Gov. Beshear is asking for removal of RFK Jr. from his job

During his Team Kentucky update Thursday, Governor Andy Beshear asked for the removal of US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from his job.

Governor Beshear said he sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling for Secretary Kennedy's removal.  Beshear cited the ongoing measles outbreak and a summer foodborne illness outbreak that sickened nearly 13,000 people.

The governor accused Secretary Kennedy of spreading misinformation about vaccines and said Americans should be able to count on federal health officials for reliable advice.  The call for Kennedy's removal comes after weeks of criticism over the measles outbreaak in Kentucky.

Midweek statistics said 46 percent of the state's current measles cases are reported in Christian and Trigg counties.  It's the largest measles outbreak in the Commonwealth since 1991.

Governor Beshear also pointed to the summer Cyclospora outbreak. The CDC linked it to iceberg lettuce and reported 12,883 illnesses, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths across 21 states.

The CDC said the outbreak was over in September. The Food and Drug Administration traced the lettuce to central Mexico, but reports did not attribute the contamination to Kennedy nor his policies.