Dr. Fauci admits COVID-19 'is not going to be eradicated,' concedes that Americans should assess their own personal risk with the virus



Dr. Anthony Fauci had a very different message for Americans on Sunday – one they likely haven't heard from the White House chief medical adviser. Fauci conceded that Americans should assess their own personal risk levels for potentially being infected by COVID-19 because the virus is not going to be eradicated.

"This is not going to be eradicated, and it's not going to be eliminated," Fauci said during an appearance on ABC's "This Week." "And what’s going to happen is that we’re going to see that each individual is going to have to make their calculation of the amount of risk that they want to take.”

Fauci noted that people should consider their age and if they live with vulnerable people.

"We're going to have to live with some degree of virus in the community," Fauci explained to co-anchor Jonathan Karl, then added that the best way to mitigate that is "to get vaccinated" and "to get boosted if you're eligible to be boosted." He recommended that Americans "50 and older, and individuals with underlying conditions, get that fourth boost."

Fauci said he hoped that "Congress comes through and gives us the resources so that as we get into what might be another surge that we're prepared with the – all of the tools that we need to address it."

Karl asked Fauci about the Gridiron Dinner – the swanky D.C. event where corporate journalists cozy up to politicians, and dozens of attendees were infected with COVID-19 this week. Gridiron dinner – which is being labeled as a "superspreader event" – had more than 70 attendees test positive, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), House intelligence committee chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Vice President Kamala Harris’ communications director Jamal Simmons, and first lady Jill Biden’s spokesman Michael LaRosa.

"I think it gets back to what we were discussing just a moment ago, Jon. It's going to be a person's decision about the individual risk they're going to take," Fauci replied. "I think the people who run functions, who run big dinners, who run functions like the White House Correspondents' ball, or thinking back, the Gridiron Dinner, are going to have to make a determination looking at the CDC guidelines and seeing where the trends are."

"We don't want to pooh-pooh getting infected. I think people sometimes say, 'Well, it's okay to get infected.' No, it's not, because there are things like long COVID and there are sometimes people even though they don't require hospitalization, Jon, they get significantly ill," said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci added, "Again, each individual will have to take their own determination of risk."

Fauci said he wasn't very concerned about President Joe Biden being infected with COVID-19 because of strong protocols, including the president being vaccinated and being double-boosted with his fourth shot of an mRNA.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says Americans should continue assessing risk for themselves as COVID-19 cases rise.\n\n\u201cWe don't want to pooh-pooh getting infected. I think people sometimes say, \u2018Well, it's OK to get infected.\u2019 No, it's not.\u201d https://abcn.ws/3ur6opm\u00a0pic.twitter.com/CiOWAYxneF
— This Week (@This Week) 1649627788

Nancy Pelosi torched for swanky maskless Napa Valley fundraiser: 'It's utter hypocrisy'



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi found herself embroiled in another situation that had unsavory optics once again on Sunday. The California Democrat was seen schmoozing with Democratic deep-pocket donors, all of which were not wearing masks, at a Napa Valley fundraiser while Americans are still trapped in Afghanistan. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was also trounced with criticism for dancing up a storm this weekend.

New York Times journalist Kenneth Vogel posted an invitation for the Sunday morning fundraiser event, which shows that tickets started at $100 and were as much as $29,000 to chair. The money raised went to vulnerable frontline Democrats who are in danger of losing their seats in the 2022 midterm elections.

Vogel posted video from the fundraiser in Napa Valley, which showed no social distancing and no mask-wearing except for the wait staff.

This appears to be a video of @SpeakerPelosi talking to donors at the @dccc retreat this weekend in Napa. https://t.co/YsqRvM16ex

— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) 1629646947.0

The event was held in California's Napa County, where COVID-19 cases from Aug. 13 through Aug. 19 are up 71% from the previous week, according to the Napa Valley Register. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designate Napa County as a "high level of community transmission." The event was held outdoors and face masks are not required outdoors, but the CDC recommends people "consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated" in areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.

Social media commenters lampooned Pelosi for the maskless event.

