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🌊 Can RFK Jr. Save America's Children?
Inside the findings and controversies from the MAHA Report
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By Max Frost
Last Thursday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stood before cameras at the White House with a declaration that would send shockwaves through boardrooms across America: "Today's children are the sickest generation in American history in terms of chronic disease."
The occasion was the release of the "MAHA Report" – a 72-page government document that blames corporate America for poisoning the American people. Its targets were vast: Ultra-processed foods, synthetic chemicals, pharmaceutical companies, and what Kennedy calls the "food processing industry" that he claims has captured federal regulators.
President Trump added heft to the report’s release: “Unlike other administrations, we will not be silenced or intimidated by the corporate lobbyists or special interests,” the president added. “In some cases, it won’t be nice or it won’t be pretty – but we have to do it.”
Echoing Kennedy, he said, “We will not allow our public health system to be captured by the very industries it’s supposed to oversee.”
Kennedy has promised to reform America’s health system, beginning with improving how America feeds, medicates, and protects its children. But his crusade has ignited fierce opposition from industries worth trillions of dollars – and raised questions about whether his diagnosis is based on sound science.
Per the MAHA report, over 40% of American children now suffer from chronic health conditions, childhood obesity has tripled since the 1970s, mental health problems are skyrocketing, and Type 2 diabetes, once virtually unknown in children, now affects tens of thousands of kids.
The MAHA report identifies numerous culprits behind what it calls "the childhood chronic disease crisis": Chief among them are ultra-processed foods, which now comprise 70% of children's diets; synthetic chemicals including pesticides and food dyes; over-prescription of psychiatric medications; excessive screen time; and an expanded childhood vaccine schedule.
Each case, Kennedy has said, is a result of companies putting the profit motive over people. As he claimed in April, "The problem is, industry is making money on keeping us sick."
Kennedy’s solution, as laid out in the MAHA report, involves a dramatic reimagining of federal oversight. His proposals are the subject of today’s deep-dive.
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Editor’s Note
We’re very curious to hear what you all think about the MAHA report. Do you agree with RFK Jr.’s diagnoses? Do you trust him to fix the problems? Send in your thoughts here.
And here are our latest stories in case you missed them:
Tons of replies to yesterday’s story on Harvard’s latest clashes with the Trump Administration. We feature a selection of those below.
Julie wrote:
While I agree there are some issues at Harvard, (I.e. the high number of Chinese students who take their Harvard education and newfound knowledgeback home to China), the benefits Harvard brings to this country in terms of scientific and medical research, mathematics, law, lol technology etc. FAR outweigh the concerns (anti-semitism, DEI) this administration pretends is driving their attack. If the administration is concerned about anti-semitism then why are they accepting a Jet from Qatar, a country that is a huge financial supporter of Hamas? The hypocrisy is stunning. And what are the implications for all other universities? If they succeed in creating fear among other universities our colleges will cease to be independent thought incubators and instead became political battlegrounds.
Jerry from Illinois wrote:
US taxpayers should not be funding universities who enjoy tax exempt status and have billions of dollars in endowments that can be used for research and student loans.
The free ride is over.
Jacob wrote:
Thanks for covering this topic. I'm currently a graduate student at Harvard, and the Trump administration's tactics have been disruptive to every aspect of life, research and teaching at the University. It's clear to me that this isn't about anti-Semitism, civil rights or ideological diversity, but about punishing political opponents and attempting to control the American cultural narrative with a heavy hand. It's telling that mostly Ivy League universities have faced federal scrutiny, even as smaller, less influential schools also responded poorly to post-October 7 protests. Harvard has a lot to answer for in terms of viewpoint diversity and free speech, but federal oversight of students, faculty and courses is not the answer, for many of the reasons noted above. Colleges will not be able to thrive if they are subject to the ideological whims of every changing presidential administration.
And William wrote:
such neocon bullshit. Shame on you RocaNews.... You start with the characterization that the harvard student protests were "pro-hamas."
You have deteriorated..... gone into the genocide ignoring and enabling pti.
If you can't fix THAT glaring problem, keep repeating the neocon talking points
then dammit, you're every bit as much at the core of the problem, not a source of independent thought in the least.
I'd expected more from you.
Editor’s Note: Our statement about student support for Hamas references a period that began with this statement – “We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” – which was signed by 33 student groups on October 10 (before Israel had invaded Gaza) and continued through the many protests where protesters chanted in support of Hamas. Protesting the war in Gaza and criticizing Israel doesn’t constitute support of Hamas. But protesting with signs that say “Decolonization is not a metaphor” with blood dripping from the text? Or calling for “resistance by any means, including armed resistance”?
Thank you all for reading and writing in. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.
–Max and Max