Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has halted a $240 million contract signed by the Biden administration to develop an oral COVID-19 vaccine.

The contract, which has now been paused for 90 days, is with biotech company Vaxart Inc.

The project’s freeze comes just before 10,000 people were scheduled to begin clinical trials for the oral vaccine on Monday.

Kennedy and his team will review the initial study before deciding whether to terminate the contract or allow it to continue.

“While it is crucial that the Department [of] Health and Human Services (HHS) support pandemic preparedness, four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production, including Vaxart’s,” Kennedy said in a statement to Fox News.

Kennedy added, “I look forward to working with Vaxart and medical experts to ensure this work produces safe, effective, and fiscal-minded vaccine technology.”

Fox News reports:

The creation of a new COVID-19 vaccine was part of the Biden administration’s $4.7 billion Project NextGen initiative, which was launched in 2023 and works to streamline the development of new vaccines. The Vaxart vaccine was specifically funded through an agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is a department within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response under the HHS umbrella.

BARDA obligated roughly $460 million to Vaxart’s development of the new vaccine, with a total of $240 million already authorized for the preliminary study, Fox Digital learned.

A recent modification to the contract would have allowed Vaxart to invoice BARDA for the remaining roughly $230 million for clinical trials, but the stop-work order prevents the biotech company from invoicing BARDA until further notice. Vaxart, however, can still invoice HHS related to medical monitoring of individuals who took part in an initial round of trials, Fox Digital learned.

Kennedy has long run a non-profit called Children’s Health Defense. According to the organization’s website, its mission is to “end childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable, and establish safeguards to prevent future harm. We fight corruption, mass surveillance and censorship that put profits before people as well as advocate for worldwide rights to health freedom and bodily autonomy.”

The organization provides legal assistance with fighting mandatory vaccination in schools and the workplace.

During his presidential campaign, Kennedy said he would prosecute any official who engaged in criminal wrongdoing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is dawning on mainstream figures like Anthony Fauci that their Covid policies were a public health disaster,” Kennedy began. “Lots of us are angry about the mandates, the lockdowns, the censorship, the insanity. But we need to avoid the toxic quagmire of retribution and blame and focus on ensuring this never happens again. Clean up the regulatory agencies, get corporate money out of public health, and guarantee free, open, uncensored public and scientific discourse.”

Not retribution, but justice! As President, I will direct my attorney general to investigate and prosecute every person who knowingly defrauded or deceived the American public about the safety and efficacy of medical products and I will obtain justice and compensation for every…

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) April 27, 2023

Kennedy continued, “Of course, officials who betrayed the public trust must not be allowed to hold power. I will remove them from their positions and, if laws were broken, my attorney general will prosecute.”

“Just to be clear, I will prosecute any official who engaged in criminal wrongdoing during the pandemic,” the candidate said. “Corrupt individuals are a small part of the problem. Our agencies have been captured by corporate power, but the vast majority of their staff are decent people. We need to get corporate influence out of *all* regulatory agencies so that they can serve the people honestly.”

“Not retribution, but justice!” Kennedy said. “As President, I will direct my attorney general to investigate and prosecute every person who knowingly defrauded or deceived the American public about the safety and efficacy of medical products and I will obtain justice and compensation for every American who was injured or suffered the death of family members from those actions. As a presidential candidate, I’ll continue to expose corruption to obtain justice for the injured.”

The post HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Halts Biden Administration’s $240 Million Contract for Oral COVID Vaccine appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Elijah Schaffer sits down with The Gateway Pundit founder Jim Hoft to discuss the growth of independent conservative media and the challenges that come with it. Hoft shares how he built The Gateway Pundit from a small blog into one of the most-read conservative news sites, navigating censorship and media bias along the way. They break down the shifting media landscape, the influence of big tech, and what it takes to push back against efforts to silence alternative voices.

Michael Hennessey of Snowflake News also joins the conversation to discuss major political stories, including the latest on Enrique Tarrio. They cover government overreach, free speech battles, and the role of independent journalism in shaping public perception. It’s a candid discussion about the state of media and politics today.

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Please leave your opinions / comments on these stories below as Elijah reads every single one and appreciates your perspective.

The post Founder & CEO Jim Hoft Talks About The Growth, Challenges and Future of The Gateway Pundit | Elijah Schaffer featuring Jim Hoft (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Arizona lawmakers will be voting on legislation to pay police officers a $2,500 bounty for each illegal alien they help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deport.

The legislation states that the bounties will be paid by taxing international money transfers.

Under the proposal, each international money transfer under $500 will be taxed $25, and those over $500 will be taxed $25 plus five percent of the additional amount.

Opponents of the legislation have argued that it will lead to racial profiling and distract police from handling their local duties.

Democrat Arizona Senator Lauren Kuby called the bill “racist” and compared it to the “wild west.”

“But it’s Wild West with a twist, it’s a racist bill,” Kuby said.

