The nations top public health agency was left reeling Thursday as the White House worked to expel the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director and replace her with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's current deputy.

The turmoil triggered rare bipartisan alarm as Kennedy tries to advance anti-vaccine policies that are contradicted by decades of scientific research.

Two administration officials said Jim O'Neill, the second-in-command at the Department of Health and Human Services, would supplant Susan Monarez, a longtime government scientist. O'Neill, a former investment executive who also served at the federal health department under President George W. Bush, does not have a medical background. The officials, who confirmed the change, requested anonymity to discuss personnel decisions before a public announcement.

RELATED STORY | Susan Monarez ousted as director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A flashpoint is expected in the coming weeks as a key advisory committee, which Kennedy has reshaped with vaccine skeptics, is expected to issue new recommendations on immunizations. The panel is scheduled to review standard childhood shots for measles, hepatitis and other diseases.

Two Republican senators called for congressional oversight and some Democrats said Kennedy should be fired. He is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill on Sept. 4.

No explanation given for CDC director's ouster

Kennedy has not explained the decision to oust Monarez less than a month after she was sworn in, but he warned that more turnover may be ahead.

Theres a lot of trouble at the CDC and its going to require getting rid of some people over the long term, in order for us to change the institutional culture, Kennedy said at a news conference in Texas.

The White House has only said that Monarez was not aligned with President Donald Trump's agenda.

Monarezs lawyers said she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts. She is fighting her dismissal, saying the decision must come directly from Trump, who nominated her in March. The president has not said anything publicly about the matter.

It's unclear if O'Neill, who was just sworn in as HHS' deputy secretary, will remain in both roles as acting CDC director.

Monarez tried to block political interference, departing CDC officials say

The saga began Wednesday night with the administration's announcement that Monarez would no longer lead the CDC. In response, three officials Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis and Dr. Daniel Jernigan resigned from senior roles at the agency.

RELATED STORY | Who is Susan Monarez? Senate confirms Trump's new CDC leader

The officials returned to the office Thursday to collect their belongings, and hundreds of supporters gathered to applaud them as they left the Atlanta campus. There were bouquets of flowers, cheers and chants of USA not RFK.

Daskalakis, who resigned as head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, I fear that children will be hurt by poor decision making around vaccines.

You cannot dismantle public health and expect it to still work," he said.

Jernigan stepped down as director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases and Houry quit her post as the agency's deputy director and chief medical officer.

Houry told The Associated Press that Monarez had tried to guard against political meddling in scientific research and health recommendations.

We were going to see if she was able to weather the storm. And when she was not, we were done, Houry said.

Dr. Richard Besser, a former CDC acting director, said Monarez told him that she had refused orders to fire her management team. He also said she refused to automatically sign off on any recommendations from Kennedys handpicked vaccine advisers.

Dr. Monarez was one of the last lines of defense against this administrations dangerous agenda, said Besser, now president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which helps support The Associated Press Health and Science Department.

Health agencies have faced turmoil since Trump took office

The CDC has long been the target of controversy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the agency struggled to balance politics and public health.

The strife only increased this year with Kennedy elevating unscientific ideas at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, while pushing waves of layoffs.

Earlier this month, a police officer was killed when a man opened fire at the agencys headquarters because of anger over COVID-19 vaccines, which have been the subject of falsehoods and conspiracy theories. A memorial to the officer remains outside the building, close to where staff members gathered Thursday.

Monarez stands to become the shortest-serving director since the CDC was founded in 1946, exacerbating a leadership vacuum that has persisted since Trump took office. He initially chose David Weldon, a former Florida congressman who is a doctor and vaccine skeptic, but yanked the nomination in March.

Monarez was tapped next to lead the $9.2 billion agency while serving as its interim director. However, questions immediately emerged within Kennedys circle about her loyalty to the Make America Healthy Again movement, especially given her previous support of the COVID-19 vaccines that Kennedy has routinely criticized.

Vaccine panel changes prompt demands for new oversight

Kennedy rarely mentioned Monarez by name in the way he did other health agency leaders such as Mehmet Oz of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or Marty Makary of the Food and Drug Administration.

One issue has been Kennedy's handling of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of outside experts who make recommendations to the CDC director on how to use vaccines. The recommendations are then adopted by doctors, school systems, health insurers and others.

The panel is expected to meet next month, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said any recommendations issued then will be lacking legitimacy.

Serious allegations have been made about the meeting agenda, membership, and lack of scientific process being followed," said Cassidy, who heads the Senate committee overseeing Kennedy's department. He added that "these decisions directly impact childrens health and the meeting should not occur until significant oversight has been conducted.

Cassidy, a doctor, provided crucial support for Kennedy's nomination after saying Kennedy had assured him that he would not topple the nations childhood vaccination program.

And yet, according to a government notice, the committee on Sept. 18 will take up votes on vaccines that have been settled fixtures for children, including shots to protect against hepatitis B and a combination shot against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

Kennedy is a longtime leader in the anti-vaccine movement, and in June, he abruptly dismissed the entire panel, accusing members of being too closely aligned with manufacturers. He replaced them with a group that included several vaccine skeptics and then he shut the door to several doctors organizations that had long helped form vaccine recommendations.

