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Greens Disavowed RFK Jr. Now They’re Rethinking His MAHA Movement
Major green groups very publicly disavowed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his 2024 presidential campaign, calling the candidate who spent four decades as an environmental attorney a “dangerous conspiracy theorist and a science denier.” Now, some of those same groups are quietly working with his “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
Many of MAHA’s biggest names held a rally last week outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments over labeling the cancer risks of a weed killer. Mainstream environmental groups were there — some took to the podium, delivering speeches denouncing the Trump administration’s decisions siding with the pesticide’s manufacturer. Others were cheering from the crowds.
Scott Faber, who leads government affairs efforts at the Environmental Working Group, was among the attendees at the rally, hugging and chatting with speakers like Kelly Ryerson, a MAHA influencer known online as “Glyphosate Girl,” but he didn’t give a speech.
Trump Approves Plan to Fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, Sources Say
President Trump has approved a plan to fire Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, according to two sources.
The president dodged questions about Makary’s potential ouster on Friday. The timing of his potential termination remains unknown, and the president could always change his mind.
Makary has not been notified of his firing yet, according to a senior Health and Human Services official who also told CBS News that he has a lot of support inside HHS.
He didn’t appear Monday in the Oval Office alongside other top federal public health officials as the president touted his administration’s work on maternal health.
He’s also expected to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, and a spokesperson for panel told CBS News Monday that “he’s still scheduled to appear.”
Trump Administration Launches Moms.gov on Mother’s Day
The Trump administration launched the website Moms.gov on Mother’s Day in an effort to help provide resources to expecting women and their families.
The site’s tagline says it’s “addressing the needs of mothers and fathers who face difficult or unexpected pregnancies and ensuring the well-being of mothers and the health of American families.”
Information on the website spans from details about Trump Accounts to breastfeeding, mental health, health centers, nutrition facts and adoption.
“Moms.gov delivers critical tools and support to help parents foster healthy pregnancies, strengthen young families, and create brighter futures for their children,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement.
“This is how you Make America Healthy Again,” he added.
US Health Agencies Equipped to Handle Hantavirus, Acting CDC Director Says
The nation’s top doctor on Sunday pushed back on criticism from other public health officials over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s handling of the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Canary Islands.
In an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” acting Director Jay Bhattacharya said the CDC is fully equipped to handle the hantavirus outbreak potentially making its way to the U.S., even as 17 passengers begin their return back to the states after exposure to the virus that killed three people aboard their cruise ship.
Bhattacharya said American health agencies are coordinating with the World Health Organization, among other international health partners.
“They didn’t see what the CDC has been doing,” said Bhattacharya, who is also the director for the National Institutes of Health. “We are in touch with the WHO. We’re in touch with the international health organizations, including the one in Spain, and we have been providing technical assistance to all of those organizations all the way through.”
Troops Forced Out Under Biden Could Soon See Major Reversal
Troops forced out over the COVID-19 vaccine may soon see a dramatic change as War Secretary Pete Hegseth — even for those who do not wish to return to military service.
Hegseth announced the change in a video posted to X on Friday afternoon, saying that he planned to restore missed payments and enlistment bonuses — as well as benefits denied based on unfavorable discharge characterizations.
“I’m directing the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness to establish a Department of War COVID-19 reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force,” Hegseth explained, noting that their first move would be to assist anyone who wanted to return to military service to do so.
“The services have them right now. We’re establishing one at our level to oversee the entire thing. The task force’s goal is to bring back into service all those who desire to continue to serve our country in uniform.”
No FDA Permission, No Problem: New Flavored Vape Policy Worries Experts
The tobacco industry chalked up another win on Friday with a new policy announced by the Food and Drug Administration that gives what one expert called a “get-out-of-jail-free card” to some manufacturers illegally selling e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
The FDA has a significant backlog of applications from the makers of vapes and nicotine pouches seeking authorization to sell their products. Some have gone ahead and put their products on sale anyway while awaiting word from the agency. In the new guidance, first reported by the New York Times, the agency said it will not prioritize cracking down on illegal sales under two conditions.
First, the manufacturers’ applications must have been filed and accepted by the FDA. Second, in the case of flavored vapes, the manufacturers must have provided what the agency deems sufficient data to evaluate whether the product is “appropriate for the protection of public health” — that is, whether the risks for potential youth uptake are outweighed by the benefits it may offer to adult smokers looking to quit. (Notably, the FDA doesn’t have to actually evaluate the public health data for companies to receive carte blanche — that can happen later.)
