Sep 25, 2026
The Senate Finance Committee approved Chris Klomp's nomination to be deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in a 15-12 vote on Thursday, advancing him to a full Senate vote. Klomp would serve as second-in-command to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Trump administration is scrapping plans for an executive order that would have given the White House greater influence over grant decision-making at the National Institutes of Health. The decision follows pushback from lawmakers, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins.
The Trump administration launched a 24/7 YouTube streaming channel called Trump TV days after barring reporters from three major news outlets from the White House. The channel promises to showcase White House events and presidential moments directly to viewers.
Victims of the UK's infected blood scandal are being required to provide evidence to prove their eligibility for compensation, forcing them to repeatedly relive traumatic experiences. The process affects families like Suzanne Morgan's, whose mother died nine months after receiving a contaminated blood transfusion during routine hospital treatment.
In her first public speaking event as CDC director, Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, made rebuilding public trust and transparency her top priorities. Schwartz is the first Black woman to lead the CDC.
The FDA issued a direct final rule clarifying that non-animal testing methods can be used for drug and biological product safety testing, while HHS announced agency-wide actions to reduce reliance on laboratory animal testing as part of broader efforts to modernize federal biomedical research.
Senator Susan Collins and other members of Congress are pushing back against a White House proposal to create a commission of political appointees to review National Institutes of Health research grants. The plan, pushed by OMB Director Russell Vought, has sparked concerns about politicization of federal biomedical research funding.
Newly released internal EPA documents show the agency permitted pesticide giant Bayer to select from a menu of regulation options for the controversial weedkiller dicamba, raising questions about regulatory independence and oversight of destructive agricultural chemicals.
President Trump announced he will demand pharmaceutical companies separate combined vaccines into individual doses, one day after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told an anti-vaccine conference that vaccine skeptics have a 'friend at the White House.'
HHS Office of Inspector General audits found that Humana and UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans exaggerated the health needs of members through upcoding practices, resulting in nearly $180 million in overpayments between 2020 and 2021.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a keynote address at a conference hosted by the anti-vaccine organization he founded, telling attendees they have "a friend at the White House" and renewing attacks on vaccine safety.
A public inquiry into serial killer nurse Lucy Letby concluded that her murders of seven babies and attempted murders of seven others at Countess of Chester Hospital could have been prevented, citing failures by hospital management to act on concerns raised by clinicians.
A new modeling study published in The Lancet suggests that US Medicare's most-favored-nation pricing policy, which ties Medicare payments to prices in other high-income countries, could reduce US spending on brand-name drugs but incentivize pharmaceutical companies to increase prices or delay launches in lower-price markets like Europe.
CDC Director Erica Schwartz has been notably absent from public communication just one month into her tenure, as the country enters respiratory virus season with unclear guidance on COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines amid a worsening measles epidemic.
Childhood Cancer Canada is urging the federal government to provide $15 million in additional financial support for families with children undergoing cancer treatment, citing increased demand for the foundation's services.
President Trump announced plans to send $500 rebate checks to approximately 1 million Americans in 30 states who the administration claims were overcharged for Affordable Care Act coverage, with the payments expected before the November midterm elections.
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has called for new regulations for AI products used in the NHS and other healthcare settings, recommending a staged approval process with continuous monitoring and provisional 'L-plates' style approvals for new AI medical devices.
A group of Democratic lawmakers called for suspension of a new surveillance program quietly launched by the Trump administration to collect personal and identifiable health data from Americans who visit emergency rooms.
Three dozen health facilities serving more than 400,000 people in Sudan are closing this year due to global aid funding cuts, according to aid groups and medical charity MSF. The closures are pushing Sudan's already fragile healthcare system toward collapse amid more than three years of ongoing war.
UK health innovation minister James Frith has raised concerns about Palantir's work with the NHS, as new figures reveal tens of thousands of patients have withdrawn their data from use in research projects.
The US Department of Health and Human Services released a report connecting 'gender ideology' to leftwing authoritarianism and political violence, which scientists have criticized as poorly conducted research.
The United Nations human rights chief called for accountability and independent investigations after 23 people died in US immigration detention in 2026, marking the highest death rate in ICE custody in over a decade. The UN also urged Washington to halt deportations to places where people face irreparable harm.
Health activists in India have filed the first formal court objection to a government proposal requiring red warning labels only when two concerning nutrients are high in food products. The non-profit groups argue this two-nutrient threshold creates an industry-friendly loophole that disregards public health concerns.
A U.S. federal jury sided with Reckitt Benckiser's Mead Johnson in a test trial over claims that its Enfamil preterm infant formula caused necrotizing enterocolitis, a deadly bowel disease in premature babies.
