Minneapolis Shooting Latest, New Acting CDC Director, North Korean Leader to Beijing

Summary

NPR Up First – August 29, 2025

Episode Summary: Minneapolis Shooting Latest, New Acting CDC Director, North Korean Leader to Beijing

Overview

This episode of NPR’s Up First focuses on three major news stories shaping the day: the aftermath and community response to a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis, the political shakeup at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) following a wave of resignations, and the upcoming unprecedented summit of North Korea, Russia, and China’s leaders for a military parade in Beijing. The hosts—Michelle Martin and Layla Fadel—provide in-depth coverage with field reporting and expert analysis.

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1. Minneapolis Shooting: Community Mourning and Search for Meaning

[02:28–06:18]

Main Points

• Victims Identified: The two children killed during a church mass at Annunciation Church and Catholic School were 10-year-old Harper Lillian Moisky and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel.
• Family and Community Grief: Fletcher’s father, Jesse Merkel, gave a heartfelt public statement aiming to memorialize who his son was, not the violent act that claimed his life.
• Support and Empathy: The family and broader community ask for empathy rather than sympathy and emphasize the importance of remembering the victims for their lives, not their deaths.
• Shooter Information: The alleged shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, had ties to the church and school but no criminal history or confirmed grievance. Police report no sign of radicalization, but note a fascination with mass violence.

Notable Quotes

• Jesse Merkel, Fletcher’s father:
  • “Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life.” (00:07, 04:10)
  • “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.” (03:23)
  • “We ask not for your sympathy but your empathy as our family as and the Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence.” (04:10)
• Michael Burt, parent of Harper’s friend:
  • “[My daughter] was telling me stories as we were going to bed last night of sleepovers they've had and goofiness of fifth grade girls… just makeup gone wrong and staying up late and watching movies.” (05:07)

Segment Flow

• [02:28] Victims’ names are announced.
• [03:05] NPR’s Jason DeRose reports from Minneapolis, sharing further details from the family and friends.
• [04:49] Background on Harper Moisky and the ongoing community trauma.
• [05:25] Discussion of law enforcement’s current findings about the shooter.

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2. CDC Turmoil: Leadership Shakeup Amid Resignations

[06:28–10:30]

Main Points

• Leadership Change: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed Jim O’Neill as the acting director after the forced resignation of Susan Minares, who left under protest along with several top CDC officials.
• Qualifications and Concerns: O’Neill is not a physician or scientist but has strong libertarian views and significant experience in investment, notably working with Peter Thiel. Former directors see his appointment as part of a troubling pattern.
• Internal Dissent: Resigned officials cite concerns about anti-science directives and a move away from evidence-based public health practices.
• Congressional Oversight: Lawmakers, particularly Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), signal plans for oversight in response to the CDC’s leadership upheaval.

Notable Quotes

• Deb Howard, former CDC Chief Medical Officer:
  • “We said, okay, this is our time. And we decided to do it together because when a single senior leader leaves, you know, it gets a little blip. But for us, we care about the agency and the people, and this is the way we could make that strong statement.” (09:02)
  • “You can be a great administrator, but you do need to at least have a knowledge of how you'd handle an outbreak or an emerging pathogen.” (00:29, 09:33)
• Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR health policy correspondent:
  • “It’s notable that he [Jim O’Neill] is not a physician or a scientist. … Most CDC directors through the decades have had medical degrees.” (08:02)
• Reported O’Neill Quote (2009 Speech):
  • “Eleven people every day die while waiting for a kidney that could save their life. And there are plenty of healthy, spare kidneys walking around unused.” (07:53)

Segment Flow

• [06:28] Announcement of Jim O’Neill’s appointment and the reasons for Susan Minares’ removal.
• [07:03] Analysis of O’Neill’s background and beliefs.
• [08:27] Discussion of resignations and direct quotes from departing officials.
• [09:49] Congressional response and what comes next for CDC leadership.

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3. Beijing Military Parade: A New Axis?

[10:39–14:02]

Main Points

• Historic Meeting: The leaders of North Korea, Russia, and China—Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping—will gather together for the first time for a military parade marking World War II’s end.
• Geopolitical Implications: The event signals a tightening of strategic ties between the three countries, framed as opposition to the U.S.-led world order.
• International Attendance and Messaging: While U.S. President Trump will not attend, heads of state from 26 nations, many aligned with China and Russia, will be present. China seeks to emphasize its World War II sacrifices as part of its leadership narrative.
• North Korea's Diplomatic Maneuvers: Kim Jong Un, having recently bounded closer to Russia, may be shifting focus as peace talks develop and possibly preparing to engage with the U.S. again.

