Department leaders have declined to provide more information on recent layoffs amid rumors of looming additional staff cuts.
The 10-year research plan would examine blast injuries among veterans and offer suggestions for treatments.
Department health officials have recorded about 67,000 new cases of COVID-19 among patients in 2024.
A U.S. Army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago will plead guilty to desertion and other charges, including assaulting an officer.
