NEW YORK (AP) — More than 460 laid-off employees at the nation's top public health agency received notices Wednesday that they are being reinstated, according to a union representing the workers.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed reinstatement notices went out to the former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees, but provided few details.
About 2,400 CDC employees lost their jobs in a wave of cuts across federal health agencies in early April, according to a tally at the time.
Whole CDC programs were essentially shut down, including some focused on smoking, lead poisoning, gun violence, asthma and air quality, and workplace safety and health. The entire office that handles Freedom of Information Act requests was shuttered. Infectious disease programs took a hit, too, including programs that fight outbreaks in other countries, labs focused on HIV and hepatitis in the U.S., and staff trying to eliminate tuberculosis.
An estimated 200 of the reinstated workers are based in the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, HHS officials confirmed. Staffers at a CDC lab that does testing for sexually transmitted diseases are being brought back, said one CDC employee who wasn't authorized to discuss what happened and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Also reinstated are an estimated 150 employees at the CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, including people staffing a lab that works on lead poisoning, according to the union and employees.
Layoffs at federal agencies were challenged in lawsuits, with judges in some cases ordering federal agencies to halt terminations of employees.
Officials at HHS have never detailed how they made the layoff decisions in the first place. And they did not answer questions about why the notices went out, or how decisions were made about who to bring back.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the agency was streamlining operations and that “the nation’s critical public health functions remain intact and effective.”
"The Trump Administration is committed to protecting essential services — whether it’s supporting coal miners and firefighters through NIOSH, safeguarding public health through lead prevention, or researching and tracking the most prevalent communicable diseases,” he said.
The reinstatements don't undo the damage being done by Kennedy and the Trump administration to federal public health, said members of Fired But Fighting, a group of affected CDC workers who have helped organize rallies in Atlanta. The most recent was in the rain on Tuesday, at which some attendees called for Kennedy to resign.
“Bringing a few hundred people back to work out of thousands fired is a start, but there are still countless programs at CDC that have been cut, which will lead to increased disease and death,” one of the group's founding members, Abby Tighe, said in a statement.
This is not the first time that employees at the Atlanta-based agency were told they were being terminated only to then be told to come back. After an earlier round of termination notices went out in February, about 180 CDC employees in March were told to come back.
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Anna Yousaf speaks at a demonstration protesting President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to health services outside Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Michael Beach protests President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to health services outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
FILE - A sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
As No. 1 Indiana prepares for Friday night's College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 5 Oregon, coach Curt Cignetti is already reloading.
On Sunday, the undefeated Hoosiers acquired two key players in the transfer portal, landing former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, according to a person with knowledge of the commitment. The person requested anonymity because official announcements have not yet been made. Former Michigan State receiver Nick Marsh also is headed to Indiana, his mother, Yolanda Wilson, confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday.
Marsh considered transferring last year but said he turned down more money from other schools to stay with the Spartans.
Hoover could be the successor for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza even though Mendoza's younger brother, Alberto, could stay at Indiana. But Hoover brings a dimension that has worked well for Cignetti in his first two seasons in Bloomington — a proven, multiyear starter.
Indiana went with Kurtis Rourke, a Mid-American Conference Player of the Year with Ohio, in 2024 then got Mendoza, a two-year starter at California, this season.
Hoover is 19-12 in 2 1/2 seasons as the Horned Frogs starter and has completed 65.2% of his 1,183 attempts for 9,629 yards and has 71 TD passes and 33 interceptions. In 2025, the Texan was 272 of 413 for 3,472 yards with 29 TDs and 13 interceptions. He also has eight TD runs in his career.
But the other part of Sunday's haul was equally impressive. Marsh had 100 receptions for 1,311 yards and nine TD receptions in his two seasons with the Spartans and broke school records for a freshman with 41 catches and 649 yards in 2024.
The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Marsh is expected to replace Elijah Sarratt, who caught the winning TD passes at Iowa and in Indiana's first matchup against Oregon.
Multiple news outlets also reported former Boston College running back Turbo Richard also was heading to Indiana. Richard had 145 carries for 749 yards and nine TDs in 11 games last season after only logging 55 carries in 2024. The Hoosiers also are losing their top two rushers — Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black.
The Hoosiers (14-0) and Ducks (13-1) meet Friday night in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta with the winner advancing to the Jan. 19 national championship game.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby announced in an Instagram post that he is transferring to Texas Tech.
Sorsby was regarded as one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal. He had thrown for at least 2,800 yards each of the last two seasons at Cincinnati. This season, Sorsby completed 61.6% of his passes for 2,800 yards with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 580 yards and nine touchdowns.
That followed a 2024 season in which Sorsby completed 64% of his passes for 2,813 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He rushed for 447 yards and nine touchdowns that year.
Quarterback Colton Joseph is heading to Wisconsin after throwing for more than 2,500 yards and eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing at Old Dominion this season.
Joseph announced his decision Sunday with an X post that included the message, “On Wisconsin.” He completed 59.7% of his passes this season for 2,624 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for Old Dominion, which went 10-3. He also rushed for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns on 158 carries. He didn’t play in Old Dominion’s 24-10 Cure Bowl victory over South Florida after deciding to enter the transfer portal.
Wisconsin has gone to the transfer portal for quarterbacks every year since coach Luke Fickell arrived, though injuries have limited their production.
Tanner Mordecai came over from SMU in 2023 but missed 3 1/2 games with a broken hand that season. Tyler Van Dyke arrived from Miami the following year but tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the third game of the season. Former Mississippi State quarterback Braedyn Locke started when Mordecai and Van Dyke were injured.
Billy Edwards Jr. transferred from Maryland and opened the 2025 season as Wisconsin’s starter, but he sprained his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ season-opening victory over Miami (Ohio). He did not play after Sept. 20. San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neil, Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons and freshman Carter Smith each started multiple games after Edwards’ injury.
Illinois found a potential replacement for Luke Altmyer, signing QB Katin Houser out of the transfer portal. He threw for 6,438 yards and 43 touchdowns over four seasons for Michigan State and East Carolina.
It was a big weekend for Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who was looking to add weapons for highly touted quarterback Julian Lewis.
The Buffaloes received commitments from an array of players including San Jose State receiver Danny Scudero, who was named to The Associated Press All-America second team. Scudero’s intention to join the Buffaloes was confirmed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because Colorado hasn’t announced its new arrivals.
Colorado also had pledges from receiver Kam Perry of Miami (Ohio), along with defensive linemen Lamont Lester Jr. and Yamil Talib, the nephew of longtime NFL cornerback Aqib Talib. In addition, running back Damian Henderson II is set to join Colorado.
Scudero had 88 catches for 1,291 yards and 10 TDs last season for San Jose State. He had a program-best four touchdown catches against Wyoming.
The Buffaloes will be the third school for Perry, who started at Indiana before transferring to Miami (Ohio). He finished with 43 catches for 976 yards and six touchdowns for the RedHawks in 2025.
Henderson follows his coach at Sacramento State to Colorado. Brennan Marion was hired by Sanders as offensive coordinator to implement Marion's high-tempo, run-oriented “Go-Go” system. Henderson rushed for 565 yards last season after starting his career at Colorado State.
Talib comes to Boulder from Charlotte, where he had 28 tackles and an interception last season for the 49ers. He was at Oklahoma State in 2024.
Lester had 9 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles last season for Monmouth.
AP Sports Writers Pat Graham, Larry Lage and Steve Megargee also contributed to this report.
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FILE - Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh runs with the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez,File)
FILE - TCU quarterback Josh Hoover (10) plays against Houston during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith,File)