Departing CDC officials worry science will be compromised

Houry and Daskalakis said Monarez had tried to make sure scientific safeguards were in place.

For example, she tried to replace the official who coordinated the panels meetings with someone who had more policy experience. Monarez also pushed to have slides and evidence reviews posted weeks before the committees meetings and have the sessions open to public comment, Houry said.

HHS officials nixed that and called Monarez to a meeting in Washington on Monday, Houry said.

Daskalakis described the situation as untenable.

I came to the point personally where I think our science will be compromised, and thats my line in the sand, he said.

Medical and public health organizations said they worried about the future without Monarez in charge.

The scientific community is beginning to draw a line in the sand and say, No way,' said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

The parents of the two schoolchildren fatally shot in a Minneapolis church spoke out for the first time on Thursday afternoon, with some imploring the shaken community to address the root causes of shootings that target schools.

Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed on Wednesday morning when a shooter opened fire at a Mass that hundreds of students at Annunciation Catholic School attended.

City officials increased to 15 the number of injured children, who are ages 6 to 15. Three parishioners in their 80s also were injured. Only one person a child was in critical condition.

A call to action

In a statement released Thursday, Moyski's parents described Harper as a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old" who was adored by her younger sister.

As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain, the statement read.

The 10-year-old's parents said that they were focused on healing in the wake of the shooting, but added that they hoped Harpers memory would fuel action that might prevent shootings going forward.

No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain, Harpers parents wrote. We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis Catholic school shooter sought to 'terrorize' children, authorities say

Remembered by his life, not death

Fletcher Merkel's his father, Jesse Merkel tearfully read a statement on Thursday outside of the church where his son was killed, saying the eight-year-old loved his family and friends and enjoyed fishing, cooking and playing any sport.

Because of the shooter's actions, Merkel said, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.

Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life, Merkel said.

Even as Merkel mourned the loss of his son, he said he was thankful for the swift and heroic actions of adults and students inside the church without whom this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more.

Acts of heroism

Minneapolis doctors and law enforcement echoed Merkel's sentiment throughout the day on Thursday, describing the grueling escape children and teachers endured, as well as the heroic rescue efforts that saved countless lives.

When one of the students who was injured during the shooting went in for a CT scan on Wednesday, she was visibly distressed.

Without hesitation, a nurse at the hospital who was not assigned to respond to the mass casualty event sat with the young girl throughout the procedure even though safety protocols stipulate that medical staff should clear the room to prevent radiation exposure.

The nurse put a little lead on, stayed there and held her hand and held her hair while she went through scanners so she didnt have to go through alone, Dr. Jon Gayken, one of the head trauma surgeons at Hennepin County Medical Center, said.

Several medical first responders many of whom were stationed just blocks away from the church have children enrolled at the Catholic school, officials announced on Thursday.

Those are the types of things we witnessed yesterday, Gayken said.

Despite the unimaginable tragedy of the day, Gayken said, there were far less casualties than there could have been.

Children follow active shooter training

Marty Scheerer, the chief of Hennepin County Emergency Medical Services, credited unrecognized heroes, like the children and teachers in the church who followed their active shooter safety trainings, despite the chaotic and incessant hail of gunfire.

Children protecting other children often laid on the floor and covered each other up while teachers ushered kids to safety.

That was key, Scheerer said.

The first police officer entered the church without hesitation just minutes after the 911 call reported the shooting, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara said.

Parishioners told O'Hara that it was the first time that the children and others there had any sense that they might be safe and survive.

When officers entered the church, they encountered children that had blood on them from not because they were injured, but because of blood pressure from other kids, OHara said at a separate news conference later in the day.

There's going to be countless lessons of bravery, from young children all the way up to elders, OHara said.

A wide range of small imports to the U.S. will lose duty-free status starting on Friday, as the Trump administration ends de minimis exemptions on imported goods valued at less than $800.

Starting on Friday, all commercial shipments that were formerly eligible for de minimis exception will be subject to full U.S. duties and inspection by customs officers.

The change expands the new application of customs fees, which previously only applied to parcels from China and Hong Kong since May. Under the new rules Friday, all countries trading with the U.S. will be subject to new customs inspection and taxes on qualifying parcels.

Personal items & letters will not be affected by the changes. There will also be exemptions for personal travel and gifts, a senior administration official said.

RELATED STORY | Trump increases tariffs on steel and aluminum, which will likely increase consumer prices

But the Trump administration has focused on de minimis shipping as a health and safety hazard, particularly concerning the shipment of fentanyl and other drugs and drug materials.

Most customs seizures in 2024 involved de minimis shipments, a senior administration official said. Such stoppages accounted for 97% of intellectual property seizures and 77% of health and safety seizures. Weapons parts and drug components were frequently seized, the official said, with more than 800 fentanyl cases.

"President Trump's ending of the deadly de minimus loophole will save thousands of American lives by restricting the flow of narcotics and other dangerous and prohibited items, add up to $10 billion a year in tariff revenues to our Treasury, create thousands of jobs and defend against billions of dollars more lost to counterfeiting, piracy and intellectual property theft," said White House trade and manufacturing senior counselor Peter Navarro.

