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The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement represents a transformative opportunity to reshape the landscape of public health in the United States. With chronic disease now widely recognized as a pressing public health crisis, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions that go beyond traditional approaches. The MAHA Commission has set the stage for a new era in health policy, and artificial intelligence can serve as a pivotal force in accelerating its impact. By integrating AI and centralized health data, MAHA can drive meaningful progress in nutrition and metabolic health, offering personalized and scientifically-backed solutions to combat chronic disease. Recent developments surrounding the regulation of synthetic food dyes signal a major milestone in American health policy. We are witnessing the first serious crack in the armor of the U.S. food industry. For decades, tens of millions of Americans have unknowingly consumed potentially harmful chemicals such as Yellow 5 and Red 40, dyes already restricted in Europe. The FDA’s decision to phase out these additives represents a meaningful shift toward a safer, more transparent food system. This is a critical and positive step forward: Food should nourish, not harm. As someone deeply committed to advancing health outcomes, I view this as a welcome and necessary correction. Dont politicize health While MAHA and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK) have drawn both support and criticism, my focus remains clear: How do we improve health? On that front, I support any movement taking tangible steps to make our food supply healthier and more accountable. Historically, public health recommendations have been one-size-fits-all, often failing to address the individual metabolic and lifestyle factors that shape personal health outcomes. MAHA has the potential to change this paradigm by embracing AI-driven personalized medicine. AI can analyze vast datasets spanning dietary habits, genetic predispositions, and environmental exposures to generate tailored health recommendations that empower individuals to make optimal nutritional choices. I am opposed to the politicization of American health. It disproportionately harms the most vulnerable, particularly low-income communities, who already face significant barriers to accessing nutritious food. My focus is metabolic health, and our most urgent challenge is whats on our plates. The fact that more than 10,000 chemicals are permitted in the U.S. food supply, while only about 400 are allowed in Europe, is indefensible. This is not just a regulatory gap; it is a public health failure that must be addressed. No one has successfully challenged the U.S. food industry until now. Some states are proposing or adopting changes aligned with MAHA such as soda bans, dye eliminations, and ultra-processed food limits in schools, and some corporations like PepsiCo are eliminating food dyes from its products. Over half of U.S. states are introducing legislation to address synthetic dyes. With MAHAs clear intentions, any company that wants its food served in Americas largest restaurant chain (i.e. American school cafeterias), is asking themselves how they can realistically get dyes out of their foods. AI can help It is now widely acknowledged that diet plays a fundamental role in chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, which affect 133 million Americans. Despite this awareness, progress in addressing these issues has been slow. In addition to the important steps of improving school lunches and banning potentially harmful chemicals from foods, AI-powered tools can also be incorporated into preventive care in programs like Medicare wellness visits, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), school health education, and veteran services. AI tools can provide real-time insights into the metabolic effects of foods before consumption, enabling individuals to make healthier choices based on their unique health profiles. They can also create highly personalized plans and virtual coaches to help individuals reach their health goals. For AI to fulfill its potential, it must be fueled by centralized, comprehensive health data. A unified data repository that aggregates nutritional information, health metrics, and environmental factors across diverse communities is essential. This centralized approach enhances the accuracy and responsiveness of AI algorithms, ensuring that health recommendations evolve in tandem with emerging scientific research. Realizing this vision will require close collaboration between government agencies, private-sector innovators, and healthcare and technology experts. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, especially under leaders like Michael Kratsios, can partner with Silicon Valleys AI leaders to set new standards for data-driven health policy. Together, we can ensure AI-driven insights are accessible to all Americans. We are living through a rare window of possibility. As RFK Jr. and MAHA work to improve our food system and as AI becomes a force multiplier for health equity, we have the tools to take real action. The removal of food dyes is only the beginning. The real test for all of us, including MAHA, is whether we can also address the larger crises of ultra-processed food, excess sugar, and nutritional inequality. The future of public health depends not on ideological battles, but on constructive action. Lets focus on what matters: addressing the root cause, rather than just treating chronic disease, and improving the health span of all Americans. Noosheen Hashemi is founder of January AI.
