This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.
The UK’s Sunday Times has released a “bombshell” investigation, as described by HotAir.com, reporting that the COVID-19 virus was indeed created at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in collaboration with the Chinese military. The report also alleges that some of the funding came from the controversial EcoHealth Alliance, which is funded in part by American taxpayers through grants. The Times says it “reviewed hundreds of documents, including previously confidential reports, internal memos, scientific papers and email correspondence” from the three years prior to the pandemic. The outlet “also interviewed the US State Department investigators — including experts on China, emerging pandemic threats, and biowarfare — who conducted the first significant US inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 outbreak.” A recap of that investigation can be read here.
Hundreds Of Billions In Covid Waste
The origin of the virus isn’t the only part of the pandemic that remains controversial. U.S. federal investigators are still on the hunt for what happened to roughly $400 billion in COVID relief doled out to American businesses, organizations, and citizens during the years 2020 and 2021.
A new analysis by the Associated Press revealed that fraudsters allegedly stole more than $280 billion in COVID-19 relief funding. According to the analysis, an additional $123 billion was either wasted or misspent by the U.S. government. Federal spending skyrocketed due to the pandemic, and taxpayers shelled out $4.2 trillion and counting in COVID relief. Now, more than 2,000 individuals have been charged with pandemic-related fraud and investigators are still searching for and filing new charges.
JP Morgan To Pay $290 Million To Epstein Victims
Financial giant JP Morgan has agreed to pay victims of the late Jeffrey Epstein a whopping $290 million in a historic class action lawsuit settlement. The bank was sued in 2022 by one woman on behalf of herself and other victims after it was discovered that the bank continued to do business with Epstein even after he was deemed a “high-risk client” client. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in federal prison in 2019.
Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old Marine veteran who went viral for putting the homeless man Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on May 1 has spoken out – disputing several claims about the incident:
Daniel Penny is a hero.pic.twitter.com/3EYtithrac
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 12, 2023
Penny was arrested and charged with manslaughter last month over the incident. The 24-year-old Veteran is due back in court on July 17th.
Fox News Sends Tucker Carlson Cease-And-Desist Letter
Fox News has sent a cease-and-desist letter to its ex-primetime host Tucker Carlson after he started airing a new show titled “Tucker on Twitter” on the social media platform.
The legal action from Carlson’s former employer comes on the heels of Carlson’s team teasing a new “Tucker on Twitter” episode on the federal indictment of former President Trump. Carlson is still being paid by Fox News, and the network insists that Carlson’s new show violates his contract’s non-compete clause.
Harmneet Dhillon, one of Carlson’s attorneys, said in a statement that Fox “is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election.” Dhillon added, “Tucker will not be silenced by anyone.”
Silvio Berlusconi, the former controversial prime minister of Italy, died at the age of 86. The news was confirmed Monday morning by Italian media company Mediaset, which Berlusconi founded. Berlusconi, who once reportedly referred to himself as the “Jesus Christ of politics,” served longer than any Italian leader since 1946, when Italy became a republic. He founded the Forza Italia party, which is described as center-right. No cause of death was provided.
The Toronto Blue Jays have cut pitcher Anthony Bass just over a week after he apologized for sharing a video on social media that encouraged Christians to boycott Bud Light and Target. Bass posted a video on Instagram that made a Biblical case against supporting businesses that push people, especially children, toward “darkness.” Blue Jays manager Ross Atkins said they chose to cut Bass for “a myriad of variables,” including “performance” as well as being a “distraction” – saying it was “a small part of it and something we had to factor in.”
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