Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) accused federal agencies of giving Americans &#8220;the big middle finger&#8221; in refusing to come forward with information concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnson and other Republicans questioned a CIA whistleblower during a Wednesday hearing, who claimed in his opening statement that Dr. Anthony Fauci&#8217;s role in the COVID cover-up &#8220;was intentional.&#8221; Not a single Democrat attended the hearing.
James Erdman III appeared before the Senate Homeland Security &amp; Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday morning to testify on what the federal government did to hide information from the public on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WATCH: 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="COVID whistleblower blows lid off Fauci coverup, ‘middle finger’ to Americans" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9gbBySuT4xs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;Public health policy would be very different had the American public been made aware that a virus from a lab in China was going to serve as the foundation for an emergency-use authorization mRNA products being mandated by the former administration,&#8221; Erdman began, adding, &#8220;Dr. Fauci&#8217;s role in the cover-up was intentional.&#8221;
No Democrats showed up for the hearing on the CIA whistleblower&#8217;s revelations.
Erdman went on to describe how Fauci — who served as former President Joe Biden&#8217;s top COVID adviser — had been a part of the process at every level.
&#8220;Dr. Fauci influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position to ensure that the IC (Intelligence Community) consulted with a conflicted list of curated subject-matter experts, public health officials, and scientists,&#8221; Erdman explained, arguing that Fauci&#8217;s influence controlled which sources of information were accepted as reliable — and by extension, controlled what information the public would ultimately see.
&#8220;This included some of the authors of the paper &#8216;The Proximal Origin of SARS-COV2&#8217; and other public health experts who have been in his orbit for the last 20-plus years,&#8221; he said.
Erdman went on to argue that Fauci operated almost entirely without &#8220;oversight&#8221; that might have held him accountable.
&#8220;There was no oversight monitoring how this web of relationships influenced research, policy, and public health any holistic way,&#8221; he said, adding that some of those involved had worked with Fauci years earlier to rewrite the accepted definition of &#8220;gain-of-function&#8221; research in order to open doors — and gain access to funding — to more dangerous research.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BOMBSHELL: Here is the entire opening statement from CIA whistleblower James Erdman lll. He testifies that Dr. Fauci&#8217;s role in the COVID cover-up was INTENTIONAL.
He stacked the intelligence community&#8217;s analysis with conflicted scientists funded by NIAID who pushed the natural… <a href="https://t.co/S1ZP9FlZGl">pic.twitter.com/S1ZP9FlZGl</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2054572379200725050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Anthony Fauci

Not A Single Democrat Showed Up At COVID Hearing

COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine

Lockdowns

Pandemic

Politics

Troops forced out over the COVID-19 vaccine may soon see a dramatic change as War Secretary Pete Hegseth — even for those who do not wish to return to military service.
Hegseth announced the change in a video posted to X on Friday afternoon, saying that he planned to restore missed payments and enlistment bonuses — as well as benefits denied based on unfavorable discharge characterizations.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Biden administration’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine mandate was wrongfully forced onto our warfighters.
It was unjust, and we are doing EVERYTHING we can to make it right. <a href="https://t.co/xLWpYd0sMc">pic.twitter.com/xLWpYd0sMc</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/2052860665165992134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m directing the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness to establish a Department of War COVID-19 reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force,&#8221; Hegseth explained, noting that their first move would be to assist anyone who wanted to return to military service to do so. &#8220;The services have them right now. We&#8217;re establishing one at our level to oversee the entire thing. The task force&#8217;s goal is to bring back into service all those who desire to continue to serve our country in uniform.&#8221;
But Then Hegseth went on to say that changes were also coming for those who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine mandate under former President Joe Biden and opted not to put the uniform back on. Those who were denied education benefits due to a &#8220;general&#8221; discharge, Hegseth vowed, would have them restored.
&#8220;Even if you do not intend to return to service, the War Department will provide a path for resolution of unearned bonuses, upgrades to discharge characterizations that will unlock your well-deserved benefits, and removal of adverse documents from service files,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Further, I have directed a review of policies and decision-making to ensure that we do not go down this path again. You raised your right hand and sworn ill to serve and protect the Constitution and our nation.&#8221;
&#8220;You were mistreated by the Biden Pentagon, and we are fixing that injustice,&#8221; Hegseth concluded.
Between August of 2021 and the beginning of 2023, approximately 8,700 service members were forced out over Biden&#8217;s vaccine mandate — and more than one third of them (3,000) received &#8220;general&#8221; discharges rather than &#8220;honorable&#8221; discharges. Still more, because they were forced to separate prior to fulfilling their contracts, were denied promised enlistment bonuses and pay.
Typically those who receive a &#8220;general&#8221; discharge from military service are eligible to receive disability benefits and health care benefits through the VA, but can be denied access to education benefits through the post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
By March of 2026, some 600 Air Force members had already had their discharges upgraded. The Marine Corps and the Navy had the highest number of separations due to the vaccine mandate.

