Log in
|
plant lover, cookie monster, shoe fiend
|
Epiphyte City
Epiphyte City
This is breaking news that I believe we are first to report. Thanks for supporting this work.
UPDATE: I’ve added a second, longer letter from Dr. Daskalakis, posted on X/Twitter.
Moments ago, Inside Medicine broke news that three top career CDC officials have resigned from the agency, hours after the Washington Post reported that newly-confirmed Director Dr. Susan Monarez has been ousted, having run afoul of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Here are the emails that each of the officials sent to their CDC colleagues by Dr. Deb Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, and Dr. Daniel Jernigan.
Dr. Deb Houry, Deputy Director for Program and Science/Chief Medical Officer:
“Over the past decade, I have had the honor of working for six CDC directors, from both Republican and Democratic administrations. To me, these leaders and my colleagues were not “Red” or “Blue,” but red, white, and blue—united in the shared purpose of protecting health and saving lives in our beloved country and globally. I have served during this time in various leadership roles, including as CDC’s senior-most career leader and lead for the transition as the current administration assumed office.
I’ve always been proud to be part of an institution that is committed to using science and data to drive our life-saving work and inform our messaging. We have worked tirelessly to enhance openness through public-facing data dashboards, providing real-time access to trends for conditions such as mpox, H5N1, measles, and overdose deaths, allowing the public to make informed decisions. Additionally, I have witnessed the rapid translation of science into action, with some Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs) being published within a week of an outbreak.
For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political pauses or interpretations. Vaccines save lives—this is an indisputable, well-established, scientific fact. Informed consent and shared decision-making must focus not only on the risks but also on the true, life-saving benefits that vaccines provide to individuals and communities. It is, of course, important to question, analyze, and review research and surveillance, but this must be done by experts with the right skills and experience, without bias, and considering the full weight of scientific evidence. Recently, the overstating of risks and the rise of misinformation have cost lives, as demonstrated by the highest number of U.S. measles cases in 30 years and the violent attack on our agency.
CDC must continue its work on all diseases, including noncommunicable health conditions, which include many of the leading causes of death in the US. I have seen the value of integrating these efforts with those of other CDC programs, as we did with the Zika virus. Integrating expertise from across the agency is critical to our effectiveness in addressing novel and emerging diseases. CDC has proven its value in addressing conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, overdose, and mental health issues, as evidenced by the progress in reducing overdose deaths this year. However, proposed budget cuts and reorganization plans will negatively impact CDC's ability to address these conditions, worsening the nation's health.
I love this agency. Nevertheless, I have submitted my resignation today. I am committed to protecting the public’s health, but the ongoing changes prevent me from continuing in my job as a leader of the agency. This is a heartbreaking decision that I make with a heavy heart.
To the CDC staff, you are the reason I stayed and showed up each day during difficult times. I have done my best to provide support so that you can continue your critical work. Thank you for your continued commitment to our mission and the work you do every day.
As I move on to the next phase of my career, I will continue to advocate for the values that have always driven my work—science, data, and evidence-based solutions to public health challenges. I have been privileged to contribute to the CDC’s mission in many roles, including as Chief Medical Officer, and I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to serve alongside you.
Deb Houry, MD, MPH.”
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (two emails, one to colleagues, and a longer formal resignation):
“It has been a great pleasure to serve in the role of Director of NCIRD. I wish I could say more in person, but wanted to make sure that you all have heard from me directly that I have submitted my resignation. I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponizing of public health. You are the best team I have ever worked with, and you continue to shine despite this dark cloud over the agency and our profession.
Please take care of yourself and your teams and make the right decisions for yourselves. I will send a longer email to our Center this evening or in the morning.
Demetre Daskalakis.”
And here is Dr. Daskalakis’s formal resignation letter to Dr. Houry, posted on X/Twitter:
“Dear Dr. Houry, I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested. This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough. While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles. I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health. The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people. It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC. The recent term of reference for the COVID vaccine work group created by this ACIP puts people of dubious intent and more dubious scientific rigor in charge of recommending vaccine policy to a director hamstrung and sidelined by an authoritarian leader. Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc. I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information. The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun. The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed. For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision. Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically. Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.
