Tag: CDC

CDC briefing to focus on preparing for nuclear war

The following article by Brianna Ehley was posted on the Politico website January 4, 2018:

Over the weekend, a former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under two presidents said the U.S. is closer to nuclear war with North Korea “than we have ever been.” | AP Photo

The CDC wants the public to be prepared for nuclear war.

The agency has posted a notice touting a Jan. 16 briefing about the work that federal, state and local governments are doing in case of a possible nuclear strike.

“While a nuclear detonation is unlikely, it would have devastating results and there would be limited time to take critical protection steps,” the notice states. “Despite the fear surrounding such an event, planning and preparation can lessen deaths and illness.”

Presenters include Dan Sosin, CDC’s deputy director and chief medical officer in the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, and experts on radiation safety and environmental hazards. Continue reading “CDC briefing to focus on preparing for nuclear war”

Trump administration targets certain words, and the bureaucracy pushes back

The following article by Juliet Eilperin and Lena H. Sun was posted on the Washington Post website December 21, 2017:

The Trump administration is prohibiting HHS agencies from using certain words and phrases in official documents being prepared for the 2018 budget. (Monica Akhtar, Juliet Eilperin, Lena Sun/The Washington Post)

The Trump administration is waging a linguistic battle across official Washington, seeking to shift public perception of key policies by changing the way the federal government talks about climate change, scientific evidence and disadvantaged communities.

The push drew fresh attention after employees at the Department of Health and Human Services were told to avoid certain words — including “vulnerable,” “entitlement” and “diversity” — when preparing requests for next year’s budget. But the effort to disappear certain language and replace it with other terms is much broader, sparking resistance from career officials in federal agencies, outside experts and congressional Democrats. Continue reading “Trump administration targets certain words, and the bureaucracy pushes back”

What the CDC’s banned words list tells you about Trumpism

The following article by Chris Cillizza was posted on the CNN website December 18, 2017:

(CNN) It’s easy — and obvious — to focus on the high-profile ways in which Donald Trump is remaking American government and, by extension, American culture: His appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, his tax cut plan, his tweeting — to name three. Continue reading “What the CDC’s banned words list tells you about Trumpism”

New CDC head faces questions about financial conflicts of interest

The following article by Lena H. Sun and Alice Crites was posted on the Washington Post website December 11, 2017:

Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has pledged to avoid government business that might affect her financial interests. (Melissa Golden for The Washington Post)

ATLANTA — After five months in office, President Trump’s new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been unable to divest financial holdings that pose potential conflicts of interest, hindering her ability to fully perform her job.

Brenda Fitzgerald, 71, who served as the Georgia public health commissioner until her appointment to the CDC post in July, said she has divested from many stock holdings. But she and her husband are legally obligated to maintain other investments in cancer detection and health information technology, according to her ethics agreement, requiring Fitzgerald to pledge to avoid government business that might affect those interests. Fitzgerald provided The Post with a copy of her agreement. Continue reading “New CDC head faces questions about financial conflicts of interest”