Category:
E-Commerce
The era of the invisible CEO is over. In 2025, silence equals irrelevance. Todays audiences in the attention economy dont wait for press releases. Theyre actively engaged on LinkedIn, exploring niche podcasts, diving into Substacks, and sizing up leaders not just on what they sell, but what they stand for.The crucial question then becomes: In a landscape filled with tech skepticism, debates over hero leaders, the influence of cancel culture, dwindling newsrooms, and widespread misinformation, is a public voice essential for CEOs?According to recent data, yes. You cant afford for them not to have a public voice.The days of direct influenceForget billboards and banner ads; direct communication is more effective than almost every other source of information in terms of trust and influence.According to Mission Norths Brand Expectations Index: 84% of knowledge workers and 81% of the general public trust direct communications from companies, including podcasts, long-form articles, and videos, more than national news, social media, or even academic journals. Source: Mission Norths Brand Expectations Index 2025 Among knowledge workers, technical articles (72%), practical explainers (69%), and human-interest stories (66%) are especially effective in building credibility and deepening knowledge. 75% of IT decision makers report increased trust when they encounter real-world stories of people using or innovating with AI. These arent just content preferences. Theyre strategic cues for howand whereaudiences want to engage.Thought leadership is the new due diligenceThe 2024 LinkedIn-Edelman B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report adds more urgency: 73% of decision makers say thought leadership is more trustworthy than product sheets or traditional marketing. 70% of C-suite executives say high-quality thought leadership has made them question whether to stick with a current vendor. 90% say theyre more receptive to outreach from companies that publish insightful content regularly. In short: If your brand wants a seat at the table, it needs to consistently say something smartand human. Your content is your strategy. And your CEO is your sharpest edge, or your most prominent blind spot.The CEO effect: Reputation as a trust multiplierA companys brand is increasingly a reflection of its leadership. From vision and values to risk tolerance and resilience, executives are expected to show up and show their work.According to the Brand Expectations Index, 67% of knowledge workers and 57% of the public believe the CEOs reputation directly influences their trust in a company. That number climbs in innovation-forward sectors like AI, healthtech, and climate.And the message cant be all features and forecasts. Todays audiences, especially in tech, seek techno-optimism: forward-looking, hopeful stories that focus on human possibility. Its a mindset: Dont just tell me what the technology does. Show me who it helps, and how.When CEO visibility is a must In B2B industries, credibility is paramount: Buyers want to know whos behind the productreputation and reliability matter. Emerging industries demand clear leadership: In industries like AI, climate tech, or biotech, trust is still being built, making it a prime opportunity for CEOs to shape the narrative. Investors invest in people, not just products: Pre-IPO or high-growth phases magnify the equation where visibility equals credibility, which in turn equals valuation. Values-led brands require visible leadership: A silent CEO can signal apathy at best, evasion at worst. Attracting top talent depends on engaging leadership: The next generation wants to work with leaders, not just for them. If youre in one of these categories and your CEO is nowhere to be found, that silence speaks volumes, not in your favor.The limits of CEO visibilityThere are real limits to putting the CEO front and center: Authenticity gap: Not every CEO is a natural communicator, and audiences can smell a ghostwriter. Brand-led companies: In some B2C or community-led brands, the product or movement is the hero, not the leader.Crisis optics: When a company is under fire, CEO visibility can sometimes inflame rather than reassure. If the CEO cant lead out front, who can?When the CEO isnt the right messenger, companies still have impactful options: Other executives: Elevate functional leads, from CTOs to CHROs, who can speak credibly to their domains. Structured editorial formats: Launch a company podcast, Substack, or LinkedIn series that features a range of internal voices and customer stories.Narrative clarity: Shape a strategic story arc that anchors all content, from founder essays to customer case studies, even if it doesnt come from the CEO directly.Owned platforms: Use LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, and even internal newsletters to showcase expertise in ways that feel transparent and consistent. The key? Tell real stories. Lead with humans. Dont just spotlight innovationshow how it solves problems that matter.The bottom lineTodays business landscape favors the bold. Not the brash, but the brave. That doesnt always mean having the loudest voice, but it does mean having a meaningful one.Whether through the CEO or a broader bench of leaders, companies must find a way to lead in public: to show values, expertise, and vision in a way that feels honest and human. Done right, executive thought leadership isnt vanity PR its strategic infrastructure for brand trust, market leadership, and business growth. And in the age of AI, authenticity, and algorithmic noise, your CEOs voice isnt just a nice-to-have; it can be your most significant differentiator.Tyler Perry is co-CEO of Mission North.
Category:
E-Commerce
Just a week before New York City’s primary election, the city’s comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander is the latest elected official to be taken into custody by federal immigration officials who are ramping up large-scale arrests outside immigration courtrooms across the United States. The democratic candidate is running to be the city’s next mayor, aiming to succeed incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. On Tuesday, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained Lander at an immigration court while he was escorting a person out of a courtroom, according to his campaign, as reported by The Associated Press. Video posted on Bluesky shows Lander’s detention inside 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan as he tried to walk a man out of immigration court. He is forcibly removed by masked federal agents and calmly asks: “Do you have a judicial warrant? Show me the warrant.” This photo of ICE arresting Brad Landerwhose only crime was asking to see a warrantis fucking insane. What the hell is happening to this country!? pic.twitter.com/7a5IpoTMDv— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) June 17, 2025 ICE is a federal law enforcement agency housed under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS said on X that “Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer.” The social media post also said: “No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.” No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. https://t.co/lPo9hsmfhY— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 17, 2025 Last Thursday, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcefully removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noems news conference in Los Angeles and handcuffed by federal officers as he tried to speak up about immigration raids prompting L.A.’s recent protests, as well as those across the nation. Widely circulated video of that incident showed a Secret Service agent on Noems security detail grabbing Padilla by his jacket and shoving him, as the senator interrupted her and asked a question at the news conference. Speaking on the comptroller’s official YouTube channel, Lander’s wife, Meg Barnette, also a lawyer, said Lander was still in custody Tuesday afternoon at the time of this writing. “What I saw here today is not the rule of law,” she added, per NBC New York. It remains to be seen if the increasingly aggressive behavior of ICE agentswho are targeting not only immigrants and green card holders but now also arresting American citizens and elected officialsis legal. Who is Brad Lander? Democrat Brad Lander is New York City’s 45th comptroller and has held the position since 2022. According to his campaign website, he is currently running for mayor “to deliver a safer, more affordable, and better-run New York City.” Lander is a self-described “dad, Brooklynite, and a lifelong public servant who has spent his career solving New Yorkers problemsfirst as an affordable housing leader, then in the City Council, and now as NYC Comptroller.” According to his campaign site, his priorities include: ending street homelessness for people with serious mental illness; solving the city’s affordability crisis by building affordable housing, freezing the rent, increasing homeownership, expanding free childcare and afterschool programs; and delivering a better run city government by cleaning up corruption.
Category:
E-Commerce
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