The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is struggling. The agency tasked with protecting the health of U.S. citizens has lost a quarter of its staffers over the last year, morale is lousy for those who remain, and for the moment, the organization has no leader. Its last Senate-confirmed director was ousted in August, and no replacement has been chosen.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised to restore trust in the CDC following the Covid-19 pandemic. But can his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement survive the turmoil?

Why MAHA might be stuck on the tracks
Kennedy’s MAHA agenda “appears to be stalled,” said The Guardian. The CDC lacks a director, and the administration “isn’t ready to nominate” a new director despite a deadline of last week to do so, said CNN. 

The nomination delay comes as MAHA and Kennedy “appear to be on the ropes,” said Tom Bartlett at The Atlantic. MAHA supporters are “angry” that Trump is shielding herbicide makers from legal liability. 

In addition, the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine chief just left the agency, a federal judge put a hold on Kennedy’s anti-vaccine agenda, and the Kennedy-allied vice chair of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel resigned last week. Those events, taken together, suggest the secretary’s hold on power is “waning.” 

White House avoids controversy
Federal law says that acting agency directors “may not serve in the role for more than 210 days,” said The Hill. That deadline passed last week. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, who had been serving as acting director, has been “delegated to provide continuity in day-to-day CDC processes” until a permanent replacement is confirmed, said a White House spokesperson.

Getting Senate confirmation is a “potentially tall order,” said Axios. Kennedy and other Trump health appointees have “antagonized some of the chamber’s Republican centrists.” The White House is especially “eager to avoid further controversial health moves” ahead of November’s midterm elections. So Trump’s eventual CDC pick, said Roll Call, “may need both MAHA and science chops.” 

Much has been made of the closing of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, given that the passage is a major lifeline for the global economy. But it’s just one of five major waterways that play a significant role in world trade.

Panama Canal
This canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and lets ships “avoid the lengthy voyage around Cape Horn,” said the International Trade Administration, contributing to the “reduction of carbon emissions.” President Donald Trump has pushed for the U.S. to gain control of the canal, but Panama has managed it “incredibly well,” said the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Strait of Malacca
This strait in Southeast Asia serves as a passage between the Indian and the Pacific oceans. It represents “one of the most strategically, economically and politically significant maritime chokepoints in the world,” said the National Bureau of Asian Research. 

Suez Canal
This waterway is the “only place that directly connects the waters of Europe with the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the countries of the Asia-Pacific,” making it an essential waterway for cargo, said CNN. In 2021, a vessel became stuck across the shipping lane, and disruptions like this can have “outsized impacts on global commerce and energy markets,” said the Atlantic Council, given that over $1 trillion goods are transported through the Suez annually.

Turkish Straits
These straits are the “only waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea,” said Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During times of conflict, the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus become strategically vital due to a 1936 treaty stating that “vessels of war belonging to belligerent powers shall not pass” through the straits, said Arab News. 

Strait of Hormuz
Cutting between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, Hormuz is one of the “world’s busiest oil shipping channels,” said BBC News. Its recent closure could affect more than just gas prices, as it’s also a “vital channel for imports to the Middle East,” said BBC News. If not reopened soon, it could harm “energy markets, maritime transport and global supply chains,” said the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development.

A family stands next to a fire outside their tent at a temporary encampment for displaced people in Beirut, Lebanon. As Israel expands its military operations into the country, more than a million people have been forced to leave their homes.
Adnan Abidi / Reuters

Cheering on your favorite sports team while watching games from the couch is fun. But everyone knows it’s even better to cheer the team on in person. At these sports-centric spots, the thrills exist inside and outside the stadiums and arenas.

Arlington, Texas
A 2026 World Cup host city, Arlington is also the home of the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium, one of the “most impressive dome stadiums in the NFL,” said Fox Sports. Visitors can go behind the scenes on a guided stadium tour, stepping into exclusive areas and learning more about the facility’s contemporary art museum. 

Los Angeles
Yes, there are nearly a dozen major sports teams based in L.A., including the storied Dodgers, Lakers and Kings, plus new powerhouses like Angel City FC. When you are not at a match (or joining a game with locals), tour the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or show off your athletic prowess at Highland Park Bowl, a lovingly restored 1927 bowling alley where “old pinsetters serve as chandeliers,” said the Los Angeles Times.

Philadelphia
Whatever the game, you can find it in Philly. This is one of the “most impassioned sports cities in the country,” said Axios Philadelphia, and one of four locations in North America that’s home to an MLB (Phillies), NFL (Eagles), NBA (76ers) and NHL (Flyers) team (some Philadelphia mascots pictured above). They all play at the Philadelphia Sports Complex, where nearly 400 events are held every year.