Secretary Hegseth Administers Oath Of Enlistment At Washington Monument

Troops Forced Out Under Biden Could Soon See Major Reversal

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Military

Pete Hegseth

Under Secretary of War Anthony J. Tata announced Thursday that a former U.S. Navy serviceman discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine has been reinstated.
Devin Berry has been reinstated to the U.S. Navy and promoted to Petty Officer Third Class, becoming a high-profile success story in the military’s efforts to reverse COVID vaccine mandate separations. Berry, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, was involuntarily discharged in July 2022 after refusing the vaccine.
The then-Department of Defense <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/soldiers-file-lawsuit-over-military-vaccine-mandate-seeking-exemption-for-natural-immunity">ordered all service members</a> to receive a COVID vaccine beginning August 24, 2021. More than 17,000 service members declined the shots, citing safety fears related to the vaccine’s rapid development, questions about messenger RNA technology, and objections tied to the use of fetal cell lines in testing, according to a 2023 <a href="https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-military/2023/03/27/the-fallout-of-the-militarys-covid-19-vaccine-mandate/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">report</a> from Air Force Times.
After President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 to offer reinstatement to service members involuntarily separated due to the vaccine requirement, Berry collaborated with the Navy’s reinstatement team to rejoin the fleet, receiving full back pay and three years of active-duty credit.  Tata lauded Berry’s return, quoting the sailor’s desire to finish his career in what he called &#8220;the best job in the Navy.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pleased to share the story of another brave warrior impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Devin Berry.
E3 Berry, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, was involuntarily separated in July 2022 after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. After <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> signed EO 14184, he contacted the… <a href="https://t.co/XYP2ETwo8k">pic.twitter.com/XYP2ETwo8k</a>
— Under Secretary of War Anthony J. Tata (@USW_PR_HONTata) <a href="https://twitter.com/USW_PR_HONTata/status/2021982043467292788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Berry’s case is part of a broader federal initiative to restore the honor of thousands of service members impacted by the 2021 vaccine mandate. Between August 2021 and the mandate’s rescission in January 2023, an estimated <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-reinstates-service-members-discharged-for-refusing-the-covid-vaccine">8,000 service members</a> were involuntarily separated. The Marine Corps saw the highest number of discharges, at more than 3,700, followed by significant numbers in the Navy, Army, and Air Force. Thousands more in the Guard and Reserve faced suspensions, and some chose to resign or retire early rather than comply.
The controversy surrounding the mandate centered on the military&#8217;s low approval rates for religious and medical exemptions, prompting numerous lawsuits and claims of violations of religious freedom. While many service members were discharged &#8220;honorably,&#8221; roughly 4,000 received &#8220;General (Under Honorable Conditions)&#8221; discharges, a designation that can limit access to GI Bill education benefits and hinder their transition to civilian life.
The tide turned after President Trump returned to office in early 2025. Executive Order 14184 authorized the reinstatement of all service members separated under the mandate, and the War Department moved to restore rank, back pay, and lost service time. A December 2025 review began automatically upgrading &#8220;General&#8221; discharges to &#8220;Honorable,&#8221; restoring GI Bill benefits for nearly 900 veterans.
While the return rate was initially low — with only 43 individuals rejoining in the first year after the mandate ended — the new incentives and formal apologies from leadership have aimed to improve those numbers. Returning service members are generally required to commit to a new four-year service obligation.
For Berry and others like him, the policy shift marks a second chance to complete the military careers they once thought were over.