Notable Quotes

• Anthony Kuhn, NPR Correspondent (from Seoul):
  • “It’s not only the first meeting of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un. It’s a meeting of the three nations’ leaders that we didn’t even see during the Cold War.” (11:14)
• John Delury, Asia Society senior fellow (quoted by Anthony Kuhn):
  • “We can certainly read this as Kim Jong Un realizing, okay, I can’t put all my eggs in the Russian basket and again, need to kind of improve the ties with China, but also looking beyond China at Donald Trump and see what may be in play with the Americans.” (13:06)

Segment Flow

• [10:39] Overview of Beijing’s parade.
• [11:06] The historic nature of the three-way meeting and its limited military cooperation.
• [12:07] Discussion of guest list and diplomatic positioning.
• [12:43] Analysis of Kim Jong Un’s strategic approach and potential for renewed U.S. contacts.
• [13:39] China’s message of military power, national sacrifice, and global leadership.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes With Timestamps

• Jesse Merkel’s emotional remembrance of his son (03:23–04:10):
  “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.”

• Deb Howard on CDC leadership (09:33):
  “You can be a great administrator, but you do need to at least have a knowledge of how you'd handle an outbreak or an emerging pathogen.”

• Anthony Kuhn on the Beijing summit’s historic nature (11:14):
  “It’s a meeting of the three nations’ leaders that we didn’t even see during the Cold War.”

---

Conclusion

This episode provides a somber yet informative look at a community shattered by violence, the uncertainty facing America’s public health leadership, and a major geopolitical gathering signaling global realignments. Through interviews, on-the-ground reporting, and analysis, Up First offers listeners essential context behind today’s headlines, combined with the personal stories that define them.

Transcript

[Michelle Martin]

The father of a boy who was killed in the Minneapolis shooting has spoken publicly for the first time.

[Jesse Merkel]

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

[Layla Fadel]

We're learning more about both children whose lives were taken.

[Michelle Martin]

I'm Michelle Martin. That's Layla Fadel. And this is up first from NPR News. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has appointed an acting director to run the CDC following the purge and resignations of a number of top officials.

[Deb Howard]

You can be a great administrator, but you do need to at least have a knowledge of how you'd handle an outbreak or an emerging pathogen.

[Michelle Martin]

How one expert who resigned from the CDC this week views the appointment and.

[Layla Fadel]

The leaders of North Korea, Russia and China will gather for the first time in Beijing next week for a military parade to mark the end of World War II. Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day.

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[Layla Fadel]

We now know the names of the two children who were shot and killed Wednesday at Annunciation Church and Catholic school.

[Michelle Martin]

10 year old Harper Lillian Moisky and 8 year old Fletcher Merkel lost their lives in the pews of the church at a mass to celebrate the first week of school. In his first public statement, Fletcher's father, Jesse Merkel, asked that we remember his child for who he was, not how he died.

[Jesse Merkel]

Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play.

[Layla Fadel]

Joining us From Minneapolis is NPR's Jason DeRose. Good morning, Jason.

[Jason DeRose]

Hello.

[Layla Fadel]

So, Jason, Jesse Merkel said this would be his only statement on his son's death. What did he want people to know about Fletcher?

[Jason DeRose]

Well, in addition to what Fletcher loved fishing and cooking and sports. His father wanted to make sure people understand the depth of the family's loss.

[Jesse Merkel]

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.

[Jason DeRose]

His son was just 8 years old in third grade and he had an entire life in front of him. And he said not only was Fletcher deprived of his life, but the shooter deprived the whole school, the whole community, the whole world of the person Fletcher could have become.

[Layla Fadel]

You can hear the depths of the grief in his voice. Now, in addition to what Jesse Merkel wanted people to know about his son, what does he want people to do in the aftermath of this shooting?

[Jason DeRose]

Well, he really focused on not allowing his son's death to be the defining characteristic of his life.

[Jesse Merkel]

We ask not for your sympathy but your empathy as our family as and the Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence. Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life. We love you, Fletcher. You'll always be with us.

[Jason DeRose]

And Merkel said he really hopes his family and the school and the church community will be able to eventually heal from the loss, not forget the loss, but heal from it.

[Layla Fadel]

And what do we know about the 10 year old girl who also was killed during that mass? What do we know about her?

