AUSTIN – The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas Republicans are coming to the rescue of Tesla CEO Elon Musk at a time when Democratic protesters are targeting him and his electric car company for boycotts and protests. The Texas Senate passed legislation this week that would make it a third-degree felony if protesters cause any damage to an electric vehicle charging station like those at Tesla’s dealerships.
“With the increase in the destruction and vandalism of electric charging stations throughout the nation and also in Texas, we want to make it clear that that will not be tolerated in the state of Texas,” said state Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican and the legislation’s sponsor. A third-degree felony can result in a $10,000 fine and up to 10 years in jail. Under Huffman’s measure, the penalty jumps to a first-degree felony if damage to electric charging stations is valued at over $300,000. A first-degree felony can result in up to 99 years in prison. “That’s a little scary,” state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said of the potential penalty.
McALLEN — A South Texas county will lose some authority over the beach near the SpaceX launch site if a bill approved by the state Senate Thursday becomes law.
Instead, the authority to close access to the beach would go to the proposed city of Starbase, which its residents will vote to incorporate in May.
The bill, introduced by state Sen. Adam Hinojosa, would allow the future city of Starbase to oversee weekday closures of Boca Chica beach. Cameron County would retain authority over the beach closures on Friday afternoons and weekends.
Hinojosa said the intention is to streamline the process of closing the beach.
The bill does not increase the number of beach closures permitted. SpaceX is licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration to close the beach up to 500 hours a year for operations plus 300 hours per year to address anomalies.
The bill requires 48-hour notice to the public prior to the closure of the beach. State law already prohibits the closure of the beach on certain holidays or days before and after some holidays.
“Given the substantial economic impact of Starbase and the national security role of SpaceX, it is critical to streamline administrative processes while maintaining local oversight,” Hinojosa, a Republican from Corpus Christi, said during an earlier hearing on the bill.
A companion bill from Hinojosa also cleared the Senate on Thursday. It would require unauthorized individuals to evacuate an FAA-designated hazard area when it is closed for launches, making it a Class B misdemeanor to remain in the area. Repeat offenses would be a Class A misdemeanor.
A coalition of local nonprofit organizations have sought to push back on SpaceX’s growing presence in the area, raising concerns over environmental effects and the public’s loss of access to the beach.
In response to the bill, those groups accused lawmakers of ceding more power to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
“These public officials supposed to represent us are showing that they are bought and paid for by Elon Musk and SpaceX,” a statement from Josette Angelique Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, said in part.
“Who will be the official that finally speaks up for the residents who can’t access Boca Chica Beach for swimming or fishing because of SpaceX?” she added. “We have sent letters to regulators and elected representatives, filed lawsuits, and spoken at public hearings, yet our voices go unheard.”
The Cameron County Commissioners Court also publicly opposed the bill, passing a resolution against it in late March.
County Judge Eddie Treviño said the commissioners tried to strike a balance of allowing SpaceX to be successful while also keeping in mind the impacts to the public.
“We think that having Cameron County continue to be the steward and the authority, with regard to the closures, should be continued and would be the most proper way going forward,” Treviño said at a commissioners meeting.
County Commissioner David Garza said what most upset him about the bill is that it would continue to leave it up to the county to close the beach on Friday afternoons and weekends.
“Why don’t they want to take responsibility in this law with Saturday and Sunday?” Garza said. “If you close on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday or Sunday, they want the county to get the blame for closing the beach?”
On Tuesday, Treviño reaffirmed his opposition to the bill to the Tribune and said he had met with Hinojosa, letting him know he would be opposed to the bill if it were to be filed.
Hinojosa said he hopes the bill will foster collaboration between the county and Starbase and allow the county to maintain authority over the beach when it is used most often.
SpaceX did respond to questions from the Tribune regarding the bill, though a representative of the company provided written testimony in support of the bill during last month’s committee hearing.
The only other voice of support for the bill during the hearing was a representative from KULR Technology Group, a company that in December inked a deal with SpaceX to launch a space battery into space, which was pointed out by state Sen. José Menendez during a Senate floor debate on the bill
“I’m just concerned that we’re streamlining a bill that seems to be only going to make the rules and regulations for one company and that would be SpaceX,” said Menendez, a Democrat from San Antonio.
