The Latest: Senate plans vote to hold Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer COVID-19 questions

on Wednesday invoked and declined to answer questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his .

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky to appear before a Senate committee. It鈥檚 part of Paul鈥檚 that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic, something Paul closed the hearing by saying lawmakers will vote next week on whether to hold the now-retired infectious-disease expert .

Democrats on the committee generally defended Fauci for refusing to engage, but Republicans hold an 8-7 majority on the panel. President told reporters, 鈥淚 watched the whole thing today,鈥� when asked about Fauci鈥檚 testimony.

Iran, meanwhile, launched a in the Middle East early Wednesday as the to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters. The flare-up on multiple fronts shattered that followed nearly two weeks of daily bombing by the U.S. military.

Here’s the latest:

Trump shrugs off Fed鈥檚 decision to leave interest rates unchanged

Trump showed no regrets over his handpicked Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, neglected to cut benchmark interest rates as the president has called for since returning to the White House.

Fed officials voted 9-3 to keep the federal funds rate steady, with the dissenters calling for a rate hike because inflation has stayed above the Fed鈥檚 2% target.

鈥淜evin鈥檚 got a board. He鈥檚 fantastic. He鈥檚 a brilliant guy. Smart. I know he鈥檇 love to see lower interest rates, but he鈥檚 got a board and it鈥檚 a political board and they want to keep rates up,鈥� Trump told reporters.

The president said the country is fighting through higher rates, saying he has achieved $19.2 trillion in investments in one year. That figure is bloated and inaccurate as it would constitute the bulk of U.S. gross domestic product and cannot be observed within broader economic data.

Trump says he watched all of Fauci testimony

The U.S. president apparently took keen interest in the former COVID official鈥檚 appearance before a Senate committee earlier Wednesday.

鈥淚 watched the whole thing today,鈥� Trump told reporters when asked about his testimony.

He used the question to tout his first-term efforts on COVID-19, including Operation Warp Speed, which was the administration鈥檚 initiative on developing and distributing a COVID vaccine.

Trump added: 鈥淐OVID was a disaster, but Fauci did not help.鈥�

Fed holds benchmark rate steady, as some officials express worries about inflation

Federal Reserve officials voted 9-3 to keep their benchmark rates unchanged, but the dissenters favored rate hikes as inflation continues to run above the central bank鈥檚 2% target.

The federal funds rate 鈥� which determines the interest charged on overnight loans among banks 鈥� will stay in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%.

The bank statement said the economy is 鈥渆xpanding at a solid pace,鈥� but stressed that there is 鈥渦ncertainty鈥� because of the Iran war and its impact on oil prices.

The three Fed officials who sought to raise the benchmark rates by 0.25% were Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, and Fed Dallas President Lorie Logan. A rate hike would imply that inflation risks are mounting and could drive up the cost of mortgages, auto loans and government borrowing.

Trump has long attacked the Fed for not slashing its rates, but he has refrained from criticizing his pick as Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, for not delivering on his preferred policy.

Most GOP governors get on board with Trump鈥檚 election rules

All but three Republican governors in the U.S. signed a Wednesday supporting for for anyone registering to vote.

The governors said in a letter to Trump, who has , that the SAVE America Act is 鈥渃ritical for restoring Americans鈥� trust in our electoral process.鈥�

It鈥檚 not clear how much sway the Republican governors will have. GOP Majority Leader John Thune has said that Republicans lack the votes to pass the bill or get around a filibuster.

The GOP governors who didn鈥檛 sign are the leaders of New Hampshire, Ohio and Vermont.

Voting experts have warned that the requirement could disenfranchise 20 million voters who don鈥檛 have birth certificates or other documents available.

Paul-Fauci Senate hearing concludes after 3 hours

The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee ended a three-hour session with Dr. Anthony Fauci that offered two vastly different versions of his role leading the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For his part, Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment even as the Republican majority protested and demanded answers to their questions.

Chairman Rand Paul led questioning about coronavirus origins, trying to cast doubt on Fauci鈥檚 earlier contentions that it didn鈥檛 come from a Chinese lab. Other Republicans framed Fauci as a seeker of fame and fortune who has diminished public trust in science and government.

Some GOP members also doubled down on misinformation about COVID vaccines and public health precautions.

Democrats, meanwhile, cast Fauci as a victim of conspiratorial obsessions meant to take down an 85-year-old who spent more than a half-century as a physician and immunologist.