[Jason DeRose]

Well, her name, as you said, is Harper Lillian Moisky. According to the county medical examiner here, she was just starting fifth grade and she had a lot of friends. One of Michael Burt's daughters is one of those friends. He says his daughter had so many fond memories of the two of them together.

[Jesse Merkel]

My daughter was telling me stories as we were going to bed last night of sleepovers they've had and goofiness of fifth grade girls, fourth grade girls last year, just makeup gone wrong and staying up late and watching movies.

[Jason DeRose]

Burt says he wants to help his daughter keep the memory of her friend alive.

[Layla Fadel]

And Jason, what is the latest on what law enforcement has learned about the shooter?

[Jason DeRose]

Well, police say 23 year old Robin Westman attended Annunciation Church, where the killing took place, and attended the Catholic school there as well when they were younger. The shooter's mother had been employed at the school until a few years ago. Authorities have not identified a specific grievance against the church or the school. They've reviewed surveillance video at the church and say it shows that the shooter did not enter the building. The sanctuary doors were locked during the mass, which they say is the normal practice there. Police say the shooter had no criminal history and no other incidents that would have put them in law enforcement's radar. And they say there's no evidence that the shooter was radicalized but did have a fascination with mass violence.

[Layla Fadel]

That's NPR's Jason DeRose joining us from Minneapolis. Thank you for your reporting, Jason.

[Jason DeRose]

You're welcome.

[Layla Fadel]

A top advisor to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Has been selected to serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Michelle Martin]

The announcement comes after Susan Minares was forced out of the job after less than a month. Her attorneys say it's because she, quote, refused to rubber stamp unscientific reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, unquote. Several other top leaders at CDC then resigned in protest.

[Layla Fadel]

For more on the shakeup, NPR health policy correspondent Selena Simmons Duffin is here to explain. Good morning, Selena.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Morning, Leila.

[Layla Fadel]

So what have you found out about the soon to be acting director of cdc?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

His name is Jim o'. Neill. That was first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by NPR. He's currently serving as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. S deputy at HHS. He previously served various roles at HHS under President George W. Bush, but since then he's mostly run investment funds for billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel. He has expressed very strong libertarian views and including, for instance, that FDA should just put medicine out on the market and let consumers assume the risks. And he's also said he thinks people should be able to be compensated for donating human organs to help incentivize more supply. Here he is in an online video making that point in a speech in 2009.

[Jason DeRose]

Eleven people every day die while waiting for a kidney that could save their life.

[Anthony Kuhn]

And there are plenty of healthy, spare.

[Jason DeRose]

Kidneys walking around unused.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

It's notable that he is not a physician or a scientist. Susan Menaros, who was Senate confirmed as CDC director, has a doctorate in microbiology, and most CDC directors through the decades have had medical degrees.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay, so he really has no medical background. She does. And the three CDC officials who resigned in protest over the Director's removal. Were all medical doctors. Were you able to talk to them about why they left?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Yeah. You know, I spoke to one of the people who resigned yesterday. Her name is Deb Howard, chief medical officer. She said that it became clear very quickly after Menarez was sworn in and started working at CDC that she wasn't going to be able to implement her policy ideas on vaccines and how he felt she couldn't be part of the agency if Kennedy was going to let anti science activists run the show. She was in touch with two center directors who felt the same. So on Wednesday, when news reports started coming out that Menares was being fired.

[Deb Howard]

We said, okay, this is our time. And we decided to do it together because when a single senior leader leaves, you know, it gets a little blip. But for us, we care about the agency and the people, and this is the way we could make that strong statement.

[Layla Fadel]

And what was her reaction to the naming of Jim o' Neill as the next acting director?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Well, Howery told me he has been to cdc. He came with Secretary Kennedy to Atlanta after the shooting that happened there earlier this month. She has concerns about the fact that he's not a physician or scientist.

[Deb Howard]

You can be a great administrator, but you do need to at least have a knowledge of how you'd handle an outbreak or an emerging pathogen.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

It's unclear how long o' Neill will be serving in the acting role, but the next director will have to go through the Senate confirmation process, which often takes months.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay, let's talk about that. I mean, what is the role of Congress here? Could lawmakers step in?

