Two foreign nationals employed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were charged Tuesday with smuggling monkeypox into the United States and lying to federal law enforcement. 
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Vincent Munster, 53, a Dutch citizen and chief of the Virus Ecology Section at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, and Claude Kwe, 38, a Cameroonian national and NIH research fellow, were charged with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States from the Republic of Congo and giving false statements to federal investigators.
Both men face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.
The two men worked at a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, the highest level of biological containment used to study the world&#8217;s most dangerous pathogens.
Federal authorities claim the pair arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on January 25 after traveling from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where a monkeypox outbreak was ongoing. Customs and Border Protection officers reportedly questioned the men after noticing they were transporting a large black plastic case.
According to investigators, Munster and Kwe told officers the case contained diagnostic and testing equipment. Authorities later determined the case allegedly contained 113 biological vials packed inside Styrofoam coolers.
Federal investigators said testing on 20 of the vials found that 17 contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained chickenpox virus, and two contained human DNA.
“These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Let that sink in,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said in a statement.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox is a viral disease that spreads primarily through close physical contact with infected people, animals, or contaminated materials. While most infected individuals recover, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9468204/">greater risk</a> of severe illness. The CDC says the virus does not spread through casual contact or through the air in places like classrooms, offices, or pools.
Outbreaks of monkeypox have been ongoing in Central and Eastern Africa since late 2023. The CDC says the global clade IIb monkeypox outbreak that began in 2022 has resulted in more than 100,000 cases across 122 countries.
Since November 2024, the United States has recorded more than 20 laboratory-confirmed clade I monkeypox cases, according to the CDC. Officials say those infections involved travelers returning from affected regions in Africa or Europe, or individuals linked to recent travelers.
FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said the allegations were “serious” and involved “dangerous and unlawful smuggling” along with attempts to mislead federal agents.
“No researchers should believe their positions, credentials, or professional status place them above the law,” Runyan added.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General also condemned the alleged conduct, warning that attempts to conceal biological materials could place the public at risk.
“We have zero tolerance for anyone who attempts to exploit our research frameworks, circumvent our border enforcement processes, or deceive investigators,” said CBP Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon.

BURUNDI-HEALTH-VIRUS-MPOX

Leftist Scientists Caught Sneaking 113 Vials Of Monkeypox Into America

Crime

Health

Monkeypox

President Joe Biden&#8217;s monkeypox advisor appeared to defend risky sexual behavior — waving it off as simply someone&#8217;s idea of a &#8220;fun Friday night&#8221; — during a Sunday appearance on MSNBC.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a physician and gay activist who specializes in the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, has <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1554489702513786886">served</a> as Biden&#8217;s Deputy National Monkeypox Coordinator since August 2022 — and he told MSNBC&#8217;s Jonathan Capehart that his role in the administration is to &#8220;get the word out in a way that supports people&#8217;s joy&#8221; rather than warning them that their behavior could be &#8220;risky.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden monkeypox advisor Demetre Daskalakis says the Biden administration aims to &quot;support peoples&#39; joy as opposed to calling them &#39;risky&#39;&quot;:
&quot;One person&#39;s idea of risk is another person&#39;s idea of a great festival or Friday night.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/nKsRQNmOwY">pic.twitter.com/nKsRQNmOwY</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1670433692312018944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I work in HIV normally,&#8221; he explained, adding, &#8220;I always say that I&#8217;ve never made an HIV diagnosis in someone that hasn&#8217;t somehow related to stigma, I think M-Pox is the same.&#8221;
&#8220;Stigma tends to be a barrier to testing, a barrier to vaccination,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And so, you know, really addressing stigma intentionally and making sure that we get the word out in a way that supports people&#8217;s joy as opposed to, you know, calling them &#8216;risky.&#8217; So I think, you know, one of the things to think about is one person&#8217;s idea of risk is another person&#8217;s idea of a great &#8216;festival&#8217; or Friday night, for that matter, so we have to sort of embrace that with joy and make sure that folks know how to keep themselves safe.&#8221;
What Daskalakis did not say aloud was that monkeypox (renamed &#8220;M-Pox&#8221; in an effort to lessen the stigma he had warned about) is <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infectious-diseases/expert-answers/monkeypox-faq/faq-20533608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">often transmitted</a> through close contact with the skin or mucosal surfaces of an infected person — and that it appeared to have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-report-shows-lgbtq-community-hit-hardest-by-monkeypox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit hardest</a> among men who engaged in sexual contact with other men.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-106146">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Daskalakis recently came under fire when a video circulated of him appearing onstage wearing a business suit and a bondage harness alongside two men wearing bikini bottoms. According to a <a href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-administration/biden-monkeypox-adviser-video/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Washington Free Beacon, Daskalakis was there &#8220;&#8216;on assignment&#8217; in his role as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&#8217;s director of the division of HIV/AIDS prevention — for which he <a href="https://openpayrolls.com/demetre-c-daskalakis-134512204">was paid</a> a taxpayer-funded salary of about $246,000 last year.&#8221;

