Weekend Reading: CDC Appointees Depart, Little Outpouring over COVID-19 Deaths, NYC School Buildings Are a Problem

Two political appointees to the CDC have both left the agency, according to POLITICO. Kyle McGowan, who had been chief of staff, and Amanda Campbell, the deputy chief of staff, emailed news of their joint department to colleagues on Friday. McGowan told POLITICO the two were starting a consulting company and insisted they were not forced out. CDC has been criticized for its handling of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

U.S. deaths from COVID-19 reached 170,000 this weekend, yet CNN reports there are few signs of a collective outpouring of grief. Flags at federal buildings were not lowered until May as the death toll approached 100,000. The report attributed some of the lack of public response to the fact that gatherings are not permitted due to the pandemic itself.

Schools in New York City are preparing to reopen, but the buildings themselves may be the biggest problem, columnist Ginia Bellafonte wrote in The New York Times. Broken windows, lack of air conditioning, and crowding are the biggest hurdles. Some parents are signing a petition asking the city to consider holding classes outside.