US Deputy Health Secretary Jim O'Neill, a key figure in the country's public health apparatus, is leaving his roles within the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a report by MIT Technology Review. O'Neill, who oversaw a department with a budget exceeding a trillion dollars and signed the decision memorandum on the US's new vaccine schedule, was also a proponent of longevity research.
The announcement of O'Neill's departure comes amid other significant developments. The Department of Homeland Security shut down after lawmakers failed to meet a midnight Friday deadline to fund the agency and its workforce of over 260,000 people, as reported by NPR News. The shutdown occurred after the department's baseline funding expired, with no agreement reached to regulate the conduct of federal immigration officers. Democrats expressed concerns following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by immigration officers in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, in Venezuela, a debate is underway concerning a sweeping amnesty for political prisoners, as detailed by NPR Politics. Relatives of political prisoners demonstrated outside the National Assembly, advocating for democracy.
In other news, research suggests that moderate caffeine intake might reduce dementia risk, according to Nature News. A study involving 130,000 people linked coffee consumption to slower brain aging. Additionally, new research has uncovered how microbes shape ecosystem resilience, as reported by Phys.org. The study highlighted the complex role of microbes in regulating the health of forests and oceans.
O'Neill's role as Deputy Health Secretary made him one of the most powerful people in public health, according to MIT Technology Review. He was involved in longevity-focused research supported by ARPA-H, a federal agency dedicated to biomedical breakthroughs.
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