Damn Few

Restoring Honor: Navy Reinstates Sailor Discharged Over Vaccine Refusal

U.S. Navy

Vaccine Mandate

A Stanford Medicine research team has confirmed that mRNA-based COVID vaccines can cause inflammation of the heart muscle, known as myocarditis, which can be fatal.
The study, recently <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/12/myocarditis-vaccine-covid.html">published</a> in the journal &#8220;Science Translational Medicine,&#8221; concludes that these mRNA vaccines can trigger certain immune cells to produce inflammatory proteins, specifically CXCL10 and IFN-gamma, which can cause heart issues.
“It’s not a heart attack in the traditional sense,” Dr. Joseph Wu, a senior author of the study and the director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, explained. “There’s no blockage of blood vessels as found in most common heart attacks. When symptoms are mild and the inflammation hasn’t caused structural damage to the heart, we just observe these patients to make sure they recover.”
Some patients, though, can suffer severe complications, including death, Wu said.
The researcher confirmed that COVID itself &#8220;can cause myocarditis,&#8221; and &#8220;to a lesser extent, so can the mRNA vaccines.&#8221;
For reasons still unknown, the vaccines are tied to a heightened risk in males under the age of 30, particularly those who receive multiple doses, the study found.
&#8220;Vaccine-associated myocarditis occurs in about one in every 140,000 vaccines after a first dose and rises to one in 32,000 after a second dose,&#8221; Stanford Medicine News Center <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/12/myocarditis-vaccine-covid.html">said</a>. &#8220;For reasons that aren’t clear, incidence peaks among male vaccines age 30 or below, at one in 16,750 vaccines.&#8221;
Recently, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad proposed in an internal memo an overhaul to how vaccines are evaluated and approved, basically initiating tougher standards.
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This would reportedly include full randomized clinical trials even for updated or routine vaccines, like the flu shot. The changes would allow for an evaluation of real-world protection, not just antibody levels, as well as rates of side effects, and more information on risk-benefit analysis. 
Notably, the memo cited at least 10 children who died “after and because of” receiving COVID vaccines as the apparent driving force behind the tougher vaccine standards.
The medical establishment quickly revolted over the proposed standards. For example, twelve former FDA officials denounced the memo in an editorial, claiming it casts doubt on vaccine safety. They also said the new standards “reject long-standing science” and will slow innovation. 
In response to the backlash from the establishment, Health and Human Services (HHS) press secretary Emily Hilliard told The Daily Wire that the American people “deserve evidence-based science,” and said Dr. Prasad’s email “lays out a philosophical framework that points us toward that higher standard.”
Hilliard also said HHS will “soon release documents laying out that framework” as well as data confirming how the COVID-19 vaccine resulted in children’s deaths that &#8220;previous leadership failed to properly investigate.”
The FDA is also currently <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/09/vaccine-covid-coronavirus-safety-fda/">investigating</a> adult deaths connected to the COVID vaccines.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-supporter-destroys-famed-doctor-attacking-rfk-jr-in-under-2-minutes?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=MAHA+Supporter+Destroys+Famed+Doctor+Attacking+RFK+Jr.+In+Under+2+Minutes">MAHA Supporter Destroys Famed Doctor Attacking RFK Jr. In Under 2 Minutes</a>

C3E7E190-C1F9-4BA8-98D4-18E81D97EBC2_1_201_a

Stanford Researchers Confirm COVID Vax Can Cause Fatal Myocarditis

COVID

Health

U.S.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — a highly influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine panel — held discussions and votes over the past two days on a number of vaccinations.
Specifically, the CDC panel discussed the MMRV, hepatitis B, and COVID vaccines.
On the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, the panel voted to delay the shot until a child is at least four years old, citing an increased risk in febrile seizures. It&#8217;s still currently recommended that the MMR and chickenpox vaccine, separately, be given to young children.
The hepatitis B shot was also widely discussed, but ultimately a vote to delay the first dose, which is currently given at birth, was kicked for another time. Some advocates say the first dose is not necessary at birth if the mother herself tests negative for the disease, since hepatitis B is transmitted sexually or by blood.
The panel did vote to <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/acip-recommends-covid19-vaccination-individual-decision-making.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">recommend</a> all pregnant women be tested for hepatitis B, a test that is covered across all insurance programs, according to Health and Human Services (HHS).
Lastly, the panel took on COVID vaccines. The panel <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5513336-acip-recommends-childhood-vaccine-changes/">recommended</a> that the shot &#8220;be determined by individual decision-making.&#8221; This means there is no longer a broad recommendation for all, but instead, individuals will decide after discussions with providers, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, according to HHS.
&#8220;It allows for immunization coverage through all payment mechanisms including entitlement programs such as the Vaccines for Children Program, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid, and Medicare, as well as insurance plans through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace,&#8221; HHS adds.
During this latest meeting, five new appointees were named to ACIP: Catherine M. Stein, Dr. Evelyn Griffin, Hilary Blackburn, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, and Dr. Raymond Pollak.
ACIP is highly influential. The panel meets a few times a year and makes recommendations to the CDC, thereby basically setting the childhood vaccine schedule and other vaccine-related recommendations, like flu shots and COVID vaccines. ACIP also heavily influences which vaccines are covered by both public and private insurance.
Back in June, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all sitting ACIP panel members over what he said were conflicts of interest. At the time, Kennedy argued in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that ACIP had lost the trust of the American people, effectively becoming a “rubber-stamp” for all vaccines while ignoring safety concerns and conflict of interest rules.
He said that ACIP had “never recommended against a vaccine—even those which were later withdrawn for safety reasons,” adding that the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maha-changes-are-coming-to-mcdonalds?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=MAHA+Changes+Are+Coming+To+McDonald’s">MAHA Changes Are Coming To McDonald’s</a>

Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Delivers Address To Jewish Community In New York

Vax Panel Takes On COVID, Hep B, And MMRV Vaccines. Here’s What They Decided.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Vaccines

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) &#8212; a highly influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine panel &#8212; is meeting Thursday and Friday to discuss potential changes to the childhood vaccination schedule. 
The panel will specifically review the COVID vaccine, the hepatitis B vaccination, and the MMRV shot, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. The panel will take votes on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon regarding their recommendations for if, when, and how the three vaccines should be administered.
Regarding the COVID vaccine, there are scheduled discussions on the &#8220;genomics of vaccine-induced myocarditis,&#8221; as well as the &#8220;economic analysis of COVID-19 vaccination.&#8221; The panel is also expected to hear statements from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. The vote for a COVID recommendation is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday.
On the hepatitis B vaccine, reports this week have suggested that the panel will likely recommend that the vaccine be delayed until age four if the mother tests negative for Hep B, since the disease is transmitted sexually or by blood. Currently, the first Hep B dose is given at birth. The vote on this recommendation is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m.
The vote for the MMRV shot is also scheduled at 5 p.m. on Friday. Before the vote, the panel will hear a presentation on &#8220;febrile seizure&#8221; following the MMRV vaccine.
The meeting will also reportedly include the introduction of five new panel member appointees. Back in June, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all ACIP panel members over what he said were conflicts of interest. He&#8217;s been replacing the panel with professionals he says follow gold-standard science. 
Also of note, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which controversially <a href="https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/25340/AAP-reaffirms-gender-affirming-care-policy?autologincheck=redirected">supports</a> trans procedures for minors, boycotted the meeting, claiming ACIP has lost credibility under Kennedy.
AAP CEO Mark Del Monte <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/09/18/cdc-acip-vaccine-meeting-martin-kulldorff-debate-challenge/">claimed</a> in a recent statement that ACIP “imperils children’s health.&#8221; “Rather than firing experts at ACIP and CDC and engaging in political stunts, it’s time to get back to prioritizing children’s health. That’s where our focus is. That’s where it will remain,” he added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/medical-orgs-face-pressure-over-support-for-transgender-ideology-after-deadly-shooting?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Medical+Orgs+Face+Pressure+Over+Support+For+Transgender+Ideology+After+Deadly+Shooting">Medical Orgs Face Pressure Over Support For Transgender Ideology After Deadly Shooting</a>

CDC’s Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Meets In Atlanta

Vax Panel Reviewing Childhood Vaccine Schedule. Here’s What They’ll Vote On.

