CDC facing workforce cuts and low morale
If confirmed, Dr. Schwartz will lead a CDC struggling with workforce cuts, low morale, and added political review layers under RFK Jr.'s leadership.
Where this was said
CDC Director Nomination Hearing for Dr. Erica Schwartz
At 3:07 · chapter starts 2:35
The broadcast turns to domestic health policy, where Dr. Erica Schwartz — President Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — faces her Senate confirmation hearing. Schwartz is a retired rear admiral in the US Public Health Service and served as deputy surgeon general during Trump's first term; she has publicly supported vaccines, a notable signal given the current political climate [1] — NPR Reporter "Dr. Erica Schwartz faces her Senate confirmation hearing to lead the CDC today. Public health veterans expect her to be confirmed, but what…" 02:35 . Public health veterans broadly expect her to be confirmed. But as Atlanta district health director Dr. Marcus Plesha notes, the harder question is what comes next: the CDC has gone without a permanent director for some time, and the agency is in a difficult state — battered by workforce cuts, depleted morale, and added layers of political review under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership. Getting confirmed is the easy part; the job itself is a far steeper climb.
CDC nominee confirmation hearing today
Dr. Erica Schwartz, Trump's CDC director nominee, faces her Senate confirmation hearing today.
CDC Nomination Hearing: A Toss-Up on What Comes Next
Dr. Erica Schwartz faces her Senate confirmation hearing to lead the CDC today. Public health veterans expect her to be confirmed, but what follows is harder: she would inherit an agency battered by workforce cuts, low morale, and political interference under RFK Jr.
1 dead, 3 missing in SF Bay capsizing
A charter boat carrying about 20 people capsized in San Francisco Bay, leaving one confirmed dead and three missing.
Charter Boat Capsizes on Memorial Service in SF Bay
A charter pontoon boat carrying about 20 people — mostly family members on a memorial service — capsized in San Francisco Bay after being hit by a wave. One person was confirmed dead and three remain missing, with the US Coast Guard continuing its search.
Similar snapshots
8 states have filed social media lawsuits
A total of 8 states have filed lawsuits against social media platforms, including an ongoing case in Tennessee, using product liability and public nuisance theories to seek accountability.
France built 56 nuclear plants in the 1970s
France built 56 nuclear plants in the 1970s and now has the cheapest energy in Europe, making it independent of Russian or Middle Eastern energy geopolitics.
Estonia has one tax form
Estonia has a single tax form, a law preventing the government from asking citizens for the same information twice, and a flat rate of tax — enabling competitive taxation.
Lisbon legalised drugs and slashed crime
Portugal's Lisbon, once a city with a major heroin problem, legalised drugs and redirected enforcement spending into rehabilitation and housing, dramatically reducing crime.
Boland Amendment vote: 411-0
The first Boland Amendment banning CIA and Defense Department funds for the Contras passed the House unanimously — yet the Reagan administration ignored it.
Saudi Arabia donated $32M to Contras
Over just two years, Saudi Arabia alone donated $32 million to the Contra rebels, giving loosely affiliated factions millions they had no way to spend on arms.
National Endowment: 52% program rate
The National Endowment for the Preservation of Liberty raised $6.3 million for the Contras but only $3.3 million reached them — a shockingly low 52% program expense rate.
Secord & Hakim marked up arms 300%
Richard Secord and Albert Hakim marked up their arms shipments to the Contras by as much as 300%, making enormous personal profits from the covert operation.
Oliver North had zero covert experience
Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, tapped to run the entire covert Contra support operation, had no prior experience in covert operations whatsoever — he was learning as he went.
