年度归档： 2026 年

姜贵瑛：三星电子“奖金战” AI繁荣下的利益分配冲击

2026年5月25日 05:01 / 联合早报

韩国三星电子工会的总罢工行动，经韩国雇佣劳动部长亲自出面协调，暂时化解了危机。图为位于首尔水原市的三星集团总部。 （法新社）

在距离总罢工启动前约一小时，三星电子劳资双方终于让步，戏剧性地达成暂定协议，让持续160天、牵动韩国乃至全球半导体产业链神经的工资谈判暂时偃旗息鼓。

这场令半导体生产线一度逼近全面停摆的“奖金战”最终没有走向对抗，但暴露出的人工智能（AI）时代财富分配焦虑与成果主义冲突，仍在韩国社会持续发酵。

虽然经韩国政府高强度仲裁后避免了最坏局面，但这场风波却留下复杂余味。这场史无前例的“奖金战”本质上正是AI时代超级繁荣的副产品。

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‘Bibi’s hair on fire’: Trump-Netanyahu public ‘rift’ masked unified front against Iran, analyst says

May 24, 2026 4:50pm EDT / Fox News

INSS researcher Kobi Michael says the weekend synchronization phase showed total alignment by Sunday

By Emma Bussey, Fox News

Trump, Netanyahu plan to meet over ongoing Iran nuclear talks

Fox News senior White House correspondent Aishah Hasnie reports on President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C. on ‘Fox & Friends.’

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Intensifying leaks and tense phone calls between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting a relationship breakdown over Iran were part of a calculated strategic effort to keep Tehran guessing, a leading defense analyst told Fox News Digital on Sunday.

The public display, which projected American diplomatic patience while shutting out Jerusalem, covertly laid the groundwork for a unified front, he said.

The strategy culminated in a weekend synchronization phase, with Trump and Netanyahu showcasing total alignment by Sunday, suggested Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute.

TRUMP, NETANYAHU TO MEET AT WHITE HOUSE IN HIGH-STAKES TALKS ON IRAN, GAZA PLAN

President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House on Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington, D.C.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Axios had reported Thursday that a difficult call between the leaders focused on a revised U.S. proposal sent to Iran via Pakistan, which Netanyahu reportedly rejected in favor of renewed military action to degrade Tehran’s infrastructure.

One U.S. source told the outlet that “Netanyahu’s hair was on fire” after the exchange.

Separately, weekend reports suggested Israeli leaders were being marginalized from U.S.-Iran negotiations after Netanyahu’s prewar push for a joint campaign to topple the Iranian regime failed to materialize.

Netanyahu broke his silence Sunday, posting on X to declare absolute solidarity with the White House and project a unified stance.

IRAN’S NEW SUPREME LEADER IS ‘HIS FATHER ON STEROIDS,’ EXPERTS WARN OF HARDLINE RULE

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on April 7, 2025.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The partnership between us and our two countries has been proven on the battlefield and has never been stronger,” Netanyahu shared on X. “My policy, like President Trump’s, remains unchanged: Iran will not have nuclear weapons.”

Michael viewed the public friction and targeted leaks as a calculated tactical feint designed to keep Tehran blindsided.

“Neither President Trump nor Prime Minister Netanyahu has any interest in any crisis, but by leaking the story of a crisis between Trump and Netanyahu, the Iranians might find themselves surprised by the timing of the next military attack,” Michael said.

“The leak created a sense of disagreement between the two leaders and positions Trump as the leader who gives another chance to the diplomatic path despite the pressures of Prime Minister Netanyahu,” he said.

“Trump understands who the Iranians are.”

The final synchronization followed a weekend phone call in which Trump reassured Netanyahu that any final agreement with Iran would fully dismantle Tehran’s nuclear program.

UN’S NUCLEAR WATCHDOG WARNS ITS UNABLE TO CONFIRM IRAN’S PROGRAM IS ‘ENTIRELY PEACEFUL’

President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Iran following an Israeli strike in Tehran on Feb. 28, 2026, alongside several Cabinet members.(White House)

Netanyahu also said Trump also “reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on every front, including Lebanon.”

Washington has been keeping Jerusalem updated on the negotiations “over a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and enter negotiations toward a final agreement on the points that remain in dispute,” an official statement read.

Following the Sunday call, Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his “exceptional commitment to Israel’s security.”

