This week on Paging America, Miles Baker and Dr. Rob Davidson are discussing the Senate HELP Committee hearing for FDA nominee Heidi Overton, whose support for changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and push to restrict abortion have raised serious alarms. Miles walks through the two-step Senate process that could stop her nomination and where Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy stand.
From there, the hosts turn to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s return to Children’s Health Defense, where after nearly 90 minutes on stage he claimed HHS is looking into, believe it or not, chemtrails. His latest financial disclosure adds to the picture, showing more than $250,000 in free flights and vacation use from a wealthy donor, plus $4 million in book advances.
Then it’s on to the Trump administration’s move to politicize NIH grants, including a draft executive order that would create a committee with veto power over awards and reports of money being routed toward the Pentagon. The hosts also react to the announcement from JD Vance and Dr. Oz that roughly 760,000 people will lose ACA coverage for never filing a claim, just 43 days before the election, and explain why it’s bad policy and worse politics. Dr. Rob also weighs in on Mitch McConnell’s return to the Senate, explaining what anoxic brain injury can mean for an 84-year-old and why the situation strengthens the case for term limits.
Plus, Dr. Rob sits down with Dr. Vin Gupta, a practicing pulmonologist, medical analyst for MSNOW, and head of health content at the Meidas Touch Network. They discuss why Overton is unqualified to lead the FDA, how ideology is driving decisions at the NIH, and why cutting health disparities research makes little sense even on economic grounds. Dr. Gupta also digs into the erosion of public trust in doctors and health agencies, why patients still trust their own physicians, and why AI in healthcare shouldn’t be an all-or-nothing debate.
Want to help stop Heidi Overton’s nomination? Doctors, nurses, and other providers can volunteer at committeetoprotect.org.
LINKS
Learn about what you can do to fight the nomination of anti-abortion, anti-vaxx zealot Heidi Overton in the Committee’s
Medical Professional ToolkitHERE.U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP):
Nomination of Heidi Overton to be Commissioner of Food and DrugsPOLITICO:Bill Cassidy on vaccines, RFK Jr. and the fight for public trustPEOPLE:RFK Jr. Says Vaccine Critics ‘Have a Friend at the White House’INDEPENDENT:RFK Jr switches gears from anti-vaxx promotion to amplify 5G conspiracy theoryU.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services press release:
HHS Seeks Public Input on Electromagnetic Fields and Wireless RadiationUSA Today:RFK Jr. tells USA TODAY 5G towers for cellphone use ‘a major health concern’MS NOW:New ethics questions add to RFK Jr.’s many ongoing woesLa Voce di New York:RFK Jr. Discloses More Than $250,000 in Trips Paid for by a DonorNPR:RFK Jr.’s ethics disclosure reveals free travel and hefty book advancesThe New York Times:White House Moves to Take Control of N.I.H. GrantsPOLITICO:Trump asked budget chief to draft order bringing health research funding under his controlThe Hill:Vance-led task force set to remove 750K ObamaCare enrollees, citing fraudVideo of Dr. Oz’s comments
𝕏via Aaron Rupar on XDr. Rob’s
𝕏response tweetJuly 12th
Statement From Senator Mitch McConnellReuters:A frail-looking McConnell returns to the US Senate after three-month absenceTMZ(VIDEO):Mitch McConnell Makes Rare Public Appearance After Months Out Of SightDesirée Townsend’s
𝕏tweeted video of McConnellThe New Republic:What Mitch McConnell Looked Like After He Had to Be Told How to VoteGallup:
Americans’ Ratings of U.S. Professions Stay Historically LowDr. Vin Gupta
on LinkedInDr. Vin Gupta
on XDr. Vin Gupta
on BlueSky
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