Public Health
Can the Government Mandate a Vaccine for Your Own Good? This Federal Court Says Yes.
The 9th Circuit made a ruling this year that could allow far-ranging government interference with private health decisions.
Covid Beach Closures, the Takings Clause, and the Police Power Exception
A recent 11th Circuit decision rightly ruled that mandatory Covid beach closures violated the Takings Clause. But the court overlooked the key issue of how to assess the "police power" exception to Takings Clause liability.
Don't Extend Obamacare Subsidies To End the Government Shutdown
Government interference in health care should be reduced, not expanded.
Oregon's E-Cigarette Censorship Is Unconstitutional—and Makes No Sense
Sometimes the state's rules require stores to cover almost the entire label of products—in places that don't even admit minors.
Autism Research Doesn't Need Washington's Help
When the state dictates both the questions science asks and the answers it offers, it converts knowledge into propaganda and health into a matter of politics.
Tough It Out
Plus: Charlie Kirk's funeral's aesthetics, Kamala Harris' election postmortem, and more...
Alcohol Escapes a Government Crackdown—for Now
A quiet push to declare “no safe level” of drinking has officially fizzled.
The Trump Administration Misses Key Deadlines for Imposing Restrictions on Gain-of-Function Research
Biosafety advocates worry the administration is backtracking on its promise to implement meaningful restrictions on the type of research that likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fact Check: Did Trump and RFK Jr. Hide the Link Between Alcohol and Cancer?
No. Federal dietary guidelines have made that connection since the 1980s, but some anti-alcohol activists are mad they didn't get to rewrite the rules this year.
Florida Gets Closer To Being a 'Free State' With Plan To End School Vaccine Mandate
Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo proposed ending the requirement that public school children be vaccinated, calling the mandate "slavery."
FDA Official Pressures YouTube Into Removing a Channel For Posting His Own Vaccine Comments
Not long ago, conservatives were rightly concerned about jawboning. Now they're apparently happy to take part in it themselves.
RFK Jr.'s Wild Week
Plus: The National Guard standoff in Chicago, navigating debates when you’re outnumbered, and a court ruling that could upend Trump’s tariff agenda.
Raw Milk Debates Are Turning Sour in Florida
Florida officials can’t agree on whether unpasteurized milk is a health threat or benefit, leaving consumers more confused than if they were left to decide for themselves.
Neither Cranks Nor Hacks Should Head HHS
RFK Jr. has had a crazy week. It will not be his last, alas.
Is RFK Jr. 'Weaponizing Public Health'?
The CDC needs drastic reform, but RFK Jr.'s firing of agency head Susan Monarez does not achieve that.
RFK Jr. Shifts $500 Million From mRNA Research to 'Safer' Vaccines. Do the Data Back That Up?
The Health and Human Services secretary once again stands athwart biomedical progress yelling, "Stop!"
Does Mental Health Awareness Make Things Worse?
Illinois wants to give mental health screenings to elementary schoolers. Will that actually help struggling kids?
Upholding a Vaccine Mandate, the 9th Circuit Embraces an Alarmingly Broad Definition of 'Public Health'
The appeals court held that the government may require COVID-19 shots based purely on the benefits to recipients.
Science Needs Dissent: NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya on COVID, Autism, and Climate Change
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya defends open disagreement, criticizes groupthink, and argues that democracy depends on our ability to speak and listen across political and scientific divides.
Abolish the U.S. Surgeon General
This “public health” position has long been a sinecure for professional activists.
Gary Taubes: MAHA, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Bad Science
Science journalist Gary Taubes discusses the MAHA Report, new dietary guidelines, and bad nutrition science on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.
Thomas Massie's New Bill Would Let People Sue Pharma for COVID Vaccine Injuries
Federal liability protections currently prevent people suing COVID-19 vaccine makers, and instead require them to request compensation from a program that's covered only 39 COVID vaccine injury claims.
Should the U.S. Have a Public Health Insurance Plan?
Yale’s Jacob Hacker and Sesame’s David Goldhill debate a government-run health insurance plan.
Although Meth Is Irresistible, The New York Times Says, Addicts Often Prefer Small Cash Rewards
The success of "contingency management" belies the notion that addiction is an uncontrollable disease caused by a drug's impact on dopamine levels.
No, That Viral Study Doesn't Show You Can Improve Your Mental Health by Deactivating Instagram
While a viral post called the results “shocking,” the study itself found little evidence that social media use harms mental health.
Trad Wives and Tallow Fries: How the Wellness Wars Flipped Health and Food Politics Upside Down
Does RFK Jr.'s MAHA movement want to loosen the government's grasp on food and medicine—or use government power to impose blueberries on everyone else?
Everything Got Worse During COVID
By almost every measure, America during the pandemic was a more dangerous, deadly, and dysfunctional place.
RFK Jr. Denigrates Privately Funded Medical Research
The Trump administration has cut billions in federal funding for medical research, as Kennedy singles out private funders for criticism.
Trump Promised To 'Save Vaping.' His FDA Head Does Not Seem Inclined To Do That.
Marty Makary grossly exaggerates the prevalence of adolescent nicotine addiction, the concern underlying his agency's restrictions on e-cigarette flavors.
RFK Jr. Plays the Hits
Plus: NYC can't build a damn park, violence against diplomats, worrying news from Anthropic, and more...
By Trump's Logic, Biden Deserves Credit for a Dramatic Drop in Overdose Deaths
That logic implausibly assumes presidents have the power to curtail substance abuse by attacking the drug supply.
Jeffrey Singer: Get Government Out of Health Care
Longtime surgeon and Cato Institute fellow Jeffrey Singer argues that government overreach in health care undermines patient autonomy.
Gen Zyn: Nicotine Pouches Help Curb Youth Smoking Rates
As young adults swap cigarettes and vapes for oral nicotine products, policymakers should recognize this shift as harm reduction instead of cracking down on personal choice.
The Supreme Court Blesses the FDA's Rejection of Flavored Nicotine Vapes
The justices unanimously overturned a 5th Circuit decision that deemed the agency's treatment of e-liquids "arbitrary and capricious."
The 3 Myths Supporting NIH Funding
Innovation, basic research, and economic growth do not rely on federal science funding.
Everyone Is Wrong About RFK Jr. and Cellphones
There's no strong evidence that cellphones cause cancer. There also isn't strong evidence that cellphones cause teen depression.
RFK Jr. Wants To Ban Food Dyes. Would That Really Improve Public Health?
Such a regulation would override consumer choice for scientifically shaky reasons.
The Trump Administration's HIV Prevention Contradictions
Is shutting down the CDC's HIV prevention division a good idea?
Pandemic Lockdowns Made the World Ruder
The new, coarser world will likely be with us for years to come.
DOE Set To Die
Plus: How NYC botched weed legalization, tuberculosis programs paused, "everything's computer!" and more...
Do Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin Work?
Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID-19 emergency, here's what the research says.
Do Face Masks Work?
Five years after Donald Trump declared a national COVID emergency, here's what the research says.
Medicare Deserves Attention From DOGE and Congress
Reform could replace an unsustainable boondoggle with lower costs, more freedom, and better care.
Jay Bhattacharya's Confirmation Hearing Proves the Lockdown Skeptics Won
Trump's nominee for NIH director once stirred major controversy for criticizing lockdowns, mask mandates, and school closures. Yesterday, Senate Democrats didn't even raise the issue.
