CDC OUSTER: Susan Monarez, a longtime government scientist recently confirmed as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was fired from her position by the White House on Wednesday after she refused to resign amid a showdown over vaccine policy. The move to oust her sparked several high-profile resignations at the CDC.
Monarez's firing came after a tense Monday confrontation in which Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to remove her, The New York Times reports. Monarez, who served in her role for less than a month, declined to resign.
Instead, the embattled CDC chief reached out to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chair of the Senate's health committee and a physician, a move that reportedly further infuriated Kennedy. Cassidy said on the social platform X on Wednesday night that the high-profile departures at the CDC, including Monarez, "will require oversight" by his committee.
Monarez has hired Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, two top lawyers who have worked with various figures in disputes with the Trump administration. After HHS announced Wednesday evening that Monarez was no longer leading the CDC, her lawyers said in a statement that she had not resigned or been fired. They accused Kennedy of "weaponizing public health for political gain" and "putting millions of American lives at risk" by purging health officials from government.
As a Senate-confirmed agency leader, the CDC director serves at the pleasure of the president. Zaid argued early Wednesday that Monarez legally remained in her role because Trump did not personally fire her.
Monarez came to the role with glowing commendations from former colleagues who described her to The Hill as "data-driven," nonpartisan and an excellent coordinator of public-private partnerships.
She was confirmed a month ago after Trump's first pick for CDC director, David Weldon, was pulled due to a lack of support on Capitol Hill.
At least four top officials at the CDC submitted their resignations on Wednesday, saying the recent changes and leadership at their agency are preventing them from fulfilling their duties as public health authorities.
"For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political paused or interpretations," CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry wrote in her resignation email. "Vaccines save lives — this is an indisputable, well-established, scientific fact."
COVID-19: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the next round of COVID-19 vaccines for the fall — but only for a smaller, high-risk group of people, Kennedy announced Wednesday. Those include adults 65 and older as well as children and adults with at least one medical condition that puts them at risk of severe illness.
The FDA further rescinded emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines, saying the move was made to end vaccine mandates. Prior to the change, the CDC recommended COVID-19 for everyone 6 months and older.
For individuals who don't fall into the CDC's approved groups, doctors may prescribe the vaccines off-label, a higher barrier to access than getting the shots at a pharmacy alongside a flu shot.
Susan Kressly, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, called the decision "deeply troubling."
"As we enter respiratory virus season, any barrier to COVID-19 vaccination creates a dangerous vulnerability for children and their families," Kressly said.
▪ Reuters: Which COVID-19 vaccines are FDA approved in the U.S.?
▪ CPR: What vaccines can, and should, I get this fall? A doctor weighs in.
TRAGEDY IN MINNEAPOLIS: The country on Wednesday mourned two schoolchildren who were shot and killed in the pews of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis where they were worshipping during their first week back at school after summer break.
The victims, ages 8 and 10, were killed in a shooting that injured 17 others, including 14 children. All 14 children are expected to recover.
"The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church of children is absolutely incomprehensible," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
Police said the suspect, Robin Westman, 23, fired at the congregation from outside through the windows. Authorities say Westman acted alone and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is investigating the matter as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. The suspected shooter wrote incendiary messages on gun magazines, including one that read "Kill Donald Trump."
"I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota," Trump posted on Truth Social. "The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!"
GUN CONTROL: Democrats and some Republicans on Wednesday called for gun control measures, blaming the shooting on lax gun laws. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) swiped at those offering "thoughts and prayers," which Democrats have mocked as a toothless Republican response to mass shootings.
There have been at least 57 shootings at K-12 schools in 2025, not including Wednesday's shooting in Minneapolis, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy organization.
"Kids have only been back to their classrooms for a few weeks, and already this school year is scarred by multiple shootings," the student-led gun control advocacy group March for Our Lives said in a statement Wednesday. "No parent should fear sending their child to school. No child should pray for safety in a church."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called Republicans "sick" in a social media post and accused the party of doing "absolutely nothing" to curb gun violence across the country.
"We cannot even make it through the first week of school without mass shootings," Newsom wrote on the social platform X. "And the @GOP will continue to do absolutely nothing while our kids are being gunned down. This is sick."
▪ The Minnesota Star Tribune: The Minneapolis shooter legally purchased a rifle, pistol and shotgun; local politicians call for action.
▪ The Hill: A 10-year-old describes a friend saving him in the Minnesota school shooting.
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