The dismissals highlight growing vulnerabilities within federal scientific bodies following the termination of 151 advisory committees across the Trump administration, including 75 inside HHS. A 2025 Supreme Court ruling affirmed that the HHS secretary holds the legal power to dismiss task force members at will absent explicit statutory limits. Critics warn that sidelining these independent groups allows federal policymakers to easily avoid outside scrutiny when making major regulatory decisions. In response, lawmakers can curb executive overreach by establishing formal qualification standards, for-cause removal protections, and transparent selection procedures.
Key points
A 2025 Supreme Court ruling confirmed the HHS secretary can dismiss advisory members at w…: A 2025 Supreme Court ruling confirmed the HHS secretary can dismiss advisory members at will without statutory protections.
The sidelining of independent panels diminishes technical expertise and allows policymake…: The sidelining of independent panels diminishes technical expertise and allows policymakers to bypass outside scrutiny on regulatory choices.
Congress can safeguard panel independence by legislating for-cause removal protections, s…: Congress can safeguard panel independence by legislating for-cause removal protections, staggered terms, and strict qualification standards.
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In September, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the two vice chairs of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. This move was both unsurprising and troubling. The task force is a critical advisory body to HHS, reviewing scientific evidence to provide recommendations on whether private health insurers should be required to cover services like cancer screenings at no cost to patients. Congress created the task force as part of the Affordable Care Act and require by law that it be staffed by people with “appropriate expertise,” and “to the extent practicable, not subject to political pressure.”
These firings are the latest chapter in a vast project of eliminating, ignoring, and replacing scientific advisory committees. In 2025, the Trump administration terminated 151 advisory committees at scientific government agencies, including 75 in HHS. It has altered or ignored those that are left. In 2025, Kennedy fired the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which provides public recommendations on vaccines. His replacements are, to varying degrees, sympathetic to his unscientific views, and a majority lack substantial expertise in vaccines…
Early morning military operations targeted an area under Palestinian Authority control in eastern Nablus, according to official Palestinian reporting. Troops pushed into the historic shrine before fanning out into neighboring communities. The incursions disrupted local residents as soldiers forcefully entered and ransacked private properties across several surrounding villages.
Discontent over strained public services and housing has rapidly unified diverse groups of citizens against European leadership ahead of critical political contests. The escalating demonstrations have triggered major economic disruptions, property destruction, and sustained union mobilization, particularly in France. As national administrations attempt policy concessions, public skepticism remains widespread, leaving officials facing continued nationwide strikes and deep institutional divisions.
Overnight aerial operations across multiple territories resulted in an energy facility in the Samara region being struck. Russian defense officials claimed