Hinojosa, however, repeatedly sought to distinguish between SpaceX and the proposed city of Starbase which will likely be composed almost entirely of SpaceX employees.
“This is not yielding to a corporation, this is yielding to a municipality with elected officials,” Hinojosa said.
The bills must receive approval from the state House before going into effect. State Rep. Janie Lopez, a Republican from San Benito, filed a similar bill in the House that is pending at the House Committee for State Affairs.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.
AUSTIN – week after a federal judge declared hot conditions in Texas prisons unconstitutional, a legislative push to require air conditioning in every state prison has not gained significant traction.
None of the five bills lawmakers have filed to require prison cooling have been scheduled for a committee hearing yet, and the issue has hardly been mentioned during public hearings about how the state should allocate its estimated $194.6 billion two-year budget.
Officials from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which oversees the state’s 101 prison facilities, asked lawmakers for $118 million over the next biennium to install air conditioning in about 11,000 units. Even if lawmakers grant that request, millions more will be needed to get to the at least $1.1 billion the TDCJ says they would need to fully air condition their prisons.
“I don’t know how state leaders look at themselves in the mirror with this situation persisting,” said Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas, who authored a bill that would require full prison air conditioning. “I’m hopeful this will be treated more seriously this session. It’s a moral and now a legal responsibility.”
Since a 2018 House Corrections Committee wrote in their interim report to the Legislature that TDCJ’s heat mitigation efforts were not enough to ensure the well-being of inmates and the correctional officers who work in prisons, lawmakers have tried to pass bills that would require the agency to install air conditioning. None of those bills made it to the governor’s desk.
During that time, TDCJ has also been slowly installing air conditioning. They have added 11,788 “cool beds,” and they are in the process of procuring about 12,000 more. The addition is thanks to $85.5 million state lawmakers appropriated during the last legislative session. Although not earmarked for air conditioning, an agency spokesperson said all of that money is being used to cool more prisons.
Still, about two thirds of Texas’ prison inmates reside in facilities that are not fully air conditioned in housing areas. Indoor temperatures routinely top 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and inmates report oppressive, suffocating conditions in which they douse themselves with toilet water in an attempt to cool off. Hundreds of inmates have been diagnosed with heat-related illnesses, court records state, and at least two dozen others have died from heat-related causes.
The pace at which the state is installing air conditioning is insufficient, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman wrote in a 91-page decision last week. The lack of system-wide air conditioning violates the U.S. Constitution, and the prison agency’s plan to slowly chip away at cooling its facilities — over an estimated timeline of at least 25 years — is too slow, he wrote.
Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said in an emailed statement that the supplemental appropriations bill will include the $118 million TDCJ requested to fund approximately 11,000 new air-conditioned beds. It also will include $301 million to construct additional dorms — which the prison agency requested to accommodate its growing prison population — and those new facilities will all be air-conditioned.
That may not be enough to satisfy Pitman’s ruling or some state lawmakers. Bryant said he wants to see $500 million allocated to the effort this session.
“The state must fully fund the system now, in this legislative session,” said Erica Grossman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs who sued Bryan Collier, the prison agency’s executive director.
Pitman declined to require temporary air conditioning, noting that this would only undermine the speed at which TDCJ can install permanent air conditioning. Instead, the case will likely move to a trial. The plaintiffs are expected to win and be entitled to “expeditious installation of permanent air conditioning,” Pitman wrote.
In the meantime, Grossman and the plaintiffs she is representing are urging lawmakers to allocate more funding to prison air conditioning.
In 2021, a bill that set a seven-year time limit on air conditioning installation cleared the House on a 123-18 vote. The bill died in the Senate Finance Committee, where it never received a hearing.
Two years later, lawmakers tried again to no avail.
“This comes down to political will,” said Amite Dominick, who has worked on prison air conditioning legislation for multiple sessions and founded Texas Prison Community Advocates, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. “They would rather continue an image of tough-on-crime than be humane.”
This session, four prison heat-related bills filed by House members have been referred to the House Corrections Committee: House Bill 1315, House Bill 2997, House Bill 3006 and House Bill 489. None have been scheduled for a hearing.
HB 1315, by Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, and HB 489 by Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, are identical and would require each cellblock, dormitory and common area in Texas prisons to be equipped with an air conditioning unit. Temperatures would have to be maintained between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, a rule that already applies to Texas’ county jails.
