How Kennedy Could ‘Go Wild on Health,’ and The Onion’s Infowars Bid

Summary

The Headlines: How Kennedy Could ‘Go Wild on Health,’ and The Onion’s Infowars Bid

Hosted by Tracey Mumford for The New York Times

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Nomination Sparks Concern in Health and Public Policy

In a groundbreaking and controversial move, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been nominated by former President Donald Trump for the position of Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Cheryl Gay Stolberg, a seasoned Times reporter with nearly three decades of experience in Washington covering public health and politics, provides an in-depth analysis of this unprecedented nomination.

Kennedy, renowned for his environmental advocacy, has no formal training in medicine or public health. Despite this, he has meticulously crafted his public persona, often espousing unorthodox and scientifically disputed views. As Stolberg notes, "He's been angling for this position since he ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed Trump" (01:02). Trump's promise to let Kennedy “go wild on health” underscores the administration's willingness to embrace unconventional approaches.

While some of Kennedy’s policy proposals, such as addressing the impacts of ultra-processed foods, align with standard public health initiatives, his stance on issues like vaccine safety and water fluoridation has raised alarms. Stolberg highlights, “He’s spread false claims that vaccines cause autism, spoken out against fluoride in drinking water, which prevents tooth decay, and contradicted other advice from health experts” (01:52).

If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee a vast department comprising 80,000 employees, wielding considerable influence over critical areas including food and drug regulation, Medicare funding, and public health strategies. His proposed actions, such as preserving FDA records and downsizing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by firing 600 employees and cutting its budget, have ignited fears within the medical and public health communities. Stolberg emphasizes the unprecedented nature of Kennedy’s potential tenure: “In recent memory, at least, we haven't had a secretary who's come in wanting to rip up the very agencies that are responsible for enhancing the public health” (03:09).

Donald Trump's Cabinet Reshuffle and Elon Musk’s Expanding Role

Amidst the nomination saga, Donald Trump continues to shape his administration's cabinet with significant appointments and strategic alignments. In a celebratory gala at his private club in Florida, Trump announced North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as the new Secretary of the Interior, signaling a strong push towards expanding oil and gas drilling on public lands and coastal waters. Burgum’s deep connections to fossil fuel industries suggest a continuation of Trump’s energy policies.

Moreover, Trump is elevating his personal legal team to pivotal roles within the administration. Todd Blanche, his defense attorney, is poised to become Deputy Attorney General, while D. John Sauer, who represented Trump in the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity case, is set to assume the role of Solicitor General. These appointments underscore Trump’s strategy to place trusted allies in key positions.

Notably, Elon Musk, a prominent supporter of Trump, is increasingly influential in the administration’s operations. Musk has been actively participating in job interviews and is set to lead a new government efficiency agency. His involvement extends into foreign policy, exemplified by his participation in discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a notable meeting with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. This latter encounter is particularly significant given the longstanding tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Musk acting as an unofficial diplomat in the absence of formal diplomatic relations.

Alarming Surge in American Obesity Rates

A recent study published in The Lancet reveals a troubling rise in obesity rates across the United States. The research indicates that nearly three out of every four Americans are now overweight or obese, a significant increase from just over half in 1990. This surge presents a multifaceted public health crisis, with a third of American children now classified as overweight or obese.

The study attributes this trend to a combination of factors, including sedentary lifestyles, poor access to quality nutrition, and genetic predispositions. Researchers express concern over the rapid escalation of childhood obesity, which predisposes young individuals to severe health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and reduced lifespans. Addressing this epidemic requires both individual and systemic interventions. While personal lifestyle changes, medication, and surgical options offer some relief, the researchers advocate for structural measures like imposing taxes on sugary beverages and enforcing stricter regulations on the marketing of unhealthy foods.

The Onion’s Bold Acquisition of Infowars: A Satirical Turn in a Legal Battle

In a surprising development within the media landscape, The Onion has announced its acquisition of the Infowars website through a bankruptcy auction overseen by a judge. This move is a direct consequence of the protracted legal battle between Alex Jones, the founder of Infowars, and the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. In 2022, these families secured a $1.4 billion defamation judgment against Jones for his unfounded claims that the tragic school shooting was a hoax.

The Onion’s plan to relaunch Infowars as a parody aims to mock extremist online personalities while simultaneously promoting gun safety initiatives through sponsored content from the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. This strategic acquisition serves multiple purposes: it underscores the families' commitment to dismantling Jones’s influence, repurposes Infowars’ platform for constructive advocacy, and provides a means to publicly challenge Jones’s legacy.

