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RFK Jr. vs. Big Pharma vs. Big Food
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has antagonized the food and drug industries in recent weeks, blaming them for the prevalence of chronic disease and childhood illness in the U.S. Now, he’s poised to wield enormous power over both if confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The drug industry is scrambling to measure the potential damage he could inflict on one of his favorite targets: the Food and Drug Administration. President-elect Donald Trump signaled to the industry that he favored the disruption of the traditional medical establishment when he chose Kennedy — who founded a prominent anti-vaccine group — to lead HHS last week, my colleagues Daniel Gilbert, David Ovalle and I reported.
Meanwhile, the food industry has responded to Kennedy’s agenda by warning that any changes should be based in science. “The federal regulatory agencies within HHS operate under a science and risk-based mandate and it is critical that framework remains under the new administration,” Sarah Gallo, a senior vice president of Consumer Brands Association, said in a statement responding to the selection of Kennedy.
‘Very stupid’: New York Times beclowns itself with botched ‘fact-check,’ proving RFK Jr.’s point
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed Health and Human Services secretary, has pledged to “Make America Healthy Again” primarily by tackling the “chronic disease epidemic” and the corporate capture of federal regulatory agencies.
The environmental lawyer’s adjacency to the Republican president and his recent criticism of experimental gene therapies have made him a frequent target for criticism by lawmaking recipients of Big Pharma lobbying money and the liberal media. In their efforts to dunk on Kennedy, establishmentarians have in many cases exposed their true loyalties as well as their aversion to inconvenient facts.
The New York Times is now among the outfits that has risked such exposure in its desperation to characterize Kennedy as “wrong.” By attempting to miss a point that Kennedy was making in a recent interview, the Times’ Christina Jewett and Julie Creswell unwittingly defended his thesis. Critics have since descended upon the liberal publication, mocking it over its botched fact-check.
Some in the U.S. Farm Industry Are Alarmed by Trump’s Embrace of RFK Jr. And Tariffs
President-elect Donald Trump won farm country by wide margins in this month’s election, with rural voters helping fuel his return to the White House. But some farmers, economists, analysts and others in the agriculture industry are voicing alarm over Trump plans that could disrupt America’s $1.5 trillion food industry.
Trump moved this past week to put Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the Food and Drug Administration. A nomination requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate. In a column published on Friday, soybean farmer Amanda Zaluckyj called the choice “a literal middle finger to agriculture, which constituted a key piece of Trump’s base.”
Writing in the trade journal Ag Daily, she described Kennedy as “an absolute danger” to the American farm industry. “He has gone as far as saying he would ‘weaponize’ regulatory agencies to eliminate the use of pesticides,” Zaluckyj said, adding that Kennedy has “voiced strong opposition to the scientific consensus” on farm industry practices.
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E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Organic Carrots Leaves 1 Dead and Dozens Sickened Across the U.S.
An E. coli outbreak linked to recalled carrots has led to dozens of illnesses in 18 states and one death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. At least 39 cases of E. coli have been linked to the carrots since early September, including 15 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
Multiple sizes and brands of bagged organic baby and whole carrots were recalled Saturday by Bakersfield, California-based Grimmway Farms, which describes itself as one of the world’s largest carrot producers. The carrots were sold under the store brands for Kroger, Publix, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Wegmans and Whole Foods, among others.
The recalled carrots are likely no longer sold in stores but may still be in people’s homes, Grimmway Farms warned. People who have recalled carrots should throw them out or return them to the store and clean surfaces they have touched, the CDC advised. Grimmway Farms says its food and safety team is now working with suppliers and health authorities to respond to the outbreak. The implicated farms are out of production, according to the company.
McDonald’s Pledges $100 Million to Stores After E.coli Outbreak
Fast-food giant McDonald’s announced a massive $100 million investment package aimed at helping franchise stores recover from a recent E. coli outbreak linked to onions on its Quarter Pounder hamburgers according to the Associated Press.
The bulk of the financial commitment — $65 million — will be directed to franchises most severely impacted by the outbreak, which affected multiple states across the western U.S. The crisis resulted in 104 reported illnesses, 34 hospitalizations, one death in Colorado, and four cases of serious kidney complications.
Beyond the direct financial assistance to affected locations, the remaining $35 million will be allocated to enhanced safety protocols and supply chain improvements. The outbreak’s impact has been particularly severe in western states. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Colorado reported the highest number with 30 confirmed cases, followed by Montana with 19, Nebraska with 13, and New Mexico with 10.
