Marines Deployed to LA, CDC Vaccine Board Ousted, Overdose Deaths Drop

Summary

Up First from NPR: June 10, 2025

Hosts: Leila Fadel, Steve Inskeep, Michel Martin, and A Martinez
Episode Title: Marines Deployed to LA, CDC Vaccine Board Ousted, Overdose Deaths Drop

---

1. President Trump's Deployment of Marines to Los Angeles

Overview:
The episode opens with President Trump's controversial decision to deploy active duty Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid ongoing immigration protests. This move has sparked intense debate and legal challenges from state and local officials.

Key Points:

• Deployment Details:
  President Trump has sent 700 active duty Marines from the 29 Palms base, located 150 miles east of LA, along with an additional 2,000 National Guard troops. This brings the total military presence to approximately 4,700 troops aiming to control the protests.

• Purpose and Scope:
  The Pentagon has stated that the Marines will collaborate with National Guard troops to protect federal buildings and agents involved in immigration enforcement. However, the extent of their authority remains uncertain, as federal law typically restricts active duty forces from domestic law enforcement without invoking the Insurrection Act—a move Trump has hinted at but not yet declared.

• Political Reactions:

  • Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the deployment as an attempt to "sow chaos," emphasizing that local and state police have managed the protests effectively. He remarked, "We are heading in the direction of US Vaccine policy becoming the laughingstock of the globe" (08:31).
  • Michelle Trump, President Trump's daughter, escalated tensions by endorsing the arrest of Governor Newsom—an unprecedented statement against a sitting governor.

• Legal Challenges:
  Governor Newsom has filed a lawsuit against Trump's decision to commandeer the state National Guard and plans to sue over the deployment of the Marines, questioning the legality of using federal troops in domestic protests.

• Public Sentiment:
  Protesters fear that the influx of military personnel will exacerbate tensions rather than quell them. "They're gonna make it worse. Look at what everybody's doing. People are just gonna riled up," stated a protester named Sandra Martinez (04:33).

Notable Quotes:

• Michelle Martin: "He's not for peacemaking. He's here for war." (00:34)
• Gavin Newsom: "We are heading in the direction of US Vaccine policy becoming the laughingstock of the globe." (07:06)

---

2. Dismissal of CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee Members

Overview:
In a startling move, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a critical body that advises the CDC on vaccine policies.

Key Points:

• Committee's Role:
  ACIP plays a crucial role in shaping vaccine schedules for both children and adults, influencing which vaccines are covered by health insurance. The committee comprises experts in immunology, pediatrics, and related fields and has been instrumental during public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Kennedy's Rationale:
  Kennedy stated, "A clean sweep is necessary to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science." However, this statement has been met with skepticism given Kennedy's long-standing skepticism toward vaccines.

• Reactions from the Medical Community:

  • American Medical Association and Infectious Diseases Society of America have denounced the removal, labeling it "reckless" and "shortsighted."
  • Former CDC directors expressed concern that this action could undermine public trust in vaccine recommendations, especially during ongoing measles outbreaks.
  • Former ACIP Chair Grace Lee responded with a single word: "speechless."

• Legality and Process:
  As the secretary of health, Kennedy has the authority to appoint and remove ACIP members. The immediate impact includes the suspension of upcoming vaccine discussions and policies until new members are appointed.

• Future Implications:
  The restructuring of ACIP raises questions about the future of vaccine policy in the U.S. The next official meeting is scheduled for later this month in Atlanta, where new appointments will be a central topic.

Notable Quotes:

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: "A clean sweep is necessary to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science." (07:09)
• Dr. Jonathan Tempte: "ACIP has been across the entire world the paragon of good, solid, well thought out evidence based vaccine policy." (08:31)

---

3. Decline in Overdose Deaths Among Young Americans

Overview:
Amidst a prolonged crisis of fentanyl-related overdoses, there's emerging positive news: overdose deaths among young people in the U.S. are declining sharply, signaling a potential turnaround in the epidemic.