Vax Panel Looking At Childhood Vaccine Schedule. Here’s What They’ll Vote On. 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tore into Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) after the latter repeatedly called Kennedy a liar during a heated hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
Kennedy had already fielded a series of clearly antagonistic questions about vaccines and recent shake-ups at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from several senators before Bennet started in, accusing him of reconfiguring the panel tasked with recommend vaccines and filling the seats with vaccine skeptics. Kennedy conceded that some — including Dr. Robert Malone, who pioneered the mRNA technology used in the COVID-19 vaccine — were skeptical of the long-term impact of mRNA vaccines, but said that he did not anticipate changes in the recommended vaccines for school children.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a> says the Trump Administration&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HHSGov</a> answers to the American people, not the pharmaceutical companies, for the first time in history — sending <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBennet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBennet</a> into a deluded fit of rage.
Must watch. <a href="https://t.co/CUsoGqrr8e">pic.twitter.com/CUsoGqrr8e</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963620013945823515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I think it’s critical for you to share the evidence that this panel will rely on. Will you give the American people … six weeks in advance, the record that they’re going to rely on to make these decisions? Will you make it transparent for the American people?&#8221; Bennet demanded to know.
&#8220;All the evidence is transparent,&#8221; Kennedy replied.
&#8220;Will you make it in advance, transparent for the American people so they can comment?&#8221; Bennet asked again.
&#8220;On all the evidence? It’s transparent for the first time in history, and you were never there complaining when the pharmaceutical companies were picking those people and then running their products through with no safety &#8230;&#8221; Kennedy objected.
&#8220;You can … characterize it any way you want. I quoted them today. What I said was accurate. What you said were lies!&#8221; Bennet claimed.
&#8220;Senator, are you saying the mRNA vaccine has never been associated with myocarditis and pericarditis?&#8221; Kennedy asked, referring to Bennet&#8217;s earlier claim that he had lied about there being risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.
&#8220;I am saying, I am simply trying to say that the people that you have put on that panel, after firing the entire —&#8221; Bennet attempted to interrupt.
&#8220;You are evading the question!&#8221; Kennedy pointed out.
Bennet, incensed, shouted back, &#8220;No, I’m asking the questions here! I’m asking the questions, Mr. Kennedy, on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership. That’s what this conversation is about.&#8221;
Kennedy had the last word in response, saying, &#8220;They deserve the truth. And that’s what we’re going to give them. For the first time in the history of that agency!&#8221;

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr Testifies At Senate Finance Hearing

‘They Deserve The Truth!’: RFK Jr. Squares Off With Colorado Senator In Testy Hearing

'They Deserve The Truth!': RFK Jr. Squares Off With Colorado Senator In Testy Hearing

Democrats

Media

The U.S. military destroys a drug boat from Venezuela as a federal judge tries to block President Trump from using the National Guard for law enforcement in Los Angeles. A massive populist backlash against mass migration is fueling a historic political shift to the Right across Europe. The FDA restricts access to COVID vaccines for healthy Americans as President Trump demands Big Pharma release its data and questions his own Operation Warp Speed.
It’s Wednesday, September 3, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>U.S. Military Sinks Drug Boat, Judge Blocks Trump in L.A.</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-968047" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/MRN-9.3.25-Wed-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The U.S. military destroyed a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela on Tuesday, the most dramatic move yet in the Trump administration&#8217;s war on cartels, as a federal judge in California ruled against the president&#8217;s use of the National Guard for domestic law enforcement. 
As part of an &#8220;enhanced counter narcotics operation,&#8221; the U.S. military has deployed at least eight warships to the Caribbean. &#8220;We just, over the last few minutes, shot out a drug-carrying boat,&#8221; President Trump announced Tuesday. &#8220;These came out of Venezuela.&#8221; The action follows the president&#8217;s designation of several large drug cartels as terror organizations, allowing for a more aggressive military approach. 
Meanwhile, a district judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles to protect federal property and aid immigration enforcement was illegal. The judge, Charles Breyer, barred guardsmen from engaging in law enforcement activities. The Trump administration will appeal the ruling, which has been put on hold for ten days. A federal appeals court previously reversed a similar ruling from Breyer in June. 
In other administration news, the Pentagon will send up to 600 of its lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, a move intended to clear a 3-million-person backlog and speed up deportations. President Trump also announced that the U.S. Space Command Headquarters will be relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, a move the White House says will save nearly half a billion dollars.
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<h2>Europe Sees Historic Shift to the Right Amid Migrant Backlash</h2>
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Topline: For the first time in modern history, right-wing populist parties are leading the polls in Europe&#8217;s three largest economies — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — driven by a massive public backlash against mass migration. 
&#8220;Immigration is the number one factor driving all of these movements,&#8221; Alvino-Mario Fantini, editor-in-chief of the European Conservative, told Morning Wire. Since 2015, an estimated 25 to 30 million immigrants, primarily from Muslim countries, have entered Europe, leading to a culture clash and widespread anger over the high costs of housing and welfare for migrants. 
As a result, nationalist parties like Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, France’s National Rally, and Germany’s Alternative for Germany are now topping the polls in their respective countries. 
The establishment parties have responded with what many conservative analysts call &#8220;lawfare,&#8221; similar to tactics used against the MAGA movement in the U.S. In France, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen was convicted of misusing E.U. funds and banned from running for office for five years. In Germany, the country’s intelligence agency has classified the Alternative for Germany party as an “extremist” group, which could be used to ban its members from public office.
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<h2>FDA Restricts COVID Vax as Trump Questions Warp Speed</h2>
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Topline: The FDA has removed the emergency use authorization for COVID vaccines, restricting their availability for healthy Americans, as President Trump is now publicly questioning his own Operation Warp Speed and demanding that pharmaceutical companies release their data on the shots. 
The FDA has removed the &#8220;emergency use authorization&#8221; that allowed widespread access to COVID vaccines during the pandemic. While high-risk individuals can still get the vaccine, healthy people will now need a recommendation from a physician. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said the agency doesn&#8217;t &#8220;have data [on] healthy Americans, so we’re not recommending it for healthy Americans,&#8221; adding that the change makes future vaccine mandates &#8220;legally impossible.&#8221; 
The move comes as President Trump has taken a more critical tone on the vaccines. In a post on Truth Social, he demanded that companies like Pfizer &#8220;justify&#8221; the success of the drugs and release their data to the public. In a notable shift, he also questioned his own signature program, writing, “I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???” 
The policy changes follow a major shakeup at the CDC, where HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently fired the director, prompting several other top officials to resign and nine former directors to write an op-ed condemning Kennedy. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya responded by noting that the former directors criticizing Kennedy were the same ones who &#8220;embraced politicized school closures and covid vaccine mandates.”

