Thousands of doctors sign letter against RFK Jr. becoming health secretary
Doctors across the country are coming together, asking senators to vote against confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President-elect Donald Trump’s top health official. More than 17,000 doctors signed a letter, initiated by the physicians advocacy group Committee to Protect Health Care, supporting the movement against Kennedy becoming the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The letter cites his controversial views on several hot button topics, including vaccines and disproven treatments for COVID-19.
“The health and well-being of 336 million Americans depend on leadership at HHS that prioritizes science, evidence-based medicine, and strengthening the integrity of our public health system,” the letter states. “RFK Jr. is not only unqualified to lead this essential agency — he is actively dangerous.”
While his views often draw criticism, he gets support from groups who see him as a champion for health freedom, and an advocate for questioning public health safety with his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
“I think he’s gonna be much less radical than you would think. I think he’s got a very open mind or I wouldn’t have put him there,” Trump said.
Kennedy has not commented on the letter against his nomination. He would need all but three Republican votes if all Senate Democrats vote against his confirmation.
A date for his confirmation hearing has not been announced.
Studies link fluoride in water to lower IQ … but is it really harming kids’ brains?
The decades-old controversy over fluoride in drinking water continues, with more people calling for its removal after it was linked in a new study to lower IQs in kids. A report published this week in JAMA Pediatrics showed the more fluoride kids are exposed to, the lower they tend to score on intelligence tests.
To come to that conclusion, researchers looked at the findings of dozens of studies published on the subject since 1989.
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear. According to the U.S. Public Health Service, since being added to public drinking water in the 1960s, it’s reduced the average number of cavities by 44% in adults and 58% in adolescents.
They say many of the studies used to draw this conclusion were done in places like India and China, where natural fluoride concentrations in groundwater can soar well above the 0.7 milligrams per liter recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service.
However, critics of the practice, like President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the risk to children’s IQs is worrisome enough to end the practice entirely.
In September, a federal judge ruled the Environmental Protection Agency must strengthen its regulations on fluoride in drinking water based on the findings of the report.
Coca-Cola, PepsiCo push to keep sugary drinks in food stamp program
Some major corporations, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr. Pepper, are urging lawmakers to keep allowing food stamp recipients to buy sugary drinks. The push comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Health and Human Services Department, pledged to remove soda and processed foods from the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
The Wall Street Journal reported lobbyists from the American Beverage Association, which represents the beverage industry in the United States, are making a case on Capitol Hill. They pointed out that soda brands are selling more zero-sugar drinks.
Coke said it had an 11% jump in the sale of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar during this year’s third quarter.
Lobbyists claim the increase in sales, combined with clear calorie labels on beverages, allows people to make healthier choices.
Anti-hunger advocacy group Share Our Strength also argues that instead of restricting SNAP recipients options, Congress should fund programs that help low-income families access healthier foods.
Lawmakers have tried to restrict soda, desserts and candy from food assistance programs for years. Most recently, Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent a letter to the incoming health and agricultural departments.
In the letter, she called for a ban on buying junk food with food stamps. She claimed these foods contribute to higher rates of obesity and diabetes.
Coke told The Journal it’s always active in engaging on policies important to its business. Representatives from Pepsi and Dr. Pepper declined to comment.
RFK Jr.’s lawyer: NYT report over polio vaccine petition ‘categorically false’
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s lawyer called a New York Times report “misleading” after it claimed he asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke the polio vaccine approval. Attorney Aaron Siri acknowledged filing a “polio vaccine petition” on behalf of a client but denied any involvement from Kennedy.
He said it was an attempt to “derail” Kennedy’s potential confirmation as the Department of Health and Human Services head.
“All of this is intended for one purpose — they are desperately trying to derail Mr. Kennedy’s potential confirmation,” Siri said during an appearance on NewsNation.
Report claims Siri wants polio vaccine removed from market
Siri disputed the Times’ suggestion that he wanted to remove the polio vaccine from the market. The article claimed Siri petitioned the government to revoke the polio vaccine’s approval.
The article shared Siri’s broader campaign against vaccines. It noted that Siri filed petitions to pause the distribution of 13 other vaccines.
Quoting Siri, the article said that while he opposes mandating vaccines, he does not want to take vaccines away from those who choose to receive them.