For the families affected by Sandy Hook, this initiative represents both a symbolic and practical victory. It not only advances their call for stricter gun control measures but also offers a form of retribution against Jones, whose conspiracy theories have caused immense pain and misinformation.

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul Set for Unprecedented Boxing Showdown on Netflix

In the realm of sports and entertainment, a highly anticipated boxing match is set to take place in Texas, featuring former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson challenging social media influencer and boxer Jake Paul. Tyson, aged 58, is looking to reclaim his former glory, while the 27-year-old Paul aims to solidify his status in the boxing world.

The bout will be exclusively streamed on Netflix, reflecting the platform’s strategic expansion into live sporting events beyond its traditional offerings of romantic comedies and documentaries. This matchup is expected to draw millions of viewers, highlighting the growing trend of celebrity-driven sports entertainment.

The motivations behind this fight are as unconventional as the competitors themselves. Jake Paul has cited a visionary experience induced by the psychedelic brew ayahuasca as the inspiration for challenging Tyson. Conversely, Tyson has been propelled by a surreal idea stemming from hallucinogenic experiences involving toad venom. These unconventional inspirations add an element of unpredictability to an already intriguing event, promising a spectacle that extends beyond mere athletic competition.

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Conclusion

Today's episode of The Headlines delves into a spectrum of pressing issues, from the contentious nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the strategic maneuvers within Donald Trump's administration, the escalating obesity crisis, media transformations with The Onion's acquisition of Infowars, and the sensational intersection of celebrity and sports in the Tyson-Paul fight. Each topic underscores significant shifts in political, public health, media, and cultural landscapes, offering listeners a comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs.

For more in-depth discussions and future episodes, subscribe to The New York Times Audio app or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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Timestamps:

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Nomination: 00:45, 01:02, 01:52, 03:09
• Donald Trump's Cabinet Picks: 03:09, 03:35, 03:42
• Obesity Study: 05:xx
• The Onion and Infowars: 05:xx
• Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul: 08:24, 08:27, 08:34, 08:39

Note: Timestamps correspond to the original podcast transcript sections.

Transcript

[Michael J. Fox]

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[Tracey Mumford]

From the new York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracey Mumford. Today's Friday, November 15th. Here's what we're covering.

[Cheryl Gay Stolberg]

I've been in Washington for nearly 30 years covering both public health and politics. And I don't think we've ever seen a figure quite like Robert F. Kennedy nominated for a high ranking health position.

[Tracey Mumford]

My colleague Cheryl Gay Stolberg is covering Donald Trump's latest cabinet pick, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. For Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is an environmental lawyer with no formal training in medicine or public health, but he's crafted his public image, sharing unorthodox views on the topics. He's been angling for this position since he ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed Trump. On the campaign trail. Trump promised he would let Kennedy, quote, go wild on health. Sheryl says some of what Kennedy wants to do is relatively standard, like focusing on the effects of ultra processed foods. But he's also spread false claims that vaccines cause autism, spoken out against fluoride in drinking water, which prevents tooth decay, and contradicted other advice from health experts.

[Cheryl Gay Stolberg]

If he becomes health secretary, Kennedy would have control over a sprawling department with 80,000 employees and broad control over Americans daily life, everything from regulating food and medicine to whether Medicare will pay for your drugs and hospital treatments. And because of this sweeping control and because of his unorthodox views, his nomination is generating a lot of alarm. Kennedy has told the FDA to preserve your records and pack your bags. He said he wants to fire 600 people at the National Institutes of Health. He wants to cut the NIH budget and reduce its focus on infectious disease. In recent memory, at least, we haven't had a secretary who's come in wanting to rip up the very agencies that are responsible for enhancing the public health. That is new and that is sending shockwaves of fear throughout the medical and public health community in this country.

[Tracey Mumford]

Meanwhile, in Florida last night, when they.

[Donald Trump]

Built Mar a Lago many years ago, the Roaring Twenties, it was a roaring Twenties and we're hotter right now than they ever were in the Roaring Twenties, I believe, but we're going to be a lot hotter.

[Tracey Mumford]

But Trump took a victory lap with a celebratory gala at his private club filled with donors and Republican lawmakers. In a 20 minute speech, he praised some of his recent administration picks and announced a new one from the stage.

[Donald Trump]

And we're going to do things with energy and with land, Interior. That is going to be incredible, trump said.

