closer look
DOGE targeting layoffs for HHS research agency
A small sliver of the Department of Health and Human Services that focuses on health care quality, outcomes and cost is the latest agency to sit in the crosshairs of Musk's U.S. DOGE Service.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has about 300 employees and a budget of $369 million, but employees told STAT's John Wilkerson that the staff could soon be reduced by 80% or 90% after DOGE cuts.
AHRQ does the kind of research that fits well with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s broader health plans — investigating chronic disease and obesity and pushing insurers to cover free mammograms. Kennedy even glowingly spoke about plans to work with AHRQ during his confirmation hearing. Read John Wilkerson's story for more.
FIRST OPINION
Egg (price) drop? Not so fast
I cheered last weekend when I saw egg prices at my co-op dropped from $8 to $5 a carton. Alas, I may have spoken too soon: the recent dip in wholesale egg prices could soon reverse, writes former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb.
North American flyways typically remain quiet in February, but with spring approaching, wild birds are resuming their seasonal migrations, potentially triggering renewed outbreaks of the deadly virus.
Shoring up the health of poultry, and thus the American public, is not an easy task, however. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has proposed allowing the virus to spread freely through flocks, but that strategy is impractical and risky. Prevention is the best method, and federal officials recently released a five-step plan, but political and technical realities would also complicate this strategy. Read more to find out Gottlieb's suggested solution.
Brooke Alexander for STAT
No comments