Mediaboss Marketing

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Tuesday said that investigating Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's leading expert on infectious disease, will be one of his top priorities if the GOP retakes the House in this year's midterm elections.

The probe, Jordan told Just the News, will aim to untangle "all the lies [and] the misinformation, the disinformation" that he claims Fauci has spread about the origins of the COVID-19 virus.

"That is because they knew from the get-go [coronavirus] came from the lab, likely came from a lab, gain-of-function likely done, and our tax dollars were used," the lawmaker added.

Jordan, an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, has been one of the leading Republican proponents of the "lab leak" theory, the unproven and dubious notion that the coronavirus was leaked, accidentally or otherwise, from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

RELATED: Great work, useful idiots of the media: Most Americans buy the unsubstantiated "lab leak" theory

At the center of this theory is the allegation that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at one point provided a grant to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for "gain-of-function" research, a process in which a virus is genetically altered in order to anticipate ways it may mutate in the future. Supporters of the lab leak theory contend, by that logic, that the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 is a man-made "supervirus," generated in a lab, whose origins have been covered up by leading health officials, including Fauci.

According to the Washington Post, there is no clear evidence that the NIH funded any such research. Furthermore, most scientists have concluded that the lab leak theory is unlikely, although it cannot entirely be ruled out. The dearth of evidence for the claim hasn't stopped conservatives from repeatedly accusing Fauci of masterminding the pandemic.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.

During a Senate hearing just last month, Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., got into a heated exchange over the matter, with Fauci accusing Paul of promoting the theory for political reasons.

"You are making a catastrophic epidemic for your political gain," Fauci told the senator at the time. "What happens when [Paul] gets out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue is that all of a sudden that kindles the crazies out there, and I have threats upon my life, harassment of my family and my children, with obscene phone calls because people are lying about me."

RELATED: The media is being duped by Republicans on the "lab leak" theory

On Sunday, the New York Times cited two extensive new studies backing the idea that COVID-19 originated from a live animal market in Wuhan, China. This was largely the consensus earlier into the pandemic.

Jordan appeared unconvinced, writing of the report this week: "These aren't new facts or new studies. This 'new' info is from the same crew that told Fauci it came from a lab but suspiciously changed their tune and were rewarded with a 9 million dollar grant."

According to the Times, the two novel studies have been verified by multiple independent experts, which renders the lab leak increasingly unlikely.

"When you look at all of the evidence together, it's an extraordinarily clear picture that the pandemic started at the Huanan market," said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona.

The rest is here:
Jim Jordan promises to "investigate" Dr. Fauci if GOP retakes the House this year - Salon

Michael Riojas is a senior studying journalism and an opinion writer for The New Political.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

In recent years, misinformation has run rampant in the United States. As a result, belief in conspiracy theories reached an all-time high, trust in our nations democratic process has waned and hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from a preventable disease. To understand the role of misinformation, we first need to understand two things about it: how it spreads and where it originates.

The spread of false knowledge is the bulk of the problem. Disinformation, information that is intended to deceive, is the catalyst for misinformation. Most disinformation is created by a minority of people on social media, often in regard to social and political issues such as vaccine conspiracies or election lies.

Politicians, especially Republicans, have been using disinformation to their advantage for years. Clips of Senator Rand Paul and Donald Trumps CIA Director Mike Pompeo show how blas lying is for many conservative politicians. Even more egregious, Trump has told over 30,000 lies during his time as president and is perhaps the most responsible for the dystopian rise in COVID-19 and election conspiracy theories.

The 2020 election, by every account, was one of the most secure elections in U.S. history. Still, nearly 70% of Republican voters believe the election was stolen from Donald Trump. According to Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, none of his Republican colleagues actually believes the 2020 election was stolen, but many GOP elites continue to disinform. The decrease in trust in American democracy has been the result of one mans fractured ego and the willingness of his sycophants to play along despite knowing better.

