Live updates: Trump layoffs hit CDC as shutdown persists

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reportedly laid off dozens of employees after the White House instructed federal agencies to fire workers amid the government shutdown.

The New York Times and Politico reported that top CDC scientists, the entire Washington, D.C., office, the staff of a health journal as well as 70 Epidemic Intelligence Service officers were let go. It is unclear how many CDC employees in total were fired. 

It’s not just CDC officials that were laid off ahead of the weekend. At least 4,100 furloughed federal workers were fired on Friday, stretching across several departments and agencies.  

The government will remain closed until at least Tuesday after the Senate went home for the long weekend following another set of failed votes on stopgap funding that would have turned the lights back on until at least Nov. 21.

At home and on Capitol Hill, Republicans are playing defense as Democrats have successfully made the funding debate about health care.

President Trump has no public events scheduled on Saturday but is expected to travel to the Middle East on Sunday to mark the implementation of a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Follow along for the latest updates below.