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Open Thread - 30 July 2026 - Paul and Fauci... again?

Submitted by Sima on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 5:00am

Paul and Fauci... again?

Senator Rand Paul had Dr. Anthony Fauci before a Senate committee to testify about Fauci's actions, etc, during the Covid crisis. Fauci took the 5th over 100 times. And he might face consequences for that.

I guess the Senator, and others with him, are not going to let this all fade away and Fauci creep into history, without a reckoning. I don't know which side, if any, I agree with, but I am kind of enjoying seeing the 'doc' get called out and some of his thoughts exposed. Drop Site News had this to say:

A Senate investigation conducted by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) revealed that Anthony Fauci kept a diary throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, in which his observations often directly contradicted his public messaging about the virus. The junior senator from Kentucky released Fauci’s entries from December 2019 to December 2022 in a thread on X over the weekend. On January 26, 2020, roughly two months before the American public entered quarantine, Fauci wrote, “Now we know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier,” referring to the Wuhan market at which many speculated COVID-19 originated.

Interestingly, that diary was found on HHS computers:

Ahead of the hearing, the committee released more than 1,100 pages of Fauci’s personal diary from 2019 to 2022. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday night on Fox News that he had recently handed the files over to Paul and Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson after finding them on government servers following an eight-month search.

Most news sources are not making any judgments, and that's ok, as long as they are presenting all the information. Here's some more stories about the testimony and the diary - From ABC: Takeaways from Anthony Fauci's COVID-era diaries
From CNN (also linked in reference to quote above): Diary entries, a subpoena and an anticipated clash: Dr. Anthony Fauci and Rand Paul’s long-running battle returns to the Hill

Ok, Here's the open thread! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Listening to? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!

Tags:

Open Thread

#Covid

#fauci

#rand_paul

Vote

Comments

Submitted by Sima on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 12:28am

Happy Thursday!

Hope it is a good day, with nice weather, no smoke, lots of fun! Those of us who have Thursdays as Fridays, wind it up and start the weekend

How's it going? Let us know!

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 6:14am

Fauci is guilty as hell on several fronts

and the Biden admin. knew it. Therefore the preemptive pardon.
A bunch of crooks and liars. No wonder people disrespect authority.
Good on Ron Paul to hold his feet to the fire. Fauci should be held in contempt
of Congress for invoking the 5th over 100 times. What is he hiding? Innocents
do not pull stunts like that.

Thanks for the OT!

—

Zionism is a social disease

Submitted by usefewersyllables on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 12:31pm

I do have to admit

@QMS

that it would make my icy cold little heart go pitter-pat to see an administration official (from *any* administration) get sent to the slammer for outright lying to the American people.

The thing is that der Orangefurzenwolkeführer is just stupid enough to go whole-hog on having his DoJ invalidate Biden's pardon of Fauci, completely oblivious to the fact that it would then set a precedent that could be used to invalidate his own misplaced pardons of . That might be fun to watch, and I'd even pop popcorn.

No matter what, I can't imagine him getting the kicking-around he deserves. My he be the first of many.

—

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:53am

Heck, I'd pop popcorn for that too!

@usefewersyllables
This is great: 'The thing is that der Orangefurzenwolkeführer is just stupid enough to go whole-hog on having his DoJ invalidate Biden's pardon of Fauci, completely oblivious to the fact that it would then set a precedent that could be used to invalidate his own misplaced pardons of . That might be fun to watch, and I'd even pop popcorn.'

We can maybe distribute popcorn around the country to all our friends here!

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:51am

Preemptive Pardon for Fauci...

@QMS
I forgot about that. There is no way he's an innocent, that's for sure. Takes the 5th 100 times. Sheez!

Thanks for dropping by. Have a great weekend

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 9:54am

Birthday wishes Buddy Guy

.
Turned 90 today. Long life of crooning the blues.
Still touring! Amazing.

—

Zionism is a social disease

Submitted by soryang on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 10:13am

Truly a great artist

@QMS

Hey, Q!

I saw him live once, together with my late brother and young son, at the Jacksonville Blues Festival. I'll always remember that. It was in an open field, we sat right in front of him on the lawn while he performed.

太棒了！Buddy 生日快乐！

Granddaughter is five today!

—

己所不欲，勿施于人。

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 2:00pm

Happy 5th grand daughter

@soryang
Many more good ones!

Built a cucumber salad this AM from a bunch of gifted cukes.
Rainy day, but I don't mind. Have a good sci-fi "Hail Mary" to
fill the brain. And chores.

3 medium cucumbers (about 1 1/2 lb. total), thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup avocado mayo
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
bunch of Basil
Kosher salt
1 Tsp brown sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

—

Zionism is a social disease

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:55am

5 years old!

@soryang
GO granddaughter!

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by soryang on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 9:40am

Thanks Sima!

@Sima

for the good wishes. spent a pleasant evening with the family last night. We'll be doing some dog sitting next week with Jet, my daughter's dog while they go on vacation. I'll have to get a picture of Jet, he's my stand in for Smokey now. He gets all excited when he sees us, especially Ms. So because he knows she's a great cook, and expects leftovers.

—

己所不欲，勿施于人。

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:54am

90 and still touring...

@QMS
Wow, much respect. And his music is awesome too! Thanks for the video!

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 12:40pm

Good morning Sima, thanks for the info and OT. I might have

to go and try to find a copy of that diary. Good for Paul for holding his feet to the fire, but, beyond that, there is a bit of "sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" about this. Ron Margolis was subpoena'd by the House Un-American Activities Committee and refused to testify. When threatened with contempt proceedings, he famously said

"I feel nothing but contempt for this committee and I'm proud of it.

