Month: August 2025

The Trump administration has officially fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez, just hours after she refused to resign voluntarily. A successor is expected to be named soon.

The move came just hours after Monarez’s legal team said she still held the position, emphasizing that, as a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate, only Trump himself had the authority to remove her. Monarez said she was resisting being ousted by the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for political reasons after about a month in office.  Her lawyers Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell said: “When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign.”

Tensions between Monarez and Secretary Kennedy had been escalating, particularly over vaccine policy. The New York Times reported that the two clashed repeatedly, with Kennedy—an outspoken vaccine skeptic—pushing to overhaul U.S. immunization strategy. Monarez, a veteran government scientist with a doctorate in microbiology and immunology, was sworn in on July 31. She became the first CDC director to undergo Senate confirmation, a new requirement established during the pandemic.

The White House fired back shortly thereafter, formally terminating Monarez. White House spokesman Kush Desai said: “As her attorney’s statement makes abundantly clear, Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again. Since Susan Monarez refused to resign despite informing HHS leadership of her intent to do so, the White House has terminated Monarez from her position with the CDC.” 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also told reporters that “this is the president’s decision, and he has every right to make it,” adding that Trump “has the authority to remove officials who are not aligned with his mission.”

The dispute underscores growing turmoil inside the CDC. On Wednesday, at least four senior health officials announced their resignations following the CDC’s declaration on social media that Monarez was “no longer” the agency’s director — those officials included Dr. Debra Houry, the chief medical officer; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jen Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.

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Two children were killed and 17 others were injured in a shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota. Two of the injured in the shooting were listed in critical condition. Hennepin Healthcare Hospital confirmed that nine children and two adults arrived with gunshot wounds, four of whom underwent surgery. Six other children were brought to the Children’s Minnesota pediatric trauma hospital for care.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that police responded around 9:30 a.m. EDT to reports of a shooting at a mass at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday, Aug. 27 in Minneapolis. O’Hara confirmed that two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed “where they sat, in the pews,” with an additional 14 students and three others were injured in the attack. The injured victims were children ages 6 to 15, and three adult parishioners in their 80s.

O’Hara said during a press conference “this was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping, our hearts are broken for everyone affected by this tragedy,” adding that the gunman, equipped with a pistol, smoke bomb, shotgun and rifle, approached from the side of the building, apparently barricaded church doors from the outside and then fired “dozens of rounds” through the church windows, as students attended their first Mass of the school year. All three weapons were purchased legally and recently, police said.

The gunman was later identified by police as 23-year-old Robin Westman; O’Hara said that Westman also fired a shotgun and a pistol and ultimately died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the back of the church. A motive remains unknown, and Westman has no extensive criminal history. FBI Director Kash Patel said that the FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics: “we are looking at, obviously, any possibilities.” 

Local NBC affiliate KARE11 reported that Westman’s mother was an employee at the school until she retired in 2021. It’s also believed Westman had attended the school for at least one year and had been there in the last week while teachers prepared for the upcoming school year. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Westman’s mother previously applied to change her child’s name from Robert to Robin in 2019, with the filing stating that Westman identified “as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during a news conference “don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school, they were in a church. These were kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence and their parents should have the same kind of assurance.”

After news broke of the gunman’s identity, Frey emphasized at a second news conference: “anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community, or any other community out there, has lost their sense of common humanity. We should not be operating out of a place of hate. Kids died today. This needs to be about them. This needs to be wrapping our arms around these families.”

Gov. Tim Walz posted on X: “Minnesota is heartbroken. From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together. Hug your kids close.”

President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he has been “fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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.” Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until Sunday.

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The Trump administration is taking control of Union Station away from Amtrak, with the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiling plans on Wednesday that they say will modernize the station. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the takeover alongside Amtrak President Roger Harris at Union Station for the launch of the American-built NextGen Acela high-speed trains, which serve passengers traveling between Washington, New York, Boston, and cities along the route.

In a press release, the DOT said the agency intends to “maximize Union Station’s commercial potential, with the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation managing operations, so that revenue can be reinvested back into the facility.” According to the announcement, the station is in need of extensive upgrades, including repairs to elevators, lighting, and security systems, along with replacing the roof and other critical infrastructure. Passenger amenities are also expected to see improvements.

Duffy said in a video posted to X: “We think we can manage the property better. Bring in more tenants. Bring in more revenue. And that revenue is going to allow us to make investments in this beautiful building.”  Duffy argued that the station has suffered from decades of neglect. “It’s showing its age,” he said, adding that the administration’s goal is to transform Union Station into not only the top rail hub in the U.S., but one of the finest train stations worldwide.

The DOT noted that while the federal government has owned Union Station since the 1980s, its oversight has been weakened over time by leases and management contracts. Officials also criticized the site’s current condition, claiming it has “fallen into disrepair” and is “seen more as a gathering place for vagrancy than as a thriving center for travel and business.” Amtrak assumed control of the retail areas through eminent domain last year, and since then new businesses have opened and the commercial side of the property has seen growth.

Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury emphasized that Amtrak’s ownership gives the federal government greater ability to move the project forward: “We have a great advantage in the fact that it’s owned by Amtrak. We have the ability to really take control of the project and really push it forward on ‘Trump time,’ if you will.”

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