“Netanyahu’s last post about his last conversation with Trump can be understood as the ultimate closure to this deception and any accusations,” Michael added.

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“This is trying to prepare the Israeli public for the idea that everything was fully coordinated with the U.S., and the diplomatic developments will serve the Israeli interest.”

Michael added, however, that skepticism remained in Jerusalem over whether the gaps between the U.S. and Iran will be bridged, or whether “Trump will accept the Iranian position.”

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.

美高官：美伊原则上同意重开海峡 但需多几天敲定最终协议

2026年5月25日 06:55 / 联合早报

5月17日，在阿曼北部哈萨卜港岸外的霍尔木兹海峡可见到许多船只。 （法新社）

美国一高级官员透露，华盛顿和德黑兰原则上同意重开霍尔木兹海峡，并责成伊朗交出高浓缩铀，但双方仍需要数日时间才能敲定最终协议。

《纽约时报》报道，一名美国高官星期天（5月24日）告诉媒体，美伊双方原则上同意达成一项可能结束中东战事的协议，但由两国领导人最终批准可能需要几天时间。

要求不具名的这名官员说，依照协议，霍尔木兹海峡将重新开放，并促使伊朗放弃高浓缩铀，至于德黑兰将如何处置它的高浓缩铀仍在进行谈判。

伊朗领导人及官方媒体尚未对任何潜在协议的具体内容或正在讨论的事项发表评论。两国官员都说，任何协议都将是一个初步框架协议，将为后续谈判奠定基础，而非最终定案。

正在印度访问的美国国务卿鲁比奥24日接受《纽约时报》采访时说，伊朗核协议不可能“在72小时内在餐巾纸上完成”。

延伸阅读

特朗普：已交代不要仓促与伊朗达成协议
特朗普：美伊基本谈妥包括开放海峡 伊朗：协议可达海峡掌控不可松

鲁比奥说：“这个问题必须过后再谈。核谈判是高度技术性的问题。你不可能在72小时内，在一张餐巾纸上谈成一项核协议。”

他也说：“目前已有七八个区内国家支持这项方案，而我们准备推进这项方案。”

受美伊可能达成协议的消息影响，当天油价下跌。

全球原油基准布伦特原油价格约为每桶99美元（约126新元），下跌近1.5%；美国原油基准西得克萨斯中质原油价格约为每桶92美元，下跌近5%。

Potential crack’ in California chemical tank may prevent explosion, fire official says

2026-05-24T20:06:14.661Z / Reuters

Summary

Investigators look into whether possible crack in tank may help relieve pressure, officials say

• Tens of thousands remain under evacuation orders in Garden Grove, California
• Governor Newsom asks Trump to declare state of emergency for Orange County
• If confirmed, crack could eventually help efforts to drain chemicals

NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) – Experts trying to prevent a tank of hazardous chemicals from exploding in Southern California found a “potential crack” in the container that might be reducing the pressure, a fire official said on Sunday.

Since Friday, officials have warned that the tank, which contains methyl methacrylate, a flammable chemical used in plastics and manufacturing, could rupture and spill up to 7,000 gallons (26,500 liters) of toxic material or explode and endanger other tanks on the GKN Aerospace site.

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Evacuation orders were issued on Friday for an area in Garden Grove, a suburb roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Los Angeles. Tens of thousands of people are covered by the evacuation orders.

TJ McGovern, interim fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, said in a video message posted on social media that a team of specialists on Saturday night found “a potential crack in the tank, which could potentially be relieving some of the pressure in there.”

Discovering the potential crack was “positive intel”, McGovern said.

Authorities are still trying to determine whether the possible crack has relieved pressure in the tank, a spokesperson for the Orange County Fire Authority told Reuters. Lowering the pressure could help avert an explosion, he said.

Although officials for now are focused on measuring pressure, the spokesperson said, the crack eventually could allow authorities to gradually drain the chemicals.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday said he had requested that President Donald Trump issue a federal emergency declaration to support response operations. Newsom declared a state of emergency for Orange County on Saturday.

At one point on Saturday, the tank’s internal temperature reached as high as 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the fire authority said. But EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin told CNN’s “State of the Union” program on Sunday that local officials were working to stabilize the tank by keeping its temperature under 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

“I’m being told this morning that the most likely scenario is one of a low-volume release, where the local authorities are going to be able to monitor, neutralize and contain the threat,” Zeldin told CNN.

