RFKJ says “nothing is off limits” as he takes the helm at HHS

February 19th, 2025

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SGT
February 19, 2025

Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter

February 19th, 2025

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CURRENT EVENTS

RFKJ says “nothing is off limits” as he takes the helm at HHS

Our take: Until the past few years, Newsweek has been a trusted source of information. Based on this story, we have serious doubts if that is still the case.

RFKJ went through a grueling nomination process after Trump tapped him to head Health and Human Services. As part of that process, many senators questioned his stance on childhood vaccinations. RFKJ assured one Senator, Bill Cassidy, who is a physician by trade, that he “would not alter the federal vaccine schedule”.

In his first address to HHS employees, Kennedy said “nothing would be off limits” for review. This includes the vaccine schedule.

Two things here:

First - Newsweeks headline says “RFKJ reverses course on childhood vaccine schedule. Uh, no. Saying the schedule is not off limits for review is not altering the schedule. This headline is terribly misleading, on purpose. It’s sad to see an organization with the reputation of Newsweek manufacture controversy with inflammatory language instead of importing the news.

Second - why are these entrenched politicians so dead set against reviewing anything? They act like everything has been going great, and it would be insane to make any changes to the finely tuned machine that is the federal government. Our kids are less healthy now than at anytime in the past 50 years. Rates of childhood diseases like obesity, autism, and diabetes are off the charts. Declaring anything off limits from review is borderline malpractice. Kudos to RFKJ for staying the course and reviewing all programs to see if there might be a better way to care for our children.

COURTESY: NEWSWEEK

CNN shocked when FOIA request is not immediately handled by OPM

Our take: CNN made a FOIA request (Freedom of Information Act) related to the security clearances of Elon Musk and other members of DOGE. The response was “Good luck with that. They fired all the people responsible for FOIA requests.

CNN was not happy. They stated: "The move to block outside access to government records related to DOGE personnel also runs counter to Musk’s claims that his team is attempting to be as transparent as possible," CNN noted. "While firing the people who respond to requests is perhaps an effective delaying tactic, it does not ultimately relieve the government from its legal obligation to turn over public records."

We included this story for one reason: we actually wholeheartedly agree with CNN on this issue, but want to know why they care now when they allowed the previous administration to obfuscate and hide the ball for the past 4 years?

Biden did less press conferences than any president in modern history, refused to provide information and details to the press at every turn. His team spent years telling the American public Joe Biden was a spry, energetic dynamo that younger staffers could not keep up with. CNN swallowed and wiped their chin.

Welcome to the new reality you helped create CNN. When the press refuses to do their job for 4 years, people stop listening and you allowed a precedent that doesn’t work for you with a Republican in the White House.

COURTESY: MSN

Kansas bans sex change operations for minors

Our take: We updated the original headline that the AP ran, which was “Kansas bans gender-affirming care for minors after GOP lawmakers reverse the governor’s veto.”

Prescribing drugs that permanently alter physically healthy children for the rest of their lives and lopping off healthy, functioning body parts is not health care. Minors are precluded from many activities: voting, driving, owning guns, getting tattoos, entering contracts, smoking, and drinking all come to mind.

We see zero issues with making them wait until they are 18 years old to make these life altering decisions. The fact that their well meaning but clearly confused parents consent does not make it any more right. If a child wanted to cut off a leg or remove an eye because they think they are a pirate, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

Once people are 18, they can do whatever they want from our perspective. Before then, its up to adults to make decisions in the best interests of children, not to be their friends and let them make decisions that many grow to regret later in life.

COURTESY: MSN

TIP OF THE DAY

Tell the truth, even when it’s hard. It may not get you a lot of friends, but it will get you the right friends.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“What’s dangerous is not to evolve.” - Jeff Bezos

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