Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director President Donald Trump has nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Donald Trump has nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hey we are
Taping this week’s #WTHealth pod Friday this week to cover the RFKjr hearings. I’m still corgi-ing,
So Mary Agnes Carey will fill
In. And here’s Wally with today’s winnings…

Wally had a blast in Veterans rally. 99 and 2nd place .

Our haul from the brown bag raffle at the corgi show:

If you don’t like corgis you should stop following me for the next few days - we are at our annual corgi show. First class - Aspen won the recall contest and Wally was third.

The new Trump Phone design is here The Trump phone just got a new shade of lipstick.

So there's still no actual "Trump phone" or release date, all promises of this being "made in the U.S." are gone, and the device has already seen a steep price hike.

Also the phone, should it ever be released, appears to be a lazy rebrand of the two-year old HTC U24 Pro.

Very on brand.

The Year We Lost Medicaid Heidi Allen, MSW, PhD, from Columbia University discusses policy shifts that may reshape healthcare for millions in the US with JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief and "The Year We Lost Medicaid" author Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH.

The Year We Lost Medicaid

A Conversation between Professor Heidi Allen and WashU Dean Sandro Galea, editor of JAMA Health Forum
edhub.ama-assn.org/jn-learning/...

Work Experience of Medicaid Recipients in Missouri

About 67% on Medicaid are already employed

About 20% of the others may be exempt from a work from reporting requirements
Only about 11.5% may not have such an exemption and are not working

New brief:
cahsper.wustl.edu/files/2026/0...

on this week's #WTHealth podcast: @alicemiranda.bsky.social, @laurenweberhp.bsky.social, and Maya Goldman on abortion pill litigation, Trump's budget, and Medicare and Medicaid cuts. kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

Love this!

Exclusive | Gulf Funds Agree to Back Paramount’s $81 Billion Takeover of Warner Commitments from three Middle East entities will help offset costs for the Ellison family.

The Saudi govt will soon be part owners of CNN and CBS it seems. But this is not expected to target a mandatory CFIUS review or FCC review

www.wsj.com/business/dea...

What cuts to Medicaid mean for American hospitals Obstetrics care could be hit especially hard.

Still celebrating Michigan bball's natty, but meanwhile back to work, I was on @wamu.org's 1A yesterday with the great @thehowie.bsky.social:
wamu.org/story/26/04/...

Trying to manifest a replacement for this national championship sweatshirt. #GoBlue

Listen: What the Vaccine Schedule Whiplash Means for Your Kids - KFF Health News Big swings in federal vaccine policy are giving some parents and clinicians whiplash. KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” to break down the late...

After a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to pare down childhood vaccine recommendations, plenty of questions remain — like how annual vaccines for the flu will get approved.

@julierovner.bsky.social spoke about the confusion with @wamu.org 🎧 ⤵️

GOP Mulls More Health Cuts - KFF Health News Despite public opposition to the cuts they made to federal health programs in 2025, Republicans reportedly are considering more cuts to help pay for the war in Iran. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled...

new #WTHealth podcast up! @alicemiranda.bsky.social, @sandhyawrites.bsky.social, and @jessiehellmann.bsky.social on R's pondering more health program cuts, SCOTUS on conversion therapy, and the politics of MAHA...
kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

ICE detained and deported a man with severe mental disabilities, apparently gaining his "consent" for removal without notifying his caretakers.

A judge has barred ICE from redetaining him when he returns from Mexico today.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

What It’s Like to Be MIT President in the Trump Era YouTube video by Slate

If you weren't able to make it to @wbur.org for our live show, you can watch my interview with Sally Kornbluth here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ET...

same, but 6 am.

welcome back, I think?

A Headless CDC - KFF Health News The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed b...

New #WTHealth podcast up! @shefali.bsky.social, @lizzylawrence.bsky.social, and @rachelcohrs.bsky.social on the latest from HHS, threats to the health/science workforce, and a new anti-abortion bill dividing Republicans. Plus Katie Keith on the ACA at 16.
kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

As a reminder: Flynn pleaded guilty in the first Trump term; was pardoned by Trump; he sued for politically motivated prosecution; and now Trump II admin settled and agreed to pay him an undisclosed sum of taxpayer $$$

Excited to see this piece with @michaelannica.bsky.social and @rachelsachs.bsky.social out

We looked at the Rural Health Transformation Program: Its funding formula had a clear small-state bias; we ask whether its scoring methodology also perhaps favored red states

academic.oup.com/healthaffair...

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now - KFF Health News A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, dealing at least a temporary setback to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy J...

On this week's #WTHealth pod: @laurenweberhp.bsky.social, @alicemiranda.bsky.social, and @sangerkatz.bsky.social on vaccine policy, ACA, and more. Plus @drewaltman.bsky.social helps kick off our new series: "How Would You Fix It?" kffhealthnews.org/news/podcast...

Today's #SCOTUS ruling is the 15th merits decision of the term, and the 11th of the 15 that was unanimous.

For those wondering why the messy cases (in which we expect strong dissents and lengthy separate opinions) are taking so long, it's for the non-conspiratorial reason that they ... take longer.

Trump’s cancellation of licenses for immigrant truckers takes effect The rule bars immigrants who are asylum seekers, refugees or DACA recipients from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses.

Trump found a new way to raise prices.
For no apparently reason we're losing 200,000 commercial truck drivers in one fell swoop, thanks to rule barring immigrants who are asylum seekers, refugees or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, from obtaining commercial licenses

This very good boi turns 29 today and is still in full work! Love you Hopper horse!

Spotted today at the Crufts Dog Show (in England)

40 Years of Health Policy - KFF Health News This month is 40 years since host Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, began reporting on health policy in Washington. To mark the anniversary, Rovner is joined by two lon...

This month is 40 years since @julierovner.bsky.social began reporting on health policy in Washington.

To mark the anniversary, Rovner speaks with two longtime sources to discuss what has — and has not — changed since 1986.

Spending the week at the Crufts Dog Show. 18k plus dogs doing every sport you can imagine. Heaven.

Gas at my local station jumped 14 cents per gallon between yesterday and today...