Russia launched a major air attack early Thursday on Kyiv that included a rare strike on the city center, killing at least 21 people, wounding 48 and damaging European Union diplomatic offices, authorities said.

The bombardment of drones and missiles was the first major Russian attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.-led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggled to gain traction. Britain said the attack sabotaged peace efforts, while top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas summoned Russias EU envoy to Brussels over the strikes that damaged EU offices.

Ukraine on Thursday requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the overnight bombardment, while two of Ukraines top envoys were set to meet Friday with the Trump administration regarding mediation.

RELATED STORY | Putin's intentions questioned as Trump, Zelenskyy seek path forward for Ukraine

The Kremlin said Russia remained interested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday's air attack, which was one of the war's biggest since it began in 2022.

Among the dead were four children between 2 and 17, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyivs city administration. He said more people could still be under the rubble, and search and rescue efforts continued on Thursday evening.

Rare attack on center of Kyiv

The attack was one of the few times Russian drones and missiles have penetrated the heart of Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country early Thursday, most of them striking targets in Kyiv.

At least 33 locations across all 10 of the city's districts were directly hit or damaged by debris, Tkachenko said. Thousands of windows shattered as nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center.

Oleksandr Khilko arrived at the scene after a missile hit the residential building where his sister lives in the capitals Darnytsia district. He heard screams from people who were trapped under the rubble and pulled out three survivors, including a boy.

Its inhuman, striking civilians, Khilko said, his clothes covered in dust and the tips of his fingers black with soot. With every cell of my body I want this war to end as soon as possible. I wait, but every time the air raid alarm sounds, I am afraid.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Reporter shares eyewitness account from front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war

Sophia Akylina said her home in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district was damaged.

Its never happened before that they attacked so close, the 21-year old said. Negotiations havent yielded anything yet, unfortunately people are suffering.

EU and UK summon Russian envoys after strikes hit their buildings

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said two strikes landed 20 seconds apart about 165 feet from the EU Mission to Ukraine building in Kyiv. She said no staff were injured in the strike.

No diplomatic mission should ever be a target. In response, we are summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels, Kaja Kallas, the European Unions top diplomat, said Thursday in a post on X.

The British Council, which promotes cultural relations and educational opportunities, also said its Kyiv office had been severely damaged in the attack and was closed to visitors until further notice.

The organization posted a photo showing the building with its windows and entrance smashed open and surrounded by glass and debris. A guard was injured and is shaken but stable, council chief executive Scott McDonald posted on X.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin was sabotaging hopes of peace following the senseless strikes. The Russian ambassador to London was summoned to the foreign office.

Diplomatic efforts to reach peace have stalled

Thursday's attack is the first major combined Russian mass drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv since U.S. President Donald Trump met with Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X following the attack. We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions.

While a diplomatic push to end the war appeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details have emerged about the next steps.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | A Russia-Ukraine peace deal may include land ceded to Russia, according to new reports

Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine. This week, Ukrainian military leaders conceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground.

Zelenskyy hopes for harsher U.S. sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Putin does not demonstrate seriousness about ending the war. He reiterated those demands following Thursday's attack.

Trump bristled this week at Putins stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy. Trump said Friday he expects to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks arent scheduled.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said that it was clear that a meeting between President Zelenskyy and President Putin will not take place."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized both Putin and Zelenskyy after the Thursday attack on Kyiv.

She said that Trump was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised by Russias Thursday air assault on Ukrainian capital.

Leavitt noted that Ukraine has also launched effective assaults on Russias oil industry in recent weeks.

Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves, Leavitt said. The president wants it to end, but the leaders of these two countries must want it to end as well.

Russia says it targeted 'military-industrial complex'

Russias Defense Ministry said it carried out a strike against military air bases and companies within Ukraines military-industrial complex using long-range weapons, including Kinzhal missiles.

All designated objects were hit, the ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine has ramped up domestic arms production to fight Russias invasion. Many weapons factories operate covertly, with some embedded in civilian areas with superior air defenses. Indiscriminate Russian attacks claiming to target Ukraines defense industry have killed many civilians.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said it shot down 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly in the countrys southwest. A drone attack sparked a blaze at the Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, local officials said, while a second fire was reported at the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in the Samara region.

Ukrainian drones have repeatedly struck refineries and other oil infrastructure in recent weeks in an attempt to weaken Russias war economy, causing gas stations in some Russian regions to run dry and prices to spike.

Ukraines national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported damage to its infrastructure in the Vinnytsia and Kyiv regions, causing delays and requiring trains to use alternative routes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert Thursday after nearly 100 people fell ill due to a Salmonella outbreak in recalled eggs.

The CDC says 95 people in 14 states have gotten sick, most of them in California and most of them between June and July of 2025. 18 people were hospitalized and none of those who fell ill have died.

The agency has traced an outbreak of Salmonella to a specific run of cage-free eggs sold by Country Eggs, LLC of Lucerne Valley, CA.

