Gary Schwitzer
@garyschw.bsky.social
Health care journalist for 50 years, now retired except for his Substack. Published HealthNewsReview.org for 16 years. Helping people improve their critical thinking about health care.
I can’t imagine what it’s like going to work at FDA & CDC these days. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
February 17, 2026 at 8:10 PM
I can’t imagine what it’s like going to work at FDA & CDC these days. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
Shakeups at HHS. Staff unrest at FDA. “Rudderless CDC.” Uncertainty seems to be the norm in federal health agencies. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/fda-staff-...
February 17, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Shakeups at HHS. Staff unrest at FDA. “Rudderless CDC.” Uncertainty seems to be the norm in federal health agencies. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/fda-staff-...
This is how the feds promote "beautiful, clean coal." That's your US Interior Secretary with his new mascot "Coalie." I'm not kidding. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/because-cl...
February 16, 2026 at 5:53 PM
This is how the feds promote "beautiful, clean coal." That's your US Interior Secretary with his new mascot "Coalie." I'm not kidding. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/because-cl...
“All of a sudden, I was given a press release with a quotation by myself written in it, and asked to just agree to it,” Pazdur told The Wall Street Journal. Without addressing Pazdur’s concerns, Makary went public with the proposal. www.wsj.com/health/healt...
Top FDA Scientist Explains Why He Quit After Getting a Promotion From RFK Jr.
Richard Pazdur, a longtime regulator, said politics risks outweighing science at the agency.
www.wsj.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:11 PM
“All of a sudden, I was given a press release with a quotation by myself written in it, and asked to just agree to it,” Pazdur told The Wall Street Journal. Without addressing Pazdur’s concerns, Makary went public with the proposal. www.wsj.com/health/healt...
This Administration's assault on clean air is astounding. Now with promotion of a cartoon mascot called "Coalie" to help revive dirty fossil fuel use. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/because-cl...
February 16, 2026 at 12:49 PM
This Administration's assault on clean air is astounding. Now with promotion of a cartoon mascot called "Coalie" to help revive dirty fossil fuel use. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/because-cl...
NBC: “They batter bodies with rubber bullets & sear eyes with pepper spray…lob tear gas & explosive flash-bangs at chanting crowds…smash car windows…shove people to the ground…ram vehicles & point their guns.” www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
February 15, 2026 at 12:55 AM
NBC: “They batter bodies with rubber bullets & sear eyes with pepper spray…lob tear gas & explosive flash-bangs at chanting crowds…smash car windows…shove people to the ground…ram vehicles & point their guns.” www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
He did anything he could to win the job. Then he said “to hell with that.” youtu.be/9R0A80V-HWY?...
RFK Jr. Made Lots of Promises. He’s Broken Many of Them.
YouTube video by KFF Health News
youtu.be
February 14, 2026 at 2:21 PM
He did anything he could to win the job. Then he said “to hell with that.” youtu.be/9R0A80V-HWY?...
CDC website has no disclosures from Martin Kulldorf or Robert Malone; both were paid in vaccine litigation. Where are the ethics forms? apnews.com/article/rfk-...
February 13, 2026 at 10:24 PM
CDC website has no disclosures from Martin Kulldorf or Robert Malone; both were paid in vaccine litigation. Where are the ethics forms? apnews.com/article/rfk-...
“You fed those people false information to create the distrust, and now you’re sweeping into power and you’re going to cure the distrust by promoting the same disinformation.” apnews.com/article/rfk-...
RFK Jr. promised to restore trust in US health agencies. A year later, it’s eroding
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reshaping U.S. health policy as HHS secretary, and doctors say his changes are eroding trust.
apnews.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:08 PM
“You fed those people false information to create the distrust, and now you’re sweeping into power and you’re going to cure the distrust by promoting the same disinformation.” apnews.com/article/rfk-...
Another federal gov’t. assault on Minnesota stifled. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Plan to Cut $600 Million in Health Funds
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Another federal gov’t. assault on Minnesota stifled. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/u...
Sagging public confidence in the BOMB squad - “Bobby,” Oz, Makary, Bhattacharya. Here’s a wrap on their week so far. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/introducin...
Introducing the BOMB squad health policy news summary
Acronym for federal health folks: "Bobby" (as Trump calls him), Oz, Makary & Bhattacharya
garyschwitzer.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:38 PM
Sagging public confidence in the BOMB squad - “Bobby,” Oz, Makary, Bhattacharya. Here’s a wrap on their week so far. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/introducin...
Just 2 days after the first Health News Pinocchio Award, here’s #2 - for Oz claiming that RFK Jr. “has been at the very front” of advocating for measles vaccines. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/2nd-health...
