dr Anthony Fauci to step down in December after greater than 50 years of public service

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, plans to step down from his roles running the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advising the White House as its chief medical advisor at the end of the year, he announced Monday.

Fauci has become a household fixture during the Covid-19 pandemic, battling back misinformation — sometimes from the highest levels of government. His steadfast commitment to science, challenging former President Donald Trump on everything from the use of hydroxychloroquine to mask mandates, made him a quasi-celebrity in the process.

The 81-year-old has advised seven US presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan through the HIV/AIDS epidemic, West Nile virus, the 2001 anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza, various bird influenza threats, Ebola, Zika and, most recently, Covid and monkeypox.

dr Anthony Fauci speaks about the Omicron coronavirus variant during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, December 1, 2021.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Fauci, who also runs the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, said he has no intentions of retiring.

“After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” Fauci said in a statement. “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.”

He first joined the National Institutes of Health in 1968 at age 27 where he quickly rose through the ranks and eventually took over as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1984. Former President George W. Bush awarded Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008.

Fauci called leading the NIAID through so many extraordinary health threats the “honor of a lifetime.”

“I am very proud of our many accomplishments. I have worked with – and learned from – countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond,” he said. ‘To them I express my abiding respect and gratitude.”

Fauci was one of the very first people President Joe Biden said he called after he was elected was to office.

“During my time as Vice President, I worked closely with Dr. Anthony Fauci on the United States’ response to Zika and Ebola,” Biden said in a statement Monday. “I came to know him as a dedicated public servant, and a steady hand with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of some of our most dangerous and challenging public health crises.”

During his tenure, Fauci never shied away from conflict. His Senate hearings were often peppered with terse exchanges with members of Congress, particularly with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who he once accused of inciting death threats against him and his family.

“What happens when he gets out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue is that all of a sudden that kindles the crazies out there and I have threats upon my life, harassment of my family and my children with obscene phone calls, because people are lying about me,” Fauci told the Senate health committee at a January hearing.

At the height of the pandemic, Fauci was fielding more than 2,000 emails a day and working 24/7 on just three to four hours of sleep a night, he told friends and old colleagues in a trove of emails obtained through public records’ requests by several media outlets.

Fauci was everywhere in American culture over the last 2½ years. Brad Pitt played him on “Saturday Night Live.” The Atlantic called the then 79-year-old a “heartthrob” in an April 2020 article titled “America is Thirsty for Anthony Fauci.”

His face adorned with holiday ornaments, socks, donuts, t-shirts and fan art. Restaurants named drinks after him. The managers of Capo Italian Deli credit their Fauci Pouchy cocktail, vodka, elderflower and mint lemonade sold in a type of IV drip pouch, with helping to keep the restaurant afloat during the pandemic.

“Our society is really totally nuts,” Fauci wrote in reaction to a piece documenting “Fauci Fever” and the online “sexualization” of the then-80-year-old virologist.

Fauci said in an email at the time that a March 2020 Washington Post article detailing his “cult following” was “truly surrealistic.”

“Hopefully this all stops soon,” Fauci wrote.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC and NBC, which broadcasts “Saturday Night Live.”

Correction: Fauci advised seven US presidents. An earlier version misstated the number.

This Purse Organizer With 16,900 5-Star Opinions Is on Sale Now for $13

Wondering what your fellow Amazon shoppers think of this best-selling bag organizer? Check out the following reviews.

“I love the organizer. It fits perfectly in my Graceful LV bag. TONS of compartments, and I have managed to use them all. It is a sturdy, soft material that helps maintain my bag’s shape. The color matches perfectly to the interior of the bag. The instructions for selecting the correct size were accurate. I will definitely purchase again for future bags.”

“I got this for my small Marc Jacobs tote and it serves its purpose. I got the medium. Though it doesn’t cover the full length of the bag. I like that it leaves some space for a water bottle and then some. GET it!”

“I bought the slender large size for my Michael Kors tote purse. The large would have fit fine but the slender left room on each side to store extra items. It is perfect for carrying around my daughter’s diapers, wipes, and snacks along with my Personal items as well. Perfect quality and am very pleased.”

“I had purchased a Louis Vuitton Cabas Mezzo and needed something to keep it organized. I purchased the large organizer in beige and it’s working out beautifully! I like how the zippered pouch has strong velcro to hold it in place. It’s a safe place to put my work badge with no worries of it getting lost in the bag. No regrets with this purchase.”

