Kennedy consolidates his power amid CDC chaos

Plus: As MAHA turns 1, a fired-up movement is still figuring out how to fulfill its promises.

August 30, 2025 Check out STAT+

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Mariam Zuhaib/AP STAT+ | Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power RFK Jr. faces practically no opposition from the White House or lawmakers as he reshapes CDC leadership and rewrites longstanding vaccine policies. By Chelsea Cirruzzo and Isabella Cueto Mike Reddy for STAT As MAHA turns 1, a fired-up movement is still figuring out how to fulfill its promises One year after exploding on the scene, RFK Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement faces both growing influence and difficulty enacting its plans. By Isabella Cueto Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images STAT+ | Inside the CDC director's ouster: Kennedy demanded acceptance of new vaccine policies; Susan Monarez refused Tense meetings, vaccine disputes, and phone calls to senators went on behind the scenes as Susan Monarez refused to 'rubber-stamp' proposals By Daniel Payne STAT+ | Trump's hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart Trump's bruised hand highlights an often under-recognized condition, chronic venous insufficiency, or at least treatment for it. By Elizabeth Cooney FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations FDA ends emergency Covid vaccine authorizations, limiting shots for healthy children under 5 while approving boosters for older and high-risk groups. By Lizzy Lawrence and Matthew Herper Opinion: Testosterone made me feel 30 again — until it nearly broke my heart Testosterone can improve quality of life, muscle mass, bone density, and even cardiac function in some men. But those benefits exist alongside real risks. By Jeffrey T. Junig STAT+ | Amid cries for retraction, a medical journal reviews a discredited, 24-year-old paper on an antidepressant The move comes after an attorney filed a lawsuit saying the journal and its publisher violated Washington, D.C., consumer protection laws. By Ed Silverman

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