February 11, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Just 2 days after the first Health News Pinocchio Award, here’s #2 - for Oz claiming that RFK Jr. “has been at the very front” of advocating for measles vaccines. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/2nd-health...
Analysis of ads for “simple blood test” for multicancer early detection that missed more cancers than it found. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
February 10, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Analysis of ads for “simple blood test” for multicancer early detection that missed more cancers than it found. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
An estimated $48 million spent on a couple of minutes of health-related Super Bowl commercials. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
February 10, 2026 at 1:10 PM
An estimated $48 million spent on a couple of minutes of health-related Super Bowl commercials. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
Guess who wins the inaugural award? garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/introducin...
Introducing the “Health News Pinocchio Award”
For the most egregious recent lie about health care that caught my eye.
garyschwitzer.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Guess who wins the inaugural award? garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/introducin...
Live from the heart of ICE-occupied Minneapolis: The Gated Community presents a free streaming concert of protest songs and original material. All donations will go to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. thegatedcommunityband.com/home
February 6, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Live from the heart of ICE-occupied Minneapolis: The Gated Community presents a free streaming concert of protest songs and original material. All donations will go to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. thegatedcommunityband.com/home
Another troublesome Super Bowl ad. Buyer beware. www.statnews.com/2026/02/06/t...
Hims, other telehealth platforms push multi-cancer detection tests before evidence of benefit
Test makers and telehealth providers say they want to give people a chance to catch cancers early and seek treatment.
www.statnews.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Another troublesome Super Bowl ad. Buyer beware. www.statnews.com/2026/02/06/t...
Yay, NewsGuard. Sue the hell out of ‘em. open.substack.com/pub/newsguar...
Why We've Just Sued the Government
Sharing A Statement from NewsGuard's Co-Founders About Our Fight for Freedom of Speech
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Yay, NewsGuard. Sue the hell out of ‘em. open.substack.com/pub/newsguar...
> Half of Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.’s performance. KFF Poll on Health Information & Trust. www.kff.org/health-infor...
February 6, 2026 at 3:56 PM
> Half of Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.’s performance. KFF Poll on Health Information & Trust. www.kff.org/health-infor...
The man is out of control. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
Kennedy Makes Unfounded Claim That Keto Diet Can ‘Cure’ Schizophrenia
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:57 PM
The man is out of control. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
It’s very simple to say a problem is “huge” when you don’t provide any evidence. That’s what Dr. Oz did, claiming Russian-Armenian mafia in LA are running fraudulent hospice clinics. If you have evidence, let’s see it. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/giving-no-...
February 4, 2026 at 7:10 PM
It’s very simple to say a problem is “huge” when you don’t provide any evidence. That’s what Dr. Oz did, claiming Russian-Armenian mafia in LA are running fraudulent hospice clinics. If you have evidence, let’s see it. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/giving-no-...
In what has become standard practice for federal health agency heads - RFK Jr., Marty Makary, and now Dr. Oz - bold claims have been made without any evidence provided to back them up.
garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/giving-no-...
garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/giving-no-...
Giving no evidence, Oz claims “Russian-Armenian mafia” in LA hospices
California governor sues Oz with civil rights complaint
garyschwitzer.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:52 PM
In what has become standard practice for federal health agency heads - RFK Jr., Marty Makary, and now Dr. Oz - bold claims have been made without any evidence provided to back them up.
garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/giving-no-...
garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/giving-no-...
These are headlines about all 3 of the new health news hires by CBS News. They are newsmakers, for sure, but not always admirably. And they are not journalists. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
February 3, 2026 at 4:27 PM
These are headlines about all 3 of the new health news hires by CBS News. They are newsmakers, for sure, but not always admirably. And they are not journalists. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
Trust in CBS News plummets after 19 new non-journalist hires. The health-related hires all have considerable baggage. Cronkite & Murrow must be rolling over in their graves. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
The CBS Eye is now black-and-blue
Closer look at 3 new health contributors is concerning.
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:34 PM
Trust in CBS News plummets after 19 new non-journalist hires. The health-related hires all have considerable baggage. Cronkite & Murrow must be rolling over in their graves. open.substack.com/pub/garyschw...
#SuperBowlLX health-related commercials’ flaws. Two promote screening tests with giggles and glitz, but little substance. Telehealth companies, GLP-1 claims, celebrities. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/more-flaws...
February 2, 2026 at 1:06 PM
#SuperBowlLX health-related commercials’ flaws. Two promote screening tests with giggles and glitz, but little substance. Telehealth companies, GLP-1 claims, celebrities. garyschwitzer.substack.com/p/more-flaws...