HB 3006, by Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, would require the installation of climate control in phases to be completed by the end of 2032 — if the Legislature allocates funding.
HB 2997, authored by Bryant, goes further. It also would require the installation of temperature gauges in each area of the prison. Each year, the agency would submit a report to elected state leaders about the number of incidents in which the required temperature wasn’t maintained.
“We added that so we can monitor whether or not TDCJ is complying with the requirements,” Bryant said, explaining that lawmakers previously have been given reports that offer an average of the temperatures across the entire facility, occluding the heat inside some cell blocks.
An internal investigation also found that TDCJ has falsified temperatures, and an investigator hired by the prison agency concluded that some of the agency’s temperature logs are false. Citing that report, Pitman wrote “The Court has no confidence in the data TDCJ generates and uses to implement its heat mitigation measures and record the conditions within the facilities.”
In the upper chamber, Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, along with six other Democratic state senators, filed Senate Bill 169, which would require that prison temperatures be maintained between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee but has not been scheduled for a hearing. Huffman did not answer questions about whether she has plans to schedule a hearing.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.
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(WASHINGTON) -- Sixteen state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday over its cancellation of research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues the cancellation of the grants is "unlawful" and the attorneys general "seek relief for the unreasonable and intentional delays currently plaguing the grant-application process."
The defendants named in the suit include the NIH, almost all of the NIH's 27 institutes and centers, NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The NIH told ABC News it does not comment on pending litigation. The HHS did not immediately reply to ABC News' request for comment.
"Once again, the Trump administration is putting politics before public health and risking lives and livelihoods in the process," New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in a statement. "Millions of Americans depend on our nation's research institutions for treatments and cures to the diseases that devastate families every day."
"The decision to cut these funds is an attack on science, public health, and medical innovation -- and I won't stand for it. We are suing to restore these critical funds because the people of New York, and the entire nation, deserve better," the statement continued.
Over the past several weeks, active research grants related to studies involving LGBTQ+ issues, gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been canceled at the NIH because they allegedly do not serve the "priorities" of President Donald Trump's administration.
As of late March, more than 900 grants worth millions of dollars have been terminated, an NIH official with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named, told ABC News.
In previous termination letters, viewed by ABC News, they state that, "Research programs based on gender identity are often unscientific, have little identifiable return on investment, and do nothing to enhance the health of many Americans. Many such studies ignore, rather than seriously examine, biological realities. It is the policy of NIH not to prioritize these research programs."
"The premise…is incompatible with agency priorities, and no modification of the project could align the project with agency priorities," the letters continue.
The plaintiffs argue that the terminations, "if left unchecked," could cause "direct, immediate, significant, and irreparable harm to the plaintiffs and their public research institutions. "
The attorneys general are seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction asking the defendants to review delayed applications and barring them from carrying out terminations of grants.
Earlier this week, researchers who had millions of dollars' worth of grants terminated by the NIH sued the agency, the HHS, Bhattacharya and Kennedy in the hopes of stopping any further research cancellations.
HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that the Holy Spirit had blessed St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, businessman Clarence Kahlig declared last fall at the groundbreaking of the church’s new $24 million school in Boerne, north of San Antonio. The blessing was all the donations that had poured in from the congregation, including a plot of land and $5 million from Kahlig, a parishioner who runs a local auto sales empire. He vowed the school would pass it on, in keeping with the Catholic tradition to serve the poor by educating even those who struggle to afford its tuition bill. “If they want a Christ-centered education, we’re going to give it to them,” Kahlig said. Soon, Catholic schools around the state could receive a much larger blessing from the Legislature: a $1 billion school voucher program, possibly growing by billions more in the years to come. Of all the private schools that could soon enroll students paying tuition with taxpayer dollars, Catholic schools are among those that stand to gain the most.
The 250 some Catholic schools in Texas enroll 64,000 students — more than 20% of all private school enrollment in the state. Catholic schools typically charge less than other private, religious schools, with an average $8,000 tuition on elementary schools and $12,000 for high schools. That’s in line with the approximately $10,000 savings accounts that lawmakers are considering creating for students across the state. Under a voucher program, schools run by the church would be poised to quickly begin receiving hundreds of millions from the state — money that could be a lifeline for some, as several Catholic schools have shuttered in recent years under financial strain. “From a Catholic school standpoint, this is one of those things where they’re either going to have something like this, that will give low-income parents access and pay tuition, or those schools will close,” said Leo Linbeck III, a Houston businessman and Catholic school booster. “That’s the harsh reality.”
