Autism

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said fraudsters in Minnesota paid mothers roughly $1,500 per child to falsely claim their children were autistic, a scheme he said harmed both the children misdiagnosed and families genuinely needing services. Speaking alongside President Trump and Vice President Vance, Oz said CMS reviewed providers in the state's 14 high-risk programs and found about a third could not be validated, prompting dozens of cases, including criminal investigations, and roughly $500 million in deferred payments. The findings follow reporting by independent journalist Nick Shirley and come after Oz gave Gov. Tim Walz a 60-day ultimatum to fix the program. Walz has called the federal scrutiny political retribution against Minnesota.

Families of disabled Floridians say Hope Florida, the signature initiative of Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis, failed to deliver meaningful help even as a leaked grand jury report found the affiliated Hope Florida Foundation took part in a "sophisticated scheme" diverting $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds toward political campaigns. Parents and disabled adults described navigators sending generic lists of nonprofits, churches, and job boards instead of substantive assistance for needs like wheelchair transport, aides, or job placement. Reporting found the $10 million was part of at least $35 million in taxpayer funds steered toward efforts opposing a marijuana legalization measure and an abortion-rights ballot initiative.

James Uthmeier, DeSantis' former chief of staff and now attorney general, was found to have held authority over the settlement's arrangement; U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, then attorney general, advised approving the deal. A Florida House committee and a grand jury convened by a Tallahassee-area state attorney investigated, though witness silence discouraged charges. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities defended its record, saying it serves more than 60,000 Floridians, while the governor's and Uthmeier's offices did not respond to requests for comment.

Sen. Bill Cassidy questioned Dr. Heidi Overton, President Trump's nominee to lead the FDA, during a Senate HELP Committee hearing Thursday, seeking assurances she would defend vaccine science against political pressure. Overton, a White House domestic policy aide, contradicted Trump's claim that the MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal," calling the shot "our best tool" against the current measles surge.

However, Overton declined to directly criticize several of Trump's other health-related statements, including claims linking Tylenol to autism, assertions about U.S. drug pricing, and comments equating birth control with abortion. She also would not say whether health care is a human right. Cassidy, a physician and vaccine researcher before entering politics, pressed her to commit to "radical honesty" and resisting ideological interference in FDA product approvals. Sen. Maggie Hassan pushed further, noting Overton avoided saying the president was simply wrong on vaccine safety. The committee will vote at a later hearing on whether to advance Overton's nomination to the full Senate.

Minnesota Lt. Gov. and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan is drawing criticism after it emerged she is set to attend a fundraiser hosted by Dr. Nathan Chomilo, the state's Medicaid medical director since January 2020. His tenure has coincided with a massive Medicaid fraud scandal in Minnesota, much of it centered on programs like autism services and Housing Stabilization Services, with an estimated billions in fraudulent payments.

Republicans, including state Rep. Kristin Robbins and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, seized on the connection, arguing it undermines Flanagan's stated commitment to addressing fraud and reflects alignment with the party's progressive wing. Chomilo was not directly responsible for fraud oversight or payment processing, but critics note his senior role should have made him aware of the problems. Flanagan has previously said she is "appalled" by the fraud and pointed to new oversight measures, including an inspector general's office.

The controversy adds pressure to Flanagan's Senate bid against Republican Michele Tafoya, with fraud emerging as a top issue for Minnesota voters ahead of the November election.