Politics
Trump orders ‘blackout’ at CDC, FDA, NIH as agencies prepare for MAGA
Donald Trump has ordered a communications blackout at America’s federal health agencies, according to reports.
The CDC, FDA, HHS and NIH have all been told to pause external communications, including publishing scientific reports, updating websites or issuing health advisories.
The directive came without warning, sources told the Washington Post, and with little guidance as to how long it may last.
The health agencies play a vital role in gathering and sharing critical information with the public, including on outbreaks of infectious diseases, raising the alarm over foodborne disease outbreaks and food recalls.
However, DailyMail.com received its automated weekly FDA recall email at 8am ET this morning.
It is not entirely unusual for incoming administrations to pause external communications temporarily, which may be done to help newly appointed officials understand the scope of information that is being released.
But some said that if the pause lasts longer than a week or two then it could be seen as concerning.
The new president, 78, singled out public health agencies in his inaugural address — saying that they ‘do not deliver in times of disaster’, referring to what many have seen as a mishandling of Covid messaging.
Robert F. Kennedy Junior has been nominated to head up the HHS, which has oversight over all the federal health agencies.
As part of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ pledge, he has promised to overhaul the three agencies.
The communications blackout was issued by Stefanie Spear, a deputy chief of staff at HHS who joined the agency this week. She was also RFK Jr.’s press secretary during his presidential campaign.
The pause on external communications includes blocks on publishing scientific reports issued by the CDC, known as Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR), advisories sent out to clinicians on the CDC’s health network, data updates to the CDC website, and public health data released from the National Center for Health Statistics, including on drug overdose deaths.
The CDC had been scheduled to publish several MMWR reports this week, sources familiar with the matter said, including three on the bird flu outbreak alarming scientists.
It was not clear whether the directive also blocked the agencies from sharing urgent communications, such as on drug approvals or novel disease outbreaks.
Dr Lucky Tran, a Democrat-leaning science communicator at Columbia University, blasted the order as the beginning of censorship.
Jeff Jarvis, a retired professor of journalism at City University New York, said: ‘This is terrible: Forced ignorance on health data.
‘Officials in sane and scientific states must band together to report data on their own. We need such shadow governments.’
The CDC publishes on average about 50 peer-reviewed articles per week, in addition to updating numerous datasets and other materials, while the FDA initiates more than 500 food recalls per year.
The CDC receives about $24.9billion in public funding every year, while the FDA costs $8.4billion and the NIH costs more than $47billion annually.
At the beginning of Trump’s first term, administration officials also asked public health agencies to cease communicating with the public it was reported at the time.
At that time, the limits appeared focused on agenices overseeing environmental and scientific policy, such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
Politics
PDP to screen Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday as its sole Presidential aspirant For 2027 race
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tanimu Turaki, SAN, has scheduled to screen former president Goodluck Jonathan tomorrow, Tuesday, aMay 19, as the lone presidential candidate of party.
According to a statement from the PDP faction backed by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Former Vice-President Namadi Sambo, former governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi have been listed among a committee of 14 members to screen Jonathan described as a lone candidate by the party.
Other members of the committee were Chief Olabode George, Babangida Aliyu, Maryam ciroma, Zainab Maina, Josephine Anenin, Dr. Abdul Bulama, Dr. Esther Uduehi, Edo State PDP chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, Dr. Sunday Solarium and Chief Anicho Okoro, who would serve as administrative secretary of the committee.
Last week, the national Publicity Secretary of the faction, Ini Ememobong, disclosed that former president Jonathan has successfully registered as a member of the party in the fresh digital registration exercise directed by INEC.
The PDP faction also announced that it was set to screen 748 house of representatives aspirants, 198 senatorial aspirants, and 112 governorship aspirants.
The screening committee would screen 2122 states houses of assembly aspirants. The exercise will commence tomorrow, Tuesday in different states.
According to the statement, the screening exercise would take place nationwide on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The statement said the Interim National Working Committee (iNWC) has also released the names of members to serve on the Screening Committees and Screening Appeal Panels.
