Category: Trump Administration

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Trump Administration’s War on Fauci

Case counts for COVID-19 are rising in nearly every state, yet a major campaign by the Trump administration this past week was an attempt to discredit Dr. Anthony Fauci, a trusted voice in public health. Meanwhile, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s surprise decision to protect abortion rights, there’s been a flurry of activity on reproductive health issues in lower federal courts. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Erin Mershon of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.

Must-Reads Of The Week

KHN executive editor Damon Darlin wades through mounds of health care policy stories — so you don’t have to.

‘Please Tell Me My Life Is Worth A LITTLE Of Your Discomfort,’ Nurse Pleads

Health care workers on the front lines of the COVID crisis have spent exhausting months working and self-quarantining off-duty to keep from infecting others, including their families. Encountering people who indignantly refuse face coverings can feel like a slap in the face.

Conflicting COVID Messages Create Cloud Of Confusion Around Public Health And Prevention

The pandemic has been marked by a significant amount of misinformation — some spread on purpose — that could prove deadly.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: The Pandemic Shifts; The Politics, Not So Much

While federal and state officials continue to wrangle over coronavirus testing, the population testing positive is skewing younger. Meanwhile, the Trump administration wins a round in court over its requirements for hospitals to publicly reveal their prices, and the fight over the fate of the Affordable Care Act heats up once again. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews former Obama administration health aide Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who has written a new book comparing international health systems.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: SCOTUS, Trump Collide Over Transgender Rights

The Trump administration rolled back protections for transgender patients just days before the Supreme Court cemented LGBTQ rights under the Civil Rights Act. So, what now? Meanwhile, coronavirus politics reaches beyond health care settings. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Tami Luhby of CNN and Shefali Luthra of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Trump’s Take On COVID Testing Misses Public Health Realities

Experts used terms like “misleading” and “counterproductive” to describe the president’s words.

White House Left States On Their Own To Buy Ventilators. Inside Their Mad Scramble.

Although laws prohibit price gouging on precious resources in times of emergency, states have been forced to compete for a share of the nation’s stockpile of ventilators — used to treat the sickest COVID patients — or pay top dollar on sideline deals. With quality and quantity control lacking, what happens when the pandemic’s second wave hits?

Barr Says Police Didn’t Use Chemical Irritants To Clear Area By DC Church. They Did.

The attorney general’s assertion is directly at odds with the description of pepper balls offered by the manufacturer.

Must-Reads Of The Week

KHN senior correspondent Jordan Rau takes a spin through this week’s essential health care news.