Dr. Rachel Levine is the new assistant health secretary — and the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate
CBSN
The Senate confirmed Dr. Rachel Levine in a 52-48 vote to be assistant secretary of health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Her confirmation makes her the first openly transgender individual to be approved by the Senate as well as the highest-ranking transgender federal official.
Levine was previously the secretary of health for Pennsylvania, where she led the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and worked on programs battling the opioid crisis, HIV and Hepatitis C and addressing LGBTQ health equity. She was also former president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) — a nonprofit that represents the public health agencies of all 50 states, U.S. territories, D.C. and the three freely associated states. As assistant health secretary, she will serve under Secretary of Health Xavier Becerra, who was confirmed by the Senate last week, and likely play a key role in the federal government's handling of the coronavirus. She joins a cabinet that includes many other "firsts", including Becerra, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, EPA chief Michael Regan and U.S. trade envoy Katherine Tai.
Springtime brings warmer weather, longer days and nature's awakening across much of the country. It also brings higher chances for tornadoes, large hail, flash floods and damaging winds — and that means more alerts about threatening forecasts, which often come in the form of watches and warnings. There is a distinct difference between the two, particularly when it comes to what they mean about taking action when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Former heart surgeon and television host Dr. Mehmet Oz is set to face questions Friday from the Senate's finance committee over his nomination to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Trump.
Santa Fe, New Mexico — A representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports, especially photographs and police body-camera video related to the recent deaths of Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after their partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home in February.
A judge in Maryland has blocked for now the mass firings of probationary federal workers and ordered thousands of fired probationary workers to be reinstated, marking the second decision of its kind in a day.
In the past year, over 135 million passengers traveled to the U.S. from other countries. To infectious disease experts, that represents 135 million chances for an outbreak to begin. To identify and stop the next potential pandemic, government disease detectives have been discreetly searching for viral pathogens in wastewater from airplanes. Experts are worried that these efforts may not be enough.
Washington — Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he hopes dialogue can resolve the trade war between the U.S. and the European Union after President Trump Thursday threatened to impose 200% retaliatory tariffs on European wines and alcohols.
A former local mafia boss died Wednesday after he was shot in his car in the middle of a busy highway near the French city of Grenoble, local authorities and sources close to the case told French news agency AFP.
The Social Security Administration could soon lose as many as 10,000 workers, according to former agency leaders who expect a large portion of federal workers to accept a buyout offer from the agency.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of military standards, including physical fitness, body composition and grooming. It's a review Hegseth promised during his confirmation hearing when questioned about his statements he's made that military standards have eroded.
Washington — Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona died Thursday morning after "a long and brave battle" against cancer, according to his office.
Dollar General has a particularly clear view into the pocketbooks of low-income Americans, given those shoppers are the discount retailer's core customer base. And some are so financially pinched they can no longer afford basic necessities, the chain relayed on Thursday.
President Trump has made a number of inaccurate claims about Canada in the past week as he imposed new tariff hikes on the country and touted his plans for more.
Those who glance up at the sky tonight will have an opportunity to catch the March 2025 "Blood Moon," a phenomenon that colors the full moon in shades of red, orange and yellow during a total lunar eclipse.