Trump’s second choice was Susan Monarez, who had greater success: Late last month, Senate Republicans ignored Democratic concerns and confirmed her as the new CDC chief, making her the first CDC director without a medical degree in more than 70 years.

Monarez’s tenure, however, was extraordinarily brief. The Washington Post was first to report:

Susan Monarez, the newly installed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is being ousted weeks after she was confirmed to lead the public health agency, according to multiple administration officials familiar with the matter. ... Monarez had scheduled an agencywide call Monday, but that was canceled Friday, according to several CDC employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

.....While these new developments are still unfolding, Monarez’s departure comes just weeks after a gunman opened fire in Atlanta near the CDC campus, killing a police officer and leaving CDC officials terrified and frustrated with their leaders, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

It also comes at a difficult time for the CDC in general, with the agency recently having curtailed some of its important work, coupled with RFK Jr. undermining the CDC by, among other things, ousting the members of the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory committee.