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Controversial FDA official leaving drug center post in latest departure at agency

The leader of the Food and Drug Administration division responsible for regulating prescription and over-the-counter drugs is leaving her post, a senior FDA official confirmed to CBS News, marking the latest high-level shake-up at the FDA. 

Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg had served as acting director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) since December, helming an office that reviews applications for new drugs. She previously advised former FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary.

Høeg said on social media that she had been fired from the role, but did not elaborate. 

“I’m incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity to serve this country & proud of the work we did,” Høeg wrote. “FDA staff are smart, talented, supportive & don’t get enough credit I learned so much & leave with no regrets.” 

A Health and Human Services spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Høeg’s departure. The news of Høeg’s departure was first reported by Reuters.

Høeg is leaving her job three days after Makary resigned as FDA commissioner following a flood of news reports about internal tensions within the agency, including disagreements over a recent decision to approve flavored e-cigarettes. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Makary left due to the e-cigarette dispute, adding that the commissioner didn’t want to approve flavored products but had been forced to do so by other members of the administration.

The former head of the FDA office responsible for vaccine approvals, Dr. Vinay Prasad, also departed the agency last month. Prasad briefly left the agency last summer, but was reinstated less than two weeks later. 

Høeg’s appointment as the head of CDER had drawn controversy and sparked alarm among senior FDA officials due to her history of vaccine skepticism, CBS News previously reported. She helped write a memo last year linking several children’s deaths to the COVID-19 vaccine, without providing data to back up the claim, and she was involved in a controversial effort to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines.

“Putting Tracy Beth in charge is like dropping an atom bomb,” one agency source told CBS News in December.

Høeg has acknowledged the effectiveness of some vaccines, including the measles vaccine. She said when she was confirmed that she was “committed to transparency, honesty, and decisions based on rigorous science and ensuring important changes happen efficiently.”  

2 federal workers were held hostage at gunpoint for hours in a California forest. A father and son are the accused kidnappers

(CNN) — Two US Forest Service workers were doing field work in a northern California forest on Thursday morning when they were abducted at gunpoint, zip-tied and led to a remote trailer, authorities said.Using one of the victims’ phones to make a call, a suspect said he had “taken two fed (employees) hostage from the Forest Service” and he had “live rounds ready,” federal prosecutors said.The call led to a massive local, state and federal law enforcement presence racing up the one-lane road to the campsite, located 2,000 feet up in rough terrain in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, authorities said.It wasn’t until 15 hours later the government workers were released and home safe, and federal prosecutors charged a father and a son with kidnapping.During the negotiations, authorities used drones to identify the trailer and make contact with the father, said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue. When they did, the father said he wanted to speak with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, warning he had firearms and ammunition, the sheriff said.About four hours later, around 4:20 p.m., federal and local law enforcement were able to begin negotiations, and the standoff continued nearly 10 hours more until the two employees were released 15 minutes apart, authorities said.Less than an hour later, law enforcement was able to “successfully communicate” with one of the suspects, which led to the father and son walking out of the trailer together.The suspected kidnappers were identified as Joseph Charles Henrichsen, 49, and his son Phoenix Henrichsen, 23, the Department of Justice said. They are in custody after being charged with kidnapping federal employees, the agency said.The motive is still unclear and is being investigated, the agency said.“I’d like to tell you it’s probably the smoothest thing that I’ve seen in many years,” the sheriff said, speaking of the negotiations and surrender.Joseph Henrichsen had an AR-15-style rifle and knives and claimed to have grenades, according to Brian Tosh, FBI acting special agent in charge.“Crisis situations like this don’t often result in everyone leaving the scene safely. We are very proud of the work everyone did today,” Tosh said.US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said he was “grateful beyond words” the workers are home safe.“This outcome is a testament to the skill and professionalism of our Forest Service law enforcement officers, the FBI, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, and every first responder who answered the call,” Schultz said.At a news conference, Schultz spoke about how the kidnapping “has been a frightening experience for everyone involved, for our employees, their families, their co-workers, and frankly, for all of us who care about the people who serve this agency and the public every day.”CNN has contacted the Mt. Shasta Police Department and the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office for comment.If convicted, the Henrichsens face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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