U.S. airlines canceled more than 1,300 flights on December 26 as COVID-19 thinned out the number of available crews, while several cruise ships had to cancel stops after outbreaks on board, upending the plans of thousands of Christmas travelers.

Reuters found new evidence that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) response to the pandemic was marred by actions – or inaction – by the agency’s career scientists and frontline staff.