All articles tagged with #rfk jr
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a video of himself wrangling two black racer snakes on Dr. Oz’s West Palm Beach patio while Cheryl Hines urged him to let them go; one snake bit his finger, but RFK Jr. appeared unfazed, adding to a string of small-animal escapades surrounding the Kennedy family.
Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, a senior Trump-era intelligence official and daughter-in-law of RFK Jr. who was aligned with Tulsi Gabbard, is stepping down from two top posts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Office of Management and Budget, with hopes of returning to the private sector and remaining on a presidential intelligence advisory board; her departure continues a trend of high-level reshuffles in national security leadership.
A UCSD study finds leucovorin prescriptions for children with autism surged over 2,000% after public statements by Trump and RFK Jr., fueled by media reports despite weak evidence of benefit for autism. The FDA has approved leucovorin only for cerebral folate deficiency, not autism, and researchers urge long-term, rigorous studies to understand outcomes for families who pursued the treatment.
Danish researchers Peter Aaby and Christine Benn have long argued that vaccines confer non-specific effects that alter overall child survival, a claim that has drawn both praise and fierce criticism. With RFK Jr. shaping US vaccine policy, their work gained political traction, helping justify significant funding shifts and sparking ethical and methodological scrutiny in Denmark. A Bandim Health Project hepatitis B birth-dose study in Guinea-Bissau is paused amid ethics concerns, while independent studies and WHO positions remain skeptical of the broader non-specific effects claim. The article traces how science, funding, and politics intersect as the debate intensifies.
Health and Human Services is moving hundreds of senior career staff into a new at-will civil service classification to make it easier to fire them, a shift tied to the Project 2025 agenda backed by Trump allies. Officials say the change boosts accountability for policy-influencing managers, while critics accuse it of purging staff not loyal to the administration. The move is accompanied by reports of layoffs under a separate reduction-in-force at HHS, with the scope still unclear and no loyalty pledge required by the new rule.
A Bulwark analysis argues RFK Jr.’s public push against vaccines and science is entwined with his MAHA movement and his uneasy alliance with Trump; recent health-policy moves and personnel changes—such as the CDC leadership reshuffle and FDA commissioner Makary’s resignation—show the collaboration is friction-filled as both men share distrust of elites even as their policy goals diverge on vaccines and public health.
A look at whether RFK Jr.'s MAHA dietary guidelines can be followed on a $15-per-day budget; while officials tout affordability, sticking to the plan requires substantial time and labor for meal planning and preparation.
Major environmental groups that publicly denounced RFK Jr. are quietly partnering with his Make America Healthy Again movement to push pesticide and public-health reforms, blending green policy expertise with a coalition that includes vaccine skeptics and conservative activists. The budding alliance could yield state-level pesticide wins but risks alienating traditional Democratic supporters and complicating the environmental movement’s science-driven stance.
RFK Jr. pulled the FDA’s long-delayed proposal to ban minors from using tanning beds and require risk disclosures, prompting disappointment from dermatologists who warn that indoor tanning delivers concentrated UV radiation and raises melanoma risk. The WHO classifies tanning beds as a Group 1 carcinogen, and while many states already restrict youth access, the federal rule is paused to reconsider, leaving a patchwork of protections in place.
The Biden administration’s HHS, led by RFK Jr., announced a plan to reduce overprescribing of psychiatric medications, promote deprescribing and nonmedication treatments, and emphasize informed consent and shared decision-making, while coordinating across agencies to evaluate prescribing patterns and expand research and access—though experts warn against oversimplifying overmedicalization and note ongoing mental-health care access gaps.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a federal plan to curb antidepressant prescribing, with the Department of Health and Human Services promoting deprescribing and the use of nonpharmacological treatments (psychotherapy, diet, exercise, social connection) when appropriate. The plan includes provider guidance and reimbursements for deprescribing, while the APA welcomed the focus but warned that deprescribing alone won't fix access and workforce gaps in mental health care. A 2025 survey found ~17% of Americans use antidepressants, and Kennedy has claimed—without evidence—that SSRIs contribute to school shootings.
An essay argues that RFK Jr., in his role at HHS, uses Christian nationalist rhetoric and a wellness agenda to undermine scientific expertise, cut federal health funding, and expand religious vaccine exemptions, framing public health as a spiritual battle. The piece contends this approach erodes trust in science, weakens health protections, and pushes Americans toward private or faith-based health solutions, with measles outbreaks and deeper health inequities as consequences.
A new report from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and AAPD accuses HHS leadership under RFK Jr of fueling misinformation about vaccines and autism, citing staff cuts, reduced autism funding, FOIA office closures, and dubious claims about acetaminophen and leucovorin; it notes changes to the autism coordination committee and urges Congress to hold oversight hearings and potentially impeach officials if warranted.
Jon Stewart’s WHCD monologue skewered Trump insiders, highlighted RFK Jr. being escorted away, and praised Stephen Miller for protecting his wife Cheryl Hines as security moved guests to safety during a gunman incident.
PolitiFact debunks RFK Jr.’s claim that discounting a price can yield a 600% decrease, explaining the math is standard: a drop from $600 to $10 is 590/600 = 98.3% decrease, and the maximum price decrease is 100%. The statement is rated Pants on Fire, with experts noting no valid method yields more than a 100% decrease.