Paul says committee will vote next week on holding Fauci in contempt

The chairman said senators will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for declining to answer questions.

Paul argued that Biden鈥檚 presidential pardon means Fauci no longer has a Fifth Amendment privilege, though he added that it鈥檚 a 鈥渓egal question that the courts may have to decide.鈥�

The senator did not say whether he would push for a criminal contempt referral to federal prosecutors, a civil contempt charge referral to a federal court or the rarest form of congressional contempt, an internal Senate charge in which the chamber鈥檚 sergeant-at-arms can detain a witness.

Several Republicans hammered Fauci for not engaging, while Democrats generally defended him.

One Republican, Oklahoma鈥檚 Mark Lankford, told Fauci multiple times that 鈥測ou have the right鈥� to invoke the Fifth.

Republicans hold an 8-7 majority on the panel.

Iran resumes missile attacks as US and Saudis strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq

Iran launched a at American forces in the Middle East early Wednesday as the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters.

Six Iranian advisers were killed in the U.S.-Saudi strike, two Iraqi militia officials told The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear if the advisers were included in the fighters who were killed. The militia officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren鈥檛 authorized to comment publicly.

The flare-up on multiple fronts, after several days of , raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has and is . The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S. already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies.

鈻�

鈥� Samy Magdy and Elena Becatoros

Trump and DOJ ask Supreme Court to toss $83 million defamation verdict in E. Jean Carroll case

Trump and the Justice Department are asking the Supreme Court to toss the verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault, saying he can鈥檛 be sued for comments he made while he was president.

It鈥檚 the second time Trump has asked the justices to nix damages awarded by a jury to Carroll, a longtime advice columnist and former TV . The Supreme Court refused in June to hear his appeal of another verdict, for $5 million, that found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

The latest case centers on comments Trump made during his first term as president. The Justice Department wants to invoke the Westfall Act, which shields government employees from being sued for doing their jobs.

鈻�

Sen. Josh Hawley hammers Fauci for pleading the Fifth

鈥淲ell, nothing says honesty like taking the 5th, huh, doc?鈥� the Republican Missouri senator said, launching immediately into a searing critique of Fauci declining to answer questions.

Hawley proceeded with a mocking exchange.

鈥淲hat day of the week is it today?鈥�

鈥淲hat color tie are you wearing?鈥�

鈥淲hat color is the carpet in front of you?鈥�

Each time, Fauci answered, 鈥淥n the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.鈥�

Hawley then proceeded to a lengthy list of questions that accused Fauci of misconduct in his government role.

Fauci鈥檚 answer was the same.

So was Hawley鈥檚: 鈥淵eah, well, silence is admission.鈥�

In fact, individuals who invoke constitutional protections not to answer questions under oath are not admitting guilt of any crime.

Some disease experts criticize the accusations against Fauci

In a public letter, more than 150 infectious-disease experts and other scientists wrote that 鈥渘o credible evidence has been produced to support these absurd charges鈥� and that they are 鈥渦rging our elected representatives in Congress stop these witch-hunts.鈥�

Conservative influencer Laura Ingraham spread COVID misinformation. She鈥檚 in the audience at hearing

The Fox 太子探花 host used her show and social media platform to repeatedly spread misinformation during the pandemic.

In the pandemic鈥檚 early stages, Ingraham downplayed the spread of COVID-19. She went on to mock mask mandates, social distancing guidelines, people who wore masks and those who got vaccinations.

She also endorsed unproven remedies 鈥� including hydroxychloroquine 鈥� that the FDA had warned against.

Recently on her show, Ingraham has discussed Fauci鈥檚 diary entries that Sen. Paul released. She called Fauci a 鈥渓ittle man with a big ego鈥� and had Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on her show to blast Fauci鈥檚鈥渕ismanagement鈥� of the pandemic.

Paul has a Fauci representative removed from the hearing room

A representative who was among those who accompanied Fauci tried to speak without being recognized, angering Paul and leading to the man鈥檚 removal.

鈥淗e is not recognized by the committee or the chair. If he speaks again, he will be removed from the room,鈥� Paul said. 鈥淭his testimony is from Anthony Fauci. This is not a game with his lawyers.鈥�

Paul said Fauci鈥檚 representatives and advisers 鈥渁re all allowed to talk to him. … But the attorneys are not recognized鈥� to address lawmakers.

