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Dr. Fauci Receives Security Detail After Increased Threats

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3 years ago

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  • The government is increasing Dr. Fauci’s personal security detail over concerns for his safety.
  • According to reports, the decision is due to unwanted communication from admirers and the recent spread of right-wing conspiracy theories claiming he is a “deep-state” agent sent to undermine Trump.
  • When asked if he felt threatened during an interview Thursday, Dr. Fauci responded in part: “I’ve chosen this life.”

Dr. Fauci Security Concerns

Government officials have decided to give Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus taskforce, a personal security detail amid growing concerns over the doctor’s safety.

The move was first reported Wednesday by the Washington Post and has since been confirmed to other outlets. 

According to sources in the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) who spoke to the Post, the concerns “include threats as well as unwelcome communications from fervent admirers.”

While the Post reported that the “exact nature of the threats” were not clear, sources told the newspaper that HHS Secretary Alex Azar had “recently grew concerned about Fauci’s safety as his profile rose and he endured more vitriolic criticism online.”

Conspiracy Theories and Smear Campaign

Dr. Fauci has been the target of right-wing smear campaigns and conspiracy theories. According to reports, the conspiracies center around the idea that he is part of a “deep-state” plot to undermine Trump, stemming from the fact that Dr. Fauci has been known to correct or clarify statements the president has made.

While some of these conspiracies have been connected to the doctor for several weeks now, many point to a press conference on March 20 as a specific instance that caused them to gain traction.

During the conference, Trump referred to the State Department the “Deep State Department,” and Dr. Fauci, standing behind him, put his hand over his eyes.

Fauci later claimed he just had a lozenge stuck in his throat, but the incident became fuel for right-wing conspiracy theorists, who claimed that it was evidence Dr. Fauci was trying to undermine Trump.

“On Twitter and Facebook, a post that falsely claimed he was part of a secret cabal who opposed Mr. Trump was soon shared thousands of times, reaching roughly 1.5 million people,” the New York Times reported.

After that, the online attacks grew as more prominent right-wing pundits and blogs began to spread them.

Conservative platforms including as the Gateway Pundit and the American Thinker shared an email Dr. Fauci sent in 2013 that had been published by WikiLeaks, where Fauci praised Hillary Clinton’s “stamina and capability” during her testimony during the Bengazhi hearings.

The American Thinker ran that story with the headline: “Anthony Fauci, the NIH’s face of the coronavirus, is a Deep-State Hillary Clinton–loving stooge.”

Those emails were also shared by Bill Mitchell, a far-right podcast host with more than half a million followers.

“Is Fauci a Hillary plant? Think about this,” he wrote on Twitter. “Trump makes a hopeful statement on #hydrochloroquine and Fauci immediately runs to #CNN, Trump’s most hated #FakeNews outlet to contradict him? That is EXACTLY what a Hillary plant would do.”

Mitchell and others have also accused Fauci of destroying the economy. That point was echoed in another article by the American Thinker, which was retweeted by Fox News Host Laura Ingraham to her 3.2 million followers.

These conspiracies have since been spread on most social media platforms.

“On YouTube, conspiracy-theory videos about Dr. Fauci have racked up hundreds of thousands of views in the past week,” the New York Times wrote. “In private Facebook groups, posts disparaging him have also been shared hundreds of times and liked by thousands of people.”

Buzzfeed News also reported that the conspiracy theories involving Dr. Fauci had been shared on 4chan, where “anonymous users have posted dozens of huge threads about Fauci, implying he’s part of a global pedophile ring after surfacing a photo of him and singer Elton John, claiming Trump has secretly fired him, and accusing him of being part of a global Jewish cabal.”

Response

Trump, however, has tried to tamp down accusations that there are tensions between him and Fauci. In fact, in the last few days, he has taken up more of the doctor’s recommendations regarding social distancing and other concerns.

When asked about the security detail during a press briefing Wednesday, Dr. Fauci did not comment, but Trump interjected, “He doesn’t need security, everybody loves him.”

During an interview Thursday morning on NBC, Dr. Fauci was asked if he felt threatened.

“I’ve chosen this life. I mean I know what it is,” he responded. “There are things about it that are sometimes disturbing. But you just focus on the job you have to do, and just put all that stuff aside and try as best as possible not to pay attention to it, and just forge ahead.” 

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (Buzzfeed News)

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U.S.

White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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2 weeks ago

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March 9, 2023

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 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.

White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

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Business

Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

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2 weeks ago

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March 8, 2023

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Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages

Published

2 weeks ago

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March 7, 2023

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98% of nursing homes in the United States are experiencing difficulty hiring staff. 

The Labor Crisis 

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper has offered up a solution to the nursing home labor shortage: immigration. 

According to a 2022 American Health Care Association survey, six in ten nursing homes are limiting new patients due to staffing issues. The survey also says that 87% of nursing homes have staffing shortages and 98% are experiencing difficulty hiring. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) outlined in their paper that increased immigration could help solve the labor shortage in nursing homes. Immigrants make up 19% of nursing home workers.

With every 10% increase in female immigration, nursing assistant hours go up by 0.7% and registered nursing hours go up by 1.1% And with that same immigration increase, short-term hospitalizations of nursing home residents go down by 0.6%.

The Solution 

Additionally, the State Department issued 145% more EB-3 documents, which are employment-based visas, for healthcare workers in the 2022 fiscal year than in 2019, suggesting that more people are coming to the U.S. to work in health care. 

However, according to Skilled Nursing News, in August of 2022, the approval process from beginning to end for an RN can take between seven to nine months. 

Displeasure about immigration has exploded since Pres. Joe Biden took office in 2021. According to a Gallup study published in February, around 40% of American adults want to see immigration decrease. That is a steep jump from 19% in 2021, and it is the highest the figure has been since 2016.

However, more than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration and want to see it increased. But with a divided Congress, the likelihood of any substantial immigration change happening is pretty slim. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (KHN) (Skilled Nursing News)

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