Is RFK Jr. Satan? Do Not Resuscitate #370 Nov 22 2024

On "Do Not Resuscitate" this week, I review the brouhaha over Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the prospects for his appointment as HHS Secretary, which is putting a twist in many knickers. Justified or hysterical? Let's review: the guy has been lackadaisical with facts, full of bluster, and allergic to acknowledging error. That said, he claims that there are crises of unhealthy corporate food, over-medicalization of children, Pharma domination of our lives and airwaves, and regulatory capture by industry. Is he wrong? In a way, Kennedy is a replica of Trump: erratic, brash, shooting from the hip, fond of threats, promising the magic wand radical makeover. They both also have powerful winds behind them, so we’d better deal with it. We can look beyond individuals to examine systems and policies as they evolve. I ditch the “dangerous crackpot” liturgy in favor of looking closely at actions taken and their consequences, which I will review weekly right here.

You can get my full written digest by writing to my email below. Here are the links to all the articles mentioned in this podcast and another link to the back archive going back 6 years. 

Arthur Allen, “Scientists fear what’s next for public health if RFK Jr. is allowed to ‘go wild,’” KFF Health News/Scientific American, Nov 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/40YzaP8

Daniel Payne, Chelsea Cirruzzo, Marcia Brown, Brittany Gibson & Annie Snider, “How RFK Jr. could cause an earthquake for American public health,” Politico, Nov 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/4eErHrq

Katherine Fung, “Is RFK Jr. anti-vaccine? Everything the HHS secretary nominee has said,” Newsweek, Nov 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fZWkc5

Nina Agrawal, “Three-quarters of U.S. adults are now overweight or obese,” New York Times, Nov 14, 2024 https://nyti.ms/4i1zUZR

Kevin D. Hall, “From dearth to excess: the rise of obesity in an ultra-processed food system,” Philosophical Transactions, May 23, 2023 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2022.0214

Joyce Frieden, “Physician groups quiet on RFK Jr. nomination for HHS secretary,” MedPage Today, Nov 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fUncKv

Robert M. Califf, Haider J. Warraich & Jim Jones, “FDA commissioner: We need action and higher-quality research on ultra-processed foods,” STAT, Nov 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3CD1qfY

Patrick Maguire, “Dr. Deborah Birx says she is ‘excited’ for data-driven discussions in RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearings,” CBS News, Nov 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/4eGGO3R

Elizabeth Williams & Jennifer Kates, “Childhood vaccination rates continue to decline as Trump heads for a second term,” KFF Health News, Nov 18, 2024 https://bit.ly/3OmI9li

Meg Tirrell, “Doctors say RFK Jr.’s anti-Ozempic stance perpetuates stigma and misrepresents evidence,” CNN, Nov 17, 2024 https://bit.ly/3CAXxYS

Céline Gounder, “What to know about RFK Jr.’s stances on key health issues and what he could do at HHS,” KFF Health News/CBS News, Nov 15, 2024 https://bit.ly/3AUidul

Berkeley Lovelace Jr., “FDA employees consider how to handle RFK Jr., including leaving,” NBC News, Nov 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3CEGWU7

Frank Thorp V, Kate Santaliz & Megan Lebowitz, “From ‘brilliant’ to ‘dangerous’: Mixed reactions roll in after Trump picks RFK Jr. for top health post,” NBC News, Nov 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fZahai

Zeynep Tufekci, “How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could destroy one of civilization’s best achievements,” New York Times, Nov 16, 2024 https://bit.ly/4fz3Fj2

Emma Beavins, “‘All in’ on value-based care,” Fierce Healthcare, Nov 14, 2024 https://bit.ly/3ZdRwu1

Pete Dolack, “The cost of corporate profit in U.S. health care reaches $2 trillion,” Counterpunch, Nov 10, 2024 https://bit.ly/3Oinwqv

For the archive go to www.nypan.org/single-payer-news

For my written digest, write to tfrasca@yahoo.com