Sincerely, Demetre C. Daskalakis MD MPH (he/his/him)”
Dr. Daniel Jernigan, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases:
Colleagues: I wanted to let you know directly that I have submitted my resignation as Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases effective tomorrow. This was a very difficult decision for me. I have had the incredible opportunity to serve the American people doing meaningful and impactful work for over 30 years.
Since 1994, I have worked at CDC with some of the most intelligent, driven, and compassionate people, working to detect, control, and prevent infectious diseases. These efforts have had significant impact mitigating illness, preventing deaths, and improving the lives of millions of people.
I believe strongly in the mission of public health and the leadership that CDC has given for almost 80 years; however, given the current context in the Department, I feel it is best for me to offer my resignation.
I am so grateful for being able to work with all of you and know that you will continue doing the highest level of science and public health.
Thanks
Dan.”
The news of these resignations set off a firestorm in public health circles. This is not normal. There had been speculation that this particular trio of leaders would resign depending on how the September meeting of Secretary Kennedy’s newly-installed CDC Advisory Commitee on Immunization Practices went. There has been mounting fear that Secretary Kennedy will attempt to link vaccines to autism in a forthcoming HHS report, and that ACIP will be expected to remove many of its recommendations, some decades old, that have protected American children from death and severe illness from preventable diseases. But news of Monarez’s ouster meant that the writing was on the wall, moving these resignations up by weeks.
Frankly, the very future of the CDC is unknown. Thousands of good scientists and other agency officials remain. But without these key leaders—non-partisan career officials widely respected both internally and beyond—the agency is genuinely at risk of losing its ability to carry out its core mission. That’s not because any three people, (regardless of how experienced or respected they may be) are irreplaceable, but, rather, for what their departures portend. Other leaders and career scientists may also soon exit or be forced out. At some point, core mission activities that keep us safe will be at risk of being unfulfilled.
When these losses will translate to decreased safety to Americans that is noticeable is an open question. But, we’re about to find out…
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading and supporting science, facts, and the actual American way!
If you have information about any of the unfolding stories we are following, please email me or find me on Signal at InsideMedicine.88.
Previous ACIP quorum information:
Epiphyte City
Epiphyte City
JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Please enable JavaScript to proceed.
Europe would have more if a leg to stand on here re Russia’s terrible actions if they held countries like the US and Israel to the same standards
Epiphyte City
The Israeli military’s extensive and deliberate destruction of civilian property and agricultural land across southern Lebanon must be investigated as war crimes, Amnesty International said in a new briefing.
- Homes and buildings destroyed by explosives and bulldozers
- More than 10,000 structures heavily damaged or destroyed, even after ceasefire declared
- “Israeli troops deliberately left a trail of devastation as they moved through the region” – Erika Guevara Rosas
Nowhere To Return: Israel’s Extensive Destruction of Southern Lebanon documents how Israeli forces used manually laid explosives and bulldozers to devastate civilian structures, including homes, mosques, cemeteries, roads, parks and soccer pitches, across 24 municipalities.
The briefing analyses the period from the start of Israel’s ground invasion into Lebanon on 1 October 2024 until 26 January 2025 and reveals that more than 10,000 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed during that time. Much of the destruction took place after 27 November 2024, after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect.
The destruction was carried out by the Israeli military after it had secured control of the areas, meaning outside of combat action. In such a context, international humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits the destruction of civilian property unless required by imperative military necessity. Amnesty International’s investigation found that in many cases the extensive destruction of civilian structures was carried out by the Israeli military in apparent absence of imperative military necessity and in violation of IHL.
“The Israeli military’s destruction of civilian homes, property and land in southern Lebanon rendered entire areas uninhabitable and ruined countless lives,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.
“The evidence we have analysed clearly shows that Israeli troops deliberately left a trail of devastation as they moved through the region. Their blatant disregard for the communities they have destroyed is abhorrent.
“Where these acts of destruction were committed intentionally or recklessly, they must be investigated as war crimes.”
