| The tumultuous effort by the Trump administration to destroy nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives intended for developing nations is messier — and even more expensive — than previously known, report Adam Taylor and Meg Kelly in The Washington Post newsroom. Newly released internal State Department emails and documents show confusion, miscommunication and factual errors as officials weighed whether to destroy contraceptives sitting in a Belgian warehouse after the administration dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID. The documents, which came to light via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the advocacy group the Center for Reproductive Rights, paint a chaotic picture of the administration’s handling of the stockpile. Shutting down USAID, an independent agency, was a key goal of the government cost-cutting efforts led by billionaire Elon Musk. Emails reveal that U.S. diplomats didn’t know exactly what was inside the warehouse, even after The Post identified the warehouse’s inventory as contraceptives and HIV-prevention medications. In August, one senior State Department official circulated a list incorrectly labeling contraceptive implants, IUDs and an oral contraceptive called levonorgestrel as “abortifacients,” the term for products that end a pregnancy. None of these products is intended to induce abortions. The administration eventually abandoned plans to incinerate the supplies because of Belgian prohibitions on burning them. However, by then it was too late. → A recent USAID inspector general report found that most of the contraceptives had spoiled after months in improper storage or transport, rendering them unusable. The federal government has likely spent more than $434,000 storing and transporting the supplies since January 2025 — and the costs continue to rise by about $24,000 each month. “This administration talks a lot about waste, fraud and abuse, and trying to root it out, but this is waste, fraud and abuse,” Liz McCaman Taylor, a lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told The Post. The State Department told my colleagues that it made a preliminary decision to destroy “abortifacient birth control commodities” from terminated USAID contracts, while ensuring HIV treatments and condoms were preserved, but would not specify to The Post which products it considered abortifacients or why it pushed to destroy the contraceptives. In its statement, the department said it “prohibits providing certain assistance — directly or indirectly — to foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.” It didn’t comment about the documents more broadly. Critics say that the Trump administration has effectively decided to end support for contraceptives in family planning, blurring the line with abortions. This mirrors actions the administration is taking to limit federal funding for family planning programs domestically. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom emails show was briefed on the fate of the warehouse stockpile, reinforced that view last month. During an appearance before the House Appropriations Committee, Rubio told lawmakers that the U.S. “is not going to be involved in distributing contraceptives and all these other things around the world.” Read the full story: “Emails detail confusion in State Department over Trump plan to destroy contraceptives.” The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services are working together to coordinate research, clinical trials, workforce training and data sharing around psychedelic drugs that could eventually be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The agreement stems from an executive order President Donald Trump signed in April directing agencies to explore whether psychedelics could help veterans and others with serious mental health conditions. Months earlier, Politico reported that supporters of psychedelic medicine had become frustrated at the federal government’s pace in reviewing new treatments. Here are some of the details surrounding Monday’s announcement: - The FDA issued final guidance outlining how companies should conduct clinical trials for psychedelic drugs, and plans to hold a public hearing in September on their future therapeutic use. FDA and VA will separately expand scientific collaboration on innovative psychiatric treatments.
→ Ibogaine, a plant-based psychoactive compound, is a central focus of the Trump administration’s moves into the psychedelic space. - In the administration’s announcement Monday afternoon, it said that the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is housed within the National Institutes of Health, had shared years of research data with the FDA and researchers “to help inform the drug’s ongoing scientific and regulatory evaluation.”
During the White House signing ceremony of the psychedelics executive order, Trump was surrounded by veterans, top federal health officials and Joe Rogan, a popular podcaster who had urged the president to increase access to psychedelics. Rogan said he’d sent a text to Trump about the benefits of ibogaine, and a response quickly came back: “‘Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let’s do it,’” Rogan explained. - The federal government is also funding a project that aims to lead to the FDA green-lighting clinical trials, including nearly $2.3 million for studies to address safety concerns, such as the risk of serious heart rhythm problems.
“There is preliminary evidence that psychedelic therapies can rewire the brain and produce rapid improvements for people with serious mental illness or substance use disorders,” NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement Monday. “However, we still have much to learn about long-term benefits and risks, including the potential for misuse.” - The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, known as ARPA-H, is seeking proposals from companies and researchers to advance ibogaine as a potential treatment for opioid use disorder.
Some psychedelic supporters, including advocacy group Americans for Ibogaine, cheered the action. W. Bryan Hubbard, the group’s CEO, said in a statement that the announcement “proves what’s possible when people fight with unity to hold broken systems accountable.” The group is chaired by Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas who has become an outspoken ibogaine champion. → The VA says it is currently involved in 20 psychedelic-related clinical trials supported by more than $23 million in outside funding. Sen. Ron Wyden (Oregon), the top Democrat on a panel with jurisdiction over health issues, requested an investigation into actions by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of improperly using his official position to influence two competitive Iowa congressional races. He wrote to Jamieson Greer — the U.S. trade representative who also serves as acting special counsel — urging an investigation into whether Kennedy broke a law known as the Hatch Act, which prohibits political employees from getting involved in elections. Wyden cited reporting by media outlets, including an exclusive from The Post’s Dan Diamond and Isaac Arnsdorf, which featured an audio recording of Kennedy urging a Libertarian candidate to drop out, and suggested that he and the candidate could “make an agreement” that would accomplish more than a “symbolic run” for office. “With the White House reportedly dispatching Kennedy as a campaign surrogate across the country, it is likely that Kennedy’s election interference activities extend far beyond the two phone calls we know about in Iowa,” Wyden wrote to Greer. HHS didn’t respond to a request for comment. Reality check: As Dan and Issac point out in their write-up about Wyden’s letter, Trump has historically been ambivalent about Hatch Act violations. During his first term, the Office of Special Counsel recommended the removal of top adviser Kellyanne Conway due to repeated violations of the law. Conway, however, remained in her post. “Second American infected with Ebola is responding well to treatment in Germany,” Lena H. Sun reports at The Post. “Biogen data highlight promise, questions surrounding tau-targeting Alzheimer’s drugs,” Jacob Bell reports at BioPharma Dive. “The next big weight-loss shot is already available online,” Lauren Gardner reports at Politico. “Trump’s HHS abandons threat to withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding over trans care,” Selena Simmons-Duffin reports at NPR. This newsletter is published by WP Intelligence, The Washington Post’s subscription service for professionals that provides business, policy and thought leaders with actionable insights. WP Intelligence operates independently from The Washington Post newsroom. Learn more about WP Intelligence. | 