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(AUSTIN, Texas) -- The measles outbreak in western Texas has hit 481 cases, with 59 newly identified infections confirmed over the last three days, according to new data published Friday.
Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Three of the cases are among people vaccinated with one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and seven cases are among those vaccinated with two doses.
At least 56 measles patients have been hospitalized so far, the DSHS said.
Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases, at 180, followed by children ages 4 and under, who account for 157 cases, according to the data.
Gaines County, which borders New Mexico, remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with 315 cases confirmed so far, DSHS data shows.
"We're continuing to see a rise, and so it certainly does tell us that we're not quite in a place yet where the outbreak has been contained," Dr. Sapna Singh, chief medical officer for Texas Children's Pediatrics in Houston, told ABC News in reference to the state data.
"What it does not tell us is how many undiagnosed cases we are potentially missing," she continued. "I suspect that there are greater numbers of patients out there who have infections but may not be seeking out testing and or medical care for symptoms that may not require it."
Singh said the low number of rare breakthrough cases show how effective the vaccine is, and that there are many reasons breakthrough cases might occur, including someone who has a condition that causes their immunity to wane over time.
"Even in those cases, we know that those patients are less likely to develop severe infection, they're less likely to have complications, and they're also much less likely to be the spreaders of the infection, and that is very important in terms of community protection and the protection of vulnerable people in the population," she said.
It comes as the CDC has so far confirmed 607 measles cases in at least 21 states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
This is likely an undercount due to delays in states reporting cases to the federal health agency.
About 12% of measles patients in the U.S. have been hospitalized, mostly among those aged 19 and under, according to CDC data.
Among the nationally confirmed cases by the CDC, about 97% are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, the agency said.
Of those cases, 1% are among those who received just one dose of the MMR inoculation and 2% are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles.
"This is an unfortunate part of just declining vaccine rates, not just within the country, but internationally as well," Singh said. "Many of these other cases that you're seeing in isolated areas, not necessarily large outbreaks, are coming from international travel. … But it is certainly of concern to see the number reach this this high,"
Last year, just 285 cases were confirmed during the entirely of 2024, according to CDC data.
Singh says having more than double the cases in just the first three months of 2025, is "of significant concern" and said it's important to educate people on the importance of vaccination.
"Our greatest defense against the infection is vaccination" she said. "Texas Children's pediatrics, we are really encouraging families to come in speak with their pediatricians if they think their child needs a vaccine, if they think they are due for an additional dose or are unsure about their vaccine status. Your physician, your pediatrician, is going to be the best source for you to get your concerns and questions answered."
This is when your star gazing and the Big Dipper is covered up. Then you need David Rancken’s App Of The Day. It’s called Sky Guide . You can get Sky Guide in the Apple Store.
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HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that less than a day after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs against U.S. trading partners, Texas Republicans were divided on whether to endorse a trade war that business leaders say is likely to hurt the state’s economy. Many jumped up to support the president, even as financial markets dropped and trade partners ramped up threats of counter tariffs. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, cheered Trump on X for “restoring fairness and strength to the global stage on behalf of the American people.” U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, said Trump’s tariffs weren’t starting a trade war, “they’re ending one.” “For decades, other countries ripped off American workers with unfair tariffs and barriers. Now, we’re finally fighting back. America First!” he wrote on X.
Meanwhile U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, viewed as a possible presidential candidate in 2028, appeared on Fox News Thursday proclaiming his distaste for tariffs, which he called, “a tax on consumers.” “Time is going to tell in the next month or two or three what happens,” he said. “My hope is these tariffs are short lived, and they serve as leverage to lower tariffs across the globe.” Many Texas Republicans chose to say silent on trade moves that stood to hurt businesses and farms across Texas, which exports more goods overseas than any state in the country. U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Chip Roy, Tony Gonzales and Jody Arrington, chair of the House Budget Committee, made no mention of the tariffs on social media as of Thursday afternoon and their offices did not respond to requests for comment. Nationally, some Republicans are already speaking out against tariffs, following a recent downturn in global financial markets. The S&P 500 is down 10% since Trump took office Jan. 20 with the promise to upend longstanding trade relationships.