New York City Pride 2021

Biden Advisor Defends Unsafe Sex: ‘One Person’s Idea Of Risk … Another Person’s Idea Of A Great Festival’

Joe Biden

Pandemic

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Border Chaos
The Biden administration will reportedly direct Border Patrol agents to release illegal migrants into the U.S. with minimal processing and little oversight as soon as midnight strikes tonight. 
The administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mass-catch-and-release-biden-admin-releasing-migrants-into-u-s-with-no-ability-to-track-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> a memo to Border Patrol agents that directs them to release migrants into the U.S. interior without assigning them a court date or coming up with a plan to track them. The move comes as the administration struggles to contain a growing surge of illegal immigration prompted by the court-ordered repeal of Title 42. One DHS official said earlier this week, “We’re already breaking and we haven’t hit the starting line.” The U.S. hit a record on Tuesday, tallying more than 11,000 migrant apprehensions at the border in a single day.
Accused Chinese Spy Arrested
Federal authorities have arrested a United States citizen accused of being a Chinese Communist Spy. Daily Wire senior editor Ashe Short has more:
<blockquote>Litang Liang, a resident just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, was <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/feds-arrest-alleged-chinese-spy-boston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with plotting to act as an agent of a foreign government on Tuesday. Officials claim that Liang began communicating with the Chinese Communist Party in or around 2018 via several methods such as phone calls and over encrypted smartphone apps. The arrest comes just weeks after the feds busted an alleged Chinese Communist “police station” in New York City.</blockquote>
Trump Town Hall Reaction
In reaction to former President Donald Trump’s town hall Wednesday night on CNN, the network has come under fire from Left-leaning organizations both for platforming the former president, as well as how the event’s moderator, Kaitlan Collins, handled it. Here’s how “The View” reacted: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP&#39;S CNN TOWN HALL: After former Pres. Trump sat down on primetime television a day after being found liable for battery and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll civil case, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheView?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheView</a> co-hosts share their takes. <a href="https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA">https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA</a> <a href="https://t.co/mEqwQVASg8">pic.twitter.com/mEqwQVASg8</a>
&mdash; The View (@TheView) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheView/status/1656689265579810816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Meanwhile, CNN’s CEO Chris Licht is defending the network, reportedly saying that &#8220;America was served very well by what we did last night” and that Collins had a &#8220;masterful performance last night.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-59442">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Feinstein Returns
The 89-year-old California Senator Dianne Feinstein <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feinstein-returns-to-senate-in-wheelchair-needs-lighter-schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned</a> to her duties in D.C. this week after missing several months of work due to a case of shingles. Feinstein was seen in a wheelchair and accompanied by Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer">Chuck Schumer</a>. The senator is reportedly “experiencing vision/balance impairments” and will need the wheelchair to get around the Capitol. Her return comes after weeks of fellow Democrats calling for her to resign.
EPA Could Send Energy Costs Soaring
The Environmental Protection Agency <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-epa-unveils-new-crackdown-on-power-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> new carbon emissions standards today for power plants that burn coal and natural gas. The new regulations seek to cut carbon dioxide emissions from such power plants by 617 million metric tons. Jason Isaac, a director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told The Daily Wire that the new regulations are “far-reaching” and will inevitably raise power costs for households.
Monkey Pox No Longer An International Emergency
The World Health Organization said today Mpox — formerly known as Monkeypox — is no longer considered an international emergency after cases have dropped dramatically.
Woke College Puts Professor On Leave For Handing Out Jeremy’s Chocolate
A California community college professor was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woke-college-puts-professor-on-leave-for-handing-out-jeremys-chocolate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended</a> after he handed out Jeremy’s Chocolate bars to students. According to George Washington University law professor and blogger Jonathan Turley, David Richardson stocked a bowl with He/Him and She/Her candy bars, then told students to help themselves at an open house event. 
Madera Community College officials took the action as an endorsement of the “gender binary” and suspended him. Richardson told Turley he’s been banned from “non-public spaces” on campus, and denied access to his email as the school investigates him for “serious misconduct.” School officials claimed the gesture constituted harassment and discrimination against colleagues “based on gender.” Jeremy’s Chocolate is owned by Daily Wire’s parent company.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Thursday stock photo

Thursday Afternoon Update: Border Chaos, Catch-And-Release, Accused Chinese Spy Arrested

Border

Dianne Feinstein

Donald Trump

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

General

Jeremy's Chocolate

Morning Wire

Podcast

U.S.

