United States: President Trump has resolved to appoint Dr Susan Monarez as the definitive nominee to helm the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sources privy to the deliberations disclosed to CBS News. This move cements her role, transitioning her from an interim leader to a permanent steward of the nation’s paramount public health institution. 

Monarez’s ascension comes in the wake of the White House retracting the nomination of Dr. David Weldon, a former Florida congressman, due to insurmountable concerns regarding his ability to secure sufficient senatorial backing for confirmation. 

An official from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the federal entity overseeing the CDC, corroborated the nomination, while representatives from the White House refrained from immediate commentary, according to CBS News. 

Monarez emerged as the frontrunner after outpacing several prospective contenders, including ex-obstetrician-gynecologist and Texas congressman Michael Burgess. Notably, Weldon had previously championed Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo as a prime candidate for the nomination. 

TRUMP nominates Dr. Susan Monarez as the next Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pic.twitter.com/DmvA0Rtj3c

— James Hirsen (@thejimjams) March 24, 2025

Should the Senate confirm her, Monarez will etch her name in history as the first CDC director to undergo legislative scrutiny following a congressional amendment in 2022 mandating the position’s confirmation. Historically, CDC directors ascended to their posts through direct presidential selection, bypassing the rigorous confirmation process. 

Prior to her tenure as the CDC’s acting director, Monarez held the position of deputy director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Her appointment deviates from precedent, as interim leaders have traditionally emerged from the CDC’s internal cadre of seasoned officials. 

One federal health insider conveyed that White House officials have underscored their intent to “ensure precision” in their selection. Another high-ranking official remarked that Monarez has cultivated a constructive rapport with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. since assuming the interim role, as per CBS News.  

Last week, Monarez and her advisory team convened in Washington DC for pivotal meetings, according to a federal health official. 

Meanwhile, Senate confirmations loom for leaders of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), following recent hearings. 

Monarez is poised to confront rigorous inquiries regarding her involvement in contentious agency decisions, including perceived encroachments on the independence of the CDC’s flagship medical journal, sudden postponements of advisory panel meetings on vaccinations, and the proposal to reexamine the purported correlation between vaccines and autism—an assertion long discredited by the scientific community. 

The CDC currently grapples with a burgeoning spectrum of public health crises, notably an alarming resurgence of measles, fueled by an unprecedented outbreak in under-vaccinated communities across Texas and its adjacent states, as per CBS News. 

As with other nominees, Monarez will likely face intense scrutiny over her stance on Secretary Kennedy’s management of public health emergencies, including his controversial downplaying of measles risks while amplifying vaccine-related concerns. His remarks on addressing other viral threats, such as the surging avian influenza outbreak, have also provoked sharp criticism. 

Furthermore, Monarez has played a pivotal role in orchestrating sweeping workforce reductions at the CDC, with impending layoffs projected to impact up to 30% of the agency’s personnel—a move anticipated to ignite fervent debate over its ramifications for public health infrastructure. 

United States: The stewardship of student loans for approximately 40 million borrowers will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Small Business Administration (SBA), US President Donald Trump announced on Friday. This decision follows his directive to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling one of his prominent campaign promises. 

The dissolution of a significant portion of the education department has sparked concerns over the continuity of critical functions, including the management of student loan services. 

“The SBA is fully prepared, eagerly awaiting the task, and will administer it far more efficiently than it has been managed before. The previous handling has been chaotic,” Trump remarked during his Oval Office address on Friday. 

While Trump stated that the transfer of responsibilities would occur “immediately,” he refrained from providing further clarity on the exact timeline, according to reports by BBC News. 

Trump announces that the Small Business Administration will immediately handle all federal student loans, and RFK Jr is now in charge of "handling special needs and all of the nutrition programs and everything else." pic.twitter.com/m6wGHdGl0i

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 21, 2025

In addition to the SBA’s assumption of student loan management, Trump disclosed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would assume control over certain student-related programs. This includes handling special needs services and overseeing nutritional assistance programs—tasks that were previously managed by the education department. 

