Latest news with #MakingAmericaHealthyAgain
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
We've finally slowed the surge in overdose deaths. The Trump admin may undo all of it
On May 14, 2025, the Division of Overdose Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the number of overdose deaths in 2024 had dropped 27%. This was an extraordinary, even historic announcement, given overdoses had risen relentlessly for more than 33 years, resulting in the deaths of more than a million Americans, with another 1 million projected to die before this decade is over. Now, for more than a year, overdose deaths have decreased every single month, most dramatically for deaths caused by illicit fentanyl — considered the toughest problem, given the opioid's high potency, simplicity of manufacture, and ease of smuggling. That very same day, the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in testimony before Congress, made no reference to overdoses, the number one killer of Americans 18 to 44 years of age, nor to the recent success. A week later, in his agency's 72-page 'Making America Healthy Again' manifesto, the word 'opioid' was never mentioned. Instead, he went on to propose that CDC should be disassembled, along with the other principal agencies responsible for addressing the overdose crisis. Those proposals, as part of the administration's 2026 fiscal year budget, passed the House and await action by the Senate. For nearly thirty years I was a CDC scientist. I have been outspokenly critical of how CDC and those other agencies have handled the opioid crisis, but the solution is not to take a wrecking ball to the institutions that protect us, particularly when we seem to be making progress. What will be the consequences? A health secretary who systematically ignores mention of the major killer of adult Americans is clearly not interested in research on what could account for a decrease in deaths. But among recent national initiatives, the push to increase availability of the opioid overdose antidote, naloxone (brand name Narcan), has clearly played a role. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of naloxone doses dispensed from retail pharmacies doubled, and millions of additional doses were distributed by harm reduction organizations. Then in March 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved over-the-counter distribution of a nasal spray version. By the end of the year, 20 million doses had been dispensed. The decline in overdose death rates started the month after the nasal spray became widely available. Temporal sequence is not causation, but in a public health crisis, a plausible step is mass distribution of an antidote easily administered by lay persons. Few interventions in medicine are more cost-effective than saving a life in ten seconds for $25. Shortly after being put in charge of the U.S. health care system in February 2025, Kennedy, called for immediate decreased funding for naloxone. And he didn't stop there. Slated for abolition is the National Institute for Drug Abuse, the research group at the National Institutes of Health that helped develop the nasal version of naloxone. NIDA is currently researching opioid analgesics with lower addiction risk and developing wastewater detection systems to provide early warning of new illicit drugs. What is left of NIDA will be absorbed, with other decimated institutes, into a single entity focused on 'behavioral health.'Also on the chopping block is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which provides the major funding for state and local naloxone distribution and drug treatment programs. CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention, which is responsible for monitoring the drug epidemic, is marked for demolition too, despite having just reported the unprecedented reduction in overdose deaths. Adding to the threat of a renewed overdose explosion, the CDC issued the stark warning of a seven-fold rise in overdoses from illicit carfentanil, an opioid 100 times more potent than fentanyl — so potent that the drug is used to sedate elephants and minuscule amounts can easily kill a person. Remnants of SAMHSA and the CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention will be folded into the new 'Agency for Healthy America." Even if we assume that every cent of the budgets of the three cancelled drug control groups is eliminated, the total reduction in the federal budget would be one-tenth of one percent, or considerably less than the cost of one aircraft carrier. According to the new director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, these transformations should be done in a way to assure that the federal workforce will 'be traumatically affected,' and 'viewed as the villains.' What should the few remaining traumatically affected villains do about the drug crisis? Kennedy, who attributes his heroin recovery to 12-step abstinence, made that clear in his 2024 documentary: 'We're going to build hundreds of healing farms' — places where people with addiction 'learn the discipline of hard work' and 'get re-parented,' all the while bringing 'a new industry to these forgotten corners of America.' Antidotes, treatment, prevention? These are at best irrelevant — more likely, a moral hazard. The first thing you learn in public health is that all victories are temporary. Back in 2000, the CDC group where I worked demonstrated that ongoing transmission of measles — the most infectious pathogen known to humankind — had been eliminated from the U.S., thanks to nationwide hard work to raise immunization levels. A quarter-century later, because of lowered immunization levels consequent to a torrent of vaccine misinformation by Kennedy and others, there have been more than 1,000 measles cases in 30 states over the first five months of this year. The question is now before Congress: If the agencies battling the drug epidemic are disabled, will a renewed explosion of deaths result? The last time the current president was in office, overdose rates rose more than 44% over the course of his tenure — the largest overdose increase in American history, with more than 300,000 lives lost. This time, we may never know if history is repeating itself since the systems that monitor overdose deaths are themselves subject to elimination. However, families of future overdose victims may still wonder if 2025 was the year we helped make Americans die again.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - For members of Congress, MAHA isn't just great policy — it's also smart politics
