**Trump Administration Fires Federal Workers Amid Shutdown** President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought have initiated layoffs of federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown. Reports indicate that over 4,000 workers across seven agencies have received termination notices, including employees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The layoffs were confirmed by Trump, who stated that the firings would be "Democrat-oriented." This decision has drawn criticism from various quarters, including Senator Susan Collins, who expressed strong opposition to the firings, and the federal employees union, which condemned the actions as harmful. A significant error occurred during the layoff process, affecting CDC employees. A federal health official revealed that a coding mistake led to the issuance of reduction-in-force notices to key personnel involved in critical health responses, including those addressing Ebola outbreaks in Africa and measles outbreaks in the United States. Among those mistakenly laid off were many staff members from the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) office, which is considered the agency's primary scientific journal. The official stated that these employees would eventually receive formal notices rescinding their terminations, likely within days. However, the coding error impacted only four offices within the CDC, meaning that hundreds of employees from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will still face job losses. In a related development, Trump announced that he has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to utilize "all available funds" to ensure military personnel are paid on October 15, despite the shutdown. He claimed to have identified specific funds for this purpose, although details remain scarce. A spokesperson from the Office of Budget and Management indicated that these funds would come from research and development allocations within the Department of Defense, which are available for two years. The layoffs at the CDC have raised concerns as the agency continues to manage various public health threats. Approximately 130 employees from the National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) were among those terminated, including many in leadership roles. These individuals were responsible for overseeing responses to bacterial and viral diseases, respiratory illnesses, and vaccination efforts. As the government shutdown persists, the implications of these layoffs on public health and safety remain a pressing concern for many stakeholders.