The Biden administration has announced its plans to finally end the emergency declaration for &#8230; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkeypox</a>.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Friday that it would not renew the emergency declaration for the monkeypox epidemic when it expires on January 31. HHS cited a continuing declining trend in total case counts as the reason it was not renewing the emergency. The news comes even as the Biden administration reportedly has no plans to lift the COVID emergency declaration.
&#8220;From the outset of the mpox outbreak, the Administration pulled every lever to stop the spread of this virus,&#8221; HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/12/02/statement-from-hhs-secretary-becerra-on-mpox.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> Friday announcing the decision. &#8220;In August, the Department of Health and Human Services declared a Public Health Emergency that further strengthened and accelerated the response to produce results. Given the low number of cases today, HHS does not expect that it needs to renew the emergency declaration when it ends on January 31, 2023.&#8221; Becerra said that public health officials would continue to work with state and local officials to monitor trends, and encouraged at-risk individuals to get vaccinated.
Case counts of monkeypox have steadily trended downward since the peak of the outbreak in August, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/mpx-trends.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So far this week, a total of 31 new cases were reported, with a seven-day rolling average of just seven. Just a single new case was reported on Sunday; 13 cases were reported on Monday; just five on Tuesday; and 16 on Wednesday.
At the height of the epidemic in July and August, several hundred new cases were being reported every day, at an average of about 450 per day. The highest single-day number of new cases reported was 638 on August 1. HHS declared an <a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/legal/PHE/Pages/monkeypox-4Aug22.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emergency</a> on August 4. The declaration was <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3715547-hhs-renews-public-health-emergency-for-monkeypox-outbreak/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewed</a> earlier this month.
Just days ago, the White House backed the World Health Organization&#8217;s move to rename the virus from monkeypox to &#8220;mpox&#8221; in order to remove racist &#8220;stigma&#8221; against Africans, since the virus is endemic to Africa.
&#8220;We welcome the change by the World Health Organization,&#8221; Becerra said in a <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/11/28/biden-harris-administration-supports-the-world-health-organization-renaming-of-monkeypox-to-mpox.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> Monday. &#8220;We must do all we can to break down barriers to public health, and reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox.&#8221;
In response to the name change, all federal public health agencies would adopt the &#8220;mpox&#8221; name in their correspondence with medical professionals and the public. HHS said that changing the name of the virus would &#8220;help enhance the U.S. response to mpox by using a term that does not conjure bias or stigma,&#8221; and &#8220;aid efforts to reach the most impacted communities with a term for the disease that doesn’t act to marginalize individuals from accessing the care, resources, and support they need to protect themselves and others.&#8221;
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has no plans to revoke the COVID emergency declaration. According to a report from <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3735058-u-s-to-continue-covid-public-health-emergency-through-january/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>, HHS is supposed to inform stakeholders 60 days beforehand that the administration will not renew the emergency declaration. That deadline passed on November 14. The latest declaration will last until January 11.

Monkeypox virus cells outbreak medical banner.

Biden Administration Finally Announces End Of Emergency Declaration For … Monkeypox

Biden Administration

COVID-19

Executive

Xavier Becerra

Shortly after announcing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a>’s first two deaths linked to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkeypox</a> on Friday, the city’s health department explained that, from now on, it will refer to the virus as MPV.
Monkeypox, which largely transmits through sexual intercourse between men, hit the U.S. earlier this year and has infected nearly 30,000 Americans, killing six as of Friday, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Along with expressing concern for the virus itself, the NYC Health Department also <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/2-deaths-in-new-york-city-linked-to-monkeypox-officials-say/3917779/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it is worried about the “inaccurate and stigmatizing label” that comes with the virus’ name.
“Moving forward, the Health Department will refer to the virus as MPV. The previous name is an inaccurate and stigmatizing label for a virus that is primarily affecting a community that has already suffered a long history of bigotry,” the city’s health department said.
According to NYC Health, referring to the virus as monkeypox can keep people from seeking treatment if they contract the virus because of a “stigma.” The health department said it also requested the World Health Organization to change the virus’ name.
NYC Health encouraged “anyone of any sexual orientation or gender identity who is at risk” to get both doses of the monkeypox vaccine at any city-run vaccination site.
While monkeypox is not spread exclusively through sex, the disease is infecting gay men at a far higher rate than any other demographic. The latest <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/data/health-tools/monkeypox.page#surveillance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from New York City shows that those who identify as LGBTQ currently make up 2,384 (64%) of the city&#8217;s 3,703 monkeypox cases, and men make up 3,466 (94%) of the cases.
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/if-sick/transmission.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC</a>, monkeypox can spread through skin to skin contact that often happens through hugging, kissing, extended face-to-face contact, and sexual intercourse. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion. The disease can also cause painful rashes and blisters.