Believe it: The coalition behind 'Making America Healthy Again' will play an outsized role in deciding the 2026 Congressional midterm elections in more than 500 days from now in November 2026. That's because the issues that go into MAHA close the gender gap and maintain the voter margins with young voters. But MAHA has been years in the making, going back long before President Trump won his second term and even prior to the political accession of current Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. My organization is now prioritizing the voters in the top 50 battleground U.S. House seats and 10 U.S. Senate seats, including the open seats in New Hampshire, Michigan, and Minnesota. The voters in all of the prioritized battleground Congressional races fully support the common-sense, nonpartisan health policies about making our nation healthy again. We will be bringing them and their constituent voices to meet in person with their U.S. senators and Representatives in Washington starting next month. U.S. senators who oppose their constituents' heartfelt, passionate support for these policies will lose in 2026. This includes making epinephrine an over-the-counter drug (something FDA Commissioner Martin Makary voiced support for in his March confirmation hearing) the elimination of taxpayer-funded sodas from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, expansion of regenerative farming, and elimination of glyphosate herbicides and other poisons in the food supply. Conversely, senators and representatives, regardless of party, who support their constituents and the policies we work for will earn the support of their constituents on election day. Our coalition is truly bipartisan, based on an Executive Order issued by a Republican president and implemented by a scion of the Democratic Party. This has helped my organization scale to become the fastest-growing nationwide public health advocacy coalition, which is ready to be activated in a micro-targeted deployment to battleground U.S. House and Senate races in the midterm elections. Perhaps most importantly, leaders in Congress from both parties support our goals. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are all acutely aware of the power our coalition has now, and all four are working with us in support of their respective conferences. Why? Because the 50 battleground House seats and 10 U.S. Senate seats will be decided by mere thousands of votes. Our coalition will be a deciding factor in many if not all of these toss-up Congressional election races. What differentiates our organization from any other entity is our unprecedented structure and confluence with the electorate's mindset and policy priorities. We are free of the corporate groups that traditionally mete out retribution upon those who boldly do what is right. And we have secured the immediate branding of a disruptive force that enjoys trust from voters trust on the policies they care most about. Don't take our word for it. Every congressional incumbent in a battleground district or state has met with us, and many are relying upon us and our voters to be re-elected. In more than 30 years of working with Congress and White Houses of both Republican and Democratic political parties, I have never seen so much certainty among congressional leaders that these issues will determine their political fate and build the next congressional majority. With 522 days to go until election day, each senator and representative working with us understands that his or her race is being won, right now, by MAHA issues and MAHA voters. Robert K. Houton is founder of the Make America Healthy Again Coalition, is a former U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland and candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Hill
For members of Congress, MAHA isn't just great policy — it's also smart politics
Believe it: The coalition behind 'Making America Healthy Again' will play an outsized role in deciding the 2026 Congressional midterm elections in more than 500 days from now in November 2026. That's because the issues that go into MAHA close the gender gap and maintain the voter margins with young voters. But MAHA has been years in the making, going back long before President Trump won his second term and even prior to the political accession of current Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. My organization is now prioritizing the voters in the top 50 battleground U.S. House seats and 10 U.S. Senate seats, including the open seats in New Hampshire, Michigan, and Minnesota. The voters in all of the prioritized battleground Congressional races fully support the common-sense, nonpartisan health policies about making our nation healthy again. We will be bringing them and their constituent voices to meet in person with their U.S. senators and Representatives in Washington starting next month. U.S. senators who oppose their constituents' heartfelt, passionate support for these policies will lose in 2026. This includes making epinephrine an over-the-counter drug (something FDA Commissioner Martin Makary voiced support for in his March confirmation hearing) the elimination of taxpayer-funded sodas from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, expansion of regenerative farming, and elimination of glyphosate herbicides and other poisons in the food supply. Conversely, senators and representatives, regardless of party, who support their constituents and the policies we work for will earn the support of their constituents on election day. Our coalition is truly bipartisan, based on an Executive Order issued by a Republican president and implemented by a scion of the Democratic Party. This has helped my organization scale to become the fastest-growing nationwide public health advocacy coalition, which is ready to be activated in a micro-targeted deployment to battleground U.S. House and Senate races in the midterm elections. Perhaps most importantly, leaders in Congress from both parties support our goals. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) are all acutely aware of the power our coalition has now, and all four are working with us in support of their respective conferences. Why? Because the 50 battleground House seats and 10 U.S. Senate seats will be decided by mere thousands of votes. Our coalition will be a deciding factor in many if not all of these toss-up Congressional election races. What differentiates our organization from any other entity is our unprecedented structure and confluence with the electorate's mindset and policy priorities. We are free of the corporate groups that traditionally mete out retribution upon those who boldly do what is right. And we have secured the immediate branding of a disruptive force that enjoys trust from voters trust on the policies they care most about. Don't take our word for it. Every congressional incumbent in a battleground district or state has met with us, and many are relying upon us and our voters to be re-elected. In more than 30 years of working with Congress and White Houses of both Republican and Democratic political parties, I have never seen so much certainty among congressional leaders that these issues will determine their political fate and build the next congressional majority. With 522 days to go until election day, each senator and representative working with us understands that his or her race is being won, right now, by MAHA issues and MAHA voters. Robert K. Houton is founder of the Make America Healthy Again Coalition, is a former U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland and candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘My Father Told Me...': RFK Jr. Makes Wild Warning Undermining Expert Health Advice
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday said assessing health guidance is similar to researching baby strollers as a new mom, urging Americans to 'be skeptical of authority' while serving in a top Cabinet position. CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked Kennedy if he stood by his earlier comment that people should not be taking medical advice from him, even though his job involves communicating health guidance and recommendations based on his department's expertise. 'Yeah, absolutely,' Kennedy said. 'I'm somebody who is not a physician... and they should also be skeptical about any medical advice. They need to do their own research.' Kennedy added that when 'you're a mom, you do your own research on your baby carriage, on your baby bottles, on your baby formula,' suggesting a similar approach should be taken when assessing medical advice. When Collins pointed out that most mothers do not have medical degrees and would rather rely on their physicians, Kennedy claimed that health experts in a democracy 'are subject to all kinds of biases.' 'One of the responsibilities of living in a democracy is to do your own research and to make up your own mind,' he added. Kennedy also recalled a piece of advice from his father, suggesting it was relevant to their discussion. 'I would say, be skeptical of authority. My father told me that when I was a young kid, people in authority lie,' Kennedy said, baselessly claiming that 'critical thinking was shut down' during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collins: You said that people should not take your medical advice. RFK JR: People should not be taking medical advice from somebody who's not a physician.. And they should also be skeptical about any medical advice, they need to do their own research — Acyn (@Acyn) May 23, 2025 Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, was nominated to serve in one of the country's top jobs by President Donald Trump, raising eyebrows during a House subcommittee hearing last week with his answer to a question about whether he would vaccinate his children against measles if they were still young. 'I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me,' he said. 'I think if I answer that question directly that it will seem like I'm giving advice to other people, and I don't want to be doing that,' he continued. Kennedy, though, has not held back from lending credence to debunked conspiracy theories, including falsely suggesting that vaccines are linked to autism. While his Making America Healthy Again report, released on Thursday, did not touch on that specific claim, it still hinted that the growth of the immunization schedule for children may be detrimental to them, even though childhood vaccination saves millions of lives every year. 'Vaccines benefit children by protecting them from infectious diseases. But as with any medicine, vaccines can have side effects that must be balanced against their benefits,' the report reads. 'Parents should be fully informed of the benefits and risks of vaccines.' RFK Jr.'s MAHA Report Goes After Vaccines, Prescription Meds, Food Supply RFK Jr.'s MAHA Report Raises Concerns About Vaccines, U.S. Foods And Prescription Drugs RFK Jr. Has A Meltdown After Democrat Asks Him 1 Simple Question
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Wordle hints and answer today: Crack puzzle #1434 within minutes
A fresh new Wordle game on May 23 will simply be a great start to your day. Today's theme is all the more interesting than the previous days, giving you another reason to pursue the challenge. Wordle's today's challenge is very simple: To guess the right five-letter word within six guesses! The journey at Wordle today gets all the more interesting with each passing day. The Wordle hint for today is - Prepare the corn. The biggest clue for today's Wordle is that this Wordle has far more consonants than vowels. There are spoilers below. If you want to have a look, you can. If you wish to take a shot by yourself, please feel free. The Wordle answer for today is SHUCK! If you were thinking of CHAIR, you were too close but SHUCK still goes for the win. The word STONE would have left you with just 94 words, and therefore was not a viable option. For starters, keeping a cool brain is the key to cracking Wordle hints or Wordle answers. The best two pointers towards getting a better shot at accurate answers are: Starting with a word that has a higher vowel count. Use your second try to confirm as many letters as possible. Wordle is a popular online word puzzle game where players have six attempts to guess a hidden five-letter word. Each guess provides feedback: correct letters in the right position turn green, correct letters in the wrong position turn yellow, and incorrect letters remain gray. ALSO READ | RFK Jr.'s 69-page 'Making America Healthy Again' report released: 4 key takeaways Created by Josh Wardle as a private game for his partner, it gained viral popularity after its public release in 2021 and was later acquired by The New York Times.