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Rachel Maddow Exhibits How Trump’s Assaults On The Nationwide Archives Threaten Democracy

Rachel Maddow said that Trump’s attacks on the National Archives are the sort of thing that push people out of public service and kill democracy.

Video of Maddow:

#Maddow “The threat of political violence takes normal people out of public life, which puts you on a very fast track to the end of democracy at a very practical level.” pic.twitter.com/d2MDjxd72W

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 30, 2022

maddow said:

In this political environment on the right they can generate a murderous rage about the National Archives apparently or the FBI or school boards or librarians or teachers or doctors or county public boards health or the little old ladies who work at the polls on election day.

No one is beyond being threatened, doxed, harassed, driven out of public service. It is hard to stay a democracy just on a practical level. It is hard to stay in a democracy when all forms of public service, large and small, all jobs in the public life of our democracy come with threats of violence.

You cannot long hold free and fair elections when it takes bravery to be a poll worker. It should not take bravery to be a poll worker or a file clerk at the archives or an immunologist. The threat of political violence takes normal people out of public life. which puts you on a very fast track to the end of democracy at a very practical level.

As with almost everything that Trump does, the long-term consequences of his self-serving attacks have a lingering impact on democracy and institutions. Thanks to Donald Trump, there are Americans who will think that there is something evil and untrustworthy about the National Archives.

The people who work at the National Archives facilities are public servants who act as the caretakers of presidential history. The National Archives is not the villain in the story.

Donald Trump violated the law, and in his effort to escape responsibility for his actions, the former president has launched an attack that even if batted back successfully will erode confidence in public servants and democracy among his supporters.

Mr Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

Find out how to preserve money, lower spending as a enterprise proprietor in a recession

Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images

With recessionary winds whirling, many small business owners have already cut back, but more trimming may be needed to weather the economic storm that’s brewing.

US economic growth fell 0.9% in the second quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Thursday, the second consecutive quarter of negative GDP. That will ratchet up fears that the economy has entered a recession, although it is not technically an accepted definition for that change in the economic cycle. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday he did not think the economy was in a recession.

Some small businesses have already been paring back, based on signals of a slowdown. A report released Thursday by the finance automation platform Ramp found that small business spending on electronics dropped by 59% between May and June. Many small businesses spent 28% less on shipping, 14% less on advertising and 11% on SaaS and software purchases over the same time period, the report showed.

“I advise my clients and followers on social media to pull back on all unnecessary spending to see what the economy brings with it in the second half,” said Brian Moran, chief executive of Small Business Edge, which provides guidance to small enterprises.

Finding ways to trim fat without cutting into the meat of the business is a challenge for many owners. Here are three tips for surviving a recessionary environment.

Conduct a spending self-audit

Owners don’t always know precisely what they are spending money on, so doing a self-audit is the first order of business. Use the last three bank and credit card statements to identify areas where you can make small, but meaningful cuts, said Carissa Reiniger, founder and chief executive of Silver Lining, which advises and lends to small businesses.

For instance, your business may have subscriptions to periodicals, apps, software or networking groups that are unused or underutilized. These costs can really pile up, especially if you’re paying on a per-head basis. Also look at other recurring expenses, including phone services, utilities and bank account fees to see where you can cut back or eliminate certain costs, she said.

“I think the average small business could reduce their expenses by 20% without feeling a pinch,” Reiniger said. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Especially in turbulent economic times, small businesses have more negotiating power, she said.

Examine supply chain costs and inventory levels

David Quinn, chief financial officer of banking fintech Bluevine, said small businesses should also negotiate with suppliers. When having these discussions, consider whether there is something else you can offer to your supplier that others are not. Also think about whether there is a deal you can establish that will help both sides, he said. Some suppliers may not be willing to broker a deal, but in that case there may be other options to shave costs, such as discounts for bulk purchasing, he said.

Paring back on upfront expenditures can also be a prudent move. Peter Shieh, senior wealth advisor at Citi Global Wealth, has a client in the commercial lighting business who in the past might have kept six to nine months of inventory like bulbs and electric wires. Now the client is ordering three months ahead, at the most. The client also negotiated with suppliers to lock in rates for certain products. “With inflation, prices could be 20% to 30% higher in three months, so that’s another thing they are thinking and planning for,” Shieh said.

Conserve cash, but be strategic, especially with workers

One tactic to conserve cash could be to pay bills closer to when they are due, versus 15 or 20 days in advance, or asking for a longer payment window, say 60 to 90 days, instead of 30 days.