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

Well, several Democratic lawmakers have called for Kennedy to be fired over all of this. They're, of course, in the minority in both houses of Congress. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy is a key figure. He is a physician from Louisiana who chairs the health Committee and strongly supports vaccines. He voted to confirm Kennedy after promises he would maintain federal vaccine policies, which is not what Kennedy has done. Cassidy said this week that his committee will conduct oversight of these CDC resignations, although he's yet to confirm that there'll be a hearing about it.

[Layla Fadel]

That's NPR's Selena Simmons. Duffin. Thank you, Selena.

[Selena Simmons-Duffin]

You're welcome.

[Layla Fadel]

China will stage an elaborate military parade next Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

[Michelle Martin]

Topping the guest list will be the Russian president Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While dozens of world leaders are expected to attend the event, President Trump is not one of them.

[Layla Fadel]

To help us preview the big event, NPR's Anthony Kuhn joins us from Seoul. Good morning, Anthony.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Morning, Lila.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay, so this is the first time ever the leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea will meet. What can we expect from the meeting?

[Anthony Kuhn]

Yeah, it's not only the first meeting of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un. It's a meeting of the three nations leaders that we didn't even see during the Cold War. So I think we can expect some pretty striking images of these three men atop the rostrum in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. In terms of concrete cooperation, there's been some. Russia and China have, for example, helped North Korea defeat international sanctions. China and North Korea have helped Russia to differing degrees in its war in Ukraine. But they don't have three way military drills. They don't have any three way offices or institutions. It's a loose coalition, and this parade will tighten it somewhat. Also, all three of these nations fought fascist powers in World War II. Russia now claims it's once again fighting fascists in Ukraine and North Korea agrees with it them. So they're at least trying to link the past and present in some sort of narrative.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay, so President Trump won't be in attendance. Who will be?

[Anthony Kuhn]

There'll be heads of state and government from 26 nations. Many are aligned with North Korea and China and Russia, such as Iran, Cuba, Vietnam, and Myanmar. The Serbian president and the Slovak prime minister are the only Western leaders there. Also, South Korea's president will be notably absent. But I guess if Kim wants to reach out to South Korea, their parliamentary speaker will be there for him to speak to.

[Layla Fadel]

Now, this is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's first big multilateral event. How will he approach it?

[Anthony Kuhn]

Well, historically, North Korea's main ally has been China. But Kim Jong Un has recently drawn closer to Vladimir Putin, signing a mutual defense treaty last year with Russia sending some 12,000 troops to help them fight Ukraine. But with peace talks now beginning, Kim may be starting to look past Ukraine. I spoke about this with Asia Society senior fellow John Delury, and here's what he said.

[Jesse Merkel]

We can certainly read this as Kim Jong Un realizing, okay, I can't put all my eggs in the Russian basket and again, need to kind of improve the ties with China, but also looking beyond China at Donald Trump and see what may be in play with the Americans.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Remember that Trump met with Kim three times in 2018-2019. He says he'd like to meet with Kim again this year. And if that happens, Kim will be in a stronger position with Moscow and Beijing's backing.

[Layla Fadel]

Okay, what message is China looking to send at this event?

[Anthony Kuhn]

Well, they're positioning themselves as leader of a multipolar alternative to the US Led order. They'll be rolling a lot of military hardware through Tiananmen Square, and they'll be highlighting their contribution as being on the right side and the winning side of World War II, where they suffered 35 million people killed and wounded. And that's a message they can send both domestically and internationally.

[Layla Fadel]

That's NPR's Anthony Kuhn. Thank you for your reporting, Anthony.

[Anthony Kuhn]

You're welcome.

[Layla Fadel]

And that's up first for Friday, August 29th. I'm Layla Falden.

[Michelle Martin]

And I'm Michelle Martin. If you've been traveling lately, you've probably seen some people going straight to the front of the line at airport security.

[Anthony Kuhn]

I had like angry clouds darkening over my head. I was just sort of like starting to fume.

[Michelle Martin]

This Sunday on Up first, we'll take a closer look at how the private sector has muscled in on what used to be the government's job. Listen to the Sunday story right here on NPR's Up first podcast.

[Layla Fadel]

Today's episode of Up first was edited by Daniel Burke, Diane Weber, Kate Bartlett, Lisa Thompson and Adam Bierne. It was produced by Ziad Buch, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. Our technical is Carly Strange, and our executive producer is Jay Shaler.

[Michelle Martin]

And our special thanks to our colleagues at WWNO for hosting us this week, especially operations director Garrett Pittman and news director Ryan Vasquez. We hope you'll join us again on Monday.

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