Some of the Trump administration’s dramatic funding and policy shifts are facing major pushback for the first time — not from Congress, but from the courts. Federal judges around the country are attempting to pump the brakes on efforts to freeze government spending, shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, eliminate access to health-related webpages and datasets, and limit grant funding provided by the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, Congress is off to a slow start in trying to turn President Donald Trump’s agenda into legislation, although Medicaid is clearly high on the list for potential funding cuts.

Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Maya Goldman of Axios News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more.

Also this week, Rovner interviews Mark McClellan, director of the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and a former health official during the George W. Bush administration, about the impact of cutting funding to research universities. 

Visit our website to read a transcript of this episode.

Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: 

Julie Rovner: Axios’ “Nonprofit Hospital Draws Backlash for Super Bowl Ad,” by Maya Goldman. 

Shefali Luthra: Politico’s “‘Americans Can and Will Die From This’: USAID Worker Details Dangers, Chaos,” by Jonathan Martin. 

Maya Goldman: KFF Health News’ “Doctor Wanted: Small Town in Florida Offers Big Perks To Attract a Physician,” by Daniel Chang. 

Jessie Hellmann: NPR’s “Trump’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Young People Puts Hospitals in a Bind,” by Selena Simmons-Duffin. 

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