Crews were preparing for a possible spill by looking for ways to dike, dam and divert the liquid into a holding area at the commercial site, rather than allow it to reach storm drains, river channels or the ocean, the fire authority has previously said.

Health officials have said they were concerned that prolonged exposure to vapor from the chemical could cause severe respiratory problems. Air monitors deployed in Garden Grove were not detecting any chemicals or pollutants on Sunday, the EPA said.

Sensors located around the tank itself have not picked up any chemical leaks in the air, the fire authority spokesperson said.

The Orange County Fire Authority and the Garden Grove mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.

The incident began on Thursday at the GKN Aerospace facility, which specializes in the manufacturing and testing of windows and canopies for commercial and military aircraft, according to its website.

参院共和党人质疑美伊核协议 特朗普回击批评者

2026年5月25日 07:41 / 联合早报

美国共和党参议员蒂利斯在CNN节目中说，美伊的潜在协议“说不通”，他认为“有很多事情需要交代清楚”。 （路透社档案照片）

美国参议院共和党人对美国和伊朗可能达成和平协议的可行性表示怀疑，美国总统特朗普在社交媒体上回击对美伊谈判的批评者。

《纽约时报》星期天（5月24日）报道，北卡罗来纳州共和党参议员蒂利斯当天在美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）的“国情咨文”节目中说，美伊的潜在协议“说不通”，他认为“有很多事情需要交代清楚”。

他也认为，伊朗方面承诺重新开放霍尔木兹海峡“令人怀疑”。

一名要求匿名的美国高级官员24日告诉媒体，美伊双方原则上同意达成一项可能结束中东战事的协议，但由两国领导人最终批准可能还需要多几天时间。

这名官员说，依照协议，霍尔木兹海峡将重新开放，并责成伊朗交出高浓缩铀，至于德黑兰将如何处理它的高浓缩铀仍在进行谈判。

据纽时报道，伊朗官员称核问题谈判将在30至60天内进行。另据美国阿克西奥斯（Axios）新闻网站引述美国官员说，依照美伊谅解备忘录，双方将延长停火60天，若经双方同意可再延期。

美国参议院军事委员会主席威克23日在社交媒体贴文说：“停火60天并指望伊朗会真诚行事，那将是一场灾难。”

特朗普5月24日晚在Truth Social贴文，呼吁“不要听信失败者的话，他们一无所知却在那里妄加评论。”（法新社）

特朗普24日晚在Truth Social说，如果他和伊朗达成协议，那一定是一份“良好和妥当的协议”，而且会比他让美国退出奥巴马任内与伊朗达成的核协议来得更好。

特朗普写道：“没有人见过我们的协议或知道内容是什么。我们根本还没有全面完成谈判。所以不要听信那些失败者的话，他们一无所知却在那里妄加评论。”

特朗普还写道：“我与那些人不同，他们本该在多年前解决这个问题，我不会达成烂协议！”

正在印度访问的美国国务卿鲁比奥24日接受《纽约时报》采访时说，伊朗核协议不可能“在72小时内在餐巾纸上完成”。他说，这个问题必须过后再谈。核谈判是高度技术性的问题。

Iran’s supreme leader is holed up in undisclosed location, U.S. intelligence says

May 24, 2026 / 6:07 PM EDT / CBS News

U.S. intelligence shows that Iran’s supreme leader is effectively holed up in an undisclosed location with little access to the outside world and is only reached by a labyrinth of couriers, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter.

The Iranian officials authorized to work with the Trump administration have been having a difficult time communicating inside of their own government system — and it’s a central reason why the details of a potential deal with Iran and past agreements have been slow to emerge.

When the U.S. sends proposed details, the difficulty in reaching the supreme leader means there can be a long delay before the U.S. receives a response, two of the officials said.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment on intelligence on the supreme leader’s whereabouts or Iranian communication methods.

A senior administration official said Sunday the supreme leader had agreed to the contours of the current draft agreement, and President Trump posted on Truth Social that he anticipated final word in the next few days.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in U.S. and Israeli strikes in Operation Epic Fury, is taking extreme measures to avoid the strikes similar to the ones that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran from 1989 until Feb. 28. Mojtaba Khamenei has not been officially seen or heard in public since before the start of the war.

U.S. and Israeli intelligence obtained from inside the Iranian government has made it possible to locate and eliminate much of the Iranian senior leadership during the war, one of the officials said.