Also look at real estate costs, said Matt Armanino, chief executive and managing partner of Armanino LLP, an independent accounting and business consulting firm. If your lease is up soon, consider whether you really need the footprint you have, given the trend toward hybrid or remote work. Or, if it’s a long-term lease, is there an option to sublease a portion of the space?

For most small businesses, employee-related costs are a top expense, so it’s an easy place to attempt to shave costs. Don’t jump the gun. The cost to hire and retain talent is particularly high now, so letting people go unless you really have to can be “penny wise and pound foolish,” Armanino said.

If you’ve tried other avenues and still need to curb costs, consider furloughing workers rather than firing them outright, said Joshua Oberndorf, a CPA at EisnerAmper. Let them know how valuable they are to your business and your intention to bring them back as soon as possible, he said.

You might also consider taking out a small business line of credit you can use as a short-term bridge, Shieh said. For this option, a small business might expect an APR of between 7% and 25%, on average, according to NerdWallet’s Fundera. Although rates are higher now than, say, six months ago, it’s good to have the lifeline to access if necessary, he said. There are also other options for small business funding, including friends and family, online lenders or funders and SBA loans.

Invest for productivity, cost savings and future revenue

Look to see what portions of the business can be automated or digitized. Maybe, for instance, you can deploy a chatbot to reduce customer service costs or switch to online training versus onsite. Armanino’s firm, for example, did the latter and the move paid off within a few quarters.

Sometimes you have to spend a little money upfront to achieve longer-term cost savings, he said. This is true, even in a downturn, especially if the cash you’re spending elsewhere can be redeployed for these purposes, he said.

There’s a temptation among many small businesses to stop marketing activities in a downturn. Don’t fall into this trap. Consider a study by McGraw-Hill Research that analyzed 600 companies from 1980 through 1985. The results showed that companies who stayed the course with marketing spending during two years of recession significantly boosted sales. And by 1985, those that had advertised aggressively during the recession had substantially higher sales than those that let advertising fall by the wayside.

“You don’t want to shut down communications with customers; that’s your future revenue,” Oberndorf said.

US wants miracle to keep away from recession, economist Stephen Roach warns

Negative economic growth in the year’s first half may be a foreshock to a much deeper downturn that could last into 2024.

Stephen Roach, who served as chair of Morgan Stanley Asia, warns the US needs a “miracle” to avoid a recession.

“We’ll definitely have a recession as the lagged impacts of this major monetary tightening start to kick in,” Roach told CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Monday. “They haven’t kicked in at all right now.”

Roach, a Yale University senior fellow and former Federal Reserve economist, suggests Fed Chair Jerome Powell has no choice but to take a Paul Volcker approach to tightening. In the early 1980’s, Volcker aggressively hiked interest rates to tame runaway inflation.

“Go back to the type of pain Paul Volcker had to impose on the US economy to ring out inflation. He had to take the unemployment rate above 10%,” said Roach. “The only way we’re not going to get there is if the Fed under Jerome Powell sticks to his word, stays focused on discipline, and gets that real Federal funds rate into the restrictive zone. And, the restrictive zone is a long way away from where we are right now.”

Despite the Fed’s sharp interest rate hike trajectory, the unemployment rate is at 3.5%. It matches the lowest level since 1969. That could change on Friday when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its August report. Roach predicts the rate is bound to start climbing.

“The fact that it hasn’t happened and the Fed has done a significant monetary tightening to date shows you how much work they have to do,” he noted. “The unemployment rate has got to go probably above 5%, hopefully not a whole lot higher than that. But it could go to 6%.”

The ultimate tipping point may be consumers. Roach speculates they will soon capitulate due to persistent inflation. Once they do, he predicts the pullback in spending will reverberate through the broader economy and create pain in the labor market.

“We’re going to have to have a cumulative drop in the economy [GDP] somewhere around 1.5% to 2%. And, the unemployment rate is going to have to go up by 1 to 2 percentage points in a minimum,” said Roach. “That would be a garden variety recession.”

‘Cold War’ with China

The prognosis abroad isn’t much better.

He expects the global economy will also sink into a recession. He doubts China’s economic activity will cushion the impact, citing the country’s zero-Covid policy, serious supply chain backlogs and tensions with the West.

Roach is particularly worried about the US and China relationship, which he writes about in his new book “Accidental Conflict: America, China and the Clash of False Narratives” due out in November.

“In the last five years, we’ve gone from a trade war to a tech war to now a cold war,” Roach said. “When you’re in this trajectory of esclating conflict as we have been, it doesn’t take much of spark to turn it into something far more severe.”

