Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lena Sun

@lenasun.bsky.social

3.8K followers 380 following 140 posts

National health reporter, The Washington Post [email protected]; Reach me securely on Signal: LenaSun.04

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · Feb 16

Hearing that @CDCgov personnel on probationary list are getting termination letters this evening. If you’re one of them, you can reach me securely on Signal at LenaSun.04. I promise to keep your name confidential. We want to get a sense of who’s been cut. DMs ok too. Also [email protected]

1 62 120

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 11h

If 982 is the total number at HHS staff who were supposed to be fired, it seems the bulk of those laid off are at @CDCgov.
HHS can you provide a breakdown by agency? 3/3

6 38

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 11h

The HHS official says in court filing:
“Employees have been working since October 10, 2025, to rescind the notices that had been issued in error. The final number of RIF notices that have been issued to HHS employees is 982.” 2/3

1 6 32

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 11h

BREAKING: HHS official says in a court filing:
"As a result of data discrepancies and processing errors, RIF notices were issued on October 10, 2025, to approximately 1,760 employees instead of to the 982 employees who were intended to receive RIF notices.” 1/3

13 50 130

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

At ASPR, analysts with top-secret clearances who work with intelligence agencies on biodefense, emerging CBRN threats, were fired. They focused on threats from “state actors, any type of threat, whether it it’s intentional or accidental,” said a former HHS official. 4/4.

2 10 28

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

At CDC, one of the offices within Office of Science that usually signs off on high-profile agency scientific publications, including the flagship MMWR, still RIFd 3/4

1 8 23

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

At CDC, of about 1,300 laid off, about 740 have been rescinded. Another 600 or so are still fired. That includes a team that does day-to-day operations for a key health and nutrition survey (NHANES). 2/4

2 10 47

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: More than half of the roughly 1,300 layoffs notices at @CDCgov have been rescinded. But analysts with top-secret clearance working on biodefense preparedness at another health agency have lost their jobs, per sources. Our story 1/4
@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Hundreds of CDC layoffs reversed, but biodefense preparedness staff hit

More than half of the roughly 1,300 CDC layoff notices have been rescinded, but workers at health agencies who work on biodefense and mental health still lost their jobs.

www.washingtonpost.com

13 140 260

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

BREAKING: Some of the layoffs at CDC are being REVERSED.
Here is my updated story.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

More than 1,000 CDC staff receive layoff notices during government shutdown

Another round of mass layoffs has struck CDC. The agency had already been cut during a reorganization this year, and more employees are now being shed amid the government shutdown.

www.washingtonpost.com

37 290 740

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

RIF notices also sent to the CDC’s 2023 and 2024 class of civilian EIS officers known as its main disease detectives, per sources. These are the people who are typically the first responders in an outbreak. 4/4

1 210 720

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

Among other RIF notices at CDC:
—Center for Forecasting and Analytics;
—all of CDC Washington
—Office of Human Resources
—National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 3/4

3 220 750

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

The CDC official who was leading the measles response and was RIFd has more than 28 yrs experience as the senior USG official leading outbreaks on Ebola, Marburg virus, and mpox. 2/4

7 330 1K

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.”
Among those RIFd:
—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;
—leadership of global health center
—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

72 1.2K 2.3K

Reposted by Lena Sun

Lauren Weber @laurenweberhp.bsky.social · 5d

She left the medical mainstream and rose to be RFK Jr.'s surgeon general pick

Read my and @rachelroubein.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com deep dive on Casey Means

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

She left the medical mainstream and rose to be RFK Jr.'s surgeon general pick

Casey Means, the surgeon general nominee, has criticized the medical establishment. She could be put in position to change it.

www.washingtonpost.com

5 10 16

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 17d

Many parents fear Trump and RFKJr rhetoric about autism as an “epidemic” is harmful and going backwards. “We’re not a disease, we’re people,” one parent says. “We don’t need to ‘cure’ autism. We need to expand access to services.”

1 1 8

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 17d

Important Read: Programs that many autistic people and their families depend on — through Medicaid, the Education Department and the Administration for Community Living — have been targeted for funding cuts by Trump administration. @caitjgibson.bsky.social

www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/20...

Families push back on Trump’s autism rhetoric: ‘We’re not a disease’

Parents fear that progress toward inclusion is under threat as political leaders call autism a “crisis.”

www.washingtonpost.com

2 17 25

Reposted by Lena Sun

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 20d

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy on Trump and RFK Jr’s claims about Tylenol and autism:

“Talk to your OB about it. But secondly, I was talking to a woman, she goes, ‘Oh, this is great. Two men telling me not to take the only thing I can take when my back's hurting and I'm pregnant.’”

6 13 72

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

And here’s the link to our story about RFKJR’s handpicked vaccine advisory committee.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

4 12

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

Would be helpful to include the link to our story.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Vaccine panel tension exposes broader conflict about science under RFK Jr.

Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices showed a tenuous grasp of process and cited flawed research as they revisited covid, hepatitis B and MMRV shots.

www.washingtonpost.com

3 10

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

Our story on how RFKJr’s vaccine handpicked advisers were unprepared, misunderstood or ignored key data, per experts watching the meeting.
@washingtonpost.com @davidovalle.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social + me

1 3

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

“With no approach to evaluating the science, the committee serves only as a siren singing us to shipwreck,” said Dan Jernigan, one of the senior CDC leaders who resigned in August to protest what he described as the politicization of science.

2 16

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

When one panel member spoke on the importance of randomized controlled trials for vaccines — an approach pushed by Kennedy and criticized as unrealistic by some vaccine experts — someone could be heard saying “you’re an idiot.”

1 3 11

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

They floated cancer, autism and DNA contamination as potential dangers of coronavirus vaccines.

1 9

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

The CDC vaccine advisory committee members appeared at times uncertain about the issues before them or the powers of the panel, prompting staff to explain steps in evaluating data and setting vaccine recommendations.

1 9

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 24d

NEW: RFKJr’s handpicked vaccine panel met this week. They were unprepared, misunderstood or ignored key data + highlighted flawed or inconclusive research often trumpeted by vaccine critics, per medical/scientific experts who watched meeting @davidovalle.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social + me.

6 68 190

Lena Sun @lenasun.bsky.social · 28d

We can’t say for sure what recommendations the CDC panel will make, but if getting vaccinated is important to you, it might be easier if you get one before the weekend. Earlier this month many states already lifted restrictions that made getting vaccinated harder. 3/3

2 12 44