Steak n Shake names a chief MAHA officer The burger chain, which has embraced the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, said it is hiring Michael Boes to oversee its ingredients.

Steak n Shake has named a "chief MAHA officer" — the first such title I've heard!

www.nrn.com/quick-servic...

Even for trans adults, care is hard to find: ‘I could not do it on my own’ State restrictions, Trump administration policies, and waning public support are further limiting adults' access to transgender care

Georgia has just 1 LGBTQ+ center, located in Savannah, GA. @theresagaff.bsky.social reports on how the pride center is supporting trans people as they navigate growing restrictions and public and political backlash:

www.statnews.com/2026/04/20/t...

The race to catch KRAS, pancreatic cancer’s ‘greasy ball,’ and create the most promising drug in decades Daraxonrasib, a pancreatic cancer drug from Revolution Medicines, is showing unprecedented success. For patients like Leanna Stokes, survival time doubled.

A profound story that centers a 36-year-old woman with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and the impact of a new drug with twice the median survival rate compared to patients with just chemotherapy:

www.statnews.com/2026/04/19/d...

FDA panel will meet to discuss allowing broader access to certain peptides The FDA will convene an outside panel of advisers to discuss whether to allow compounding pharmacies to manufacture certain peptides

It's happening! FDA advisors will meet this summer to discuss whether to make peptides easier to access by letting compounding pharmacies sell them. @lizzylawrence.bsky.social has the news:

www.statnews.com/2026/04/15/p...

A decade ago, these drugs tore apart the FDA. Today, they might be some patients' best hope A mother's persistence helps revive an all-but-abandoned drug class and could aid her son and thousands of others with neuromuscular conditions.

Duchenne is such a brutal disease for the young boys diagnosed with it and their families. @jasonmast.bsky.social reports on a new hope:

www.statnews.com/2026/04/08/d...

What the peptide craze reveals about Americans’ relationship with risk Why do RFK Jr. and other health influencers embrace unproven peptides while calling for more research into well-studied vaccines?

What the peptide craze reveals about Americans’ relationship with risk. Great piece from @sarah-todd.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/04/06/r... It's so odd how many people will not trust proven biomedical approaches but embrace and literally shoot up with unproven things like peptides

What the peptide craze reveals about Americans’ relationship with risk Why do RFK Jr. and other health influencers embrace unproven peptides while calling for more research into well-studied vaccines?

Why are so many Americans willing to gamble on their health with synthetic peptides — drugs that purport to boost energy or heal injuries, but have insufficient human research to back up those claims (and experts warning about cancer risk)?

My story:

www.statnews.com/2026/04/06/r...

Why an ovary syndrome may get a new name: Men seem to have PCOS, too A quiet effort to change the name of PCOS is nearing completion, driven in part by growing evidence of a male version.

PCOS isn't just a reproductive disease — and it may affect men as well as women! @missanabeem.bsky.social reports:

www.statnews.com/2026/04/01/p...

In defense of social friction Sycophantic AI distorts social judgments and behaviors

Sycophantic AI distorts social judgments & behaviors
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

"How should immediate psychological gratification—from affirming moral responses to an artificial companion—be weighed against longer-term individual and collective outcomes?"

As political pressure mounts, medical school accreditor drops requirement to teach about health equity The leading medical school accreditation body in the U.S. has removed language from its standards requiring schools to teach about health inequities

Medical schools are no longer required by the top accrediting body to teach health equity, @aniloza.bsky.social reports:

www.statnews.com/2026/03/27/m...

California considers seal of approval for foods that are not ultra-processed A California bill would allow "not ultraprocessed" labels on foods, even as scientists debate definitions and courts question the legality of similar laws.

California is introducing a bill to create a new label designating which yogurts, snacks, and cereals are not ultra-processed:

www.statnews.com/2026/03/25/c...

Advice on quitting smoking from Daniel Radcliffe:

www.vulture.com/article/dani...

“People want that human connection”: Advice on building audience from NBCUniversal's Sari Zeidler "The idea of traffic as the central metric feels increasingly limited," says Sari Zeidler of NBCUniversal.

"Go niche. Algorithms reward repetition, expertise, and clarity about what you’re “about.” The more defined your beat or topic area, the easier it is for audiences — and platforms — to understand and surface your work." Great advice on building audience:
thewritethrough.substack.com/p/people-wan...

How a Texas couple is getting rich off out-of-network medical bills STAT investigates how a Texas couple cashed in on a new law that's supposed to protect patients from surprise medical bills.

This story by @tarabannow.bsky.social about a Texas couple getting rich off the billing disputes has everything:
- Amalfi Coast wedding ft Andrea Bocelli
- Mission Impossible-style rapelling
- "The Apprentice" appearance
Juiciest biz story you'll read this year:

www.statnews.com/2026/03/18/n...

Smoking rates are at a historic low. You're not hearing about it from the government The CDC had remarkable data on smoking rates last fall, but it no longer had smoking experts available to review it and disseminate it.

#TobRegSky #PedSky #MedSky #pulmsky #EpiSky #addictionsci #policysky #polisky @altcdc.altgov.info 🛟 🫁

That the US smoking declined to under 10% in 2024 deserves celebration ! The fact that the federal government has not provided an analysis of the NHIS and NYTS data should not.

Smoking rates are at a historic low. You're not hearing about it from the government The CDC had remarkable data on smoking rates last fall, but it no longer had smoking experts available to review it and disseminate it.