Disclaimer

Chris Rock Reportedly Shared That He Turned Down An Invitation To Host The Oscars Subsequent Yr

It has been months since the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock occurred at the Oscars. However, details relating to the incident continue to arise. Recently, Chris Rock reportedly shared with a crowd that he was invited to return to the show next year, but this time as a host.

According to the Arizona Republic, Sunday night Chris took the stage at the Arizona Financial Theater in downtown Phoenix when he reportedly shared that he received an offer to return to the Oscars next year as a host. However, he told the audience that he declined the offer and compared a return to the award show, to someone returning to the scene of a crime.

The local paper continued to share that Chris referenced the OJ Simpson murder case, and said that returning to the Oscars would be like asking Nicole Brown Simpson “to go back to the restaurant.”

The paper also shared that Chris briefly discussed the incident during his time on stage and shared how much it hurt, saying,

“He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith.”

Also during his performance in Phoenix, Chris also shared that he received an offer to do a Super Bowl commercial, but he declined that opportunity as well. It was not mentioned which brand reached out to him about the commercial.

As previously reported, last month, Will Smith made his first on-camera appearance since the incident at the Oscars and issued another apology to Chris Rock.

In a video that was shared on his social platforms, Will said, “I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy. I reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk, and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you Chris, I apologize to you, my behavior was unacceptable and I’m here when you’re ready to talk.”

There is still no word on if the two have spoken to each other since Will’s last apology.

TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94

non-fully vaccinated vacationers do not want quarantine from Monday

People sit outside a bar at Emily Hill in Singapore, on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022.

Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty Images

SINGAPORE — Singapore is set to allow non-fully vaccinated travelers to skip quarantine on arrival starting Monday, authorities announced Wednesday.

The country is also set to remove indoor mask requirements from Aug. 29, as it seeks to take another step toward living with Covid.

While the further easing of safety and border measures is a “significant milestone,” the country must still “be mentally prepared for any sudden change because we don’t know how this virus will mutate and what the next variant will look like,” said Singapore’s deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong, who is also co-chair of the Covid task force in Singapore.

Visitors who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to test negative for Covid within 2 days prior to their departure for Singapore. But they will no longer need to serve a 7-day quarantine at home or at their place of residence.

Currently, fully vaccinated travelers can enter Singapore without taking Covid-19 tests or undergoing quarantine.

Non-vaccinated long-term visitors and short-term visitors who are 13 years and above are currently required to apply for entry approval to enter Singapore. This requirement will also be lifted from Monday, according to the Ministry of Health.

Easing of mask requirements

Masks will be optional indoors and required in special settings, such as on public transportation and in health-care settings like hospitals, residential care homes and ambulances from Monday, the health ministry said. They are optional in taxis, private hires and in the airport.

“The reason is that we have identified areas where essential services are being carried out in enclosed, crowded spaces and which are frequently used by vulnerable persons,” said Wong, who is also the country’s finance minister.

The decision to lift mask requirements was first announced by Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage:

Currently, masks are required in nearly all indoor settings, with the exception of workplaces where there are no physical interaction or customer-facing areas.

“For business and employers, they have the discretion to decide whether or not they might want to do this [from] a workplace safety point of view … we are lifting a mandatory requirement for mask-wearing but it is optional,” said Wong.

boosters

In preparation for the next wave of omicron, the health ministry said a second mRNA Covid booster is now recommended for those who are 60 years and above.

Previously, second boosters were only recommended for those who were 80 years and older.

Around 93% of the population completed the primary vaccination series as of Monday, while 79% of the total population received boosters.

The high booster rate is a “key reason” that the nation has been able to ride through the current Covid wave, said Singapore’s health minister Ong Ye Kung.

Ong stressed the need to expand recommendations of second boosters to those who are 60 to 79 years old — five months after their first booster — even though the first booster has provided strong protection against severe illnesses for those in this age group.

The health ministry also recommended that children between 5 and 11 years old receive one booster — five months after the second dose of their primary vaccination series — to boost their protection.

Covid situation in Singapore

Plans are in place for a potential new Covid wave, perhaps in the winter, said Wong.

“We are continuing to monitor closely and we have drawer plans in place for various contingencies including scaling up our healthcare capacity as well as … vaccination operations if and when the need arises,” Wong said at the press conference on Wednesday.

He added that those plans would “buy us time,” should there be a Covid wave that is aggressive and dangerous.