The eggs were sold mainly in California and Nevada, to grocery stores for consumers to buy and to food service distributors. They were sold from Jun 16, 2025, through July 9, 2025 in cartons labeled Nagatoshi Produce, Misuho or Nijiya Markets. Cartons are marked with the code CA 7695.

The manufacturer recalled the eggs on Wednesday. Customers are directed to return purchased eggs for a refund, or throw them out.

RELATED STORY | More frozen shrimp recalled over possible radioactive contamination

Symptoms of Salmonella include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. They may start just hours after eating contaminated foods and typically last as long as 7 days. The young, the old and the immunocompromised are at risk of more severe symptoms, which may require hospitalization. The CDC recommends that you call your doctor if you suspect salmonella contamination and are experiencing symptoms like excessive diarrhea or vomiting or body temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Social media influencer Emilie Kiser spoke out on her platforms Thursday for the first time since her 3-year-old son tragically drowned in the family's backyard pool in May.

Trigg Kiser was found unconscious when authorities first arrived at the scene in Chandler, Arizona, and he later died at the hospital, according to police.

Emilie said she takes full accountability for the incident and "should have done more to protect him."

RELATED STORY | Scripps News investigation finds vacation home deaths involving children

According to court documents, Emilie was out with friends while her two sons were home with her husband and their father, Brady.

Brady told police he was distracted by their newborn while Trigg was playing outside. After losing sight of Trigg, he went to check on him and found him in the pool.

A police report regarding the incident stated surveillance footage showed Trigg was left unsupervised outside the home for at least nine minutes and had been in the water for at least seven minutes before he was found.

NBC News reported, citing police records, that Brady was watching an NBA game at the time and that Trigg did not intentionally go into the pool, but rather fell in accidentally.

Chandler Police initially recommended that Brady be charged with a class 4 felony of child abuse. However, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office said it determined that he would not face charges because there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction.

"One of the hardest lessons I carry is that a permanent pool fence could have saved his life, and it's something I will never overlook again," said Emilie on Thursday.

"I never thought we would experience grief in this way or the pain of losing him so suddenly," Emilie wrote. "It's a pain, heartache, and void that no family should ever have to endure."

She said she will be "establishing more boundaries" with what she shares online moving forward.

Minneapolis public officials and gun safety advocates are calling for a nationwide ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines following the deadly Catholic school shooting that left two children dead and over a dozen others injured.

Speaking Thursday at a news conference from Minneapolis City Hall, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey said local residents and city leaders are united in making sure a tragedy like this never happens again.

RELATED STORY | Minneapolis Catholic school shooter sought to 'terrorize' children, authorities say

"And so what are we talking about when we talk about action?" Frey said. "We need to talk about the actions steps that need to take place. We need a statewide and a federal ban on assault weapons. We need a statewide and a federal ban on high capacity magazines. There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload."

"We're not talking about your father's hunting rifle here," he added. "We're talking about guns that are built to pierce armor and kill people. Why do we have them coming in by the trunk loads onto our streets around the country?"

WATCH | Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addresses the media

Minneapolis mayor press conference Pt. 2

At a press conference Thursday, authorities say they recovered electronic and written records as they investigate the shooter's motive. They described writings that cataloged the shooter's mental state and plans.

Findings so far suggest "More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children," officials said.

Authorities are working to confirm their belief that the shooter acted alone. Officials said the shooter previously attended Mass at the church they targeted and attended the same school. They also confirmed the shooter's mother at one time worked for the parish.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Journal, weapons offer glimpse into Minneapolis school shooters mind

All 18 people hospitalized in the shooting are expected to survive, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara told CNN late Wednesday. He said some of the 14 injured children have already been released from the hospital, noting that injuries ranged from minor graze wounds to life-threatening cases.

In addition to the 14 children and three adults wounded in the attack, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were killed. The suspected shooter died by suicide. Police said he was armed with three different firearms during the shooting all of which were purchased legally.

YouTube TV says it's reached a short-term extension in its contract dispute with Fox, meaning subscribers of the Google-owned streamer won't see immediate disruptions of Fox channels on the platform.

The current carriage agreement between YouTube TV and Fox originally faced a Wednesday afternoon deadline with YouTube previously warning that networks like Fox Sports, Business and News would become unavailable on its streaming platform if the two sides didn't reach a new deal by 5 p.m. ET.

That would have left YouTube TV customers without Week 1 of some college football games and other broadcast programming from Fox. But shortly after the clock hit 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, YouTube said it was able to prevent disruption as it continues to work towards a new agreement.

We are committed to advocating on behalf of our subscribers as we work toward a fair deal and will keep you updated on our progress, YouTube said in a brief update announcing the extension.

A spokesperson for Fox had no addition comment, but confirmed that the broadcast giant had agreed to the short-term extension. It was not immediately clear how long the extension would be.

In a statement earlier Wednesday, Fox said that it was disappointed that Google continually exploits its outsized influence by proposing terms that are out of step with the marketplace. Fox also directed subscribers to a site called keepfox.com for more information and to call on YouTube to come to an agreement.