TYLER – As severe weather hits East Texas, several school districts have announced they will be releasing students early on Friday to ensure students and staff stay safe.
As we head into Friday afternoon, severe storms are predicted with the possibility of creating hail or tornadoes. To ensure student and staff safety, our news partner, KETK, has compiled a list of schools that will release students early. To view the full list, click here.
NEW LONDON – Parents are pushing for the 2025 school bond project which includes a new elementary building. According to our news partner, KETK, it would be the third time voters are asked this question following two previous failed attempts.
West Rusk parents who drop their children off every morning at the elementary school said they are concerned with the current conditions. Some of the problems include leaks, aging floor, mold and have termite damage in their classrooms and windows that leak during rain.
“My daughter cannot run in the gym in certain spots because the floors buckled up so high and kids will trip and fall,” concerned parent Nathan Bishop said. “The kids have to bring their own water because we can’t drink out of the water fountain.” Continue reading West Rusk parents advocating a bond for new school building
SMITH COUNTY – 24 dogs and 3 cats have been seized from the Lanellas Rescue and Sanctuary due to alleged animal cruelty, according to our news partner, KETK.
After receiving a tip about animal cruelty on March 24, members of the Smith County Animal Shelter (SCAS) arrived at Lanellas Rescue and Sanctuary, and found several animals to be emaciated.
SCAS supervisor Amber Green told KETK that Lanellas owner Bonnie Kelley was given a time limit to take the animals to the vet to receive rabies shots and vaccinations. In the agreed time period, Kelley reportedly took only seven or eight of the 27 animals to receive care. Due to Kelley failing to meet the agreement, Green said SACS obtained a warrant and seized all 24 dogs and 3 cats from the property. Continue reading 27 animals seized from an East Texas animal sanctuary for cruelty
BULLARD – According to a report from our news partner, KETK, a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 69 near Bullard slows traffic Friday morning.
The multi-vehicle crash is out of the roadway but is slowing northbound traffic. Drivers in the area are encouraged to use caution and watch for emergency personnel in the roadway. Information regarding the crash will be updated as it becomes available.
(NEW YORIK) -- About 10,000 people across the United States Department of Health and Human Services were laid off this week as part of a massive restructuring plan.
In a post on X on Tuesday afternoon, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the layoffs represented "a difficult moment for all of us" but that "we must shift course" because Americans are "getting sicker every year."
An official at the National Institutes of Health with knowledge on the matter, who asked not to be named, told ABC News that the layoffs were an "HHS-wide bloodbath," with entire offices being fired.
Sources told ABC News that affected offices included a majority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office on Smoking and Health, key offices in the Center for Tobacco Products, most of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the entire assisted reproductive technology team at the CDC.
Then, Kennedy told ABC News on Thursday that some programs would soon be reinstated because they were mistakenly cut.
In a video statement posted on X prior to the layoffs, Kennedy said that he plans to bring to the agency a "clear sense of mission to radically improve the health of Americans and to improve agency morale."
In the six-minute clip, Kennedy claimed that the U.S. is the "sickest nation in the world," with rates of chronic disease and cancer increasing dramatically and the lifespan of Americans dropping -- though Kennedy did not present any data in his video to support those claims.
Smoking and the use of tobacco products contribute to both chronic disease and cancer -- and the offices tackling those issues are among those that were gutted in Kennedy's recent moves.
While Kennedy is correct in his statement that some chronic disease and cancer rates have risen, public health experts said -- and data shows -- that the country has made great progress tackling illnesses, including driving down cancer mortality rates, and that life expectancy is on the rise.
"Gutting the public health system while claiming to fight disease is a dangerous contradiction," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital, as well as a contributor for ABC News.
"We should be focusing on strengthening – not stripping – the public health system if we're serious about tackling chronic disease," Brownstein continued. "Dismantling key infrastructure will only set us back in the fight to keep Americans healthy."
American life expectancy increasing
In a post on X, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator from 2022 to 2023, said Kennedy was incorrect in his statement about Americans getting sicker.