Siri denies petition claims
Siri denied that his petition, filed on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), would have resulted in a nationwide halt to the polio vaccine.
“The claim the Times is making, that somehow this petition would have left Americans without a polio vaccine, is categorically false,” Siri said. “They knew it was false when they published it. They intended to mislead the country, and that’s what they accomplished.”
Siri is not directly involved in the polio vaccine petition but serves as legal representation for ICAN.
The petition asked the FDA to “publicly release documentation sufficient to establish that the aluminum content in each ‘subject vaccine’ is consistent with the amount provided in its labeling.”
If the FDA cannot comply, ICAN requested that the administration “pause distribution of each subject vaccine until it can provide the documentation.”
Clarifying the petition’s goal
Siri clarified the goal of the petition was never to remove the polio vaccine from the market.
“ICAN does not want, and never expected, the vaccine to be withdrawn. This is about choice, informed consent. That’s the point,” he said.
Although Kennedy was not involved in the petition, his stance on vaccines has been a focal point of news coverage. Kennedy recently stated that he is not anti-vaccine but has been highly critical of certain vaccines in the past.
Republican senators said Kennedy must address these remarks during his confirmation hearings. Some GOP lawmakers are even calling for Kennedy to fire Siri over the petition’s controversy.
Republicans skeptical of Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s views on vaccines
Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s past statements on vaccines could come back to hurt him. Republican senators say his previous statements are hurting his chances of being confirmed as the next Department of Health and Human Services secretary.
According to reporting in The New York Times, Kennedy has said polio vaccines might have caused a wave of cancers that killed many more people than the virus ever did. He also said the idea that the vaccine caused a drastic decline in cases is “a mythology” and “not true.”
“I’ve got a completely open mind, but that kind of nonsense is not, it’s not helpful,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told reporters Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Sen. Kennedy is one of multiple Republicans who say RFK Jr. will have to explain himself. The two have no relation.
“He should fire his lawyer,” Sen. Kennedy said.
Attorney Aaron Siri is helping RFK Jr. hire senior officials at HHS for the incoming administration. Siri has previously petitioned the government to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine.
Siri has done work on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network. In addition to his efforts against the polio vaccine, he’s tried to pause the distribution of 13 other vaccines and challenged COVID vaccine mandates, in some cases successfully.
“Call his lawyer up and saying, ‘Look, man, stop dipping into your ketamine stash.’ Polio vaccine has saved hundreds and hundreds of millions of lives in the world,” Sen. Kennedy said.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who had polio as a child and has had physical limitations his whole life as a result, said efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are “uninformed” and “dangerous.”
“Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts,” McConnell said in a statement.
On Monday, Dec. 16, President-elect Donald Trump said he’s a “big believer” in the polio vaccine and expressed support for Kennedy.
“No, I think he’s going to be much less radical than you would think. I think he’s got a very open mind or I wouldn’t have put him there,” Trump said.
Kennedy can be confirmed with an all Republican vote, but he will work to win bipartisan support. Democrats are just as skeptical.
“They’re life and death issues,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters. “Let’s be very serious about this. This is not a political game.”
Republicans will hold a 53-47 seat majority in 2025. So Kennedy could lose three votes and potentially still be confirmed with JD Vance breaking the tie as vice president.
Trump says Jan. 6 pardons could come in ‘first 9 minutes’ of 2nd term
Time magazine named President-elect Donald Trump as “Person of the Year” for the second time. In an exclusive interview, he revealed some of his top priorities for his second term.
Trump said he plans to pardon “most” of the individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, making it one of his first official acts in office.
He told Time that the pardons would begin quickly, possibly within his presidency’s first hour or even the first nine minutes.
“A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely,” he said.
Other top priorities for Trump include increasing domestic oil production and ramping up deportations, a key issue in his election campaign. He also explained that federal laws would allow him to use the military to enforce his immigration policies.
“It doesn’t stop the military if it’s an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country,” said Trump. “I’ll only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows.”
Trump also discussed plans for the U.S. Department of Education, proposing a “virtual closure,” though he did not specify what that would involve. He also indicated his intention to roll back some of President Joe Biden’s protections for transgender students, particularly in sports.
Concerning public health, Trump expressed support for revisiting childhood vaccinations if links to autism are found. “We’re going to have a big discussion. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible,” Trump said.