Average daily infections over a 7-day period fell to 2,700 as of Tuesday, as daily infections continued to fall from a record 26,032 infections on Feb. 22. Most of those infected in Singapore have mild or no symptoms.

The Southeast Asian country further eased Covid measures at the end of April. Social gatherings will no longer be limited to 10 people and people will not need to keep 1 meter apart.

People wearing face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19 in Singapore.

Maverick Asio | SOPA Images | Light Rocket | Getty Images

In April, separate rules for unvaccinated people were also removed, with some exceptions.

Those who are not vaccinated will still not be allowed to dine in, or participate in events with more than 500 people. Neither can they visit nightlife establishments where dancing is involved.

However, food and beverage outlets won’t be required to check the vaccination statuses of customers, the health ministry said in a press release.

Some seized information could possibly be shielded by attorney-client privilege

Former US President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-A-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida on August 9, 2022.

Giorgio Viera | AFP | Getty Images

Some of the materials seized in the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump’s home Mar-a-Lago may be protected by attorney-client privilege, the Justice Department said Monday.

The “limited set” of potentially privileged information was identified by a team that is kept separate from the investigative squad that searched Trump’s resort home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Aug. 8.

The so-called Privilege Review Team “completed its review of those materials” and is following a process to “address potential privilege disputes, if any,” DOJ officials said in a court filing Monday morning.

Attorney-client privilege often refers to the legal doctrine that protects the confidentiality of communications between an attorney and their client. The court filing provided no details about the potentially privileged documents.

That filing in US District Court in southern Florida came one week after Trump sued to block the DOJ from further investigating any materials taken in the raid until a court-appointed “special master” is able to review them.

Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, gave notice Saturday of her “preliminary intent to appoint a special master” in the case. Cannon ordered the government to publicly respond to Trump by Tuesday. She also ordered the DOJ to submit a filing under seal that provides more details about the seized materials and the status of its review.

In response, top DOJ counterintelligence official Jay Bratt assured the judge that the government will comply with those orders.

Trump’s civil lawsuit is being overseen by a different judge than the one who approved the search warrant for Mar-a-Lago. The affidavit for that search warrant — in which an FBI agent explained why the government had probable cause to believe the search would turn up evidence of illegality — was released Friday, albeit with heavy redactions.

The National Archives and Records Administration retrieved 15 boxes of records from Mar-a-Lago in January. The next month, NARA sent a referral to the DOJ that the records contained “highly classified documents intermingled with other records,” according to the affidavit. By law, presidential records must be turned over to the National Archives when a president departs office.

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The FBI launched a criminal investigation and found that the 15 boxes included 184 specific documents marked classified, 67 of which were marked “confidential,” 92 marked “secret” and 25 marked “top secret,” according to the affidavit.

The search warrant was revealed days after the FBI entered Mar-a-Lago in August. It indicated that FBI agents were looking for materials showing violations of laws against obstruction of justice and the removal of official records, as well as the US Espionage Act.

The FBI took at least 20 boxes of items in the August raid, including numerous sets of highly classified documents, according to a property receipt that was also made public by the DOJ.

These Candid Images From the 2022 MTV VMAs Are Out of This World

Mic drop!

Nicky Minaj, LL Cool J other Jack Harlow hosted the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday, Aug. 28. And from the Moon Person trophies to the star-studded fashion and performances, the award show was truly out of this world.

In terms of some of the night’s big winners, Harry Styles won in the Album of the Year category, Taylor Swift took home the trophy for Video of the Year and Billie Eilish received the Song of the Year honor. In addition, bad bunny was named Artist of the Year, bts was named Group of the Year and dove Cameron was named Best New Artist. Minaj also received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers accepted the Global Icon honor.

As for the performances, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Lizzo, J Balvin, Kane Brown, Panic! At The Disco, BLACKPINK, anitta, Maneskin, Marshmello x KhalidMinaj, Harlow and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were among the artists to take the stage, with Bad Bunny also rocking out from Yankee Stadium in New York.

US bonds in focus after Powell indicators additional rate of interest hikes

It comes shortly after the Fed’s Powell delivered his annual policy speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday.

Powell said that the US central bank will “use our tools forcefully” to attack inflation that is still running near its highest level in more than 40 years. He acknowledged that rising interest rates will cause “some pain” to households and businesses.

On the data front, Dallas Fed manufacturing figures for August are slated to be released at 10:30 am ET.

Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard is scheduled to deliver remarks on the health of the US economy at around 2:15 pm ET.

The US Treasury on Monday will auction $54 billion in 13-week bills and $42 billion in 26-week bills.