THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION +++++

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Stat: Ralph Abraham, No. 2 Official At CDC, Abruptly Steps Down https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/23/ralph-abraham-cdc-resigns/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--DdAOaG-EfcXWUbteHN1i15f6JTfRDORCKhFQTfQ9hNSUCnzd49wPCAWI-RhxJOgkhAILZwAlEf4f4JEE4e9bVjkQwaA&_hsmi=405257711&utm_content=405257711&utm_source=hs_email The drama and chaos surrounding the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken another twist, with the announcement Monday that the agency’s No. 2 official, Ralph Abraham, has resigned. (Branswell, 2/23) MedPage Today: FDA Proposes New Approval Pathway For Rare Disease Gene Therapy https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/fdageneral/120010?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_ZEmuYM-4GWdG4bSTOdbV1ED_EGT2_P6AxfKRg1zyFxkI_fwThPGfov5YsGpR53eXkYWQ4Vp_Fe4qXXzh3xT6_Eb2unw&_hsmi=405257711&utm_content=405257711&utm_source=hs_email The FDA on Monday unveiled draft guidance for a new "plausible mechanism" approval pathway for ultra-rare disease treatments. "What is a 'plausible mechanism' pathway? It's common sense," FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, said at a press conference at HHS headquarters. "For the first time, the FDA is issuing guidance giving drug developers of ultra-rare disease therapies a path to accelerated or traditional approval based on the experience of individuals." (Frieden, 2/23) Politico: RFK Jr. Says We Need More Herbicide Production, Stunning His Followers https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/23/rfk-jr-s-endorsement-of-trumps-plan-to-boost-u-s-herbicide-production-threatens-maga-maha-alliance-00793648?utm_campaign=KHN:+First+Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--oQPBetyv65qj5cWWwbhq5bxBVYaPpCHupiHQvqH7z6KMwg0OzNbW-lc8zhDFZk1N1clE_D3pRBaaMOtuSXyAVNd30xQ&_hsmi=405257711&utm_content=405257711&utm_source=hs_email Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to endorse increased production of a chemical herbicide he has previously called a carcinogen has sparked a furious reaction among his followers and stressed the MAGA-MAHA alliance. The health secretary explained in a post to X on Sunday night he was backing a directive from President Donald Trump to boost manufacturing of agricultural chemicals he says “put Americans at risk” in order to reduce dependence on them from “adversarial nations,” alarming supporters of his Make America Healthy Again movement. (Reader, Burns and Brown, 2/23) Becker's Hospital Review: AHA Urges HHS To Align AI Rules With Existing Healthcare Regulations https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/ai/aha-urges-hhs-to-align-ai-rules-with-existing-healthcare-regulations/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Judqe-xQpGC8Rs4zTwhk7jCt42pQTBS8gylrv_SKR7_asNDH8sXRHLdnyEZqiYFQT4j2SiQPZY-EGIVaqZ6o71WwV3A&_hsmi=405257711&utm_content=405257711&utm_source=hs_email The American Hospital Association is calling on federal health officials to reduce regulatory barriers and ensure clinician oversight as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into clinical care. In a Feb. 23 letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, the AHA outlined recommendations in response to the agency’s request for information on accelerating AI adoption in healthcare. (Diaz, 2/23) The New York Times: Trump, Bruised And Unpopular, Turns To State Of The Union For A Reset https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/24/us/politics/trump-popularity-agenda-state-of-the-union.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8bB9kL1mtYzKrrcnTKWGm33ZcflCWyW4tpa8glo6QSEILVyVc4yvbYcOix61sz_aQvibtGqsIsVmfl8rWJW6nVcNYd8A&_hsmi=405257711&utm_content=405257711&utm_source=hs_email This year, a substantial number of Democrats are planning to boycott the speech and attend an alternative event, a rally called the “People’s State of the Union,” which will take place on the National Mall near the Capitol. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, has encouraged members to either sit silently through the speech or boycott it altogether, rather than attend and create distractions in the House chamber. Such protests potentially risk alienating swing voters ahead of the midterms. (Broadwater, 2/24)