Morning Wire XX
[0] Newly released documents have sparked more accusations that the U .S. funded gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the lab at the center of the lab leak origin theory for COVID -19.
[1] What do the newly disclosed documents reveal, and how do they play into the ongoing controversy?
[2] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire, editor -in -chief John Bickley.
[3] It's Thursday, September 9th, and this is Morning Wire.
[4] There's an accessible, highly effective COVID treatment that's been flying under the radar.
[5] Why are so few patients getting the treatment?
[6] And why is the White House not doing more to promote this life -saving care?
[7] And following months of debate, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has finally signed into law a Republican election integrity bill designed to combat fraud.
[8] We'll take a look at how the bill changes the way Texas conducts elections.
[9] Senate Bill 1, the election integrity bill does two things.
[10] It's about accessibility and security.
[11] Easy to vote, hard to cheat.
[12] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[13] Stay tuned.
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[21] Newly released documents appear to contradict Dr. Anthony Fauci's earlier claims that the U .S. never funded gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the lab at the center of the COVID lab leak theory.
[22] Here to discuss is Daily Wires Ian Howarth.
[23] Morning, Georgia.
[24] Good morning.
[25] So, Ian, what do we know about these new documents and the fallout since all this came out?
[26] Dr. Anthony Fauci is facing calls to answer for an explosive report published by the Incept.
[27] Some are even calling for Fauci, who is seen by many as the face of the federal government when it comes to COVID -19 policy, to resign.
[28] The report surrounds the subject of so -called gain -of -function research, which is alleged to have been carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology with U .S. federal funding, with one theory being that COVID -19 originated in this lab.
[29] Back in May, Dr. Fauci testified to a Senate committee investigating whether the U .S. funded gain -of -function research at the Wuhan lab, an accusation Fauci rejected.
[30] The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute.
[31] But the Incept through a Freedom of Information Act request found evidence that the NIH issued a bat coronavirus grant to a group called the EcoHealth Alliance for $3 .1 million.
[32] This included $599 ,000, which was used, at least in part, by the Wuhan lab to identify and alter bat coronaviruses to likely.
[33] infect humans.
[34] Dr. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University who reviewed the material, said that Dr. Fauci's claims that the NIH did not support gain of function research were untruthful.
[35] Now, this isn't the first time we've heard about this.
[36] Yeah, this evidence adds to accusations which have been flying around for a few months now.
[37] Specifically, this adds a lot of weight to the argument presented by Senator Ram Paul in July.
[38] During a Senate hearing, Senator Paul referenced a research paper titled Discovery of a rich gene pool of bat -sars -related coronaviruses, which credited the NIH.
[39] In this paper, she took two bat coronavirus genes, spike genes, and combined them with a SARS -related backbone to create new viruses that are not found in nature.
[40] These lab -created viruses were then to show to replicate in humans.
[41] At the time, Senator Paul said that this area of study fit the definition of gain of function research, the NIH said it had paused between 2014 and 2017.
[42] It's really important here to understand that this entire story rests on the somewhat contentious definition of gain of function research.
[43] During the heated exchange between Dr. Fauci and Senator Paul, it was this disagreement over the definition which drew the sharpest distinction between the two.
[44] What was, let me finish.
[45] You take an animal virus and you increase its transibility to humans, you're saying that's not gain of function?
[46] That is correct.
[47] And Senator Paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly.
[48] And I want to say that officially.
[49] You do not know what you are talking about.
[50] But according to Dr. Ebright, the materials uncovered by the Incept appear to show that the 2014 and 2019 NIH grants to EcoHealth, with subcontracts to the Wuhan lab, funded gain of function research based on the federal government's own definitions at the time.
[51] In other words, these newly released documents may contradict Dr. Fauci She's repeater claims that the NIH did not effectively fund the type of research, which many believe played a significant role in the COVID -19 pandemic.
[52] An interesting development in the Fauci saga.
[53] Thanks, Ian.
[54] My pleasure.
[55] Daily Wires, Ian Howarth.
[56] Coming up, a free and effective treatment for COVID that not enough people know about.
