President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cleared a hurdle in the Senate. A committee on Thursday sent to the full Senate the nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be director of the nation's top public health agency. Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing this month when she faced questions about whether she'd be willing to stand up to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice. Public health experts cautiously support Schwartz, noting her qualifications and potential to rebuild the agency.

The U.S. has surpassed 2025’s record for measles cases, with five months left in 2026. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it has logged more than 2,300 cases of measles as of Thursday. Major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah, and Arizona have contributed to the rise. Experts say the actual spread might be greater due to underreporting and declining vaccination rates. For example, experts relying on mathematical modeling and genetic analyses believe a large outbreak on the Utah-Arizona border could be around three to four times bigger than the official count.

The Trump administration’s latest nominee to lead the nation’ top public health agency drew frustrated reactions from some U.S. senators when they pressed her on whether she would protect the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from political meddling. Dr. Erica Schwartz is up for director of the CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her career has largely been spent in military uniform, including in a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard where she oversaw the organization’s system of 41 clinics and 150 sick bays. She later served as deputy surgeon general.

Ebola cases in Congo have reached 2,011, with 754 deaths, according to government data. Health workers at Bunia General Hospital went on strike on Wednesday over unpaid wages. Many health professionals say they're working under difficult conditions without adequate compensation. Congo has been battling the outbreak since May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus. The World Health Organization said Tuesday that 80% of new cases are from unknown transmission chains. The outbreak continues to spread faster than officials can track. Efforts are challenged by the lack of approved vaccines or treatments for this virus strain.

New suspected Ebola cases have been reported in previously unaffected parts of Congo, according to the government. The death toll in the latest outbreak has reached 600. Two new cases are suspected in Kisangani, Tshopo province. One case is linked to the location where the first cases were reported, while the other has no apparent geographical connection to known outbreaks. Authorities are investigating. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment. Efforts to contain the virus face challenges like a funding gap, attacks on health centers, and ongoing conflict.

President Donald Trump says he wants the U.S. to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere. He made the remarks in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier Tuesday, Trump’s Middle East envoy said that a three to five-year timeline for the reconstruction of Gaza is not a viable post-war plan for the battle-torn territory. This first visit of a foreign leader during Trump’s second term comes amid lagging support for Netanyahu in Israel.

The Biden administration is releasing a “roadmap” for maintaining government defenses against infectious diseases, just as President-elect Donald Trump pledges to dismantle some of them. The 16-page report recaps steps taken in the last four years against COVID-19, mpox and other diseases. Biden officials are touting the steps they took to halt or prevent disease threats, but some public heath researchers offer a more mixed assessment of the administration’s efforts. Several experts, for example, say not nearly enough has been done to make sure an expanding bird flu pandemic in animals doesn’t turn into a global health catastrophe for people.