The map above shows the percentage of buildings heavily damaged or destroyed in each Lebanese municipality along the Israeli border documented between 26 September 2024 and 30 January 2025.
Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab used a wealth of visual evidence – including 77 verified videos and photographs, and satellite imagery – to investigate the damage and quantify the buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. The evidence included videos showing Israeli soldiers manually laying explosives inside homes, ripping up roads and football pitches, and bulldozing parks and religious sites. In some videos, soldiers filmed themselves celebrating the destruction by singing and cheering.
The Crisis Evidence Lab also gathered statements shared by the Israeli military and Hezbollah on their official channels, and analysed news reports and data collected by other organizations to develop a timeline and conduct a contextual analysis. Amnesty International also interviewed 11 residents of southern Lebanon’s border villages.
The Israeli military stated that some destruction of civilian structures was intended to prevent future attacks, and that some of the structures had previously been used by Hezbollah fighters, stored weapons, or stood above tunnels. However, in Amnesty International’s view, extensive destruction of civilian property in order to prevent an opposing party from launching attacks in the future does not meet the imperative military necessity standard under IHL. The previous use of a civilian building by a party to the conflict does not automatically render it a military objective.
Amnesty International sent questions regarding the destruction to the Israeli authorities on 27 June 2025. At the time of publication, no response had been received.
When the Israeli military began its ground invasion in Lebanon on 1 October 2024, it stated it was “conducting localized, limited, targeted raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure”. Yet Amnesty International’s analysis reveals vast destruction across almost the entire 120km-long southern border with Israel.
A map showing the resulting building damage assessment of heavily damaged or destroyed structures in red between late September 2024 and late January 2025. The yellow polygons show the areas of Israeli advances on the ground up to late January 2025.
Satellite imagery shows the municipalities of Yarin, Dhayra and Boustane in Tyre district were most affected, with more than 70 per cent of their buildings destroyed in the analysed time frame. Seven other municipalities had more than half of their structures destroyed.
While Amnesty International is unable to assess if each and every one of the more than 10,000 structures was damaged or destroyed unlawfully, the organization conducted a detailed analysis of the damage and destruction Israeli forces inflicted on five villages: Kfar Kila, Maroun el Ras, Odeisseh, Aita Ash-Shaab and Dhayra.
More than 1,300 structures and 133 acres of orchards were heavily damaged or destroyed in Kfar Kila between 26 September 2024 and 27 January 2025, according to satellite imagery. Most of the structures within 500 metres of the border have been heavily damaged or destroyed.
On 28 October, the Israeli military published a compilation of videos filmed in the town, including demolitions through manually laid explosives showing soldiers at ease and in apparent control of the area. This was followed by a video on 14 November showing evidence of tunnels and weapons allegedly found, with an accompanying infographic of the town “depicting the locations of Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure”.
Visual analysis of the infographic and a comparison with ground footage and satellite imagery clearly show the destruction of civilian structures went far beyond the buildings alleged to have housed Hezbollah infrastructure. Amnesty International’s analysis shows that the Israeli military had at least partial control of the area by the 28 October, as evidenced by journalists visiting the town. The destruction continued also after the ceasefire went into effect on the 27 November 2024.
An infographic of alleged “terrorist infrastructure” located in Kfar Kila published by the Israeli military (top) and satellite imagery showing the heavily damaged or destroyed buildings data in red (bottom). Source: IDF via YouTube and Google Earth
Amnesty International also documented the destruction of a soccer field in early November 2024. As they were destroying the field with an excavator, the Israeli military also carved a Star of David, a Jewish symbol, into a parking area, in further evidence of the unnecessary nature of the destruction.
Zeinab*, who left Kfar Kila in late 2023 following Israeli air strikes, returned in November 2024 for the first time since fleeing. She said: “I can’t describe the massive destruction, the total devastation… I couldn’t find my house, or any houses. I found rubble, destruction, and rocks on the ground.”
In total, 700 structures were destroyed or heavily damaged in Maroun el Ras between 29 September 2024 and 30 January 2025. The Israeli military continued to destroy parts of Maroun el Ras into late January 2025, two months after a ceasefire agreement went into effect.