[57] If you're with Verizon, AT &T, or T -Mobile, you're paying too much.
[58] Switching to Pure Talk saves the average family over $800 a year.
[59] Go to PureTalk .com, find the right plan for you, and enter promo code, Wire, to save 50 % off your first month.
[60] Monoclonal antibody treatment, which is safe and free for patients, has been shown to reduce chances of hospitalization and death for those infected with COVID.
[61] One yet -to -be -peer -reviewed study showed that it reduced deaths by a stunning 70%.
[62] Despite the success in clinical trials, the treatment has been largely unmentioned by the White House COVID -19 response team.
[63] Here to discuss is Charlotte Pence Bond.
[64] So Charlotte, what is monoclonal antibody treatment?
[65] Hey, Georgia, so the treatment is essentially an infusion of supplemental lab -created antibodies that will help your body fight off COVID, and it works fast.
[66] University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor Turner Overton explained it this way.
[67] Your immune system takes two to three weeks to make good antibodies, but monoclonal antibodies are supplemental antibodies that can be administered early in the cross.
[68] course of infection.
[69] The first 10 days after symptoms commence to rapidly bind and kill the COVID virus.
[70] The treatment has been authorized by the FDA for emergency use since November 2020 and has been widely praised by some doctors and others in the medical field, including from the federal government.
[71] Johns Hopkins doctor Marty McCarray, for example, describes the treatment as having a, quote, impeccable safety profile and showing a clear -cut reduction in mortality.
[72] But word about the treatment is just not getting out fast enough.
[73] The most prominent company providing the treatment is Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
[74] They've teamed up with the federal government to pass along the treatment to Americans for free.
[75] But the extent of their patient reach is, well, extremely low.
[76] In late August, the company said it was reaching fewer than 30 % of eligible patients.
[77] And that was actually way up from its numbers in July when regeneron reached fewer than 5 % of eligible patients.
[78] So that's really low.
[79] Why is that?
[80] Well, lack of awareness, for one, which has been pinned on the Biden administration.
[81] Former FDA commissioner Mark McClellan told the Washington Post in August that access is still uneven and way below the number of people who could potentially benefit.
[82] The Biden administration has taken some very important steps, McClellan said, but notably admitted that there is still a big gap, an opportunity to get more people treated and get control of the pandemic.
[83] The treatment has shown a lot of success.
[84] Why aren't we hearing about it?
[85] It's a good question.
[86] First, the White House doesn't appear to be focused on promoting it.
[87] The president himself has not talked about antibody care and when officials from his administration have discussed the treatment, hardly any in the media have picked up on it.
[88] Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who's been promoting both vaccine and early care -like antibody treatment, suggested public health officials haven't promoted the treatment because they've feared that if Americans knew about it, it, they might not get the vaccine.
[89] Does Santa stress the importance of vaccination, but criticized those who are, in his opinion, neglecting to inform the public about all their options and care?
[90] The Daily Wire spoke with Florida's lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nunez, about the issue.
[91] Here's what she told us.
[92] It is befuddling to me to see that the Biden administration is not touting this treatment as an effective means.
[93] Regardless, again, regardless of vaccination status, I think they have put all of their eggs in one basket.
[94] What we've done is we have not only tired of the vaccine, but we recognize not everyone's going to get the vaccine.
[95] And so I think it may not fit within their narrative of pushing only the vaccine.
[96] Lastly, we have to discuss the Trump factor here.
[97] Americans likely first heard of antibody treatment from former President Trump when he had the treatment and made a quick turnaround.
[98] Right.
[99] The media slammed Trump for calling the treatment a cure.
[100] Since then, the media seemed timid to discuss the treatment, which could be a factor in Biden's hesitancy to talk about it.
[101] And is this something people can ask for if they get sick with COVID?
[102] How widely available is it?
[103] Yeah, it's available in all 50 states.
[104] Of course, this should be done in concert with your doctor, but an easy thing to do is to check where these treatments have been shipped near you.
[105] So if anyone is interested, the U .S. Department of Health and Human Services has a really user -friendly map for the public on their website.
[106] Charlotte, thanks for reporting.
[107] Thanks for having me on.
