Overview

• The White House confirmed the removal of CDC director Susan Monarez less than a month after her Senate confirmation, while she and her lawyers disputed both the process and authority of the firing.
• Monarez alleged Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pressed her to approve directives she called non‑scientific and to dismiss experts; HHS had earlier posted that she was no longer director.
• Multiple top CDC officials resigned in protest, including Demetre Daskalakis and Debra Houry, with departing leaders applauded by staff at the Atlanta headquarters for defending scientific integrity.
• The administration’s broader shake‑up includes scrapping the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, narrowing COVID‑19 vaccine recommendations, and pushing major budget cuts reported at roughly $3.6 billion.
• The dispute follows an armed attack on the CDC’s campus that killed a law‑enforcement officer, and senators signaled oversight with an upcoming hearing as the White House said a replacement will be announced soon; Courrier International reported RFK Jr. said deputy Jim O’Neill would take the helm.