It added that the publication of the screening details “is in accordance with the party’s guidelines and timetable for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.”
Politics
Oshiomhole wins Edo APC senatorial primaries unopposed
A former governor and incumbent Senator, Adams Oshiomhole, along with his counterpart Senator Joe Ikpea, sailed through the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Edo unopposed, and securing their tickets without a single vote cast against them.
Also Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama emerged the winner in the APC primary for the Edo South senatorial district.
Ogbeide-Ihama won in the seven local government areas of Edo South in the results announced by the Chairman of APC National Assembly Primary Election, Muhammed Ajana at the Urokpota Hall, Benin.
He polled 27,154 votes while his opponents, Senator Neda Imasuen, got 13,580, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu got 6785.
The elections were hitch-free in Edo North and Edo Central, where there was no contest against the incumbents, Senators Oshiomhole of Edo North and Ikpea of Edo Central, respectively.
Ajana at the Urokpota Hall said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards where elections were conducted by members of the committee.
He said, “There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the Returning officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.
“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat.”
However, it was gathered that Ize-Iyamu emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South Senatorial race. He claimed to have clinched the party’s ticket after defeating Ogbeide-Ihama and Imasuen.
It was claimed that the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, officially declared Ize-Iyamu the winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.
On his part, the senator representing the district condemned the exercise describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.
Imasuen spoke while reacting to events at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa where he said he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.
The lawmaker accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.
He said, “There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this.”
He said the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.
Imasuen claimed that some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.
Politics
Ajuloopin Suffers Setback as Home Ward Rejects Third Term Return Bid in Kwara APC Primary
The re-election bid of the member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, popularly known as Ajuloopin, suffered a major setback on Friday after party members in his home ward, Omu-Aran Ward 1, boycotted the All Progressives Congress APC House of Representatives primary.
According to party stakeholders and observers present at the exercise, no valid election took place in the ward after members refused to participate in protest against what they described as the lawmaker’s poor performance after three consecutive terms in the House of Representatives.
Sources in the ward said efforts by some political figures and loyalists to persuade members to back Ajuloopin’s ambition failed, with party faithful insisting they would not endorse what they termed an attempt to impose his candidacy again.
The boycott led to a breakdown of the electoral process in Omu-Aran Ward 1, with many members staying away from the polls entirely. Stakeholders have called on the APC Electoral Committee to disregard any result purportedly presented from the ward, arguing that no credible primary was conducted there.
Political observers in the constituency described the development as a significant blow to Ajuloopin, noting that the rejection came from his own ward and among constituents most familiar with his record.
Preliminary reports from other parts of Irepodun, Isin and Oke-Ero local government areas, where voting proceeded, also indicated weak support for the incumbent. Many party members were said to have voted for alternative aspirants.
APC stakeholders have urged the party leadership to review reports from affected wards and accept only authentic and verifiable results to preserve the credibility of the primaries. They stressed that internal democracy was critical to the party’s prospects in the constituency and warned against imposing unpopular candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
With tension rising across the federal constituency, party faithful said the leadership must listen to grassroots members and allow delegates and supporters to determine the outcome of the primaries.
-
Business2 years ago
US court acquits Air Peace boss, slams Mayfield $4000 fine
-
Trending2 years agoNYA demands release of ‘abducted’ Imo chairman, preaches good governance
-
Politics2 years agoMexico’s new president causes concern just weeks before the US elections
-
Politics2 years agoPutin invites 20 world leaders
-
Politics2 years agoRussia bans imports of agro-products from Kazakhstan after refusal to join BRICS
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Bobrisky falls ill in police custody, rushed to hospital
-
Entertainment2 years ago
Bobrisky transferred from Immigration to FCID, spends night behind bars
-
Education2 years ago
GOVERNOR FUBARA APPOINTS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR KEN SARO-WIWA POLYTECHNIC BORI
