Trump Administration Fires Thousands of Federal Health and Aviation Workers

Mass layoffs at health agencies and the FAA raise safety concerns following deadly aviation incidents and public health challenges.

Approximately 3,600 employees from the CDC, NIH, FDA, and other health agencies were terminated, including staff working on maternal health, infant nutrition, and disease detection programs.
Hundreds of FAA employees, including radar and navigational aid maintenance staff, were fired just weeks after a fatal midair collision near Washington, D.C., raising questions about aviation safety.
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, oversaw the firings, which targeted probationary employees hired or promoted within the past year.
Critics warn that the layoffs exacerbate existing staffing shortages in public health and aviation, potentially undermining safety and emergency preparedness.
Amid these cuts, SpaceX engineers visited the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center to discuss potential modernization efforts, sparking concerns about conflicts of interest given Musk’s leadership role.