At least 600 US CDC employees are getting final termination notices, AP reports
The report added that the notices were sent out this week, and many employees have not yet received them, according to the union, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at the agency.
The Trump administration began mass layoffs of 10,000 staffers at U.S. health agencies in April, as part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at shrinking the federal government and reducing spending.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, and the American Federation of Government Employees did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
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Daily Mail
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mail
Officials urge Americans in five states to be on high alert for new virus variants
Officials urge Americans in five states to be on high alert for new virus variants READ MORE: Terrifying warning that deadly new China virus is already IN US Officials are raising the alarm over a Covid surge in the US, as they advise Americans in five states to be on high alert for infections. Latest CDC wastewater data showed that Covid activity rose to 'moderate' nationwide in the week of August 9, the latest available, up from 'low' in the previous seven-day spell. Covid levels haven't risen to this level nationwide since March. In five states, Utah, Nevada, Texas, Alaska and Hawaii, Covid levels have now risen to 'very high,' in another warning sign of rising infections. Schools in these states have already returned from summer vacation, raising transmission rates of the virus, and each state is home to tourism hotspots, which can lead more people to bring the virus to these areas. Officials say the uptick may be driven by the variant, XFG or 'Stratus', that reached the US in March and is not more deadly than previous strains but may be more infectious. Levels of other viruses such as flu and RSV remain low, CDC monitoring shows, but officials are keeping track of the viruses with the official start of the flu season now just a month away. Revealing the COVID uptick, the CDC said: 'Wastewater monitoring can detect viruses spreading from one person to another within a community earlier than clinical testing and before people who are sick go to their doctor or hospital. It can also detect infections without symptoms. 'If you see increased wastewater viral activity levels, it might indicate that there is a higher risk of infection.' Levels of Covid in wastewater are rising nationwide, estimates show, suggesting an uptick in infections in the country Overall, wastewater data suggested that Covid infections are now rising in 45 states, compared to in 40 over the previous seven-day spell. Of the five states now at very high levels, four are experiencing an uptick compared to the agency's previous data. Hawaii has had very high levels of Covid in wastewater for the last three weeks, estimates suggest, as the state records a 'summer wave' of infections. Hawaii is often ranked as the top tourist destination for Americans in polls, with about 4.6million visiting the state every year, although numbers this year were slightly below those expected. Covid hospitalizations have also risen nationwide, up 30 percent with an estimated 1.3 admissions per 100,000 in the week of July 26, the latest data available, compared to one in the previous seven-day spell. Deaths are not rising, however, with 167 fatalities recorded over the week of July 19, the latest available, roughly similar to the level recorded the previous two months. These can take longer to rise, though, because of the time taken for someone to fall seriously ill after being infected and then succumb to the illness. The figures are far off those at the peak of the pandemic, when there were more than 30 hospitalizations per 100,000 people every week and 25,000 deaths per week. The above shows the Covid wastewater situation in Texas The hospital admission rate, or proportion of admissions due to Covid, is rising in four of the five states with very high Covid levels, and fastest in Hawaii, where it rose 17 percent in the week of August 9, the latest available, to 3.4 percent of all admissions. But there are no suggestions in any of these states that restrictions may be brought in to curb the spread of the infection. The new variant first arrived in the US in March, after appearing in Southeast Asia in January, with some of the first cases reported in New York and New Jersey. It is a recombinant virus, meaning it was formed when two other strains of Covid infected the same cell and then swapped genes to create a 'chimera' virus. The World Health Organization has classified the strain as a 'variant under monitoring' after lab analysis suggested that it may be more infectious than other currently circulating strains. The XFG variant, formed from two Omicron strains, was behind an estimated 14 percent of Covid cases over the week of June 21, the latest date available, up from 11 percent from two weeks earlier. The CDC says that it receives little data on variants from the states every year, leading it to have 'low confidence' in the estimates, but it warns that the variant is likely causing an increasing proportion of infections. The agency's wastewater estimates are based on reports from hundreds of sites across the US that analyze the water for signs of Covid. An uptick indicates more people are shedding the virus, suggesting that infections are rising. It comes after a new study revealed that even mild Covid infections can age your blood vessels by up to five years, increasing your long-term risk for heart disease, strokes and dementia. Known medically as vascular aging, it sees the blood vessels which carry vital oxygen to organs in the body stiffen and is normal as we get older. But according to the study, which included 2,390 people from 16 different countries, it is accelerated by the virus. It was particularly acute in women, wrote the French researchers in the findings, published in the European Heart Journal. Previous studies have shown vascular aging to be linked to an increased risk of developing the memory-robbing illness dementia. The latest study also found people who had been vaccinated against Covid generally had arteries that were less stiff than those who were unvaccinated. And for these people, over the long term, the vascular aging seemed to stabilize or improve slightly.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Hundreds of CDC employees get layoff notices just days after workers return to HQ in wake of shooting