NYC Will No Longer Refer To Virus As Monkeypox To Avoid ‘Inaccurate And Stigmatizing Label’

NYC Health Department To Refer To Monkeypox As MPV To Avoid 'Inaccurate And Stigmatizing Label'

LGBTQ

New York City

Cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the U.S. increased during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pandemic</a> in 2021, with syphilis cases experiencing the highest surge in nearly 70 years.
The preliminary data covering cases for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and congenital syphilis last year showed an increase in all four types of STDs.
&#8220;STDs continued to increase during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of slowing,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2021/default.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated.
In an <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/15/cdc-data-std-rates-2021-00056811" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Politico, CDC Division of STD Prevention Director Leandro Mena blamed the underfunding of public health programs for the increased number of cases. Increased opioid and methamphetamine usage has also led to the increased sharing of needles, Mena also mentioned, along with the decreased usage of condoms among younger Americans.
Overall, the number of reported STDs in the U.S. rose from 2.4 million in 2020 to 2.5 million in 2021. Cases of chlamydia dropped between 2017 and 2020, but rose again in the past year to more than 1.6 million cases.
Gonorrhea cases reached more than 696,000 in 2021, a notable increase over the reported 555,608 cases just four years earlier in 2017. Congenital syphilis cases reached 2,677 last year, up from 941 in 2017.
Syphilis ranked as the largest area of increased cases in the report. The nation saw an increase of nearly 26% of total annual syphilis cases in one year, with just over 171,000 people with confirmed infections in 2021.
“In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupted life as we knew it, and while there were moments in 2020 when it felt like the world was standing still, sexually transmitted diseases were not,” Jonathan Mermin, the director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, <a href="https://www.idse.net/HIV-AIDS--STIs/Article/04-22/STDs-Increase-During-the-Pandemic/66736?utm_source=Social&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=0413stdin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in April. “The unrelenting momentum of STDs continued, even as prevention and treatment services were disrupted. New data CDC data suggests STDs increased during the first year of the pandemic.”
The concerns have been further complicated by the recent outbreak of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/monkeypox-cases-now-reported-in-all-50-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkeypox</a> cases nationwide, In August, the monkeypox virus reached all 50 states after Wyoming reported its first positive case.
“Because monkeypox spreads through close, intimate contact we do not believe the risk for the virus is now a higher concern for the local community or for most people in Wyoming,” Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) said in a <a href="https://health.wyo.gov/wyomings-first-monkeypox-case-identified/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on last month. “Monkeypox does not spread easily like familiar viruses such as influenza or COVID-19.”
By late August, more than 15,400 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-monkeypox-cases-over-15400-more-than-any-other-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed cases</a> had been reported across the U.S., accounting for nearly 36% of all cases worldwide. New York, California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Illinois ranked as the top five states in terms of the number of cases.
The first <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/3640317-first-us-monkeypox-death-confirmed-in-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed case</a> of a U.S. death due to monkeypox was reported this week in California.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surged In 2021, CDC Reports