Regarding foreign policy, Trump suggested that resolving conflicts in the Middle East would be easier than ending the war in Ukraine.
“I think that the Middle East is an easier problem to handle than what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said. “The Middle East is going to get solved. I think it’s more complicated than the Russia-Ukraine [war], but I think it’s easier to solve.”
Arkansas Gov. Sanders calls for a ban on buying junk food with SNAP
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is calling for a ban on buying junk food with food stamps. Sanders sent a letter to the incoming Health and Agriculture departments, asking for a waiver to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program –– also known as SNAP.
The program allows low-income families to buy a large variety of foods. However, Sanders cites a study from the Department of Agriculture that shows almost 23% of a SNAP household’s grocery bill is spent on unhealthier foods like candy, snacks, desserts and soda.
“Unfortunately, this nutrition assistance program is undermining the health of millions of Americans, on the taxpayer’s dime, by encouraging families to eat highly processed, unhealthy junk food,” Sanders wrote in the letter.
Sanders went on to say, “Given the relationship between junk food and poor health, our federal food assistance policies are fueling obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and a wide range of chronic health conditions across America.”
Sanders also mentioned a study by Stanford University that found taking away sugary drinks and soda from SNAP would prevent obesity in 141,000 children and Type 2 diabetes in 240,000 adults.
Debate over junk food and food stamps
The conversation around restricting SNAP purchases has been debated for years. People who support it say the program should more closely align with its original goal of improving nutrition amongst low-income families.
Meanwhile, people against the restrictions say it would be too complicated to categorize foods as “healthy” and “unhealthy.”
“Make America Healthy Again”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is lined up to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services, is likely to be receptive to Sanders’ proposal.
He recently introduced his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which is focused on increasing access to healthier food. He is also vowing to crack down on food dyes and pesticides.
FDA may soon ban artificial red dye used in candy, food and drinks
The Food and Drug Administration will decide whether to ban a common, artificial food dye often used in candy, snacks and beverages. The FDA said it has reviewed the safety of Red Dye No. 3, made from petroleum “multiple times” since its first approval in 1969.
However, there’s a petition asking the agency to investigate the controversial dye once more.
On Thursday, Dec. 5, the FDA’s deputy commissioner told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee it’s hoping to act on the petition within the “next few weeks.”
More than 2,800 products contain the red dye, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It’s used in popular products advertised for kids, including Fruit by the Foot, Nerds and Peeps.
Red Dye No. 3 doesn’t add any nutritional value to the product. Public health groups also found links to behavioral problems in children, such as hyperactivity.
The FDA banned the dye in makeup and topical drugs in 1990. Researchers found it to be carcinogenic to animals in high doses. Yet, the FDA’s deputy commissioner said the agency believes there’s no risk to humans.
Last year, California banned Red Dye No. 3, along with three other food dyes. Several countries, including the U.K. and Australia, also banned the red dye.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary, has been critical of food dyes in the past, claiming they cause cancer. It’s uncertain whether he plans to do anything about the dyes should he be confirmed.
Support of Edward Snowden pardon grows as 2nd Trump term nears
Will President-elect Donald Trump pardon Edward Snowden in his second term? Several people on Trump’s team are reportedly supporting efforts to make it happen.
Trump passed over the option of granting Snowden a pardon in 2021 during his first presidency and said he would let the courts work it out.
Snowden, a former spy for the National Security Agency, is responsible for the largest leak of top-secret information about United States surveillance programs in the nation’s history. He’s been living in Moscow and avoiding an indictment from the Justice Department for more than a decade.
Matt Gaetz, who withdrew as Trump’s nominee for attorney general said the topic of pardoning Snowden is still on the table.
“I have discussed the matter with others in and around the transition and there seemed to be pretty broad support for a pardon,” Gaetz told The Washington Post.
Gaetz also noted that even though he never talked to Trump directly about Snowden, his advocacy for a pardon didn’t stop Trump from nominating him.
Trump’s director of national intelligence pick Tulsi Gabbard sponsored a 2020 house bill with Gaetz calling for the government to drop charges against Snowden.
Nominee to become Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports a pardon of Snowden as well, campaigning on that promise while running for president.
Vice President-elect JD Vance has not taken any public positions on Snowden, but people close to him told The New York Post they expect him to be sympathetic to Snowden’s situation.
According to the attorney who represented Snowden, he released the classified information in order to expose “abuses” by the government. Snowden has not commented yet on the possibility of a renewed push for a pardon from Trump.
Cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah holding so far
The cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah marks a step toward peace in the Middle East, but what happens now in Gaza where Israel is still at war with Hamas? And rain or shine — but not wind — revelers get ready to celebrate in New York City at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024.
Cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah holding so far
A cease-fire deal between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon is holding, so far.
President Joe Biden announced the deal — which the United States and France helped broker — on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Israel and Hezbollah have agreed on an initial 60-day cease-fire, which sets the stage for a lasting truce.
Already, long-displaced residents of parts of Lebanon have started returning to their homes, hopeful the tenuous agreement will be extended beyond two months. That’s despite the Israeli military warning people to stay away from previously evacuated areas.
Israel has said if Hezbollah breaks the cease-fire agreement, it will attack.
Following the directive of the political echelon, the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon took effect at 04:00 today, and the IDF has been operating accordingly. IDF troops are stationed at their positions in southern Lebanon.
Over the past hour, the IDF identified a vehicle with…
During the 60-day truce, Hezbollah fighters are to retreat at least 25 miles from the border with Israel and Israeli forces will withdraw from Lebanese territory.
The agreement does not address the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, another Iran-backed militant group, in Gaza. However, Hamas has said it is ready for a truce.
“So, now Hamas has a choice to make,” President Biden said on Tuesday. “Their only way out is to release the hostages, including American citizens, which they hold. In the process, bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief. Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Biden told reporters he’s hopeful he’ll help achieve a cease-fire in Gaza before the end of his term in January. If not, President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, though he has not yet said how.
Trump picks nominations for NIH, trade
President-elect Trump has kept busy this holiday week. On Tuesday night, he announced new picks to join his administration.
Among them, Trump nominated Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to serve as the director of the National Institutes of Health. As head of the NIH, the Stanford University professor would work alongside Trump’s pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Bhattacharya, who also has a doctorate in economics, became known for opposing lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 27, 2024
Trump also selected Jamieson Greer to lead the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Greer is no stranger to the department, having served as chief of staff to the trade representative during Trump’s first term — which saw tariffs imposed on Chinese goods and the signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement.
Greer served as a lawyer in the Air Force and is currently a partner in international trade at the law firm King and Spalding.
Both of these nominations will need Senate confirmation.
Australia’s House passes bill to ban kids under 16 from social media
The bill would make platforms such as Tiktok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to $50 million ($33 million USD) for failing to prevent young children from holding accounts.
Australia’s communications minister Michelle Rowland introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges. pic.twitter.com/K0zui1wHLv
The legislation passed 102-13 in Australia’s House of Representatives and now moves on to the Senate. If the bill becomes law, social media companies would have one year to figure out how to implement the age restrictions before they are enforced.
More than 3,000 fake name-brand electric guitars seized in California
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it seized more than 3,000 fake electric guitars in Southern California. CBP said the knockoffs were destined for the e-commerce market, just in time for holiday gift shopping.
CBP said if the guitars were real, they would be worth about $18 million. Most of the fakes look like Gibson brand guitars, but some were supposedly from other well-known companies such as Fender.
Federal authorities would not release any details about suspects in the investigation or where the counterfeit guitars came from.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to go on, rain or shine
A Macy’s spokesperson told the New York Post the parade will proceed regardless of wet weather — good news for the expected 3.5 million people who will be along the parade route and the estimated 30 million watching at home. However, wind could pose a problem.
The spokesperson told the Post, “Based on the city’s guidelines, no giant character balloon will be operated when there are sustained wind conditions exceeding 23 miles per hour and wind gusts greater than 34 miles per hour on the parade route.”
So far, according to weather reports, the winds should not be a problem, and all 32 balloons should be able to fly. New ones this year include Minnie Mouse and Spider-Man, which is marking its return to the parade for the first time in a decade.
Happy Thanksgiving from Straight Arrow News
With Thursday being Thanksgiving, as you get ready to gather around the table with your family, we wanted to take this time for you to get to know ours a little better. In the video above, members of our Straight Arrow News team have special messages about what they’re thankful for this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!