Join ASPPH on August 11 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET for our webinar, Truth-Telling in the Age of Health Misinformation and Disinformation, part of the ASPPH Presents series. This session will explore practical approaches to identifying and addressing false narratives that erode public trust and hinder progress in public health. Building on insights from the Partners for Advancing Health Equity podcast series, the webinar will highlight how misinformation and disinformation differ, who is most vulnerable, and what tools public health professionals can use to foster fact-based communication.

What to Expect from the Webinar:

• The program will feature curated audio segments from the two-part podcast, Addressing Health Misinformation and Disinformation to Advance Truth-Telling (Episode 1; Episode 2). Following the highlights, panelists will discuss strategies for building media literacy, empowering trusted messengers, and restoring confidence in health systems.

Voices and Strategies for Rebuilding Trust:

• Panelists include Dr. Caryn Bell, Associate Director of Partners for Advancing Health Equity and Assistant Professor at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; and Erin O’Malley, Executive Director of the Coalition for Trust in Health & Science. The session will be moderated by Tim Leshan, Chief External Relations and Advocacy Officer at ASPPH. 

Today, July 28, 2025, marks World Hepatitis Day, and with it comes renewed momentum for eliminating hepatitis C in the US. From Congress to federal agencies, leaders are advancing policies to expand access to testing, treatment, and care, particularly for vulnerable populations. A bipartisan bill and a new Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant initiative are at the center of this effort.

Congressional Push: The Cure Hepatitis C Act

• New national strategy: The bipartisan Cure Hepatitis C Act would create a federal elimination program, remove cost barriers for treatment, and expand access for Medicaid enrollees, incarcerated individuals, and the uninsured.
• Return on investment: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the $9.7 billion package would save $7 billion by preventing long-term complications like liver cancer and liver failure.

Federal Grants: SAMHSA’s “Hep C Free” Initiative

• SAMHSA recently announced the Hepatitis C Elimination Initiative Pilot, a new $100 million grant program targeting people with substance use disorder (SUD) and severe mental illness (SMI).
• Eligible applicants include state and local governments, tribal health systems, and nonprofit providers. Applications are due August 1, 2025, and ASPPH encourages member institutions working in affected communities to explore this opportunity.

In a recent edition of the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina and Dr. Elisabeth Marnik explain how the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding cuts are quietly dismantling the backbone of American science. More than 5,500 research projects have been halted in just six months, resulting in unanswered questions, disrupted careers, and the entire community being left behind.

What’s Happening and Why It Matters:

• The Trump administration is pushing deep NIH cuts, including a proposed 40% reduction in FY 2026. Impacted areas include climate health, LGBTQ+ health, vaccine confidence, and entire institutes like the Fogarty International Center (FIC).
• Cuts threaten jobs, research, and care. The NIH fuels 200,000 jobs and returns $2.56 for every federal dollar spent. Critical work on cancer, HIV, and rural health is being halted.
• In a notable congressional response, a group of 14 Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), sent a letter last week urging White House budget chief Russ Vought to release delayed NIH funds appropriated in March. The senators warned that continued delays could jeopardize ongoing research and diminish public trust in biomedical science.

• The FY 2026 federal appropriations bills have yet to pass, but the Senate plans to move the Labor, Health & Human Services and Education funding bill on July 31, 2025. Please call your senators and urge them to oppose NIH cuts. Staff say constituent calls are among the most effective tools at this stage. If you’re a researcher, find ways to connect with your community. Create plain-language summaries of your work, partner with patient organizations, or host storytelling events. When people see science working in their lives, they’re more likely to defend it.
• ASPPH remains committed to advocating for policies that strengthen academic public health. We call on Congress to pursue bipartisan, forward-looking solutions that ensure today’s students can become tomorrow’s public health leaders.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has formally recommended that no one receive an influenza vaccine containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative long deemed safe by mainstream health experts. This recommendation, approved by the newly appointed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel, marks a major policy shift that could have implications for vaccine confidence heading into flu season. Though thimerosal is only used in a limited number of flu shots, Kennedy’s move reflects his long-standing and controversial views on the compound’s safety.

Policy Change and Background:

• Kennedy’s ACIP approved the recommendation in June, fulfilling a personal priority dating back to his 2015 book alleging a link between thimerosal and autism, an assertion widely discredited by scientists and public health authorities. Meanwhile, Kennedy is facing legal pressure from Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine group he founded, over his failure to reestablish a federal task force on childhood vaccine safety, deepening rifts with former allies in the vaccine-skeptic movement.

Expert Pushback and Public Health Concerns:

• Pediatric experts warn the move could fuel vaccine hesitancy. They emphasize that thimerosal breaks down into ethylmercury, which clears quickly from the body and is not associated with the neurotoxicity linked to methylmercury found in seafood.

According to a White House aide granted anonymity to share plans not yet made public, the White House is preparing a second rescission request targeting the Department of Education. The plan follows last week’s passage of a $9 billion cuts package and would continue President Trump’s push to revoke congressionally approved spending.

What’s in Motion:

• GOP leaders and the Trump administration are actively talking about the contents and timing of the next rescission bill. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Republicans that the package would likely be smaller than the first, which had narrowly passed before its deadline.
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) chief Russ Vought is exploring “pocket rescissions,” which would let the White House withhold funding if Congress doesn’t act within 45 days of the September 30, 2025, deadline. The Education Department is a likely target, though final figures are still up in the air.

What’s at Stake:

• Last week, the White House announced it will release $5.5 billion in previously frozen education aid after bipartisan backlash and two lawsuits. The funds include support for teacher training, migrant students, arts education, and English learners.
• The administration had withheld nearly $7 billion just before its July 1, 2025, release, citing concerns over “misuse” of funds. While most funding will now be distributed, additional education cuts remain on the table in the next rescissions package.

While we encourage your sharing of our Policy & Advocacy newsletter by forwarding it, those interested in receiving it can also sign up via this form.