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Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday named eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel of experts who assess the evidence behind a wide array of preventive medical services. (Cirruzzo, Cooney and Todd, 9/17)

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday told members of the anti-vaccine group he founded that they had “a strong and steadfast friend at the White House” and that he would “die with my boots on” pursuing answers about the risks of vaccines. His remarks, to a convention of Children’s Health Defense, signaled a notable shift from earlier this year when White House officials and political advisers had pushed Mr. Kennedy to sidestep the vaccine issue, given widespread support among voters for protecting children against deadly diseases. They came just one day after President Trump’s nominee for surgeon general, Dr. Nicole Saphier, gave a full-throated defense of the safety and efficacy of vaccines during her Senate confirmation hearing. (Jewett and Rosenbluth, 9/17)

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday a new effort to improve autism diagnoses, arguing that the current model is outdated, too time-intensive, and overreliant on professionals with limited availability. (Broderick, 9/17)

A new customs requirement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection could delay or disrupt some international mail shipments to the United States, potentially creating added costs for people who buy prescription medications from pharmacies outside the country. (Johnson, 9/15)

When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world to Quantico, Virginia, last September, he delivered a blunt message: Things were changing fast in the newly renamed Department of War. “No more division, distraction, or gender delusions,” he said. “We are done with that shit.” (Kehrt, 9/17)

Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) on Thursday introduced legislation to phase out waiting periods for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Medicare benefits. Kim’s bill, the Stop the Wait Act, would phase out the five-month waiting period for SSDI benefits over five years as well as eliminate the 24-month waiting period for Medicare disability benefits. The senator from New Jersey cited data from the Government Accountability Office that found more than 100,000 people died between fiscal 2008 and 2019 while waiting for a final decision on their SSDI benefits. This figure represents roughly 1.2 percent of total disability applicants who filed an appeal. (Choi, 9/17)

A petition to force a vote on the Major Richard Start Act reached 218 signatures on Wednesday, paving the way for a U.S. House vote on the bill. The Major Richard Star Act, introduced in the Senate and House by bipartisan lawmakers in March 2025, would allow certain veterans who suffered combat-related injuries that made them cut their military careers short to receive both military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation. (Plummer, 9/17)

The clock is ticking on more than a billion dollars in congressionally approved funding for global health programs that's being held up by the Trump administration. According to an analysis by Partners in Health, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is withholding $1.35 billion in bilateral funding that was previously approved by Congress for tuberculosis (TB), malaria, HIV, and maternal and child health programs. The funding is set to expire on September 30, the end of the federal government's fiscal year. (Dall, 9/17)

Some of America’s largest companies are warning Congress that a law shielding patients from surprise medical bills is about to spike their health insurance premiums. The ERISA Industry Committee, whose board includes executives from ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin, PepsiCo and Walmart, says that unless Congress stems the huge fees they’re bearing from the 2020 No Surprises Act, businesses will have to pass more of the cost on to their employees. The committee hopes that message resonates at a time when Americans frustrated with the cost of living are thinking about taking it out on incumbents seeking reelection. (Chu and Levien, 9/17)

�������ýҕ�l Health News: �������ýҕ�l Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: The Health Risks Of AI

Reports from a top artificial intelligence company that it stopped several attempted uses of its product that could assist in manufacturing a bioweapon caught the attention of lawmakers in Washington this week. But it is still unclear whether or when Congress will act to regulate the fast-moving industry — and the House has left town until after Election Day. (Rovner, 9/17)