Key vaccine committee meets for the first time under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

ATLANTA (AP) — A key vaccine advisory committee met for the first time under new U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading voice in the U.S. anti-vaccine movement. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ two-day meeting is taking up vaccine policy questions that had been put on hold when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed the panel’s February meeting. The committee is slated to vote Wednesday afternoon on whether to make new recommendations regarding three kinds of vaccines, including one for meningitis and another to prevent a mosquito-borne illness. It seems likely that those recommendations would fall to Kennedy to decide on.

Autism rates in US rise again to 1 in 31 kids, CDC says

ATLANTA (AP) — An estimated 1 in 31 U.S. children have autism, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday, marking another jump in a long string of increases. The CDC’s data was from 14 states and Puerto Rico in 2022. The previous estimate — from 2020 — was 1 in 36. Boys continue to be diagnosed more than girls, and the highest rates are among children who are Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black. To estimate how common autism is, the CDC checked health and school records for 8-year-olds, because most cases are diagnosed by that age.

Man charged with arson at Pa. governor’s home struggled with mental health, brother says

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A family member says the man charged with purposely setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion had struggled with his mental health and was twice treated at a psychiatric hospital in recent years. Police say 38-year-old Cody Balmer harbored hatred toward Shapiro, but they haven’t said if the act was motivated by politics or religion. Dan Balmer told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had given Cody Balmer a place to live a couple years ago. He was involved in getting his brother treatment at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute twice, saying Cody Balmer exhibited disturbing behavior. Dan Balmer said his brother always considered himself an independent, but this past election he tried to convince the rest of the family to vote for Donald Trump.

US official: DOGE associate is made acting head of foreign assistance at the State Dept.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has expanded the power of adviser Elon Musk’s government-cutting team over the State Department. A senior U.S. official said Tuesday the Republican administration has appointed Musk lieutenant Jeremy Lewin as acting head of all foreign assistance at the State Department. Lewin is an associate of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. The administration had earlier appointed Lewin to help finish dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development. The senior U.S. official says the new appointment makes the DOGE official acting head of State Department foreign assistance. The senior U.S. official was not authorized to speak publicly on a personnel matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.