KitKat, Gatorade or granola bars? What’s banned under new SNAP rules is mixed. Many GOP states are enacting soda and candy bans for food stamp purchases amid MAHA’s healthy food efforts. Some retailers and SNAP users find the new rules complicated.

KitKat, Gatorade or granola bars? Pushed by RFK Jr., what’s banned under new food stamp rules has been mixed, leading to maze of new restrictions.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

Four things to watch as RFK Jr. defends his health agenda on the Hill Vaccines and turmoil at the agencies under his leadership are expected to be hot topics.

RFK Jr. begins a seven hearing blitz on Capitol Hill this morning.

Here’s what we’re watching with updates throughout the day. With @laurenweberhp.bsky.social

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Amid wellness craze, FDA weighs lifting peptide restrictions Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a self-professed “big fan” of peptides. They have grown in popularity for wellness and antiaging, but many remain untested.

FDA weighs lifting peptide restrictions amid wellness craze and push from RFK Jr.

The agency had previously restricted some peptides due to safety concerns. With @laurenweberhp.bsky.social

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White House reaffirms support for surgeon general pick after Trump remarks After President Trump said Sunday that “we have a lot of great candidates” when asked about Casey Means’s nomination, the White House reiterated its support for her.

Despite President Trump saying Sunday “we have a lot of great candidates for that” when asked about Casey Means’s stalled surgeon general nomination, the White House reiterated its support for her tonight.

w/ @rachelroubein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

White House delays CDC pick as officials search for permanent director The responsibilities of leading the agency will remain with Jay Bhattacharya, the head of the National Institutes of Health, who has been serving as acting CDC director since last month

The White House is delaying its pick of a new CDC director as they continue to interview candidates.

Jay Bhattacharya will continue to oversee the agency on an interim basis.

@lenasun.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social with a little help from me

MAHA’s political power tested as surgeon general pick stalls Casey Means faces pushback from some Republicans over her refusal to forcefully recommend vaccines.

MAHA’s political power tested as Casey Means's nomination stalls

w/ @rachelroubein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

The White House faces complicated political dynamics as it searches for a CDC director.

About a half dozen are under consideration, including Mississippi's health director, a former KY governor & a cardiologist.

With @lenasun.bsky.social & @ddiamond.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/lena...

White House navigates vaccine politics, midterm risks in CDC director search The Trump administration faces complicated political dynamics as it seeks someone to helm the key public health agency suffering a prolonged leadership vacuum.

NEW: White House faces fast-approaching deadline to name CDC director. Here are three ppl being considered. w/ @ddiamond.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social
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News: Some members of a key federal vaccine panel had been seeking to potentially stop recommending mRNA covid-19 shots. That plan is no longer moving forward.

With @lenasun.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/lena...

RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers drop proposal to revisit covid-19 shot Some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel have publicly questioned the safety and manufacturing of the shots, including raising a debunked theory that DNA contaminants in the vaccines are harmf...

SCOOP: A key federal vaccine panel has abandoned an attack on covid-19 mRNA vaccines — a shift that comes as some GOP warn that any more changes to vaccine policy could damage midterm prospects. Me + @rachelroubein.bsky.com
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Why RFK Jr. is suddenly talking less about vaccines Health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on tour to tout his MAHA food initiatives and drug pricing over vaccines, an issue GOP pollsters see as a liability.

Ahead of the midterms, RFK Jr. is messaging on food & drug pricing, and downplaying vaccines, as some Republicans warn vaccines could be a liability.

This comes as influential MAHA leaders want to spend big for GOP. Tony Lyons wants to raise $100M.

w/ @laurenweberhp.bsky.social

Trump order to promote weedkiller sparks fury in MAHA movement Allies of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are frustrated that the Trump administration has embraced chemicals that they say harm human health.

Trump's order to promote a widely used weedkiller sparked swift & fierce backlash from some MAHA supporters

With @laurenweberhp.bsky.social

washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine The decision, which shocked company officials, comes as the FDA says it will take a stricter approach to federal vaccine approvals.

FDA refuses to review Moderna’s application for first mRNA flu vaccine www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/... @rachelroubein.bsky.social

We are absolutely heartbroken by the loss of two-thirds of our Washington Post health team. Editors, please hire these wonderful journalists.

We had devastating cuts to @washingtonpost. Our health team of 14 lost 9 reporters yesterday despite it being listed as part of the Post’s new focus.
But I still have my job. Along w/a core team, we are still dedicated to covering public health, holding the powerful to account.

I’m stunned and heartbroken. I’ve been laid off, along with so many dear colleagues. Making my way to The Post nine years ago felt like a dream come true.