At least 600 employees at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to receive layoff notices this week as the administration seeks to downsize the agency – just weeks after its headquarters became the target of a deadly shooting. Some workers in the U.S. public health agency began receiving notices this week of final terminations, but others have not, making it difficult to determine how many people are being let go, the American Federation of Government Employees, the union representing hundreds of thousands of government employees, said. The agency cuts are occurring roughly a week after a federal judge ruled that hundreds of CDC employees could be laid off, with some exceptions. The cuts also come just as CDC employees are returning to its headquarters in Georgia after a gunman fired 180 shots at the building, causing dozens of windows to shatter and leaving bullet holes scattered across the building. Employees who returned to the office this week after the traumatic shooting shared photos with NOTUS that showed windows still damaged by bullet holes and handwritten signs taped to chairs warning people of glass on the carpet. While no CDC employees were killed in the shooting, the gunman, reportedly disgruntled about the Covid-19 vaccine, fatally shot one police officer. Some of those employees being laid off include those in the CDC's violence prevention division, who, in an open letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., called the cuts 'harmful' and 'negligent.' 'Cutting this work now, especially after the horrific and tragic shooting that killed DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose and trapped our children in the on-site daycare center into the night while targeting federal employees, is not just harmful — it is negligent,' the 150 employees said. In a separate letter, hundreds of other CDC and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry employees scolded Kennedy for spreading health misinformation – the same kind that may have led the gunman to blame the Covid-19 vaccine for mental health issues. 'When the federal workforce is not safe, America is not safe,' the employees wrote. 'Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is complicit in dismantling America's public health infrastructure and endangering the nation's health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information.' Kennedy has a long history of spreading false information about vaccines, bolstering pseudosciences, and downplaying the seriousness of diseases such as measles or HIV/AIDS. The agency has pushed back against the criticism of Kennedy from staff, however. 'Secretary Kennedy is standing firmly with CDC employees — both on the ground and across every center — ensuring their safety and well-being remain a top priority,' HHS said in a statement to the Washington Post. 'Any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy.' The Independent has contacted CDC for comment. Some CDC employees told NOTUS that morale was low upon returning to the office recently, due to the impending layoffs and leadership's stance toward their lifesaving medical research and development. 'We trudge on because we believe in what we do, and we feel a sense of responsibility to the American people, and for some of us, to those beyond the U.S.,' the CDC employees said.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Leading Researchers Reject FDA's Position, Find No Evidence of Harm From 7-OH in Response From Shaman Botanicals to FDA
WASHINGTON, DC, August 21, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- Shaman Botanicals has issued a formal response to the FDA's recent warning letter on its 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products, backed by reports from leading researchers at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, UCLA, and other institutions. The company argues that current scientific evidence supports the safety of 7-OH, directly countering FDA's claims. Experts consulted — including those previously cited by FDA — stress that 7-OH should not be considered a public health crisis and that available data shows no evidence of overdose deaths, respiratory depression, or widespread dependence. The experts also emphasize that 7-OH is a naturally occurring kratom-derived compound, not synthetic, and that preclinical studies commissioned by Shaman found no serious toxicity. Collectively, the findings point toward a favorable safety profile and call for continued study rather than scheduling. Shaman Botanicals maintains its commitment to scientific transparency and consumer safety, urging FDA to follow the science. Key Points See the full Shaman Botanicals, LLC response below: Shaman Botanicals, LLC Responds to FDA Warning Letter with Scientific Reports by Renowned Experts Shaman Botanicals, LLC, a leading innovator in botanical wellness, has formally responded to a recent warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products. In support of its mission and to defend its products, attorneys for Shaman Botanicals have assembled an interdisciplinary team of renowned researchers, scientists, and clinicians to prepare reports that directly address the FDA's claims concerning 7-OH. "The FDA asserts that there is insufficient information about the safety of our 7-OH products. However, the scientists consulted by our legal team have found that the evidence to date supports the safety of our products,' stated Stephen 'Vince' Sanders, II, founder of Shaman Botanicals. Scientists Cited by the FDA Express Concerns About the Scheduling of 7-OH Scientific reviews were provided by Dr. Kirsten Smith, PhD, widely regarded as the leading clinical researcher on kratom in the United States and an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Edward