Health Podcast Library
Episode 441

Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.

Apr 9, 2026
37:30

Episode Description

This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president’s budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs. 

Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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: The Atlantic’s “HHS Officials’ Year in Purgatory Is Ending,” by Katherine J. Wu.

Maya Goldman: KFF Health News’ “Trump’s Personnel Agency Is Asking for Federal Workers’ Medical Records,” by Amanda Seitz and Maia Rosenfeld.

Lauren Weber: CNN’s “These Common Drug Tests Lead to Tens of Thousands of Wrongful Arrests a Year, Experts Say. One State Is Fighting Back,” by Holly Yan.

Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “A Slowdown in US Visa Processing Is Wreaking Havoc on Foreign Doctors’ Lives,” by Simon J. Levien.

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