It takes all of us to make The Washington Post. Every section works together to create this authoritative, entertaining, worldwide news report.

So, Jeff Bezos, #SaveThePost.

"While children in California, which does not allow for nonmedical vaccine exemptions, are vaccinated against measles at 96 percent, there is not a single county in Idaho, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah or Wisconsin whose kindergarten rates meet herd immunity protection."

Amid the changes, he leaned into his more broadly popular messaging around food, posting more than 2x as frequently about food than vaccines while in office.

Among the asks: Replace the membership of an influential vaccine panel. Reconsider the universal hep B vaccine recommendation. Revisit the use of multidose flu shot vials.

How RFK Jr. upended the public health system Interviews with almost 100 people reveal how Kennedy, as health secretary, has reshaped the vaccine and broader public health infrastructure in less than a year.

“Bobby has asked for the following changes,” top Kennedy aide emailed HHS officials. Email reveals his previously undisclosed role in seeking vaccine policy changes in a highly unusual way, per experts/former/current officials. W/ @lenasun.bsky.social @laurenweberhp.bsky.social
wapo.st/48YSPC1

U.S. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors The plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices.

BREAKING: US. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors, per sources familiar. HHS consulted w chief science officer and top FDA official. Me and @rachel_roubein
1/4
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Under RFK Jr., U.S. plans to stop recommending most vaccines, defer to doctors The plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices.

BREAKING: The U.S. is preparing to stop recommending most childhood vaccines and defer to doctors instead.

The plan, which is not finalized, marks a fundamental shift in the U.S. vaccine strategy, @lenasun.bsky.social & @rachelroubein.bsky.social report.

Gift link: wapo.st/4aXfzn5

More from our story on FDA:
—Officials have held meetings at the WH this week to discuss turmoil at agency
—Prasad’s vaccine email wasn’t cleared with HHS or RFK Jr.

with @ddiamond.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/ddia...

Ahead of Thanksgiving, Trump health officials thought they’d tamped down on the turmoil at the FDA.

But in the last week, the turnover & public concern over the direction of the agency has only grown.

Our latest w/ @ddiamond.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/ddia...

FDA instability, alarm over agency’s direction escalate after top regulator exits As leadership churn continues, FDA’s unpredictability rattles companies relying on stable regulation.

The top drug regulator abruptly resigned. Staff complaints piled up. Outside experts warned FDA was in trouble.

That was a month ago, prompting urgent meetings. Leaders soon claimed problems were fixed.

Then it all happened again in the past week.

On FDA chaos w @rachelroubein.bsky.social

RICK PAZDUR is now planning to resign at the end of the year — three weeks after taking the job as FDA's top drug regulator.

Big shake-up after a year of turbulence at the agency.

Story w @rachelroubein.bsky.social.

(And credit to Stat's @lizzylawrence.bsky.social, who beat us out the door.)

The FDA's top vaccine regulator laid out a stricter approach for federal vaccine approvals in an internal email.

More on the changes and what this could mean with @ddiamond.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/ddia...

FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements, claiming child covid shot deaths Vinay Prasad, the nation’s top vaccine regulator, said his team concluded that coronavirus shots were linked to children’s deaths, necessitating a new approach.

Big change: FDA to impose strict new vaccine requirements under RFK Jr ally

Vinay Prasad signaled changes to annual flu shots, concurrent vaccines + more

Prasad said his team found link between covid-19 shots and kids' deaths, necessitating a new approach overall

with @rachelroubein.bsky.social

Pazdur and Makary have disagreed over the commissioner’s plan to reduce the number of research studies needed to justify more drug-related decisions, such as changes to drug labels, two of the people said. Makary has argued his plan to reduce the burden of proof to a single study would allow the agency to more quickly respond to new evidence. Pazdur has countered that multiple studies may be necessary in many cases and would better protect public health. Pazdur has also raised concerns about Makary’s new drug-review program, which has been part of Trump’s push for lower drug prices and efforts to boost domestic manufacturing. Pazdur told colleagues the program — which allows the agency to significantly shorten review times and expedite approvals for treatments that are aligned with the country’s health priorities — is not sufficiently transparent and could be illegal, the people said. The Trump administration has partly leaned on the program as it seeks to strike deals with drug companies to voluntarily cut their prices in exchange for quick drug approvals and other benefits.

Pazdur, a longtime FDA employee, has taken issue with Commissioner Marty Makary's plans to reduce the number of research studies needed to justify more drug-related decisions — with Makary arguing just one study is sufficient.

Also has warned that new Trump drug voucher plan may not be legal.