When the man persisted, Paul summoned Capitol Police.

鈥淧lease remove him from the room,鈥� Paul said.

Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking Democrat, said he wanted to hear what Fauci鈥檚 counsel had to say. The Republican chair quipped back that Fauci 鈥渨ill still have the advice of the other half a dozen attorneys that he brought along today.鈥�

Fauci has a presidential pardon. Why plead the Fifth?

Before President Joe Biden left office, he gave Fauci a preemptive , dating back to 2014. So, why would Fauci need to invoke the Fifth now?

The decision may center on several Republicans鈥� comments that Fauci could still be criminally prosecuted for perjury if he lies under oath.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist before entering office, was among the Trump allies suggesting that possibility this week.

Fauci said in his opening statement that he believed Paul wanted him to testify so he could say something that might justify his arrest.

Paul gets to dominate the hearing with Fauci pleading the Fifth

The Kentucky senator is an ophthalmologist who鈥檚 conversant, if not fluent, in the language of scientific and medical research.

And with Fauci pleading the Fifth, Paul is free to go through his account of the record, asking detailed questions he knows the witness will not answer.

He鈥檚 asked about NIH funding of Chinese research.

Fauci responded: 鈥淥n the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment.鈥�

The senator delved into details about virus mutations and the dangers of such research.

Fauci stuck to his script: 鈥淥n the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment.鈥�

And throughout their exchange, Paul weaved in his analysis of Fauci鈥檚 actions to frame the one-sided conversation his way.

Invoking the Fifth offers protection for witnesses

The Fifth Amendment is a constitutional protection against self-incrimination during questioning by law enforcement authorities and Congress.

By invoking it, witnesses are not acknowledging any criminal liability at all, and many people who profess their absolute innocence choose to exercise their right to remain silent. Witnesses who do so are able to avoid testimony they think could be damning or that they fear could be used against them by zealous interrogators or prosecutors determined to use their own words against them.

In the case of Fauci, for instance, some Republicans have talked openly about their desire to see the doctor prosecuted, and in opting to invoke his rights, Fauci cited his concern that Republican Sen. Rand Paul would try to elicit testimony that 鈥渃ould vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.鈥�

Crux of Fauci hearing is over pandemic origins and NIH-funded research in China

Many scientists believe the virus most likely emerged in nature and jumped from animals to people, coming to light when it spread at a wildlife market in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

There鈥檚 no new scientific information supporting that the virus might instead have leaked from a laboratory, a theory Paul champions. A GOP-led subcommittee that studied the question in 2024 did not find any evidence linking Fauci to wrongdoing.

Fauci has long said publicly that he was open to both theories but that there鈥檚 more evidence supporting COVID-19鈥檚 natural origins, the way other deadly viruses, including coronavirus cousins SARS and MERS, jumped into people.

Trump tells Fox 太子探花 he鈥檒l retaliate hard against Iran for overnight attacks

Fox 太子探花 reporter Trey Yingst, who鈥檚 based in the Middle East, said in an on-air segment that he spoke with Trump on Wednesday and the president told him the United States will hit back hard in response to the attacks in Jordan from Iran.

Iran launched a at American forces in the region early Wednesday.

Senate committee鈥檚 top Democrat says Fauci hearing is a GOP stunt

Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the panel, says Paul鈥檚 hearing is a partisan exercise and that the chairman has denied the minority access to some of the evidentiary record he鈥檚 cited.

Paul called that 鈥渃ategorically false.鈥�

Peters tried to pivot to the Trump administration鈥檚 cuts to the federal work force and the departure of career scientists from the government鈥檚 public health programs.

The senator said Trump鈥檚 policies have slowed the response to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak and added that 鈥渃uts to global health programs and international partnerships have greatly reduced our ability to contain dangerous diseases.鈥�

That鈥檚 more important than 鈥渞elitigating the past,鈥� Peters said.

鈥淲e should be asking how to strengthen our bio defense efforts to deter our adversaries and prevent biological attacks against our country,鈥� while assessing 鈥渉ow our government can better coordinate and communicate during public health emergencies,鈥� Peters said.

Fauci isn鈥檛 answering questions after invoking the Fifth

In his remarks at the top of the hearing, Fauci accused Sen. Paul of having an 鈥渙bvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.鈥�

鈥淭he only conclusion that I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.鈥�

He said he would refrain from answering questions upon advice from his attorneys.