However, elected Republicans are not the only ones spreading disinformation. Conservative TV media have perpetuated election lies about voting machines and mail-in ballots. They have also played a large part in their viewers willingness, or lack thereof, to get vaccinated. Based on a 2020 Pew Research study, Republican voters received their news mainly from one source: Fox News. Like other right-leaning sources, they provide their viewers with mixed messages regarding vaccine information and have likely contributed to preventable American deaths, especially in red counties. A small handful of conservative hosts pander to the Republican establishment, and their pandering hurts their viewers. As a result, these voters are not only ill-informed regarding some of the significant issues our country faces but tend to elect leaders that continue to perpetuate similar lies, thus creating a cycle.

This isnt to say that networks who cater liberal politics are free from error. Corporate Democrats, along with networks such as CNN and MSNBC, have been accused of perpetuating pro-military-industrial-complex and pro-status quo propaganda, but currently it seems the most dangerous disinformation comes from right-wing sources.

As misinformation continues to spread rapidly, trust in our government will likely continue to diminish and the U.S. will pay the price of these lies. With midterm elections coming up and 2024 not far off, the threat could become much, much worse.

Read this article:
OPINION: US faces deadly threat of misinformation fueled by conservative leaders The New Political - The New Political

'I want to be able to break ground next year,' Beshear says on Brent Spence Bridge project

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced plans to apply for two federal grants totaling up to $2 billion to fund a new bridge.

Kareem Elgazzar, Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON, Ky. The Brent Spence Bridge between Ohio and Kentucky could finally be getting its companion bridge and it won't require new tolls.

At a news conference Monday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced plans to apply for two federal grants totaling up to $2 billion to fund a new bridge to carry Interstates 71 and 75 over the Ohio River.

"I want to be able to break ground next year,'' said Beshear, a Democrat, during the news conference.

Brent Spence Bridge: Timeline of trying to fund the $2.5 billion project

The application for funding is expected to be submitted within the next few months and a final decision on the funding could happen in the fall of 2023, officials said.

The total cost of the new bridge would be about $2.8 billion, according to DeWine, a Republican. Kentucky and Ohio will contribute whatever funds aren't covered by the federal government.

Both states will apply for the grants together once the U.S. Department of Transportation releases guidance on the application process. Governors DeWine and Beshear said it's unclear exactly when that may be.

Transportation officials estimated construction of the companion bridge and improvements to the Brent Spence would take about five years to complete.

Beshear and DeWine said the new bridge would be built without tolls.

In the 1990s, the Federal Highway Administration declaredthe Brent Spence functionally obsolete because its narrow lanes carried more cars than it was designed for with no emergency lane.

The Brent Spence was built in 1963 to handle 80,000 vehicles a day, but is now used by double that number.

Improvements to the existing bridge and building a new companion bridge would add much-needed capacity by separating local and through traffic to ease the ongoing traffic backups and accidents.

"We believe that there is no bridge in this country that is as necessary and in needing of a change,'' DeWine said. Interstate 75 is a key freight corridor reaching from Canada to Florida, so officials said slowdowns affect commerce throughout the eastern United States.

A semi-truckhauling potassium hydroxidecrashed into ajackknifed truckon the Brent Spence in November 2020, causing a fire that shut down the bridge for weeks.

And in 2021, the bridge was ranked as the nation's second-worst for traffic bottlenecks.

For years, everyone agreed a new bridge was needed. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump were unableto secure funding for the project.

The infrastructure bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November, provided new hope for funding the bridge. The bill provides multiple grant opportunities that the bridge project would qualify for, including at least $39 billion specifically for bridges.

One of these grant programs is the Bridge Investment Act, sponsored by U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman of Ohio.This act provides $12.5 billionin grant funding to repair or replace outdated bridges. In a press release, Brown said he wrote the Bridge Investment Act with the Brent Spence in mind. Portman was one of the main Republicans who helped negotiate and pass the infrastructure bill.