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will spearhead initiatives concerning special needs care, nutritional programs, and other multifaceted services. It’s a complex arrangement,” Trump elaborated. 

Earlier this week, Trump issued scathing criticisms of the education department, citing its “staggering failures.” He emphasized his commitment to reallocating the agency’s funding directly to individual states. 

Currently, state and local authorities retain significant control over public education in the US, including the development of curriculum standards. The federal education department’s primary responsibility had been the administration of financial aid programs to assist students in covering their university expenses, as per BBC News. 

These structural shifts align with the Trump administration’s broader agenda to reduce government expenditures by shuttering agencies and implementing workforce reductions. 

In a separate announcement on Friday, the SBA confirmed its intention to eliminate over 40% of its personnel. Agency officials projected that the downsizing initiative would generate savings exceeding $435 million annually by the next fiscal year. 

United States: The European Union has opted to postpone the enforcement of its initial tranche of tariffs on US goods until mid-April, granting additional leeway for dialogue with Washington, an EU representative disclosed to CNBC on Thursday. 

“The Commission has resolved to synchronize the implementation timeline of the two phases of EU retaliatory actions in response to the US 232 tariffs on EU steel and aluminum,” the spokesperson stated, further emphasizing that the deferment “affords supplementary time for exchanges with the US administration,” according to CNBC News.  

“This revision denotes a marginal recalibration of the schedule without undermining the magnitude of our reaction, especially as the EU remains poised for countermeasures amounting to as much as EUR 26 billion [USD 28 billion],” they remarked. 

Earlier this month, the EU had delineated a dual-faceted strategy, consisting of reinstating previously lifted tariffs and introducing an array of additional levies on further US imports.

WATCH: The European Union has delayed its first counter-measures against the US over President Donald Trump's metals tariffs until mid-April, allowing it to re-think which US goods to hit and offering extra weeks for negotiations https://t.co/GH5u010cKn pic.twitter.com/C2EWOb2g1J

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) March 20, 2025

The targeted goods encompass industrial-grade steel and aluminum, along with semifinished and finished variations of these metals, as well as derivative products like mechanical components and knitting needles, as reported by CNBC News. 

An expansive assortment of commodities could also face tariffs, ranging from bourbon and agricultural items to industrial products such as textiles, leather articles, and household appliances. 

“Our intention is to establish a well-measured product selection, bearing in mind the welfare of EU manufacturers, exporters, and consumers alike,” the EU representative conveyed to CNBC. 

The EU initiated these measures in reaction to the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports imposed by former US President Donald Trump. At that juncture, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored the necessity for the EU to “take decisive action to safeguard businesses and consumers.” 

The Commission also indicated that its responsive measures would be amplified beyond the initial scope, acknowledging that the revised US tariffs had broadened substantially and inflicted a more pronounced economic impact on European trade, as per CNBC News. 

“The principal aim is to ensure that the total magnitude of EU actions matches the heightened trade disruption caused by the augmented US tariffs,” the Commission elucidated in an explanatory note on its plans. 

Ongoing Deliberations 

Maros Sefcovic, the EU’s commissioner for trade and economic security, reaffirmed on Thursday that negotiations with Washington are ongoing. 

“President von der Leyen has entrusted me with the task of sustaining a dialogue with the US to explore a viable resolution,” Sefcovic stated, according to a transcript of his comments delivered at the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee. 

“I am engaged with my US counterparts to gain further clarity on their intentions and to identify potential resolutions,” he added, underscoring that the EU was maintaining readiness, according to CNBC News.  

“On April 2, we will evaluate the actions taken by the US and retain the agility to calibrate our countermeasures as deemed appropriate,” Sefcovic concluded. 

Notably, April 2 marks the deadline announced by Trump for the imposition of reciprocal tariffs targeting other nations.