I think most of us know that Fauci was a bad actor but, nonetheless, pleading the fifth is not and cannot legally be equated with evidence of wrongdoing. Innocent people often take the fifth, because overzealous prosecutors ( Objection, redundant!) can and often do prosecute and even convict innocent people on the thinnest of circumstantial evidence conjoined with the most fallacious chains of logic imaginable. It is wise to provide them nothing with which to hallucinate a case against one.

be well and have a good one

—

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Submitted by QMS on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 2:11pm

they 'rest me for forgery

@enhydra lutris
.
can't even spell my name.
Sounds like trumped-up charges to me.
As in, gonna bomb the shit out of em.
Generals: no you ain't. Got no more missiles.

—

Zionism is a social disease

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:59am

Yep he was a bad actor...

@enhydra lutris
and about more than Covid. I don't think the contempt charges will amount to anything, to be honest. Just kinda amusing to watch them proceed, if they do.

Good music, thank you! And have a good weekend!

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by on the cusp on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 4:34pm

Good afternoon, sima!

Interesting that Fauci could have discussed anything, including admissions of past crimes, without fear of arrest. The only charge he could face would have been lying under oath. I can't figure out his reasoning, since he had no need to lie.
I read these 2 quotes today:

Rubio: "Iran would be a much different country if it spent its wealth on its people instead of weapons."

Trump: "We're fighting wars. It's not possible for us to take care of Medicare, daycare, Medicaid, all these things."

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 1:01am

Good Evening!

@on the cusp
Those two quotes made me laugh! Thank you!

I don't get why Fauci wouldn't just be honest. Maybe he's just too used to lying?

Hope you had a good Thurs-Friday! And have a great weekend

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by humphrey on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 4:16pm

Is the Trump administration actually comprised with

"closet communists" ~~or at least socialists by taking interest in means of production~~by taking stakes in various companies? Asking for a friend.

https://www.cato.org/blog/government-ownership-stakes-companies-becoming...

The Commerce Department announced this week that six more companies are set to join the federal government’s rapidly expanding corporate portfolio, bringing the total to 30 by our count (see table below). Perhaps most striking about the announcement is how unremarkable government ownership is becoming.

The seven nonbinding letters of intent would provide up to $874 million in CHIPS and Science Act research and development incentives. Six recipients would be new additions to the portfolio. The seventh, GlobalFoundries, already has a proposed Commerce stake attached to a separate $375 million quantum foundry award. Commerce says a minority, noncontrolling equity stake in each company will be a condition of final funding.

Zoom out and the pattern is more striking. Since December, the CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office has announced 19 final or proposed company awards totaling up to $3.8 billion. They cover 18 companies because GlobalFoundries has two separate projects. Three agreements are final, while 16 remain letters of intent. All 19 have been publicly tied to equity.

Commerce’s current funding rules state that award recipients may be required to provide equity, warrants, intellectual property licenses, royalties, revenue sharing, or other instruments to generate a government return. The Biden administration, by contrast, used the same CHIPS R&D appropriation through separate competitions to award funds to private companies without taking ownership stakes. That makes the Trump administration’s insistence on equity a policy choice. The CHIPS Act itself authorizes Commerce to make grants, cooperative agreements, and “other transactions” but doesn’t expressly authorize the department to acquire stock.

Commerce says that these stakes enhance the return for taxpayers, but even a profitable portfolio would not resolve the underlying institutional problem. The federal government is now acting as regulator, customer, financier, and shareholder.

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 1:07am

Heh..

@humphrey
Made me chuckle, ironically. 'closet communists' - maybe for them, but not for us!

"closet communists" ~~or at least socialists by taking interest in means of production~~by taking stakes in various companies? Asking for a friend.

https://www.cato.org/blog/government-ownership-stakes-companies-becoming...

The Commerce Department announced this week that six more companies are set to join the federal government’s rapidly expanding corporate portfolio, bringing the total to 30 by our count (see table below). Perhaps most striking about the announcement is how unremarkable government ownership is becoming.

The seven nonbinding letters of intent would provide up to $874 million in CHIPS and Science Act research and development incentives. Six recipients would be new additions to the portfolio. The seventh, GlobalFoundries, already has a proposed Commerce stake attached to a separate $375 million quantum foundry award. Commerce says a minority, noncontrolling equity stake in each company will be a condition of final funding.

Zoom out and the pattern is more striking. Since December, the CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office has announced 19 final or proposed company awards totaling up to $3.8 billion. They cover 18 companies because GlobalFoundries has two separate projects. Three agreements are final, while 16 remain letters of intent. All 19 have been publicly tied to equity.

Commerce’s current funding rules state that award recipients may be required to provide equity, warrants, intellectual property licenses, royalties, revenue sharing, or other instruments to generate a government return. The Biden administration, by contrast, used the same CHIPS R&D appropriation through separate competitions to award funds to private companies without taking ownership stakes. That makes the Trump administration’s insistence on equity a policy choice. The CHIPS Act itself authorizes Commerce to make grants, cooperative agreements, and “other transactions” but doesn’t expressly authorize the department to acquire stock.

Commerce says that these stakes enhance the return for taxpayers, but even a profitable portfolio would not resolve the underlying institutional problem. The federal government is now acting as regulator, customer, financier, and shareholder.

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by humphrey on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 4:26pm

No reason to be concerned folks Trump's agencies are

guardians of what we consume.

Life in a shithole country:

More and more Americans are starting to realize that the food they eat isn't what they thought it was...... pic.twitter.com/azUzF2sX5C

— Richard (@ricwe123) July 30, 2026

Submitted by Sima on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 1:10am

Gag!

@humphrey
That 'ice cream', now I know why I can't stand it...

—

If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 1:29am