Boyer, MD, PhD, a Harvard-educated medical toxicologist with extensive experience in kratom research. The support for further study and regulation of 7-OH products by Drs. Smith and Boyer reflects a growing and dynamic shift in the scientific community's perspective on 7-OH. Work by Drs. Smith and Boyer was cited by the FDA in their recent report recommending the scheduling of 7-OH. Both Drs. Smith and Boyer are currently leading projects to better understand 7-OH use patterns in the United States. But, having looked at the latest data, they do not agree with FDA's position. Other scientists cited in Shaman's response to the FDA include Dr. Michael Levine, MD, a medical toxicologist educated at Chicago Medical School and an associate professor at the University of California-Los Angeles, recognized for his research in botanical toxicology, and Dr. Jackob Moskovitz, a Technion-Israel Institute of Technology-trained biochemist and internationally recognized expert in molecular biology. Drs. Levine and Moskovitz were provided with three preclinical studies commissioned by Shaman and asked to comment on them. Shaman's response also cited Dr. Glenn Prestwich, PhD, a Stanford-educated chemist and internationally recognized authority on natural products chemistry and chemical biology, and Dr. Andrew Monte, MD, PhD, the Associate Director of the Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center in Denver, Colorado, and an expert in nationwide monitoring for adverse events from opioids. 7-OH Should Not Be Considered a Public Health Crisis Dr. Smith strongly disagrees with the FDA's recent recommendation to schedule 7-OH. According to Dr. Smith, the use of 7-OH does not constitute a public health crisis. Furthermore, Dr. Smith asserts that, much like kratom, 7-OH currently offers a net benefit to its users. According to Dr. Smith, who estimates that at least 4 million adults have tried 7-OH, there are no confirmed human cases of respiratory depression caused by 7-OH. Additionally, reports of physical dependence or substance use disorder related to 7-OH are even rarer than those associated with kratom. 7-OH Is Not Causing Widespread Illness or Injury Dr. Boyer reviewed nationwide toxicology databases, including poison center data, and found limited evidence of acute overdose risk from 7-hydroxymitragynine. No deaths have been attributed to 7-hydroxymitragynine, a finding confirmed by America's Poison Center in their August 12, 2025 report. As Dr. Boyer stated, 'A signal arising from overdose death from 7-hydroxymitragynine is absent. Based upon data available at this time, given the degree of population exposure, the lack of findings suggests that 7-hydroxymitragynine carries no unreasonable risk of overdose death.' Dr. Monte arrived at the same conclusion as Dr. Boyer, that there is currently no evidence of a safety signal regarding 7-OH as reported by independent poison control and toxicology centers across the United States. Dr. Boyer also disagreed with the FDA's report regarding the putative safety or danger of 7-OH. According to Dr. Boyer, the FDA assessment relies on animal studies receiving intravenous 7-hydroxymitragynine (a route of administration never used in humans) and overlooks existing data indicating low bioavailability, rapid clearance, and poor brain penetration characteristic of oral 7-hydroxymitragynine. 7-OH is a Natural Product; Not Synthetic Opponents of 7-OH often mistakenly label these kratom-derived products as 'synthetic.' According to Dr. Prestwich, '7-OH is not manufactured synthetically.' Instead, 7-OH is a naturally occurring selective oxidation product of mitragynine, already present among the indole alkaloids in kratom plant extract. These products contain 7-OH that is chemically identical to the natural metabolite of mitragynine produced by the kratom plant and through metabolism in the human body. Thus, 7-OH is a natural product. Pre-Clinical Data Conducted by Shaman Botanicals Supports the Favorable Safety Profile of 7-OH Drs. Levine and Moskovitz each reviewed three preclinical studies commissioned by Shaman: (1) 'Acute Toxicity Assessment of 7-Hydroxymitragynine in Rodents,' (2) 'Pilot Safety Study of Escalating Doses of 7-Hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl Administered Daily for 7-day Intervals to Mature Dogs,' and (3) 'An In-Vitro Pre-Clinical Safety Comparison of Mitragynine and its Oxidative Metabolites: 7-Hydroxymitragynine and Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl.' In the two animal studies, no serious clinical toxicity or adverse events were observed. Dr. Levine stated these studies support initial safety and warrant further evaluation. Dr. Moskovitz concluded, 'Based on all the obtained data (i.e., in vitro studies, mice and dogs' models), it seems that the therapeutic potency and safety profile of 7HMG are either the same or better compared to mitragynine.' Current Science Supports a Reasonable Basis of Safety and Recommends Continued Study, Not Scheduling Full copies of each expert report have been provided to the FDA. 'The FDA pledged to follow the science. The aforementioned experts, some of the top scientists in the world, maintain the science supports a reasonable basis of safety in our 7-OH products,' said Sanders. Commitment to Transparency and Consumer Safety Shaman Botanicals remains deeply committed to transparency, scientific rigor, and consumer welfare. The company welcomes continued dialogue. About Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) is a national nonprofit organization advocating for science-based policy, regulatory transparency, and access to safe, plant-based alternatives to opioids and other pharmaceuticals. 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a metabolite of mitragynine, the most abundant alkaloid found in kratom, is a new tool being used to combat opioid misuse and improve public health. HART strongly supports robust regulation to mandate that all 7-OH products are manufactured safely, are marketed transparently, and are kept out of the hands of children. Learn more at opens new tab. Media Contact HART Mediamedia@ ### SOURCE: Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