In Kentucky, Sen. MinorityLeader Mitch McConnell voted for the bill, and Sen. Rand Paul voted against it. Both senators are Republicans

The bill passed the House on a largely party-line vote; all the Greater Cincinnati Republicans including Southwest Ohio's Reps. Steve Chabot, Brad Wenstrup, Warren Davidson and Northern Kentucky's Thomas Massie voted against it.

Northern Kentucky reporter Rachel Berry can be reached at rberry@enquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter @racheldberry.

Read the original post:
New Ohio River bridge next to Brent Spence won't require tolls, governors of Ohio and Kentucky say - The Cincinnati Enquirer

Democratic Sen. Lauren Book speaks in favor of her amendment to SB 146, a proposed abortion bill in the Florida Senate on Wednesday in Tallahassee, Fla. Alicia Devine/AP hide caption

Democratic Sen. Lauren Book speaks in favor of her amendment to SB 146, a proposed abortion bill in the Florida Senate on Wednesday in Tallahassee, Fla.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Abortions after 15 weeks would be banned in Florida under a bill Republican senators sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis late on Thursday, capping a bitter debate in the statehouse as a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision may limit abortion rights in America.

DeSantis, a Republican, has previously signaled his support for the proposal and is expected to sign it into law.

"I want abortion to be legal, safe and accessible but I fear this bill moves us in the other direction, forcing women with means to travel out of state and those struggling economically to resort to potentially dangerous options," said Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat.

The measure comes as Republicans across the country move to tighten access to the procedure after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled it would uphold a similar 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi and potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. A decision in that case is expected later this year.

The Florida bill contains exceptions if the abortion is necessary to save a mother's life, prevent serious injury to the mother or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. The state currently allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

As the measure moved through the GOP-controlled statehouse, debates often grew emotional and revealing, with lawmakers recalling their own abortions and experiences with sexual assault.

This week, Sen. Lauren Book, a Democrat who turned the pain of being sexually abused by her nanny into a career of helping other survivors, tearfully revealed she was also drugged and raped by multiple men when she was a young teenager. She implored senators to allow exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking.

"It's not OK to force someone who's been sexually assaulted and impregnated to carry that pregnancy to term if they don't want too, it's just not," Book said. "And if a woman or a girl needs more than 15 weeks to decide, we should be able to give that to her."

In a separate exchange from when the bill passed the GOP-controlled House last month, Republican Rep. Dana Trabulsy told lawmakers she previously had an abortion but has "regretted it everyday since."

"This is the right to life and to give up life is unconscionable to me," she said.

Republicans have often said the bill is reasonable because it is not a total ban on the procedure and still gives women enough time to consider whether to get an abortion, even in cases of rape, incest or trafficking.

"The only thing that we're asking in this bill is that whatever decision you make, you do it before the 15 weeks," said Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia.

GOP lawmakers in West Virginia and Arizona have also introduced similar 15-week abortion bans similar to the Mississippi law under review by the Supreme Court. Republicans in other states have modeled legislation after a law in Texas which effectively banned abortions after six weeks.

Before the vote on Thursday, White House officials hosted a roundtable discussion with abortion rights advocacy groups and Democratic state lawmakers about the Florida bill as well as Republican restrictions in other states. In a statement about the meeting, the White House said "In the face of these challenges, administration officials reiterated the administration's commitment to exploring every option to protect reproductive health care."

Here is the original post:
Florida Republicans send 15-week abortion ban to governor - NPR

Trump had an ardent pair of backers at the convention, though: The Giulianis.

President Trump has not been invoked at all, in a Republican convention, bemoaned gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani, a former aide to the then-president and the only major candidate who regularly praises him.

Giulianis father former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani alleged that state Republican leaders were defiling Trumps legacy by attempting to rally support behind Rep. Lee Zeldin before a primary. Rudy Giuliani made the rounds at the convention to build support for his sons candidacy, posing for pictures and signing autographs with party leaders.

