Turmoil at the DOJ after prosecutors quit in protest
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What is the main topic of this episode?
Good morning. It's Monday, February 17th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, protest resignations at the Department of Justice. Nebraska, a state that relies on an immigrant workforce, braces for deportations, and disaster in Kentucky after deadly floods. But first, an outbreak of measles is sweeping through parts of Texas.
Why is Texas experiencing a measles outbreak?
State health authorities report at least 48 confirmed cases, but say as many as 300 people might be infected. It's Texas's worst outbreak of the highly contagious disease in 30 years. The majority of confirmed cases are in Gaines County, along the New Mexico border. The Texas Department of State Health Services says every infected person is either unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown. Most of the confirmed cases are school-aged children.
It is troubling because this is completely preventable.
That's Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins, speaking to CBS.
And I think this is really a reminder that measles is still a risk and it is kind of the canary in the coal mine. And it's the most contagious infectious disease known to humans.
The measles virus can live in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. That means an unvaccinated person can catch the illness even without being in the same room as an infected person. According to the Dallas Morning News, the outbreak in Gaines County is largely concentrated in the Mennonite population, a religious sect that one Texas health official described as close-knit and under-vaccinated. In the county, nearly 18 percent of all kindergartners were exempt from the measles vaccine in the 2023 to 2024 school year. That's much higher than the national average of 3.3 percent. This outbreak comes as the nation's leading health official, newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faces ongoing scrutiny for his long history of anti-vaccine activism. He downplayed that history in his confirmation hearings and told senators he believes vaccines play a critical role in health care.
How could Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence change vaccine policy?
And NPR reports that Kennedy now has influence over a key panel called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which guides U.S. policy on vaccines and recommends the vaccine schedule for kids and adults. Public health reporter Ping Wang explained for NPR how that could impact vaccinations nationwide.
The committee decides what gets covered free of charge by the Vaccines for Children program, which about half of the nation's kids are eligible for. And the Affordable Care Act also requires various types of health insurance to cover vaccines that this group recommends as well.
Shortly after his confirmation, Kennedy told Fox News he doesn't trust people who serve on advisory panels like this. NPR notes the people on this particular panel are typically experts with advanced medical degrees who specialize in vaccines, pediatrics and the immune system. They also hold regular public meetings to discuss what the latest science says on the safety and efficacy of vaccines. But Kennedy has questioned the motivations people have for joining these kinds of panels.
In the past, those people, almost all of them, have severe, severe conflicts of interest. And that's not good for our country.
Former CDC director Tom Frieden has said that's not true. He said committee members are vetted for conflicts of interest and ties to vaccine manufacturers. And once they're on the panel, they're required to file annual disclosure reports. Wong on NPR said during the confirmation hearings, at least one senator expressed concerns that Kennedy could replace all of the panel members with vaccine skeptics like himself.
I spoke with experts and former members of the committee, and they all agreed with that. They said there's just not a lot of guardrails on this group.
Let's turn now to the wave of resignations that rocked the Justice Department at the end of last week. It started when prosecutors were ordered to dismiss charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, which include bribery, fraud and conspiracy to personally enrich himself by working with foreign nationals, charges that he has pleaded not guilty to.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic of this episode?
0:05–0:38
2
Why is Texas experiencing a measles outbreak?
0:38–2:17
3
How could Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s influence change vaccine policy?
2:17–5:40
4
What led to the DOJ prosecutors' resignations?
5:40–6:23
5
What actions did Emil Bove take regarding the Eric Adams case?
6:23–7:02
6
How does the DOJ's independence come into question?
7:02–12:42
Speakers
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