Category: Public Health

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: The Ax Falls at HHS

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a proposed reorganization for the department — which, counting those who already have left the agency, amounts to about a 25% cut in its workforce. And its planned “Administration for a Healthy America” will collapse several existing HHS agencies into one. Meanwhile, the department continues to cut billions in health spending while the nation faces measles outbreaks in several states and the continuing possibility of another pandemic, such as bird flu. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news.

Trump Turns Homelessness Response Away From Housing, Toward Forced Treatment

The Trump administration is moving to end the “Housing First” approach despite warnings from providers and homelessness experts that the shift won’t work. But with homelessness rising, President Donald Trump could find allies in blue cities and states as the public clamors for streets to be cleaned up.

With Few Dentists and Fluoride Under Siege, Rural America Risks New Surge of Tooth Decay

The anti-fluoride movement has more momentum than ever. In rural counties with few dentists, tooth decay could surge to levels that have not been seen in decades, experts warn.

Current, Former CDC Staff Warn Against Slashing Support to Local Public Health Departments

Public health and science researchers are concerned about the Trump administration’s cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reductions in staff and budgets could undermine the nation’s ability to respond to threats, they say.

The Colorado Psychedelic Mushroom Experiment Has Arrived

With the first licenses for providing psychedelic mushrooms issued, excitement and questions build about the fungi’s potential, affordability, and safety in the Centennial State.

Workers Prep To Meet ICE Officials at the Health Clinic Door

Recent arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in northern Virginia have put immigrant communities in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area on alert. Health clinics that serve those communities say they are working to continue to care for patients amid detention and arrest fears.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Federal Health Work in Flux

It’s the Trump administration vs. the federal courts, as the Department of Government Efficiency continues to try to cancel federal contracts and programs and fire workers. But in the haste to cut things, jobs and programs are being eliminated even if they align with the new administration’s goal to “Make America Healthy Again.” Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Federal Health Work in Flux

It’s the Trump administration vs. the federal courts, as the Department of Government Efficiency continues to try to cancel federal contracts and programs and fire workers. But in the haste to cut things, jobs and programs are being eliminated even if they align with the new administration’s goal to “Make America Healthy Again.” Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

Global Parkinson's disease cases to double by 2050: Study

The number of people living with Parkinson’s disease will more than double by 2050, according to a study based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. 

Measles cases surpass 2024 total: 3 notes

At least 320 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, surpassing the total from all of 2024, according to the latest data from state health departments compiled by NBC News.