[Tracey Mumford]

He wants North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to be secretary of the Interior, the department that oversees public lands and coastal waters. Burgum will lead the Trump administration's plans to open that land and water to oil and gas drilling. He has deep ties to fossil fuel companies. Separate from his Cabinet picks, Trump's also been elevating his personal legal team to new positions in his administration. He said he'd name Todd Blanche, his defense attorney, to be deputy attorney general and D. John Sauer to be solicitor general. Sauer represented Trump in front of the Supreme Court in the presidential immunity case. One of Trump's biggest backers, Elon Musk, has quickly established himself as one of the most influential figures in Trump's transition. He's been sitting in on nearly every job interview as Trump builds out his new administration. He's supposed to help lead a new government efficiency agency, and he seems to be getting involved in foreign policy. Last week, Trump handed the phone to Musk during a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And the Times has learned that this week Musk met with Iran's ambassador to the United nations for over an hour. That meeting is particularly notable because of Iran's bad blood with Trump. American officials say that Iran tried to assassinate Trump earlier this year in retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian general when Trump was in office. But Iranian officials described the meeting with Musk as, quote, positive, and that they talked about how to diffuse tensions between the two countries. The US and Iran have had no diplomatic relations since the 1970s, so the meeting with Musk was a kind of workaround since he's not an American official, at least for the time being. A major new study has found that nearly three out of every four Americans are overweight or obese. It's a sharp increase from a few decades ago. In 1990, just over half of Americans fell into those categories. The researchers who published their findings in the journal the Lancet say the country is facing an epidemic of obesity and that they're especially worried about how quickly the rate of childhood obesity has been climbing. A third of American kids are now overweight or obese. Both conditions can lead to serious health problems ranging from diabetes to heart disease, and can shorten a person's lifespan. Researchers say that the surge is driven by factors that are often discussed, like exercise habits and a lack of access to quality food, but also by genetics and other causes that aren't fully understood yet. They also say there is no magic bullet to reverse the trend. On an individual level, people can consider changing their lifestyle or taking medication or pursuing surgery, but they say there also needs to be structural changes like taxes on sugary drinks or stricter regulations on marketing unhealthy foods. The Onion Could Be about to Own infowars no, that is not one of the site's fake headlines. Yesterday, the satirical newspaper said it won a bankruptcy auction to buy the website founded by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The deal, which is now being reviewed by a judge, is the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle between Jones and the families of the victims of the Sandy hook shooting. In 2022, they won a $1.4 billion defamation suit against Jones for spreading baseless claims that the school shooting was a hoax. Ever since, they've been trying to collect that penalty and undercut his media empire, Jones has filed for bankruptcy. And as part of that, infowars went up for auction. The Onion said the families gave it the green light to go ahead with the purchase. It says it'll relaunch InfoWars as a parody of itself, mocking outlandish Internet personalities like Jones while also running sponsored content from the nonprofit Every Town for Gun Safety that was founded after the Sandy Hook attack. For many of the Sandy Hook families, this is not only a way to call for stricter gun laws and to sabotage the infamous infowars brand, it's also just a chance to irritate Jones and get back at the man himself. And finally, introducing first to the scales.

[Donald Trump]

He is the problem child, Jake El.

[Tracey Mumford]

Gallo Tonight, a truly bizarre face off is going down in Texas, ladies and.

[Donald Trump]

Gentlemen, Iron Mike Tyson.

[Tracey Mumford]

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will fight social media star turned boxer Jake Paul. Tyson's 58. Paul is 27. The whole thing is going to be streamed on Netflix, part of the platform's aggressive push into streaming live sporting events. They don't want to just bring you rom coms and documentaries anymore. They want in on games and matches, too. Millions of people are expected to watch. As for why Paul wants to risk going up against Tyson's fists, or why Tyson wants to risk his reputation potentially being beaten on a very public stage Paul said a vision of fighting Tyson came to him while doing the psychedelic ayahuasca. Tyson said he got the idea for his comeback while hallucinating after smoking toad venom. So the whole night could be very inspired. Those are the headlines today on the Daily so you're in a fighting mood? Oh, absolutely. I think right now this is a pivotal moment in American history and the next year or two will determine what happens in this country for decades, in my view. Michael Barbaro talks with Senator Bernie Sanders about why he thinks Trump won the White House and what Democrats need to do to win back the American people. That's next in the New York Times audio app. Or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. This show is made by Robert Jemison, Jessica Metzger, Jan Stewart and me, Tracy Mumford, with help from Isabella Anderson. Original theme by Dan Powell. Special thanks to Larissa Anderson, Jake Lucas, Doug Mills, Zoe Murphy and Paula Schumann. The headlines will be back on Monday.