‘Last month Illinois saw 11 instances of raw milk-linked food poisoning.’ W Pics/Universal Images Group/‘Last month Illinois saw 11 instances of raw milk-linked food poisoning.’ W Pics/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesRFK Jr is a danger to public health – but local Maha laws could be a bigger threatKatrina vanden HeuvelAn array of under-the-radar initiatives are taking hold across the US, often tied to immunization, fluoridation and raw milkEven within the freak show that is Donald Trump’s cabinet, the health and human services secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has a singular knack for dominating the headlines with the most disturbing sort of carnivalesque spectacle. In recent months, he’s amplified harmful misinformation linking Tylenol and autism and dismissed the entire CDC vaccine advisory committee, replacing them with skeptics and conspiracy theorists. And even as that agency debated and ultimately scrapped its hepatitis B vaccination recommendation for many newborns, Kennedy courted further controversy for his alleged involvement in a tabloid-fodder love triangle. But focusing exclusively on RFK Jr’s transgressions risks overlooking the broader exploits of the Make America healthy again (Maha) movement. While his never-ending fount of personal and professional controversies draws national news coverage, a dangerous array of Maha initiatives fly under the radar – including hundreds of state-level legislative efforts to roll back public health advances. Sean Duffy wants ‘civility’ in air travel … so why is he doing pull-ups at the airport?
