There is fallout at the CDC after the firing of Director Susan Monarez over what her lawyers describe as her refusal to "rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives." Four other top officials have resigned in the wake of her forced departure.

Washington

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is experiencing significant turmoil after the firing of its director, Susan Monterrez. According to her lawyers, Monterrez was dismissed for refusing to approve directives she considered unscientific and reckless. In the aftermath, four other senior CDC officials have resigned, including Dr. Dimitri Daskalakis and Dr. Howrey, who held key roles in immunizations and scientific leadership.

These officials cited a loss of scientific integrity, the politicization of the agency, and a weakened ability to respond to public health threats as reasons for their departures. They expressed concern that ideology is overriding science at the CDC, potentially harming public health and leaving the country less prepared for future challenges.

Why CDC employees are resigning in protest after director's ouster

We begin tonight with the Centers for Disease Control searching for a cure for its crisis of leadership. The fallout follows the firing of the agency's director, Susan Monterrez, over what her lawyers describe as her refusal to, quote, rubber stamp unscientific, reckless directives. Four other top CDC officials have resigned in the wake of Monterrez's forced departure. CBS News medical contributor, Dr. Celine Gounder, joins me now. Dr. Gounder, you're talking to people, employees at the CDC. What are they telling you about why they chose to resign? So I spoke with Dr. Dimitri Daskalakis as well as Dr. Howrey. Daskalakis was in charge of immunizations, respiratory infections. Howrey was the chief science and medical officer at the CDC. They spoke to issues around loss of scientific integrity, lack of scientific leadership, the weaponization of the CDC, and flying blind with respect to public health threats. Have a listen. But I am seeing ideology permeating through science in a way that is going to harm children and adults. I think we are seeing things that are happening that are making our country less prepared to be able to respond to the everyday pathogens. All of that meant that I could not stay because I would be doing harm. I would be doing harm. That's extraordinary. So what does this mean for the CDC at this point? As Dr. Howrey put it, this is them putting out the bat signal. Daskalakis said this is a big red flag for the country. Look, these guys stepped down without a plan B because they are really trying to communicate to the American people how concerned they are and that we really have put ourselves in a position where our defenses with regard to all kinds of public health threats have been weakened.

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Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

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Minneapolis

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White House reacts to CDC director refusing to step down from role

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Tehran

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FBI investigating Minneapolis Catholic school shooting as hate crime

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New York

Middle East Conflict

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Copenhagen

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Nuuk

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SpaceX on Tuesday launched its Super Heavy-Starship, the most powerful rocket in the world, for a test flight after three other flights failed earlier this year. NASA hired SpaceX to build a lunar lander version of Starship to carry astronauts to the moon.

Starbase

SpaceX launches Super Heavy-Starship in test flight

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New Delhi

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Mason

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Council of the City of Sydney

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Texas

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Baltimore

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Chicago

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Jerusalem

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Breakdown