At this point, most Iranian leaders don’t see daylight, spending weeks inside highly fortified bunkers and avoiding speaking to each other unless absolutely necessary, the sources said.

“Watching them try to figure out how to talk to each other is almost like watching a sitcom. They are completely exasperated,” one official said.

The most cautious measures are being taken by the supreme leader.

By design, even officials at the highest levels of the Iranian government don’t know where he is and have no way to contact him directly.

Instead, messages are passed through a network of couriers created to obscure the supreme leader’s location.

“This is why you see people saying things like, ‘The supreme leader has agreed to the framework,’ or ‘We’re waiting to hear back on the final deal points.’ Every piece of information he receives is dated and there’s a lot of latency to his responses,” one official said.

The supreme leader has communicated in broad terms to his subordinates, giving them direction on what issues they can negotiate on and which issues shouldn’t be discussed.

China launches Shenzhou 23 spacecraft carrying 3 astronauts, including 1 set to remain in space for a year

May 24, 2026 / 1:11 PM EDT / CBS/AP

China successfully launched another spacecraft Sunday that is set to carry three astronauts to its space station. One crew member aboard the Shenzhou 23 is expected to remain in space for one year, which would be among the world’s longest single stays in space.

The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. Li Benqi, an official at the center, called the launch “a complete success” in videotaped remarks published by Chinese state media.

The much-anticipated launch comes as China prepares for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030.

The astronauts on the mission are Zhu Yangzhu, the commander, Zhang Zhiyuan and Lai Ka-ying, also identified by Chinese authorities as Li Jiaying using the Mandarin transliteration of her name.

Lai, who was born and raised in Hong Kong and has a doctoral degree in computer forensics, is the first astronaut from the city on a space mission. She’s also the country’s fourth female astronaut to travel to space, according to Chinese state media.

The Shenzhou-23 manned mission launches from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwestern China on Sunday, May 24, 2026. AP Photo/Ng Han Guan

The crew is set to conduct dozens of science and application projects, state media said. They are also expected to complete an in-orbit rotation with the crew of Shenzhou 21, who has been at the Tiangong space station for more than 200 days.

Launching in late October, the three-person crew of Shenzhou 21 included China’s youngest astronaut. Four mice were on board with them, marking the first live mammals on a space mission since Beijing launched its program.

One of the three astronauts on the Shenzhou 23 mission is scheduled to stay at the orbiting space station for a year The astronaut’s mission is to “explore human adaptability and performance limits” in long-duration spaceflight environments, state media reported.

As China steps up its space program, its astronauts have carried out multiple missions to the Tiangong space station, developed after China was effectively excluded from the International Space Station on U.S. concerns over national security.

The U.S. is seen as China’s top space rival, with NASA aiming to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028.

China’s space station Tiangong, which translates to “Heavenly Palace,” first hosted the country’s crew in 2021. Last year, an emergency mission in the Shenzhou program, which means “Divine Vessel,” returned a team of astronauts stranded on the space station due to a damaged spacecraft.

Before that, group of Chinese astronauts faced a nine-day delay as they attempted to return to Earth, after the window of their spacecraft was damaged. They did ultimately return on the Shenzhou 21 spacecraft, once its crew arrived at the space station. China’s space program determined that the damaged spacecraft, Shenzhou 20, did not meet the safety standards necessary to carry astronauts.

Shark kills spearfisher in front of friends in Australia: “Terrifying thing to see”

2026-05-24T14:26:00-0400 / CBS/AP

A man spearfishing with friends was killed by a shark on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday, police said, in Australia’s second fatal shark attack in just over a week.

The 39-year-old man was with three friends diving from a boat at Kennedy Shoal off the Queensland state coast south of Cairns when he was attacked, Police Inspector Elaine Burns said.

“The man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury,” Burns told reporters.

Police said the man who pulled the victim from the water was “pretty close” to the incident and witnessed the attack, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. people were on board the boat

“I would assume they would be pretty traumatized, that’s quite a terrifying thing to see happen right in front of you,” Burns said.

The unidentified victim, a Cairns resident, was brought by boat around noon to the tourist town of Hull Heads where paramedics were waiting. He had “sustained injuries not compatible with life,” an ambulance service statement said.

Kennedy Shoal is a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers. Divers are also attracted to the Lady Bowen, a 19th century shipwreck.

Police said the species of shark involved in the attack was unknown at this stage, but fishers reported bull sharks had been seen in the area before the attack.

