Helena Bottemiller Evich
@hbottemiller
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Founder of @foodfixco, a publication all about food policy. Sign up: https://t.co/LoIhiI4gxp. Polk & James Beard Award (2X) winner. Former @politico.
Washington, DC
Joined March 2009
Delighted to report that @foodfixco turns one today! Still can't believe I quit a good job at @politico to launch my own publication, but I'm so glad I did. It was a big year! Here's some of what I shared with paid subscribers yesterday >> 🧵
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Kennedy calls UNGA's declaration on non-communicable diseases "misdirected." "It attempts both too much and too little. It exceeds the UN's proper role while ignoring some of the most pressing health issues and that's why the United States rejects it."
The United States objects to the United Nations Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases. We will walk away from the Declaration, but we will never walk away from the world—or our commitment to end chronic disease. We stand ready to lead, to partner, and to innovate
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BREAKING: Susan Monarez, forced out by RFK Jr as CDC director, to testify in front of Senate panel next week. Monarez has said RFK Jr pressured her around vaccines. RFK Jr has called her untrustworthy. https://t.co/2nJj8VctWL
washingtonpost.com
The hearing would give Susan Monarez a high-profile opportunity to respond to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims about her ethics and their conversations about vaccines.
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The main pro-MAHA/Kennedy group is urging his supporters to flood congressional phone lines after his combative hearing last week. (I reported here on how the group has been deploying a media strategy to promote him, icymi: https://t.co/IzI6l3WG0C )
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A growing number of critics are slamming Kennedy over vaccines, CDC chaos and more — and it’s not just Democrats. https://t.co/H9fqSpi9x1
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DC restaurants face a “pandemic 2.0.” Owners cite Trump’s federal crackdown, slumping tourism and dining numbers, and tipped-wage hikes as sales plunge and staff fear immigration sweeps. https://t.co/DyLwkEcMWE
axios.com
"All I can do is cut costs and cut labor," says one restaurateur.
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It's notable to see RFK Jr doubling down on his vaccine crusade, which has not polled well (not even with Rs). Contrast that with the MAHA food stuff which generally polls extremely well across ideological spectrum.
SCOOP: HHS is about to award a no-bid contract to HarrisX, the polling firm owned by Mark Penn's Stagwell, to do public opinion research on Americans' trust of vaccines. w/@strickdc From the NBC politics newsletter. First few grafs below. sign up here. https://t.co/G2b33JvdWr
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Exclusive: RFK Jr. and the White House buried a major study on alcohol and cancer. Here’s what it shows. https://t.co/dMQBbh4ITA
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Some of this is right, but some of this is wrong. The Obama administration had a fairly lengthy regulatory agenda - added sugars labeling, mandating changes to school meals, banning trans fat etc. We are still waiting for more on what the MAHA food policy strategy is going to be.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s core strategy for MAHA is the same one Michelle Obama used for “Let’s Move!”—and it will likely fall short for the same reason hers did a decade ago, Tom Bartlett argues.
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From HBO to the New Yorker, MAHA is getting shredded even as admin leaders argue they are racking up wins. https://t.co/sHhyyQEPGO
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Our latest Q&A is with @foodfixco founder @hbottemiller on the new podcast she has launched with the Food & Environment Reporting Network:
spotlightonpoverty.org
Few aspects of the Trump administration have brought more changes to the lives of low-income Americans than the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement headed up by Secretary of Health and Human...
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“Marty Makary said with the food dye stuff that you don’t need a randomized controlled trial because he’s listening to moms. But anecdotes can lead you astray. “ https://t.co/ZnSnn9VK5R
statnews.com
'They’re not interested in the science': Former NIH nutrition scientist Kevin Hall on how his work with MAHA fell apart.
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Love wasting hours applying online just to hear nothing back? Yeah, engineers don’t either.
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Read @hbottemiller on MAHA. We’re About to Find Out if Kennedy Is Serious: https://t.co/E1gloCfwFl
nytimes.com
Conservatives hated Michelle Obama’s food plan. Now they’re all in on MAHA.
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The left and right increasingly agree on food issues, which gives @SecKennedy & Trump admin a massive opportunity to take big swings. Will they? What's the federal policy agenda going to be? My latest in @nytimes ⤵️ https://t.co/xf8Ku81Le4
nytimes.com
Conservatives hated Michelle Obama’s food plan. Now they’re all in on MAHA.
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Getting the sense there's a ton of infighting within MAHA right now over this issue. Some of the key influencers are starting to speak out ⤵️
Hey guess what GOP. MAHA IS F*CKING PISSED. WE DID NOT VOTE FOR BIG CHEM AND BIG AG TO GET IMMUNITY. FIX THIS OR RISK OUR VOTE IN THE MIDTERMS.
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Shocking and tragic news. Sending prayers to her family.
Biondo remembered for her advocacy work. More the memorial #agscholarship in her honor @brownfield #agnews
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RFK Jr. suggested he had an agreement with the food industry to voluntarily get rid of synthetic food dyes by end of 2026. That wasn't true, but a ton of major food companies have since agreed to do this, many by end of 2027. There's no Q it's a significant win for MAHA.
The trade strategy was immediately labeled by the media a failure. It quickly produced deals so successful, the media is labeling them as TOO good. The MAHA food agenda de-legitimized by the media as “just about food dyes.” In the first year, it will deliver foundational reform
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Starting to see dems work out where they agree and want to work w/MAHA. Rep. Pingree (D-Maine) this week also tried to strip a pesticide liability rider from an approps bill, something MAHA supported, but no Rs backed it.
RFK Jr. is wrong about many things...but closing the GRAS loophole is not one of them. If he’s serious about food safety, he'll work with me to close this loophole.
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It's sooo interesting to see who is/isn't speaking up on this pesticide liability issue within MAHA - cracking down on pesticides has been one of the most animating issues w/in the movement. GOP seeking to do opposite right now. Thread w/MAHA perspective here ⤵️
🚨MAHA leaders are sounding the alarm—everything is on the line right now! Big Ag lobbyists are quietly working to slip liability shields for pesticide companies into law. If it passes, Big Ag will be free to poison you with ZERO accountability. Thread🧵
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FDA + USDA announced yesterday they are beginning a process to define UPFs, which would be first step to doing something more substantial (could be a long road - also TBD): https://t.co/Sh9R0eXEzH
fda.gov
HHS, FDA and USDA Address the Health Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods
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Adding context: HHS has taken zero regulatory actions against ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Many food companies have voluntarily agreed to drop synthetic dyes, which is significant. We do expect the new dietary guidelines will urge Americans to reduce consumption of UPFs (TBD)
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