Key Points:

• Statistics:

  • Over 230,000 individuals under 35 have died from overdoses in the past decade.
  • Federal data indicates a 47% reduction in overdose risk among Generation Z (ages 20-29) and a significant drop among teenagers.
  • This decrease translates to saving approximately 15,000 young lives per year.

• Reasons for Decline:

  • Increased Availability of Naloxone: Also known as Narcan, this medication effectively reverses fentanyl overdoses and has been more widely distributed.
  • Behavioral Changes: Young people are reportedly more cautious, using fewer hard drugs that are often adulterated with fentanyl.
  • Healthcare Interventions: Enhanced addiction healthcare services have played a role in reducing fatalities.

• Expert Insights:

  • Noah Kravchak, a researcher at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, highlighted the drastic rise in fentanyl's potency and its widespread contamination in various drugs since 2014, making it exceptionally lethal for young users.
  • Brian Mann, NPR Addiction Correspondent, emphasized the critical nature of continued efforts: "But more work to be done here."

• Potential Threats to Progress:

  • Legislative Cuts: The Republican-controlled House has passed a budget that would eliminate billions from Medicaid and public health agencies, potentially jeopardizing funding for addiction programs.
  • Federal Priorities: The Trump administration defends the cuts as a pursuit of efficiency, but public health experts fear it could reverse the gains made in combating the overdose crisis.

Notable Quotes:

• Brian Mann: "This is an extraordinary moment." (10:01)
• Gavin Newsom: "In overdose risk among Gen Z... cut it right in half." (10:21)
• Brian Mann: "After a decade of all this death from fentanyl, at least some young people seem to be a lot more cautious." (11:48)

---

Conclusion

This episode of Up First delves into three pressing issues: the militarization of protests in Los Angeles, upheavals within the CDC's vaccine advisory body, and the hopeful decline in overdose deaths among young Americans. Through expert interviews, official statements, and on-the-ground reporting, NPR provides a comprehensive overview of these multifaceted stories, highlighting the interplay between federal actions, public health policies, and societal impacts.

---

Stay Informed:
Subscribe to Up First on your preferred podcast platform to receive daily updates on the most important news stories shaping our world.

Transcript

[Amy Martinez]

President Trump sends active duty Marines to respond to immigration protests in L. A.

[Michelle Martin]

He's not for peacemaking. He's here for war.

[Amy Martinez]

He wants a civil war on the streets.

[Adrian Florido]

What will the Marines be allowed to do?

[Amy Martinez]

I'm Amy Martinez. That is Michelle Martin. And this is up first from NPR News. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Has removed all members of a CDC vaccine advisory committee.

[Gavin Newsom]

We are heading in the direction of US Vaccine policy becoming the laughingstock of the globe.

[Amy Martinez]

What's the reason for the dismissals?

[Adrian Florido]

And fatal overdoses from fentanyl are down among young people.

[Michelle Martin]

What we're seeing is a massive reduction.

[Brian Mann]

In overdose risk among Gen Z in particular.

[Adrian Florido]

Stay with us. We've got news. You need to start your day.

[Will Stone]

Public media is facing the most serious threat in its history. Congress is considering a White House proposal that would eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund local NPR stations. This move would immediately threaten many stations ability to serve their communities and could force some to close. Take a stand for public media [e-mail].

[Adrian Florido]

Decades ago, Brazilian women made a discovery they could have an abortion without a doctor thanks to a tiny pill.

[Amy Martinez]

That pill spawned a global movement helping.

[Adrian Florido]

Millions of women have safe abortions regardless of the law. Hear that story on the network from NPR's Embedded and Futuro Media. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Amy Martinez]

These days, there is a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, your family and your community. Consider this from NPR as a podcast that helps you make sense of the news. Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a story and provide the context, the backstory and analysis you need to understand our rapidly changing world. Listen to the Consider this podcast from npr.

[Adrian Florido]

For the fourth straight night, people in Los Angeles took to the streets to protest ICE immigration raids.