COVID

Medical

Senator <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY) threatened Dr. <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/topic/anthony-fauci/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Fauci</a> during a testy hearing on Wednesday, making it abundantly clear that things would be different if Republicans were to gain control of Congress in the fast-approaching <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/youre-not-worried-that-this-reflects-poorly-chuck-todd-grills-vp-over-democrats-midterm-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">midterm elections</a>.
Fauci, who was on Capitol Hill to discuss the federal government&#8217;s response to monkeypox, has sparred with the Kentucky Senator on a number of occasions — and Wednesday&#8217;s hearing was no exception.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rand Paul confronts Fauci on his clip saying that getting infected protects you from a virus more than vaccines:
Fauci: “That film you showed was really taken out of context… Reuters fact checked that.”
Paul: “Actually, words don’t lie.” <a href="https://t.co/bJKhlYNt5E">pic.twitter.com/bJKhlYNt5E</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1570080420284272641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Paul began with a video of Fauci responding to a question about a patient who wondered whether it would be necessary or wise to get a flu shot after previously being infected with the virus — to which Fauci said no. He explained at the time that previous infection provided protection just like a vaccine would.
&#8220;When people decry vaccine hesitancy, it’s coming from the gobbledygook that you give us. You’re not paying attention to the science. The very basic science is that previous infection provides a level of immunity,&#8221; Paul said. &#8220;If you ignore that in your studies, if you don’t present that in your committees, you’re not being truthful.&#8221;
Fauci objected, first claiming that the video was &#8220;out of context&#8221; and then insisting, &#8220;I have never, ever denied fundamental immunology. In fact, I wrote the chapter in the Textbook of Medicine on fundamental immunology.&#8221;
Paul pushed back, however, noting that in nearly every study determining whether or not additional booster shots were necessary — particularly with regard to COVID vaccines — no one was considering whether or not a person had been previously infected as a factor.
Paul then turned on Fauci directly, adding, &#8220;We’ve been asking you and you refuse to answer whether anybody on the vaccine committees gets royalties from the pharmaceutical companies. I asked you last time and what was your response? &#8216;We don’t have to tell you.'&#8221;
&#8220;But I’ll tell you this, when we get in charge, we’re going change the rules and you will have to divulge where you get your royalties from, from what companies, and if anybody on the committee has a conflict of interest. We’re gonna learn about it. I promise you that,&#8221; he said.

Leading Health Officials Testify On Federal Government’s Response To Monkeypox Outbreak

‘We’re Going To Change The Rules’: Rand Paul Threatens Fauci In Testy Senate Spat

Rand Paul Threatens Dr. Fauci In Testy Senate Spat

Anthony Fauci

Rand Paul

Photos of Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Democrat President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> White House deputy coordinator for combatting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monkeypox</a>, went viral Wednesday afternoon following remarks that he delivered about the virus.
Daskalakis, who was named to the position after serving as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&#8217;s (CDC) director of HIV prevention, said that the virus &#8220;transmits through very close skin to skin physical contact, often in the setting of sexual exposure, but there are other mechanisms for its transmission, including if you touch objects of individuals who&#8217;ve had monkey pox touch or if, if you have prolonged exposure to respiratory droplets.&#8221;
Daskalakis then appeared to suggest that there are &#8220;men who have sex with men&#8221; who are not gay and who are not transgender.
&#8220;With that said, signaling to people who are in the gay, bisexual, other men who have sex with men communities, and also transgender people who have sex with men, that it&#8217;s really important to have awareness, that it&#8217;s circulating in the community is really a critical part of the messaging while not generating inordinate concern and really focusing on the infection as linked to an identity,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So it&#8217;s just an infection that&#8217;s not linked to an identity. It just happens to be in the social network.&#8221;
Journalist Tom Elliott then posted a thread of photos on Twitter showing Daskalakis wearing raunchy outfits, some of which appeared to be in settings for photo shoots.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Picture I found when googling him <a href="https://t.co/SG8YUWaPh5">pic.twitter.com/SG8YUWaPh5</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1567603240254013442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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2) Nothing screams &quot;expert coming through!&quot; like a black leather biker hat w/ matching leather chest straps. Shirts are overrated anyway. <a href="https://t.co/Yiyw0Jbliu">pic.twitter.com/Yiyw0Jbliu</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1567618091495866369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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This comes after the Biden administration hired Sam Brinton, who dresses in drag, at the Department of Energy.
Brinton, deputy assistant secretary for Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy, has courted controversy with his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/radioactivenerd1/?hl=en">open advocacy</a> of sexual fetishism and “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170709013033/https:/poly.rpi.edu/2017/04/12/nuclear_policy_expert_discusses_sex_kinks/">puppy play</a>,” a sexual “kink” involving role-playing as animals. The newly resurfaced, seven-year-old essay he wrote for The Advocate, in which he defended Rentboy.com, and which was first reported by <a href="https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/07/05/biden-doe-official-defended-underage-sex-site/">The National Pulse</a>, is likely to raise more eyebrows.
“Rentboy.com may or may not have broken the law,” Brinton wrote. “I don’t know. But I do know, from the frantic emails filling my inbox, that the raid on its headquarters has thrown many gay, bisexual, and transgender young adults into turmoil as their main source of income has been ripped away due to irresponsible and archaic views of sex work.”
The column ran shortly after federal prosecutors charged Rentboy.com CEO Jeffrey Hurant and six Rentboy.com employees with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution. The site advertised male escort services, but federal prosecutors said at the time it was “designed primarily for advertising illegal prostitution.”
https://twitter.com/mandystadt/status/1492172351688953857
https://twitter.com/williecolon/status/1559317457512419328
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You go back in time and have to explain this picture to someone from 2005. How do you explain what’s going on and how we got here? <a href="https://t.co/aG9gKib85O">pic.twitter.com/aG9gKib85O</a>
&mdash; Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) <a href="https://twitter.com/conservmillen/status/1548021423821623304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Hank Berrien contributed to this report.