  • House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy: "Speaker Pelosi wants to lock you down again while she wines and dines with her political donors. It's utter hypocrisy."
  • Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald: "All the servants fully masked. The almost-entirely old, white, rich crowd of DCCC donors free to go maskless as they're served."
  • Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.): "SpeakerPelosi does not care about #COVID. Democrats don't care about covid. They only care about controlling you. Magical covid science: The virus stops spreading the minute you sit down to eat or when you speak in a microphone or if you are one of the elites. Liars."
  • Progressive political commentator Jimmy Dore: "Isn't this what they used to call a "Super-Spreader Event"? They don't seem worried at all. What do the rich elite know that we don't?"
  • Attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon: "SUPERSPREADER EVENT!"
  • "Relatable" podcast host Allie Beth Stuckey: "They're not scared of COVID, in case you hadn't noticed."
  • Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell: "The white people are all free to breath without a mask. The people of color must wear masks - and serve. Stop voting for Democrats…they are laughing at how easy you are to manipulate."
  • Former Congresswoman Nan Hayworth: "Good to see the nation's malefactors having a wonderful time as the torture and slaughter--for which they bear distinct responsibility!--continue in Afghanistan."
  • Newsmax host Steve Cortes: "Worst part of this video is that workers have to mask up, but not the swanky Dem donors. Two sets of rules."
  • Conservative pundit Ned Ryun: "Not seeing those masks there. . . Almost feels like they feel the rules are more a series of suggestions that only the peasants should follow."

This is the latest case of Pelosi being caught in a situation that has damaging optics. Last month, Pelosi was seen not wearing a mask on two occasions at the U.S. Capitol building a day after the Capitol Police declared that face masks must be worn "at all times" on the House side of the complex. Last September, Pelosi violated San Francisco's health orders when she was caught on video inside a California salon without wearing a face covering.

Schumer also received backlash for his questionable behavior this weekend. With as many as 10,000 Americans still trapped in Afghanistan following Biden's disastrous withdrawal, Schumer was seen dancing without a care in the world on Saturday.

During the "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert" in Central Park, the Schumer was caught on video dancing closely with late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert, who was maskless.

While the Afghanistan evacuation crisis continues and then-Hurricane Henri approaching, Twitter took to criticizing… https://t.co/lTbx3zrwJI

— Newsmax (@newsmax) 1629648934.0

Lollapalooza was not a 'superspreader event,' Chicago health commissioner declares



Chicago's health commissioner said Thursday that the massive, multiday Lollapalooza music festival held in the city two weeks ago does not appear to have been a "superspreader event."

What are the details?

"There's no evidence at this point of a superspreader event, and there's no evidence of substantial impact to Chicago's COVID epidemiology," Dr. Allison Arwady said at a news conference, according to CNN.

Arwady did say that of the approximately 385,000 people who attended the festival, 203 have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, adding that none of those who tested positive died or have had to be hospitalized or have died.

"The bottom line is we've not seen anything that has surprised us related to the Lollapalooza outbreak," Arwady said, according to the paper.

Health officials estimated that about 90% of attendees were vaccinated, the Sun-Times said, adding that to enter the festival in Grant Park concertgoers had to show proof of being vaccinated or proof of having tested negative for the coronavirus within the previous three days.

Arwady also said that of the 203 positive cases, 127 were among vaccinated attendees and 76 were among unvaccinated attendees — which translates to about four cases in 10,000 among the vaccinated and about 16 in 10,000 for the unvaccinated, the paper reported.

"We obviously will continue to do further investigation if necessary. ... Any person diagnosed with COVID-19 on or after attending Lollapalooza is included in the analysis," the health commissioner added, according to the Sun-Times. "So these cases may or may not have resulted from transmission at Lolla itself. We've been very broad here. Anybody who is potentially associated, we want to investigate."

Chicago residents account for 58 of the positive cases — and 13 of them reported attending Lollapalooza when or after their symptoms began, Arwady added, the paper said.

What else?

"This is a really important reminder that we need everybody in Chicago not to ignore symptoms, assume it's a summer cold, regardless of your vaccination status because we know the vaccines aren't 100% protective," she noted, according to the Sun-Times.

More from the paper:

In the days leading up to Lollapalooza — despite a spike in cases caused by the delta variant — Arwady said she was comfortable with the event going ahead as planned because of the precautions organizers were taking, including air ventilation for any indoor spaces and making sure backstage workers were vaccinated.

Arwady said Thursday that despite the prevalence of the Delta variant, Chicago isn't seeing the kind of surge that some Southern states are experiencing.

"If we were in New Orleans, ... I don't think we would have been able to move ahead with this event," she noted, the Sun-Times said.

They didn't care about Biden victory parties, BLM protests — yet now mainstream media outlets are fretting over 'superspreader' Super Bowl celebrations



A host of mainstream media outlets published articles over the last few days criticizing football fans for celebrating in Tampa, Florida during this year's Super Bowl, warning that by doing so they risked making the game a coronavirus "superspreader" event.

