Authority to Fire: CDC’s Susan Monarez & Fed’s Lisa Cook 8/28/25

The White House on Wednesday said it had fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez after she refused to resign. Dr. Kavita Patel, former White House health policy director, discusses the implications for public health and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. policies. Then, while President Donald Trump attempts to remove Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook, economists raise questions on Fed independence. Chris Hughes, Economic Security Project co-chair and Facebook co-founder shares his thoughts on the White House’s pressure on the Federal Reserve, as well as the risks and rewards of AI content. Plus, Tesla’s sales in Europe plunged in July, marking the company’s seventh consecutive month of declines while sales of Chinese rival BYD surged.

Dr. Kavita Patel - 4:01

Chris Hughes - 16:37

In this episode:

Leslie Picker, @LesliePicker

Wilfred Frost, @WilfredFrost

Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin

Cameron Costa, @CameronCostaNY