{
  "id": 313204,
  "title": "Rest assured, the new CDC director thinks ‘abortion surveillance’ is essential | Arwa Mahdawi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/rest-assured-the-new-cdc-director-thinks-abortion-surveillance-is-313204",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-08T12:00:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/08/cdc-abortion-surveillance-schwartz-hawley"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Erica Schwartz, has emphasized the importance of \"abortion surveillance\" during her confirmation hearing. Schwartz, the first Black woman to hold the position, has previously served as deputy surgeon general under the Trump administration. During her hearing, she maintained a cautious approach when discussing her views on vaccines, affirming that she would \"never betray the science\" while avoiding direct answers about handling potential pressure from political figures.",
  "summary": "An exchange between Dr Erica Schwartz and Senator Josh Hawley during her confirmation hearing is alarming Robert F Kennedy Jr’s new cooking show isn’t the only big news out of the public health world this week. On Wednesday, Dr Erica Schwartz was confirmed by the US Senate as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making her the first Black woman to hold the position.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Dr. Erica Schwartz becomes CDC director, first Black woman in role",
    "Emphasizes importance of abortion surveillance during hearing",
    "Cautious on vaccine views, vows to follow science"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Health",
        "title": "Rest assured, the new CDC director thinks ‘abortion surveillance’ is essential | Arwa Mahdawi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/rest-assured-the-new-cdc-director-thinks-abortion-surveillance-is",
        "published": "2026-08-08T12:00:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}