Rand Paul on the lab leak 'deception'
"When I first heard about the debate [over the origins of COVID-19]…I assumed that the scientists were being honest with us," says Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.). But his mind changed after reading a May 2021 article self-published on Medium by formerNew York Times science journalist Nicholas Wade. "As I began looking at this, the evidence, I think, was very, very strong that it came from a lab."
Paul, who has a new book calledDeception: The Great COVID Cover-Up, famously clashed with former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci in multiple Senate hearings over the question of whether his agency funded risky "gain-of-function" research in Wuhan, China, that Paul believes may have resulted in the creation of the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Gain-of-function research involves enhancing the transmissibility or deadliness of viruses in human tissue. Fauci denied ever funding such research, telling Paul in July 2021, "You do not know what you're talking about."
But Paul tells Reasonthat the evidence that Fauci was lying has been piling up since then.
"It's a felony to lie to Congress," says Paul. "It's punishable by up to five years in prison."
He referred the matter to Attorney General Merrick Garland for criminal prosecution but says he's received no reply.
"It is a huge cover-up [by] not just Anthony Fauci, but throughout government, eight different departments of government," says Paul. "The [National Institutes of Health] is more secretive at this point than the CIA."
Paul has introduced multiple bills and amendments to cut public funding for gain-of-function research, to reform how the federal government funds scientific research,and to prohibit government officials from meeting with social media companies for the purpose of censoring legal speech.
"If Twitter wants to censor me or YouTube wants to take my speech down because I say masks don't work, that is their prerogative," says Paul. "But I do think that a consistent libertarian position is telling the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], [President Joe] Biden's spokesmen…that they can't be meeting on a weekly basis with either overt or implied threats of, 'You need to do this or else.'"
Watch the full interview on Reason's YouTube channel.
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Do rich countries help or hurt the planet?
“The richer you are,” says Swedish historian Johan Norberg, “the more you can also afford to care about the planet.” #capitalism #environment
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Music warning labels to thwart the Antichrist?
Politicians wanted music warning labels to thwart the Antichrist after a Christian DJ claimed Led Zeppelin's “Stairway to Heaven” contained hidden backwards satanic messages that could be picked up by the subconscious.
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Halloween on Capitol Hill
Political puppet handouts.
Watch more Reason comedy videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w_QZkJ39OnsRbghTzKZ6jyv
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Should pro-Hamas students be blacklisted?
"I want people to consider what the world would look like if you essentially have a First Amendment, but you can't have a job if you actually honestly say your political opinion," argues Greg Lukianoff as he explains why blacklisting students who support Hamas is setting a dangerous precedent.
Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjgNyyYPS78&t=2497s
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Why Hollywood's union hates your Halloween costume
If you are planning to dress up as Barbie, the Flash, or Baby Yoda for Halloween this year, SAG-AFTRA union bosses consider you a scab. #barbie #barbiemovie #union
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Why was this magazine banned in prison?
Reason’s October 2023 issue was rejected because it "jeopardizes the good order and security of the institution." #prison
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Can Milei still win in Argentina?
Javier Milei, the firebrand libertarian candidate for Argentina's presidency, surprised the world with a first-place finish in the primaries this August. But in a run-off election this weekend, he finished second behind Peronist candidate Sergio Massa, Argentina's current Minister of Economy. Neither candidate passed the threshold needed to become the next president, and they will have a head-to-head rematch on November 12.
So does Milei still have a chance? Why did Argentina's markets falter after Milei came out ahead this summer? And why are Massa's allies in the government handing out money to voters?
JoinReason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe this Thursday at 1p.m. Eastern time onReason's YouTube channel or Facebook page to discuss these questions and more with Marcos Falcone a political scientist, project manager at Argentina's Fundación Libertad, and podcast host.
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Police arrested MLB managers for playing on Sunday
In 1917, police arrested Major League Baseball managers for playing on a Sunday because New York laws forbade playing on the Sabbath. #history #sports #baseball
Yes, this really happened.
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Reacting to Cornell professor 'exhilarated' by Hamas
"Nothing about watching innocent people be murdered was exhilarating," Reason's Liz Wolfe says in response to a recent pro-Palestine protest.
