Rose Rimler

So he interpreted this to mean that the powers that be at the NIH didn't like this finding that milkshakes are not necessarily addictive. Kind of wanted to bury it a little bit.

So he interpreted this to mean that the powers that be at the NIH didn't like this finding that milkshakes are not necessarily addictive. Kind of wanted to bury it a little bit.

Yeah, it's not like there's none of like deep milkshake throat like being met in a parking garage, you know. Sanding over government secrets. Yeah, it seems very weird. Because usually when the government has some issue with some research, it's like there's corruption with industry pressure. There's like a government screw-up that's trying to get covered over.

Yeah, it's not like there's none of like deep milkshake throat like being met in a parking garage, you know. Sanding over government secrets. Yeah, it seems very weird. Because usually when the government has some issue with some research, it's like there's corruption with industry pressure. There's like a government screw-up that's trying to get covered over.

This one doesn't appear to make any sense until you start to pay attention to what the current Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been saying recently about ultra-processed food and sugar.

This one doesn't appear to make any sense until you start to pay attention to what the current Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been saying recently about ultra-processed food and sugar.

Uh-huh. This is a big talking point for Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again platform. Here he is talking about sugar at a press briefing recently.

Uh-huh. This is a big talking point for Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again platform. Here he is talking about sugar at a press briefing recently.

Yeah, I mean, that's what Kevin suspects. And he ultimately quit over that. He said on Twitter that he felt his work was being censored to fit, quote, preconceived narratives of my agency's leadership about ultra-processed food addiction. Uh... And we asked, you know, HHS about this. They pushed back.

Yeah, I mean, that's what Kevin suspects. And he ultimately quit over that. He said on Twitter that he felt his work was being censored to fit, quote, preconceived narratives of my agency's leadership about ultra-processed food addiction. Uh... And we asked, you know, HHS about this. They pushed back.

Their head of communications told us in an email that, quote, it's disappointing that this individual is fabricating false claims. NIH scientists have and will continue to conduct interviews regarding their research through written responses or other means, just like Kevin Hall was allowed to do.

Their head of communications told us in an email that, quote, it's disappointing that this individual is fabricating false claims. NIH scientists have and will continue to conduct interviews regarding their research through written responses or other means, just like Kevin Hall was allowed to do.

And they said, another quote, any attempt to paint this as censorship is a deliberate distortion of the facts. I asked him to be more specific about what was false here, and I didn't hear back on that. Okay. You know, to me, I would be surprised if Kevin was making this up because, you know, he didn't want to quit. He was very reluctant.

And they said, another quote, any attempt to paint this as censorship is a deliberate distortion of the facts. I asked him to be more specific about what was false here, and I didn't hear back on that. Okay. You know, to me, I would be surprised if Kevin was making this up because, you know, he didn't want to quit. He was very reluctant.

He told me that before all this, he and his wife would joke about how he was probably never going to retire. But he went into early retirement because he felt he had no choice. It was either that or, you know, compromise his research. And also, you know, Kevin is not the only U.S.

He told me that before all this, he and his wife would joke about how he was probably never going to retire. But he went into early retirement because he felt he had no choice. It was either that or, you know, compromise his research. And also, you know, Kevin is not the only U.S.

scientist who feels like they're being muzzled right now or that their work is being suppressed in some way just because the federal government doesn't like it. Which is why I wanted to tell you about it, Wendy.

scientist who feels like they're being muzzled right now or that their work is being suppressed in some way just because the federal government doesn't like it. Which is why I wanted to tell you about it, Wendy.

All right. Milk shaker. That's my Q to leave. I can't condone that pun. Get out of here. Goodbye.

All right. Milk shaker. That's my Q to leave. I can't condone that pun. Get out of here. Goodbye.