POLITICS

Former CDC heads say RFK Jr. has ‘politicized’ agency

Brynn Anderson/AP

Buckle up, it’s bound to be an interesting morning as former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials tell a powerful Senate committee that political forces have overtaken scientific evidence at the agency, threatening Americans’ health. 

STAT’s Daniel Payne got his hands on the testimonies of former director Susan Monarez and former chief medical officer Debra Houry. Monarez was ousted by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month because she refused to adopt his vaccine agenda. She will detail the events that spurred her departure. Houry will testify about why she resigned after a decade at the agency, arguing the secretary’s actions “repeatedly censored CDC science, politicized our processes, and stripped agency leaders of the ability to protect the health of the American people.” (Here’s a handy tracker of all the CDC data that’s been modified or deleted since Trump took office, which we’re updating in realtime.)

It’s been months of turmoil at the CDC, as the officials will soon detail. Could this endanger Kennedy’s standing within the federal government? Read Daniel’s story to find out.

DISABILITY

CDC pauses telework accommodations for employees

The CDC chaos continues: agency officials temporarily ended reasonable accommodations for employees to work from home and paused future approvals for new applicants.

The agency’s decision stems from the Trump administration’s January directive to end most remote work for federal employees and is tied to an August update to a broader Health and Human Services telework policy, which did not initially include long-term telework as an option for federal employees with disabilities.

A CDC union representative believes the policy change can be attributed to “overreach and overinterpretation” from CDC officials unsure of how to interpret the August policy update. It’s unclear whether other health agencies will be affected. What is clear is that dozens of CDC employees will now have to scramble to figure out how to get into the office. One employee was notified that they were no longer eligible for telework after 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, according to emails STAT obtained. Others were told to report to work the next day, disability notwithstanding.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST?

Surgeon general nominee made a small fortune promoting supplements

The surgeon general provides Americans with “the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.” So reads the official government website for the Office of the Surgeon General.

How would Trump’s pick for the role interpret that mandate? New financial disclosures have invited new scrutiny over whether possible conflicts of interest could interfere.  

Casey Means, the nominee for this role, has made hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting supplements and other health and wellness products, according to new financial disclosures. The $69 billion supplement industry is largely unregulated and not required to provide evidence of the safety or efficacy of its products. Some supplements, like folic acid for pregnant women, are beneficial, but across the industry there are others with ingredients that pose serious health risks. The filings are the latest reminder of the deep ties between the supplements industry and several members of the Trump administration, including Medicaid director Mehmet Oz. 

Want to know which company forked over more than $130,000 to Means? The tobacco companies that Means pledged to divest from her family portfolio? Read more here.