In addition to Fox Sports, Business and News, keepfox.com notes that YouTube TV may no longer carry FS1 and the Big Ten Network (which is majority-owned by Fox) if a deal isnt reached.

Meanwhile, in blog post earlier this week, YouTube said Fox was asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive. The company added that it hoped to reach a deal that's fair for both sides" without "passing on additional costs to our subscribers.

If Fox content becomes unavailable on YouTube TV for an extended period of time, YouTube also noted it would provide members with a $10 credit. YouTube TV's base plan which currently boasts access to over 100 live channels costs $82.99 a month.

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, also chimed in on the dispute leading up to Wednesday's deadline while appearing to target Google particularly. He called on the tech company to get a deal done in a post on social media.

Google removing Fox channels from YouTube TV would be a terrible outcome, Carr wrote in a Tuesday post on X. Millions of Americans are relying on YouTube to resolve this dispute so they can keep watching the news and sports they wantincluding this weeks Big Game: Texas @ Ohio State.

From sports events to awards shows, live programming that was once reserved for broadcast has increasingly made its way into the streaming world over the years as more and more consumers ditch traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions for content they can get online. But renewing carriage agreements can also mean tense contract negotiations at times resulting in service disruptions.

YouTube TV has been down this road before. In 2021 YouTube TV subscribers briefly lost access to all Disney content on the platform, including networks like ESPN and local ABC stations, after a contract breakdown between the two companies. That outage lasted less than two days, with the companies eventually reaching an agreement.

Beyond deals with YouTube TV and others, Fox last week launched its own streaming platform. Fox One," which has a starting price of $19.99 a month.

An immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades dubbed " Alligator Alcatraz " must keep moving toward shutting down operations by late October, a judge has ruled, even as the state and federal governments fight that decision.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams late Wednesday denied requests to pause her order to wind down operations at the facility, which has been plagued by reports of unsanitary conditions and detainees being cut off from the legal system.

The facility was already being emptied of detainees, according to an email exchange shared with The Associated Press on Wednesday. The executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, said on Aug. 22 "we are probably going to be down to 0 individuals within a few days," in a message to South Florida Rabbi Mario Rojzman about chaplaincy services at the facility, implying there would soon be no need.

The detention center was quickly built two months ago at a little-used training airport, where chain-link cages now surround large white tents filled with rows of bunk beds. State officials signed more than $245 million in contracts for building and operating the facility, which officially opened July 1.

President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be a model for future lockups nationwide as his administration races to expand the infrastructure needed to increase deportations.

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in their request for a stay that Williams' order last week, if carried out, would disrupt the federal government's ability to enforce immigration laws.

But the judge in Wednesday night's order noted that the detainee population already was dwindling at the facility, and that the federal government's "immigration enforcement goals will not be thwarted by a pause in operations."

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis ' administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility dubbed "Deportation Depot" at a state prison in north Florida.

Williams said in last week's order that she expected the population of "Alligator Alcatraz" to decline within 60 days through the transferring of the detainees to other facilities, and once that happened, fencing, lighting and generators should be removed. She wrote the state and federal defendants can't bring any new detainees onto the property.

State officials said shutting down the facility for the time being would cost them $15 million to $20 million and that it would cost another $15 million to $20 million to reinstall structures if they ultimately are allowed to reopen the facility. They also said that the Florida Division of Emergency Management will lose most of the value of the $218 million it has invested in making the training airport suitable for a detention center.

"Alligator Alcatraz" has been targeted by several lawsuits, ranging from its impact on the Everglades to civil rights concerns.

Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe said further construction and operations should be stopped until federal and state officials complied with federal environmental laws. Their lawsuit claimed the facility threatened sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars spent over decades on environmental restoration.

Civil rights groups filed a second lawsuit last month against the state and federal governments over practices at the Everglades facility, claiming detainees were denied access to the legal system. Another federal judge last week dismissed parts of the lawsuit and moved the suit to another court district for procedural reasons.

A third lawsuit by civil rights groups last Friday described "severe problems" at the facility, which were "previously unheard-of in the immigration system." The suit alleges detainees were being held for weeks without any charges, had disappeared from ICE's online detainee locator, and no one at the facility was making initial custody or bond determinations.

The groups want a federal court in Fort Myers to issue a restraining order and a temporary injunction that would bar Florida agencies and their contractors from holding detainees there.

Since immigration is a federal issue, the rights groups say Florida agencies and the state's private contractors have no authority to operate the facility. The rights groups want their lawsuit to be certified as a class action.

Meanwhile, almost two dozen Republican-led states urged the appellate court reviewing Williams' order to overturn it. The 22 states argued in a court filing that she overstepped her authority and that the federal environmental laws only applied to the federal agencies, not the state of Florida.

The Trump administration asked a military base outside Chicago for support on immigration operations, the base said Thursday, offering a clue of what an expanded law enforcement crackdown might look like in the nation's third-largest city.

The Department of Homeland Security has asked Naval Station Great Lakes for "limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations," said Matt Mogle, spokesperson for the base 35 miles north of Chicago.

