As RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine ways turn toxic to GOP, CDC director is hard to find
Wednesday was the deadline to nominate a new director.
Beth Mole
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Beth Mole
Senior Health Reporter
beth.mole@meincmagazine.com
Beth is Ars Technica’s Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Before becoming a science writer and journalist, she conducted post-doctoral research on drug development and antibiotic resistance. Now, with over a decade of experience reporting on life sciences and biomedical research, she specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. Before joining Ars in 2015, her stories were featured in publications such as Nature, Science, The Scientist, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Science News. In 2014, her work was honored by the DC Science Writers Association. She currently resides in the Raleigh, NC area, where she runs, bakes, decorates cakes, and builds Lego and train sets with her family. You can find her on Bluesky @bethmariem.bsky.social.
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Antibiotic resistance among germs swells during droughts, study suggests
Study links two crises: Climate change and antibiotic-resistant infections.
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“The last straw”—RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine ally angrily quits CDC panel after spat
Robert Malone quit a vaccine panel, blaming an HHS spokesperson for “trashing” him.
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118
Trump’s MAHA pick for surgeon general flounders amid GOP doubts
She stalled over MAHA woo-woo, anti-vaccine views, and lacking medical background.
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106
You’re likely already infected with a brain-eating virus you’ve never heard of
Fatal brain infection was thought to be from profound immune suppression. Not anymore.
Beth Mole
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RFK may replace entire panel of CDC vaccine advisors again, ally lets slip
Robert Malone made the claim, then retracted it, as HHS denied it.
Beth Mole
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RFK Jr. has destroyed over a quarter of health dept’s expert panels
Under Kennedy, the health dept. has wiped out 75 advisory boards, corrupted others.
Beth Mole
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FDA links raw cheese to outbreak; Makers “100% disagree,” refuse recall
Of the seven illnesses identified so far, four are in children age 3 or younger.
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RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine changes to CDC vaccine guidance blocked by judge
Ruling temporarily blocks changes to vaccine recommendations and an advisory board.
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Woman sneezes out maggots after fly larvae get trapped in her deviated septum
She made a full recovery, despite the maggots.
Beth Mole
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Measles vaccinations rose 291% among New Mexico adults during outbreak
Despite anti-vaccine rhetoric, New Mexico residents embraced lifesaving shots.
Beth Mole
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Report: RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine agenda curbed as GOP realizes it’s unpopular
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s allies want all vaccine recommendations eliminated.
Beth Mole
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195
FDA contradicts Trump admin, declines to approve generic drug for autism
In the end, the FDA only approved the drug for a rare genetic condition with clearer data.
Beth Mole
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Trump’s divisive FDA vaccine regulator self-destructs, will exit agency (again)
It’s unclear what Prasad’s FDA exit means, but some drug makers are happy to see him go.
Beth Mole
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Fishing crews in the Atlantic keep accidentally dredging up chemical weapons
Fishing crews face horrifying burns from dredging the dumped chemical weapons.
Beth Mole
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155
Americans trust Fauci over RFK Jr. and career scientists over Trump officials
RFK Jr. has tried hard to villainize Fauci. Americans still trust Fauci more.
Beth Mole
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161
RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine policies are “unreviewable,” DOJ lawyer tells judge
The startling claim came amid a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Beth Mole
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243
Medical journal The Lancet blasts RFK Jr.’s health work as a failure
Kennedy’s destruction “might take generations to repair,” The Lancet said.
Beth Mole
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131
In puzzling outbreak, officials look to cold beer, gross ice, and ChatGPT
An AI chatbot convinced health investigators they had the right answer.
Beth Mole
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Could a vaccine prevent dementia? Shingles shot data only getting stronger.
Latest data hints that benefits seen so far could be underestimates.
Beth Mole
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Trump’s MAHA influencer pick for surgeon general goes before Senate
Casey Means holds no active medical license and promotes alternative medicine.
Beth Mole
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MAHA moms threaten to turn this car around as RFK Jr. flips on pesticide
MAHA members call movement a “sham” after Kennedy supports glyphosate order.
Beth Mole
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Controversial NIH director now in charge of CDC, too, in RFK Jr. shake-up
The unusual dual role has renewed criticism of Bhattacharya’s lack of leadership.
Beth Mole
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FDA reverses surprise rejection of Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine
Trump admin’s vaccine chief overruled FDA scientists to initially reject the shot.
Beth Mole
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136
99% of adults over 40 have shoulder “abnormalities” on an MRI, study finds
Some adults over 40 have shoulder pain, but nearly all have “abnormal” joints.
Beth Mole
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132
WHO slams US-funded newborn vaccine trial as “unethical”
CDC awarded $1.6 million for study birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau.
Beth Mole
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232
Trump official overruled FDA scientists to reject Moderna’s flu shot
FDA’s top vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad, is known for overruling scientists.
Beth Mole
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138
RFK Jr. food pyramid site links to Grok, which says you shouldn’t trust RFK Jr.
Grok generated a meal plan to fit RFK Jr.’s food pyramid, then explained why it’s bad.
Beth Mole
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138
FDA refuses to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine
The move comes amid RFK Jr.’s relentless efforts to enact his anti-vaccine agenda.
Beth Mole
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303
Dewormer ivermectin as cancer cure? RFK Jr.’s NIH funds “absurd” study.
There’s no reason to think ivermectin cures cancer, but RFK Jr’s NIH is on it anyway.
Beth Mole
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218
Penisgate erupts at Olympics; scandal exposes risks of bulking your bulge
Claims of penis injections in ski jumpers has fillers spewing into the news.
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214
Bad sleep made woman’s eyelids so floppy they flipped inside out, got stuck
Never underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep.
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Trump admin is “destroying medical research,” Senate report finds
In a Senate hearing Tuesday, NIH director dismissed concern about research chaos.
Beth Mole
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Newborn dies after mother drinks raw milk during pregnancy
Raw milk is promoted by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Kennedy.
Beth Mole
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277
Guinea worm on track to be 2nd eradicated human disease; only 10 cases in 2025
When the eradication program began in 1986, there were a 3.5 million cases.
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TrumpRx delayed as senators question if it’s a giant scam with Big Pharma
The website is delayed as senators seek answers from health department watchdog.
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