Issue 51
BREAKING NEWS
» RJKJ wants to take away your Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks: RFK Jr. puts Dunkinâ on notice; Massachusetts governor says âcome and take itâ | The Hill
» In an on-brand move, RFKJ has appointed more vaccine skeptics to ACIP: Kennedy adds two new members to ACIP | STAT
» USAID is hiring, but not you. Theyâre Hiring at USAID. Just Not Anyone Who Worked There. | New York Times
» States Move to Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment | New York Times
Welcome to the 51st issue of Fired But Fighting, a newsletter for illegally terminated, improperly RIFâd, chaotically reinstated, and current HHS staff. Read on for judicial and advocacy updates, links to media coverage, calls to action, tips, and resources.
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LEGAL UPDATES
» MSPB appeals challenging the HHS RIF are progressing in fits and starts, as the administrative judges work through how to consolidate large numbers of appeals and grapple with the challenges of coordinating discovery. On the union front, AFGE suffered a setback last week when the Ninth Circuit formally vacated the PI of the anti-union EO, but hope is not lost. This week's legal update includes a summary of these developments, as well as status updates on the lawsuits challenging the RIFs and probie terminations and analysis of the coming Schedule F reclassifications. NOTE: If you have filed an MSPB appeal and are willing to help our team stay updated on the status of this process, please reach out to us at legal@firedbutfighting.org. We are primarily looking for information on the ACF, CMS, FDA, IHS, and SAMHSA consolidations.
Read the full legal update here.
CALLS TO ACTION
» Comment needed on these proposed rules that affect HHS employees and the public health workforce. You can raise substantive issues, ask questions for consideration, or even request an extension of the comment period. They will have to respond, and that will slow the process down. You can find guidance on submitting comments on proposed regs here.
OPM proposes to transfer appeal rights for employees affected by a RIF action from the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to OPM, removing independent review and overriding union grievance routes. Read more and comment before March 12.
OPM proposes a plan to remove a current ban on a âforced distributionâ of federal employee performance evaluations. If finalized, this rule will limit how many employees can be ranked as high performers in annual reviews. Read more and comment before March 26.
» Attend a celebration of life for Dr. William Foege. The event will take place at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at 1:30 p.m. on March 14 and is open to the public. RSVP.
» Have you ever considered serving as a poll worker? Did you know that this is one âside hustleâ that doesnât require EPATS approval for feds? Work Elections Project: Learn How to Become a Poll Worker. Related: make sure you never miss another election or polling place change by registering at the nonpartisan TurboVote.
» Volunteer with Fired But Fighting: Looking for ways to channel your rage? Sign up to volunteer.
EVENTS
Ice Cakes Not People
» March 14: Ice Cakes, Not People - A Community Bake Sale to support Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights. Find more events like this here.
WEEKLY 27 UNIHTED
Back by Popular Demand
Federal Workers Coffee Hour. 4th Thursday of each month through October 2026. Download the flyer.
» Every Saturday: Vigil commemorating the lives and knowledge lost through NIH cuts. Black attire encouraged. 10 am at the Medical Center Metro.
» Please follow and share 27 uNIHtedâs new Instagram account.
UNION CORNER
» Please fill out our CDC RA and EEO Process Survey to update the L2883 team on the status of your RA and EEO complaints.
» If you have RA-specific questions or would like to help us support your colleagues in the disabilities community, please email us at ra@afge2883ga.org.
» L2883 will be holding officer elections soon. Please be on the lookout for a call for nominations. Due to National Labor Relations Board regulations, this will be sent by snail mail. Please ensure your address on file with AFGE is correct!
» If youâre not already a member, sign up here to join the fight now! As a reminder, all job series (including supervisors) are eligible to join! The only exception is commissioned corps officers. https://join.afge.org/L2883
CDC MUTUAL AID
đ đ Update from the CDC Mutual Aid Network đ đ
» Thanks to your support, we were able to distribute nearly $7,000 over the last few weeks to fired CDC workers who are struggling financially. We are now 28% of the way to our current 2026 fundraising goal of $75,000, which would allow us to fund the 38 CDCers still on our waiting list.
» To help us reach our goal, you can visit https://www.cdcresourceportal.org to learn more about the CDC Mutual Aid Network and to donate. Donations are tax-deductible, and more than 99.9% go directly to fired CDCers.
» You can also visit our CDC Mutual Aid store at https://cdc-mutual-aid-network.printful.me. Every purchase directly supports our mission and helps us continue making a difference.
THE WEEKLY NEEDLE
» The Weekly Needle is Americaâs most trusted news source for all things health and medicine. Trust us, because we donât trust ourselves. Enjoy our most recent story from this week:
» Local Man Cured of Vaccine-Induced Autism by Dying from Measles. - Local man Randall Grausmeyer has been cured of so-called âvaccine induced autismâ by dying from measles, prompting researchers across the alternative medicine field to descend on Kenosha to understand how Grausmeyerâs case could be used to cure other vaccine-induced autism cases.
» Please consider becoming a subscriber by following the link here. Interested in contributing? Email us at theweeklyneedle@proton.me.
SPOON OF THE WEEK
» The Spoons of the Week are all the CDC staff who keep âhanging in thereâ and doing good work as best they can in the most trying of circumstances. We see you. We are you.
» To submit a spoon for a future newsletter, email info@firedbutfighting.org.
SELF CARE
» Your March Happiness Calendar | Greater Good Magazine
» Let the Cybersecurity Girl and Mel Robbins take you through the steps you need to take to keep your identity safe online.
» The Atlanta Preservation Centerâs Phoenix Flies Program offers free tours and lectures celebrating Atlantaâs Historic Sites. Click here to sign up for the free events taking place between March 2 and 29.
» Bored with your Signal avatar? We have a whole library of free avatars to choose from. Check it out
» Yoga with Amanda offers a free class at the Decatur Library each month. Sign up for the March class on the libraryâs website.
FIRED BUT FIGHTING IN THE NEWS
» March 1: Turmoil Takes Hold at CDC as Top Officials Keep Leaving | Wall Street Journal
» February 24: Why Indian-origin Jay Bhattacharya's dual health roles has Washington worried | The Times of India