"So much of what is in here is incorrect," he wrote. "Americans are NOT getting sicker every year. After a devastating pandemic, life expectancy is beginning to rise again."
Between 2022 and 2023, age-adjusted death rates decreased for nine of the leading causes of death in the U.S., according to a December 2024 report from the CDC.
This includes decreasing death rates from heart disease, unintentional injuries, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, kidney disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and COVID-19.
Additionally, age-specific death rates dropped from 2022 to 2023 for all age groups ages 5 and older, the CDC report found.
The report also found life expectancy in the U.S. is beginning to rise again after it dropped in every U.S. state during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Life expectancy in 2023 hit its highest level since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC report. Data showed life expectancy for the U.S. population was 78.4 years in 2023, an increase of 0.9 years from 2022.
The drop in age-adjusted death rates was largely attributed to decreases in mortality from COVID-19, heart disease, unintentional injuries and diabetes.
"Claims that Americans are getting sicker every year simply don't hold up," Brownstein told ABC News. "Life expectancy is rising again post-pandemic, and we've seen declines in cancer, cardiovascular and overdose mortality."
Obesity rising in children, decreasing in adults
Kennedy has said he wants to tackle the obesity epidemic, including childhood obesity.
Research does show that obesity is rising in children in the U.S. and is occurring at younger ages, with approximately one in five children and teens in the U.S. having obesity, according to the CDC.
A 2022 study from Emory University that studied data from 1998 through 2016 found that childhood obesity among kindergarten through fifth-grade students has become more severe, putting more children at risk of health consequences.
However, Jha pointed out in his post on X that "even obesity rates have plateaued and are beginning to turn down" in adults.
For the first time in over a decade, adult obesity rates in the U.S. may be trending downward, with numbers dropping slightly from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum in December 2024.
The study reviewed the body mass index, a generally accepted method of estimating obesity, of 16.7 million U.S. adults over a 10-year period. The average BMI rose annually during that period to 30.24, which is considered obese, until it plateaued in 2022, then dropped marginally to 30.21 in 2023.
"Recent research I co-authored in JAMA shows that obesity rates in adults have plateaued and are even starting to trend downward," said Brownstein, a co-author of the study. "That progress reflects the very kind of long-term public health investment this reorg puts at risk."
Chronic disease on the rise
Kennedy has made tackling chronic diseases a cornerstone of his "Make America Healthy Again" platform.
Over the past two decades, the prevalence of chronic conditions has been steadily increasing, according to a 2024 study conducted by researchers in Iowa, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas.
"An increasing proportion of people in America are dealing with multiple chronic conditions; 42% have [two] or more, and 12% have at least [five]," the authors wrote.
However, the study also found that the prevalence of chronic disease varies by geographic location and socioeconomic status. Residents who live in areas with the highest prevalence of chronic disease also face a number of contributing social, economic and environmental barriers, the study found.
A 2022 study from the CDC found chronic diseases linked to cigarette smoking include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancers and diabetes.
Rates of cancer have 'increased dramatically'
Kennedy is correct in stating that cancer rates in the U.S. have increased, with incidence rates rising for 17 cancer types in younger generations, according to a 2024 joint study from the American Cancer Society, Cancer Care Alberta and the University of Calgary.
There has been a notable increase in incidence rates for many cancer types among women and younger adults, research shows.
Incidence rates among women between ages 50 and 64 have surpassed those among men, according to a 2025 report published in the journal of the American Cancer Society.
Additionally, cancer rates among women under age 50 are 82% higher than among men under age 50, which is up from 51% in 2002, the report found.
However, while cancer incidence has increased, cancer mortality has decreased.
A 2025 report from the American Cancer Society found that age-adjusted cancer death rates have dropped from a peak in 1991 by 34% as of 2022, largely due to reductions in smoking, advances in treatment and early detection for some cancers.
However, there is more work to be done and disparities still persist. For example, Native Americans have the highest cancer death rates of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
Additionally, Black Americans have a two-fold higher mortality rate than white Americans for prostate, stomach and uterine corpus cancers, the latter of which is a cancer of the lining of the uterus.
Dr. Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase is a family medicine and preventive medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
ABC News' Dr. Niki Iranpour, Cheyenne Haslett and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