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Morning Brief: US Military Strikes Drug Boat, Rise Of European Populism & COVID Vax Pullback

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France

Germany

Global Politics

Operation Warp Speed

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World

President Donald Trump issued a Labor Day appeal for Pfizer to share its COVID-19 vaccine data with the CDC and the public immediately.
Trump said on Truth Social that Pfizer had shown him impressive numbers on its COVID vaccine, but that they had not made them publicly available. His call for transparency comes after the White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-fires-cdc-director-following-covid-vaccine-showdown">fired</a> CDC Director Susan Monarez last week following her clash with Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the approval of COVID vaccines. 
“It is very important that the Drug Companies justify the success of their various Covid Drugs. Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree! With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW,” Trump wrote. “I have been shown information from Pfizer, and others, that is extraordinary, but they never seem to show those results to the public. Why not??? They go off to the next &#8216;hunt&#8217; and let everyone rip themselves apart, including Bobby Kennedy Jr. and CDC, trying to figure out the success or failure of the Drug Companies Covid work.”
“They show me GREAT numbers and results, but they don’t seem to be showing them to many others,” Trump added. “I want them to show them NOW, to CDC and the public, and clear up this MESS, one way or the other!!! I hope OPERATION WARP SPEED was as ‘BRILLIANT’ as many say it was. If not, we all want to know about it, and why???”
During his first term, Trump launched &#8220;Operation Warp Speed&#8221; to fast-track the development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines. Under the Biden administration, mandates were introduced requiring vaccination for the military, healthcare workers at federally funded facilities, federal employees and contractors, and employees of large businesses. Federal courts later blocked some of these mandates, while others remained in effect.
After Monarez was fired last week, Kennedy appointed HHS Deputy Director Jim O’Neil as the acting director of the CDC. Monarez was terminated after she failed to commit to rescinding her approval for certain COVID-19 vaccine age groups. At least four senior CDC officials left in protest over Monarez’s firing. 
Those resignations came as the FDA rolled out new guidelines for the COVID vaccine, approving its use for those 65 and older and limiting approval for those between the ages of 5 and 64.
“The emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded,” Kennedy announced. “FDA has now issued marketing authorization for those at higher risk: Moderna (6+ months), Pfizer (5+), and Novavax (12+). These vaccines are available for all patients who choose them after consulting with their doctors.”