Fauci pleading the Fifth, according to prepared remarks

A draft of the 85-year-old鈥檚 opening statement shows he won鈥檛 be getting into the details Sen. Paul wants to discuss.

Anyone under oath has the right to cite the Constitution鈥檚 Fifth Amendment that ensures no person can be compelled to give self-incriminating testimony.

Fauci鈥檚 decision diminishes the potential for fireworks between Fauci and the chairman. But it also could give Paul a relatively uninterrupted platform to frame his arguments on the pandemic, its origins and the federal response.

Sen. Paul opens hearing accusing Fauci of covering up COVID-19 origin

The senator is trying to build the case that Fauci and other officials helped produce the COVID-19 pandemic by approving funding of research on virus mutations and then covered up their complicity.

Fauci鈥檚 lawyers and his supporters vehemently deny those accusations.

Paul said Fauci should admit that 鈥渇unding this research in China鈥� was 鈥渁 mistake鈥� and that he made false statements during the pandemic 鈥� including to Congress 鈥� that the virus was not conceived in a laboratory.

鈥淵our primary concern was hiding the fact that you had approved funding for this dangerous research,鈥� Paul said.

The senator called Fauci鈥檚鈥渃ategorical public denials indefensible鈥� and said he has 鈥渄estroyed trust.鈥�

COVID-19 Senate hearing starts with Rand Paul and Dr. Anthony Fauci

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has opened its hearing with Fauci.

The physician and immunologist who helped lead the U.S government response to the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to face aggressive questioning from Republican members, especially Chairman Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Paul has for years questioned the origins of the COVID virus and federal health officials鈥� accounts.

The senator already has released reams of Fauci鈥檚 diary entries during the pandemic and said that what scientist 鈥渨rote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.鈥�

Investigators in Comey seashells case omitted key facts and distorted others, defense lawyers allege

Federal officials involved in the misled judges, submitted false statements and withheld key facts during the course of the investigation, that seek the dismissal of a case charging the former FBI director with threatening Trump on social media.

Lawyers for Comey made the allegations of misconduct in motions filed late Tuesday that also call the case a vindictive and selective prosecution, request access to transcripts of grand jury proceedings to expose what they say are 鈥渋rregularities鈥� in how the indictment was secured, and describe 鈥渦nlawful鈥� surveillance of Comey by the Secret Service.

Taken together, the new motions, that called Comey鈥檚 social media post protected speech and not a threat, represent a multiprong defense effort to dismantle a case defense lawyers say exemplifies a Trump administration retribution campaign .

鈻�

Trump鈥檚 attacks on mail balloting and concerns over delays turn midterms spotlight on Postal Service

Roughly six weeks before the first midterm ballots , the U.S. Postal Service is emerging as a pivotal player in an election season that will determine control of Congress.

Trump is seeking greater control over mail balloting through an executive order while a change to how the agency processes mail is leading to criticism that it鈥檚 failing to deliver ballots on time.

Democratic officials have raised concerns over the past week about how quickly the Postal Service will process ballots after tens of thousands of them in California and hundreds in Wisconsin arrived at local election offices too late to be counted in elections earlier this year. The top election offices in Kansas and Michigan are urging voters who want to cast their ballots early to avoid the mail and instead drop them off in person.

The Postal Service replied to those concerns Tuesday by saying it remains 鈥渃ommitted to fulfilling our role in the electoral process.鈥�

鈻�

Anthony Fauci again faces questions from Senate Republicans about pandemic origins

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. scientist who helped COVID-19 pandemic response, is set to face off 鈥� again 鈥� with a Republican senator probing the

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky subpoenaed Fauci to appear before a Senate committee Wednesday. It鈥檚 part of Paul鈥檚 that the now-retired infectious disease expert had lied about the pandemic, something

Leading up to the hearing, Paul released more than a thousand pages of Fauci鈥檚 personal diary covering the pandemic years. Pointing to some notes about early efforts at understanding how the virus emerged, Paul wrote on the social media platform X that what Fauci 鈥渨rote privately and what he told the country are two different stories.鈥�

But they鈥檙e likely to further inflame a partisan divide that, years after the pandemic, still makes Fauci a from people who blame him for mask mandates and other policies they believe infringed on their rights as hundreds of thousands of people were dying.

鈻�

太子探花