A shark fatally mauled spearfisher Steve Mattabonni on May 16 at a coral reef off Rottnest Island near the southwest coast of Western Australia state. Mattabonni was with friends when he was attacked, Western Australia Police Sergeant Michael Wear said.

“The friends have witnessed the horrific event,” Wear said.

The 38-year-old Perth resident was taken by boat to the holiday island where paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.

A 16-foot white shark was suspected.

Australia has averaged more than three fatal shark attacks a year in recent decades. The latest death is Australia’s third shark fatality for 2026.

Nico Antic, 12, died in a hospital days after he was attacked by a suspected bull shark off a Sydney beach on Jan. 18. The attack that killed the boy was one of four recorded in the span of two days, which prompted officials to close dozens of the city’s beaches.

In November, a shark killed a woman and seriously wounded a man at a national park beach on Australia’s east coast in a rare instance of the predator attacking two people.

There have been nearly 1,300 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 260 resulted in death, according to a database of the predators’ encounters with humans.

Australian scientists believe increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are swaying sharks’ migratory patterns, which may be contributing to a rise in attacks.

contributed to this report.

Video shows infant being rescued from car trapped in Texas floodwaters

May 24, 2026 12:12 PM EDT / CBS News

By Emily Mae Czachor News Editor
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

Read Full Bio

Updated on: May 24, 2026 / 12:34 PM EDT / CBS News

Police video showed the dramatic rescue of an infant from a car trapped in floodwaters in southern Texas on Saturday, after the driver of the vehicle entered a creek crossing that had become inundated by heavy rain.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1032012616164389shared by the Beeville Police Department showed first responders safely retrieving the baby in its carrier, while other officers and firefighters helped rescue the remaining occupants of the vehicle. No one was hurt, the department said.

The car had driven into a flooded low-water crossing in Beeville, a city some 100 miles southeast of San Antonio, police said. Heavy rain had moved quickly into the area, and authorities had not yet set up barricades to prevent vehicles from trying to cross the creek. Police said the local fire chief had attempted to signal to the driver to stop, but the driver did not see him waiving.

Once the car entered the flooded crossing, the driver could no longer control its movements and rushing water started to push it away.

In the video, first responders entered the flooded area and pulled the infant out through the passenger’s side door. Panicked, the driver handed the infant to the responder in a baby carrier, and a second responder quickly covered it with his coat to shield the child from falling rain. It was unclear whether there were other passengers inside the car.

Low-water crossings are built just above the surface of the bodies of water they traverse, making them quite dangerous and prone to severe flooding during storms. The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, Texas has issued a flood warning for the Aransas River in Bee County.

Beeville police said conditions around low-water crossings can change rapidly, and one “may look passable one minute” but “quickly become dangerous the next.”

“Situations like this are a reminder that flood water is nothing to gamble with,” the police department said. “It does not take much moving water to push a vehicle off the roadway, and by the time you realize how dangerous it is, it can already be too late.”

Police urged people to drive slowly during periods of heavy rain and exercise extra caution near creek crossings, as well as other roadways “that are known to take on water.”

“No errand, shortcut, or destination is worth risking your life or your family’s safety,” the department said.

Transcript: Dr. Deborah Birx on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” May 24, 2026

2026-05-24T12:19:00-0400 / CBS News

The following is the transcript of the interview with Dr. Deborah Birx that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on May 24, 2026.

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NANCY CORDES: We turn now to the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Joining us to discuss is the former White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, who also previously helped coordinate the international response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak when she was Global AIDS Coordinator. Dr. Birx, thank you so much for being with us.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: Good to be with you, Nancy.

NANCY CORDES : Dr., The White House, the WHO rather, says there are now almost 750 suspected cases in the Congo, around the Congo, and nearly 200 deaths. How does the severity of this situation compare to previous outbreaks?

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: Well, the problem with this particular outbreak is there was probably two, three, or four cycles of infection before it was even reported, and so a lot of the numbers you’re seeing, and the rapid rise of the numbers, is because it went undetected and underreported for probably three or four weeks. That resulted in a lot of case reporting all at once, and so I can’t really tell you what the slope of new cases are, which is really the important thing when you’re following an acute infectious disease, but just to make it very clear to your audience, the people we are seeing today that are cases were probably infected two weeks ago. And so I think that’s what makes us all concerned, is we’re looking at this at this virus and this outbreak with really old data.

