Scientist Whose Work Led FDA To Ban Food Dye Says Agency Overstated Risk
By Phil Galewitz
Almost 40 years ago, Joseph Borzelleca published a study on red dye No. 3, a petroleum-based food coloring. The FDA cited his work to ban the additive in January. But Borzelleca says it’s safe.
Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants
By Arthur Allen
Two senior scientists say National Institutes of Health officials advised them to remove references to mRNA vaccines in grant applications, and they fear the Trump administration will abandon a promising field of medical research.
Daily Edition for Friday, March 14, 2025
Medicaid Shortfall Raises Concerns: California lawmakers are calling for answers after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office floated a $3.44 billion loan to bail out the Medi-Cal program, bringing renewed scrutiny on the state’s coverage of undocumented immigrants. Lawmakers said they were caught off guard by the news and still don’t understand the extent of the shortfall. Read more from Politico. Scroll down for more about Medi-Cal costs and cuts.
Barbershop Killing Escalates Trauma for Boston Neighborhood Riven by Gun Violence
By Chaseedaw Giles
American communities plagued by gun violence, including Four Corners in Boston, honor pockets of safety as sacred spaces. A brazen barbershop killing was a new and traumatic violation.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Cutting Continues
The Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal government continue, with both personnel and programs being cut at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration. Meanwhile, the fight over cuts to the Medicaid program for those with low incomes heats up, as Republicans worry that more of their voters than ever before are Medicaid beneficiaries. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jeff Grant, who recently retired from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after 41 years in government service.
California Borrows $3.4 Billion for Medicaid Overrun as Congress Eyes Steep Cuts
By Christine Mai-Duc
Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, borrowed $3.4 billion from the state — and will likely need even more — due to higher prescription costs and increased eligibility for seniors and immigrants. The top Republican in the state Senate is demanding a hearing “so the public knows exactly where their tax dollars are going.”
Can House Republicans Cut $880 Billion Without Slashing Medicaid? It’s Likekly Impossible.
By Madison Czopek, PolitiFact and Amy Sherman, PolitiFact
A Republican House resolution, which needs the Senate’s buy-in, directed a committee to propose ways to reduce the deficit by at least $880 billion over a decade. Lawmakers have taken Medicare off the table for cuts, which makes it impossible to reach $880 billion without cutting Medicaid.
Daily Edition for Thursday, March 13, 2025
California Runs Short On Medi-Cal Funds: California will need to borrow $3.44 billion to close a budget gap in the state’s Medicaid program, Newsom administration officials told lawmakers Wednesday in a letter obtained by Politico. That’s the maximum amount California can borrow and will only be enough to cover bills for Medi-Cal through the end of the month, Department of Finance spokesperson H.D. Palmer separately told Politico. Read more from Politico. Keep scrolling for more on Medicaid and Medicare.
Progressives Seek Health Privacy Protections in California, But Newsom Could Balk
By Vanessa G. Sánchez
Democratic state lawmakers in California have proposed bills to protect women, transgender people, and immigrants in response to concerns that their health data could be used against them. If the measures reach his desk, Gov. Gavin Newsom could lay such legislation aside to focus on securing federal funds.
In Trump’s Team, Supplement Fans Find Kindred Spirits in Search of Better Health
By Darius Tahir
President Donald Trump’s health team has deep financial ties to the supplements industry. Now they’re poised to boost its growth and remake the government’s approach to health.
