On Tuesday, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesman confirmed that nearly 900 laid-off National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) employees were being reinstated. NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. These scientists, engineers, and other staffers were let go last April as part of the Trump administration’s reduction of the federal workforce.

“Reversing the proposed cuts to NIOSH is a positive decision for workers, employers, and public health,” said John Nothdurft, ISSA Director of Government Affairs. “NIOSH plays a critical role in protecting the health and safety of millions of front-line workers, including those in the cleaning and facility solutions industry. The agency’s research and guidance has been critical in helping employers prevent injuries, reduce exposure to harmful substances, and create safer workplaces for more than 50 years. ISSA will continue to support funding for NIOSH so that it can ensure the best available science is used to guide occupational health and safety policy.”

Last year, then adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency drew criticism from firefighters, coal miners, medical equipment manufacturers, and others for gutting nearly 900 of NIOSH’s 1,000 employees, who aim to protect workers, the Associated Press reported. HHS had initially reinstated 328 NIOSH employees in May 2025 after legal challenges and political pressure. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had also proposed a budget that would eliminate around 80% of NIOSH’s funding, the American Federation of Government Employees said. As of Jan. 13, all terminations were reversed.

On Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) reported 124 new cases of measles in the state since Friday. That brings the total number of cases in South Carolina related to an outbreak in the northwest part of the state (including Greenville and Spartanburg) to 434. Currently, 409 people are in quarantine and 17 in isolation. The latest end of quarantine for these is Feb. 6, health officials reported.

Most of South Carolina’s cases (398 cases) are minors under the age of 18, and unvaccinated residents (378 cases).

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday also reported a new case of measles in Rutherford County. This brings the total number of North Carolina measles cases to five since late December. North Carolina’s initial cases were tied to a family that had visited Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where the large measles outbreak is ongoing, approximately one to two weeks before the children became sick.

The large outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border also continues. State health departments report that as of Jan. 13, 201 cases have been confirmed in Utah while 223 cases have been confirmed in Arizona.

On Tuesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health also confirmed its first measles case of 2026 in a baby too young to receive routine measles vaccination. The baby acquired the virus while traveling internationally. Additionally, the Virginia Department of Health reported the state’s second measles case of 2026. The patient is a child less than 4 years-old who also recently traveled internationally.