[108] That's Daily Wires, Charlotte Pence Bond.
[109] This week, following months of debate, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed into law an election integrity bill aimed at combating fraud in the electoral system.
[110] Here with details is Daily Wire Managing Editor Cabot Phillips.
[111] So Cabot, the debate over this bill was contentious to say to least.
[112] Yeah.
[113] How did we get to this point?
[114] Not easily.
[115] So the first version of this law was proposed back in May. It had the support of the governor and enough votes to pass and the legislature, but Democrat members were able to stall things by walking out of the House chamber an hour before the voting session ended.
[116] They basically did the same thing two more times over the summer, most recently traveling on a private jet to Washington, D .C. Right.
[117] You'll remember how much coverage that got.
[118] But in August, enough members returned, and the measure was finally voted on and it passed easily.
[119] Then on Tuesday, Governor Abbott signed the bill into law.
[120] We must have trust and confidence in our elections.
[121] The bill that I'm about to sign, helps to achieve that goal.
[122] So remind us here, what are the big changes in this bill?
[123] So there are a few things.
[124] First and most controversial, it changes the process for mail -in and absentee ballots.
[125] People wanting to vote that way will now be required to provide their driver's license number or other state ID or the last four digits of their social security number.
[126] It will standardize voting hours across the state and restrict counties from sending unsolicited mail -in ballots to residents.
[127] That part particularly was important to a lot of Republicans in the state.
[128] Right.
[129] The bill also outlaws 24 -hour voting and drive -through voting, which are two methods that were very popular in Democrat strongholds in Houston during the 2020 elections.
[130] And finally, the bill will allow poll watchers to freely move about polling locations.
[131] They'd previously been required to sit in one spot throughout the day.
[132] Okay, so lots of changes.
[133] Yeah.
[134] What is each side saying about the bill?
[135] So Democrats are especially upset about the identification requirements.
[136] They've called the law Jim Crow 2 .0 and claim it will disproportionately impact minority communities.
[137] Democrat leaders have also accused Republicans of using the law as a way of keeping black voters from casting their ballots.
[138] I spoke earlier with Texas State Senator Brian Hughes.
[139] He's the one who authored the bill.
[140] Here's how he responded to those accusations.
[141] So we hear these generalizations, most of them coming out of Washington, D .C., but when we ask about specifics, about the language of the bill, no one can point us to a problem.
[142] And so we say to them, are you concerned about more hours for in -person voting?
[143] What about letting people cure their mail ballots?
[144] How about letting people who are in line when the polls close, letting them vote?
[145] No one seems to have a problem with that.
[146] Yet they raise these generalizations about how bad the bill is.
[147] We had a number of companies say, we don't like the bill and we oppose it.
[148] And so our message to them was, if you don't like the policies we're doing in Texas, there's plenty of room in California because we're going to have rules that make every vote count.
[149] So how soon will this law kick in?
[150] So the law will technically take effect three months from now in time for the state's midterm primaries, but there is still a chance that could be held up in federal court.
[151] There have already been at least five lawsuits filed against the bill, including one by the ACLU, and it's possible that any one of those could put the law on hold until a verdict has reached.
[152] But Governor Abbott said he's confident the bill will withstand any legal challenges.
[153] It's certainly a bellwether for other states.
[154] Cabot, thanks for the update.
[155] Any time?
[156] That's Daily Wire Managing Editor, Cabot Phillips.
[157] Other stories we're tracking this week.
[158] A historic trial begins in Paris for the 2015 Islamic State terrorist attacks that killed 130 people.
[159] 20 men accused of taking part in the attacks are being charged and the trial will take place in a chamber that has been custom designed for the events.
[160] The trial is expected to be the longest in the history of France and is set to last for nine months.
[161] And new emails reveal even more coordination between the Biden administration and teachers' unions regarding health guidance.
[162] The emails received through a Freedom of Information Act request and given to Fox News showed that the CDC appeared to change its guidance on masking after threats of criticism from the National Education Association earlier this year.
[163] If you liked this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five -star review.
[164] That's all the time we've got this morning.
[165] Thanks for waking up with us.
[166] We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
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