President Trump Attends MAHA Commission Event At White House

Trump Puts The Heat On Pfizer: Release COVID Vaccine Data To Public ‘NOW’

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Pfizer

The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine and gene therapy regulator has reportedly been ousted from his position.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, recently came under scrutiny for a request to <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-requests-sarepta-therapeutics-suspend-distribution-elevidys-and-places-clinical-trials-hold">pause</a> shipments of a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), claiming the genetic treatment is linked to three potential deaths. Earlier this week, the FDA lifted the pause for DMD patients who are still able to walk.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for Health and Human Services, confirmed Prasad is no longer with the FDA but did not share details about his departure.
“Dr. Prasad did not want to be a distraction to the great work of the FDA in the Trump administration and has decided to return to California and spend more time with his family,” Nixon said in a statement. “We thank him for his service and the many important reforms he was able to achieve in his time at FDA.”
In a statement issued on July 18, Prasad said the gene therapy &#8212; called Elevidys and made by Sarepta Therapeutics &#8212; needed to be paused for patient safety.
“Protecting patient safety is our highest priority, and the FDA will not allow products whose harms are greater than benefits,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The FDA will halt any clinical trial of an investigational product if clinical trial participants would be exposed to an unreasonable and significant risk of illness or injury,”
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary gave his support to Prasad, seeming to praise the &#8220;swift action.&#8221;
“Today, we’ve shown that this FDA takes swift action when patient safety is at risk,” Makary said. “We believe in access to drugs for unmet medical needs but are not afraid to take immediate action when a serious safety signal emerges.”
Some conservatives criticized Prasad for pausing the therapy. A piece published by RealClearHealth said Prasad was standing with &#8220;progressive health policies,&#8221; and not the president.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
More on the man destroying <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> legacy for helping patients. FDA’s Vinay Prasad Stands with Progressive Health Policies <a href="https://t.co/4wQ3mRuA6U">https://t.co/4wQ3mRuA6U</a>
— Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) <a href="https://twitter.com/RickSantorum/status/1948769526776025597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Prasad’s hostility toward breakthrough therapies is not confined to policy memos. He has dismissed Elevidys as &#8216;disgusting&#8217; because of its $3.2 million price tag, decried its &#8216;unclear benefit,&#8217; and labeled it a &#8216;useless drug,'&#8221; the piece said. &#8220;He lumped it together with Sarepta’s earlier exon-skipping therapy Exondys 51, calling its approval the result of &#8216;shenanigans&#8217; and &#8216;FDA politics&#8217; overriding science.&#8221;
In the past, Prasad expressed publicly his skepticism of President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;right to try&#8221; policy.
However, Emily Kopp, an investigative journalist from The Daily Caller, suggested Big Pharma was playing a role in the controversy. &#8220;Hit pieces on FDA’s Vinay Prasad are being fed to the right by pharma company Sarepta, the maker of an experimental drug that just killed an eight year old boy,&#8221; she wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hit pieces on FDA’s Vinay Prasad are being fed to the right by pharma company Sarepta, the maker of an experimental drug that just killed an eight year old boy. <a href="https://t.co/1wCq3ksXWZ">https://t.co/1wCq3ksXWZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y8aeRtqBU9">pic.twitter.com/Y8aeRtqBU9</a>
— Emily Kopp (@emilyakopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyakopp/status/1948867147855212627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
Though Prasad was a critic of COVID vaccine protocols and other pandemic-related approaches, his personal politics have also become <a href="https://loomered.com/2025/07/28/exclusive-trump-fda-official-vinay-prasad-once-said-he-stabbed-a-trump-voodoo-doll-to-curse-him/">a topic</a> for some on the Right. Makary, however, recently defended Prasad from attacks. “There’s not a political bone to his body,” Makary <a href="https://www.politico.com/video/2025/07/26/commissioner-marty-makary-defends-fdas-vinay-prasad-1690337">said</a> of Prasad last weekend. “He’s an impeccable scientist, I think one of the greatest scientific minds of our generation.”