White House Monkeypox Briefing

Photos Of Biden Monkeypox Official Go Viral After Unusual Remarks At Press Conference

The White House asked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress">Congress</a> for another $47 billion Friday to address what it considers “immediate needs,” including the spread of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/monkeypox">monkeypox</a> at home and abroad, the never-ending fight against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19">COVID</a>, and the defense of Ukraine.
President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>’s request to Congress is aimed at keeping the government open beyond the September 30 expiration of the 2022 fiscal year, according to administration officials, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/02/white-house-requests-47-billion-in-aid-for-ukraine-covid-monkeypox-and-natural-disasters-00054689">reported</a>. The requested $47 billion includes $6.5 billion to address the recent flooding in Kentucky and wildfires in California, but that’s just a little over half of the $11.7 billion Biden wants to send to Ukraine.
“This Administration will continue to work with members of both parties in Congress to meet these critical needs for the American people, and we look forward to reaching a bipartisan funding agreement that advances national priorities in the coming fiscal year,” Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/briefing-room/2022/09/02/meeting-critical-needs-for-the-american-people-in-the-new-fiscal-year/">wrote</a> Friday.
While the administration carved out some funding to address natural disasters at home, there was no mention of Biden wanting Congress to send money to address the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mississippi-water-crisis-drags-into-fifth-day">water crisis</a> in Jackson, Mississippi, that has now dragged on for five days. Instead, the president set his short-term priorities on throwing more money toward combatting the already slowing spread of viruses and aiding the war defense of a foreign nation.
Biden’s request for more money to be sent to fund Ukraine&#8217;s defense during Russia’s invasion comes on top of $40 billion the country is set to receive from the U.S. from a package <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-advances-massive-40-billion-ukraine-spending-package-11-republicans-oppose">approved</a> by Congress in May.
The largest chunk of money in the request, $22.4 billion, would go to the continued fight against COVID, while the administration is asking for $3.9 billion to address monkeypox in the U.S. and another $600 million to be spent around the globe to “fight monkeypox.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the spread of monkeypox is slowing, but the agency warned that it still poses a risk if not contained, Politico reported. The White House reaffirmed its commitment to spending billions of dollars to “fight” the disease that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-health-and-wellness/sex-men-not-skin-contact-fueling-monkeypox-new-research-suggests-rcna43484">experts say</a> is mostly spread through the sexual intercourse of gay men.
“While we have accelerated the distribution of hundreds of thousands of vaccines, made testing more available, and expanded access to tens of thousands of courses of treatment to reach the highest-risk population, we cannot let up until we end the current outbreak and are prepared for future monkeypox or smallpox outbreaks,” the White House said.
Congress will now have to consider Biden’s request and come to an agreement on a short-term spending bill before discussing the longer-term government funding that will begin with a new fiscal year on October 1.

Ukraine, COVID, And Monkeypox: Biden Asks Congress For Another $47 Billion To Address ‘Critical Needs For The American People’

Biden Asks Congress For Another $47 Billion To Address Ukraine, COVID, And Monkeypox