Zeldin, an outgoing Long Island congressman, easily won the convention with 85 percent of the vote. Andrew Giuliani got a mere 0.75 percent, but is vowing a primary contest in June along with two other candidates: businessman Harry Wilson and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Screw the Republicans. A bunch of jerks, Rudy said. If youre going to get nominated based on a dictated compromise, youre going to govern that way. If youre the kind of guy that could do what a Reagan did, or a Trump, or a me, you dont give a damn who you run against.

Will Zeldin similarly try to tie himself to the Trump brand?

Im my own man, said Zeldin, who built his national profile by defending Trump against impeachment charges on cable television. Ive always been my own man. I was ranked most recently as the 19th most bipartisan member of Congress.

Rep. Lee Zeldin won the GOP nomination for governor on Tuesday, but faces questions over his support to former President Donald Trump.|House Television via AP

It might not be too surprising that Trump would not be a popular talking point as the GOP prepares to sell itself to general election voters in advance of what the party has dubbed a last chance to save the state.

It has long been tough for Republicans to win in New York, where theyve gone 0 for 24 in statewide races since former Gov. George Pataki won his final term 20 years ago. But it was made an impossible task when Trump was in the White House and Democrats could cruise to victory simply by pointing out that their opponents belonged to the same party as the president.

Democrats outnumber Republicans by a two-to-one margin in New York.

Andrew Cuomo was a bit of a demented Wizard of Oz, said 2018 GOP gubernatorial nominee Marc Molinaro. Pay no attention to the corruption, pay no attention to the scandals Look over there, Donald Trump!

Now, Joe Biden is in the White House; Cuomo resigned amid scandal; and Republicans hope they can reverse their fortunes in the nations fourth largest state.

Voters are going to vote based on whats in front of them today and what they look for tomorrow, said Molinaro, who is now running in a key swing congressional district across the Hudson Valley. Theyre not going to be focused on what was.

And Republicans have made clear theyre going to attempt to reverse the script of recent elections and try to make this years contests into a referendum on Democrats like Gov. Kathy Hochul and the president.

Joe Biden has been a puppet for [special] interests, state GOP party chair Nick Langworthy said in his opening remarks on Monday morning. It is a feckless administration that has presided over disaster after disaster.

Rudy Giuliani signs the petition for his son, Andrew, to try to get on the Republican primary ballot for governor in June at the state GOP convention March 1, 2022, on Long Island.|Bill Mahoney/POLITICO

While party leaders might be focused on subjects other than Trump, its a safe bet that he could still upend a gubernatorial primary if he decides to endorse a candidate, and most Republicans assume that would be either Giuliani or Zeldin.

Giuliani has regularly polled better than other candidates over the past year. But much of that seems to be due to the fact that most Republicans arent paying close attention to a race yet, and his last name is the only one they know: His father was Times Man of the Year, Langworthy noted.

And that could quickly change once candidates like Zeldin and Wilson start taking advantage of their massive cash-on-hand edges.

Both Giulianis were with Trump last week, Andrew said.

But does he have a shot at earning the former presidents endorsement?

[Trump] is very close to Andrew, theyve known each other for 20,000 years, they played golf together, and they worked side-by-side together for four years, Rudy Giuliani said.

He predicts, however, that Trump will stay neutral.

About an hour later, Andrew Giuliani began his remarks to the convention by greeting the party of Donald J. Trump.

The former presidents name wasnt completely absent on Tuesday. There were some brief mentions, such as when the Westchester County chairperson touted candidate Rob Astorinos refusal to disavow Donald Trump when Astorino was on the ballot in 2017.

But praising him certainly wasnt the main order of business.

I agree with a lot of his policies. In some cases, we disagree, Wilson, who entered the race last week and immediately put $12 million of his own money into his campaign, said after his speech.

In 2016 I voted for him, and in 2020 I wanted to find a way to preserve the policies, but have someone whos more focused on unifying people in different style. And so I decided to write in Nikki Haley, a conservative Republican.

Read more:
'Screw the Republicans': New York's GOP forgets Trump and angers Giuliani at convention - POLITICO