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Trump Admin Signs Waivers for 3 States to Ban Sugary Drinks, Junk Food From SNAP
Soda, sugary drinks, and candy will no longer be eligible for purchase with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a significant change that will impact millions of families across the U.S.
On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed waivers to remove the unhealthy foods and drinks from SNAP in Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah. This decision follows similar exclusions that have already been implemented in Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana.
The new regulations come as part of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s initiative, “Make America Healthy Again.” Kennedy claims that not allowing SNAP recipients to use food stamps to purchase junk foods would “clean up” the nation’s food supply.
Sanders, King Introduce Bill to Ban Prescription Drug Ads
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, or HELP, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, legislation that would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media.
The bill would also answer U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s repeated calls to end prescription drug advertising, a position he promoted while campaigning for President Trump in 2024.
“The American people are sick and tired of greedy pharmaceutical companies spending billions of dollars on absurd TV commercials pushing their outrageously expensive prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “With the exception of New Zealand, the United States is the only country in the world where it is legal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs on television. It is time for us to end that international embarrassment.”
The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television. They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.”
HHS Reinstates Over 450 CDC Employees Fired in April, Including Childhood Lead Poisoning Team
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reinstating more than 450 employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who were fired as part of a massive reorganization in April, including workers focused on HIV and childhood lead exposure.
More than 200 employees had their firings rescinded at the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention, along with 158 at the National Center for Environmental Health, an HHS spokesperson confirmed. Another 71 were brought back in the Office of the Director and two dozen more at the Global Health Center.
The reinstatements represent almost 20% of the 2,400 CDC employees who HHS said it was dismissing in a mass Reduction in Force, or RIF, in April. The cuts also affected employees across the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but an HHS spokesperson said Wednesday’s reinstatements applied only to employees at the CDC.
“Under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, the nation’s critical public health functions remain intact and effective,” HHS Director of Communications Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “The Trump Administration is committed to protecting essential services — whether it’s supporting coal miners and firefighters through NIOSH, safeguarding public health through lead prevention, or researching and tracking the most prevalent communicable diseases.”
Protest Against CDC Vaccine Committee Firings Held at Atlanta Headquarters
Current, former, and retired employees of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention in Atlanta staged a walkout and protest on Tuesday in protest of ongoing changes at the federal agency.
The demonstration comes in response to a new wave of firings ordered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The controversial move has sparked concern among public health professionals and agency supporters. Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, defended the decision by saying it was intended to “restore public trust” in the agency.
He also pointed out that two-thirds of the current CDC advisory panel had been appointed by former President Joe Biden. The protest highlights growing tensions within the nation’s top public health institution as it undergoes a reshaping under the new administration.
