July 30, 2026
Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment 111 Times During Senate Hearing
“…it pains me to do so…”
Dr. Anthony Fauci before pleading the Fifth 111 times during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing Wednesday. Fauci said he feared his testimony could be used against him as Republicans, led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), questioned him about COVID-19’s origins and his role in the pandemic response. The committee will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he repeatedly declined to answer questions.
While witnesses have invoked the Fifth Amendment during congressional investigations before — including during Watergate and the January 6 investigation — no widely documented example shows a witness declining to answer nearly every question during a public Senate hearing.
Sen. Rand Paul argued Fauci did not need to invoke the Fifth, due to a presidential pardon he received from Pres. Biden, protecting him against potential prosecution for any alleged offense from January 2014 – January 2025.
Learn More:
- Fauci Invokes Fifth Amendment More Than 100 Times at Senate Hearing (NYT)
- Fauci Pleads the Fifth at Senate Hearing on COVID, Escalating Long-Running Clash With Republicans (Time)
- Anthony Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions at GOP-led Covid hearing, calls Rand Paul ‘unhinged’(NBC)
U.S. Launches “Heavy Wave of Strikes” Against Iran
“There is increasing pessimism in both capitals…”
Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official, on the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict after Iran launched an attempted missile attack on U.S. forces Tuesday, prompting another “heavy wave” of U.S. strikes against Iranian military sites Wednesday. As military action escalates and spills over to countries like Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, concerns rise about regional war.
Learn More:
- U.S. Central Command: U.S. Strikes IRGC Targets After Attempted Iranian Attacks (X)
- Trump says it’s ‘our turn’ after intercepted Iranian attack, U.S. completes Iran strikes (CNN)
- U.S. hits dozens more targets in Iran as violence widens (Washington Post)
U.S. Economic Growth Slows From First Quarter
“It’s a chug-along economy until further notice …”
Economist Dan Alpert after new data released today showed the U.S. economy grew at a 1.5% pace from April-June, which was slower than the previous quarter at 2.1%. While some are concerned about the slow, other economists say the latest figures “undersell a healthy economy.”
Learn More:
- Economic growth falls short of experts’ expectations, but inflation improves (Washington Post)
- U.S. Economy Slows as Inflation Bites (New York Times)
- U.S. Economy at a Glance (BEA)
Students Draft AI Rules for Schools in Mock Senate Session
“This is for our future…“
Student senator Kendall Terao-Toma of Hawaii after 98 high school students from all 50 states recently passed a mock federal AI education bill during a special event in Boston that simulated U.S. Congress.
Although the student-created bill was simply an exercise for the students, the School Superintendents Association plans to share the proposal with thousands of education leaders nationwide as schools move to develop their own AI policies.
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by Katie Larsen,
