Shane Harris – The start of the COVID-19 pandemic is now more than a half decade in the rearview mirror, but trust in public health institutions remains at a historic low. By nominating Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a top skeptic of lockdown policies and mask mandates, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), President Trump is taking an important step toward restoring transparency and accountability in public health policy and the field of medical science more broadly.

Bhattacharya had his first hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions this week, where he acknowledged the challenge of restoring public trust in science. “American biomedical sciences are at a crossroads,” he said. “A November 2024 Pew study reported that only 26 percent of the American public had a great deal of confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interest, while 23 percent had not much or no confidence at all.” Continue reading →