Dr. Anthony Fauci faced dozens of questions and theatrics Wednesday before the Senate's Homeland Security Committee.
Why it matters: Fauci, who led the nation's infectious disease response during the COVID pandemic, has remained a polarizing political figure, and his handling of the pandemic faces renewed scrutiny after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released more than 1,000 pages of the doctor's personal diary this week.
Anthony Fauci, who led the nation's infectious disease efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, invoked the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday and declined to answer questions from a Senate committee investigating the origins of the coronavirus.
Homeland Security Chair Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said the committee will vote on a contempt resolution against Fauci next week.
Why it matters: Fauci said Paul was trying to get him to say something that could put him in legal jeopardy. Paul said his use of the Fifth Amendment was "unsupported" since former President Biden preemptively pardoned Fauci before leaving office.
The nation's largest known cyclospora outbreak is straining Americans' trust in the food safety system — and could undermine the healthy-foods messaging from the Trump administration.
Why it matters: It arrives as the administration urges Americans to eat more whole foods, even as health experts say recent cuts have weakened the public health infrastructure responsible for detecting outbreaks.
President Trump's planned tariffs for generic drugs are the clearest test yet of whether the administration can keep its promises to both increase U.S. drug manufacturing and lower prescription costs.
Why it matters: Tariffs could give the country more control over the supply chain, but they could also make some of the country's cheapest medicines more expensive at a time when consumers are clamoring for relief.