[Amy Martinez]

President Trump is now sending hundreds of active duty Marines into the city and an additional 2,000 National Guard troops, doubling the amount he mobilized over the weekend. Trump says it's to control the protests. California's governor and LA's mayor, both Democrats, are calling this an unnecessary escalation.

[Adrian Florido]

NPR's Adrian Florido is in Los Angeles and is with us now to tell us more about all this. Good morning, Adrian.

[Gavin Newsom]

Good morning, Michelle.

[Adrian Florido]

So what's the latest on these Marines heading into the city?

[Gavin Newsom]

Well, the Defense Department said it's bringing 700 active duty Marines in from 29 Palms, a military base 150 miles east of LA. A defense official told NPR they will be working with the already Deployed National Guard troops. So this is a combined 4700 military troops being deployed to Los Angeles for what so far have been largely peaceful protests with flare ups of violence and vandalism.

[Adrian Florido]

What do we know about what these Marines will be allowed to do?

[Gavin Newsom]

Well, for now, the Pentagon says that they will be working with the National Guard troops to protect federal buildings and federal agents carrying out immigration enforcement. It's uncertain how much more they can do. Federal law generally bars active duty forces from domestic law enforcement unless the President invokes the Insurrection Act. Trump has not done that yet, but has suggested that he could. He's already called these protesters insurrectionists.

[Adrian Florido]

So what's been the response of California's Governor, Gavin Newsom, who is, as we said, a Democrat?

[Gavin Newsom]

Well, he's been saying since the weekend that the President is trying to sow chaos. He calls this escalation unneeded and provocative. He said local and state police have been able to handle protesters who have turned violent and that they've been working to keep the peace on the streets. But here's what Newsom said to Fox's LA affiliate kttv.

[Michelle Martin]

That's not what Trump is after. He's not for peacemaking. He's here for war.

[Amy Martinez]

He wants a civil war on the streets.

[Gavin Newsom]

Newsom filed suit challenging Trump's decision to take over the state National Guard without his authorization and has said that he'll also sue over the deployment of the Marines. For his part, Michelle Trump yesterday endorsed the idea of arresting Gavin Newsom, which is an extraordinary thing to say about a sitting governor.

[Adrian Florido]

And so you've been talking to a lot of people who've been participating in these protests. What are they saying about these thousands of troops being sent into the city?

[Gavin Newsom]

A lot of them are saying they fear that these troops coming in will inflame tension on the streets even further. Like Sandra Martinez, she was out peacefully protesting last night.

[Adrian Florido]

They're gonna make it worse. Look at what everybody's doing. People are just gonna riled up. There is people protest, but with that.

[Michelle Martin]

Also comes people that they don't hold back.

[Gavin Newsom]

Louisiana Mayor Karen Bass. Michelle said that the Trump administration is trying to see how far it can go to take control away from cities and states.

[Adrian Florido]

I don't think that our city should be used for an experiment to see what happens in the nation's second largest city. Well, maybe we can do this to other cities.

[Gavin Newsom]

She called on ice to end its raids in Los Angeles. She said it conducted at least five yesterday.

[Adrian Florido]

Adrian, before we let you go, I understand that These protests against ICE raids are now spreading to other cities.

[Gavin Newsom]

They are There were protests in at least two dozen cities across the country yesterday, and officials in different places are starting to express concern that things could get out of hand if the Trump administration continues down this path. Last night, Senator Jack Reid, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said the president is using the military as a political weapon, which Reid said could, quote, turn a tense situation in LA into a national crisis.

[Adrian Florido]

That is npr' Adrian Florido in Los Angeles. Adrian, thank you so much.

[Gavin Newsom]

Thank you, Michelle.

[Adrian Florido]

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Is removing all 17 members of a key vaccine committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Amy Martinez]

Kennedy made the announcement Monday afternoon, and it's alarmed many in the medical and public health establishment.

