All articles tagged with #robert f kennedy jr
Two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania trigger a contentious exchange between Governor Josh Shapiro and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Shapiro accusing Kennedy of spreading vaccine misinformation and rejecting federal help, while Kennedy claims the outbreak is being politicized—highlighting how vaccine debates are shaping public health policy and politics.
New documents obtained in a lawsuit contradict RFK Jr.’s assertion that his 2018 Samoa trip was unrelated to vaccines, showing he proposed an independent health-informatics assessment of MMR vaccines and discussed vaccine safety with Samoa’s leaders. The revelations align with ongoing criticism of his anti-vaccine activism and raise questions about the trip’s influence amid Samoa’s measles outbreak and vaccine-policy debates in Congress.
The Washington Post Editorial Board criticizes Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine statements as misinformation during Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak, asserting vaccines are the best protection for children and urging public officials to follow the scientific consensus from the CDC and HHS rather than inflammatory rhetoric.
Rosie O’Donnell, guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live, responded to the White House’s jab calling her “nasty” with a caustic closing monologue that skewered Donald Trump and RFK Jr., includes a parody of Danny Boy titled “Donnie Boy,” and ends with pointed political digs about Trump’s standing.
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy defended his vote to confirm Health Secretary RFK Jr., telling CNN that he couldn’t predict the future and that Kennedy misled him about his intentions; Cassidy criticized Trump’s vaccine rhetoric as 'crazy' and 'stupid' and said the administration's vaccination schedule will raise costs and require more doctor visits, arguing the focus should be on policies to boost immunization rates.
Russian authorities have issued an international arrest warrant, in absentia, for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s son Conor Kennedy on the accusation that he acted as a mercenary for Ukraine, a claim tied to his previous volunteering with Ukraine's International Legion in Kharkiv. The charge, which could carry seven to ten years if he were to appear in Russian courts, reflects Moscow's broader narrative about foreign volunteers in the war, though the case is largely symbolic while Conor remains outside Russia.
RFK Jr. blasted LA’s homelessness system at the Dream Center as a taxpayer-funded “industrial complex,” warning that federal funding to LAHSA could be cut if programs don’t move people off the streets into treatment and recovery. The Trump administration is pushing a shift of roughly $240 million toward recovery-focused housing, suspending LAHSA’s grants for now and directing providers to apply directly to the federal government. LAHSA is challenging the suspension, while a Rhode Island judge has blocked the shift for the time being.
At a White House event, Trump conceded there is no evidence backing his claim that the MMR vaccine is lethal while unveiling a sweeping overhaul of federal childhood vaccine recommendations (the so‑called Gold Standard plan) to split the MMR into separate shots; medical experts say the single MMR shot is safe and dividing it could leave children vulnerable longer.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. unveiled a plan to end the decades-old GRAS loophole by forcing food companies to notify the FDA about GRAS determinations and to provide the basis for those conclusions. The FDA would perform an initial 45-day review and a substantive 180-day review, but would not be required to approve the additives during the process. Companies could continue using the substances while under review. Industry observers prefer Congress-led changes, and the move fits Kennedy’s MAHA-backed agenda on food regulation amid past safety concerns like tara flour incidents. The White House has signaled a forthcoming rule for public comment.
Senators confirmed Erica Schwartz as the CDC’s next director in a 51‑44 vote largely along party lines, with Sen. Tim Kaine crossing party lines to support her; Schwartz brings decades of federal service and will lead the agency after a year without a confirmed leader, amid vaccine-policy debates and ongoing disease outbreaks.
The Trump administration is moving forward with a comprehensive overhaul of Head Start, proposing to eliminate or loosen a broad set of federal regulations governing the preschool program, a deregulatory approach that RFK Jr. has advocated in his policy proposals and which could affect oversight and requirements for early-childhood education.
RFK Jr. told CNN's Dana Bash that protecting constitutional rights should be the primary obligation in any future health crisis, criticizing Fauci for the Covid response; Bash pressed him on public health data, and Kennedy claimed last time’s missteps included suppressing rights. He also argued the measles outbreak stems from Covid lockdowns and vaccine gaps, while defending vaccines’ role and challenging talk of a vaccine-autism link, prompting a tense exchange about authority and information.
A former FDA official vents that the federal government’s response to a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce used at Taco Bell has been catastrophic and mismanaged, demanding an independent review and greater transparency as thousands fall ill across nine states.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. has blocked meetings and removed leadership from the USPSTF, delaying new guidance on cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s screening for roughly 17 months. Experts warn the move could allow political influence to reshape the evidence-based panel, as its recommendations determine insurance coverage for preventive care. The USPSTF may reconvene in August with up to eight new members, highlighting ongoing tensions over Alzheimer’s research funding, screening, and health policy reform.
A Common Dreams coverage argues that under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership of HHS, the U.S. faces multiple public health crises: a measles outbreak at its highest level in years, a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce, and a large Salmonella egg recall. CDC data show 2,318 measles cases this year, underscoring concerns about vaccination messaging and public health defense, while the FDA notes ongoing outbreaks and investigations. Critics allege leadership and messaging gaps have contributed to waning vaccination uptake and delayed responses, prompting calls for accountability and stronger public-health outreach.