RFK Jr. Dumps on U.S. Doctors; New Chief at PhRMA; Physician Wins ‘Genius’ Grant

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said artificial intelligence is “much better informed than any doctor in the country.” (New York Times)

Meanwhile, only about 1 in 3 Americans believe that Kennedy recommends the measles vaccine, according to a survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Experts have some thoughts about that HHS report linking support for gender-affirming care to support for political violence. (NPR)

The CDC confirmed a second measles-related death and posted it on the agency website, but the agency’s count is still short of Pennsylvania’s tally. (The Hill)

Pharmaceutical lobby PhRMA has a new leader: Eric Cantor, a former Republican congressman from Virginia and former majority leader. (Reuters via AOL)

For years, Stanford University professor Bryant Lin, MD, campaigned for better lung cancer screening. Then he got the disease himself. (NPR)

Roughly 9% of older adults reported using cannabis in the past year, and 11% of those met criteria for cannabis use disorder. (Addiction)

How should kratom and 7-OH be regulated? (STAT)

A patient went to the emergency room for care, waited for hours, and left after never being seen — and was billed anyway. (KFF Health News)

Abdul El-Sayed, MD, a Democratic candidate for the Senate in Michigan, is courting members of the Make America Healthy Again movement. (Washington Post)

In 2023, 49,000 people in the U.S. died by suicide, more than twice the number who died by homicide that same year (23,000), according to the CDC. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

Parkinson’s, cognitive impairment, and COVID-19: diseases that might show signs in … belly button odor? (Discover)

Six Flags Magic Mountain is retiring its famous X2 roller coaster amid lawsuits alleging serious brain injury caused by the ride. (AP)

Can embryos be safely edited and made into healthy babies? This startup says yes. (NPR)

Merck said it will discontinue its imipenem-cilastatin/relebactam (Recarbrio) antibiotic for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. (CIDRAP)

Chip Thomas, MD, 69, who worked as a physician in the Navajo Nation and now is a muralist and photographer, is one of the winners of a 2026 MacArthur “genius grant.” (New York Times)

It’s not every orthopedic surgeon who has their own 3D-printed lookalike. (Preston Hollow Advocate)

The FDA said an investigation led to charges against two Indian nationals for participating in a transnational counterfeit drug distribution scheme that allegedly included counterfeit semaglutide (Ozempic).

Cholera deaths rose by 30% in 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, even though fewer cases were reported to the organization.

The WHO also released new guidelines for preventing heat-related illness at concerts, sporting events, and other large gatherings.