White House puts ‘politicals’ at CDC to try to control info

The Trump White House has installed two political operatives at the nation’s top public health agency to try to control the information it releases about the coronavirus pandemic as the administration seeks to paint a positive outlook, sometimes at odds with the scientific evidence. The appointments were part of a push to get more “politicals” into the CDC to help control messaging after a handful of leaks were “upsetting the apple cart,” said an administration official. When the two appointees showed up in Atlanta, their roles were a mystery to senior CDC staff, the people said.