The request came weeks after the Republican administration deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to target crime, immigration and homelessness, and two months after it sent troops to Los Angeles.

Details about the administration's plans for Chicago remain scarce.

Mogle said no decisions have been made on the request, and that the base hasn't received an official request to support a National Guard deployment. The Chicago Sun-Times first reported on the request to the Navy base.

Chicago Mayor Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have fought back, saying crime has fallen in Chicago and that the city doesn't want or need the military's help. They are planning to sue.

Pritzker, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, has spent days showcasing parts of the city where crime has fallen. He told The Associated Press that the presence of troops could worsen the situation.

"What he's trying to do is try to inflame something that will cause a problem that he can then point at," the two-term governor said, referring to President Donald Trump.

Trump has often singled out Chicago, likening it to a war zone and "hellhole." Chicago's long-held status as a so-called sanctuary city has irked the Trump administration, which used Chicago to kick off a nationwide crackdown on immigration weeks after Trump's second inauguration.

Pritzker and Trump have traded barbs over the issue for days.

"The people are desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren't capable of doing," Trump posted Thursday on his Truth Social network.

Violent crime in the city has dropped significantly in recent years, but it remains a persistent problem.

In 2024, the city reported 573 homicides, the most of any U.S. city that year, according to the Rochester Institute of Technology. At the same time, violent crime dropped significantly in the first half of the year, representing the steepest decline in over a decade, according to city data. In the first six months of 2025, total violent crime dropped by over 22% when compared with the same time period last year.

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the president's attempt to fire her, launching an unprecedented legal battle that could significantly reshape the Fed's longstanding political independence.

No president has sought to fire a Fed governor in the institution's 112-year history until Trump posted a letter on his Truth Social media platform late Monday saying that Cook was fired.

Trump said the reason for her removal were allegations that she committed mortgage fraud in 2021, before she was appointed to the board.

RELATED STORY | Trump fires Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud

The Supreme Court has signaled that the president can't fire Fed officials over policy differences, but he can do so "for cause," typically meaning misconduct or neglect of duty. Most legal experts say that a "for cause" removal requires some type of process that would allow Cook to respond to the charges, which hasn't happened. Cook has not been charged with any crime.

The president's decision comes as he has repeatedly attacked Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the other members of the Fed's interest-rate setting committee for not cutting the short-term interest rate they control more quickly. It currently stands at 4.3%, after Fed policymakers reduced it by a full percentage point late last year.

Powell signaled last week that the central bank was leaning toward cutting its rate at its next meeting Sept. 16-17.

Those attacks have opened up the White House to the criticism that its firing of Cook over alleged mortgage fraud is just a pretext to open up another seat on the board for a Trump loyalist. Trump has said he will only appoint people to the Fed who will support lower rates.

A federal judge on Wednesday questioned whether a Spanish-language journalist who was arrested covering a June protest near Atlanta can remain in immigration detention after charges against him were dropped.

Attorneys for Mario Guevara asked the judge during a hearing to order his immediate release from an immigration detention center in southeast Georgia.

A petition they filed in court last week says the government is violating Guevaras constitutional rights to free speech and due process. It argues that he is being punished for filming police, which is legal, and that he is being subjected to unlawful prior restraint because hes unable to report while in custody.

He is not a danger or a flight risk, said Scarlet Kim, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing Guevara. The real reason for detaining Mr. Guevara is to silence and punish his speech.

An attorney for the federal government told U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheesbro that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has broad discretion to detain Guevara, a native of El Salvador who does not have a U.S. visa.

My question is whether there is still a statutory basis for detention, Cheesbro told attorneys at the federal courthouse in Brunswick, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the detention center where Guevara is being held in Folkston.

Local police in DeKalb County arrested Guevara at a protest he was covering June 14. ICE took custody of him a few days later and has refused to release Guevara even after an immigration judge granted him bond.

DeKalb County prosecutors within days dismissed all charges Guevara faced related to the protest, which included unlawful assembly and obstruction of police. The sheriff's office in neighboring Gwinnett County then took out warrants charging Guevara with reckless driving and other counts, but the county's solicitor's office declined to prosecute the case.

RELATED STORY | Prosecutors fail to indict sandwich thrower in Trump's DC safety operation

Woelke Leithart, an assistant U.S. attorney arguing for the government, acknowledged that any criminal charges Guevara faced have fallen away at this point. But he said ICE's reasons for keeping Guevara in custody have nothing to do with his work as a journalist.

Mr. Guevara is not detained for any reason other than his removability" from the U.S., Leithart said.

The judge also questioned whether he has authority to intervene while an immigration appeals board considers whether to uphold a bond granted last month by an immigration judge. Guevara's lawyers say Cheesbro has jurisdiction because they allege violations of his constitutional rights.

Guevara has worked as a journalist in El Salvador and the U.S.

Guevara, 47, fled his native El Salvador two decades ago after suffering violence and harassment there while working as a journalist.

After arriving in the Atlanta area, Guevara built a large following working for the Spanish-language newspaper Mundo Hispanico. Then he started his own digital news outlet, MG News, about a year ago.

