Alex Azar

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HHS Secretary Notes Capitol Riot in Resignation Letter

A not-unusual stepping down as new administration enters, but his letter had some harsh words

(Newser) - As the US presidency changes hands on Wednesday, one of the Trump administration's remaining Cabinet members will officially remove his own name from the payroll. CNN reports that on Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar submitted his letter of resignation to President Trump, and while he listed...

More People Are Now Eligible for Vaccination
Feds Shift Strategy on Vaccine
Jan 12, 2021 9:08 AM CST

Feds Shift Strategy on Vaccine

Plan to speed up distribution includes getting vaccines into pharmacies

(Newser) - The Trump administration is asking states to speed delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to people 65 and older and to others at high risk by no longer holding back the second dose of the two-dose shots, officials said Tuesday, per the AP . Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that...

US Might Exceed 9/11 Deaths Daily for Next 3 Months

Impact of vaccinations will take awhile to materialize, says CDC director

(Newser) - The FDA is expected to issue emergency authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine as soon as Saturday, reports the New York Times . That means "we could see people getting vaccinated Monday, Tuesday," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday on Good Morning America . Some 2.9...

White House Lays Out Optimistic Vaccine Schedule

First one could be available this week, and everybody should have it by mid-2021, says Azar

(Newser) - Everybody in the US who wants the coronavirus vaccine will be able to get it by June at the latest, a top White House official tells Axios . Health and Human Services chief Alex Azar predicted total availability by the second quarter of 2021, along with a "return to normalcy...

Operation Warp Speed Counts a Vaccine Win

Government will pay $1.95B for 100M doses, expected by year's end

(Newser) - The US has inked a deal that will have the country receiving the first 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine candidate in the works from Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech SE. The government could nab an additional 500 million doses under the agreement, which will see the US...

Trump Tweet: 'Corrupt Joe Is Shot' and 'White Power!'

The president's retweet sparks outcry on 'State of the Union'

(Newser) - President Trump grabbed the media's attention Sunday morning by retweeting a video that appeared to promote white power, NBC News reports. The video (WARNING: profanity) features a line of golf carts trundling past anti-Trump protesters who shout "racist," to which a Trump supporter yells, "white power!...

Big Lines in Virus Whistleblower's Testimony

Trump rebukes Rick Bright as 'disgruntled'

(Newser) - More high-profile testimony on the coronavirus took place on Capitol Hill Thursday, this time from Rick Bright, the vaccine official who says he was ousted from his government post for defying the White House on its coronavirus response. Bright hit some key points in advance excerpts , in which he warned...

White House Reportedly Looking to Can Health Chief

Trump reportedly displeased with HHS secretary Alex Azar's handling of pandemic

(Newser) - Joining the millions upon millions of Americans in the unemployment line may soon be the Cabinet secretary partly responsible for heading up the response to the pandemic that sent them there in the first place. The White House is weighing kicking HHS Secretary Alex Azar to the curb over his...

Experts Aren't Happy About Pence Leading Virus Response

VP's record in Indiana is in the spotlight

(Newser) - Vice President Mike Pence is now leading the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak—but critics say his record shows he isn't the right person for the job. Early in his career, Pence wrote an op-ed claiming "smoking doesn't kill," and, as governor of Indiana,...

Trump Administration Makes Big Move on Pharmaceuticals

Americans will be allowed to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada

(Newser) - The Trump administration said Wednesday it will set up a system to allow Americans to legally import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, weakening a long-standing ban that had stood as a top priority for the politically powerful pharmaceutical industry. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar made the announcement Wednesday...

Record-Breaking Drug OD Deaths in US Last Year

200 people died per day in US in 2017, per the DEA

(Newser) - Drug overdose deaths hit the highest level ever recorded in the US last year, with an estimated 200 people dying per day, according to a report by the DEA. Most of that was the result of a record number of opioid-related deaths. Preliminary figures show more than 72,000 people...

Babies Separated From Parents End Up in Michigan

Feds say families won't be reunited immediately

(Newser) - Two baby boys who had been separated from their parents at the border arrived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, early Wednesday—days after Homeland Security officials insisted that babies were not being taken from their parents. The boys, eight months and 11 months old, are among scores of children, average age...

CDC Chief Resigns After Tobacco Revelations
CDC Chief Resigns
After Tobacco Revelations
the rundown
Jan 31, 2018 1:47 PM CST

CDC Chief Resigns After Tobacco Revelations

Brenda Fitzgerald bought stock in tobacco company after assuming post at health agency

(Newser) - The CDC will be needing a new leader. Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald resigned on Wednesday as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after some dicey financial conflicts came to light. The big one: Fitzgerald bought stock in a major tobacco company just a month after assuming her position...

Trump's HHS Nominee Comes From Pharmaceutical Industry

But Alex Azar also previously served at the agency as deputy secretary

(Newser) - President Trump has picked a former top pharmaceutical and government executive to be his Health and Human Services secretary. If confirmed by the Senate, Alex Azar will oversee a $1 trillion department responsible for major health insurance programs, medical research, food and drug safety, and public health. The Azar nomination...

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