[Adrian Florido]

NPR health correspondent Will Stone is with us now to tell us more about this. Good morning. Will you.

[Michelle Martin]

Good morning.

[Adrian Florido]

First, would you just tell us what the committee does or what it's supposed to do and why it's important?

[Brian Mann]

Yeah.

[Michelle Martin]

This group of outside experts has a big hand in vaccine policy. It's called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, ACIP for short. They review evidence, make recommendations to the CDC on the vaccine schedule for children and adults. This also helps determine which vaccines get covered by health insurance. The members tend to be experts in vaccines, immunology, pediatrics, and the committee has been around since the 60s, actually, but they got a lot of visibility during the early days of the COVID pandemic. As secretary of Health, Kennedy does have the authority to replace anyone on the committee because his department oversees the cdc. And that's what he decided to do yesterday when he got rid of everyone.

[Adrian Florido]

What was his rationale? Did he explain why?

[Michelle Martin]

Yes. Kennedy was very clear in a press release. He said, quote, a clean sweep is necessary to re establish public confidence in vaccine science, end quote. It's worth noting that Kennedy himself spent years undermining confidence confidence in vaccines. He also claimed the committee was rubber stamping recommendations and had conflicts of interest. Kennedy has made these allegations of conflicts of interest before. My NPR colleague Ping Huang looked into this and found that a government report Kendi brings up doesn't back up his claim. There are ethics rules members have to disclose if they have any conflict before they take a vote and recuse themselves if they do. The possibility that Kennedy would replace everyone on the committee with his choices is what some politicians and public health experts worried about when he was originally nominated.

[Adrian Florido]

And now that he's gone ahead and done it, what's been the reaction?

[Michelle Martin]

Well, very quickly, prominent Groups like the American Medical association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America denounced the move, as did some past directors of the cdc. They warn it's reckless, shortsighted, could undermine confidence in vaccine recommendations and efforts to get more kids vaccinated, especially during a measles outbreak. Outbreak. I spoke with Dr. Jonathan Tempte, who's at the University of Wisconsin. He's no longer on ACIP, but he served as chair of the committee from 2012 to 2015.

[Gavin Newsom]

ACIP has been across the entire world the paragon of good, solid, well thought out evidence based vaccine policy. I hate to say this, we are heading in the direction of US Vaccine policy becoming the laughingstock of of the globe.

[Michelle Martin]

And I wrote to another former ACIP chair, Grace Lee, who's at Stanford to get her reaction. I got a one word reply from her, speechless.

[Adrian Florido]

So what's next?

[Michelle Martin]

Kennedy has said there are new members under consideration. We don't know who those people will be. Will they have the vaccine related expertise that you typically expect committee members to have? Kennedy did make the point that the entire committee he's replacing or was appointed by Biden, many of them just last year. We do know the next official meeting will be later this month at CDC headquarters in Atlanta.

[Adrian Florido]

That is NPR health correspondent Will Stone. Will, thank you.

[Michelle Martin]

Thank you.

[Adrian Florido]

There is more hopeful news about America's fentanyl crisis, this time about young people.

[Michelle Martin]

Yeah.

[Amy Martinez]

After a decade of carnage when more than 230,000 people under the age of 35 died from overdoses in the U.S. drug deaths are finally dropping fast.

[Adrian Florido]

NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann is with us now to tell us more about this. Brian, good morning to you.

[Brian Mann]

Good morning, Michelle.

[Adrian Florido]

So how big and how promising is this shift?

[Brian Mann]

Well, this is an extraordinary moment. Fentanyl killed young Americans at a rate unlike anything the US or really any other country had ever seen, devastating families and whole communities. But Navaranda Scupta Research at the University of North Carolina says federal data shows a huge pivot.

[Michelle Martin]

What we're seeing is a massive reduction.

[Gavin Newsom]

In overdose risk among Gen Z.

[Will Stone]

In particular, ages 20 to 29 lowered.

[Gavin Newsom]

Their risk by 47%, cut it right in half.

