Entire first-year class of the Epidemic Intelligence Service must be out by 5 p.m., sources say. Also: a major CDC contractor "just let go," and others may follow.
They don't understand science and medicine, they don't care, and their only job is to save money and screw us normal taxpayers, and further enrich the tech bros and oligarchs and hand what's left on a silver platter to the PRC or highest bidder. They don't care how many people suffer or die. Collateral damage.
Seems like this administration is all set to burn down our best public agencies. STAT also reported that thousands more will be let go at the National Institutes of Health before the end of the day.
For sure and it's all important. We're in uncharted territory now with all these department "decimations," but HHS, CDC, NIH, and FDA especially bother me because if we don't have the scientists, the means, research and safeguards working to protect our health, it won't lead to more life, it'll lead to more disability and death. We have a president with a business background, yet if anyone ran a business with external "auditors" who have no relevant experience to the departments they're wiping out, the company would collapse and fail. Most budget audits involve review and collaboration over time in conjunction with departmental leaders, it's not like Doge is doing where people, departments and information are there one day and gone the next.
First, there are scientists in many fed depts and who have impact on health and much overlap. Environmental scientists deal with health issues of polluted water, and air. Pesticide use in the animals we eat domestically raised and in the wild (fish), and in our crops. Animal behavior, like that of birds have long been the harbingers of something gone wrong that also effects humans. Let alone a virus impacting animals first. The environmental ecology circle includes human species. We are not separate from it. And when it comes to infectious disease, that ecology of mutual dependence and understanding our roles within it helps us to better address our own inner dependence within our own species to combat infectious disease. Absolutely agree with your point about conducting a proper evaluation and audit, and transparency. Which is why we can all be assured that's not their agenda. Their agenda is self-empowerment unchecked, and wealth for themselves. Science, transparency, accountability to public, and paying their fair share of taxes get in the way of that agenda.
I just spoke to a friend & former colleague who is employed by CDC in Atlanta. She confirms the same. These talented scientists many with phD’s earn less than a staff nurse. They serve for love of the work.
I retired 8 years ago. My last job was as a quality officer. I was certified in six sigma & lean & trained my staff in these techniques as many hospitals & major corporations (GE & McKesson) now do. We use these techniques & sometimes bring in Process engineers to improve efficiency & reduce costs while improving quality. These techniques bring discipline, focus & strategy to prevent harm & insure outcomes that correctly address the problems. As Brent James tells us - cost & quality are flip sides of the same coin.
Why I am saying this here? Because if cost control, efficiency & quality were the true goals of these chaotic initiatives they would be done by process engineers using validated techniques to accomplish stated goals. These techniques are objective & identify true waste.
Clearly, eliminating waste & improving efficiency is NOT the goal of these attacks. Ultimately, they harm not only the dedicated professionals caught in the crosshairs but as Dr. Faust cites, it places people around the world in danger.
Thus far, the CDC leadership has chosen to be compliant. I suggest that non-compliance as we are seeing in the FBI & DOJ (as in NYC mayor Adams case) may be necessary until court action can provide some protection.
I presume the implications of this are not good for preparedness for H5N1 or other things that may emerge. Are there any other entities that can step up to fill the gap in anyway?
Folks I know in their 20s and 30s aren't listening to the news any more. Perhaps there needs to be aggressive advertising on social media geared towards young people, produced by young people, and spoken by young people, explaining the shuttered agencies and fired employees, and what the consequences of this is for all of us. The posts could end with a simple and definitive action step that folks can take to feel agency instead of overwhelm. I would donate to such a project. There have to be some creative people who are more adept than I am, who can pull this off. As an example, while I am not always a fan of AOC's politics, her email blasts are always positive, always empowering, and always in defense of the constitution, and they get read. Without this demographic firmly on board, I believe we will not make it past this era intact.
As someone very much in the middle politically (that is to say a moderate who will vote either red or blue depending on the issues/candidates), I never thought I would see the day where AOC would be someone whose voice I was happy to hear…….but here we are. I live in a blue state where even the red towns (including mine) in our red county voted for Kamala. I’m pretty sure it’s a first for my very Red town. Our Senators and Representatives are Democrats and they are speaking up but it’s not enough.
No surprises here but lots of tears and anger as my husband (45 year gov worker in environmental issues) watch and speak to the many caught in this BS losing jobs they were dedicated to or watching newbies jobs' slashed. In all depts of US gov. Again , EVERY FEDERAL worker is technically on probation in their first year. Not gossip, not rumor, but reality. Every fed gov worker received that letter at the end of January. I'm tired of saying it....you all have to face that this administration does not want gov to succeed because it impedes their ability to accrue more power and $$$. This is global...think of Brexit and Steve Bannon. Fauci saw what it was like to walk the tightrope 8 years ago. This is much worse. We have to break out of the ivory towers if we are to devise a strategy that is is equal to to the assault. The legal path is only so good when the Presidential power holds all branches of gov and also holds power over those like the FBI and the Justice system that are the enforcers of the past. The MAGA supporters don't understand how they themselves are dependent on gov programs and the general Dem population is not much better. So, when they start feeling it, they will likely blame Dems and the Other (women, Blacks, Latinos/Latinas, immigrants, disabled) as they always have till it's too late. Make you voice heard anyway, and give the mike to these folks.
They don't understand science and medicine, they don't care, and their only job is to save money and screw us normal taxpayers, and further enrich the tech bros and oligarchs and hand what's left on a silver platter to the PRC or highest bidder. They don't care how many people suffer or die. Collateral damage.
I saw a post that summarized it so well.