“This is a critical mission that Arizona voters overwhelmingly support, and we want to reward the efforts of our hardworking officers,” the bill’s Republican sponsor Senator Jake Hoffman said in a statement obtained by Reuters.

The report adds, “Missouri and Mississippi recently considered bills to pay civilian bounty hunters $1,000 for each illegal immigrant they caught. The legislation was shot down in Mississippi and looks set to fail in Missouri, with state Republicans reluctant to pay for immigration enforcement.”

The bill passed through committee last week and will now go to the state’s House and Senate for votes.

Arizona’s Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs has said she will veto the bill if it passes.

To override the veto, there would need to be a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber.

The post Arizona Lawmakers to Vote on Proposal to Pay Cops $2,500 for Each Illegal Alien They Help ICE Deport appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The liberal media won’t know what to do with this one. Boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. just delivered a knockout punch to the Trump-hating left by openly praising President Donald Trump on Fox Business Wednesday.

The undefeated champ, who retired with a pristine 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, didn’t pull any punches when he declared President Donald Trump not just a great leader—but the best president America has ever had.

Cue the collective meltdown from the TDS crowd.

Mayweather, now a titan in the business world with a real estate empire reportedly worth far more than the $400 million cited by the New York Post, joined Charles Payne to discuss his latest ventures, including his Premier Nutritional Supplements line, 101 (ONE OF ONE).

But it was his unapologetic defense of Trump that stole the show.

Charles Payne: I wanted to ask you, as a budding Manhattan real estate mogul, about another Manhattan real estate mogul—a guy named Donald Trump.

What do you think about the way he’s going at it? He had a great press conference today, his first cabinet meeting. His management style, the way he’s going at this—what are your thoughts on the way this administration is trying to reinvigorate the country?

Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Well, the world—I mean, in America, we’re never happy. At least I’m happy, but we’re never happy. When we had Trump before, we didn’t appreciate him. But I think Trump is a great president. Actually, he’s the best president. In my eyes, he’s the best president we ever had. He’s just a great businessman, and that’s what it’s about.

Charles Payne: The way he did today’s cabinet thing—you probably weren’t around here—it was really phenomenal. To the point you talked about: team. Putting together a great team. He put together a fantastic cabinet.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Trump has done an amazing job, and a lot of people around America are upset. But no matter who goes in the White House, we’re always upset. I think Trump is the man for the job. He’s the best president in my eyes.

WATCH:

You can bet that the liberal media and their internet mobs are already seething over Mayweather’s comments. They want athletes and celebrities to parrot their radical agenda, and when someone dares to think independently, they go into full meltdown mode.

The post Wow! Floyd Mayweather Jr. Shocks the Left: Boxing Legend Defends Trump, Declares ‘Best President We Ever Had’ on Fox News appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The bloated, inefficient, and corrupt federal bureaucracy is finally facing a long-overdue reckoning.

President Donald Trump has ordered all federal agencies to prepare for significant reductions in workforce and structural reorganization.

According to a newly released memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), agencies must submit their initial plans for large-scale reductions in force (RIFs) by March 13, 2025.

This directive is part of Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative, an executive order signed on February 11, 2025, which aims to eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity in Washington’s deep state.

“The federal government is costly, inefficient, and deeply in debt. At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public. Instead, tax dollars are being siphoned off to fund unproductive and unnecessary programs that benefit radical interest groups while hurting hardworking American citizens,” according to the memo signed by OMB Director Russell T. Vought and Acting OPM Director Charles Ezell.

“This is the mandate of the American people,” the memo added, pointing to Trump’s landslide victory on November 5, 2024, as proof that voters are fed up with Washington’s entrenched elite.

“President Trump required that “Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law.” President Trump also directed that, no later than March 13, 2025, agencies develop Agency Reorganization Plans,” the memo states.

The administration’s goal is clear: gut unnecessary bureaucratic functions, fire underperforming government employees, and end taxpayer-funded handouts to radical special interests.

Notably, the OMB-OPM memo exempts key national security functions such as:

• Positions that are necessary to meet law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement, or public safety responsibilities;
• Military personnel in the armed forces and all Federal uniformed personnel, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, and the Commissioned Officer Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
• Officials nominated and appointed to positions requiring Presidential appointment or Senate confirmation, non-career positions in the Senior Executive Service or Schedule C positions in the excepted service, officials appointed through temporary organization hiring authority pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 3161, or the appointment of any other non-career employees or officials, if approved by agency leadership appointed by the President;
• The Executive Office of the President; or
• The U.S. Postal Service.
• Finally, agencies or components that provide direct services to citizens (such as Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ health care) shall not implement any proposed ARRPs until OMB and OPM certify that the plans will have a positive effect on the delivery of such services.

However, radical leftist strongholds within the government—such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Education, and the bloated social welfare bureaucracy—are likely headed for deep cuts, following USAID.

You can read the full memo below:

The post Draining the Swamp: Pres. Trump Formally Instructs All Federal Agencies to Prepare for Large-Scale Bureaucracy Cuts by March 13 appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.