Cigarette smoking rates in the US fell below 10% for the first time — a huge deal for public health. But the news came from not from the CDC, as you'd expect, but from an independent researcher filling in the gaps left by federal government cuts:

www.statnews.com/2026/03/17/c...

New technologies promise to transform organ transplantation. But when? Perfusion technology vastly improves organ quality in transplants, but high costs and coverage questions pose barriers in becoming the standard of care.

The wait list for organ transplants is getting shorter, and more people are gaining a new shot at life. Don't miss @elizabethcooney.bsky.social on how new technologies are transforming the field while navigating ethical concerns:

www.statnews.com/2026/03/16/o...

FDA move on flavored vapes rattles public health experts New FDA guidance suggests mint, coffee, and spice vape flavors could be authorized, raising debate over toxic additives and youth vaping risks.

#TobRegSky #PedSky #MedSky #Pulmsky #EpiSky #addictionsci #policysky #polisky 🛟 🫁💊 🌍⚖️

@fda.gov may consider approval of toxic and youth-appealing flavors in e-cigarettes

Thanks, @sarah-todd.bsky.social , for the interview in @statnews.com:

FDA move on flavored vapes rattles public health experts

A top biotech VC quietly helped Epstein’s ‘great friend’ make a comeback Boris Nikolic’s career looked to be in tatters after his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light in 2019. But he has quietly made a comeback, with some help from a top biotech VC.

Incredible dive into the emails sent between Epstein and biotech investor Boris Nikolic. Also: Who has time to email this much?

www.statnews.com/2026/03/11/e...

In its campaign against gender-affirming care, Trump administration seeks to clear a big legal hurdle A federal appeals court will hear arguments Friday in the Trump administration's effort to subpoena patient records on gender-affirming care

Federal judges have consistently quashed DOJ subpoenas on gender-affirming care, often using strong language to call the investigations an overreach executed “in bad faith.” Today, the DOJ got its first shot at an appeal against a small telehealth clinic. The stakes: www.statnews.com/2026/03/06/t...

More than 50 medical schools will expand nutrition education in agreement with RFK Jr. At a time when his vaccine policies are causing pushback from doctors, Kennedy's allies push nutrition education as an area of common ground.

More than 50 medical schools have committed to an RFK-led plan to expand nutrition education:

www.statnews.com/2026/03/05/m...

Jeffrey Epstein’s tissue samples ignited a furor in the Harvard lab of George Church Exclusive: Harvard geneticist George Church knew more about Jeffrey Epstein's activities than he has previously said, before accepting new donations from the sex offender.

Is Epstein's DNA "sitting in deep freezer somewhere at Harvard or its affiliated Boston hospitals in a state of suspended animation"? Stellar @mmolteni.bsky.social reporting on new details about Epstein & George Church's Personal Genome Project: www.statnews.com/2026/02/24/e...

Nature Medicine to investigate study that found cancer treatment is better in morning Nature Medicine starts an investigation into inconsistencies in a study that found it was better to have immunotherapy in the morning.

A study suggesting cancer immunotherapy is more effective when given in the morning made headlines -- and raised concerns the findings were too good to be true. A scientific journal is now investigating the study, @angusrohan.bsky.social reports for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2026/02/20/c...

Biohackers and wellness influencers are pushing nicotine as part of their ‘stacks’ As smoking rates fall in the U.S., startups and influencers are pushing the purported cognitive and health benefits of indulging in nicotine.

Nicotine is getting a reputational makeover as biohackers and wellness influencers embrace it for purported cognitive benefits. Startups are rising to meet the moment, while health experts worry about the consequences:

www.statnews.com/2026/02/20/n...

My biggest GLP-1 ethical problem: patients who don’t want to stop Some GLP-1 patients are begging to stay on the drugs just a little bit longer, presenting an ethical dilemma for doctors.

"There is such thing as too much weight loss" — a statement that should seem obvious but, in our current GLP-1-obsessed era, may not be to some patients susceptible to disordered eating and other issues. Great essay by endocrinologist Jody Dushay:

www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/g...

Should semen analysis become the Pap smear for men? Some men’s health experts say yes A "guy-necologist" makes a case that semen analysis should become a regular part of men's medical care.

Count on @missanabeem.bsky.social for good historical fun facts, including here: People in the 17th century thought sperm contained "a full, minuscule human, ready to be implanted and grow in the womb."

www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/s...

Drug injection fades as smoking grows more common, marking sea change in U.S. fentanyl epidemic Experts view a shift from injecting fentanyl to smoking it as a promising development that could cut overdose deaths and reduce needle-related harms.

More people who use fentanyl are switching to smoking rather than injecting the drug — a change that harm-reduction experts say is for the better. Read @levfacher.bsky.social :
www.statnews.com/2026/02/12/f...

Prasad overruled FDA staff to reject Moderna's flu vaccine application The rejection is the latest instance of Vinay Prasad overruling career FDA scientists to place vaccines under harsher scrutiny.

If you're not reading @lizzylawrence.bsky.social's stories on the FDA, you are missing out.

Today's scoop is that agency staff were poised to evaluate Moderna's flu vaccine application but were overruled by Vinay Prasad, who refused to review the submission.

www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...

BREAKING: @lizzylawrence.bsky.social reports that CBER director Vinay Prasad overruled career #FDA staff and unilaterally decided to refusal to accept #Moderna 's #flu vaccine submission. www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...

FDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foods Federal health officials will reassess the safety of a chemical called BHA used in foods including potato chips, cereals, frozen meals and meat products. The U.S.

apnews.com/article/fda-...
FDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foods