Chasing Cancer Summit

FDA Shake-Up: The Controversial Ouster Of The Top Vaccine Regulator

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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named eight people to serve on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-guts-cdc-vaccine-panel-retiring-all-17-members?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Guts+CDC+Vaccine+Panel%2C+‘Retiring’+All+17+Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a highly influential vaccine panel he gutted</a> earlier in the week. 
The new members include Dr. Robert Malone, who worked on early research for mRNA vaccine technology and is a vocal critic of the mRNA COVID vaccines, as well as other medical experts who took dissenting positions from the medical establishment during the COVID pandemic.
Kennedy announced on X Wednesday evening that the eight new members are &#8220;highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America’s most accomplished physicians.&#8221;
&#8220;All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.&#8221;
In addition to Malone, who&#8217;s the most well-known, the other members include Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln, Martin Kulldorff, Retsef Levi, Dr. Cody Meissner, Dr. Michael A. Ross, Dr. James Pagano, and Vicky Pebsworth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On Monday, I took a major step towards restoring public trust in vaccines by reconstituting the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). I retired the 17 current members of the committee. I’m now repopulating ACIP with the eight new members who will attend ACIP’s…
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1932899858920120692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kennedy noted Malone&#8217;s work on mRNA vaccine technology, specifically his &#8220;foundational research in the late 1980s on lipid-mediated mRNA delivery, which laid the groundwork for later developments in mRNA-based therapeutics.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thank you for the honor of serving my country in this way, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecKennedy</a>. I will do my best to serve with unbiased objectivity and rigor. <a href="https://t.co/mO0a3eGcjb">https://t.co/mO0a3eGcjb</a>
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RWMaloneMD/status/1932901388360847477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Dr. Martin Kulldorff, another panelist, is an epidemiologist who co-authored the pandemic-era Great Barrington Declaration, which criticizes lockdown restrictions, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-advisory-panel-names/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-advisory-panel-names/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. Additionally, Dr. Cody Meissner opposed COVID vaccine requirements for children and spoke out against masking them.
Kennedy said the new eight members will attend a scheduled ACIP meeting on June 25, which is set to discuss the COVID vaccine.
Explaining his reasoning for gutting the panel on Monday, Kennedy wrote in the Wall Street Journal that ACIP had lost the trust of the American people, effectively becoming a &#8220;rubber-stamp&#8221; for all vaccines while ignoring safety concerns and conflict of interest rules. 
RFK Jr. wrote that ACIP has “never recommended against a vaccine—even those which were later withdrawn for safety reasons,&#8221; adding that the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women.” 
ACIP is highly influential. The panel meets a few times a year and makes recommendations to the CDC, thereby basically setting the childhood vaccine schedule and other vaccine-related recommendations, like flu shots and COVID vaccines. ACIP also heavily influences which vaccines are covered by both public and private insurance.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-guts-cdc-vaccine-panel-retiring-all-17-members?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Jr.+Guts+CDC+Vaccine+Panel%2C+‘Retiring’+All+17+Members" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RFK Jr. Guts CDC Vaccine Panel, ‘Retiring’ All 17 Members</a>

RFK Jr

RFK Jr. Names New Members To Vax Board, Including Critics Of COVID Measures

Department of Health and Human Services

Health and Human Services

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has rescinded guidance that pregnant women and children should receive a vaccine against COVID.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the change in guidance on Tuesday. Kennedy in a video statement was flanked by National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary.
“I couldn&#8217;t be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy then slammed the Biden administration for pushing COVID shots and boosters on healthy children “despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children.”
Bhattacharya jumped in: “That ends today. It&#8217;s common sense and it&#8217;s good science.”
Makary added: “There&#8217;s no evidence healthy kids need it today, and most countries have stopped recommending it for children.”
“We&#8217;re now one step closer to realizing President Trump&#8217;s promise to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’”  Kennedy finished.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a> recommended immunization schedule. Bottom line: it’s common sense and it’s good science. We are now one step closer to realizing <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>’s promise to Make America Healthy Again. <a href="https://t.co/Ytch2afCLP">pic.twitter.com/Ytch2afCLP</a>
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecKennedy/status/1927368440811008138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
The announcement follows the release of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-biden-admin-covered-up-adverse-covid-vaccine-reactions-including-myocarditis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> earlier this month from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on the potentially deadly side effects associated with COVID vaccines and the Biden administration’s lack of action to notify the American people.
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The report is titled: “Failure to Warn: How Federal Health Agencies Downplayed the Risk of Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination.” The investigation into the Biden administration’s handling of COVID vaccines found that officials “knew about the risks of myocarditis,” “downplayed the health concern,” and deliberately “delayed informing the public about the risk.”
Committee chair Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said that the Biden administration covered up vaccine side effects to prevent “vaccine hesitancy,” but “in being concerned about that, they violated the inviolable principle of informed consent.”
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this report.

CDC Stops Pushing COVID Shots For Healthy Pregnant Women, Children: ‘Common Sense’

Jay Bhattacharya

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