"they told us to stay home for 2 months and wear masks for a year, so we have to eliminate them no matter how many people will die"
Seems like this administration is all set to burn down our best public agencies. STAT also reported that thousands more will be let go at the National Institutes of Health before the end of the day.
Yeah I'm worried about that too.
I think we all need to face the reality that this is happening in most if not all Fed depts, not just health.
For sure and it's all important. We're in uncharted territory now with all these department "decimations," but HHS, CDC, NIH, and FDA especially bother me because if we don't have the scientists, the means, research and safeguards working to protect our health, it won't lead to more life, it'll lead to more disability and death. We have a president with a business background, yet if anyone ran a business with external "auditors" who have no relevant experience to the departments they're wiping out, the company would collapse and fail. Most budget audits involve review and collaboration over time in conjunction with departmental leaders, it's not like Doge is doing where people, departments and information are there one day and gone the next.
First, there are scientists in many fed depts and who have impact on health and much overlap. Environmental scientists deal with health issues of polluted water, and air. Pesticide use in the animals we eat domestically raised and in the wild (fish), and in our crops. Animal behavior, like that of birds have long been the harbingers of something gone wrong that also effects humans. Let alone a virus impacting animals first. The environmental ecology circle includes human species. We are not separate from it. And when it comes to infectious disease, that ecology of mutual dependence and understanding our roles within it helps us to better address our own inner dependence within our own species to combat infectious disease. Absolutely agree with your point about conducting a proper evaluation and audit, and transparency. Which is why we can all be assured that's not their agenda. Their agenda is self-empowerment unchecked, and wealth for themselves. Science, transparency, accountability to public, and paying their fair share of taxes get in the way of that agenda.
I just spoke to a friend & former colleague who is employed by CDC in Atlanta. She confirms the same. These talented scientists many with phD’s earn less than a staff nurse. They serve for love of the work.
I retired 8 years ago. My last job was as a quality officer. I was certified in six sigma & lean & trained my staff in these techniques as many hospitals & major corporations (GE & McKesson) now do. We use these techniques & sometimes bring in Process engineers to improve efficiency & reduce costs while improving quality. These techniques bring discipline, focus & strategy to prevent harm & insure outcomes that correctly address the problems. As Brent James tells us - cost & quality are flip sides of the same coin.
Why I am saying this here? Because if cost control, efficiency & quality were the true goals of these chaotic initiatives they would be done by process engineers using validated techniques to accomplish stated goals. These techniques are objective & identify true waste.
Clearly, eliminating waste & improving efficiency is NOT the goal of these attacks. Ultimately, they harm not only the dedicated professionals caught in the crosshairs but as Dr. Faust cites, it places people around the world in danger.
Thus far, the CDC leadership has chosen to be compliant. I suggest that non-compliance as we are seeing in the FBI & DOJ (as in NYC mayor Adams case) may be necessary until court action can provide some protection.
This is SO frustrating. What can your readers do to help put a stop to this?
please CALL CONGRESS
The depressing part is I have called and written Congress. I will continue, but it feels like they are not listening to their constituents.
keep at it!
I certainly will.
My Democratic senators thanked me for the information. Congressman too.
I presume the implications of this are not good for preparedness for H5N1 or other things that may emerge. Are there any other entities that can step up to fill the gap in anyway?
Oh yeah...our expertise is getting shown the door.
Ummm...hard to say. Certainly not as well.
Is this legal? Are there any lawsuits to stop this insanity?
Some probably is. Some probably is not. The fight will occur.
Folks I know in their 20s and 30s aren't listening to the news any more. Perhaps there needs to be aggressive advertising on social media geared towards young people, produced by young people, and spoken by young people, explaining the shuttered agencies and fired employees, and what the consequences of this is for all of us. The posts could end with a simple and definitive action step that folks can take to feel agency instead of overwhelm. I would donate to such a project. There have to be some creative people who are more adept than I am, who can pull this off. As an example, while I am not always a fan of AOC's politics, her email blasts are always positive, always empowering, and always in defense of the constitution, and they get read. Without this demographic firmly on board, I believe we will not make it past this era intact.
As someone very much in the middle politically (that is to say a moderate who will vote either red or blue depending on the issues/candidates), I never thought I would see the day where AOC would be someone whose voice I was happy to hear…….but here we are. I live in a blue state where even the red towns (including mine) in our red county voted for Kamala. I’m pretty sure it’s a first for my very Red town. Our Senators and Representatives are Democrats and they are speaking up but it’s not enough.
seems like they want us all to die or something... thank you for your reports.
No surprises here but lots of tears and anger as my husband (45 year gov worker in environmental issues) watch and speak to the many caught in this BS losing jobs they were dedicated to or watching newbies jobs' slashed. In all depts of US gov. Again , EVERY FEDERAL worker is technically on probation in their first year. Not gossip, not rumor, but reality. Every fed gov worker received that letter at the end of January. I'm tired of saying it....you all have to face that this administration does not want gov to succeed because it impedes their ability to accrue more power and $$$. This is global...think of Brexit and Steve Bannon. Fauci saw what it was like to walk the tightrope 8 years ago. This is much worse. We have to break out of the ivory towers if we are to devise a strategy that is is equal to to the assault. The legal path is only so good when the Presidential power holds all branches of gov and also holds power over those like the FBI and the Justice system that are the enforcers of the past. The MAGA supporters don't understand how they themselves are dependent on gov programs and the general Dem population is not much better. So, when they start feeling it, they will likely blame Dems and the Other (women, Blacks, Latinos/Latinas, immigrants, disabled) as they always have till it's too late. Make you voice heard anyway, and give the mike to these folks.
https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/14/trump-cdc-cuts-include-epidemic-intelligence-service-outbreak-investigators/