For his job, Guevara frequently goes to scenes where ICE or other law enforcement agencies are active, often acting on community tips. He regularly livestreams what hes seeing on social media.

Homeland Security officials have said Guevara was placed in deportation proceedings because he is in the U.S. illegally.

His lawyers say Guevara is authorized to work and remain in the U.S. A previous immigration case against him was administratively closed more than a decade ago. He has a pending visa petition and is eligible for a green card, Guevaras attorneys say.

Guevara was livestreaming video on social media from the June rally protesting President Donald Trumps administration when local police arrested him. The video showed Guevara wearing a protective vest with PRESS printed on it. He told a police officer: Im a member of the media, officer.

RELATED STORY | Coast Guard seizes enough cocaine to fatally overdose entire Florida population

An immigration judge last month set a $7,500 bond for Guevara, but that order has been put on hold while the government appeals it.

I just want my dad out

His arrest and continued detention have been decried by journalism and press freedom groups, as well as by some public officials in Georgia. His adult children have been vocal in calling for his release.

Guevara's lawyers want the judge to order his immediate release pending a decision on their underlying petition alleging constitutional rights violations.

The judge didn't rule in court Wednesday and gave attorneys on both sides a week to file additional legal briefs.

That's not good news or bad news. It's just more waiting, Oscar Guevara, the detained journalist's son, told reporters outside the courthouse. He added: I just want my dad out.

All 17 people hospitalized in Wednesdays mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school are expected to survive, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara told CNN late Wednesday.

OHara said some of the 14 injured children have already been released from the hospital, noting that injuries ranged from minor graze wounds to life-threatening cases.

In addition to the 14 children and three adults wounded in the attack, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were killed. The suspected shooter, Robert Westman also known as Robin Westman died by suicide. Police said he was armed with three different firearms during the shooting.

Hennepin Healthcare said Thursday morning that it had nine patients in its care from Wednesday's shooting. Of those, two are in serious condition and one is in critical condition.

Officials said on Thursday that the actions of first responders, doctors, teachers and the children themselves helped save lives. Hennepin County EMS Chief Marty Scheerer said, "We had one kid that covered up another kid and took a shotgun blast to his back."

School leaders have not announced when classes will resume. "As we process and navigate this unfathomable time together, we will be in touch this weekend regarding when school will resume. Investigators and others are still on campus doing their essential work and we expect this to continue for some time," principal Matthew D. DeBoer and Pastor Dennis Zehren wrote in a joint statement.

Officials plan to provide an update during a 1 p.m. Central time news conference.

Federal prosecutors have failed to obtain a felony indictment against a man who was seen on camera hurling a sandwich at a federal law enforcement official in the nations capital, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Sean Charles Dunn was arrested on an assault charge after he threw a sub-style sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection agent. A video of the incident went viral, and shortly after he was fired from the Justice Department, where he worked as an international affairs specialist in the department's criminal division.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trump places DC police under federal control, activates National Guard amid crime concerns

The case is one of the examples of the legal pushback to President Donald Trump's law enforcement surge in Washington that has led to more than 1,000 arrests. It is highly unusual for grand jurors to refuse to return an indictment, and it was once said that prosecutors could persuade a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.

Grand jurors decide in secret proceedings whether there is enough evidence for an indictment, and prosecutors could go back to try again in Dunn's case. The person briefed on the failure to obtain an indictment against Dunn on Tuesday was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to a spokesperson for the top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose office is prosecuting the case. An attorney for Dunn declined to comment.

The New York Times first reported the development.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Trump's DC police maneuver contradicted by crime statistics

Dunn's arrest came in one of the first days after Trump's Aug. 11 order for federal agents and troops to flood Washington. Authorities say Dunn approached a group of CBP agents, pointed a finger in an agents face and swore at him, calling him a fascist, a police affidavit says. An observers video captured Dunn throwing a sandwich at the agents chest, the affidavit says.

Why are you here? I dont want you in my city! Dunn shouted, according to police.

Dunn tried to run away but was apprehended, police said. He was initially released and then was rearrested by federal agents. A video of agents going to arrest and handcuff him was posted online by an official White House X account.

Defense lawyers and at least one federal judge have raised concerns over the federal government's handling of arrests on charges that, in many cases, would typically be handled by local authorities instead of federal prosecutors. One magistrate judge this week scolded prosecutors over a case against a man who was jailed for a week before prosecutors decided to drop the case. The judge called it the most illegal search I have ever seen in my life.

IN RELATED NEWS | Trump eyes Democratic cities after arming National Guard in Washington, DC

In another recent case, prosecutors in Washington acknowledged that three grand juries had voted separately against indicting a woman accused of assaulting an FBI agent outside the city's jail in July, where she was recording video of the transfer of inmates into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Rebuffed by the grand juries, Pirros office is pursuing a misdemeanor assault charge against Sydney Lori Reid instead.

On Tuesday, Scott J. Pichon, 33, was arrested on a charge that he spit on two Army National Guard members from South Carolina who were patrolling near Union Station, the city's transit hub, on Friday. Pichon faces a felony assault charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of eight years.

Susan Monarez was let go from her position as director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday.

