Topic: Yuki Noguchi

The Trump administration announced a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the cutting of 3,500 jobs at the FDA. Outgoing officials like Peter Marks and Robert Califf warned that these reductions could compromise the safety of new drugs, food, and medical devices. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. maintains that the agencies are bloated and have failed to address the nation's chronic disease epidemic.

NPR correspondent Yuki Noguchi explains the concept of "attestation," where employees self-report their vaccination status rather than providing physical proof. CNN recently fired three employees for lying on their attestation forms and coming to work unvaccinated. The segment discusses the "honor system" approach used by many corporations and the federal government to manage workplace risk without formal mandates.