Over the past 24 hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been plunged into turmoil.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to fire the agency’s director, Susan Monarez, igniting a standoff that prompted three other senior officials to resign.
One of those officials, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, explains why he chose to take a stand.
Yesterday
'The Opinions': General Stanley McChrystal on Iran
Did President Trump fall for the myth of surgical warfare? Gen. Stanley McChrystal joins the columnist David French, both veterans of the Iraq War, to discuss what may have been overlooked in the planning of Operation Epic Fury. McChrystal, who retired from the Army in 2010, argu ... Show More
40m 53s
Apr 3
Epstein Blunders and Tossed Indictments: The Downfall of Pam Bondi
President Trump announced that he would be replacing Pam Bondi as attorney general on Thursday. Tyler Pager, who broke the story of her removal, discusses how she fell out of favor with the president. Guest: Tyler Pager, a White House correspondent for The New York Times covering ... Show More
23m 37s
Apr 2
The Supreme Court Takes On Birthright Citizenship
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday morning over President Trump’s efforts to limit birthright citizenship. In a historic first, the president himself showed up to the hearing. Ann E. Marimow, who covers the Supreme Court, took us inside the room. Guest: Ann E. Marimow ... Show More
30m 7s
Jun 2025
Marines Deployed to LA, CDC Vaccine Board Ousted, Overdose Deaths Drop
For the fourth straight night, people in Los Angeles took to the streets to protest ICE immigration raids. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is removing all 17 members of a key vaccine committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, after a dec ... Show More
12m 49s
Sep 2025
RFK Jr.'s vaccine dream team
Noted vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced a key board of vaccine advisers at the CDC. After a chaotic meeting, they just handed down their first set of new recommendations. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact- ... Show More
26m 10s
Aug 2025
Minneapolis Mass Shooting, CDC Director Fired, Biden Admin and Gaza Aid
Investigators in Minneapolis are working to determine why a heavily armed 23-year-old opened fire at a Catholic school on Wednesday morning. The new Director of the Center for Disease Control has been fired less than a month after being sworn into the job. And, NPR reporters spok ... Show More
13m 17s