Let's bring in Jeff Mason, White House correspondent with Reuters, and Rebecca Roy, former Manhattan assistant district attorney, now professor at New York Law School. All right, welcome to you both. Jeff, we'll start with you because the deputy AG Todd Blanch said today the removal of over a dozen photos from the DOJ website.It happened on Saturday and it had nothing to do with President Trump, but it came at the request of victim advocacy groups. One of those photos included images of Trump with women in ...

Data Quality Concerns - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data quality and reliability has deteriorated over the decades [1] - Declining response rates and a refusal to correct for them are the root causes of the data quality deterioration [2] - BLS leadership did nothing to arrest the deterioration in data quality [3] Political Influence Allegations - There are concerns about potential political interference affecting BLS data [1] - The question of whether the president should fire BLS leadership for disliking the results is raised [4] - The loss of professional staff is unlikely to improve the situation [5] Confidence in Leadership - The nominee's answers do not inspire confidence regarding the protection of BLS independence [5]

Leadership & Governance - CDC's chief medical officer resigned due to the dismantling of public health and weaponization of their work [1] - Multiple senior CDC leaders resigned following the White House's dismissal of CDC Director Susan Manares, who was deemed misaligned with the president's health mission [1][2] - The rapid transition of a CDC director signals the dismissal of scientific expertise for political convenience [6] - The new acting CDC director, Jim O'Neal, lacks medical training and is viewed as aligned with specific political agendas [10][11] Scientific Integrity & Political Interference - The former CDC Director was allegedly asked to fire her leadership team and approve recommendations from a new advisory committee regardless of scientific evidence [4] - Concerns were raised about political interference undermining scientific integrity at the CDC [8] - The administration's desire for CDC to focus solely on infectious diseases raises concerns about neglecting other critical public health issues like gun violence and infant deaths [12] Budget & Resources - Proposed budget cuts and reorganization at the CDC are expected to worsen the nation's health [9] - The CDC's vulnerability to budget and job cuts is attributed to the lack of a comprehensive authorizing piece of legislation [9] - There is a need for Congress to ensure adequate resources for the CDC, stop terminations, and bring back staff [14] Public Health Threats & Trust - The nation is considered vulnerable to public health threats due to the issues at the CDC [2] - Diseases that were previously well-controlled are resurfacing [14] - The erosion of trust in scientific expertise is identified as the greatest risk to public health [17]

Public Health System Concerns - The report highlights concerns about the dismantling of the American public health infrastructure [1][2] - Political interference in the CDC's operations, particularly regarding vaccines, is a major issue [8] - The independence of the CDC and the importance of science-based decision-making are emphasized [6][7] Leadership and Policy Changes - Robert F Kennedy Jr's appointment as director of health and human services is viewed as a threat to the public health system [3] - Kennedy's attempt to replace the head of the CDC, Susan Monz, due to disagreements over vaccine access is noted [3] - New FDA guidance restricts COVID shots to those 65 and older and those with underlying conditions, a reversal attributed to Kennedy's anti-vaccine stance [12] Ethical and Scientific Integrity - Resigning CDC officials emphasized the importance of professional integrity and following the science [5][6][7] - Kennedy's views on race and vaccine schedules are described as dangerous and lacking scientific basis [14][15] - The report criticizes Kennedy's lack of medical credentials and his reliance on personal opinions rather than scientific evidence [16][17][18]

Political Instability - South Africa's president faces a crisis due to accusations against a minister for interfering in a political assassination investigation [1] - The police minister is accused of sabotaging a police killings investigation by seizing 120 police documents [2] - The accusations risk straining the ruling coalition [2] Government Response - The president acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations [1] - The president called for calm, stating the accusations are receiving the highest priority of investigation [3] - The ruling coalition has requested a parliamentary debate into police corruption [2]