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Oct. 12, 2025, 3:42 PM EDTBy Julie Tsirkin, Megan Shannon and Megan LebowitzWASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Saturday reversed some layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after hundreds of scientists received “incorrect notifications” that they were laid off during the government shutdown, according to an official familiar with the matter.“The employees who received incorrect notifications were never separated from the agency and have all been notified that they are not subject to the reduction in force,” the official told NBC News. “This was due to a glitch in the system.”The reversed layoffs, first reported by The New York Times, come just after the administration moved to lay off thousands of federal workers during the government shutdown, prompting backlash from critics who argue the layoffs are illegal.The reduction-in-force moves are being challenged in court and mark the latest fallout from the government shutdown fight, which has stretched into its second week as lawmakers show no signs of moving closer to a deal.We’d like to hear from you about how you’re experiencing the government shutdown, whether you’re a federal employee who can’t work right now or someone who is feeling the effects of shuttered services in your everyday life. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.Some 1,100 to 1,200 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services were sent layoff notices on Friday. A Friday court filing indicated that more than 4,000 federal workers were laid off, though it is unclear how that number has changed after the administration moved to reverse certain CDC layoffs.HHS and the Treasury Department originally accounted for more than half of the total layoffs, according to the court filing.Vice President JD Vance addressed the reversed layoffs in an interview on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” saying that a “government shutdown inevitably leads to some chaos.”“We are figuring out how to take money from some areas and give it to other areas,” he said, going on to blame Democrats.Vance argued that layoffs were necessary to preserve critical government functions, adding that as that happens, “you’re going to have some chaos.”“You’re going to lay off people, frankly, Margaret, that the White House doesn’t want to lay off,” he continued, addressing moderator Margaret Brennan. “We would like to reopen the government and ensure these essential services stay on, but unfortunately, in an environment where we’re dealing with limited resources where the government is shut down, we’ve got to move some things around. And in that moving things around, there is some chaos, there is some unpredictability.”In a separate interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Vance said that “the longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be.”“To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful,” he added. “This is not a situation that we relish. This is not something that we’re looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards.”Democrats have continued pressing Republicans to negotiate over Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year, which would lead to higher premiums. Republicans are urging Democratic senators to flip their support to a clean short-term funding bill. Both Republican- and Democratic-led funding proposals have failed in the Senate numerous times.Julie TsirkinJulie Tsirkin is a correspondent covering Capitol Hill.Megan ShannonMegan Shannon is a White House researcher for NBC NewsMegan LebowitzMegan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

- Latest News - October 13, 2025

The Trump administration on Saturday reversed some layoffs at the CDC after hundreds of scientists received “incorrect notifications” that they were laid off during the government shutdown, according to an.

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Oct. 12, 2025, 8:00 AM EDTBy Claire WangJean Wang, a Boston-based fashion blogger, was so excited when her daughter said she wanted to dress up as Rumi, the purple-haired protagonist of the Netflix blockbuster “KPop Demon Hunters,” that she decided to go all out with a DIY costume. Wang and her daughter Nori, 7, said they feel proud that such a popular costume — “KPop Demon Hunters” looks are already a top pick this year — is rooted in Asian culture. “I remember, growing up, the struggle at Halloween to find a costume that felt ‘me,’” Wang said. “It’s definitely refreshing and exciting to see the ‘it’ costume of the year, for people of all backgrounds, being a female Asian character.” Due to the film’s late summer release, big retailers have scrambled to mass produce Rumi’s purple wig and gold-black jacket and the black hanbok made iconic by demon heartthrob Jinu.Zoey, Rumi and Mira from Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters.”NetflixFor Asian Americans, the runaway success of “KPop Demon Hunters” is another watershed moment for representation in pop culture, parents and experts say, as children no longer have to look primarily to Pixar or Disney princesses for costume inspiration. But dissatisfied with the costumes she found online, Wang got a cropped jacket from Zara and refashioned it with gold stripes, then bought purple hair extensions and braided them herself — a hair tutorial video she uploaded on Instagram quickly went viral.Nori loved the outfit for the demon-slaying leader of three-member K-pop girl band Huntrix so much she has worn it every weekend, Wang said. “My daughter is definitely aware that the characters ‘look more like her,’” she said. “But at the end of the day, Rumi is a brave, talented and fierce character who also shows vulnerability in a very relatable way.”Ella Pereyra, 11, says she was lucky enough to take representation to the next level — she’s the actual model for Spirit Halloween’s Rumi costume. As a Filipina American girl from New Jersey, Pereyra said she feels proud to see herself on screen and in pop culture. She said she’d already watched the film “KPop Demon Hunters” about “a billion times” when she got the booking call.“I feel very grateful that they made a movie about people that looked like me,” Pereyra said about playing Rumi. “I feel lucky to play Rumi because not a lot of people can do that.Young A Jung, an assistant professor at George Mason University who teaches modern Korean literature and pop culture, said one factor behind the mass appeal of “KPop Demon Hunters” might be the complexity of its central characters, Rumi and Jinu.Jean Wang’s children wear Rumi, right, and Derpy Tiger costumes from Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters.”Jean Wang “Global teens and youth groups with complex everyday lives might no longer want to see clearcut Western-style heroes,” Jung said, adding that the movie’s exploration of the shame that K-pop idols feel, and their efforts to hide their pasts, is particularly resonant with fans. “KPop Demon Hunters” also presents a “remarkably realistic portrayal of contemporary South Korean life and landscape” interwoven with Korean folklore and mythology. “The depiction of shamanism and the grim reaper is very concrete,” she said, “and the everyday life of eating ramen and kimbap is very correct.”The characters and their outfits are themselves rich with symbolism. Jung pointed out the double meaning of “saja,” which signifies both “lion” and “dead people.” In the movie, Jinu’s black hanbok and gat, a wide-brimmed sheer hat, were historically the formal wear of Confucius scholars, she said. Later, the look became incorporated in folktales as the attire of grim reapers. Even the film’s animal characters, the tiger and magpie, are inspired by Korean folk painting.Jinu, center, wears a black hanbok and gat, a wide-brimmed sheer hat, in Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters.”Netflix Since the movie draws so heavily from Korean traditions, marketing the characters’ outfits simply as trendy Halloween costumes can risk diluting their cultural importance, said Nancy Wang Yuen, a sociologist and culture critic. “You don’t want these traditional garbs to become associated with ‘demon wear,’” she said. “You don’t want to see traditional clothing be co-opted and diminished by Hollywood.”Some parents say their children were simply enthralled by the bright, pop aesthetic of the movie and too young to understand its layered cultural references. Jessica Castañeda, 27, began looking for a Rumi costume for her daughter, Kasey, almost as soon as they watched the movie together. Castañeda said Kasey, 5, quickly introduced her friends to the movie, and soon they all wanted to dress up as Rumi, Zoey, Jinu and Abby. Last month, Castañeda planned a “KPop Demon Hunters” themed birthday party for Kasey that featured Shin Ramyun and soda pops.The soundtrack was what hooked her, Castañeda said: “The songs are catchy, and she wanted Rumi’s hair.” Claire WangNBC News freelance reporter and writer

- Latest News - October 12, 2025

For Asian Americans, the runaway success of “KPop Demon Hunters” is another watershed moment for representation in pop culture, parents and experts say, as children no longer have to look.

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