Jonathan Raymond 11Alive

HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is testifying Thursday about President Trump's 2026 healthcare agenda and facing contentious questioning from committee Democrats. WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services secretary, faced sharply critical questioning Thursday from Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock during a Senate committee hearing. Sen. Warnock's and HHS Sec. Kennedy's back-and-forth reached levels of open contempt, with the Georgia Democrat telling Sec. Kennedy he is a "hazard to the health of the American people." The two clashed over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with Warnock questioning Kennedy whether he called it the "most corrupt federal agency in the world." "Not the history of the world but definitely within HHS," Kennedy responded. "I did not say that, but I did say it's the most corrupt agency in HHS and maybe the government." Warnock focused the bulk of his questions on Sec. Kennedy's reactions to the shooting last month at the Atlanta campus of the CDC, in which a gunman fired hundreds of rounds at CDC buildings and killed DeKalb County Officer David Rose. In another of the more contentious moments, Kennedy at one point asked Warnock if he was "complicit in the assassination attempts on President Trump," a means of decrying the senator's line of questioning that began to draw a line between Kennedy's stances on vaccines and the CDC gunman's motive tied to discontent with the COVID vaccine.  "By the way, every member of this panel has criticized President Trump," Kennedy said, drawing a similar line between criticism of the president and the assassination attempts to make his point. In the wake of the CDC shooting, Kennedy clashed with CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez and she was ultimately fired by President Donald Trump, with Kennedy's top deputy Jim O'Neill now serving as interim director of the agency. Three top CDC officials resigned after Monarez's firing. Warnock asked Kennedy if he had criticized Monarez in a meeting preceding her firing for saying "misinformation can be dangerous." The HHS secretary said he didn't recall that specifically, but did acknowledge, "Oh I criticized her." Warnock also asked if Kennedy demanded she fire "career scientists or public experts at the CDC," to which Kennedy responded, "Yes." He further questioned Kennedy on whether he had pressed her to accept recommendations from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kennedy previously fired all 17 members of the panel and has been replacing them with his own appointments. The line of questioning did not lead to a conclusive response from the secretary. Warnock concluded his comments with a direct, unsparing criticism of Kennedy. "Despite your lack of credentials and expertise, clearly you have an agenda and it is a threat to the public health of the American people. It's clear you are carrying out your extremist beliefs which is why you attempted to fire Dr. Monarez," Warnock said. "Senator we're the sickest people in the world, we are the sickest people on earth," Kennedy responded. "How am I a threat?" Warnock referred to rising measles cases and three deaths reported this year, and again said, "you are a hazard to the health of the American people." "I think that you oughta resign. And if you don't resign, the president of the United States -- who put forward Operation Warp Speed (to develop the COVID vaccine), which worked -- should fire you," Warnock said. The full exchange is available in the video player above this story.

The mother of two of Marcus Ragland's children, who were involved in the accident Saturday, said it's difficult to explain what has fully happened to her 5-year-old. ROME, Ga. — Loved ones shared their disbelief Sunday after the death of a north Georgia father in an ATV accident in Alabama. "I'm still waiting on him to come through the door," his mother said, "but I know he's not coming." Marcus Ragland died in the crash at the Indian Mountain ATV Park in Cherokee County, Alabama. The mother of two of his children, Ashley Hawkins, also lost her life in the tragic accident. Audrey Dunn, who shared a 5-year-old and 1-year-old with Ragland, shared with 11Alive's Gilat Melamed the heartbreakingly difficult situation trying to explain what has fully happened to her oldest child. "My oldest son, he's five, he remembers everything that happened," Dunn said. "He told me when we got to the hospital, and I got to go in, he said, 'Mom, my dad died, but it's OK because he'll be back to get me tomorrow... So he doesn't understand that he will never see him again." Ragland's mother, Felicia Towers, described her 34-year-old son as adventurous and someone who lived life to the fullest. He went to the ATV park every weekend, she said. "This time he wanted to take his children with him, you know, to share the fun," Towers said. "They were ready to go, so it just ended up being a tragedy. I just hate it." Seven children were also injured in the accident. Four of them were transported by ambulance to a hospital in Rome and were released as of Sunday night, while three were airlifted to a medical center in Birmingham and, as of the most recent update, were still hospitalized. Hawkins was also airlifted to Birmingham. A GoFundMe has been set up to support Ragland's children. It said he's a father of 10 kids in all, with two more on the way. A little more than $1,300 of a $2,400 goal has been raised as of Monday morning. The accident happened in a side-by-side RZR when they hit another RZR, then overturned and struck a tree. Officials described a difficult rescue response in the remote area. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation. The sheriff in Cherokee County, Jeff Shaver, said that witnesses said it happened while the RZR was traveling at a "high rate of speed" on what used to be an old railroad track that was fairly flat with a slight curve. Nobody inside the ATV was harnessed when the crash occurred, according to the sheriff, who said it is not safe to have nine people inside a RZR. According to manufacturer listings, RZRs are sold in two and four seat models. “This is a tragic accident and highlights the importance of operating RZRs and other recreational vehicles in a safe and responsible manner," Sheriff Shaver added in a statement earlier Sunday.