HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces a hostile Senate hearing, defending his vaccine policies against attacks from Democrats. The Department of Justice is reportedly considering new gun restrictions targeting individuals with gender dysphoria following the Minneapolis school shooting. CBS News is under fire for another deceptively edited interview as reports suggest a major shakeup is coming with the potential hiring of Bari Weiss.

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RFK Jr. Defends Vaccine Policies in Fiery Senate Hearing

Topline: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endured a hostile Senate hearing on Thursday, where he fiercely defended his vaccine policies and shakeup of the CDC against a barrage of attacks from Democrats.

During the fiery hearing, Democrats called Kennedy a “charlatan,” said he was perpetrating “hoaxes,” and demanded his resignation. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) accused him of sacrificing children’s lives, to which Kennedy retorted, “You’ve sat in that chair for … 25 years – while the chronic disease in our children went up to 76%. And you said nothing.” When Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) attacked him over recent changes to COVID vaccine access, Kennedy shot back, “I know you’ve taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, senator.”

Kennedy defended his decision to fire CDC Director Susan Monarez, saying she had twice admitted to him that she was not “trustworthy.” He also stood by his overhaul of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel (ACIP), stating the old panel was “plagued with conflicts of interest.”

When Democrats praised Operation Warp Speed in an apparent attempt to drive a wedge between him and the president, Kennedy said Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for it, but that the risk-benefit “calculus is different” now that the virus has mutated and adverse event reports have piled up. He also announced that the FDA is reviewing the safety data of the abortion pill mifepristone, alleging the previous administration “twisted the data” to “bury one of the safety signals.”

DOJ Weighs Gun Ban for Gender Dysphoria

Topline: The Department of Justice is internally deliberating ways to bar individuals suffering from gender dysphoria from obtaining firearms, following a string of violent attacks by trans-identifying individuals, including last week’s deadly school shooting in Minneapolis.

The Daily Wire first reported that the DOJ is looking at the issue as one of mental health, not gun control. The move comes after a series of high-profile violent crimes committed by people who identify as transgender, including the 2023 Covenant school shooting in Nashville and the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The administration’s focus on mental health stands in stark contrast to the Democratic response to the Minneapolis shooting. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called for a special legislative session to address gun laws, citing the strict gun control measures in Scotland and Australia as models for the U.S.

On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance and his wife visited the Annunciation school in Minneapolis, where they laid flowers and met with the parents of the murdered children. “There is nothing that you can say that can take away the grief that these parents are dealing with,” Vance said. “If you do have kids … make sure that they know that you love them … because there are families in Minneapolis who won’t be able to do that ever again.”

CBS Under Fire for Deceptive Edits as Shakeup Looms

Topline: The White House is blasting CBS News for deceptively editing an interview with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the latest in a string of similar incidents, as reports indicate a major leadership shakeup is imminent at the network.

CBS News is under fire for editing out the serious criminal allegations against illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an interview with Secretary Noem, making it appear the Trump administration was targeting an ordinary person for deportation. According to Curtis Houck of NewsBusters, this is at least the fifth time in four years that CBS has been caught making questionable edits that go “in one direction” against conservatives. Previous targets include Governor Ron DeSantis, Speaker Mike Johnson, President Trump, and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The repeated instances of apparent bias come as a major shakeup is reportedly coming to the network. Puck News reported Wednesday that CBS’ new parent company is in the final stages of a deal to acquire The Free Press and install its founder, Bari Weiss, in a senior role at CBS News. The move is seen as a potential attempt to “de-politicize” the news division and return to the network’s more trusted roots, though it could face internal resistance from current staff.