Congress

spending

Ukraine

Reuters was forced to fact-check claims that Texas gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/very-clearly-staged-cbs-reporter-says-beto-used-seat-holders-to-slip-into-abbott-presser-unnoticed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke</a> (D) had contracted monkeypox after the former congressman announced he was taking some time to recover from an undisclosed illness.
&#8220;After feeling ill on Friday, I went to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio where I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/hell-yes-gun-grabbing-beto-is-back-people-who-own-ar-15s-shouldnt-be-able-to-keep-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O&#8217;Rourke</a> tweeted on Sunday. &#8220;The extraordinary team there — from custodians to nurses and doctors — gave me excellent care and attention, including IV antibiotics and rest.&#8221;
&#8220;While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors&#8217; recommendations,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road with you as soon as I am able.&#8221;
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While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors’ recommendations.
I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road with you as soon as I am able.
&mdash; Beto O&#39;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1563981544544509952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The majority of people responded to the news by wishing O&#8217;Rourke a speedy recovery. However, shortly after he made the announcement, a few people began to tweet their (unfounded) suspicions that the Texas politician was actually recovering from monkeypox.
&#8220;Has anyone in the media even asked Beto O&#8217;Rourke who he got monkeypox from?&#8221; @PartymanRandy tweeted. &#8220;If a Republican had to suspend their campaign due to monkeypox, you know the media would demand every detail. But since it&#8217;s Beto O&#8217;Rourke who has monkeypox, they aren&#8217;t even curious.&#8221;
https://twitter.com/PartymanRandy/status/1564622074169229325
&#8220;How did Beto get monkeypox?&#8221; another asked.
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How did Beto get monkeypox??
&mdash; Valley of the Sun (@modmothernature) <a href="https://twitter.com/modmothernature/status/1564050667592830978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Despite the lack of any evidence confirming the rumor, enough people began spreading it that Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-beto-bacterial-infection/fact-check-beto-orourke-battling-a-bacterial-infection-spokesperson-says-idUSL1N3051YN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped in</a> and published a fact check stating that the claims were false.
Noting that the people who originally began circulating the claim had not presented any evidence, the outlet also pointed out the fact that monkeypox is a virus — related to smallpox and cowpox — rather than a bacterial infection that can be treated with simple antibiotics.
Reuters also published a statement from a spokesperson for O&#8217;Rourke, who said, &#8220;The claims are false. Doctors diagnosed Beto with a bacterial infection, which they treated with antibiotics. His symptoms continue to improve and he will be back on the road as soon as he is able.&#8221;
As for Reuters&#8217; final verdict on the issue?
&#8220;No evidence. Beto O’Rourke’s spokesperson told Reuters that the Democratic candidate for Governor fell ill from a bacterial infection, not monkeypox.&#8221;

Beto O’Rourke Campaigns For Governor Of Texas

Reuters Forced To Fact-Check Claims That Beto O’Rourke Caught Monkeypox

Reuters Forced To Fact-Check Claims That Beto O'Rourke Caught Monkeypox

Beto O'Rourke

Reuters

The monkeypox virus has now reached all 50 states after Wyoming reported its first positive case on Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provided the information in its most recent <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a>.
“Because monkeypox spreads through close, intimate contact we do not believe the risk for the virus is now a higher concern for the local community or for most people in Wyoming,” Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) said in a <a href="https://health.wyo.gov/wyomings-first-monkeypox-case-identified/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Monday. “Monkeypox does not spread easily like familiar viruses such as influenza or COVID-19.”
The state is currently offering the monkeypox vaccine for eligible recipients, according to the statement.
As of August 22, a total of 15,433 confirmed cases of monkeypox/orthopoxvirus have been <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recorded</a> by the CDC, though zero deaths have been confirmed. New York leads among states with 2,910 cases, followed by California with 2,663 cases.
Globally, more than 42,000 cases have been reported, with the U.S. having the most cases, followed by Spain at 6,119 cases. No other nation has currently reported more than 3,500 cases.
The Department of Human and Health Services (DHS) <a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/legal/PHE/Pages/monkeypox-4Aug22.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> monkeypox a public health emergency on August 4.
&#8220;In light of evolving circumstances on the ground, I am declaring a public health emergency on #monkeypox,&#8221; DHS Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote. &#8220;We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus. We urge every American to take monkeypox seriously.&#8221;
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In light of evolving circumstances on the ground, I am declaring a public health emergency on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a>. We are prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus. We urge every American to take monkeypox seriously.
&mdash; Secretary Xavier Becerra (@SecBecerra) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBecerra/status/1555273167320584193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Thursday, the White House released a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/18/fact-sheet-white-house-announces-new-actions-to-combat-monkeypox-outbreak/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> to announce new actions to combat the monkeypox outbreak. The actions include making 1.8 million vaccine doses available.
President Joe Biden also <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/02/president-biden-announces-team-to-lead-monkeypox-response/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> new leadership to oversee the nation&#8217;s monkeypox response earlier this month. The president named FEMA’s Robert Fenton as the White House national monkeypox response coordinator and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis as the White House national monkeypox response deputy coordinator.
The first case of monkeypox was confirmed in the U.S. on May 18, according to the announcement.
&#8220;Over the coming weeks, under the leadership of Fenton and Daskalakis, the Administration will advance and accelerate the United States’ monkeypox response to mitigate the spread of the virus, protect individuals most at risk of contracting the virus, and care for those who have been afflicted with it,&#8221; the White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/02/president-biden-announces-team-to-lead-monkeypox-response/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> read.
According to the CDC, monkeypox can <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spread</a> to anyone through direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox, touching objects, fabrics, and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox, or contact with respiratory secretions. &#8220;This direct contact can happen during intimate contact,&#8221; the CDC adds.
The illness generally lasts two to four weeks and is rarely fatal, according to the CDC&#8217;s description. Monkeypox can also be spread from animals, it added.