[Brian Mann]

And teenagers, too, have finally seen a big drop in fatal overdoses. Taken together, Michelle, this is saving about 15,000 lives among young people per year.

[Adrian Florido]

Well, it's remarkable. So, Brian, could you just remind us again what why for young people in the U.S. the fentanyl crisis was different and deadlier than what we saw with, say, heroin or crack cocaine.

[Brian Mann]

Yeah. For decades it's been fairly common for many young Americans to experiment with drugs, you know, trying cocaine, trying maybe a pill they got from a friend at a party. Noah Kravchak studies overdose patterns at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She says after 2014 is much more powerful and lethal for fentanyl started turning up everywhere mixed into drugs. Teens and 20somethings were really vulnerable.

[Gavin Newsom]

Whatever drugs they are using, whether intentionally or not, it is mostly fentanyl. In your generation, people use drugs. In my generation, people use drugs. You just didn't used to die as much from them.

[Brian Mann]

And Krabchek study published last month in the journal Pediatrics found fentanyl deaths among people aged 15 to 24 nearly quadrupled over a five year period through 2022. It seemed unstoppable at times. And then finally last year, we saw this national recovery again. Thousands fewer teens and young adults dying.

[Adrian Florido]

So do researchers know why this improvement is happening?

[Brian Mann]

There are a lot of theories. You know, there's better addiction to health care. Now. Narcan, also known as naloxone, is being widely distributed. It's this medication that reverses fentanyl overdoses. Tragically, one factor scientists are looking at is that many vulnerable kids are already gone. But there is one more thing. There's growing evidence that young people are being more careful. Studies show they're using fewer hard drugs that might be laced or contaminated with fentanyl. After a decade of all this death from fentanyl, at least some young people seem to be a lot more cautious.

[Adrian Florido]

So let's look forward. Is this recovery likely to continue?

[Brian Mann]

A lot of the parents and frontline health workers I've been talking to say more needs to be done. Remember, the US still saw more than 17,000 drug deaths among people under age 35 last year. That's according to provisional data from from federal health agencies. Now that's the lowest number since 2015. But it's still a lot of loss, a lot of sorrow. So more work to be done here. But one concern I'm hearing from experts and families, the Republican budget, Michelle, passed by the House. It would cut billions of dollars from Medicaid and from public health and science agencies. There's fear that grants for fentanyl and other addiction programs will dry up and this recovery could unravel. The Trump administration says it's simply looking for efficiencies and ways to consolidate programs.

[Adrian Florido]

That is NPR's Brian Mann. Brian, thank you.

[Brian Mann]

Thank you, Michelle.

[Adrian Florido]

And that's up first for Tuesday, June 10th. I'm Michelle Martin.

[Amy Martinez]

I'm me Martinez. How about listening to Consider this from NPR we here at up first give you the three big stories of the day. Or consider this colleagues take a different approach. They dive into a single news story and what it means to you in less than a 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get those podcasts.

[Adrian Florido]

Today's episode of up first was edited by Eric Westervelt, Jane Greenholsh, Andrea De Leon, Lisa Thompson and Ellis Wolfley. It was produced by Ziad Butch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Zoe Van Genhoven, and our technical director is Carly Strange. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow.

[Will Stone]

This message comes from Saatva. Getting quality sleep can improve athletic abilities, increase energy, and boost memory and learning. Saatva mattresses are designed to promote that kind of sleep. Save $200 on $1,000 or more at saatva.com NPR Congress is considering a rescissions package from the White House that would claw back more than $1 billion of public media funding. Federal funding for amounts to about $1.60 per person per year. That helps bring you the news and podcasts you rely on from NPR. Please take a stand for public media [e-mail] like the climate, our idea of home is constantly changing. So NPR is devoting an entire week to rethinking home with stories and conversations about the search for solutions, from planting trees to reducing energy use to disaster proofing your house. Explore stories that hit close to home during this year's Climate Solutions Week. Visit npr.org climateweek.