Here’s a breakdown of the key information from the provided text:
* Layoffs at HHS: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has laid off a important number of employees – a total of 982 across multiple agencies, including the CDC, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Management, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
* CDC impact: More than 100 CDC employees have been laid off. These include staff involved in:
* Briefing Congress
* Health statistics and chronic disease work
* Support roles (library, mental health support especially after an August attack on the CDC campus, HR)
* Justification: HHS claims the terminated employees were “designated non-essential.”
* Union Challenge: The national federal workers union is legally challenging the layoffs.
* Context: These layoffs are happening during a federal government shutdown.
* Image: The article includes an image of a sign for the 988 Lifeline mental health emergency hotline, suggesting a potential impact on mental health services.