Among the structures unlawfully destroyed was the “Iranian garden”, which included a soccer field and a playground. One video published on social media on 8 October 2024 showed soldiers raising the Israeli flag on the garden’s ruins. Videos published in the following days showed a bulldozer running over the garden’s vegetation and lighting poles, and an excavator destroying a statue.
Frames of videos published on social media show Israeli soldiers raising the Israeli flag and destroying vegetation, infrastructure and a statue at the Iranian Garden, in Maroun el Ras
More than 580 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed between 26 September 2024 and 27 January 2025, including a mosque and a cemetery. The Israeli military continued to destroy parts of Odeisseh into mid-January 2025, while it was in full control of the area.
Eight videos were published on social media on 27 November showing the demolition of dozens of buildings through manually laid explosives, including the Baalbaki family home. Satellite imagery shows that the house was destroyed between 21 and 23 October, along with a dozen other structures and more than five acres of surrounding orchards.
The Israeli military destroyed 1,000 buildings between 26 September 2024 and 30 January 2025, many of them through manually laid explosives and bulldozers.
Vast areas of the village appear to have been razed between 13 and 25 October, including four mosques. One video, published on a soldier’s private social media account on 23 October 2024, showed troops jumping and singing “may your village burn” in Hebrew as excavators tore down buildings.
Frames of videos published on social media show excavators destroying buildings and the Israeli flag raised on a water tank in Aita Ash Shaab
On 29 October, the Israeli military published a map of Aita Ash-Shaab that showed several sites it referred to as “terrorist locations” marked by red dots, without specifying what each dot meant. The destruction extended far beyond the red dots marked on the map. The demolitions continued in waves, with the latest destruction happening between 14 and 18 January 2025, during the agreed ceasefire period.
Hajj Muhammad Srour, Aita Ash-Shaab’s mayor, said: “The destruction today is indescribable and unparalleled…You feel that there is no purpose for it other than creating great damage, like someone trying to wreak havoc… We lost all civilian property, [which] consists of homes, agricultural land, people’s livelihoods, shops, restaurants… The public squares, the places where people would meet in front of shops in every neighbourhood, the football playground for the kids and youth… They’re all gone.”
Between 4 October 2024 and 30 January 2025, 264 buildings – or 71 per cent of all the municipality’s structures – were destroyed. Almost 45 acres of agricultural land was also razed. Israeli forces continued to destroy parts of Dhayra into mid-January 2025.
On 13 October 2024, an Israeli journalist published a video showing the use of manually laid explosives to destroy the Ahel El-Quran mosque on the outskirts of the town of Dhayra. Satellite imagery confirmed that the mosque and several structures nearby were destroyed between 11 and 13 October.
A frame of a video published on social media shows Israeli soldiers watching the destruction by manually laid explosives of a large section of Dhayra, in southern Lebanon
The homes of Adiba Finsh, 66, and her six sons were destroyed. She told Amnesty International: “Israel blew it up. All of it. And they filmed the explosion. Even the houses …they made a video of themselves counting from five to one, and when the explosion happened, they shouted: ‘Wow! Yay!’. I watch this video every day. And each time, I tell the man ‘yaying’: ‘Yes, what an accomplishment’.”
“Given the scale of destruction carried out by the Israeli military, many residents of southern Lebanon have nothing to return to,” said Erika Guevara Rosas.
“The Israeli authorities must provide prompt, full and adequate reparations to all victims of violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes, both individuals and entire communities These reparations must extend to the families of those harmed by Israel’s unlawful conduct.”
Lebanon’s government should immediately explore all possible legal routes, including establishing a domestic reparation mechanism and demanding reparation from parties to the conflict. The government should also reconsider providing the International Criminal Court with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes under the Rome Statute committed on Lebanese territory.
All states should immediately suspend all arms transfers and other forms of military assistance to Israel due to the significant risk that these weapons could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international law.
Note: *Names have been changed.
Epiphyte City
Next Page of Stories