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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul has published what he says are diary entries written by Dr. Anthony Fauci during the pandemic. The release highlights an ongoing disagreement between some politicians and scientists over the origin of the coronavirus. NPR's Ari Daniel has more.
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The debate centers around whether the virus originated naturally in an animal and spilled over into a human, or if it was deliberately created in a lab and leaked. When Fauci was writing diary entries, researchers considering both theories, very little was known. Today, many scientists agree the available data support a natural origin of the virus. Felicia Goodrum is a virologist at Dartmouth College. She says this is what happens as researchers gather data.
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You will change your mind. That's absolutely fundamental to the way science is done, and it's something that Fauci wasn't really given any latitude to do.
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Fauci will testify before a committee chaired by Senator Paul, who says his efforts to hold Fauci to account are oversight. Ari Daniel, NPR News.
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The funeral for South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was held at the National Cathedral in Washington today. NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports. He was a leading voice in Congress on domestic and foreign policy.
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Several of Graham's staff members served as honorary pallbearers for the senator, who served over 31 years in Congress. In attendance were foreign leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a reminder of Graham's role in advocating for Graham's niece, Emily Boggs Roberts, called him a family man.
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When my mom called, he answered. It didn't matter if he was about to walk into a meeting with the president or another world leader.
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Graham became primary caretaker to his sister Darlene after their parents died. She's now been appointed to serve out the remainder of his term. Barbara Sprunt, NPR News, National Cathedral in Washington.
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French officials have evacuated 4,4000 more people from tourist sites on the Atlantic coast as firefighters continue to battle wildfires. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports. They're bracing as a fourth heat wave hits Europe.
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The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks in the Gironde region southwest of the city of Bordeaux. Fires in France and Spain have forced around 330,000 people to evacuate over the last week. Firefighters say the French blaze is stabilized but could take off again as temperatures are expected to soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit by Wednesday. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Service and the World Meteorological organization say Europe is the world's fastest warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News. Samuelne Axoir, France.
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Most US Stocks rose today. This is NPR News from Washington. FIFA President Gianni Infantino plans to create a $20 billion company running the World cup with private investors, including the Kushner family. The plan was immediately attacked by Europe's soccer body, which says it's not FIFAs to sell. Investors would include Thrive Eternal, created by Joshua Kushner, whose brother Jared is President Trump's son in law. Trump is an ally of Infantino, the FIFA president. The diarrhea causing parasite Cyclospora is expected to sicken Thousands more, as NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports. It comes amid deep cuts to public health.
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For money to handle outbreaks and food safety, states rely mostly on grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The Trump administration's cuts to federal agencies slashed those grants. Sarah Sorcher is regulatory affairs director for the center for Science in the Public Interest.
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Delays, lack of clarity, just time to solving problems are all symptoms of this broader issue that particular state and local public health departments are in crisis.
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Many states have cut staff who investigate outbreaks, she says, leading to consumer confusion about which foods are safe to eat. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News.
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Meanwhile, a poll shows that 40% of adults in the US are buying or eating less produce after the Cyclospora outbreak, according to the CBS News YouGov survey. Conf and the FDA's ability to deal with the outbreak is mixed. Politics appears to be at play. More Republicans express confidence than do Democrats. Meanwhile, 4% of respondents say they're eating more produce. You're listening to NPR News from Washington.
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