Watch the full replay of Liz and Zach Weissmueller's live conversation about the Israel-Hamas conflict: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK59Q4uRzFE
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Is a two-state solution even possible?
Joe Biden recently reiterated his support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
Watch the full replay of Trita Parsi's live conversation with Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK59Q4uRzFE
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How bad could the Israel-Hamas war get?
"If Israel is forced to the wall, the possibility of nuclear exchange is extremely high," Ben Shapiro said recently. Is that true?
Watch the full replay of Trita Parsi's live conversation with Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK59Q4uRzFE
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Blacklisting Harvard students is wrong
Vivek Ramaswamy broke with many conservatives in opposing the blacklisting Harvard students in their support of Palestine, decrying this as a form of cancel culture. #israel #palestine #college #harvard #cancelculture
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A rainbow fentanyl fact check
Are evil drug dealers trying to poison your kids with "rainbow fentanyl” this Halloween? And why do dealers make fentanyl in various bright colors? Get your Halloween fact check here. #Halloween #facts
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Can America help 'de-escalate' in the Middle East?
"Despite clear interests on almost all sides against a regional war [in the Middle East], all sides are acting in a manner that makes such a war increasingly likely," writes Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, in an October 15 article calling for the Biden administration to push for "de-escalation" between Israel and Hamas.
He says that although the Biden administration is "well aware" of "escalation risks" that might lead to a broader regional war, talk of de-escalation remains off-limits. The Huffington Post reports that it has obtained State Department memos instructing employees to avoid terms like "de-escalation/ceasefire," "end to violence/bloodshed," and "restoring calm" in press materials and statements.
But is de-escalation even feasible after Hamas slaughtered Israeli civilians and continues to hold close to 200 hostages? How should Israel respond to the worst terrorist attack in its history? What can U.S. policymakers do to make the prospect of a bigger war less likely?
JoinReason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe for a live discussion of these questions and more with Trita Parsi this Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern on Reason's YouTube channel or Facebook page.
Sources referenced in this conversation:
Trita Parsi: “Biden refuses to talk ceasefire even though it could prevent a regional war,” Oct. 15, 2023 https://responsiblestatecraft.org/biden-ceasefire-israel-gaza/
HuffPo: “Stunning State Department Memo Warns Diplomats: No Gaza ‘De-Escalation’ Talk,” Oct. 13, 2023 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/state-department-internal-emails-gaza-israel_n_65296395e4b0a304ff6ff95d?ykm
Axios: “Iran warns Israel through UN against ground offensive in Gaza,” Oct. 14, 2023 https://www.axios.com/2023/10/14/iran-warning-israel-hezbollah-hamas-war-gaza
Reuters: “Iran says ‘pre-emptive action’ by resistance front expected in coming hours,” Oct. 16, 2023 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-says-preemptive-action-by-resistance-front-expected-coming-hours-2023-10-16/
Reuters: “Talks fail to let aid reach Gaza; Israel evacuates Lebanon border,” Oct. 16, 2023 https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-border-crossing-set-reopen-israeli-troops-prepare-ground-assault-2023-10-15/
NYT: “Biden is expected to request $100 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other crises,” Oct. 18, 2023
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Kamala Harris is wrong about ‘assault weapons’
Kamala Harris recently said America needs "an assault weapons ban.” Meanwhile, in wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks, Israel is making it easier for civilians to acquire and carry firearms for self-defense. #Israel #Ukraine #secondamendment
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Is The New York Times giving bad info about Israel?
Is The New York Times giving readers bad information about Israel? Watch this fact check for the full story about the Gaza hospital bombing. #israel #palestine #gaza #facts
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Will electric cars disappoint environmentalists? A Soho Forum debate
Gas Cars vs. Electric Cars
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The Manhattan Institute's Mark Mills and InOrbis CEO Rosario Fortugno debate the resolution, "Between now and 2035, electric vehicles in the consumer market will disappoint environmentalists by remaining a product bought mainly by the well-heeled minority."
Taking the affirmative is Mills, a Manhattan Institute senior fellow, a faculty fellow at Northwestern University's engineering school, and a partner in Montrose Lane, an energy-tech venture fund. He is author of the book The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and a Roaring 2020s.
