AP health writer Matthew Perrone landed a scoop after hearing a rumor from a source at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that Brian King, the agency’s tobacco chief, might step down on Monday.
Perrone worked his network of sources and determined the information was likely accurate. He prepared both a full story and an alert in anticipation, but held off publishing while seeking final confirmation.
That confirmation came Tuesday morning—while Perrone was on a bus without internet access. He rushed to the office, updated his copy, and filed the alert and full story before 8 a.m., beating numerous competitors to the news.
The report offered exclusive insight into the consequences of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s broader effort to overhaul public health leadership and cut federal health roles.
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