However, those same outlets had comparatively little to say about the large gatherings that took place after President Joe Biden's election win or over the course of the last year during Black Lives Matter protests.

Selective outrage

One glaring example of the double standard was exhibited by the New York Times, which published a story early Monday morning, headlined, "In Tampa, Super Bowl Celebrations Bring Superspreader Concerns."

In the story, Times writer Neil Vigdor complained about how the streets of Tampa "teemed with boozy revelers into the wee hours of Monday, many of them ignoring pleas by medical experts to social distance and wear masks," following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rout of the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

"The scene of thousands of fans tightly packed into the city's streets and outside Raymond James Stadium represented an alternate universe from the steady warnings by the nation's top health officials about the risks of the Super Bowl becoming a superspreader event," added Vigdor.

Yet, in a story published in early November, headlined, "A Rollicking N.Y.C. Celebration for Biden's Win, Well Into the Night," the Times made no mention of the coronavirus risks, even as it noted how "thousands of people poured into Times Square" to cheer Trump's ousting.

H/T @bakes https://t.co/LAlgI0q9KQ
— Stephen L. Miller (@Stephen L. Miller)1612785770.0

More examples

The Washington Post similarly fretted over the "antics" that ensued Sunday night following the game, in which "thousands of maskless fans flooded the street ... risking a superspreader event."

Yet as the pandemic raged on last summer, the outlet stayed mum on the risks of large Black Lives Matter gatherings and even defended them against suggestions that they contributed to a surge in infections.

The Huffington Post also covered the superspreader "revelry" which occurred in postgame celebrations, noting that the more contagious coronavirus variant, B.1.1.7, is "spreading rapidly in Florida."

Yet again, the outlet had nothing but positive things to say about Black Lives Matter protests last year as it celebrated the protests' achievements and dispelled "myths" about the movement. No mention of the coronavirus needed.

CNN was peddling the narrative before the game even happened, noting in a story yesterday that while coronavirus numbers are improving, "infections could grow exponentially with Super Bowl gatherings." Earlier in the week, CNN reported on the concerns health officials had that the game would be a "superspreader" event, as did the Associated Press.

But one might recall how CNN maintained that packed Black Lives Matter protests were much safer than Trump rallies. The same logic must apply to Super Bowl parties, too.

Dave Chappelle tests positive for COVID-19 just days after cozy, maskless backstage photos with Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and others



Comedian Dave Chappelle has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a representative for the legendary comic.

Chappelle's diagnosis comes just days after appearing in a cozy, maskless photo with Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and others.

What are the details?

A Friday TMZ report revealed that Chappelle is quarantined at the time of this reporting due to the positive test result.

He has also canceled a string of tour dates in Austin, Texas, in response to the news.

Chappelle's diagnosis comes just days after appearing with podcaster Joe Rogan, billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Musk's partner Grimes, and other comedians such as Ron White.

White, who did three shows alongside Chappelle and Rogan last week, said that he will go into quarantine out of an abundance of caution and will be tested for coronavirus on Friday. At the time of this reporting, White does not have any symptoms of the deadly virus.

A spokesperson for White said that "every precaution was made for it to be a safe environment and it was ridiculously fun to be back on stage after 10 months."

According to the outlet, Rogan said that "he's in the clear."

On Instagram, Rogan wrote, "Sorry my friends, the Friday and Saturday shows at @stubbsaustin have been cancelled. We'll reschedule them as soon as we can. Much love to you all."

"Edit: Because people are asking, I was not exposed to the person who had covid and I have tested negative every day this week," he added. "Also, the person that gave covid to Dave was NOT Elon's partner, @Grimes."

Just days before, he shared a photo captioned, "Fun times with some really f***ing cool people at @stubbsaustin! @michelleisawolf @realmoamer @donnellrawlings @davechappelle @ronwhiteofficial @candytman."

Image source: Instagram.com screenshot/TheBlaze composite

In addition to Rogan, Musk, Grimes, White, and Chappelle, those people tagged in photo included comedian Michelle Wolf, podcast host Donnell Rawlings, comedian Mohammed Amer, and others.

What else?

Musk's partner, musician Grimes — real name Claire Elise Boucher, who is the mother of the couple's only child — revealed that she tested positive for coronavirus less than two weeks ago and experienced fever symptoms during her infection.

She took to Instagram Stories, where she said, "Finally got COVID but weirdly enjoying the DayQuil fever dream ... 2021."