Taking the negative is Fortugno, the CEO of InOrbis, a company that works to develop technologies for electric vehicle fleet management, autonomous vehicles, and machine learning. He blogs at ApplyingAI.comon the topics of free markets, electric vehicle adoption, and the benefits of artificial intelligence.
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A doll that grows breasts?! Capitalism in a nutshell.
Being able to take risks and having the freedom to try out wild ideas is the only process that leads to successful innovation.
Full texts and links: https://reason.com/video/2023/10/18/what-failed-products-teach-us-about-capitalism/
Everyone knows that Thomas Edison found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb. James Dyson made 5,126 prototypes before hitting it big with his dual cyclone vacuum cleaner. And Apple nearly went bankrupt in the 1990s because the Newton PDA and the Macintosh LC were no match to Microsoft or IBM products at the time. The failure of a product is not something to shame or hide but to celebrate. Entrepreneurs must continue taking meaningful risks—that will sometimes end in failure—in order for society to both advance and solve some of the world's biggest problems. The beauty of capitalism is that it fosters experimentation through trial and error because, in many cases, it's impossible to predict consumers' desires.
Being able to take risks and having the freedom to try out wild ideas is the only process that leads to successful innovation. The Museum of Failure in Washington, D.C., highlights that essential phenomenon by displaying many commercial flops—some of which were before their time while others were just a blip in some companies' otherwise very successful product lines. Reason spoke with Johanna Guttmann, one of the organizers of the exhibit, about the importance of failure and how some industries, like tech, are better at learning from failure than other industries.
Produced by Natalie Dowzicky; edited by Regan Taylor; and sound editing by Ian Keyser.
Photo Credits: Eden, Janine and Jim, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Polygoon-Profilti (producent) / Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (beheerder), CC BY-SA 3.0 NL, via Wikimedia Commons; NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Appraiser at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; mageBROKER/David Talukdar/Newscom; EyePress/Newscom; Bryan Olin Dozier/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Thomas Trutschel/picture alliance / photothek/Newscom; Jaap Arriens/Sipa USA/Newscom; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom; Bill Ingalls - NASA via CNP/Newscom; JOE MARINO/UPI/Newscom; Imagine China/Newscom; Prelinger Archive; Envato Elements.Music Credits: "Dove Laria Ce," by Silvia Rita via Artlist, "New Car," by Rex Banner via Artlist, "Blanket," by Van Stee via Artlist, "Busy Day Ahead," by MooveKa via Artlist, "Presto," by Adrián Berenguer via Artlist, "Goals," by Rex Banner via Artlist.
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How the left and right reacted to the Hamas attack
The right has embraced cancel culture and the left has embraced absolute stupidity in response to the Hamas attack on Israel. #israel #palestine #hamasattack
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American leftists are CELEBRATING Hamas?
"The amount of totally ignorant, if not outright evil, vitriol we are seeing spewed from so many corners of the American progressive left has been highly disturbing to watch," Reason's Liz Wolfe says of the reactions to Hamas' attacks on Israel.
Watch the full replay of Liz and Zach Weissmueller's live conversation with Max Abrahms: youtube.com/watch?v=CBoHZ86x4dc
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A myth of school funding
The relationship between school funding and school quality is extremely weak, since many public schools overspend on administration and employee benefits. #school #education
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Was Ron Paul right about foreign aid?
"Should we be pro-Israel or pro-Arab or anti-Israel or anti-Arab? ... But I think there's a third option to this that we so often forget about—why can't we be pro-American?" then-U.S. Rep. Ron Paul said on the House floor in 2001. Amid a new surge in violence in the region, is Paul's message still relevant?
Watch the full replay of Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe's live conversation with political science scholar Max Abrahms: youtube.com/watch?v=CBoHZ86x4dc
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Is silencing a speaker free speech?
A heckler’s veto is a form of censorship where people shout down a speaker. It’s becoming increasingly common on college campuses, but students call it free speech. #college #freespeech
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Do Republicans want war with Iran?
"This is not just an attack on Israel. This is an attack on America because they hate us just as much," GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley told CNN this week. Max Abrahms, author of "Rules for Rebels: The Science of Victory in Militant History," reacts to GOP politicians' calls for more U.S. involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Watch the full replay of Abrahms' live conversation with Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe: youtube.com/watch?v=CBoHZ86x4dc
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