The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to review Moderna's application for an mRNA flu vaccine, a move that the company said blindsided them, according to a news release late Tuesday. This decision comes amid growing scrutiny of the agency under the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been criticized for his anti-vaccine stance.
Moderna's announcement of the FDA's refusal was made public on Tuesday. The FDA's decision is the latest in a series of actions that have raised concerns about the agency's approach to vaccines, particularly mRNA vaccines. Kennedy, in his first year in office, has already reduced childhood vaccine recommendations and canceled $500 million in research funding for mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic threats, according to Ars Technica.
Simultaneously, the National Cancer Institute is using federal funds to study whether ivermectin, a deworming drug, can cure cancer, a move that has been criticized as "absurd" by some. Large clinical trials have shown that ivermectin is not effective against COVID-19, and there is no scientific evidence to support its use in treating cancer, Ars Technica reported.
Adding to the controversy, Kennedy is promoting a government website, Realfood.gov, that encourages people to use Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok to get dietary advice. The new dietary guidelines, released in January, recommend a higher protein intake than previously advised, between 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, Wired reported.
In other news, an annual meeting of the nation's governors is unraveling after President Donald Trump excluded Democratic governors from White House events, according to The Associated Press. The National Governors Association will no longer hold a formal meeting with Trump when governors convene in Washington.
In the tech sector, OpenAI is facing allegations that it violated California's new AI safety law with the release of its latest coding model, GPT-5.3-Codex. A violation could lead to millions of dollars in fines. An OpenAI spokesperson disputed the watchdog's position, stating the company was confident in its compliance with safety laws, Fortune reported.
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