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RFK Jr.’s Very Bad Week

Episode 437

March 12, 2026

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another tough week. In addition to Kennedy having rotator cuff surgery, the nomination of his ally to become surgeon general is teetering, the controversial head of the FDA's vaccine center is resigning next month, and a new survey shows Americans trust government health officials less than they do former Biden official Anthony Fauci. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A woman holds a sign that says "MAHA Moms" as she sits on stage at a news conference at the Health and Human Services Department in Washington. Two young girls sit beside her. The insignia for the FDA is seen blurred in the foreground.

Republicans Fret Over RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Policies While MAHA Moms Stew

A top GOP pollster has said anti-vaccine policies could create risks for the Trump administration in the midterm elections. But backing away from those policies — and other initiatives that have been high on the Make America Healthy Again to-do list — threatens to upset a key voting bloc.

By Amanda Seitz and Stephanie Armour

March 12, 2026

California governor Gavin Newsom stands before an American flag

Newsom Picks a Dogfight With Trump and RFK Jr. on Public Health

Scientists are cheering California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he builds a public health bulwark against health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine stance and President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization. Still, federal cuts have sapped morale and left local health departments less prepared for outbreaks.

By Angela Hart

March 9, 2026

��ýҕ�l Health News On Air

Journalists Explain a Spat Over Sugary Coffee and How Measles Fools Doctors

��ýҕ�l Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

March 7, 2026

Bill Cassidy sits behind the dais in a Senate hearing room. He is speaking while holding both his glasses and a pencil in his left hand.

This Doctor-Senator Who Backed RFK Jr. Now Faces a Fight for His Job — And His Legacy

A year after Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, warily cast the vote ensuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ascension to Health and Human Services secretary, his life’s work — in medicine and in politics — is unraveling.

By Amanda Seitz

March 6, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

40 Years of Health Policy

Episode 436

March 5, 2026

This month is 40 years since host Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for ��ýҕ�l Health News, began reporting on health policy in Washington. To mark the anniversary, Rovner is joined by two longtime sources to discuss what has — and has not — changed since 1986.

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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Turnarounds and Shake-Ups

Episode 434

Feb. 19, 2026

The twists and turns continue at the nation’s health agency, where this week’s announcements included notice that the FDA will review Moderna’s new flu vaccine after all and that a handful of top agency officials are getting new jobs. Those developments and others can be traced to a White House looking to shake things up before the midterms — and win over voters on health care. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these stories and more.

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A photo of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at his confirmation hearing in a Senate hearing room.

RFK Jr. Made Promises in Order To Become Health Secretary. He’s Broken Many of Them.

Before being confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation’s official vaccine recommendations. He did both.

By Amanda Seitz

Feb. 13, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

New Flu Vax? FDA Says No Thanks

Episode 433

Feb. 12, 2026

It’s been a busy week at the FDA, with a political appointee overruling agency scientists to reject an application for a new flu vaccine. Meanwhile, anti-abortion Republicans on Capitol Hill complain the agency is dragging its feet on reviewing the abortion pill mifepristone. Jackie Fortiér of ��ýҕ�l Health News, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

HHS Gets Funding, But How Will Trump Spend It?

Episode 432

Feb. 5, 2026

Congress has passed — and President Trump has signed — the annual spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. But it’s unclear whether the administration will spend the money as Congress directed. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss that story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Renuka Rayasam about a new reporting project, “Priced Out.”

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A man wearing a white t-shirt and red pants sits on a couch next to a woman wearing glasses and a denim jacket

This Teen Never Got His Day in Vaccine Court. His Former Lawyer Now Advises RFK on Its Overhaul.

The federal government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was supposed to help patients with their medical bills while protecting vaccine supply. But allies of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are routinely transferring cases from that program to launch lawsuits against drugmakers.

By Maia Rosenfeld

Jan. 29, 2026

Two gloved hands hold a sample tray in a lab.

Trump Policies at Odds With Emerging Understanding of Covid’s Long-Term Harm

Studies increasingly offer insights into the health risks and burdens faced by people who have had covid infections. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has narrowed covid vaccine recommendations and cut research.

By Stephanie Armour

Jan. 27, 2026

��ýҕ�l Health News On Air

Journalists Mine News for Insights on Tylenol, Obamacare Credits, and Rural Health Funding

��ýҕ�l Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Jan. 24, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

Health Spending Is Moving in Congress

Episode 430

Jan. 22, 2026

Lawmakers appear on the brink of passing a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services and a bipartisan health policy bill delayed for over a year. But the outlook is bleaker for the health care outline released by President Trump last week. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel to discuss his new book, “Eat Your Ice Cream.”

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As US Is Poised To Lose Measles-Free Status, RFK Jr.’s New CDC Deputy Downplays Its Significance

Measles is at a 30-year high in the U.S., but technicalities may stave off the loss of the nation’s measles elimination status.

By Amy Maxmen

Jan. 21, 2026

A photo of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and JD Vance waving to an audience at a conference in D.C. Behind them is a sign reading "MAHA Summit."

GOP Promotes MAHA Agenda in Bid To Avert Midterm Losses. Dems Point to Contradictions.

As fractures emerge in the Make America Great Again movement, some Republicans see its health-focused "MAHA" counterpart as the party’s next big thing. But doubts abound.

By Stephanie Armour

Jan. 20, 2026

��ýҕ�l Health News On Air

Physician-Journalist Shines Light on Measles Upsurge and New GLP-1 Study

��ýҕ�l Health News' editor-at-large for public health recently took to the airwaves to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of her appearances.

Jan. 17, 2026

A photo of an older man having a bandage placed on his arm after receiving a vaccine.

The New Old Age

Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew

Many shots seem to have “off-target” benefits, such as lowering the risk of dementia, studies have found.

By Paula Span

Jan. 14, 2026

A photo zoomed in close-up on an ingredients list. The focus is on a list of food dyes.

RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement Has Picked Up Steam in Statehouses. Here’s What To Expect in 2026.

“Make America Healthy Again” policies driven by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made major strides in state legislatures, with food additives among the most common targets. The trend is expected to continue this year.

By Alan Greenblatt

Jan. 13, 2026