Trump will nominate top cancer doctor Stephen Hahn to run the FDA


There's a new top doctor in town.
President Trump plans to nominate Stephen Hahn to lead the Food and Drug Administration, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Friday. Hahn is a top executive at the the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and is well-regarded for his radiation and cancer research, The New York Times reports.
Even before Hahn faces a confirmation process, current acting FDA head Norman Sharpless will return to his spot as the director of the National Cancer Institute as his acting term expires Friday. Brett Giroir, an HHS official, will take his spot temporarily. Sharpless replaced FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb when he stepped down in April.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In other Cabinet vacancies, Trump still hasn't nominated anyone to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Kirstjen Nielsen was pushed out of the top spot in April, and acting DHS head Kevin McAleenan, who has served since, was set to leave Thursday. He stayed on because Trump hadn't yet chosen a replacement. Trump reportedly wanted to elevate either acting U.S. Customs and Immigration Services head Ken Cuccinelli or acting Customs and Border Protection head Mark Morgan to the spot, but was told they weren't eligible without Senate confirmation. The White House has now reportedly found a loophole that could let Cuccinelli take the job — not that Republicans are thrilled with that.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
August 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda