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White Home picks prime aide to RFK Jr as interim CDC director – report
The White Home has picked an aide to well being secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr as performing director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, the Washington Put up experiences.
The aide is Jim O’Neill, at the moment the deputy well being secretary. A former speechwriter for the well being division within the George W. Bush administration, O’Neill then labored for Silicon Valley investor, and JD Vance backer, Peter Thiel for a decade.
In 2020, O’Neill’s frequent feedback on the Covid pandemic included this remark about China’s wildlife commerce: “It’s nearly just like the communists need to unfold illness.”
He additionally referred to as Fb Orwellian for asserting that it could direct customers who unfold misinformation in regards to the virus to the World Well being Organisation.
Key occasions
19 Democratic governors condemn ‘chaotic federal interference in our states’ Nationwide Guard’
As Donald Trump threatens to develop federal management over cities and states run by elected Democratic officers, by deploying the Nationwide Guard, 19 of the 23 Democratic governors issued a joint assertion on Thursday condemning his actions.
“The President’s threats and efforts to deploy a state’s Nationwide Guard with out the request and consent of that state’s governor is an alarming abuse of energy, ineffective, and undermines the mission of our service members”, the governors stated.
The assertion comes as Trump hints that his subsequent targets for federal intervention could embody two closely Democratic cities: Chicago and Baltimore.
“This chaotic federal interference in our states’ Nationwide Guard should come to an finish”, the governors added.
The signatories included a number of potential candidates for the 2028 presidential nomination, together with: Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. The 4 Democratic governors who didn’t be part of the assertion embody the get together’s 2024 nominee for vice-president, Tim Walz of Minnesota, in addition to Katie Hobbs of Arizona, Ned Lamont of Connecticut and Josh Inexperienced of Hawaii.
White Home picks prime aide to RFK Jr as interim CDC director – report
The White Home has picked an aide to well being secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr as performing director of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, the Washington Put up experiences.
The aide is Jim O’Neill, at the moment the deputy well being secretary. A former speechwriter for the well being division within the George W. Bush administration, O’Neill then labored for Silicon Valley investor, and JD Vance backer, Peter Thiel for a decade.
In 2020, O’Neill’s frequent feedback on the Covid pandemic included this remark about China’s wildlife commerce: “It’s nearly just like the communists need to unfold illness.”
He additionally referred to as Fb Orwellian for asserting that it could direct customers who unfold misinformation in regards to the virus to the World Well being Organisation.
Senator Invoice Cassidy requires CDC assembly on Covid vaccines to be postponed amid turmoil
Senator Invoice Cassidy, a doctor who chairs the Senate’s Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions Committee, simply referred to as for a vaccine advisory panel to indefinitely postpone its scheduled September assembly.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which was reshaped by the well being secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, in June, when he fired all 17 of its members and changed them with a smaller variety of consultants, together with a number of Covid vaccine critics, was anticipated to fulfill 18 September to determine on whether or not or to not approve up to date Covid vaccines.
In a press release on Thursday, attributed by his workplace to “Dr Cassidy”, the Republican senator and longtime vaccine advocate who reluctantly voted to substantiate Kennedy as well being secretary, stated:
“Severe allegations have been made in regards to the assembly agenda, membership, and lack of scientific course of being adopted for the now introduced September ACIP assembly. These selections straight affect kids’s well being and the assembly shouldn’t happen till vital oversight has been carried out. If the assembly proceeds, any suggestions made needs to be rejected as missing legitimacy given the seriousness of the allegations and the present turmoil in CDC management”.
The brand new vaccine advisory panel members chosen by Kennedy, an anti-vaccination advocate, embody Retsef Levi, a professor on the MIT Sloan College of Administration, who has baselessly claimed that Covid vaccines are killing younger individuals and needs to be stopped and Robert Malone, who did early on mRNA know-how however beame a hero to anti-vaxxers in the course of the pandemic by claiming, with out proof, that mRNA Covid vaccines would possibly trigger most cancers.
Bernie Sanders requires bipartisan investigation into firing of CDC director
Senator Bernie Sanders, rating member of the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee, has referred to as for a bipartisan congressional investigation into Susan Monarez’s firing as director of the CDC.
In a letter to his Republican counterpart, senator Invoice Cassidy, Sanders referred to as the termination “reckless” and “harmful”. He urged Cassidy to open a bipartisan investigation, and require secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to testify at a listening to in entrance of the HELP committee.
“It’s completely crucial that belief in vaccine science not be undermined. The properly being of tens of millions of individuals are at stake,” Sanders wrote.
Yesterday, Cassidy posted on X that the CDC “departures” would require “oversight”.
Debra Houry calls out RFK Jr’s vaccine messaging in warning on public well being
Robert Mackey
Debra Houry, who served as chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science on the CDC, stated that she, Daskalakis and Jernigan agreed to go away collectively due to their work on vaccine science and outbreaks.
“We have now reached the tipping level and we knew it was a robust assertion for the three of us to do that collectively,” Houry stated.
She inspired reporters to “report on the harms which can be being completed by shedding our employees,” and referred to as out secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s vaccine messaging. “Have a look at measles, we’ve got the very best variety of instances within the US in 30 years as a result of we had unvaccinated populations, and a secretary that’s promoted nutritional vitamins over vaccines,” she stated.
‘Let’s get the politics out of public well being,’ say resigning CDC officers
A number of the senior CDC officers who lately resigned simply spoke on the demonstration reverse the company’s Atlanta headquarters.
“Let’s get the politics out of public well being,” stated Daniel Jernigan, who labored on the CDC for 30 years and performed a key function in influenza and pandemic preparedness. “Let the science lead us, as a result of that’s how we get to one of the best selections for public well being.”
Demetre Daskalakis, identified for his management in HIV prevention and vaccination applications, in addition to the Biden administration’s response to the Mpox outbreak, addressed the staffers who walked-out at the moment. “You’re the folks that shield America, and America must see that you’re the folks that shield America, and we’re going to be your loudest advocates,” he stated.
A whole bunch of CDC staffers protest firing of director and subsequent resignations

George Chidi
A whole bunch of staffers have gathered throughout the road from the CDC headquarters to help vaccine analysis, and public well being leaders who resigned or fired by the Trump Administration in current days.
Demonstrators held up indicators that learn “you’re heroes” and “CDC saves lives”.
The senior leaders that resigned yesterday, Debra Houry, Demetre Daskalakis, Daniel Jernigan and Jennifer Layden, have been escorted off campus this morning, denied a dignified exit by company leaders.
The company is reeling from the firing of CDC chief Susan Monarez by the White Home, and continues to be recovering from the assault of a gunman – who fired greater than 500 rounds into the Atlanta workplaces earlier than killing DeKalb police officer David Rose.
Here is a recap of the day thus far
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The dispute over the firing of Susan Monarez, director of the US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), continued at the moment. Earlier, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt advised reporters that a brand new nominee for CDC director can be introduced “very quickly”, however Monarez’s attorneys have stated that she gained’t depart her submit until the president himself terminates her. A Trump spokesperson stated at the moment that secretary Kennedy’s firing stands, and Monarez wasn’t “aligned” with the administration’s Maha agenda.
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Following Monarez’s firing, 4 senior CDC leaders abruptly resigned, expressing frustration with Kennedy’s method to vaccines and his administration fashion. Learn extra from my colleague, Marina Dunbar right here.
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In response to the tumult at Well being and Human Providers, there have been a number of calls from public well being consultants for secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr to resign, and Senator Bernie Sanders, rating member of the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee, has additionally referred to as for a bipartisan investigation into Monarez’s firing.
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In the meantime, Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook dinner has filed a lawsuit claiming Donald Trump has no authority to fireplace her. A notable function of Cook dinner’s lawsuit towards the president is that Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, and the remainder of the board, are additionally listed as defendants. Cook dinner’s attorneys argue that she solely “came upon in regards to the try and take away her by President Trump’s Reality Social submit,” which they are saying afforded her “neither a discover nor a listening to” assured by the Federal Reserve Act. A choose has set a listening to within the case for Friday 29 August at 10am ET.
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The president extolled the “nice success” of the GOP on Reality Social at the moment, and stated he’s floating the thought of a nationwide conference for the Republican Occasion, “simply previous to the Midterms.” An occasion which historically takes place each 4 years to pick out the get together’s presidential nominee.
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On the White Home earlier, Border czar Tom Homan stated that there can be a “ramp up” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) operations in Chicago, and different Democratic-led cities, after Labor Day. He added that these cities “refuse to work with ICE” and launch “public security threats” into the nation.
Bondi and Patel to face questions over dealing with of Epstein case – report
Legal professional common Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel are set to testify in entrance of the Home judiciary committee, and face questions in regards to the justice division’s dealing with of the Jeffrey Epstein case, based on a report from Politico.
Per the 2 sources granted anonymity to talk with Politico, Patel is about to provide testimony 17 September, and Bondi will face the committee on 9 October.
Decide schedules listening to in Lisa Cook dinner lawsuit difficult firing
A federal choose in DC has scheduled a listening to within the lawsuit filed by Lisa Cook dinner, the Federal Reserve governor that Donald Trump has moved to fireplace.
Decide Jia Cobb – a Biden appointee – has been assigned the case. The listening to is about for 29 August at 10am ET.
The press secretary was additionally deceptive when requested whether or not the president believes Covid vaccinations needs to be lined by medical health insurance, no matter age and pre-existing circumstances.
“The FDA determination doesn’t have an effect on the provision of Covid vaccines for Individuals who need them,” Leavitt stated. However the company has approved the up to date vaccines for individuals 65 and older, who’re identified to be extra in danger from critical diseases from Covid infections.
As my colleague, Oliver Milman, reported yesterday, youthful individuals will solely be eligible if they’ve an underlying medical situation that makes them notably weak.
Which means that the upcoming fall and winter seasons would be the first the place the US authorities hasn’t advisable widespread Covid vaccinations.
Karoline Leavitt avoids a reporter’s query asking why Donald Trump has but to acknowledge the taking pictures on the CDC headquarters in Atlanta earlier this month. As a substitute, she recounts the response from well being secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
We completely have been very a lot conscious of that taking pictures, the secretary of well being and human companies put out a press release instantly. He was in contact with the CDC, and he really traveled to Georgia to evaluate the state of affairs, and to mourn with the individuals who work in that constructing there.
Leavitt additionally stated that she wasn’t conscious of any type of taskforce going by excessive degree appointees who aren’t “aligned” with the administration’s agenda.
When requested if company officers needs to be afraid of repercussions for talking out publicly or privately, Leavitt’s reply was opaque:
In case you’re doing all your job properly, and if you’re executing on the imaginative and prescient and the guarantees that the president made to the general public who elected him again to this workplace, then you shouldn’t have any worry about your job. Simply do your job. That’s what this president desires to see.
Trump or Kennedy to announce new CDC director nominee ‘very quickly’, Leavitt says
When requested in regards to the firing dispute of Susan Monarez, Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the director was “not aligned with the president’s mission to make America wholesome once more.”
Leavitt stated when Monarez refused to resign, at secretary Kennedy’s behest, the president fired her. “Which he has each proper to do,” she added.
“This lady [Monarez] has by no means obtained a vote in her life, and the president has the authority to fireplace those that are usually not aligned together with his mission. A brand new alternative can be introduced by both the president or the secretary very quickly,” Leavitt stated.
Leavitt makes deceptive claims about Chicago homicides
Karoline Leavitt stated at the moment that Chicago has seen the “most murders of any US metropolis” for 13 consecutive years.
Whereas Chicago noticed 573 homicides final 12 months, based on FBI knowledge, town didn’t expertise the highest homicide fee within the US. St Louis, Missouri, really noticed the very best fee of homicides in each 2023 and 2024.