White House picks Kennedy deputy Jim O’Neill to replace fired CDC chief | First Thing

Ex-investment manager chosen as agency's interim director after firing of Susan Monarez. Plus, how marijuana became the US Open's new distraction

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The White House has chosen a deputy of Robert F Kennedy Jr to serve as the acting head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a decision that comes as lawyers for the fired director, Susan Monarez, claim she will not depart unless Donald Trump himself removes her.

What's O'Neill's background? Unlike Monarez, O'Neill does not have a medical or scientific background. He is a former investment executive, served as a speechwriter for the health department during the George W Bush administration, and went on to work for the tech investor and conservative mega-donor Peter Thiel.

What did Murray say? The Trump administration's immigration policy was fundamentally sick", Murray said. Trump has wrongfully detained everyone from lawful green-card holders to American citizens - no one should assume this was necessary or appropriate."