According to a social media message from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Monarez was as of Wednesday "no longer director" of the CDC, the nation's foremost public health agency.

But in a statement released Wednesday afternoon, attorneys for Monarez say she has not been fired and will not resign.

"First it was independent advisory committees and career experts. Then it was the dismissal of seasoned scientists. Now, Secretary Kennedy and HHS have set their signs on weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk," the statement read. "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."

Scripps News has reached out to the CDC, HHS and the White House for comment.

RELATED STORY | Who is Susan Monarez? Senate confirms Trump's new CDC leader

Monarez's ouster comes less than a month after she was confirmed by the Senate to lead the CDC.

Monarez, 50, was named acting director in January and then tapped as the nominee in March after Trump abruptly withdrew his first choice, David Weldon.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

The Church of the Annunciation has shared a letter to parishioners and those impacted by the deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 17 others injured when a gunman opened fire during an all-school Mass early Wednesday morning. Officials said those injured are expected to recover.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | 2 children killed, 17 injured in shooting during Mass at Minneapolis Catholic school

Read the church's letter below:

Dear Annunciation Parish and School Family,

We are navigating an impossible situation together at this time. No words can capture what we have gone through, what we are going through, and what we will go through in the coming days and weeks. But we will navigate this - together.

This morning, a gunman began shooting into our church from the outside during Mass. You need to know that within seconds, our heroic staff moved students under the pews. Law enforcement responded quickly and evacuated all of our children and staff to safety in a matter of minutes when it was safe to do so.

Tragically, we lost two of our beloved students before the scene was secured. A number of other children and parishioners were wounded, and they are being treated at area hospitals. Some have been treated and released. All staff are physically safe and accounted for.

Please lift up these families and these children in prayer and surround them and each other with your love during this difficult time.

Thank you to you, our school parents, for your patience and support in receiving your children this morning. Please continue to pray for those students who are still hospitalized.

As we process and navigate this unfathomable time together, we will be in touch this weekend regarding when school will resume. Investigators and others are still on campus doing their essential work and we expect this to continue for some time.

As we work with a myriad of professional agencies, we will send further communication about support services available to us all at a later time.

In this time of darkness, let us commit to being the Light to our children, each other and our community. We will rebuild our future filled with hope - together.

We love you.

In partnership, in community, in Christ,

Mr. Matthew D. DeBoer, Principal

Fr. Dennis Zehren, Pastor

Church of the Annunciation has also invited community members to join them for a prayer vigil Wednesday night at 7 p.m. local time in the church's Holy Angels gym.

Pope Leo XIV sent a condolence message to the Minneapolis community following a deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday that left two children dead and over a dozen others injured.

Leo sent Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis a telegram that said in part, he was expressing "his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child."

"While commending the souls of the deceased children to the love of Almighty God, His Holiness prays for the wounded as well as the first responders, medical personnel and clergy who are caring for them and their loved ones. At this extremely difficult time, the Holy Father imparts to the Annunciation Catholic School Community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the people of the greater twin cities metropolitan area his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace, fortitude and consolation in the Lord Jesus," the message from Leo continued.

RELATED STORY | White House orders flags flown at half-staff following Minneapolis school shooting

Annunciation Catholic School serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. More than 300 students are enrolled, some as young as 3 years old.

Authorities said a lone gunman shot dozens of rounds from outside the church, targeting children and worshipers during mass.

The injured include 14 children between the ages of 6 and 15 and three adults in their 80s. Officials said they are expected to recover.

Pope Leo XIV sent a condolence message to the Minneapolis community following a deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday that left two children dead and over a dozen others injured.

Leo sent Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis a telegram that said in part, he was expressing "his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child."

"While commending the souls of the deceased children to the love of Almighty God, His Holiness prays for the wounded as well as the first responders, medical personnel and clergy who are caring for them and their loved ones. At this extremely difficult time, the Holy Father imparts to the Annunciation Catholic School Community, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the people of the greater twin cities metropolitan area his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of peace, fortitude and consolation in the Lord Jesus," the message from Leo continued.

RELATED STORY | White House orders flags flown at half-staff following Minneapolis school shooting

Annunciation Catholic School serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. More than 300 students are enrolled, some as young as 3 years old.

Authorities said a lone gunman shot dozens of rounds from outside the church, targeting children and worshipers during mass.

The injured include 14 children between the ages of 6 and 15 and three adults in their 80s. Officials said they are expected to recover.

President Donald Trump ordered flags at federal facilities to half-staff on Wednesday following a fatal shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.

The proclamation, signed Wednesday, says flags at all federal locations, military posts, seagoing vessels and embassies abroad will be lowered to half-staff until sunset on Sunday, August 31.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also ordered all U.S. and Minnesota state flags at state buildings to half-staff following the shooting.

RELATED STORY | 2 children killed, 17 injured in shooting during Mass at Minneapolis Catholic school

Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 17 others injured Wednesday when a gunman opened fire during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, police said.

Fourteen people were being treated for injuries, including two children in critical condition.

President Trump said he has been briefed on the shooting. He has also spoken to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, according to a White House official.

"The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!" President Trump wrote on Truth Social.