condemned the decision and said that “all patients deserve access to high-quality, evidence-based medical care.” He added that decisions about medical treatment “must be made through a shared decision-making process between the patient and their physician.”
The AMA has a significant influence in shaping policy and common medical practices – it has long supported trans procedures for minors. In 2023, it passed a resolution to commit to working with legislators to oppose policies that curb access to these treatments or prioritize parental rights. The resolution also promised collaboration with other organizations to “educate the Federation of State Medical Boards about the importance of gender-affirming care.” The AMA also enthusiastically supported Dr. Rachel Levine’s nomination as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services during the Biden era. Notably, Levine – a man who identifies as a woman – is a proponent of many types of trans procedures for minors.
Other major players in the American medical establishment, including the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/25340/AAP-reaffirms-gender-affirming-care-policy">American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)</a>, the <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/gender-dysphoria-gender-incongruence">Endocrine Society</a>, the American Psychiatric Association, the <a href="https://wpath.org/publications/soc8/">World Professional Association for Transgender Health</a>, the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American College of Physicians are standing behind their position to support trans procedures for minors.
However, individual medical professionals speak out about this – and now organizations are forming that call for evidence-based medicine. One group called <a href="https://donoharmmedicine.org/gender-ideology/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=20707841002&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAo-mml2sQ9TwnUgwBn1NT5HLq5klM&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwmenCBhA4EiwAtVjzmuvg61iE0bzkY3AdFxTDzjFXzrKJNEneUCsvx5AOfI8JSZ7LRQu5yxoCM_4QAvD_BwE">Do No Harm</a> has 16,000 members, and one of its stated goals is to “curtail the unscientific and individually harmful practice of so-called ‘gender affirming care.’” Another group, called the “Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine,” researches and questions trans procedures for minors. It promotes non-invasive approaches for gender confusion, like psychotherapy.
Since Trump took office, a number of hospitals have announced that they are curtailing or entirely stopping trans procedures for minors. During his second week in office, Trump signed an order saying that the United States would not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support gender transitions for children. Under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr-rescission-february-20-2025-notice-guidance.pdf">rescinded</a> trans guidance from the Biden administration that promoted these procedures. An April memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi said the DOJ would look at prosecuting doctors for mutilating children under the guise of “trans care.”

MRN 6.25.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: NATO Commits To Defense Spike, NYC Picks A Socialist & ‘Experts’ Push Transing Kids

American Medical Association

Donald Trump

NATO

Rachel Levine

Transgender

The Trump administration will study the long-term effects on people of chemicals released after the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Vice President JD Vance, who is from Ohio, joined Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Battacharya to announce the new initiative in a video posted to social media.
“I&#8217;ve been to East Palestine a number of times, and they&#8217;re very worried about, what are the long-term impacts of these chemicals in the water, in the air? What effect does it have on their kids and grandkids after 5 years, 10 years, 15 years of exposure?” said Vance.
“The crazy thing is, number one, we didn&#8217;t have a good answer to that question. Science had never actually tried to understand what the long-term exposure of these trace chemicals would do to people,” he continued. “And the second crazy thing is that as much as I tried as a United States senator to work with the Biden administration, they refused to do anything to actually study the effects of these long-term exposures on the people of East Palestine.”
After a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed and dumped its cargo, residents, officials, and investigators who resided or worked close to the spill <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/half-of-u-s-investigators-fell-ill-while-studying-east-palestine-train-derailment-report">reported</a> having symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and dizziness. A controlled burn of the spill sent plumes of black smoke into the air, causing further concerns of what the smoke could do to nearby residents.
“The National Institutes of Health under my direction has launched a 5-year, $10 million research initiative to address health outcomes stemming from this calamity. This is the first large-scale, coordinated, multi-year federal study focused specifically on the long-term health impacts of the East Palestine disaster,” Kennedy said.
Bhattacharya added: “The purpose and goal of the NIH, the mission is to advance the health and well-being of the American people, and this is a concrete way that we&#8217;re going to do that. The NIH is working to ensure that the people of East Palestine and the surrounding communities are listened to, cared for, and they get the answers they deserve.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;m proud to announce with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/NIHDirector_Jay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NIHDirector_Jay</a> that the Trump Administration is launching a program to study long-term health effects of the chemical spill in East Palestine, OH and help residents access the care they need.
East Palestine, we will never forget you. <a href="https://t.co/zjJOnXZgoc">pic.twitter.com/zjJOnXZgoc</a>
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1935740906533167510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The East Palestine spill was a calamity for the roughly 5,000- strong community and exploded into national news. The accident inspired rancor against the Biden administration and then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Former President Joe Biden notably stayed away from East Palestine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-visit-east-palestine-one-year-after-train-derailment-disaster">until</a> the one-year anniversary of the disaster.
President Donald Trump, who was campaigning for president at the time, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wednesday-afternoon-update-snow-storm-causes-travel-chaos-trump-brings-supplies-and-morale-to-ohio-vivek-ramaswamy-announces-presidential-run">visited</a> East Palestine within weeks of the disaster, bringing supplies to the reeling community.

Trump Admin Seeks Answers On Long-Term Risks Of East Palestine Train Derailment

Department of Health and Human Services

East Palestine

Executive

JD Vance

Ohio

U.S.