A federal judge paused a lawsuit by Florida and Texas seeking to severely limit nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone while the Trump administration completes a review of the drug's approval.
The Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina reports its children's ward has exceeded capacity due to an influx of suspected and confirmed diphtheria cases. State officials are preparing to brief the public on the outbreak's scale and response measures, though case and death figures have not yet been disclosed.
The United States is planning to reduce health funding to 18 developing countries by 59% by 2030 through secretive bilateral deals, targeting programs that combat deadly diseases while pushing recipient nations to increase their own health spending.
Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, admitting he trailed the executive to an investor conference before shooting him in December 2024.
The Trump administration finalized a rule prohibiting Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program from covering gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender minors, threatening to pull federal funding from states that continue such coverage.
The Trump administration announced a proposed rule requiring food companies to notify the FDA when introducing new additives under the 'generally recognized as safe' designation, closing a decades-old regulatory loophole that allowed manufacturers to self-certify ingredient safety without federal oversight.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told CDC staff that the U.S. would have done better in the Covid outbreak by listening to alternative voices, speaking at a memorial for last year's shooting at the agency.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt after he invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions about his role in the Covid-19 pandemic response.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it will decertify Network for Hope, a Kentucky-based organ procurement organization, following allegations that staff continued with organ retrieval procedures despite patients showing signs of life, including a case where a patient was thrashing, crying, and shaking his head.
The UK government has unveiled plans to open more than 100 walk-in mental health hubs in accessible community locations including libraries, banks and high street premises across England, alongside dedicated mental health emergency departments in hospitals. Health Secretary Andy Burnham described the initiative as the 'biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation' aimed at providing earlier intervention and preventing people from reaching crisis point.
The UN World Food Programme warns that acute child malnutrition has reached critical levels in one-third of Afghanistan's provinces, with 3.7 million children projected to suffer from malnutrition this year as funding shortfalls force cuts to food distributions and clinic services.
California's highest court ruled Monday that pharmaceutical manufacturers of drugs deemed safe are not legally obligated to develop safer alternatives, delivering a victory to Gilead Sciences in a closely watched case that could have broad implications for the pharmaceutical industry.
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 on July 31, 2026, overturning two lower court decisions and allowing Attorney General Dana Nessel to proceed with an investigation into Eli Lilly's insulin pricing practices under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.
The Trump administration announced it will immediately release $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance serving the world's poorest countries. The funds had been withheld due to unsubstantiated safety concerns raised by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Federal Trade Commission, Utah, and Los Angeles County sued telehealth company Hims & Hers Health for allegedly misleading consumers about its products and sharing private health information with advertisers. Shares fell 10% following the announcement.
A U.S. federal judge ruled that Biden-era FDA restrictions on prescribing the abortion drug mifepristone are unlawful and unjustified, ordering the Trump Administration to reconsider existing regulations. The decision comes as over 400 state lawmakers from all 50 states have signed an amicus brief demanding protection for telehealth abortion care access.
One study found that approximately 77,000 fewer children worldwide received U.S.-supported HIV treatment in the year ending October 2025 than in the previous fiscal year after Trump administration cuts and changes to foreign aid; some may have continued receiving treatment through governments or other donors. Separately, an amfAR survey of 166 PEPFAR-funded organizations in 46 countries reported more than 1,700 clinic and service-site closures and over 16,000 full-time job losses.
The Trump administration has paused over $1 billion in federal Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. citing suspected fraud and noncompliance. The states must provide documentation to receive the withheld funds.
Recent scientific reviews highlight the critical role of selenium metabolism and glutathione-related enzymes, particularly GPX4, in regulating ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death driven by lipid peroxidation with implications for cancer treatment.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) has recommended that the UK government introduce a routine Meningitis B vaccination program for adolescents at around age 15, following recent fatal outbreaks including one in Kent. The vaccine is currently only routinely given to babies.
HCA Healthcare lowered its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, citing a rise in uninsured patients and increased uncompensated care costs driven largely by Americans dropping coverage under Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) plans.
The Trump administration announced it is preventing American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo from traveling directly to the U.S. on commercial flights, requiring them to spend 21 days elsewhere first. The decision follows an Ebola outbreak that has caused at least 1,830 confirmed cases and 648 deaths in Congo, including one confirmed case involving a U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization.
Health insurers offering Affordable Care Act plans are requesting a median 14% premium increase for 2027, marking the second consecutive year of double-digit hikes and intensifying affordability concerns that have already caused millions to drop coverage.
The United States has signed a $1.3 billion healthcare agreement with Tanzania, marking a major five-year investment in the East African nation's health sector. The pact was signed late Wednesday as part of expanding US engagement in the region.