Monkeypox Cases Now Reported In All 50 States

Wyoming

The U.S. has the most monkeypox cases in the world with over 15,400 confirmed cases this week, accounting for nearly 36 percent of all cases worldwide.
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html">Globally</a>, there are over 42,900 reported cases and 12 reported deaths. The U.S. has no reported deaths so far. 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the top ten states with the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html">most cases</a> are the following (in order from greatest to least): New York, California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington state. The CDC also included Washington, D.C. in its case counts, which had slightly more cases than the state of Washington. Last month, New York <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/150000-new-yorkers-at-risk-for-monkeypox-officials-declare-public-health-emergency">declared</a> a public health emergency over monkeypox.
Spain comes second to the U.S. in monkeypox cases. They have just over 6,100 cases — less than half of total U.S. cases.
The seven locations abroad that have historically experienced monkeypox outbreaks make up less than one percent of all cases presently. Altogether, they have less than 400 cases. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has 163 cases, Nigeria has 157, Ghana has 47, the Central African Republic has 8, Cameroon has 7, the Republic of the Congo has 3, and Liberia has 2. Three of these locations — Nigeria, Central African Republic, and Ghana — account for 7 of the 12 deaths. 
On Monday, the CDC announced that the monkeypox outbreak caused about 50 percent of gay and bisexual men surveyed to change their sexual behaviors. Multiple studies have indicated that the LGBTQ+ community harbors the vast majority of cases. The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/cdc-response.html">warns</a> on its website that monkeypox mostly affects men who have intercourse with men. 
“Many — though not all — of the reported monkeypox cases have been among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men,” stated the CDC. “Because of this, CDC has emphasized the need to identify and use specific channels to promote messages that directly reach gay and bisexual men (across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds).”
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In an online survey of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men conducted during August 5-15, 2022, respondents reported changing their behavior because of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a> outbreak. 
For more data on the 2022 U.S. monkeypox outbreak, visit <a href="https://t.co/QpblepCma5">https://t.co/QpblepCma5</a> <a href="https://t.co/kZld53MB96">pic.twitter.com/kZld53MB96</a>
&mdash; CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1561812645312970752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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CDC data trends <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/mpx-trends.html">indicate</a> that monkeypox cases have grown exponentially in the U.S. since the concluding weeks of Pride Month, which is June. The first U.S. case was reported in mid-May. 
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-monkeypox-czar-says-vaccines-will-now-be-available-at-large-lgbt-events">reported</a> last Friday, the White House Monkeypox Response Coordinator, Bob Fenton, said that the administration would distribute up to 50,000 monkeypox vaccines at “large LGBT events.” However, the Biden administration has shown reluctance to connect the monkeypox outbreak with the sexual activities of gay and bisexual men.
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Did you know there are two vaccines that can protect from monkeypox? Here are some facts about the vaccines used to prevent monkeypox infection. <a href="https://t.co/74f9HYKRk1">https://t.co/74f9HYKRk1</a>
&mdash; CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1561729912255516672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Fenton’s action came several weeks after President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-names-monkeypox-czar-after-3-states-declare-state-of-emergency">appointed</a> him to the position. The Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-says-u-s-may-need-7-billion-for-monkeypox">revealed</a> late last month that they may apply around $7 billion to respond to the monkeypox outbreak. 
Monkeypox illness normally lasts 2-4 weeks. Symptoms include a pox rash that looks like pimples or blisters, fever, swollen lymph nodes, chills, muscle aches, headaches, exhaustion, sore throat, nasal congestion, and a cough.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DYK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DYK</a>? People with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/monkeypox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#monkeypox</a> may experience all or only a few symptoms. Monkeypox illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. If you have a new or unexplained rash or other symptoms, contact a healthcare provider to get checked out. <a href="https://t.co/W06gLLLBNd">https://t.co/W06gLLLBNd</a>.
&mdash; CDC (@CDCgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1560280365633155072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Although transmission normally occurs between humans, the CDC now warns that animals may contract monkeypox. The CDC <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cdc-changes-guidance-after-gay-couple-likely-infected-their-dog-with-monkeypox">updated</a> its guidance in recent weeks after a gay couple from France may have transmitted monkeypox to their dog. The couple contracted monkeypox after engaging in sexual activity with multiple other partners. Two weeks after becoming symptomatic, the couple’s dog tested positive for monkeypox. 
To learn more about the monkeypox epidemic, read The Daily Wire’s in-depth report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-monkeypox-outbreak">here</a>.

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-MONKEYPOX

U.S. Monkeypox Cases Over 15,400 — More Than Any Other Country

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