by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.

The Defender. Children’s Health Defencs News and Views Jan. 26, 2026

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told USA Today that the wireless radiation from cellphones, cell towers and other wireless infrastructure is a “major health concern.”U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke with USA Today on Jan. 16, one day after HHS launched a new study into the health effects of wireless radiation — a step that advocates say could reflect a major shift in federal policy.

January 20, 2026 • Updated January 21, 2026

Kennedy spoke with USA Today on Jan. 16, one day after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a new study into the health effects of cellphone radiation — a step that advocates say could reflect a major shift in federal policy.

The same day HHS launched the study, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under Kennedy’s direction scrubbed old webpages stating that cellphones aren’t dangerous.

Kennedy said he was “very concerned” about the negative health impacts of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), a term that encompasses both radiofrequency (RF) radiation and electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

According to Kennedy, there are “literally over 10,000 studies” on EMR documenting “ill effects, including cancer tumor growth.”

read more: RFK Jr. Tells USA Today: Wireless Radiation Is ‘Major Health Concern’ • Children’s Health Defense