The Trump administration has proposed a new regulation through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services targeting hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, aiming to prevent markups on discounted drugs for Medicare patients and potentially save consumers $1.1 billion next year.
The Trump administration has frozen federal funding for New York's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with HHS Inspector General Thomas March Bell citing insufficient criminal indictments as the reason for the suspension.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is moving forward with a ban on using SNAP benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks, effective July 1, 2026, despite a recent federal judge's ruling that similar restrictions in other states violated federal law.
Family planning and health organizations in Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit alleging that a new Trump administration policy could delay or deny federal funding to providers serving tens of thousands of patients across the state.
The Trump administration is moving to relaunch the specialized LGBTQ+ option for the 988 crisis intervention hotline after initially ending it, but The Trevor Project, the nonprofit that helped pioneer the service, is being excluded from eligibility to operate it.
A coalition of 25 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit in federal court in Boston challenging a Trump administration rule that implements new Medicaid work requirements and narrows exemptions for medically vulnerable people.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that funding needed to combat the continent's Ebola outbreak has tripled to $1.4 billion, while the Trump administration simultaneously seeks matching funds from Congress amid concerns over delayed foreign aid spending.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Bayer's Monsanto division, blocking thousands of state-level lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn consumers that Roundup weedkiller could cause cancer. The decision establishes that federal pesticide labeling law preempts state liability claims.
ALZpath announced a global licensing deal with Abbott Laboratories to advance blood-based testing for Alzheimer's disease, joining the race to develop easier-to-use diagnostic options for the neurodegenerative condition.
The Office of Management and Budget has proposed rule changes requiring political review of federal scientific grants, while a separate proposal would establish a new science office at the CDC that could give political appointees greater control over agency information and research.
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche has signed an exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement with Nurix Therapeutics for bexobrutinib, a protein degrader drug targeting B cell malignancies and blood cancers. The deal value is reported as up to $2.3 billion by one source and up to $3 billion by another.
The Trump administration plans to reclassify top NIH positions under Schedule F, making federal workers easier to fire and more politicized. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is spearheading the move.
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican chair of the Senate health committee, blamed the Trump administration's vaccine-skeptical policies for recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania during a confirmation hearing for surgeon general nominee Dr. Nicole Saphier. Cassidy pressed Saphier to state that vaccines do not cause autism and to distance herself from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine positions, which she declined to fully do.
New CDC data shows approximately 8% of Americans lacked health insurance in 2025, maintaining recent lows. However, experts warn the uninsured rate could increase as the Trump administration implements sweeping changes to health policy.
Federal officials have imposed a Medicaid funding freeze on California and are threatening similar action against other states, representing a significant escalation in federal-state healthcare policy conflicts.
Medicaid cuts stemming from Republicans' 2025 tax law are now projected to be significantly larger than originally forecast, with estimates reaching $775 billion. This represents a major expansion of expected reductions to the federal health insurance program for low-income Americans.
The Trump administration disclosed plans to reduce Medicaid state directed payments to providers even more than Congress already slashed, setting up a probable confrontation with healthcare provider groups.
The National Institutes of Health continues to face a significant leadership gap, with 15 of its 27 institutes currently being led by acting directors rather than permanent appointees, months into the administration.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued reduction-in-force notices to dozens of employees who were not included in previous office-wide layoffs, while also moving to convert hundreds of senior positions to a rebranded Schedule F classification.
The Department of Justice sent letters to Yale School of Medicine and UCLA alleging illegal discrimination against applicants who are not Black or Hispanic in their admissions processes.
The World Health Organization officially validated Tunisia as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, marking a major milestone after decades of public health efforts. Trachoma is a leading infectious cause of blindness.
The Virginia Department of Health officially declared a measles outbreak in Buckingham County on May 13, 2026, after identifying 12 cases. Health officials warn there are likely more cases to come.
Colorado is charting an independent course on vaccine promotion as the federal government reduces its public health role, with public health advocates and residents starting a public conversation about vaccine importance.
The New York Times reports that Trump administration cuts to infectious disease research funding and staffing, including disease detectives, have compromised U.S. preparedness for the ongoing hantavirus cruise ship outbreak. The CDC's response is being led by its Global Migration Health division as seven states prepare to receive potentially exposed passengers.
Health officials under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explored banning certain SSRI antidepressants as part of plans to reduce their use in the United States, sparking significant debate over medication safety and federal regulatory authority.
Six former FDA officials shared their reasons for leaving the agency following significant staffing cuts and policy changes under the Trump administration. The departures come amid concerns about the agency's capacity to respond to public health threats like the ongoing hantavirus outbreak.
A key GOP lawmaker is investigating whether the American Medical Association's medical billing codes are contributing to healthcare fraud, broadening Republican efforts to combat fraud in the healthcare system.