The new United States dietary guidelines, which are expected to be released this month, will remove the daily recommended limit for alcohol consumption.
The new guidelines, drafted by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services,  “are expected to include a brief statement encouraging Americans to drink in moderation or limit alcohol intake due to associated health risks,” sources told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-drop-guidance-limit-alcohol-one-or-two-drinks-per-day-sources-say-2025-06-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>.
This marks a shift for the guidelines. Since 1990, the daily recommended limits have been no more than one drink for women and up to two drinks for men. It also signals a rebuke of the Biden administration, which took steps to drastically limit the amount of alcohol Americans consume.
In the last month of his term, Biden’s surgeon general expressed a desire to place cancer risk warnings on all alcohol products. Biden had also tapped a secretive board called the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking to revise the alcohol portion of the dietary guidelines.
Sources close to the committee — which contained multiple Canadian citizens —warned it was “close to adopting the World Health Organization’s 2023 <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declaration</a>: &#8216;No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health,&#8217;” as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-donald-trump-isnt-coming-for-your-tequila-but-kamala-might-be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a> by The Daily Wire.
Dietary guidelines are published every five years. The current revision is being led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The intention behind making the change is “to ensure the guidelines reflect only the most robust evidence.”
“The scientific basis for recommending specific daily limits is limited,” one source commented.
The debate surrounding the potential benefits and harms of alcohol is still unsettled. Though some studies indicate an increased risk of <a href="https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/the-link-between-alcohol-and-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancer</a>, others show that those who consume alcohol in moderation may have a <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2024/12/new-report-reviews-evidence-on-moderate-alcohol-consumption-and-health-impacts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower mortality rate</a>, and possess a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Authors of a Harvard <a href="https://harvardpublichealth.org/policy-practice/is-alcohol-bad-for-you-or-is-alcohol-good-for-you-yes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meta-study</a> concluded that “the data do not justify sweeping statements about the [negative] effects of moderate alcohol consumption on human health.”
&#8220;The hospitality industry has consistently maintained the view that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should be determined based on a preponderance of sound scientific evidence, free from bias and conflicts of interest,&#8221; Science Over Bias, a coalition of groups involved in the alcohol industry, said in a statement. &#8220;Information on responsible alcohol consumption has been part of the Dietary Guidelines for decades and has provided useful guidance for consumers who choose to consume alcohol and their health care providers.&#8221;

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U.S. Dietary Guidelines Will Scrap Daily Alcohol Limit

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USDA

Global coffeehouse chain Starbucks will be making changes to its menu to more align with the &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; agenda, according to the company&#8217;s CEO, Brian Niccol. 
Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in April he&#8217;s phasing out petroleum-based dyes and working with major food companies to voluntarily implement further MAHA changes.
Niccol met with RFK on Tuesday, according to a post from the secretary, and vowed to make the company&#8217;s menu healthier.
&#8220;Yesterday, I met with [Starbucks] CEO Brian Niccol, who shared the company’s plans to further MAHA its menu,&#8221; Kennedy posted to X on Wednesday.
&#8220;I was pleased to learn that Starbucks&#8217; food and beverages already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and other additives,&#8221; he added.
Some Starbucks drinks, however, are known to have incredibly <a href="https://www.delish.com/food-news/a62639189/most-unhealthy-coffee-drinks/">large amounts of sugar</a> in them. A grande white chocolate mocha frappuccino, for example, contains <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/420/hot/nutrition">46 grams of sugar</a>, while it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much">recommended</a> that individuals consume no more than 25-36 grams of sugar per day, depending on one&#8217;s sex.
Kennedy did not elaborate further on the coming changes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yesterday, I met with <a href="https://twitter.com/Starbucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Starbucks</a> CEO Brian Niccol, who shared the company’s plans to further MAHA its menu. I was pleased to learn that Starbucks&#8217; food and beverages already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and other… <a href="https://t.co/F2O9wHpVFW">pic.twitter.com/F2O9wHpVFW</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1935352690323652691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
In addition to this vow from Starbucks, cereal company General Mills said this week it will remove artificial dyes from its products within the next two years. Specifically, artificial colors will be removed from all U.S. cereals and all K-12 school foods by the summer of 2026, Fox Business <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/general-mills-latest-us-food-giant-pulling-artificial-dyes-from-products">noted</a>. And by the end of 2027, General Mills plans to be rid of all synthetic colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio.
Moreover, earlier this week, food giant Kraft Heinz announced it will similarly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-maha-win-kraft-heinz-to-nix-all-artificial-dyes-in-two-years?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+MAHA+Win%3A+Kraft+Heinz+To+Nix+All+Artificial+Dyes+In+Two+Years">remove all artificial dyes</a> from its foods and beverages by the end of 2027, following pressure from Kennedy and his department.
Kraft Heinz said effectively immediately, no new products will contain such dyes, and all products for U.S. consumers will be synthetic dye-free in a couple years.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-maha-win-kraft-heinz-to-nix-all-artificial-dyes-in-two-years?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Another+MAHA+Win%3A+Kraft+Heinz+To+Nix+All+Artificial+Dyes+In+Two+Years">Another MAHA Win: Kraft Heinz To Nix All Artificial Dyes In Two Years</a>

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Starbucks Vows ‘MAHA’ Changes To Menu

Food

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