NANCY CORDES : I want to get to that delay in reporting the outbreak in a moment, but first we saw this week that a plane from Paris to Detroit had to be diverted to Montreal after a person from the Congo was mistakenly allowed to board. What do Americans need to know about the transition of this disease and the risk here at home? I think people are worried.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: Well when you see this level of outbreak, ever since COVID, I can understand why people are worried. But remember DRC has had 17 or 18 of these outbreaks in the last 20, 30 years, so this is actually fairly commonplace, although this is a large one. I think we learned from COVID how to be much more proactive about preventing the virus getting to the country ever since we had those cases almost a decade ago. What we did is we really strengthened hospitals. Now we have bio container facilities in multiple hospitals, so we’re prepared if it ever happens or someone enters the country. But it’s important that we are proactive, like they have been. And when you have a travel ban, you have to really enforce it. And what’s what they did when they diverted the plane.

NANCY CORDES: Is this travel ban the right answer? People from the Congo—

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: The travel ban— (CROSSTALK)

NANCY CORDES: A couple other countries not being able to come into the US, even green card holders, if they’ve been in that area over the past 21 days or so?

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: You know, I, it’s part of a comprehensive response, which it is, and I don’t think it’s getting that much coverage, but within four days the US sent a DART team. A lot of the USAID people who are no longer in the USAID building are now in the State Department and have been part of Ebola responses, the 2014 and 2018 response. They’re already on the ground. There’s a CDC group that was in Kinshasa, is permanently in Kinshasa, they’re responding, and so when it’s part of a comprehensive funding response, yes, not as an only one solution.

NANCY CORDES: As you know, in the past year and a half, the Trump administration has largely dismantled USAID, it has withdrawn from the World Health Organization, it cut funding to the Congo and Uganda. Do you think that those moves contributed to the delay in reporting this outbreak, and are they contributing to the lack of supplies in dealing with the outbreak in the Congo?

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: Well, when I look what the administration has done recently, I think they put 50 or 100 million dollars out there immediately, and sent people that’s part of the response. I think the bigger question to me is a lot of us in the global community invested extensively in creating the African CDC for this very reason, for this very response. Hundreds of millions of dollars went into building laboratory capacity in the DRC at the African CDC, and for some reason that failed us. And so what we need to do is figure out why didn’t we detect this earlier, why didn’t the institutions that we all stood up as a global community effectively control this outbreak early, so that it didn’t spread as far and wide as it has within the DRC. I understand it’s a conflict area, but we have to do better. We owe it to the people in the DRC.

NANCY CORDES: I hear what you’re saying about the fact that the money is now flowing from the US to the region, but we talked to aid workers in the region as well, who said that a lot of local programs were terminated after US aid was dismantled—programs aimed at Ebola preparedness and response, and so they just don’t have the same capacity as they did before.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: I think it’s a great question, and we need to really look at that. I know CDC’s global health security program was retained, and a lot of that funding retained. I know we had people in Kinshasa as part of the CDC. If you look at the Uganda funding—now I’m looking at it from the HIV side, which really built a lot of the laboratory capacity—this year they’re getting over $400 million so maybe there was a 5% cut, but I think the American people were thinking that these programs had been slashed. If you look at the MOUs of the agreements that the US government have been made, I’ve actually been reassured by the numbers that are there on paper.

NANCY CORDES: The US right now does not have a confirmed head of the CDC, it does not have a confirmed head of the FDA, doesn’t have a confirmed Surgeon General. Is the US prepared to deal with an outbreak of Ebola or any other infectious infectious disease, if it comes to our shores.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX: I think it’s a great question, and watching how this plays out will be very important. And I’m watching that. They’ve already created an interagency Ebola response task force, and just to reassure the American public, I was in the federal government for 40 plus years and in the military for 29, there’s a deep bench. And so, yes, it’s important to have the leads of all of these agencies. I think people have been nominated to at least the CDC, so I think that’s very important. But we do have a deep bench in many of these agencies, and I really, I know them, they’re great people. I think this interagency response is already putting assets, people, and money on the ground, and I think what we do need, I just keep coming back to African CDC, because that was supposed to be our early mobilizer of protective gear, of testing, of community work, and we just need to figure out how to strengthen that even further.

NANCY CORDES: Got it. Dr. Deborah Birx, thanks so much for being with us. Thanks for the context, we appreciate it. And we’ll be back in a moment.