Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as President Donald Trump listens at an event to promote his proposal to improve Americans' access to their medical records in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(Mark Schiefelbein/AP / NPR)

A recent decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to claw back $500 million worth of federal mRNA vaccine research funding is already having effects on local clinical trials. It’s a move local health researchers have called unethical, saying it will derail existing drug trials and possibly put clinical researchers out of work.

Guest:

• Dr. Michael Koren, cardiologist and CEO at the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research.

Then, the growing controversy surrounding raw milk. Though illegal to sell for human consumption in Florida, wellness influencers (and HHS Secretary RFK) have touted the purported immune-boosting and digestive benefits of drinking unpasteurized milk. A recent E. coli and Campylobacter outbreak linked to a Florida raw milk farm left more than 20 people ill and six hospitalized. We ask an infectious diseases expert what the science says about the claimed benefits and why certain pathogens can make raw dairy products dangerous.

Guest:

• Chad Neilsen, director of infection prevention and control at Nemours Children’s Health.

And, as students head back to school across the First Coast, an in-school tutoring assistance program is coping with cutbacks. Officials with City Year AmeriCorps have had to cut the number of schools they work in due to federal funding cuts and are looking to raise $300,000 to offset the loss. We talk to two senior leaders about the work City Year does and the effect it’s already had.

Guests:

• Allishia Bauman, senior vice president and executive director of City Year Jacksonville.
• Quintin Griffin, interim managing director of impact at City Year Jacksonville.