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WBWR Podcasts, Boston.

There's never an American history, has the federal government taken a position on public health like this.

Cracks are forming in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s make America Healthy Again movement.

It's Tuesday, August 26th, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WBUR, Boston.

I'm Ashley Locke, in for Chris Bentley.

Today on the show, after being classified as intellectually low functioning for years,

a non-speaking autistic student has now made history at MIT.

And Chinese used to be seen as the language of the future.

So why are fewer Americans now studying in China and learning Chinese?

Parents and students are maybe not willing to spend that much money for a doubtful future.

But first, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement is having a moment.

But just one year in, internal and external pressures are holding up its progress.

Rob Schmitz checks in with Isabella Quato, a chronic disease reporter with our editorial partner, Stat.

I must admit, I laughed when I saw a note under her byline that to report her story,

she talked with insiders and watched RFK Jr. ride a stationary bicycle powering a blender to make a blueberry smoothie at a Maha Farmer's Market on the National Mall.

I think the overarching sentiment I heard is that there's still a lot of excitement and there's

a lot of effort being put into building momentum and keeping the, you know, the wind's coming,

if you will.

But there's also increased tension both within the movement because there are people with a lot

of different ideas of how to achieve better health and outside of the movement because there are people with a lot of different ideas of how to achieve

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